Immortal Mortal

”You’ve really promised him? But that underground battlestage is very dangerous,” Chu Qianlou questioned Mo Wuji after they had seen Peng Zimai out.

Mo Wuji nodded, ”Yes. I desperately need a magic skill. I have a feeling that the Yan Clan will not let me off so easily. If not for this auction, I would escape from Universal Hall now, and head to space.”

It was a last-minute decision on Mo Wuji’s part to agree to Peng Zimai’s request. Both Peng Zimai and Chu Qianlou were sure that the only reason Mo Wuji had agreed to fight on the underground battlestage was to obtain a magic skill.

Only Mo Wuji knew that he had only agreed to Peng Zimai’s request, on hardly any conditions at that, because he had his eye on the pole technique. However, there was a more important reason – to escape Universal Hall.

Even though he said that the auction was the only thing keeping him back, he knew for a fact that he was not able to go to space now.

If the Yan Clan were really so slow to react, it would have been hard for them to become one of the three major clans in Star King Mountain. The Yan Clan was obviously holding back because they were concerned about Star King Mountain or something else, and definitely not because they were worried about Mo Wuji.

He was sure that as long as they could find any excuse, they would immediately hunt him down. Mo Wuji guessed that people from the Yan Clan were watching every spatial gate that led out of Universal Pier.

In this world, it was easy to find excuses to cause trouble for others. As long as the Yan Clan wanted him to stay, they were able to find a hundred reasons to prohibit him from leaving.

Looking at things from a bigger picture, even if the Yan Clan allowed him to leave Universal Hall, he wouldn’t have dared to. Who could guarantee that they wouldn’t follow him into space? He had been followed before. He was lucky that the fella underestimated his skills, and that they had met with the Space Scorpion. Otherwise, he would not have been able to escape safe and sound.

Since the Yan Clan lacked an excuse, he was going to give them one. He had to go to the underground battlestage after the auction anyway. He believed that the Yan Clan would receive information about where he was headed, and that they would be waiting for him at the battlestage.

What confused him was that Peng Zimai did not seem in the least bit worried that the Yan Clan would kill Mo Wuji in the first battle. If the Yan Clan killed him in his first battle, Star Searching Merchant House could forget about using him to earn contribution points.

The only explanation was that the Star Searching Merchant House was confident in keeping Mo Wuji safe from the Yan Clan, so that he could earn sufficient contribution points for them. This wasn’t strange. If the Star Searching Merchant House did not have some kind of support, they would not have survived to this day, much less become so successful.

”Then you must be careful,” Chu Qianlou said worriedly.

”Sister Chu, I will be fine. The Yan Clan has not made any moves yet because they still don’t understand me. I still need to go out to attend to some matters. After the auction, I might head straight to space. All of you have to take care of yourselves,” Mo Wuji said, looking at Pang Qi and co. He believed that the yellow-bearded law enforcer would not spread rumours about him, and that the Jing Clan would not dare to mess with Pang Qi and co.

As for the Yan Clan, Mo Wuji guessed that they would not do anything to anger Pang Qi and co.

After thinking for a second, Mo Wuji retrieved an order flag and handed it over to Chu Qianlou, saying, ”If the Yan Clan or the Jing Clan dares to cause trouble for you, take this order flag and look for Mou Lanhan of the Northern Star Army. You can even join the Northern Star Army.”

Even though he believed that the Yan Clan would not provoke them, Mo Wuji was still worried. A clan like the Yan Clan worked very differently in public and in the dark. He was afraid that they would try something funny in the dark.

”You know Mou Lanhan of the Mou Clan? Then you should go to Northern Star Army. The Yan Clan would not dare to take action,” Chu Qianlou rejoiced.

Mo Wuji shook his head, ”I might join them in future, but not now.”

He was definitely not going to look for Mou Lanhan now. He was unsure if he would become the bargaining chip between the Mou Clan and the Yan Clan. At least until he was in control of the situation, he was not going to join the Northern Star Army. Chu Qianlou and co were not the Yan Clan’s target, hence they could approach Mou Lanhan without these concerns.

Moreover, if he were to look for the Northern Star Army’s Mou Lanhan now, he would owe him a huge favour. It was likely he would have to risk his life to repay this favour. Mo Wuji did not want that. Of course, Chu Qianlou and co would also owe him a favour if they approached the Northern Star Army with this order flag. However, this favour was far smaller. At the most, Mou Lanhan would only be helping to hire them.

He had been surviving on his own long enough to understand this.

”Alright. If we need it, I will bring Pang Qi and co. to the Northern Star Army.” Chu Qianlou accepted Mo Wuji’s order flag.

…

A few days passed. Chu Qianlou and co. did not disturb Mo Wuji, as if they understood that he was preparing to enter space.

They were one day away from the auction. Mo Wuji packed his belongings and left to attend to some matters. Mo Wuji now had close to 1,100,000 universal contribution points at his disposal. However, to him, this was still insufficient.

At that moment, the ban at the door shook.

Mo Wuji’s spiritual will went through the ban. He saw a skinny man in black clothing. This man looked like a sword with no sheath. His entire being was exuding a sharp sword qi. In fact, he carried a no-sheath sword on his back and had a red ribbon tied around his wrist.

