While Elder Ge could remain composed, the young assistant on the other side of the counter couldn't help but steal glances at the veiled woman from the corner of his eye, his heart pounding violently.
He didn't dare to stare directly. He reckoned that before this Golden Core woman got angry, his own shopkeeper would beat him half to death.
As Elder Ge's Divine Sense entered the storage pouch, he saw the corpses of three demonic beasts. Among them was a "Single-Horned White-Eyed Wolf," and on the center of its forehead was a snow-white horn about an inch long.
When Elder Ge saw this snow-white horn, his body trembled.
"This... This is a Single-Horned White-Eyed Wolf that has reached the peak of the second rank!"
A "Single-Horned White-Eyed Wolf" would only grow a bone horn-like protrusion from its forehead when it reached the peak of the second rank and was about to break through to the third.
Observing the length of the horn, Elder Ge immediately determined its rank.
The horn of a "Single-Horned White-Eyed Wolf," combined with its eyes, could form a "Tempest Spike" that even an initial-stage Golden Core cultivator wouldn't dare to face head-on.
Moreover, the horn and eyes of this demonic beast were excellent materials for refining "Wind-attribute" magical treasures.
Not to mention, the pelt, claws, and other parts of a peak second-rank "Single-Horned White-Eyed Wolf" were all of considerable value. Just this one demonic beast alone, with a simple resale, could earn him a huge sum of spirit stones.
Elder Ge then glanced at the other two demonic beasts, both of which had reached the initial-stage of the second rank.
Although their value was less than that of the "Single-Horned White-Eyed Wolf," they were still quite good and would likewise bring him a handsome return.
He immediately withdrew his Divine Sense, an even broader smile gracing his face as he looked at the veiled woman again.
"Hehehe... It's been about five years since Miss Mei's last visit. It seems you've spent quite a bit of time on this 'Single-Horned White-Eyed Wolf'!"
"However, now that you have this corpse, all that time was truly worth it!"
Elder Ge thought for a moment. Calculating the round-trip distance to the "Dream Marsh Gorge," if she had stayed there the whole time, she must have been in the "Dream Marsh Gorge" for at least three years.
Moreover, he was well aware of how difficult the "Single-Horned White-Eyed Wolf" was to deal with. This creature was a wind-attribute demonic beast of incredible speed. Even when it was still at the first rank, it was not easy for a Golden Core cultivator to even catch a glimpse of it.
"Yes, Elder Ge, please give me a price!"
The veiled woman was unwilling to say much, merely nodding slightly.
"Miss Mei brings her business to this old man every time. You can be sure I won't give you a bad price."
"This 'Single-Horned White-Eyed Wolf's' horn and eyes are intact, and its pelt is seventy percent preserved. The demonic core must have been kept by Miss Mei. Without the demonic core, I can offer you... spirit stones."
After about the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, Elder Ge shook his head with a trace of regret.
Although the veiled woman sold him all three demonic beasts, she still kept the demonic core of the "Single-Horned White-Eyed Wolf."
Even when he added a significant number of spirit stones, the veiled woman just shook her head, saying only that she had another use for the demonic core and could not sell it to him.
Subsequently, the veiled woman exchanged the spirit stones she had yet to receive for several bottles of medicinal pills, as well as some talismans and formation materials. Only then did she take the remaining three thousand spirit stones and put them away.
During this process, the young assistant beside them stole glances from time to time. However, to an outsider, this seemed normal, as an assistant should always be ready to listen to a customer's instructions.
Every time the young assistant saw this veiled woman, even though her eyes were very clear and there was not a trace of seduction in her speech, he couldn't stop his heart from pounding wildly just by looking at her or hearing her voice...
After putting away the spirit stones, the veiled woman did not leave immediately. Instead, she stood there quietly, staring at Elder Ge behind the counter.
Elder Ge was busy sorting the three demonic beasts and some spirit grasses, preparing to tidy them up properly before he could appraise them for resale.
