"Mister Ji says that Miss Bai doesn't have time to see anyone at the moment." A servant disciple from the Noble Plum Palace said to Bing Huoyuan and Bai Ningwei, who were waiting outside.
Bing Huoyuan furrowed his brows. "But I didn't ask for that Daoist Ji. I asked for you to send the message to Miss Bai Weiwei."
The servant disciple showed an apologetic expression. "Mister Ji wouldn't allow this one to meet with Miss Bai. As I'm ultimately just a servant disciple, it is not within my power to interfere with their sect matters. Please forgive me."
Bing Huoyuan's worries increased even more. Although he was elated to hear that Bai Weiwei was attending the Demon Slaying Expedition, he soon found the situation strange. He knew Bai Weiwei's talent wasn't high, so the only method she could attend was to have someone pay a high price to bring her, as he did with Bai Ningwei.
"What is Mister Ji's full name?" Bing Huoyuan asked, probing for information.
"Mister Ji is Ji Wutong." The servant disciple said. It was not a great secret or anything, plus Bing Huoyuan could easily search it up if he asked for the guest name list. All the guests who arrived were written down for the record.
"Ji Wutong?" Bing Huoyuan muttered the name as he searched his memories for information concerning that person. His eyes flashed with light as he recalled the rumors concerning that person, and his expression sank.
Due to the fiasco of the most recent Heavenly Connection Gathering, Ji Muyang was stripped of her saintess position due to her involvement with Longwei, which was not helped by the disappearance of the Leakless Sect disciples. Currently, there were numerous saint candidates. Ji Wutong was one of the prime candidates and was Ji Muyang's cousin from a different branch of the Ji Clan.
Although Ji Wutong's talent could not be protested against, his personal life was a stark contrast.
There were numerous rumors and scandals of Ji Wutong's many romances. From the servant girls to his side to even seducing the female disciples of opposing sects. His reputation was extremely awful, but even so, there were still rumors of numerous women pining after him to the point that they didn't fear death or the punishment from their sect.
"Young Master, could it be that my younger sister is in trouble..." Bai Ningwei's words trailed off, but Bing Huoyuan's thoughts went wild because of her unfinished words.
Bing Huoyuan immediately schooled his thoughts and gave a comforting smile at Bai Ningwei. Earlier, he must have shown too much on his face and made Bai Ningwei worried. Bai Ningwei was hardly knowledgeable about the rumors surrounding Ji Wutong and most of the famous cultivators active in the world after all.
"Can you ask for a meeting with Mister Ji for me?" Bing Huoyuan asked the servant disciple.
The servant disciple nodded and immediately entered the Noble Plum Palace. Very soon, he reached his destination, one of the better rooms of the palace, and knocked on the door.
"Enter."
Inside the beautifully decorated room stood a man with fiery-red robes with his back turned towards the servant disciple. The servant disciple kept his head low because the man was seriously too beautiful. When he first saw the man, he felt as if he had lost his soul due to the man's sheer beauty.
"Oh? That Bing Huoyuan hasn't left yet? Tell me, what does he want?" The man, Ji Wutong, turned around to revealed his milky white skin, exquisite features, seductive red eyes, and a peerless smile on his face. It was a charming smile that could seduce both men and women.
"Replying to Mister Ji, Mister Bing wants to have a meeting with you." The servant disciple said, keeping his eyes down.
Ji Wutong revealed a ridiculing smirk. "Tell him that this lord does not want to. Tell him that he can forget about Wei'er; she's mine."
The servant disciple wiped the sweat off his brows after leaving the room. That was far too dangerous. The servant disciple didn't know what he would do if Ji Wutong expressed the slightest interest in him. It had to be known that were rumors of Ji Wutong swinging both ways. Shaking off the shivers, the servant disciple reached the Noble Plum Palace's entrance and reported what Ji Wutong said to Bing Huoyuan. After all, he was just a messenger. As for the relationship between the sects, why should he care about it?
Even though he was a servant disciple, an outer disciple that had stagnated and no longer had any hope of rising, he still had a tiny bit of arrogance and looked down on other sects due to belonging to the Buzhou Immortal Sect.
As expected, Bing Huoyuan's expression turned terrifying.
"Didn't Young Master say that Weiwei's future dao companion was Lai Erchu?" Bai Ningwei innocently said next to him, causing Bing Huoyuan's expression to sink even further.
The servant disciple thought that Bing Huoyuan would erupt, but he didn't. Instead, he asked through gritted teeth. "Did he receive an invitation from Daoist Moneybag?"
"All the saint candidates seemed to have received an invitation." The servant disciple said after recalling the information. As a cultivator, his mind was far more powerful than mortals, and the invitation was sent out yesterday, so he could recall clearly.
"Good, good, good!" After saying good three times, Bing Huoyuan waved his sleeves and left. Bai Ningwei gave an apologetic smile before following and leaving a good impression on the servant disciple. The servant disciple shrugged. If it weren't for the bountiful rewards, he wouldn't have chosen to serve as a servant for the members of the vassal sects. But there were also other rewards.