From the looks of it, he had probably completed True Lake Stage.

Mo Wuji opened the ban at the door and asked, ”Friend, what’s the matter?”

The black clothed man eyed Mo Wuji up and down. Then, he nodded and said, ”I’m here to look for you. Are you not going to invite me in?”

Mo Wuji snickered. This person in True Lake Stage was not going to be able to harm him. He was not afraid, even if that person was from the Yan Clan.

”Please come in.” Mo Wuji invited the black clothed man into the house and replaced the ban.

”You’re not bad. It’s the first time I’ve heard of someone who dared to hit a law enforcer and yet remained safe and sound. Keke, never mind that. You even dared to kill someone from the Yan Clan,” the black clothed man spoke without restraint after he sat down.

”I will not be afraid to fight back if someone tries to kill me, even if he’s the hall master of Universal Hall,” Mo Wuji replied coolly.

The black clothed man clapped, ”That’s right, I appreciate people like you. I, too, will kill whoever wants to kill me, regardless of who he is.”

Mo Wuji remained still. He calmly asked, ”My friend, you and I have not met before. Have you come here just to say these things?”

”I am here to tell you that the Yan Clan will come after you,” the black clothed casually answered while he tapped the table with his finger.

Mo Wuji didn’t care. ”So what? The Universal Hall has its rules.”

The black clothed man did not react to this. Instead, he said, ”I believe you understand that the rules of Universal Hall are rubbish. And I think you’re guessing that the Yan Clan’s people will kill you on the Star Searching Battlestage…”

Mo Wuji was shocked. Before he could ask, the black clothed man continued, ”I received news. Based on my judgement, someone is planning to kill you just before you leave the auction. You won’t be able to make it to the battlestage, so if you think you can leave Universal Hall under the guise of heading there, you’re dreaming.”

”Who are you? Why are you telling me this?” After calming himself down, Mo Wuji realised that his plan was not going to work.

He could not figure out one thing. According to logic, there was absolutely no loophole in his plan. It was most logical for the Yan Clan to kill him on the battlestage. Why would the Yan Clan choose to kill him just before he left the auction? Mo Wuji took the black clothed man’s words seriously, without regard for whether he was telling the truth.

The black clothed man smiled slightly and said, ”I have no name, but I do have a nickname, the Solitary Red Knot. I’m helping you because I appreciate you. Of course, it doesn’t matter if you don’t believe me.”

Mo Wuji had never heard of the Solitary Red Knot. However, he had to believe the Solitary Red Knot’s words, whether or not they were true.

”You think I should leave now?” Mo Wuji asked, without saying if he believed him or not.

If the Solitary Red Knot said he should leave at that moment, he would chase this person out immediately. The auction was to be held the next day. Leaving at that moment was equivalent to courting death.

”Leaving now will be suicide. But I do have a plan to help you this once. Before that, I have to tell you something else. Star Searching Battlestage actually belongs to the Yan Clan. Not many people know this. Just like how not many people know that the Single Horn Battlestage belongs to the Xia Clan,” the Solitary Red Knot calmly said.

”What?” Mo Wuji was suddenly agitated. Now, he finally understood why Peng Zimai was so willing to lend him 1,000,000 contribution points without regard for whether the Yan Clan would allow him to earn it back.

”I am helping you because my older brother was killed after fighting with a law enforcer. At the time, he was clearly the one in the right in his conflict with the Xia Clan. Yet, the law enforcers mixed up good and evil and killed him without reason. Throughout all these years, I have seen law enforcers trying to pacify the three major clans, and supporters cowardly accepting the injustice that law enforcers do. They offer their right cheek after being slapped on the left. You are the first here who dared to fight a law enforcer, and yet remained safe and sound.”

The Solitary Red Knot sucked in a long breath after speaking. ”Maybe your luck is better. You only offended a small fry in the Jing Clan. Or maybe Yu Qianni is a law enforcer who does not like making a scene.”

”Have you stayed here all this time, waiting for a chance to take revenge?” Mo Wuji suddenly asked.

The Solitary Red Knot remained unmoved and answered, ”I don’t only want revenge. I want to start a law enforcement organisation here that does not belong to the three major clans. Universal Hall belongs to all the cultivators in Zhen Xing, not just the three major clans. Of course, before that, I have to kill many people.”

Mo Wuji felt the rage burning in the Solitary Red Knot’s chest. Out of nowhere, he said, ”Maybe I can help you in future. But for now, I have to make a trip to Single Horn Battlestage.”

…

Star Searching Merchant House had always been one of the biggest merchant houses in Universal Hall. This merchant house remained low-profile, yet they organised many of the large-scale auctions.

It was the opening day of the biggest auction that Universal Hall had seen in two years. This auction was organised by the Star Searching Merchant House.

Mo Wuji, disguised as a middle-aged man, hid among the crowd and entered Star Searching Merchant House’s auction place. He was in awe of the Solitary Red Knot’s disguising skills. Anyone who stared him in the face would not have guessed he was in disguise, unless they used their divine sense.

Indeed, people who could survive in Universal Hall were not simple.