At that same moment, Ye Chuxue was finally found by the search party and rushed back to the sect in critical condition.
When An Ze and Bai Yang saw her barely clinging to life, they were both terrified. In a panic, they called the Sect Master for help.
The Sect Master had no choice. He reluctantly summoned Lan Le.
Lan Le still held a grudge. When he arrived and saw the unconscious master and disciple lying there, he couldn't help clicking his tongue.
"What a sight. One out cold, the other badly injured. Was this retribution?"
He glanced over Ye Chuxue's injuries with minimal effort, then lazily pulled out a pill and handed it off to someone to feed her. "She'll wake up soon. That's all I can do. Let them figure out the rest themselves. After all, Junior Niece Ye is a skilled alchemist. People like us can't compare."
"Junior Brother Lan, why are you being so sarcastic?" The Sect Master was already on edge. Hearing Lan Le's mocking tone made his anger flare.
Lan Le cast him a cool glance and flicked his sleeve, turning to leave without another word. Coming here at all was already a favor to the Sect Master. If it were up to him, he wouldn't have lifted a finger, even if they both died. Better to stay far away from that mess.
The Sect Master's eyelids twitched uncontrollably. A wave of frustration surged in his chest. These people were getting harder and harder to manage.
"Senior Sister Ye! Senior Sister Ye! Are you feeling better?" An Ze kept vigil at her bedside, his expression taut with anxiety. When he had seen her covered in blood earlier, his heart had nearly stopped.
She absolutely could not die.
Ye Chuxue slowly opened her eyes, but before she could say a word, she coughed up several mouthfuls of blood.
"Ugh…"
Dark black streaks swirled in the blood, horrifying to look at.
"Pill… pill… where's my pill…"
Still coughing, she fumbled for her storage ring, only to freeze in horror.
It was gone.
"My ring… it's gone!"
Her pupils shrank. She began looking around frantically, panic staining her face bright red.
"What? Your storage ring is missing?"
Everyone around her froze, then scrambled to help her search. They also questioned the disciples who had carried her back, but none of them had seen it.
"That's impossible… my ring… my pills were still inside! And everything else!"
Ye Chuxue sprang from the bed in a panic, grabbing onto An Ze for balance as she stumbled toward the door.
"It was the people from Shénxíng Tiānxià Auction House… someone from there… that man was a demonic cultivator! The auction house is sheltering a demonic cultivator! Sect Master, please… you have to help us!"
Her eyes were bloodshot. Just thinking about that man made her entire body burn with hatred. If she hadn't run into him, she would have brought the pill back long ago.
"A demonic cultivator?" Bai Yang's face darkened. "What demonic cultivator? The auction house?"
He hadn't noticed anything wrong at all.
"Yes… the host… he's the one! He showed up as soon as I left, tried to steal my pill… It has to be him. He took my storage ring!" She was nearly in tears.
That ring held everything she had accumulated in her years of cultivation. Losing it was like losing her very life.
"Come. We're going to Shénxíng Tiānxià Auction House. Hiding a demonic cultivator? I'd like to see how they plan to explain this." The Sect Master's fury boiled over. How dare someone target one of his sect's personal disciples? He called for two elders and immediately led Ye Chuxue and the others toward the auction house.
They were going to demand answers.
＊
In the black market's trading district, Song Wanníng arrived cloaked in black robes, her figure hidden completely. As she stepped into the main hall, a clerk came forward to greet her.
"Is Daoyou here to buy or sell?"
"To sell," Song Wanníng said in a low voice. "The item is not ordinary. I want to deal with your boss directly."
The black market had strongholds all across the cultivation world. This one wasn't far—just two cities from the auction house. Selling the item here meant she could return quickly afterward.
As for the pearl, it was still back at the Song Clan, roasting in the flames. She had no time to deal with it now.
Getting rid of the storage ring came first.
"Heh, our boss doesn't meet with just anyone. Hope you'll understand."
The clerk bowed with a grin, but his tone left no room for negotiation.
Song Wanníng wasn't in a rush. She smiled calmly.
"You can keep me from seeing your boss, but I wonder if you can handle what I've brought."
Her laid-back attitude made the clerk uneasy. If this turned out to be a treasure and he missed it, he'd be in serious trouble.
"Please wait a moment. I'll go report this."
He hesitated, then turned to leave.
Song Wanníng nodded and wandered leisurely around the room.
Most cultivators in the black market came fully disguised, just like her. No one wanted to be recognized. After all, most of what was sold here was stolen or forbidden.
Ye Chuxue's storage ring had been a gift from Gu Qingyuan when she joined the sect. It was protected by a restrictive imprint. If Song Wanníng forcibly erased the imprint, Gu Qingyuan would sense it.
She'd end up with a ton of trouble and nothing to gain. A complete loss.
Far better to offload it here.
Kill two birds with one stone.
Before long, the clerk returned respectfully. "The master will see you now."
Song Wanníng curved her lips in a smile and followed him into the private chamber.
Inside, a single flame the size of a mung bean flickered in a lamp, casting the room in shifting shadows. The door closed behind her. Song Wanníng casually dragged over a chair, crossed one leg over the other, and lounged back without a care in the world.
A silhouette stepped forward from the shadows, accompanied by a soft laugh.
"You've got guts, Daoyou."
A stunningly beautiful woman appeared before her, her beauty so intense that even Song Wanníng lifted her brows in surprise.
"So the black market's boss… was a breathtaking woman?"
She wore a tight black outfit that clung to her curves, each movement dripping with allure.
If Song Wanníng were a man, she might have fallen for her on the spot.
"Well, well… I didn't expect our guest to be such a little lady," the woman said with a grin.
She sauntered forward, stopping just beside Song Wanníng and leaning in close. Slender fingers slid across Song Wanníng's shoulder and began drifting downward. Her gaze was laced with seduction, eyes like twin snares.
Song Wanníng caught the wandering hand and chuckled softly.
"Spare me your soul enchantment. It doesn't work on me."
Trying to disturb her mind with charm magic?
The black market boss's smile froze, but she quickly recovered, tracing a line along Song Wanníng's hand before pulling away reluctantly.
"A Nascent Soul cultivator, I see. My apologies."
"So," she said, settling across from her with a gleam in her eye, "what kind of deal are you here to make?"