On the top floor, the banquet seats were arranged in a rough semicircle—a traditional kneeling seating arrangement with low tables at the front and a rather spacious open area in the middle.
At that moment, following Geng Fu’s instructions, a number of beautiful maidservants gracefully led the dignitaries to their seats.
Yu Ci took a deep breath and forced his mind away from the heat of the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror, sweeping his gaze around to take in all the people in the vast hall.
At first glance, he spotted Jin Huan. This master of Sun Light Sect had not entered Cloud Bamboo Garden earlier; instead, he had been speaking with someone in a corner of the hall. Only when he heard the music from the banquet did he walk over, with the person who had just spoken to him—Kuang Yanqi—trailing right behind, step for step.
Jin Huan appeared as usual: dressed in a long black-gold robe with a jade belt, his square face exuding unspoken authority. The passive situation of the past few days did not seem to affect him at all. He strode over, greeted Xie Yan, and then made a “please” gesture, exuding the demeanor of a landed gentleman.
Everyone then took their seats.
Xie Yan naturally occupied the foremost seat at the head, and Yu Ci sat beside him—a placement that might have displeased many, yet no one dared raise objections.
Jin Huan took a seat on the opposite side, facing them from a distance, while Kuang Yanqi had no seat at all, merely standing behind with his head bowed in silence.
Of course, the dignitaries were allowed to bring attendants, and Kuang Yanqi was tasked with “coordinating the center.”
As for why it wasn’t Jin Chuan, who was supposedly closer to Jin Huan—rumor had it that after his last encounter with Yu Ci at Heavenly Wings Pavilion, the lad was placed under house arrest by Jin Huan upon returning home. However, it now appeared that Kuang Yanqi’s mental state wasn’t too good either; after a few days away, he had grown considerably thinner.
After a flurry of activity, all the dignitaries had taken their seats. Amid laughter and conversation, the atmosphere remained relatively congenial.
Yu Ci’s gaze swept over once more, and he noticed Zhao Ziyue—this fellow, suspected of hawking contraband, was smiling at him before turning his head to exchange a look with a daoist from across.
That daoist was none other than Lu Mingyue. Yu Ci merely cast a distant glance at him, but now that he was closer under the light, his features became all the more apparent—he looked like a debauchee, yet for some reason his eyes and brows brimmed with joy. Even as he exchanged a determined look with Zhao Ziyue from afar, there was an air of “couldn’t be bothered to argue with you” superiority. It was quite strange.
Next to him sat a monk.
When Yu Ci’s gaze fell upon him, the monk also looked up. His remarkably dignified and calm face, usually expressionless, broke into a smile and a nod upon meeting Yu Ci’s look, exuding friendliness.
Yu Ci returned the smile, as if sharing an unspoken understanding.
There was no doubt—this was Monk Yixin. His appearance bore no resemblance to that of his disciples, who looked like venomous snakes; his dignified posture was on par with any eminent high monk.
“You can know a person by their face, but not their heart,” Yu Ci silently mused. Who would have thought, judging by his appearance, that he was the mastermind behind the chaos in Sky Rift Valley—a true venomous snake, hidden in the shadows and preying selectively on others?
At that moment, there were still people yet to arrive at the banquet.
On the top floor of Heavenly Wings Pavilion, there were a total of fourteen seats. They were allocated respectively for the Immortal of Rifting Earth Sect, the heads of the five major powers of Cliff City, the representative independent cultivator Lu Mingyue, the five out-of-town dignitaries, and the yet-to-appear leader of the Heart’s Desire Pavilion merchant caravan.
At that moment, all the out-of-town dignitaries represented by Zhao Ziyue had arrived; the merchant caravan leader was preparing to host the subsequent Treasure Exchange Banquet and had not taken his seat.
Additionally, the seat for Yu Ci’s faction—namely, that of Thousand Spirit Gate—remained empty, which was understandable, for ever since the crushing defeat by Jin Huan, Shi Song had not set foot in Cliff City again, and the reserved seat was merely a gesture of respect.
Only one person was missing…
“Mysterious Moon Sect’s Immortal Chi Yin has arrived.”
In such a setting, Geng Fu obviously could not afford to shout in an elongated tone, but even such plain words, combined with the alluring presence that entered along with them, instantly captured everyone’s attention.
Clad in the distinctive black cloak of the Mysterious Moon Sect, the Immortal Chi Yin walked into the hall at a measured pace. Her charming face bore a subtle expression, and her sharply defined features resembled a breathtaking sculpture. In greeting the people at the banquet, she merely offered simple responses, showing no hint of tardiness. In fact, she arrived precisely on time.
