The three women had no desire to alert the stationed cultivators of Tianquan City, so they changed out of their sect robes and suppressed their cultivation. What they revealed outwardly was only late-stage Golden Core, neither too high nor too low.
Yet, before they even reached the city gates, someone approached them.
Jian Po glanced over with narrowed eyes. The man's cultivation wasn't low—he was at mid-stage Divine Soul, on par with her. He wore flowing moon-white robes with wide sleeves, and his appearance leaned toward a rugged, strong-browed, square-faced handsomeness.
Most striking of all were the six female cultivators trailing behind him, each with distinct charm: some pure and innocent, some seductive, others dignified or alluring. Not one looked alike, and every passing male cultivator's eyes gleamed with envy.
The man himself seemed to bask in the attention, clearly reveling in the admiration. He fixed his gaze on Jian Dan's group, clearly waiting for a response.
Jian Po glanced at her companions, silently asking if she should act.
Jian Dan merely shook her head, stepping forward to follow her Senior Sister Jian Jing toward the gates.
Jian Po plastered on a polite yet insincere smile. "My sisters don't need a guide. Thank you for your trouble."
With that, she turned and followed her companions into Tianquan City.
The man didn't appear offended by the rejection. After all, true beauties were rare, and a touch of aloofness was only natural.
Watching their departing figures, he turned to the female cultivators at his side once the trio disappeared through the gates. "Find out everything you can about those three beauties. See if I can bring them into my residence."
"Yes, Young Master."
Luckily for him, Jian Dan and the others were already inside the city. If they'd overheard his words, he likely wouldn't have lived long enough to regret them.
"Jian Po, look into his background. I want to know which fool let this clown out." Jian Dan's voice was calm but laced with steel.
"Rest assured, Zūnshàng. I know exactly what to do," Jian Po replied smoothly, even as her hand moved over her black jade pendant, sending a silent message.
Once inside Tianquan City, the trio was struck by how lively it felt. The recent joint assault by evil cultivators and the insect clans seemed to have been completely forgotten.
"Let's head to the open market," Jian Jing suggested with a spark of excitement. "See if we get lucky and find something rare."
"I'm with Senior Sister. Let's go," Jian Dan agreed. Items in proper shops were all available through the Heavenly Sword Sect's Operations Hall, and at their cultivation level, ordinary treasures no longer held much value. It was better to search the open market for hidden gems.
The three moved together toward the southern district, home to Tianquan City's largest open market.
Amid the bustling crowd, they slipped into the lively streets of the South Market, stopping at stall after stall. Whenever they paused, the vendors eagerly pitched their wares.
Jian Dan listened with polite interest, occasionally asking questions or purchasing a few intriguing trinkets.
They had browsed through roughly a third of the South Market when Jian Po quietly reported,"Zūnshàng, that man from earlier has been tailing us."
There was no need to say more; Jian Dan and Jian Jing had sensed it long ago.
"Let him follow if he wants. The South Market isn't ours," Jian Dan said casually.
Jian Jing, meanwhile, picked up a black stone from a stall, examining it closely. "What's this? Looks like an ordinary rock. Does it have special properties?"
The stall owner, a middle-aged female cultivator at late-stage Foundation Establishment, perked up when a senior cultivator showed interest. "Senior has sharp eyes. This was discovered by my Dao companion in a secret realm. He saw it glowing and brought back many pieces."
"And aside from glowing, what does it do? I don't see it glowing now," Jian Dan interjected dryly.
The vendor frowned but quickly smoothed her expression. She couldn't afford to offend either of these seniors. "Senior is correct, perhaps it's because my cultivation is low, or because it's been removed from that realm's unique environment. Its properties are currently dormant.
But I swear on the Heavenly Dao, this truly came from a secret realm. My Dao companion and I just haven't uncovered its secrets. With your strength, Senior, I'm certain you'll find its true value." Her words were persuasive, designed to tempt curiosity.
Jian Dan's divine sense had already scanned the stone, and something about it felt familiar. She picked up another piece to examine more closely.
"Don't let her fool you. That's worthless. One of my subordinates gave me a piece like it once, thinking I'd like it," a male voice suddenly interrupted.
They didn't need to turn around to know it was the same man from the gates.
Standing behind them, Jian Po's expression flickered with disdain. At the same time, her black jade pendant vibrated. She scanned the message with her divine sense, and a slow smile curved her lips. She immediately sent a voice transmission to Jian Dan:
"Zūnshàng, that man is Kong Xingkun, a direct descendant of the Kong Clan. He's a favored heir of the Kong Clan's Mahayana Ancestor, a dual fire-wood spiritual root cultivator. His cultivation is decent, unmarried but with plenty of concubines. He's in the same bloodline as Kong Qiankun, the one Hua Clan exterminated."
Jian Dan's eyes glinted as she examined the stone. The corner of her mouth curved slightly. Fate certainly tied her to the Kong Clan.
Kong Xingkun, with only two female cultivators accompanying him, had followed them closely. Seeing the women about to waste spirit stones, he'd decided to intervene, hoping it would earn him favor.
Yet only the woman in sky-blue robes lifted her gaze to him, her eyes carrying a look he couldn't quite decipher.
Meanwhile, the vendor, now interrupted twice, fumed silently. She glanced at the interrupter and immediately recognized that his cultivation surpassed that of the three women before her. A look at his robes confirmed he wasn't someone she could provoke. Swallowing her frustration, she forced a smile.
"I've only recently started selling these stones. Perhaps what you received wasn't from my stock, Senior." Still hoping to salvage the sale, she tried to sound persuasive.
"Senior Sister, if you're curious, just buy them and study them later," Jian Dan said smoothly, ignoring Kong Xingkun entirely.
"Junior Sister, you've seen this stone before?" Jian Jing asked with keen perception. Jian Dan's casual tone had piqued her suspicion.
"Mm. In a purple-grade secret realm," Jian Dan confirmed.
Without hesitation, Jian Jing flicked out a storage pouch and swept up every black stone from the stall. "If you have more of these, bring them all. I'll take them," she told the vendor, tossing over a communication talisman.
The middle-aged cultivator had been ready to lose the sale, only for fortune to turn. She quickly caught the storage pouch and stowed it in her sleeve, packing up her stall in a hurry. "Honored Seniors, I'll go fetch the rest immediately. Please continue shopping; I'll be back shortly."
With that, she vanished into the crowd.
Moments earlier, Jian Dan had sent a voice transmission to Jian Jing: "Senior Sister, this is a rare forging material. That woman wasn't lying. These stones can only be found in certain secret realms. One of my offensive treasures is made from this very material."