"Apologies for my tardiness, I shall self-punish with three cups of wine."

With that, Yu Ci strode in, first greeting He Qing and Gan Shi Zhen, then acknowledging Senior Brother Bao De, and finally bowing to the gathered crowd, a gesture of respect to all present.

Upon his entrance, all the cultivators from Cliff City, beginning with Shi Song, stood to greet him. The visiting cultivators, those who recognized Yu Ci's identity, also rose in respect. This wave of recognition prompted even those who were unaware of his identity to stand, creating a lively scene that filled the banquet hall with a buzz of excitement.

"Huh..." Gan Shi Zhen was quite surprised to see Yu Ci receiving such a warm welcome.

He Qing remained impassive, gently stroking the top of Shan Gu's head, indicating everyone to leave the hall first, before softly saying, "This nephew of yours, his cultivation level is not particularly impressive, but his ability to use his momentum is quite remarkable. He has a knack for bluffing, look, about sixty to seventy percent of those present have been intimidated by him."

Listening to her aunt's words, Gan Shi Zhen lowered her eyes and chuckled softly. However, she didn't entirely agree with her. How could a young man, who dared to face Ghost Beasts and over a hundred Demons with his cultivation level, be simply dismissed as a bluffer?

After greeting everyone, Yu Ci finally turned his gaze towards Bi Chao, who sat in the main seat. The petite yet dignified female cultivator was pouring wine. Amid the trickling sound, she laughed lightly, "Although Immortal Yu is late, he brings a unique flavor to the party. We’ll forgo the punishment, and I only ask the Immortal Elder to make up for it with this cup."

The female cultivator raised the wine cup with a smile, left her seat, and walked to Yu Ci's side. The banquet hall suddenly fell silent. Yu Ci's heart stirred slightly, his gaze swiftly scanning the faces of Shi Song, Dong Yan, and even Monk Yi Xin. They all knew what Bi Chao's gesture meant, but it seemed they were all prepared for it.

This woman, who had only been here for a few days, had managed to win over several key figures in the city.

"Compared to her, Red Yin would surely die of shame..."

Thinking this, Yu Ci chuckled, accepted the cup, and drained it in one gulp.

Someone started applauding, and soon the whole hall was filled with cheers.

After that, Bi Chao performed her duties as the hostess, introducing Yu Ci to Shen Wan. Both were somewhat surprised. Yu Ci was puzzled that the guest was not the expected Zhou Youde, while Shen Wan was taken aback that the "Immortal Yu" Zhou Youde had mentioned looked like this.

Both were adjusting their thoughts, exchanging polite pleasantries before returning to their seats. Yu Ci sat below Bao De and was diagonally opposite Shen Wan on the other side.

Once seated, Yu Ci chuckled, "I thought that this time, Steward Zhou would return to Cliff City. I didn't expect to meet Manager Shen in person... How has Steward Zhou been lately?"

Shen Wan glanced at him and said, "Steward Zhou passed away a month ago."

As her words fell, all the guests who knew Zhou Youde were taken aback.

Yu Ci, who was about to raise his glass to toast Shen Wan, stopped mid-air, shocked, "What happened?"

Shen Wan spoke calmly, "After Steward Zhou left our esteemed place, his party was attacked by bandits near Jumping Horse Lake in the Middle Region. Thirty-five people from the Trade Caravan, none survived."

Yu Ci was speechless for a moment.

After a while, he put down his glass, thinking about how Zhou Youde and his party had also encountered bandits before arriving at Cliff City, which had left them in a very sorry state. Logically, after suffering such a setback, they should have been more cautious. How could this be the outcome?

He gathered his thoughts and asked, "Do we know who did it?"

"It was done by seasoned bandits, ruthless and without leaving a trace. Our Pavilion only learned of this many days after the incident, and we still haven't found any clues," Shen Wan replied, her expression normal but her eyes cold. It was at this point that the other cultivators at the banquet began to understand why Manager Shen's attitude had been so icy. Although it was irrational to vent her anger due to the tragedy, it was understandable, and no one could blame her.

Yu Ci fell silent again.

Shen Wan suddenly smiled, "The value of goods and the survival of people are always relative. We merchants sometimes have good luck and make a fortune, and sometimes we have bad luck and lose both wealth and life. We are used to it, there's no need to mention it anymore."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

She spoke with a casual air, but compared with her previous attitude, no one believed she had truly let go. Shen Wan didn't give people time to ponder, and immediately laughed, "Since Immortal Yu is here, why not take a look at the treasures brought by our Pavilion?"

Yu Ci met her gaze, saw the pride in her eyes, clearly indicating she would not accept any false courtesies, so he nodded and said no more. But at this moment, another important matter came to his mind:

With the change of steward, what about the previous agreements?

With this thought, he felt a sudden surge of fatigue... In fact, he had been rushing from Sky Rift Valley, although he had the Fish-Dragon to travel, he had been constantly occupied due to a matter, and although he didn't show it, he was exhausted. Sitting there, he could hardly stand up, and the surge of worry made his fatigue even more intense.

Just as he was thinking, the sound of the sword's hum rang out again, chilling the entire building. The previous streak of cold air circled the open area formed by the guests, spreading an icy chill.