From start to finish, when addressing Xie Yan, she only added a brief remark like “Greetings, Immortal Xie,” and given the strained relations between the two sects, there was no further cordiality. With a nod, the female cultivator then proceeded directly to her seat, according to the seating arrangement, taking the seat immediately after Jin Huan. This positioned her directly across from Yu Ci.
The two exchanged no meaningful glances.
On the inner side of Yu Ci’s forearm, the residual heat of the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror was still branded onto his skin. Yet at that moment, his previously agitated mood suddenly calmed, as if a handful of ice and snow had been placed upon his heart.
Suddenly, a burst of vibrant voices erupted below like thunder, causing Heavenly Wings Pavilion to tremble slightly. Over there, the Treasure Exchange Banquet had already commenced, and its start was nothing short of auspicious.
It seemed like a signal—the small-scale conversations on the top floor came to a halt, although the merchants of Heart’s Desire Pavilion had not yet arrived.
Everyone present maintained their composure, unmoved as the lively calls from below rose wave after wave. Only a few couldn’t help but mutter that the airs of the Heart’s Desire Pavilion were rather overblown.
Then, at that moment, a wisp of smoke emerged from the open space formed by the arrangement of tables, instantly capturing everyone’s attention.
The smoke twisted and shifted, gradually taking shape. It resembled a budding sapling breaking through the soil, slowly growing taller; the trunk formed, and then sprouted branches and leaves, ultimately producing several smoke-wreathed twigs.
The twigs were not fixed; instead, they rotated and moved along the smoke-formed trunk, interweaving with one another. Yu Ci counted, and there were five in total.
On these twigs, layers of smoke gathered to form shapes reminiscent of leaves, essentially serving as a tray upon which various hues of light shimmered. Through the swirling outer layers of smoke, this transformed into a bewitching glow that illuminated the entire hall, capturing everyone’s gaze.
“A gimmick!”
Yu Ci chuckled inwardly and, in the blink of an eye, glanced at Zhao Ziyue—only to see that the man had also cast a meaningful look, no doubt recalling what had been said at the cliff’s summit earlier. Both exchanged knowing smiles and then turned their gazes back toward the Smoke Tree.
Though it was merely a gimmick, one had to admit that the technique of “Raising a Smoke Tree from the Ground, and Connecting Five Branches to Precious Light” was remarkably eye-catching. Especially as thin tendrils of smoke twirled among the branches and leaves—of some mysterious nature—the radiance shone through, while the true treasure remained elusive and indistinct, stirring an irresistible curiosity. Clearly, this Smoke Tree was quite an impressive specimen.
Just then, hearty laughter rang out.
“Pray forgive me for the delay, esteemed Immortals and daoist friends. I am Zhou Youde, humbly the manager of Heart’s Desire Pavilion. Please accept my greetings.”
Accompanied by laughter, a short, stocky figure emerged from behind the screen. He was solidly built and wore a friendly, smiling expression—truly the picture of a businessman. At that moment, he clasped his fists and offered repeated respectful gestures to everyone present. Upon taking his seat, he even made a special bow toward Immortal Xie, saying, “Ever since parting ways at the Fountain of Eternal Youth, Immortal Xie’s grace has remained unchanged—truly enviable.”
Yu Ci had met Zhou Youde once earlier that morning and knew him to be rather slick, but he hadn’t realized that Zhou and Xie were old acquaintances.
Xie Yan’s enigmatic eyes flickered briefly as he scanned Zhou Youde’s face, offering a slight nod in acknowledgment before turning back to fix his gaze on the Smoke Tree at the center of the hall.
Clearly aware of Xie Yan’s temperament, Zhou Youde proceeded to offer a round of respectful salutes to those around him before seating himself with a gentle cough. In truth, his health was not at its best—his face bore a sallow hue from an injury sustained during a raid a few days ago—yet he forced his spirit, maintaining a professional smile and greeting everyone in meticulous fashion.
In that brief moment, Yu Ci sensed that something was amiss.
Shifting his gaze toward Xie Yan, he noticed that the senior Immortal’s eyes remained unblinking as they fixed on the glittering light of the Smoke Tree, his expression unusually grave. It was only through his recent frequent interactions with Xie Yan that Yu Ci could perceive such subtle cues—even though, to others, the reclusive and eccentric Immortal always wore the same unchanging look.
