Chapter 660
Fu Shaoping changed into a dark blue gown, with an inconspicuous jade pendant hanging from his waist, which was actually a magical instrument that concealed his aura; Nangong Wan dressed in men's clothing, with her black hair tied high, and even her Adam's apple was disguised perfectly. The two followed the crowd to the Jubao Pavilion, and along the way they sensed at least five different waves of divine consciousness sweeping past.
"The man in yellow at the tea stall on the left, and the one holding a pipe at the attic window on the right." Nangong Wan whispered, "They are all spies from Xuanyin Pavilion."
Fu Shaoping nodded imperceptibly, but quietly formed a spell with his right hand. Suddenly there was a commotion at the corner of the street - a certain cultivator's spirit pet suddenly went crazy and knocked over a row of stalls. Taking advantage of the chaos, the two of them slid into the side door of Jubao Pavilion like swimming fish.
There is a different world inside the pavilion. In the center is a suspended circular auction platform, surrounded by seven layers of circular seats, and the higher you go, the more luxurious the boxes become. Fu Shaoping showed the jade card he bought last night, and the waiter immediately respectfully led them to the "Xuan" box on the fourth floor - this height allows you to see the details of the auction items clearly without being too conspicuous.
"Today's thirty-seventh lot - the Meteoric Compass!" The auctioneer lifted the red silk to reveal a bronze compass. The compass was engraved with star tracks, and in the center was a self-rotating meteorite pointer. "This item is a specialty of the Meteoric Valley, and can guide the flow of spiritual energy in the valley. The starting price is eighty medium-grade spiritual stones!"
Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan looked at each other. This compass and the map on the back of the black jade token were obviously matching items. Just as Nangong Wan was about to raise his sign, a hoarse price suddenly came from the "Di" box opposite: "One hundred medium-grade spirit stones."
Through the beaded curtain, Fu Shaoping saw that the person who made the offer was a figure wearing a black cloak, with a faint tattoo on his neck. "He is from Xuanyin Pavilion." He transmitted the message, while holding up the number plate, "One hundred and twenty spirit stones."
The bidding quickly heated up. When the price soared to 300 spirit stones, most of the competitors had withdrawn. Only the black cloak in the "Earth" box and Fu Shaoping were still bidding. The atmosphere in the auction hall gradually became solemn, and some sharp monks had already begun to quietly leave.
"Four hundred spirit stones!" The man in the black cloak stood up suddenly, and the cloak moved without wind. A cold aura spread out, and several monks with lower cultivation turned pale on the spot.
Fu Shaoping was about to raise the price again, but Nangong Wan held his hand and raised a jade token with snowflake patterns. When the auctioneer saw the jade token, his expression suddenly became respectful: "This fellow Taoist has shown you the 'Ice Soul Token', which can be exchanged for 500 medium-grade spirit stones according to the rules."
The whole audience was in an uproar. The Ice Soul Token was a token of the Snow Soul Sect in the Northern Territory, and only core disciples could obtain it. The man in the black cloak froze, and finally sat back down slowly. When the auctioneer dropped the hammer and announced the ownership of the Falling Star Compass, Fu Shaoping clearly heard the sound of jade breaking from the opposite side.
Neither of them bid for the next few items until the finale came on the stage - a jade box sealed in black ice. "This item was found deep in the Ten Thousand Mountains and was identified as a relic of an ancient cultivator. The specific items in the box are unknown, but the spiritual power fluctuations are comparable to those of a Nascent Soul magic weapon. The starting price is one thousand medium-grade spirit stones!"
The entire auction hall was in an uproar. Bidding continued, and the price soon exceeded two thousand spirit stones. Fu Shaoping did not want to participate, but suddenly felt the black jade token in his arms getting extremely hot. He pretended to tidy up his clothes and took out the token, and found that the map on the back was changing - the location of the Xuanyin Blood Pool was lit up, pointing to the jade box on the auction table.