For example, someone paid him to pay attention to Bai Weiwei and all information that concerned them. The person who contacted him was an average inner disciple, but the servant disciple discovered hints that the genuine person who wanted the information was someone from Jade Peak!
The servant disciple's eyes shone with a flash of brilliance as his gossipy heart soared. What was so special about Bai Weiwei that caused so many people to pay attention to her, from the saint candidate to a genius from Boundless Mountain and even someone from Jade Peak. He had paid special attention to Bai Weiwei. She was pretty and had a pure aura unique to her, but he couldn't discern what made it so that so many people noticed her.
Whether Ji Wutong or Bing Huoyuan, both of their reputations had long been spread far and wide. As for the person from Jade Peak, it couldn't be Grand Elder Xi's son, could it? Thought the servant disciple. He just couldn't understand why they would pay attention to a nameless disciple like Bai Weiwei.
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Daoist Moneybag was a famous figure in the current generation of Heaven Continent, not only because of his pedigree but his methods. As the son of the Jade Cauldron Sect Master, he was born with great fortune. But for some reason, since young, he loved money, whether it was mortal gold or spirit stones.
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Because of his unique obsession, Daoist Moneybag wasn't satisfied with the meager allowance given to him by his father. It had to be known that Jade Cauldron Sect Master was a man who had many romances and just as many children. So Daoist Moneybag started his own business to earn as much money as possible. In the end, he suddenly controlled over five percent of the Jade Cauldron Sect's wealth and became Jade Cauldron Sect Master's most outstanding child.
Five percent didn't sound like a lot. But it had to be known that a sect's wealth wasn't owned by any single sect member, and the expenditure of a single day was astronomical. For Daoist Moneybag to have five percent practically made him the wealthiest person in all of the Jade Cauldron Sect. Naturally, this didn't include the priceless wealth owned by the top experts of the sect. And he especially liked to make friends with everyone, so his fortune banquets became equally as famous. Rather than a banquet, it was closer to an auction.
Bing Huoyuan and Bai Ningwei arrived at the earliest possible time. Even so, the garden of Pill Flower Palace, where the banquet was held, already had numerous attendees.
"So, it Brother Bing!"
Bing Huoyuan turned his head and almost thought he saw a ball with limbs walking toward him,but it was actually a rather... plump cultivator wearing green robes. His face was round and amiable with a whisker-like mustache and thin beard. And on each arm was a beautiful woman, each with their unique beauty.
"Haha, so it's Daoist Moneybag. I haven't seen you for some time. Did you get even rounder?" The words seemed offensive, but the light tone revealed the joking nature.
Daoist Moneybag laughed in response and made a fake angry face. "How many times do I have to tell you, call me brother instead of daoist. With the years we know each other, aren't we friends?"
"Brother Moneybag." Bing Huoyuan said, changing his address.
Daoist Moneybag then looked at Bai Ningwei, who was quietly next to Bing Huoyuan. "Brother Bing, this wouldn't happen to be your future dao companion, would she?"
Bing Huoyuan sputtered in response, his heart beating unnaturally upon hearing those words for some strange reason. Off by the side, Bai Weiwei looked down to hide her reddening face.
"It's not like that!" Bing Huoyuan hurriedly explained. He couldn't like Bai Ningwei. After all, it was Bai Weiwei that was in his heart.
"Okay, I believe you." Daoist Moneybag said, but his tone was of obvious disbelief. Who were the two kidding with those reactions? He quickly hung his arm around Bing Huoyuan's shoulder, and a metallic scent drifted into Bing Huoyuan's nose.
Rumor has it that Daoist Moneybag liked to take baths in gold nuggets and not water.
"Among the bigshots, you're the first to arrive!" Daoist Moneybag said as he led Bing Huoyuan towards the main seats. Since it was early, most people were still just conversing among them, and the main event had yet to start.
As Daoist Moneybags and Bing Huoyuan conversed, many other guests arrived. Even when the disciples from the Leakless Sect arrived, Bing Huoyuan just made a point to ignore them as much as possible without being too impolite. After all, this was still the Buzhou Immortal Sect and Daoist Moneybag's fortune banquet. This amount of face, he still had to give.
"Brother Xia, you've finally arrived. I heard that you went into seclusion for years. I didn't think that I would have the honor to have you attend my little banquet." Daoist Moneybag said as he stood up to greet Xia Yushan, the Buzhou Immortal Sect's eldest senior brother.
Following Xia Yushan were Wei Daiying and Ji Shuye, both of whom had attended the Three Heavens Connection Meeting with Tianyi.
"It was nothing much." Xia Yushan said as he cupped his fist. He still had the flair of the eldest senior brother. He also acknowledged all the various disciples from all the sects who had already arrive.
"Oh? It seems that your seclusion went quite well. It seems like you'll break into the late Nascent Soul Realm soon. I'll congratulate you in advance." Daoist Moneybag said. "With this speed, you're among the peak of the recent generations."
Contrary to Daoist Moneybag's expectation, Xia Yushan's expression stiffened, and a dark look flashed by, so quick that Daoist Moneybag he had mistaken it. But Xia Yushan quickly smiled back and said, "Then I'll accept your congratulation in advanced."