What was Xie Yan looking at?
Yu Ci couldn’t discern the nature of the smoke enveloping the treasure, and his perceptiveness was no match for that of a cultivator at the Void Stepping realm.
At that moment, from downstairs it seemed a treasure had been unveiled, prompting a chorus of exclamations and further heating up the atmosphere. Once the commotion subsided, Zhou Youde finally got to the point: extending his hand in a casual gesture, he pointed toward the Smoke Tree at the center of the banquet hall.
“Ladies and gentlemen, these are the five magical artifacts prepared by Heart’s Desire Pavilion for this Treasure Exchange Banquet—all brought from the Western Buddha Kingdom. They are uniquely crafted and highly beneficial for cultivation. Please note the rules of this exchange: I will reveal one treasure at a time, and if any Immortal or daoist friend finds it appealing, you may roughly estimate its value and either exchange it for another item of equivalent worth or purchase it with our Heart’s Desire Pavilion’s ‘Heart’s Desire Coins’. Naturally, before revealing any treasure, I will announce its price.”
Most of those present began to laugh—not because Zhou Youde was especially witty, but because they understood the context behind his words. Big merchants like Heart’s Desire Pavilion had long been striving to establish a standard currency in the cultivation world to change the traditional barter system. In the end, however, the currency they concocted could only circulate within a limited circle—just like this ‘Heart’s Desire Coins’, which was likely useful only in dealings with Heart’s Desire Pavilion, and none of the assembled guests possessed any. Everyone understood that Zhou Youde was merely promoting his idea with considerable effort.
Chortling, Zhou Youde said no more and lightly clapped his hands. On one of the Smoke Tree’s branches, layers of mist unfurled like a blooming lotus, revealing a circular ring about the size of a palm, seemingly made of a brass-like metal. Although the ring appeared rather ordinary, Zhou Youde then announced its price:
“‘Heart-Connected Rhino Ring’ – 5,000 Heart’s Desire Coins.”
Those familiar with the internal market were somewhat astonished—this price was exceedingly high, roughly equivalent to the value of a magical artifact forged by the “Heavenly Stems Earthly Branches” refinement method with over forty layers of incantation overlays.
Seeing everyone’s expressions, Zhou Youde smiled and continued, “This ‘Heart-Connected Rhino Ring’ is crafted from the horn of the unique horned rhinoceros of the Western Buddha Kingdom, ground and refined with wind-polished black copper. It was consecrated by a high monk from Aranyakah Temple and further enhanced with thirty-one layers of the Great Buddha Bath Incantation. When carried close, it dispels inner demons and wards off evil qi; used in combat, it can subdue dark demons and monstrous entities. Moreover, thanks to the properties of the horned rhinoceros, it enables one to understand the speech of birds and beasts without the need for cultivation—allowing for simple communication with all living things. A truly distinctive treasure.”
As Yu Ci casually scrutinized the ring, he suddenly thought that if he had possessed such an item when he encountered Nansongzi that day, he would have handled matters much more effortlessly.
Surveying everyone at the banquet, Zhou Youde grinned and asked, “Is there any daoist friend interested?”
The hall fell silent—not because no one cared, but because those who did were busy calculating how to make the treasure exchange most advantageous. Ever patient, Zhou Youde waited with a smile.
At that moment, someone softly chanted a Buddhist mantra—it was Master Yixin, who hailed from the Buddhist order and was well acquainted with the details. “Aranyakah Temple is one of the thirty-three treasured temples of the West. If consecrated by one of its high monks, it would be equivalent to over ten layers of incantation overlays. Moreover, the effect of enabling one to understand the speech of birds and beasts seems tailor-made for the Thousand Spirit Gate. Unfortunately, Master Shi isn’t here…”
“Who said that Master Shi isn’t here!”
A strong, resolute voice echoed in from outside the door, and before the words had finished, a tall, elderly man with graying hair strode in. His laughter reverberated from his chest and burst forth with a deep, powerful tone, “With such a lively and splendid banquet, how could Master Shi possibly not come?”
Yu Ci’s gaze shifted obliquely, and he noticed that on Jin Huan’s face, after the initial shock and suspicion, there was an unmistakable, unhidden gloom.
Master Shi Song, the sect master of the Thousand Spirit Gate—who hadn’t set foot in Cliff City for fifty years—had arrived at Heavenly Wings Pavilion without any warning, appearing before his old rival.
From downstairs came another round of exclamations, as if his arrival had confirmed everything.