"We must take it." Nangong Wan also obviously noticed something unusual. She took out a brocade bag and poured out twelve high-quality spirit stones. "This is all my savings."
Fu Shaoping gritted his teeth and joined the bidding. When the price reached 2,800 spirit stones, a sinister laugh suddenly came from the "Di" box opposite: "3,000 spirit stones! Plus a favor from Xuanyin Pavilion."
The auction hall was silent for a moment. The favor of Xuanyin Pavilion was both a temptation and a threat. Fu Shaoping's forehead was covered with cold sweat - their total assets added up to less than 3,500 spirit stones.
At this moment, a clear female voice came from the "Tian" box on the top floor: "Three thousand five hundred spirit stones." As the pearl curtain swayed gently, one could vaguely see that the speaker was wearing a silver mask, with a blue-eyed magpie perched on her shoulder.
The man in black cloak was obviously panicking: "Three thousand six, no, three thousand seven hundred spirit stones!"
The woman with the silver mask chuckled and said, "Four thousand." Her tone was as casual as if she was talking about the weather.
In the end, the jade box was sold at a sky-high price. Fu Shaoping noticed that when the silver-masked woman paid, she presented a token engraved with a small golden sword - exactly the kind of sword pavilion token they had seen in Jie Xiu's storage bag.
The auction was over, and the two quickly left through the side door. As soon as he turned the corner, Fu Shaoping sensed at least three auras following him. Nangong Wan crushed an ice bead, and a thick fog suddenly filled the area of ten feet. Taking this opportunity, the two sneaked into the back door of a clothing store, changed their clothes three times in a row, and finally disguised themselves as an elderly couple to blend into the crowd.
Back at Qingmingju Cave, Fu Shaoping immediately activated all the protective formations. Nangong Wan placed the meteorite compass flat on the table and combined it with the black jade token. What was horrifying was that when the compass needle touched the token, it actually rotated on its own and finally pointed to the southeast direction of the market town - exactly where the "Baicaoxuan" mentioned by the shopkeeper yesterday was.
"It seems we have to go meet the shopkeeper with the 'very sharp eyes' again." Fu Shaoping put away the compass and suddenly frowned, "Someone has triggered the outer alarm."
Nangong Wan had already drawn his sword. The moonlight outside the window was suddenly blocked, and a dark hand as big as a millstone was pressed against the window, with sticky black blood oozing from between its fingers.
On the third day after the auction ended, Qingming was in the cave.
Fu Shaoping sat cross-legged in the center of the spirit gathering array, his hands forming seals, and a faint green halo surrounded him. The meteorite compass was suspended three feet in front of him, echoing with the black jade token, projecting a miniature star map of light and shadow. Nangong Wan leaned against the window, playing with an ice crystal with his fingertips, but his eyes occasionally swept towards the dusk outside the window.
"The resonance between this compass and the token is getting stronger and stronger." Fu Shaoping opened his eyes and tapped the meteorite needle in the center of the compass with his fingertips. The needle immediately spun rapidly and finally pointed to the southeast, just like yesterday. "We must go to Baicaoxuan to investigate as soon as possible."
Nangong Wan put away the ice crystals, her black hair fluttering slightly in the evening breeze. "Three groups of people have already targeted us. On the night of the auction, the warning formation outside the cave was triggered twice." She walked to Fu Shaoping and leaned over to observe the star map. "Xuanyin Pavilion will not give up the Falling Star Compass easily. I heard the sound of the black cloak crushing the jade artifact before leaving."
Fu Shaoping put away his magic weapon, and when he stood up, his dark blue robe fluttered without wind. He walked to the sword rack in the corner of the stone room and took out his Qingfeng sword. "We will set out at midnight tonight, when the guards of the market will change shifts, and the defense will be the most relaxed." He stroked the sword gently, and the blade made a subtle humming sound, "How are you injured?"
