Over Twenty Nascent Souls, One Quiet Room

“This is the place. Fellow Daoists, please enter.” The Fire Dragon Boy smiled at the two of them and then walked over with a swagger.

As he approached the entrance of the pavilion, Han Li casually glanced inside, only to be taken aback.

The interior looked just like an ordinary tavern. Not only was it filled with numerous guests eating and drinking, but several waiters were also weaving between the tables, carrying dishes of fine wines and delicacies. The clinking of cups and glasses rang out continuously.

Hanging beside the main door was a foot-long wooden sign, bearing the bold, black characters: “This establishment is reserved. Outsiders, keep out.”

“That old ghost Tian Jing, playing his illusion tricks again. Honestly!” the Fire Dragon Boy muttered to himself, paying it no heed as he strode inside.

His heart stirred by the remark, Han Li swept his spiritual sense lightly over the interior, and a strange expression flickered across his face. Nevertheless, his steps didn’t falter as he followed.

The moment the three of them passed through the entrance, the light before their eyes dimmed. The images of the guests and waiters dissolved like bubbles, and the clamor ceased abruptly.

Han Li casually scanned the area. It was completely empty, filled only with a pale gray mist. In the center of the room sat an old, worn wooden table, upon which rested a single bronze oil lamp. Seated behind the lamp was a kindly-looking, gray-robed Daoist priest, around fifty or sixty years old, who was smiling as he watched them approach.

“I didn’t expect Brother Lan to come himself, and to bring Fellow Daoist Lü along as well. And this friend in the green robe! This old man’s eyes are failing him; I don’t believe we’ve met before. Could you be a newly advanced Nascent Soul peer?” The gray-robed Daoist greeted them with warmth, making sure no one felt left out, and immediately inspiring a sense of goodwill.

“Brother Tian Jing, I’ve brought two uninvited guests. You won’t turn us away at the door, will you?” the Fire Dragon Boy said, a seemingly innocent smile on his childish face, but his tone was seasoned and mature.

“How could I? I welcome any fellow Daoist who wishes to come. Besides, I am an old acquaintance of Fellow Daoist Lü. It’s only this one…” The old Daoist chuckled, his gaze lingering on Han Li for a moment longer.

“I am Han Li of the Falling Cloud Sect, a recently advanced cultivator. I hope True Person Tian Jing will offer me his guidance in the future.” Han Li stepped forward half a pace and cupped his fist in salute.

“So you are Fellow Daoist Lü’s sect brother. My, my, you look rather young, my friend. Your future is surely boundless.” True Person Tian Jing’s face beamed with a spring breeze of goodwill.

“Alright, old friend. It seems most of the others have arrived. I’ll take my people up to have a look.” The Fire Dragon Boy, clearly on very familiar terms with True Person Tian Jing, spoke without restraint.

“Tsk! Brother Lan, you’re always so impatient. About seventy to eighty percent of the guests are already here. Some of the more eager ones might have even started trading upstairs. Here, take these two Black Spirit Masks. Brother Lan, do you still need one?” True Person Tian Jing specifically asked the Fire Dragon Boy before he flipped his hands. With two flashes of white light, he produced a pair of masks carved from dark wood, their surfaces shimmering with faint runic patterns that marked them as no ordinary items.

“Hmph! You know my stature is recognizable to everyone. Even if I used an illusion to change my form, who would I be fooling?” The Fire Dragon Boy puffed out his cheeks, looking quite frustrated.

“That is true. Fellow Daoists, please go up. This old man will join you shortly.” Unfazed, True Person Tian Jing tossed the masks to Han Li and the other man. At the same time, a white spell seal shot into the mist behind him.

The mist dissipated, revealing a faintly glowing stone staircase that seemed to lead to the second floor.

The Fire Dragon Boy didn’t stand on ceremony. Without a word, he skirted the table and walked straight up.

Lü Luo and Han Li bowed before following.

Having already determined that the two masks were identical, Han Li saw no difference between the one in his hand and Lü Luo’s. Without further hesitation, he put the mask on the moment he stepped onto the stairs.

The fabric of the mask felt slightly cool and soft against his skin, yet it was as light as a feather and very comfortable. This surprised Han Li a little.

He turned his head to look at Lü Luo.

A cold, wooden face stared back at him. Lü Luo had already donned his mask.