He felt a pair of eyes staring at him. When he looked up, he saw the veiled woman still standing in front of the counter. He was stunned for a moment, then slapped his own forehead.
"Oh my, look at me, I completely forgot about this. Dongsheng, you also know our trade conditions with Miss Mei."
"How is it that while I'm busy, you don't know to get Miss Mei what she needs? What do you do all day? I'm talking to you... hurry up and go!"
Elder Ge suddenly remembered his agreement with this Miss Mei. As long as she had business, she would bring it here. Besides the normal transactions, he also had to provide her with some news from the cultivation world.
This Miss Mei seemed to do nothing but closed-door cultivation and accepting missions. She didn't seem to go out often, so they had made this arrangement.
She requested that every time she came here, Elder Ge would help her collect recent news from the cultivation world, and in return, she would sell and buy things here.
From this, Elder Ge could roughly guess that this veiled woman was likely a Golden Core rogue cultivator, and the type who was a bitter ascetic, deaf to the world outside.
Otherwise, if she were part of a sect, her access to information shouldn't be so limited, especially for a Golden Core cultivator.
Elder Ge had agreed to the veiled woman's request without hesitation.
He had run a shop in the market for many years. While he might not know some highly confidential information, he could easily obtain the various rumors circulating in the cultivation world.
In any case, the other party only asked him to gather information and did not require him to verify its authenticity; it was up to her to decide whether to believe it or not.
Elder Ge immediately turned and berated the assistant. The assistant, called Dongsheng, shuddered and hurriedly ran into the back room of the shop.
"Hehehe... Miss Mei, please don't mind him. This boy is just like that, still lacking a lot of experience. If not for our blood relation, I would have dismissed him long ago!"
The veiled woman waved her hand gently, indicating that it was no problem. In that brief moment, Dongsheng had already returned with a jade slip.
"Miss... Senior Mei, this... this is the news collected... from the last five years!" he stammered.
The veiled woman reached out and took it. When Dongsheng saw the woman's snow-white palm, a look of infatuation welled up in his eyes again.
But he kept his head down, so as long as no one scanned him with Divine Sense, his feelings would not be discovered.
After taking the jade slip, the veiled woman nodded at Elder Ge, then turned and walked out without another word.
It was only after the veiled woman's figure had completely disappeared down the street that Elder Ge's face darkened, turning gloomy.
'What are you still standing there for? Be careful or one day someone will see through your wicked thoughts, and you won't even know how you died. A mere little Foundation Establishment cultivator, and you dare to have such wild fantasies all day.'
'I'm warning you again, if you don't change your ways, don't think I can protect you! Now get out there and greet the passing customers, see if you can bring in some more business!'
Dongsheng suddenly heard Elder Ge's harsh rebuke in his mind. How could his little thoughts escape the notice of Elder Ge, who had seen all sorts of people through his years of business?
Dongsheng's body trembled violently, and his face instantly flushed crimson. But he didn't dare say anything and quickly walked out of the shop.
Looking at Dongsheng's back, Elder Ge snorted coldly in his heart. If Dongsheng weren't the descendant of his deceased sister, he would have kicked him out long ago to avoid bringing disaster upon himself.
'However, this Miss Mei's cultivation method is very peculiar. Her eyes are clearly bright and pure, yet she gives off a sense of charm.'
An hour later, a streak of light shot out from the market and quickly disappeared over the horizon.
Within the streak of light, a voluptuous figure stood atop a flying sword. It was the veiled woman from before. Her bright eyes were constantly scanning her surroundings with vigilance.
Four hours later, feeling that no one was following or tailing her, she finally slowed her escape light slightly.
Although the market was a favorite place for cultivators, it was also one of the most dangerous, especially for rogue cultivators.
Usually, there were several masters stationed in the market, so one was safe inside. But once you left the market, you had to be prepared for a possible ambush at any time.
This was one of the reasons the veiled woman had waited until dusk to enter Elder Ge's shop; she didn't want to be noticed by anyone with ill intentions.
