Chapter 17: Coercion
Following the Foundation Establishment cultivator out of the private room, Lu You frowned and stopped in his tracks.
"Daoist friend, this doesn't seem to be the route I used when entering."
The Foundation Establishment cultivator gave Lu You a slight bow.
"Daoist friend, please don't be suspicious. There is more than one entrance and exit. We deliberately disrupt the order and routes to ensure each guest's safety to the greatest extent possible, both to prevent guests from being tailed and to keep those who competed in the auction from encountering one another afterward."
Lu You nodded, but secretly readied all the talismans at his disposal.
After turning two corners in succession, the Foundation Establishment cultivator indeed did not lead Lu You to an exit. Instead, they arrived at a luxuriously decorated room.
"Daoist friend, please do not panic."
Inside the room stood a young cultivator dressed in fine robes. He looked to be about the same age as Lu You—around twenty—but his cultivation had already reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Wu Tong, an inner disciple of the Verdant Cloud Sect. I am currently responsible for overseeing the sect's property, the Myriad Talismans Pavilion. Inviting you here today is simply to make a friend and form a good relationship."
Wu Tong cupped his hands, immediately stating his identity.
The Foundation Establishment cultivator who had guided Lu You automatically stood behind him and added from the side:
"Daoist friend, you need not worry. If you ask around, you will learn that Wu Tong is not only an outstanding inner disciple, but also the personal disciple of Venerable Wu Hao, a Nascent Soul realm Grand Talisman Master of the Verdant Cloud Sect."
Wu Tong. Wu Hao. Nascent Soul. Personal disciple.
Lu You understood the implication behind their words, they were signaling him to relax. As the personal disciple of a Nascent Soul realm venerable, Wu Tong had both prospects and resources, and would certainly not covet his spirit stones or artifacts.
Both bore the surname Wu; they were likely more than just master and disciple. Lu You grasped this inwardly. Outwardly, he relaxed a little, yet remained vigilant. He sensed the Evil-Repelling Talisman hidden in his robes and found that it showed no reaction. Only then did Lu You give a light chuckle.
"Daoist friend, your way of forming goodwill is certainly... distinctive. I wonder what guidance you have for me?"
Wu Tong cupped his hands again.
"Daoist friend, please don't be offended. Since I invited you here, naturally I have a tremendous piece of good news to share."
As he spoke, Wu Tong took out a token from his robe.
"With this token, you may enter the Myriad Talismans Pavilion at any time. You won't need to go through auctions, you can directly select whatever artifacts you fancy, and the price will be settled at the item's starting bid."
Wu Tong handed the token toward Lu You. Seeing that Lu You didn't take it, he continued:
"I know that you must be someone of extraordinary background, Daoist friend, and likely don't care for such small favors. But with this token, in addition to purchasing artifacts, you can also exchange intelligence, artifacts, and cultivation techniques with other token holders. To say nothing else, I see that you have a keen interest in rare talismans. My master is a Nascent Soul realm Grand Talisman Master, and from time to time he rewards me with uncommon items. I can bring those to trade with you."
"What's the price?"
Lu You had to admit, Wu Tong's words tempted him, but there was no such thing as a free lunch. This token had to come with extremely harsh conditions.
"It wouldn't really count as a price," Wu Tong replied.
"I only hope that you will be sincere, remove your mask and reveal your true appearance."
He added, "If you come from the main city, then we can recognize one another and advance and retreat together. If you are not from the main city, then please voluntarily explain your background."
So they were checking his identity.
Lu You withdrew his hand and did not take Wu Tong's token.
"My apologies. My identity is not convenient to disclose. I can only disappoint your goodwill."
At this point, Lu You had already seen through Wu Tong's approach. All that talk about mutual exchange was, at its core, nothing more than a social circle for second-generation immortals—gathering cultivators with wealth and background together. Lu You had no such background at all. If his identity were exposed, they would immediately uncover his status as a menial disciple of the Verdant Cloud Sect, bringing endless trouble instead.
"Then there's nothing we can do," Wu Tong said. Lu You's refusal clearly did not surprise him.
