The Path Toward Heaven

The manager craned his head, looking at the source of the voice. It was a room on the eighth floor, and he recalled which sect he was from.

According to the rules of the Precious-Tree House, he couldn’t reveal the identity of the other party. “My friend, why did you say so?” he asked with a smile.

“Don’t say a word. We must get this box of Sedative Icy Pills. Start your auction right away,” said the cold, gloomy voice.

The manager felt a bit angry at the fellow’s impertinence, but he forced himself to calm down. “We are all practitioners, why do you act so aggressively?” he asked patiently.

The man sneered. “We are acting according to the rules. What’s the problem?”

The manager narrowed his eyes, wondering if they were here to cause trouble. His expression cooled. “You do know that this is Chaonan City?!” he asked, a hint of warning in his voice.

“Of course I know that.”

“Why don’t you just tell us that it’s the Green Mountain Sect?” the guest in the room on the eighth floor asked sarcastically,

“Even if I tell you, would you dare disrespect the Green Mountain?!” snapped the manager coldly.

“Of course not. But do you think the Green Mountain Sect will take care of you? I’d like to know where you get the confidence to be so assertive,” the man retorted with a sneer.

Having heard what the man said, the manager was startled. He knew why he was so antagonistic.

Two years ago, Bihu Peak of the Green Mountain Sect had experienced some changes…the Precious-Tree House had lost its biggest backer. But how did he know about this?

“When it comes to assertiveness, we can’t compete with your All-Three Sect. You even dare snatch things from the Fruit Formation Temple when you come to Nanhezhou.”

Putting the auction rules aside, the manager revealed the other party’s identity with a sneer.

If the All-Three Sect insisted on getting the Sedative Icy Pills, then let them contend with the Fruit Formation Temple.

Having heard the name of the All-Three Sect, the discussions started in the building.

The All-Three Sect was a western sword sect. They weren’t well-known, but they were attached to the Kunlun Sect, so few people were willing to confront them.

The window of the room was pushed open, and a gloomy middle-aged man stood by the window, sneered as he looked down at the manager. “Senior Master,” he said to the old monk of the Fruit Formation Temple, “our sect doesn’t intend to confront your respectable temple, but our Young Master has been sick, and he needs the Sedative Icy Pills for treatment, so we can’t let anybody else have them.”

This middle-aged man had no respect for the Precious-Tree House, but showed adequate courtesy toward the Fruit Formation Temple.

Many people still didn’t quite understand after his explanation. The Sedative Icy Pill wasn’t a rare and unique magic drug. It was useful because recently the folks of Chaonan City had fallen sick after their souls were taken by the Dace Devil, and then the Fruit Formation Temple got involved. The All-Three Sect was a vassal of the Kunlun Sect, which had a close relationship with the North Magic Army. So if the son of the Sect Master of All-Three was sick, it would be impossible for them to be unable to get the drug!

The middle-aged man knew what was on their minds. “Our Young Master came to Nanhe State to have some fun,” he said. “Unfortunately in Yin City he came into contact…with a poisonous flower.”

The discussions started up again. It seemed like they all knew what this poisonous flower was.

If the affliction was really caused by a hateful and heartless female practitioner, this young master of the All-Three Sect was indeed to be pitied.

Though the flower’s poison wasn’t life threatening, the itchy feeling was unbearable for the sufferer. If one had the willpower, it would take ten difficult days to heal.

However, it was impossible for the people of the All-Three Sect to ignore the inhuman suffering of their young master!

“We must have the Sedative Icy Pills. As for the sick folks of Chaonan City…it is very unfortunate for them,” said the middle-aged man.

There were not so many objections to what he had just said in the building. Everybody should have sympathy for others, but in the minds of the practitioners, mortal lives were not worth as much as their own kind.

The old monk of the Fruit Formation Temple didn’t agree with the statement, of course, but he was not good at arguing. All he could do was shake his head and sigh.

In a room on the seventh floor, Zhao Layue didn’t quite understand the situation. “How can such a small sect not fear the Fruit Formation Temple?” she asked.

“The monk is good-tempered,” said Jing Jiu.

Jing Jiu was speaking of the characteristics of the Fruit Formation Temple, or rather their reputation in Cultivation circles for many years.

