Chapter 300: One of Our Own
The Token in Ye Chen's hand was, of course, the very one Chen Jue had given him back at the Treasure Pavilion.
Because Ye Chen had displayed an extraordinary Alchemy Skill at the time, Chen Jue had made him an honorary Elder of the Treasure Pavilion in an effort to win him over.
The experts from the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce recognized this Token at a glance.
They exchanged glances, utterly astonished.
'So this young man before us is one of our own?'
The kind-faced old man in the lead was also stunned for a moment. He took a deep look at Ye Chen, then sighed with a hint of resignation and said, "My apologies, Patriarch Xu."
"Hm?"
"What do you mean by that?"
The will projection's brows furrowed, his expression turning displeased.
A sense of dread washed over Xu Kun, who was standing to the side.
"This young friend is one of our Elders. The Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce... can no longer step in on your behalf, Patriarch Xu."
The old man said slowly.
"What did you say?"
The Xu family Patriarch's face turned ugly, his features dark and grim.
Xu Kun's expression changed drastically, the unease in his heart growing stronger.
"My apologies."
The old man apologized once more, then led the experts from the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce in a slow retreat, clearly intending not to interfere any further.
"Damn it!"
Seeing this, the Xu family Patriarch was so angry he nearly ground his teeth to dust. "He Daoyun! How dare you just stand by and let this brat harm a member of my Xu family!"
"I'll remember this!"
He said viciously.
The old man, addressed as He Daoyun, frowned slightly and said with displeasure, "Patriarch Xu, it was your people who picked a fight with a member of our Chamber of Commerce first!"
"The fact that we haven't intervened on our member's behalf is already giving you considerable face! Did you really expect this old man to attack one of my own?"
His words immediately left the Xu family Patriarch speechless.
Ye Chen just shook his head and chuckled. 'This Token is surprisingly useful, and the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce is quite protective of its own.'
"Now, what other tricks do you have up your sleeve?"
Ye Chen shot a mocking glance at the Xu family Patriarch, and then his hand tightened with sudden force!
Before Xu Kun's terrified eyes, he directly snapped his neck.
"BASTARD!!!"
The Xu family Patriarch lost his composure in a fit of rage. But he was, after all, just a will projection, and he knew that in his current state, he was powerless against the young man before him.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. His tone became much colder. "Let me guess. The purpose of your journey... is the Peach Blossom Banquet, isn't it?"
"Oh?" Ye Chen's brow twitched.
"If that's the case, then this is simple."
"Ye Chen, the Xu family isn't the only one that wants to deal with you."
"As long as you dare to show your face at the Peach Blossom Banquet, I guarantee you will never return to Lei Province alive."
The Xu family Patriarch's gaze was chilling, his voice thick with killing intent.
"The experts of my Xu family will be waiting for you in Dongxuan Province."
"Either you give up this golden opportunity and obediently withdraw from the Peach Blossom Banquet..."
"...or you prepare to be hunted for the rest of your days!"
He had long since learned of Ye Chen's power and monstrous talent from the Xu family experts who had survived their previous encounter.
With Ye Chen's strength, he was certain to rank among the top contenders at the Peach Blossom Banquet.
Therefore, withdrawing from the banquet would undoubtedly be a huge loss for Ye Chen.
All sorts of rare treasures, seldom seen on a normal day, would be offered as rewards at the Peach Blossom Banquet.
If he withdrew, he would miss out on countless precious resources that were nearly impossible to find.
But if he didn't withdraw... could he afford the risk?
The moment Ye Chen set foot in Dongxuan Province, the Xu family would unleash its most severe and terrible retaliation.
Furthermore, he would spread the news in advance.
When the time came, the Xu family would definitely not be the only ones trying to kill Ye Chen!
"How noisy."
Ye Chen frowned.
He threw a direct punch. The surging power made the very air ripple, and amid a tide of azure light, the Xu family Patriarch's will projection slowly dissipated to the sound of his own echoing laughter.
"What a buzzkill."
After that whole affair, Ye Chen was no longer in the mood to enjoy the scenery.
He shook his head and was about to head back.
Just then, He Daoyun and the other experts from the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce suddenly approached him.
"Might I ask, young friend, which of our Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce's Treasure Pavilions do you serve as an Elder for?"
He Daoyun had a kind face, and a broad smile spread across his aged features.
This surprised Ye Chen somewhat. The Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce was the foremost chamber of commerce in the Great Hong Dynasty, yet its people were so amicable, without a trace of arrogance.
'Perhaps that's the secret to how the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce became so successful.'
"Lei Province, Luoyun City."
Ye Chen replied casually.
"I see."
A look of understanding dawned on He Daoyun's face. He sized Ye Chen up and couldn't help but comment, "For a young friend to become a Treasure Pavilion Elder at such a young age, you must certainly have some extraordinary qualities."
"Since fate has brought us together, how about joining this old one for some wine and conversation?"
"I see no reason why not," Ye Chen said with a smile.
Although the previous incident had been frustrating, it also presented an opportunity to get acquainted with people from the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce.
It just goes to show that life is unpredictable, and every cloud has a silver lining.
At this point, the Crimson Nether Flame Prison Carving had already transformed back into its small bird form and landed on Ye Chen's shoulder, looking quite well-behaved.
But He Daoyun didn't dare to underestimate this bird in the slightest.
When the bird had revealed its true form earlier, he had felt a profound sense of threat.
It made him realize that this seemingly harmless little bird was no ordinary demonic beast.
Ye Chen followed He Daoyun and the others deeper into the Cloud Mist Tower Ship.
Meanwhile, several figures slowly materialized in the shadows. They stood on a floor of the Sky-Class Tower Number One, looking down on Ye Chen's group from above.
"Damn it!"
"That brat actually knows people from the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce!"
"If it weren't for that connection, I'd go down and kill him right now!"
They all wore similar attire, and their gazes, fixed on Ye Chen, were filled with intense killing intent.
"He dared to kill a member of our Xu family! Elder Xu Ao, are we really just going to let him go?"
One of them asked, unwilling to accept it.
Hearing this, the others couldn't help but turn to look behind them.
On a cattail mat in the center of the room sat an ancient figure, cross-legged. A deep and powerful aura, as vast as an abyss and as imposing as a prison, coiled around him, inspiring awe.
At their words, the figure slowly opened his eyes. Within his cloudy pupils seemed to lie the vastness of a starry sky, a soul-stirring sight.
"You saw it yourselves just now. Even the Patriarch's words had no effect."
"This is the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce's territory, after all. Forcibly causing trouble here would be quite disadvantageous for us."
The old man said slowly, his voice tinged with the weariness of ages.