A faint smile played at the corners of Han Li’s mouth.

In the blink of an eye, the three of them had climbed the stairs and emerged onto the second floor of the pavilion.

The room was brightly lit. The ceiling and walls were embedded with dozens of fist-sized Moonlight Stones, illuminating every corner as if it were broad daylight.

What surprised Han Li, however, was that the second floor looked several times larger than the first. This was the exact opposite of the narrow-top, wide-bottom structure he had observed from outside.

It was completely unexpected.

Of course, the second floor was not empty. Chairs and tables were arranged along the walls, many of which were occupied by cultivators in various robes. Judging by their attire and hair, the crowd was a mix of men and women of different ages.

As soon as they saw the Fire Dragon Boy and his companions ascend, countless cold gazes swept over them.

However, many of those present clearly recognized the Fire Dragon Boy, whose face was completely exposed. Their looks shifted to expressions of goodwill, animosity, indifference, or other complex emotions. A few of them even radiated a subtle, suppressed killing intent. Whatever grudge they held against the Fire Dragon Boy must have been deep indeed for them to be unable to control their murderous intent.

The Fire Dragon Boy paid them no mind. He led Han Li and Lü Luo to an empty spot, and the three of them sat down close together.

It was only then that Han Li, peering through his mask, carefully surveyed the other people on the floor.

Even with his powerful spiritual sense, the masks prevented him from clearly seeing anyone’s face. However, the fluctuations of spiritual power emanating from each and every one of them were unmistakably those of Nascent Soul cultivators. Two of them, in fact, had reached the mid-Nascent Soul stage. These two sat alone, one in the north and one in the south, with no other cultivator daring to sit near them.

For over twenty Nascent Soul cultivators to gather in a single small pavilion was nothing short of astonishing.

Han Li had never seen so many Nascent Soul old monsters at once in his entire life.

It seemed that one truly had to reach a certain level of cultivation before one could come into contact with cultivators of that rank.

His eyes flickered as they came to rest on a corner of the room.

Just as True Person Tian Jing had said, a few impatient cultivators were already gathered around a table. Their lips moved silently, using voice transmission, as they occasionally produced jade boxes and small bottles from their storage pouches, beginning a small-scale exchange.

Apart from these few, most of the other cultivators were sitting with their eyes closed, as if waiting for everyone to arrive before the real trading began. It was likely that the items being traded by that small group were nothing particularly valuable.

Perhaps out of a desire to avoid being recognized by acquaintances, everyone remained silent. Those who did communicate used secret voice transmissions.

The second floor remained in a state of eerie, oppressive silence.

The Fire Dragon Boy, without his wooden mask, was quite conspicuous. However, he was not the only one showing his true face.

Directly opposite Han Li sat an extraordinarily fat man who was also maskless. His waist was almost three or four times thicker than a normal person’s, and the wooden chair beneath him was warping under the strain. He didn’t seem to care, however, and even grinned at Han Li when he noticed him looking. His face had so much fat that it was hard to accept his good intentions.

Beside this fat man sat a voluptuous female cultivator. Although her mask concealed her face, a pair of alluring, watery eyes peeked through, their gaze flirtatious and tempting.

But every old monster in the room was far too cunning to be affected by her charms. They all acted as if they hadn’t seen her.

Just as Han Li was observing this, Lü Luo’s voice transmission reached his ears.

“Junior Han, be careful. That fat man may seem harmless, but he and the woman beside him are the infamous ‘Fatty and the Beauty Dual Devils’ of the Blissful Union Sect. Through their dual cultivation secret arts, they can even contend with mid-Nascent Soul cultivators. They’re very troublesome. Don’t provoke them.”

Hearing this, Han Li’s heart tightened. He immediately filed the pair away on his list of people to be wary of. He stopped looking at them and, imitating the others, closed his eyes and sat still.

After a long while, a few more Nascent Soul cultivators, all wearing masks, made their way upstairs.

When True Person Tian Jing was the last to appear, every cultivator in the room opened their eyes and looked at him, almost as if by prior agreement.

True Person Tian Jing walked directly to the center of the room, raised his hand, and summoned a wooden table over with white light. Only then did he speak with a smile.

“The time is about right. All the fellow Daoists who were supposed to come are here. If no one has any objections, let us begin the exchange meeting.”