Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 818 - 818 0505 Lets Forget It for Now_1

Chapter 818: Chapter 0505: Let’s Forget It for Now_1 Chapter 818: Chapter 0505: Let’s Forget It for Now_1 Chapter 0505: Let’s Not For Now

Zhao Haiying and the others had never expected that Qi Tian would take the initiative to offer them the mansion for residence. They felt somewhat moved, as they had seen many cultivators reduced to being others’ Immortal Slaves, living lives too miserable for words. In comparison, their own circumstances were like heaven.

“Master, there’s no need for that. We do have a place to stay in Wanjie City. You should keep the mansion you purchased as an investment,” Zhao Haiying declined politely. “Even if you don’t use it for yourself, renting it out can provide a steady stream of income and is a decent source of revenue.”

Qi Tian smiled and said, “If you ever need it, just tell me, and I’ll keep it available for you. By the way, Zhao Haiying, you mentioned you had something important to discuss with me. Surely it wasn’t just this?”

Zhao Haiying hurriedly said, “No, Master. Since I didn’t acquire anything at the mansion auction, I was unwilling to return empty-handed, so I stayed in Wanjie City for a few more days. I figured that after every mansion auction, a plethora of items would flood the market, among which there could be hidden treasures. As long as I had a discerning eye, I wouldn’t have to worry about finding something worthwhile. Once, while I was having tea in a teahouse, I overheard a group of cultivators gathered together speaking in hushed tones. Although they were speaking quietly, I could faintly catch a few words, and from their conversation, I picked up on key terms like ‘Great Zhao Nation’ and ‘Gold Core Realm Upgrade’. I intended to eavesdrop for more information, but those people were very vigilant and eventually switched to using the Sound Transmission Skill to communicate. I gave up trying to listen in and revealed my true identity to them, asking them to speak more clearly. However, they flatly denied everything, and no matter how I tempted or even threatened them with my words, they steadfastly refused to divulge anything.”

Qi Tian frowned and said, “Is that so?”

At that moment, Sun Xiang interjected, “Master, when I was in Wanjie City, I also encountered a similar scenario. I overheard a few cultivators whispering together and mentioning ‘Great Zhao Country’. But the other keyword I heard was ‘secret realm’, not ‘Gold Core Realm Upgrade’.”

Upon hearing this, Liao Chongru said, “Now that you mention it, it does ring a bell. I think I also encountered something similar, but I didn’t pay special attention at the time and only heard the words ‘Great Zhao Country’. I thought I was hearing things and didn’t take it seriously.”

Qi Tian was startled and after pondering for a moment, asked, “Tell me the locations where you encountered these scenarios.”

Realizing they had stumbled on serious trouble, Zhao Haiying and the others then recounted the times and places of their encounters. Qi Tian marked these locations on the map of Wanjie City, and when he noticed that the places mentioned by the three weren’t very far apart and were all basically located within the same district, he first let out a sigh of relief, but then his brow furrowed deeply again.

Two things greatly worried Qi Tian. On one hand, the fact that Zhao Haiying, Sun Xiang, and Liao Chongru had encountered similar scenarios almost back-to-back suggested that there might be an organized force behind the scenes orchestrating these events. With them calculating without their targets’ knowledge, the number of cultivators deceived was likely not small. Even if only a fraction of them were swayed, the numbers would still be significant. On the other hand, Qi Tian also noted that the locations where similar information was heard were all concentrated in one district, which was notorious in Wanjie City. Qi Tian himself had visited it—it was none other than Guihua District, the territory of the Eight Pill Alliance, controlled by eight Gold Core Realm powerhouses. However, that didn’t mean Guihua District only harbored eight Gold Core Realm powerhouses. Quite the contrary, due to the reputation of the Eight Pill Alliance, many Gold Core Realm powerhouses from Wanjie City would frequent Guihua District for shopping, and it was very likely they would hear the rumors being spread. Presumably, this was one of the main reasons the person behind the scenes chose Guihua District to disseminate information.

Qi Tian didn’t know if the information spread by the person behind the scenes was indeed about this Great Zhao Nation beneath his feet, but his instincts told him it was a real possibility. There was a basis for this speculation; let’s not forget that just a few days ago, Zhao Haiying, disguised as a fifth level Gold Core Realm cultivator while actually being on the fourth level, aimed to gain control of a secret realm known only to the royal family of the Zhao Country—one that could advance a cultivator’s Gold Core Realm by one level. It was possible that the secret of this realm had leaked. As for why it had leaked, Qi Tian couldn’t guess.

No matter the reason, Qi Tian felt an extreme sense of urgency. He could no longer delay. If a large number of Gold Core Realm powerhouses were to flood into the Great Zhao Nation again, whatever their reasons for coming, it would severely impact the ultimate goal of the Northern Expedition Army. Those Gold Core Realm powerhouses wouldn’t be kind-hearted and well-meaning; upon arrival, they would certainly use every means to search for the secret realm, one of the most important of which would be finding a large number of people. Whether it was the Northern Expedition Army or the royal army, both had vast numbers that the cultivators would not overlook. Moreover, they would surely target the cultivators of the Zhao Country, and then, a large-scale conflict would be inevitable.