"It seems your identity isn't something that can be brought into the light. With the matter of the legacy tomb, countless bandit cultivators have infiltrated the lower city, muddying the waters in hopes of grabbing a share. For the safety of the Myriad Talismans Pavilion's members—and for the safety of all cultivators and common folk in the lower city—I must play the villain and conduct a thorough review of your identity."
"Oh, right," Wu Tong added casually.
"Don't place your hopes on that Teleportation Talisman. It can only teleport you one hundred meters. You're currently at the very center of the Myriad Talismans Pavilion, one hundred meters won't even get you out of the Pavilion."
Wu Tong waved his hand. The Foundation Establishment cultivator standing behind Lu You suddenly struck, both palms reaching for Lu You's shoulders, intending to subdue him.
"Wait!" Lu You shouted loudly.
"If the Myriad Talismans Pavilion is so unjust, aren't you afraid that once word gets out, no one will dare trade with you again?"
"You, a cultivator, want to talk to me about fairness?" Wu Tong seemed to hear the greatest joke in the world.
"Hahahaha! If there were truly fairness, how would there still be officials and commoners in this world? How would cultivation still be divided into Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment? You're really trying to laugh me to death."
The Foundation Establishment cultivator behind Lu You also burst out laughing and was about to continue his attack when suddenly layers upon layers of golden light enveloped Lu You. In that instant, thousands upon thousands of Golden Light Talismans were activated.
"Well said," Lu You replied with a cold smile.
"And precisely because of this, Qi Refining has the chance to slay Foundation Establishment."
Lu You's lips curled upward. Senior Sister Zeng Yan had once said that trump cards existed to kill people. In the very next moment, Lu You unleashed his card. More than a hundred thousand Thunder Technique Talismans abruptly smashed toward Wu Tong and the cultivator behind him.
Having stepped into the fourth level of Qi Refining, and with the Thunder Technique Talismans re-copied onto high-grade talisman paper, both their quantity and power had increased significantly.
Compared to the time Lu You had blown up the mountain, their might had risen by more than half!
At the same time, Lu You crushed the Teleportation Talisman in his hand.
After calculating the distance, he used five hundred at once. In the next instant, Lu You's figure began flashing continuously within the Myriad Talismans Pavilion, leaving behind streaks of afterimages. In the blink of an eye, he teleported out of the Pavilion.
"Not good!"
Wu Tong had never imagined that Lu You still had such a trump card. To unleash tens of thousands—no, more than a hundred thousand—Thunder Technique Talismans in a single burst... such a stockpile was something even the Verdant Cloud Sect itself could not produce in one go!
"Above all else, the Myriad Talismans Pavilion must not be destroyed!"
Gritting his teeth, Wu Tong pulled out a protective artifact his grandfather, the Nascent Soul venerable Wu Hao, had personally refined for him. He drove it with all his spiritual energy, enveloping the tens of thousands of Thunder Technique Talismans within it.
Boom! Boom boom boom!
After a violent series of tremors, Wu Tong crawled out of the smoke-filled underground chamber, his entire body drenched in blood.
"You—go! All of you, get in there and clean the auction hall spotless before you come out! If I see even a speck of filth, I'll slaughter your entire families!"
Wu Tong vented his fury on the clerks of the Myriad Talismans Pavilion. He had only barely withstood the explosion by expending the artifact his grandfather had given him, managing to keep the Pavilion itself from being damaged. However, the Foundation Establishment cultivator who had always followed his orders had been blown to pieces, splattering Wu Tong with their filthy blood. As for his grandfather's artifact, it had been blasted beyond repair.
"Trying to run? It won't be that easy!"
Wu Tong immediately took out a communication talisman and sent a plea for aid to the Golden Core cultivator stationed in a flying vessel outside the back mountain.
"Urgent! A villain has attacked the Myriad Talismans Pavilion. Capture him at once!"
Along with the message, Wu Tong transmitted the appearance Lu You had been disguised as.
"You're just unlucky," Wu Tong sneered.
"By sheer coincidence, a Verdant Cloud Sect elder is nearby today. Let's see where you can possibly run!"