Chapter 132: A Massive Profit

Seeing that Qian Huixian had taken the bait, Ge Qian grew even more composed. With an unhurried tone, he said, "Fellow Daoist Qian, we are on a public street. Please, compose yourself. If people misunderstand and think we are a couple flirting, it will be quite difficult to explain. Besides, do you know Fo Yaxin? Why are you so agitated just by the mention of his name?"

Qian Huixian glared at him and glanced around. Indeed, several curious cultivators had stopped to watch.

She loosened her grip and let out a cold snort. "Have you truly seen Fo Yaxin?"

"Would I lie? I, Wang Meng, never speak falsehoods," Ge Qian replied with a serious expression.

Qian Huixian let out a long sigh, regaining her composure. *Why am I so nervous?* she thought. *You wretch, now that I have a lead on you, you shall not escape my grasp. I traveled thousands of miles to the Zhao State for you; surely, the heavens will not fail a determined heart.*

Feigning elegance, she said, "The Hongfa Temple does indeed have such a lay disciple. He owes me spirit stones—a substantial amount, at that. Will you take me to him?"

"There is no rush," Ge Qian said with a faint smile. "I must see my friends first and settle the accounts between us, lest you claim I owe you spirit stones."

To mask her impatience and hide that she had any special relationship with Fo Yaxin, Qian Huixian replied generously, "As long as your information proves accurate, I can waive one spirit stone from your debt. Follow me."

Ge Qian, naturally, had no objections, though his half-smiling expression remained enigmatic.

The two soon arrived at an inner-city inn, a luxuriously decorated establishment that must have cost a fortune. Ge Qian could not help but marvel at the extravagance of those from major sects.

Inside one of the guest rooms, three people were trapped within a formation. It was a bizarre array; light flickered in swirling patterns, creating an isolated space where, aside from air, all spiritual energy was completely nullified.

Bai Ruyu, Ye Feng, and Ying Xue had all been drained of their cultivation. They could not even open their storage bags. Furthermore, a late-stage Foundation Establishment puppet stood guard, ready to strike at the slightest sign of resistance.

This method of confinement was foolproof. It was a formation Qian Huixian had stumbled upon by chance, and she had used it many times with perfect success; not a single person had ever escaped.

Ying Xue paced back and forth, her brows knitted in fury. She muttered incessantly, "Ge Qian is truly disloyal! He’s so dim-witted, so foolish, so stupid! Thinking he could face all those demonic cultivators alone—who does he think he is? A master of the Spirit Refining stage? If we had all fought together, we might have carved a path out. What’s most infuriating is that he handed us over to that wretched woman. He trusts her so much—favoring beauty over friendship! Now we’re like caged birds, stuck here doing nothing."

Ye Feng sighed. "Ying Xue, could you please stop pacing and chattering? My head is about to explode. Ge Qian did this for all of us. Besides, his fate and my sister's are still unknown. Can you just let me have some peace? I’m begging you."

Ying Xue’s eyes widened. "That wretched woman bullies me, and you look at me with disdain—isn't it all because of you that we ended up in this state? If you had the ability, why come to the Red Fiend Desert? Why drag us into this?"

Ye Feng’s face turned scarlet, and he could not speak. He knew Ying Xue was right. He lacked the strength and had implicated everyone. The thought cut through him like a blade, and having it thrown in his face felt like rubbing salt into a wound. Tears welled in his eyes as he whispered, "It’s all my fault. I’m useless, are you happy now?"

Seeing that Ying Xue was about to continue, Bai Ruyu interrupted, "Enough, both of you. Stop arguing. I believe Ge Qian will turn this danger into safety, and your sister will be fine as well. Let us wait in peace."

Ying Xue scoffed, "Sister, you seem so confident. How much do you really know about Ge Qian? Do you know how long he and I have known each other? I just can't set my mind at ease."

Just then, the door creaked open, and Ge Qian walked in with Qian Huixian.

Ying Xue’s eyes lit up, her hanging heart finally settling. She shouted, "Witch! Let us out, or I won't be polite! Ge Qian, where have you been? You only come now? We've been driven mad in here! Where is Sister Ye Yu?"

Bai Ruyu and Ye Feng’s expressions changed instantly. *Oh no,* they thought, *that girl Ying Xue has such a loose tongue!*

Ying Xue realized her mistake immediately and bit her tongue in regret.

Qian Huixian’s gaze sharpened. She instinctively took a step back and said coldly, "Are you truly Wang Meng, or are you Ge Qian?"

Ge Qian remained calm and composed. "Fellow Daoist Qian, you must not be from the Zhao State. You don't even know what 'Ge Qian' means? In the Zhao dialect, it simply means 'elder brother'."

Qian Huixian’s expression softened. "My apologies, Fellow Daoist Wang. Do not misunderstand; I have been in seclusion for so long that I rarely venture out. You must excuse my ignorance."

Ge Qian tossed three high-grade spirit stones to Qian Huixian. "There are your stones. Release them."

Qian Huixian collected the stones and performed a hand seal. The formation dissipated, and the puppet was retracted. "Wang Meng, you are indeed a man of your word. You are free."

Bai Ruyu, Ye Feng, and Ying Xue remained silent. Though they had much to say, now was not the time; speaking out of turn would ruin Ge Qian’s plan.

Qian Huixian smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoist Wang, now let us discuss our deal. Tell me the whereabouts of my major debtor, Fo Yaxin, and I will give you one high-grade spirit stone."

Ge Qian chuckled. "Since this is business, let us talk properly. I will personally take you to him, but the price must be ten high-grade spirit stones, or there is no deal."

Qian Huixian’s expression shifted, and a hint of killing intent flickered. However, she calmed herself. Anyone who could escape the perils of the Red Fiend Desert was not to be underestimated. If they fought, she only had a fifty-fifty chance of winning—and she still had not acquired the cultivation technique for her divine sense.

Suppressing her anger, she said, "Six. I cannot go higher."

Ge Qian replied unhurriedly, "Eight, or no deal. If you agree, pay the stones, and we leave immediately."

Qian Huixian laughed. "You certainly have a knack for business. You’ve earned five more spirit stones in the blink of an eye. Very well, I trust your sincerity. Here, let us go."

Ge Qian accepted the eight high-grade spirit stones, weighed them deliberately in his hand, and tucked them away. "Follow me."

The others did not fully understand the situation, but they could see that Ge Qian had gained the upper hand, and they were happy to follow along.

The group arrived at a quiet, secluded inn in the outer city. Ge Qian led them straight to Fo Yaxin’s room.

Ge Qian knocked on the door. "Master Fo, I have brought a few friends. Let us all get acquainted!"

Fo Yaxin was in deep meditation—recovering from his injuries was not a matter of a single day—but hearing Ge Qian, he opened his eyes. "Come in. It is an honor to meet them."

As the door opened, Qian Huixian was the first to rush in, lunging forward. She knew that voice too well; it was the man she had been longing for day and night.

Fo Yaxin fixed his gaze on her. Seeing Qian Huixian standing there, he reacted like a mouse seeing a cat. He bolted upright and said to Ge Qian, "Fellow Daoist Wang, I have pressing matters to attend to. We shall meet again another day!"

With that, a burst of Buddhist light erupted from his body. A massive phantom of a peacock flashed and merged into him. The swastika seal on his body shattered instantly, and his aura surged like a tidal wave. Like an arrow released from a bow, he shot through the roof and into the sky. A pair of colorful, spiritual wings unfurled on his back, and with a few flickers, he vanished without a trace.