The scene changed.
Tomorrow morning came.
From the Pavilion chamber's entrance, a butler stood on one side, gesturing with a stiff forced smile towards a cloaked figure as he exited the place.
"Please Senior, have a nice day... "
"I am sure I will "The cloaked figure nodded back, gave one last look into the chamber's hall and slowly exited the place.
And as his figure entered the crowd, the butler sighed a sigh of relief, "How did he convince the young lady to stay here for the night? I feel like we are about to get attacked anytime last night. "
"Attack?"
Pat...
A towering figure came from the back, cloaked in full black, but the mask he wore carried the Purple Cloud Pavilion's emblem. A striking purple cloud image, a guardian in the foundation building realm.
The butler was startled, hurriedly saluted as the cloaked figure laughed, "Those people won't be daring enough to attack our place. Doing so will result in death.... "
"I see, Senior. Pardon me for the unnecessary remark just now" The butler hurriedly apologized.
After all, he wouldn't want to offend one of the Chamber's guardians.
Outside, after last night's auction.
The three forces didn't leave immediately, despite Liam's presence in this area akin to that of an unimaginable mountain, the three forces remained rooted here for one simple reason.
Waiting...
Waiting for the cloaked figure to come out.
As expected from them, they received the news that the mysterious cloaked figure decided to stay in the Purple Cloud Pavilion's chamber for the night.
This news caused the DustPetal cult's people to go crazy, but they endured.
Touching the Chamber's bottom line will without a doubt be the cause of death for them.
Especially with an unfathomable senior behind the chamber's name, the three forces remained in a calm state during the night.
Then, the morning came.
The moment the cloaked figure stepped foot outside the place, the three forces received the news immediately.
Even the spies from the second rate forces were tempted. Yes, their primary orders were to observe the Chamber's movements, but that doesn't mean they couldn't act out for their personal interest.
In a word, it is an absolutely dangerous situation for the so-called hidden protagonist.
And Liam knew it.
But instead of trying to protect him, Liam decided to step up the game for the protagonist and also the forces that were paying attention today.
In a flash, the scene displayed the passing clouds above.
The young man already changed his clothes, appearing in his normal appearance.
Average, average to look at.
But his eyes tell another story, a boy that seemed to be speaking to heaven, declaring that he wished to trample the path.
He walked amongst the people, carrying a bag tied to his waist, yellow robe and dirty cloak on the back, his smile grinning as the sunlight reflected from it.
People saw him, but nobody linked him to the so-called mysterious expert from last night's auction.
Then, he entered a restaurant, found himself a table on the second floor, and sat down.
Ordering his food, he placed down the bag on the side, leaning back, hands crossed behind his head, looking towards the passing clouds outside of the window, "We got a lot from last night's haul, Old man"
He grinned, almost kicking his feet under the table, "And luckily we managed to struck a deal with that beautiful woman. It was a wise decision to save that vase from that weird place. She seemed to be very interested in it."
"Not her, but the one behind her" An old voice came into his ears, "Even I can't tell how old that vase is or what's inside. The seal formation it's using is too high for me to decipher, unless a fifth grade Formation master got his hand on it, then we might be able to know"
"A fifth grade Formation master? That's impossible"
"That's exactly my point and that was the reason why I feel like it was better off to hand it away"
Clak, a woman came over, placing down several plates on the table. The boy gave the woman a smile as she retreated away.
Then, he began to eat, "Oh yeah, where should we go next, Old man? Staying here until the red fog ends or somewhere else?"
"Didn't I tell you that we need to stay in this city temporarily. "
"Oh? I thought you was joking"
"Stay here for now, and keep a low profile. Don't use the breakthrough pill yet, unless you can find a way to rent a place inside that chamber to do it"
"More chances to talk with that woman?" The boy's eyes gleamed when he thought of this, "Sounds like an opportunity, she's quite a beauty too."
Remembering the curves she had, his body just went feral to the thought that she could fall into his arms, "That's nice"
"Alas, my disciple is a pervert that likes to play with women."
"Be careful, given her status, she is way out of your league"
"My charm works wonders, no woman can refuse me" The boy grinned, picked up the chicken leg from the table and munched on it.
Then, after having his food, he exited the restaurant, of course after paying.
Walking down the street, unaware that he was being targeted by fate. Not the heavenly fate, but the fate guided under Liam's hand.
The boy moved along the street at an easy pace, weaving between people without much thought.
The city had a distinct architecture designs, fallen rooftops with carved edges, strings of wooden signs painted in fading ink, and narrow roads paved with uneven stone.
It was daylight, the sun pressing gently through a thin veil of cloud, soft enough not to blind, but bright enough to make the colors of the stalls stand out.
The air was thick with the mixed scents of roasted meat, steamed buns, and the sharp tang of oil.
Vendors called out their prices, their voices competing with the clang of metalwork and the chatter of passing customers.
From one end of the street to the other, people came and went, merchants in light robes with rolled-up sleeves, women in layered garments carrying baskets, and barefoot children darting through gaps in the crowd.
It was noisy, but the kind of noise that belonged to a city alive and thriving.
"We were at the outer skirt area of the city just now, weren't we?" he asked, his tone casual.
The young boy, though his manner carried more composure than his age suggested, looked around, his gaze sweeping over the scene.
Every detail caught his attention: the glint of coins changing hands, the faint ripples of steam rising from a food stall, even the faint shimmer of sunlight reflecting off polished trinkets.
"The presence of that Ancestor sure does its charm," he muttered thoughtfully. "If I recall correctly, the last time we came here, this city wasn't this bustling."
He hummed under his breath as he walked, the hem of his robe shifting with each step, brushing lightly against his ankles.
A faint breeze drifted from above, tugging at the edges of his sleeves and stirring loose strands of hair.
No one around him seemed to take notice of his words.
Well, no one except for the one who always did.
The old man, his so-called Master, remained the only one who answered him, even if their conversations were now limited to the space inside his head.
Another few steps brought him beside a stall spread out along the roadside.
A weathered leather mat covered the ground, displaying an assortment of worn goods, small blades, talismans, bits of carved bone, and metallic ornaments dulled by age.
Behind the stall sat an elderly man wearing a broad straw hat, one leg bent and propped against the other while his hand rested lazily on his knee.
The boy crouched, sunlight cutting through the awning to cast a pale glow across the items.
He picked up a few pieces, weighing them in his hand, turning them over with a curious eye.
"This place sure has a lot of wondrous items, huh," he said quietly, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.
The old vendor glanced up at him for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly.
A faint gleam flickered in the boy's gaze, not from the light.
A young cultivator.
Still, the moment passed quickly.
The boy set the item back down, stood, and brushed the dust from his sleeve.
Without hurry, he continued along the street, his eyes still drifting over the rows of stalls, scanning for anything worth a second look.
"There are quite a few hidden babies here, boy," an aged voice echoed faintly inside his mind.
The boy smiled, lips curving just enough to show he wasn't surprised. "You just want me to buy them for you."
"To replenish some of my spiritual energy," the old man replied dryly, a cough slipping through his tone