As for Elder Ge's character, she had investigated him through various means for a long time before finally settling on his shop for her transactions.
She had no great power backing her, so she had to be cautious in everything she did.
After the escape light slowed down, a jade slip flashed into the veiled woman's hand.
Immediately, she immersed her Divine Sense into the jade slip in her hand. She quickly browsed through the information, constantly discerning the authenticity and usefulness of each piece of news.
Time flew by as she sped onward. As her Divine Sense was about to reach the end, she was suddenly attracted by a piece of news.
Immediately, her flying escape light came to a sudden halt. The light receded, revealing the veiled woman standing fixedly on her flying sword in mid-air.
Her gaze was locked on the jade slip. She then swept her Divine Sense into it again.
"Malevolent Spirit Sect's Little Bamboo Peak... Li Yan's Nascent Soul ceremony to be held in nine years... Eight years ago, Li Yan was engaged to Zhao Min, the daughter of Little Bamboo Peak's Master..."
Piece after piece of news entered her Divine Sense again. After the veiled woman read it one more time, her expression became dazed.
She stood there blankly in the air. Fortunately, this place was already quite remote, so no one noticed her somewhat lost appearance.
A night breeze blew, gently lifting the black veil from her face, revealing the beautiful and elegant face of a young matron. Under the clear moonlight of the Desolate Moon Continent, she appeared exceptionally simple, elegant, and serene.
If Li Yan were here, he would recognize this beautiful young matron as Mei Hongyu, with whom he once had a somewhat ambiguous relationship.
However, the Mei Hongyu of today was even more radiant and moving than before. If Li Yan saw her, he might even think that the previous Mei Hongyu had been using some form of disguise.
A complex and indescribable emotion appeared in Mei Hongyu's eyes.
"He... wasn't he dead for many years? How did he reappear? And it seems he returned to the Malevolent Spirit Sect many years ago. Eight years ago, he was engaged to Wei Zhongran's daughter..."
"If... if the information I gathered before was correct, he fell into the Devil's Cliff Crevice with Wei Zhongran's daughter. They must have been trapped somewhere for many years..."
For a moment, Mei Hongyu's thoughts were in turmoil. The state of mind she had managed to calm over these years was once again stirred by waves.
Back then, she had had some physical intimacy with this person, and had even asked him for a kiss. At that time, her own dress was mostly torn, revealing much of herself.
Although in the end, nothing more serious happened, this had already created a crack in Mei Hongyu's state of mind for cultivating the "Wind Brightness Manual," causing her subsequent cultivation speed to drop sharply.
Therefore, she had later quietly inquired about Li Yan's background, trying to find out his true identity so she could decide how to proceed.
However, when she finally learned that Li Yan was a cultivator of the Malevolent Spirit Sect, and the youngest disciple of the extremely protective Wei Zhongran, she even dismissed the thought of killing him that had crossed her mind.
But as a result, whenever she cultivated the "Wind Brightness Manual" to a certain depth, some enchanting illusions would occasionally appear.
In those illusions, she would always be stark naked, shamelessly and endlessly demanding from a person. Each time, she would withdraw from her cultivation state in a semi-conscious state.
And then she would be mortified to find that her clothes were completely soaked, and there was a scent emanating from her that she found too embarrassing to mention...
The "Wind Brightness Manual" was a cultivation method she had obtained from an ancient cultivator's ruin when she was pregnant. This method had allowed her, a mere rogue cultivator, to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage in less than ten years.
This cultivation method was extremely miraculous, but it also had an unexpected consequence that Mei Hongyu had not anticipated. Not only would her appearance become more and more beautiful as her cultivation progressed, but before completing the fourth layer of the method, she could no longer have sexual relations with anyone...
Thus, after giving birth to a son, Mei Hongyu had no more intimate relations with her husband.
Unexpectedly, in an accident, not only did her husband perish, but her son's Divine Soul was also injured by the other party. This led to her trip to the "Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda"!