“No problem.” Nangong Wan untied the jade hairpin that bound her hair, and her black hair fell like a waterfall. A little cold light gathered on her fingertips, and she drew a few complicated runes in the air. “I have already run the Ice Soul Art for three cycles, and that bit of evil spirit has long been dispelled.”
Fu Shaoping nodded, but still looked at her a little more worriedly. Three days ago, after the auction ended, Nangong Wan took a palm strike from the spy of Xuanyin Pavilion to protect him. Although she pretended to be fine, he noticed that there was still a slight stagnation in her left shoulder when she practiced. It was almost midnight, and the two changed their clothes. Fu Shaoping dressed up as a traveling doctor, carrying a medicine box; Nangong Wan dressed up as his disciple, tied his black hair into a man's bun, and wore an ordinary iron sword on his waist. Before leaving, Fu Shaoping left three sword talismans in the cave, which could at least delay outsiders for a moment if they broke in.
The night was as dark as ink, and the lanterns in the market swayed in the wind, casting ever-changing light and shadows. The two walked along the remote alley, and Fu Shaoping's consciousness spread out like water, alert to any abnormal fluctuations.
"Turning around the corner ahead." Nangong Wan suddenly sent a voice message. Fu Shaoping understood and immediately locked onto the three figures squatting at the corner. The three people's auras were concealed, but they could not escape the perception of the Jindan cultivators - two were in the late foundation building stage, and one was in the early stage of the Jindan.
"Take a detour?" An ice needle had condensed on Nangong Wan's fingertips.
Fu Shaoping shook his head slightly. "It would be suspicious if you deliberately avoided me." He raised his voice deliberately, "Disciple, the mansion of Mr. Li is ahead. His family has a chronic illness and we can't delay any longer."
The two walked forward as if nothing had happened. Just as they turned the corner, three cold rays of light broke through the air!
Fu Shaoping held his medicine box horizontally, and a green light shield appeared on the box surface, blocking all the hidden weapons. Nangong Wan flashed and shot the ice needle straight at the throat of the man on the far left. The man obviously didn't expect such a fierce counterattack, and in his hasty dodge, the ice needle grazed his neck, leaving a line of blood.
"This is a tricky idea! Set up the formation!" The leading Jindan cultivator shouted, and the three of them immediately formed a triangle to surround the two. Fu Shaoping could see clearly that the three of them were all wearing gray clothes and bronze masks. They were the notorious "Green-faced Tribulation Cultivator" in the cultivation world.
The medicine box fell to the ground, and the Qingfeng sword was unsheathed. Fu Shaoping pointed the tip of the sword at the ground and sneered, "You dare to act wildly in Xuantian Sect's territory?" Before he finished speaking, the sword light had already pierced towards the Jindan Tribulation Cultivator like a swimming dragon.
The robber cultivator was not in a hurry. He took out a small black flag from his sleeve and spread it out in the wind. Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew, and seven black shadows rushed out from the flag, emitting a sharp scream and pounced on Fu Shaoping. At the same time, the other two robber cultivators each held a pair of scimitars and attacked Nangong Wan from the left and right.
"Soul Devouring Evil!" Fu Shaoping's heart trembled. This black flag was clearly a secret weapon made by Xuanyin Pavilion, specially designed to defeat sword cultivators. He immediately changed his tactics, and the sword tip turned back, drawing a green arc in front of him. The black shadow collided with the arc light, making a tooth-grinding friction sound.
Nangong Wan's side was even more dangerous. The two robbers' scimitars glowed with a strange green light, obviously poisoned. She didn't dare to take it head-on, and her figure moved in the sword light like a butterfly, running the Ice Soul Art to the extreme, and every time she attacked, she brought up a frost.
"Fu Shaoping, they are not ordinary robbery cultivators!" Nangong Wan said in a voice transmission, and at the same time he leaned back to avoid the scimitar that was sweeping across. He pointed his right sword and ice crystals spread along the robbery cultivator's arm. "There is a shadow of Xuanyin Pavilion in the moves!"