After Xia Yushan sat down at Daoist Moneybag's right, Daoist Moneybag mentioned a matter. "Right, I have to congratulate Brother Xia. I heard that your Buzhou Immortal Sect had raised another genius. A late bloomer this time, what was his name?"
"His name is Sheng Ni," Xia Yushan said. "It was a miracle that he was accepted into the Buzhou Immortal Sect with his low talent, but after he reached the Core Formation Realm, his brilliance has revealed itself. It took less time for him to reach the Nascent Soul Realm than it took him to reach the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm."
As the eldest senior brother, Xia Yushan had extensive knowledge concerning all outstanding disciples that appeared during his tenure as the eldest senior brother. Sheng Ni was the most outstanding that appeared during his tenure, and for another reason, he was most pleased with Sheng Ni.
"How about inviting Sheng Ni here?" Daoist Moneybag asked. He wanted to form a connection with this rising star.
Xia Yushan shook his head. "Sheng Ni that person doesn't like it when people disturb him when cultivating. Perhaps it's a habit that he formed due to the hardships he faced when he was weak, but he never misses a chance to cultivate, even at his current realm."
Daoist Moneybag sighed in lamentation, but he quickly bounced back and smiled again.
Wei Daiying, who was a dual cultivator and now a nascent soul and soul nourishing grandmaster, sighed and said. "Sheng Ni is really worthy of respect. Although he is older than us, his recent accomplishment shows his great potential. He even managed to outshine Senior Brother Xi."
"This Senior Brother Xi, he wouldn't happen to be the Vast Heaven Young Master, Xi Tianyi?" Daoist Moneybag asked, with a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"Indeed, he is that Senior Brother Xi." Wei Daiying said before sighing expressively. "In the Paradise Abyss ranking board, Senior Brother Xi also showed an amazing achievement but it can't compare to Sheng Ni, who grabbed fourth place."
Wei Daiying paused a bit before correcting himself. "Actually, recently, he reached first place. I heard that he caught an immortal monarch elder's eye and was even rewarded for his achievement. Perhaps, he will become that immortal monarch's disciple soon. He has my admiration. You guys may not know, but the ranking board lists all the disciple's achievements since the founding of the sect, so Sheng Ni didn't only beat the current generation but all the previous generation as well."
"Then what rank did Daoist Xi achieve?" A Jade Cauldron Sect disciple asked. The Jade Cauldron Sect disciple appeared quite average among the outstanding disciples gathered here and even seemed slightly on the lower end, but the woman next to him was even more eye-catching.
The woman wore the same uniform as the Jade Cauldron Sect disciples, but she appeared to have something a little extra that made her stand out even if her appearance wasn't the best.
"Hmmm, Brother Yi's words also scratches my interest. Brother Xia, what rank did Daoist Xi achieved?" Daoist Moneybag smiled at the man who spoke up, Yi Dongli.
Yi Dongli was the grandson of an important elder of the Jade Cauldron Sect, but although he had talent, he was sent off to the Northern Region for years and only recently returned. And when he returned, he brought behind that woman, Jiang Chunye. Although Jiang Chunye's spiritual vein wasn't good, she was hardworking and harsh on herself. As a result, she became a peak acupoint opening master and caught up to Yi Dongli, who was a peak core formation master.
Wei Daiying showed a hesitant expression before sighing. "Senior Brother Xi reached the 99,999nth step, and his rank is around eighty thousand."
"So, he's only at the level." Yi Dongli said with a strange smile. Even Jiang Chunye felt that her previous wariness of Tianyi was a bit overboard with the way Wei Daiying exposed the information.
"Audacious." Xia Yushan frowned and reprimanded Yi Dongli. "You are just a core formation master. What right do you have to discuss a nascent soul grandmaster's affairs?"
Yi Dongli felt his facial expression sink, but he quickly schooled his expression and cupped his hands. "It is my fault, there was no other meaning in my earlier words."
"Hmpf," As the eldest senior brother, how could he allow other sects to look down at the sect disciples? This was his duty. "Besides, Brother Xi is not even forty years of age. For his willpower to even place on the ranking board is an achievement in itself. I can sense your age is already over fifty. You wouldn't even make it on the ranking board."
"That's right, Senior Brother Xi is already a peak nascent soul grandmaster, so how can you compare to him?" Wei Daiying added.
Yi Dongli's expression sank even further.
Ji Shuye felt as if the words were a bit strange and quickly added. "Senior Brother Xi probably just felt some interest toward the Paradise Agony Abyss. After all, he only tried once and already placed himself on the ranking board."
Xi Yushan felt the hand holding the wine cup stiffen, but he quickly masked it and drank it.
The topic was diverted away, but a servant disciple quickly whispered something into Daoist Moneybag's ear. "Haha, it seems that speaking of that person and he will come! Excuse me for a bit as I go welcome him."
Before Daoist Moneybag could stand and go, the spoken person already arrived, causing everyone's attention to divert toward's him.