This kind of incident could only happen here in Chaonan City, a remote area under the Imperial Court. Who would dare disrespect the Fruit Formation Temple in the north? Over there, if the All-Three Sect dared to snatch the drug from the Fruit Formation Temple, they would be torn to pieces by the angry populace. And the Windy Broadsword Sect would be so upset that they would actually attack the Kunlun Sect.

Though the practitioners in the building acquiesced to what the middle-aged man of the All-Three Sect said, this was Chaonan City, and the monks of the Fruit Formation Temple needed the drug to treat the sick, so they couldn’t let this western swordsman take the drug so easily. Many bids were offered when the auction started, and soon the price of the Sedative Icy Pill surpassed its true value.

The All-Three Sect didn’t show any inhibition, continuously outbidding the others.

There were many crystal mines in Kunlun Mountain. Though the All-Three Sect was not as rich as the Kunlun Sect, they likely had plenty of crystals.

As time went by, the price of the Sedative Icy Pill went higher and higher, and the other sects had no choice but to give up.

Even if they wanted to use the Sedative Icy Pill to please the Fruit Formation Temple, they had to consider the affordability of the price.

It looked like the box of Sedative Icy Pills was going to be won by the All-Three Sect. Suddenly the manager spoke with a wide grin. “Mysterious Room 2 contributes a Xuancao Pill for the auctioned item.”

Having heard this news, there was silence first, then uproar in the building.

The Xuancao Pill was the famous product of Xuanhua Mountain in Middle State. It was rumored that it had to be manufactured in the Heaven-and-Earth Bronze Stove.

Its effectiveness and value were one hundred times greater than the Sedative Icy Pill.

Why was the person in that room willing to exchange a Xuancao Pill for the Sedative Icy Pill? Did they also want to please the monks of the Fruit Formation Temple? The cost was quite high, though.

The people of the All-Three Sect were stunned, and all eyed each other, not knowing what to do next.

The middle-aged man sneered and sat back down, indicating they were not going to bid anymore. But nobody knew what was on his mind.

The auction had seen an unexpected turn. Nobody thought the Sedative Icy Pill could find its owner this way.

Unexpectedly, the window of the room on the seventh floor didn’t open till the end of the auction. It seemed the bidder didn’t intend to meet the monks of the Fruit Formation Temple.

…

…

The manager brought the Sedative Icy Pills to Mysterious Room 2 personally, and he carefully lowered his head without looking at Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue.

Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue were about to leave when he got there.

The manager respectfully presented a small wooden box to them with both hands.

Jing Jiu took the box and opened it.

Taking a glance at it, Zhao Layue saw it was the Xuancao Pill in the box and felt satisfied as she figured out what the Precious-Tree House was trying to do.

The manager told them in a low voice to sit down and wait to meet the owner of the auction house.

Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue understood what he meant, but didn’t listen to him. This auction was indeed boring, and they couldn’t find any clues they were looking for here, so there was no reason for them to stay any longer.

“Where did these two strange people come from?” thought the manager as he watched the two figures walking downstairs. He left in a hurry to inform his boss.

The day’s auction had actually been a pre-arranged show by the Precious-Tree House. When they had learned that the monk doctors needed the Sedative Icy Pills to treat their patients, the stage was set. They intended to utilize this event to gain a good reputation for the Precious-Tree House in order to show off their achievement to the immortal masters coming from the Green Mountain in a few days. Unexpectedly, the All-Three Sect had interrupted the show, and they almost had changed this reputation-gaining show into something else.

The manager thought it over again. If those two didn’t ask me to give the Sedative Icy Pills to the monk doctors on their behalf, do they plan to give them to the monks themselves?

…

…

Not far from the Precious-Tree House, Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue were blocked by people from the All-Three Sect.

Jing Jiu hadn’t encountered such an event in many years, and Zhao Layue had merely read such stories in the books. She was quite bored by the same old scenario that was about to unfold.

“Do you all want to die?” asked Zhao Layue, looking into their eyes with a great deal of seriousness.

The people of the All-Three Sect were astonished at this threatening question, since it was supposed to be them who made the threats first.