Chapter 27: The Scam
Chapter 27: Chapter 27: The Scam
As soon as Li Ping appeared outside the courtyard, a late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator immediately came forward to exchange a code phrase with him.
Upon hearing the man state the code, Li Ping altered his own voice, responding with the countersign in a raspy tone.
Gumu Sheng had learned this code from a Wang family cultivator and passed it on to Li Ping.
Once the exchange was complete, the late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator from the Wang family smiled and led him into the courtyard.
Entering the courtyard, Li Ping scanned his surroundings and immediately spotted five figures scattered about, sitting cross-legged. They were all dressed much like him.
The moment the Wang family cultivator led him in, he drew the attention of the five figures. However, they mostly just glanced at him before quickly averting their gazes, appearing extremely cautious.
Li Ping understood. These five cultivators, all concealing their identities, were undoubtedly here for the same purpose he was.
What made him a little uneasy was that the Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Wang family seemed far too bold.
Before arriving, he had assumed the man would, at most, sneak one or two cultivators into the Secret Skill Pavilion at a time to select a Secret Technique.
But now, including him, there were a total of six.
’From what I understand, a Core Formation Stage Cultivator’s Divine Sense can cover a range of a thousand zhang with a single thought. If we do this, won’t Fenglan Master catch us red-handed?’
’Could this Wang character really be so capable? Is he confident he can handle the disturbance caused by a group of this size coming and going?’
...
While Li Ping was pondering, a voice reached his ears, pulling him back from his thoughts.
"Fellow Cultivator." The late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator from the Wang family looked at Li Ping grimly. "I don’t care how you learned of this, but you know the rules. The Wang family is taking a huge risk here, so every participant must first pay a fee of 100 Spirit Stones before we depart. You must also swear an oath not to breathe a word of this to anyone."
The serious tone of the Wang family’s late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator actually settled Li Ping’s nerves a bit.
’Right. Someone who dares to do this must have all their bases covered.’
’That Wang must have already greased all the wheels. He’s probably planning to make a clean, quick job of this whole business.’
’After all, sending in just one or two people at a time might seem stealthier, but it would require many more trips. The more trips you make, the higher the chances of getting caught.’
’It’s much better to send a large batch of cultivators in all at once, make a killing, and then get out of the game completely.’
At this thought, Li Ping nodded. He took 100 Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag and, deliberately deepening his voice to a rasp, said, "Heh heh... No problem. Here are the 100 Spirit Stones."
With the Spirit Stones in hand, the grim expression on the face of the Wang family’s late-stage Qi Refining Cultivator instantly relaxed. "Now, please swear the oath."
Li Ping had already given the Spirit Stones, so he wasn’t going to quibble over an oath. He immediately did as requested, swearing not to leak any secrets or report them to the Immortal City’s authorities.
After completing all this, Li Ping looked at the Wang family’s Qi Refining cultivator. "Can we go now?"
The Wang family’s Qi Refining cultivator, however, gestured toward the courtyard. "Please wait a moment longer. We will depart at midnight."
...
Since the Wang family’s Qi Refining cultivator said they had to wait until midnight to depart, Li Ping had no choice but to find an empty spot and sit cross-legged like the other five figures, waiting in silence.
Over the next while, several more people arrived, and the Wang family’s Qi Refining cultivator took each of them through the process.
Pay the Spirit Stones, then swear the oath.
By the time midnight arrived, there were a full twelve figures sitting in the courtyard, and without exception, they all had their identities and auras concealed.
Li Ping was shocked by the number of people, but it also confirmed his earlier suspicion. ’The Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Wang family probably only plans to do this once. Good thing I was decisive, or I would have missed my chance.’
After waiting a little longer, no one else arrived. It was now past midnight.
The Wang family’s Qi Refining cultivator stopped waiting. His voice rang out in the silent courtyard, "Everyone, we’re leaving now. Please keep up with me."
No one responded, but their actions were unanimous. They all rose to their feet and followed the Wang family’s Qi Refining cultivator. Li Ping was no exception. He deliberately chose a position at the back, just in case anything went wrong and he needed to make a run for it.
The group of thirteen, led by the Wang family’s Qi Refining cultivator, headed towards the gate of the Inner City.
Cultivators have sharp ears and keen eyesight, aided by their Divine Sense, and they don’t need sleep to recover their stamina.
In truth, day and night made little difference to them. However, to maintain order, the Immortal City closed its gates at night, prohibiting cultivators from traveling between the Inner and Outer Cities.
But Li Ping saw the Wang family’s Qi Refining cultivator simply take out a Sound Transmission Talisman, say something, and the closed city gate opened automatically, letting them into the Inner City.
Seeing this, Li Ping felt even more relieved.
’It’s just as I thought. The Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Wang family has already greased all the wheels. This trip is going to be smooth sailing.’
The high-tier Cultivation Technique seemed to be in the bag. Li Ping unconsciously began to think about his future plans.
’After I get the cultivation technique, I’ll need to think about finding a Spiritual Land to practice in.’
’The small courtyard where I live in the Outer City is only a Tier One Upper Grade Spiritual Land.’
’On a Tier One Spiritual Land, I can recover my Magical Power. The speed is slower than on a Tier Two Spiritual Land, but it’s barely sufficient.’
’But it’s completely useless for actual practice. A Foundation Establishment Cultivator can train all they want in a Tier One Spiritual Land, but their Cultivation won’t advance in the slightest.’
’So, I’ll have to come to the Inner City and rent an immortal’s cave. Ideally, I’ll get one with a Tier Two Upper Grade Spiritual Land. That’s the only way to ensure my cultivation speed isn’t dragged down.’
’But I can’t rent a cave immediately. I’d better wait a few months, until the fallout from this whole affair dies down,’ Li Ping silently reminded himself.
’After all, if I go rent a cave right after getting the cultivation technique, the timing would be too convenient. If the Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Wang family really gets into trouble later and the Immortal City launches a full investigation, I’d be a prime suspect.’
...
As he was thinking about his future plans, Li Ping suddenly looked up. ’Something’s wrong!’
’The Secret Skill Pavilion contains countless cultivation techniques and legacies. It’s arguably the most important building in the Immortal City, so it must be located on Cyan Dragon Mountain.’
’But right now, the Wang family’s Qi Refining cultivator isn’t leading us to Cyan Dragon Mountain. He’s taking us toward a residential area for Cultivation Clans in the Inner City.’
Li Ping was confused. ’That looks like the direction of the Wang family’s ancestral estate... What’s going on?’
Forcibly suppressing his doubts, Li Ping followed the Wang family’s Qi Refining cultivator. The group of twelve finally stopped outside a pavilion on the Wang family’s ancestral estate.
By now, it wasn’t just Li Ping; everyone felt that something was wrong.
The Wang family’s Qi Refining cultivator pushed open the pavilion door and walked in first. His voice came from inside, "Everyone, please come in."
...
「Several minutes later.」
"This is the Secret Skill Pavilion?"
Standing in the pavilion and looking at the hundreds of Qi Refining Techniques—such as the Golden Sword Skill, Longevity Skill, and Spring Rain Skill—arranged on rows of shelves, everyone was stunned.
The Wang family’s Qi Refining cultivator beamed. "That’s right. This is the Wang family’s Secret Skill Pavilion. As per our agreement, all of you may browse as you please and select one Cultivation Technique to take with you."
Hearing this, Li Ping finally understood he’d been scammed. He couldn’t help but curse inwardly: ’What fucking animals.’