Eternal Life by Daily Divination

Cui Nianhe appeared once more.

He sent a secret sound transmission to Li Chang’an. "Daoist, our Cui family wishes to obtain more Soul Nourishing Jade. If there’s anything you need, feel free to name it. We will do our best to prepare it for you."

Hearing this, Li Chang’an didn’t hold back and immediately asked, "Does the Cui family have the main ingredient for the Nascent Soul Pill, or treasures for Crossing the Thunder Tribulation and Heart Demon Tribulation?"

"This..." Cui Nianhe’s tone faltered. The Cui family was only a Golden Core Clan. How could they possibly possess such precious Nascent Soul Treasures?

Li Chang’an asked again, "Does the Cui family have Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade?"

"We don’t have that either," Cui Nianhe shook his head.

Next, Li Chang’an listed dozens of treasures in quick succession. However, the Cui family could only produce a few of the lower-value items, lacking all the rest. These few items could at most be exchanged for a grain-sized piece of Soul Nourishing Jade, far from enough to trade for all the jade in Li Chang’an’s possession.

Seeing that the Cui family couldn’t offer anything more, Li Chang’an decided not to waste any more time. "Daoist Cui, if you acquire these treasures, you can contact me anytime."

With that, he prepared to leave.

Cui Nianhe furrowed his brows and shouted, "Wait!"

"What is it? Daoist Cui, could it be that the Cui family has something else I want?"

"No, Daoist Lin. It seems there is a problem with the piece of Soul Nourishing Jade you traded to my Cui family earlier." As he spoke, a dark light flashed in Cui Nianhe’s hand, revealing a pitch-black jade stone. Judging by its shape, it was exactly the one Li Chang’an had used for the trade.

Cui Nianhe’s expression was unfriendly, and his words carried a newfound chill. "Daoist Lin, after repeated inspections, I found that only the outer layer of this jade stone is Soul Nourishing Jade. The inside is just an ordinary jade stone. How do you explain this?"

Hearing this, Li Chang’an couldn’t help but chuckle.

The Cui family evidently felt that one piece of Soul Nourishing Jade wasn’t enough. Since they couldn’t obtain it through legitimate means, they resorted to underhanded tactics. Although the Cui family was a Righteous Influence, every Righteous Influence had its fair share of disgraceful deeds.

"Daoist Cui, what do you want me to do?"

"It’s simple. Hand over all the Soul Nourishing Jade in your possession to my Cui family, and naturally, I won’t make things difficult for you," Cui Nianhe demanded directly, shedding all pretenses.

Li Chang’an smiled faintly. "Daoist Cui, the way I see it, even if I hand over the jade stones, I still won’t be able to walk out of this Immortal City."

"Hmph, do you take me for someone who goes back on his word? As long as you hand over the Soul Nourishing Jade, I will let you go!" Cui Nianhe’s aura slowly surged, carrying a hint of coercion. He was a Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator, while the cultivation Li Chang’an displayed was only at the Early Stage of Golden Core. Even without anyone’s help, Cui Nianhe was confident he could take Li Chang’an down. Not to mention, this was the Cui clan’s territory.

As he spoke, two figures slowly approached. They were two Tier Three Top Grade Puppets, each capable of rivaling the Late Stage of Golden Core. They formed a triangular formation, subtly sealing off Li Chang’an’s position to prevent his escape.

At this moment, the crowd finally noticed the shift in atmosphere. Because Li Chang’an and Cui Nianhe’s previous conversation had been conducted via sound transmission, they were oblivious to what had transpired.

Cui Yueying immediately asked, "Second Uncle, what’s going on? Why did my father’s puppets come here to block Daoist Lin’s path?"

"Yueying, there’s a problem with this man’s Soul Nourishing Jade!" Cui Nianhe looked at the crowd and held the jade stone high.

He declared loudly, "Everyone, my Cui family has built its foundation on integrity. For a thousand years, we have never engaged in fraudulent trades." With a wave of his hand, he struck the jade with a surge of magical power. The Soul Nourishing Jade instantly transformed. The outer layer of stone slowly peeled away, revealing an ordinary jade stone within. "Today, I traded a Heart Inquiry Worm Pill for this man’s Soul Nourishing Jade. The pill was 100% genuine. Yet, the jade he gave me is a fake wrapped in a layer of Soul Nourishing Jade skin!"

Hearing his words, the crowd turned to look at Li Chang’an with varying expressions. Some were disdainful, some suspicious, and others adopted the attitude of watching a good show.

Cui Yan, however, felt a surge of delight, realizing another opportunity had presented itself. "Daoist Lin, why would you do such a thing?" he immediately demanded, confronting Li Chang’an.

Lin Baizhi chimed in, "Daoist Lin, as cultivators, what we cultivate is a clear conscience. Aren’t you afraid that acting this way will spawn a Heart Demon?"

Like most people present, the two of them implicitly trusted the Cui family. After all, the family had accumulated a sterling reputation over a millennium, whereas Li Chang’an was merely a loose cultivator who had appeared out of nowhere.

Cui Yueying looked thoroughly surprised. Yet she didn’t interrogate Li Chang’an. Instead, she said, "Second Uncle, this matter is still open to question. Perhaps Daoist Lin was also deceived by an outsider. He might not have made this fake stone himself."

"Indeed. That’s a fair point," Cui Nianhe said with a stern face as he stowed the fake stone away. He turned to Li Chang’an. "Daoist Lin, please accompany me to the Cui clan territory and explain the origin of this Soul Nourishing Jade. If you didn’t intend to deceive us, I will naturally let you leave."

Most of the onlookers found this proposal entirely reasonable. People from various factions had witnessed today’s events firsthand. As long as Li Chang’an had a clear conscience and provided a proper explanation, they believed the Cui family wouldn’t make things difficult for him.

But Li Chang’an merely smiled. "Daoist Cui, and what if I refuse to go to the Cui clan territory?"

"Then don’t blame me for being impolite!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Cui Nianhe’s aura erupted, and the magical power of the Late Stage of Golden Core surged violently. The crowd hurriedly retreated to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

Cui Yan, however, remained where he was, seemingly eager to help suppress Li Chang’an.

Cui Yueying showed no intention of attacking, opting instead to persuade him. "Daoist Lin, my Cui clan territory is not a lion’s den. You have nothing to worry about. You just need to clarify the matter. There’s no need to escalate this to a fight. Cultivation is not easy; why resort to violence?"

"You’re right. I don’t want to resort to violence either," Li Chang’an gave a slight nod, agreeing with her statement.

Hearing this, everyone present assumed he was planning to give up resisting and accompany them to the Cui clan territory for questioning.

But in the very next instant, Li Chang’an raised his hand and beckoned.

"Come!"

Cui Nianhe’s expression changed drastically. His body flew forward uncontrollably, crashing to the ground right in front of Li Chang’an.