Apart from Yu Ci, everyone present was at least a Golden Elixir cultivator. Even though the cold air circled quickly, everyone could see it clearly. Someone immediately shouted:

The one who had called out was Dong Yan, the leader of the Lifeless Sword Sect. Regardless of the occasion, he always appeared sleep-deprived, typically gloomy and reticent, but this time, he had lost his composure.

Having first retrieved the Sword Ball, Shen Wan glanced at Dong Yan and nodded, "The Dharma Eye of Sect Leader Dong is indeed accurate. This is indeed the Sword Ball, forged by the smelting of an unparalleled sharp sword. Unfortunately, its first owner passed away before the process was completed; the Sword Ball's refinement is not yet pure, and it has not reached a state of harmonious integration."

As she spoke, she opened her palm. In her hand, as white as jade, lay a small sword about an inch long. Although small, the sword was perfectly formed, like a delicate micro-sculpture. At this moment, the small sword was emitting a cold light, with a faint sound. In just a few sentences' time, a layer of white frost had formed in Shen Wan's palm.

Seeing this phenomenon, all the Cultivators present were amazed. Dong Yan had already straightened up, his squinted eyes wide open, his voice unconsciously raised a notch, "May I take a closer look?"

Shen Wan smiled faintly, "It's fine for everyone to pass it around."

With that, she handed the Sword Ball to Shi Song sitting below, who then passed it around for closer inspection. This was truly the proper way to trade a treasure, unlike the token exchange of the Brocade Robe with Bi Chao earlier, which was merely a formality and far from being meticulous.

Shi Song and Hu Dan didn't hold onto the Sword Ball for long, quickly passing it to Dong Yan. It stayed longest in his hands, but the passing sped up afterwards, and by the time it came around to Yu Ci, only a quarter of an hour had passed.

During this time, the Cultivators at the table were all discussing the Sword Ball. Even if Yu Ci had previously lacked knowledge about the Sword Ball and the Sword Circle, he could roughly understand some of it by listening and asking his Senior Brother Bao De.

The Sword Ball was a very unique treasure in this realm, its nature straddling between sword and magical instrument, and its quality varied. Generally speaking, there were two ways to create a Sword Ball: one was to directly forge it into a sphere, driven by the method of sword control, capable of generating sword aura, invincible; the other was to find a superior sword, smelt and refine it with a special method, transforming a three-foot long sword into a dragon-eye-sized Sword Ball, hence the saying "Transforming refined steel into a soft touch", it was just so.

Regardless of the method, a great deal of effort was required for refinement, probably only Cultivators who specialized in the Sword Way had the energy to create it. But once completed, its power was indeed formidable. It was said that among the Cultivators of the Void-step level, five or six out of ten used the Sword Ball, especially those who followed the "Mistification" path, the proportion was even higher.

The "Sword Ball" currently in Yu Ci's hand was, in fact, a misnomer, more like a finely crafted ornament. After examining it for a moment, Yu Ci promptly passed it to Bao De above him, and from Bao De to Gan Shi Zhen. By this point, the round of inspection was almost over.

Onlookers perceived him as nonchalant, but Yu Ci himself knew better. His eyes twitched slightly, betraying his inner turmoil:

"This object, how is it that it seems carved from the same mold as mine?"

What Yu Ci was thinking of was the small sword he had obtained from Yan Daoist. It was also about an inch long, perfectly formed, only it was sharper than the one he just handled, without the unusual frosty touch.

At this moment, he heard Gan Shi Zhen and He Qing talking. The two female cultivators were the highest in cultivation level at the table. Their opinions were undoubtedly the most important. Gan Shi Zhen, being an expert in the Sword Way, had more authority:

"This Sword Ball still needs some finishing touches. It probably needs another three to five years of refining to reach its full potential. However, the most precious thing is that the Sword Ball seems to contain a trace of Sword aura left by the senior who refined this sword. It's a rare type imbued with the Elemental Force of the Five Elements, frosty and impressive. If one could carefully comprehend it, the gains would be even greater than the Sword Ball itself."

Yu Ci felt enlightened, but there was something he didn't understand. He first toasted Bao De and then asked, "How do you know that the Sword Ball contains Sword aura?"

Bao De, who had been cultivating for many years and had a much deeper knowledge base than Yu Ci, raised his glass and laughed, "Usually, it's done by introspection. There's a method for appraising treasures dedicated to this. However, if one's own Sword aura is mature, it's easier. You can simply infuse your own Sword aura. If there's nothing else in the Sword Ball, it's like a stone sinking into the sea. If there is, there are two cases: if the quality matches, the Sword Ball vibrates and hums; if not, the Sword aura will collide, like the clanging of metal..."

Suddenly, a metallic sound rang out from under the long table. Bao De's mouthful of fine wine sprayed out, ruining the dishes on the table.

All the cultivators turned their gazes in unison.

Yu Ci was also taken aback, but he reacted quickly, thinking of the important matter at hand and made a decision. Without hiding it, he slapped the Sword Ball he had just identified onto the table and laughed, "If it weren't for Manager Shen's reminder, I wouldn't have known that this object I got earlier is also a treasure..."

Having said that, he turned to Shen Wan and laughed, "This Sword Ball is incompatible with my Sword aura, so I'm afraid I'll have to let it go today. I'll give ten percent of the proceeds to Manager Shen to express my gratitude."

...