Fu Shaoping also noticed something unusual. This Jindan Jie Xiu was very familiar with his sword moves and had predicted his changes of moves several times. What was even more suspicious was that the opponent seemed to deliberately lead the battle to the depths of the alley. With his mind racing, he deliberately exposed a flaw, revealing an open door on his shoulder.
Sure enough, the leader of the robbery cultivators immediately seized the opportunity and aimed the black flag straight at his throat. Fu Shaoping was well prepared, and he made a sword gesture with his left hand. The three sword intentions that had been lurking underground suddenly rose up and stabbed at the robbery cultivator from three tricky angles.
"Ah!" The leader of the robbery cultivators screamed as his right leg was pierced by a sword. However, he was so ferocious that he ignored his injuries and bit his tongue to spit out a mouthful of blood on the black flag. The flag suddenly swelled up, and seven black shadows merged into one, turning into a ferocious ghost claw that grabbed Fu Shaoping's front door.
At the critical moment, a white shadow flashed by. Nangong Wan abandoned the two robbery cultivators who were fighting and flew in front of Fu Shaoping. The ghost claws firmly grabbed her back, and her clothes were torn in an instant, revealing five deep black marks that could be seen through the bones.
"Nangong!" Fu Shaoping's eyes were bloodshot, and the spiritual power in his body was running wildly. The Qingfeng Sword made a sound like a dragon's roar, and dense ancient runes appeared on the sword. This was the last move of the "Qingming Sword Art" that he had comprehended after three years of seclusion - "Bi Luo Huangquan".
The sword light poured down like a river, illuminating the entire alley. The Jindan Jie Xiu was the first to be hit, and before he could even scream, he was twisted into a bloody mist by the sword energy. The remaining two Jie Xiu saw that the situation was not good, and turned around to escape. Fu Shaoping would not let them get away, and the sword turned, and two sword energies were sent out from behind to nail the two men to the wall.
The battle ended suddenly. Fu Shaoping didn't bother to check the spoils, and immediately supported the shaky Nangong Wan. The wound on her back was glowing with black air, and the evil power was eroding her meridians.
"Idiot! Who told you to block it!" Fu Shaoping's voice was trembling, but his hands were as steady as a rock. He took out a jade bottle from his storage bag and poured out three green pills, "Take them quickly, they can temporarily suppress the evil spirit."
Nangong Wan forced a smile on his pale face: "Your weakness is too obvious and if I don't stop you, you will be hit." Before he finished speaking, a mouthful of black blood gushed out of his lips.
Fu Shaoping said no more and carried her carefully on his back. It was not advisable to stay here for long. The fighting just now was too noisy and would soon attract patrolling monks. He quickly searched the storage bags of the three robbers, ejected a wisp of true fire to destroy the bodies, and then used the escape technique to disappear into the night.
He did not return to Qingming Residence, but turned to a remote courtyard in the west of the city. This was the place he secretly arranged to stay when he traveled in his early years, and even Nangong Wan did not know about it.
The furnishings in the courtyard were simple but clean. Fu Shaoping carefully placed Nangong Wan on the couch and immediately began to treat the wound. The evil spirit had already invaded the heart meridian, and ordinary pills could not cure it. He hesitated for a moment and took out a green bead the size of a longan from his body.
"Qingming Xuandan." Nangong Wan saw the bead in a fuzzy state and struggled to stop it. "Your golden elixir perfection depends on it."
"Shut up." Fu Shaoping pinched her mouth open without saying anything and put the Xuandan into her mouth. At the same time, he put his hands on her back and used all his spiritual power to help her dissolve the drug. "It's just a pill. It's not as important as your life."
As the Xuandan entered her stomach, Nangong Wan's body immediately glowed with green light. The black gas on the wound on her back quickly melted away like snow meeting boiling water. Fu Shaoping did not dare to relax and continued to guide the medicinal power to travel through her meridians until he was sure that all the evil spirits had been cleared. (End of this chapter)