Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1578 - 1578 0925 Sinister Intentions

Chapter 1578: Chapter 0925: Sinister Intentions Chapter 1578: Chapter 0925: Sinister Intentions Chapter 0925: Malicious Intent

This small city is the closest one to the Holy Land, and many cultivators planning to visit the Holy Land make their final stopovers and rest here. As a result, a large number of cultivators have gathered here, which consequently led to the prosperity of the marketplace.

Rare medicinal herbs like the Three Needle Grass are not isolated occurrences in this market; there are other similar precious items. Some are discovered by those knowledgeable in such wares, but others remain like the Three Needle Grass—pearls covered in dust, awaiting the discerning eye to uncover them.

For others, this might be a difficult task, but for Qi Tian, it wasn’t the slightest bit challenging. Just now, when he had used the sensing function of the Heavenly Dao Engine to scan the entire marketplace, he had already determined which stalls had treasures for sale. All he needed to do was to follow the clues to find them.

Treasures that gained Qi Tian’s approval were, without exception, genuinely good stuff. Some stall owners knew what they were selling and naturally would not offer a low price. Generally, Qi Tian would haggle with the stall owners casually. If they were willing to lower the price, that was for the better. If not, it did not matter since he wasn’t the one paying.

At such times, Li Rusen’s teeth itched with hatred the most. It was secondary that he had to empty his purse and play the fool; the main issue was that Qi Tian’s eye was too discerning, too accurate. Every treasure Qi Tian chose was something even he coveted and wanted for himself. However, although it was his money that was being spent, the ownership of the treasures belonged to Huang Liuyan and Qi Tian, and had nothing to do with him.

If it had only happened once or twice, he could bear it, but after numerous times, Li Rusen felt he was on the verge of madness. It was unbearable to spend his own money to aid an enemy by providing them with treasures. If it weren’t for the pressure from his family’s Ancestor, he would have long since taken his leave.

As Qi Tian swept goods in the market, purchasing top-grade treasures every time, at first, no one might have noticed. However, it soon caught the attention of some people. Several individuals secretly followed behind Qi Tian and his party, and whenever Qi Tian purchased another treasure, they relayed the information forthwith.

The Nascent Soul Master charged with protecting Qi Tian noticed all of this and immediately reported to Qi Tian, advising him to leave the marketplace and return to Li Qingping’s cave-dwelling.

“Qi Tian, we should hurry back,” he said. “You and Miss Huang have already bought a lot. You should know when to stop. You may not like to hear this, but although our side seems powerful and apparently unprovoked, this is merely a façade. In reality, amongst peers of the same level, our Ancestor ranks only as below average. If we encounter someone formidable, we might not be able to withstand them.”

Another Nascent Soul Master also joined in to persuade.

“Yes, Qi Tian. Though we are reluctant to admit it, we must face the reality. Under the governance of the Heavenly Dao, there are many regions like ours, and we are just an inconspicuous one among them, not particularly outstanding. Thousands of young geniuses have gathered for the grand event of the Holy Land, each accompanied by a number of Nascent Soul Masters as their guards. Engaging in conflict with them before the grand event in the Holy Land isn’t an especially wise decision.”

Before Qi Tian could respond, Huang Liuyan was already anxious. Among the group, she was the most concerned for Qi Tian’s safety and the least willing for him to encounter trouble.

She quickly joined in the persuasion. “Junior Brother, let’s just go back. There are endless treasures in the world; we can’t possibly aim to stuff all of them into our pockets, right? It’s enough as long as we have what we need for our use.”

Qi Tian was indifferent. While the treasures he had selected in the marketplace were of good quality, most of them weren’t of the same kind as the Three Needle Grass, meaning they were largely unrelated to increasing the success rate of advancing to the Nascent Soul Stage. Such treasures that could boost success rates required significant fortune. Having found a stalk of Three Needle Grass today, one could already describe his luck as defying the heavens.

He smiled and said, “Alright, since Sister wishes not to buy anymore, let’s head back. Let’s start making our way out of the marketplace right now.”

Huang Liuyan and the several Nascent Soul Masters all breathed a sigh of relief, even Li Rusen exhaled in relief, happy that his purse wouldn’t have to continue to thin.

Following the passage of the marketplace outward, Qi Tian indeed looked at the goods on the stalls no more. Although there were still some stalls that he and Huang Liuyan had not visited, where some decent treasures were hidden, Qi Tian truly acted upon his word and didn’t linger for them.

However, there are things in the world that often go against our wishes. Even though Qi Tian was set to leave the marketplace, some people didn’t want him to go.

When Qi Tian and his group were still dozens of meters away from the exit of the market, suddenly someone darted out from the side, spreading their arms to block Qi Tian and his companions’ path.

This was a young Gold Core Realm cultivator, slim and short in stature. The most striking feature was the whisker under his nose, which was impossible to disregard.