In stepped a captivating woman, her golden hair cascading like a waterfall of sunlight, framing her delicate face. Her striking golden eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief, and her curvy figure moved gracefully as she entered the room. Her features seemed to stem from a certain clan, but Long Huang couldn't remember.
"Hi there, dear valued customer! How many beast corpses are you selling today?" she asked cheerfully, her voice smooth and inviting.
Long Huang found himself momentarily speechless, caught in the magnetic allure of her presence. His heart raced, and he shyly averted his gaze, feeling heat rise to his cheeks.
After a moment of awkward silence, he managed to reply,
"Um, I lost count after a while," said Long Huang as embarrassment washed over him, but his eyes still locked on the woman burning with desire.
"Sorry, but I'm married," said the woman, almost as if it were a routine.
"Happily?"
"Careful boy, you're going to bite off more than you can chew."
"Plus I'm not into kids," said the woman with a soft smile.
At that moment, he wished he could explain that he was an adult—at least, if he considered both this life and his previous one. In his last life, he had his first girlfriend at 18 but only lived until he was 19, which left him feeling like a teenager at heart, as he hadn't truly experienced life.
However, the enchantress before him made him want to cast aside that feeling.
"Okay, place them in the open space in front of us," the woman instructed.
"Okay," said Long Huang, pulling out all the wild beast corpses from his storage pouch.
"Metal Pecking Eagles, three of them... each worth 30 gold notes."
"Red-spotted Wild Boar, teeth, paws...worth a total of 45 gold notes."
"Gold-striped Snake...worth 20 gold notes and 20 silver coins."
"Seven Treasure Poison Centipede, five of them... each worth 100 gold notes and 10 silver coins."
The woman remained expressionless as she continued to list and calculate the prices. However, the old man was stunned that a boy who looked like he lived off women and was merely an official disciple of the Azure Lotus Sect was capable of hunting such dangerous wild beasts.
Official disciples ranged from ages 14 to 16, meaning Long Huang was either 14, 15, or 16, truly shocking. After what seemed like an eternity to Long Huang, the woman finally raised her head.
"How about this: I'll give you a total of 3,000 gold notes flat," the woman proposed, a cunning smile on her face.
"Sure," Long Huang replied, not wanting to prolong the conversation. Soon, he received his pay.
"Oh, by the way, do you take parts from demon beasts?" Long Huang asked before leaving.
"Could it be that you have demon beast parts too?" the woman inquired, her gaze shifting toward the storage pouch at Long Huang's side.
"Yep," Long Huang replied as he slowly opened his storage pouch. Immediately, a powerful aura emanated from the storage pouch, revealing parts of the Green-Eyed Tiger King and the other demon beasts.
"Green-Eyed Tiger King! Yin Spirit Tuna... Red Tiger... Yi!" the woman exclaimed, looking incredulously at Long Huang.
She was visibly shocked. The Yin Spirit Tuna and the Red Tiger were beasts that nearly belonged to the demon category. Their defenses were incredibly strong, and even experienced cultivators at the peak of the Meridian Tempering Realm struggled to catch them.
Due to their rarity and strength, the price of the Red Tiger was significantly higher than that of other beasts in the same category. The Yin Spirit Tuna, being even rarer and residing in water, required immense strength to capture or even fish out.
And they weren't even native to the area, so it was next to impossible to see one, much less catch one.
"Red Tiger....worth 1,000 gold notes," the woman said after a brief pause. "Yin Spirit Tuna....2,800 gold notes." As she continued tallying the figures, she looked at Long Huang with astonishment.
2,100 and 2,800 gold notes? Long Huang was taken aback; he never thought the Yin Spirit Tuna was worth more than the Red Tiger.
"That brings the total to 8,900 gold notes and 50 silver coins!" the beautiful woman announced.
8,000 gold notes and 50 silver! Long Huang's heart raced. His monthly allowance was only 20 silver coins! He had never carried more than 5 gold notes at one time.
"Not satisfied with that price, how about 9000 gold notes?" said the woman, her eyes filled with greed.
"Deal!" Long Huang replied with a smile. Though he appeared calm, he was laughing internally. Just then, the woman asked him something.
"If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?" she inquired.
"Long Huang," he answered. The woman and the old man were taken aback; Long Huang was well-known throughout the city and had recently been reported missing.
Without another word, Long Huang gathered his 9,000 gold notes, feeling the weight of his hard-earned fortune, and he strode confidently out of the pavilion.
Watching his retreating figure exit, the woman whispered something under her breath.
"Men, how gullible if he only knew the true value of those fish."
............
Meanwhile, Long Huang was walking, chest held high, as he was now a rich man.
"I can finally buy some resources to enhance my cultivation," he mused, a sense of purpose driving his steps.
"But first, I should pay a visit to an old friend." With that thought in mind, he made his way to Bo's Tailor Shop, a place he had frequented in the past.
As Long Huang pushed open the door, a bell tinkled overhead, announcing his arrival. An employee approached with a friendly smile, ready to greet a customer.
"Hi, d...." she started, but her words faltered as her eyes met his. Recognition dawning, her face brightened with a flush of embarrassment.
"Hi there! Is your boss in?" Long Huang asked, his charming smile causing her heart to race uncontrollably.
"Uh... he... he's at the Red District," she stammered, her usual poise slipping away as she became entranced by Long Huang's appearance and domineering aura.
Long Huang's expression subtly shifted to one of mild annoyance as he engaged in the familiar ritual of waiting.
"Of course he is," he replied, his hand moving to his forehead as he rolled his eyes. A hint of irritation crept into his voice at the thought of his friend's seemingly endless escapades.
Despite his frustration, he couldn't help but appreciate the lively atmosphere of the shop, filled with the warm buzz of conversation and the comforting presence of familiar faces.
As he mulled over his options, Long Huang contemplated whether to stay and wait for Bo Chow's return or to make his way back to the Sect.
"That damn bastard, is sex all he can think about?"
Long Huang was lost in thought when he noticed a young employee watching him intently.
Her eyes sparkled with an unspoken longing and passion, conveying a depth of feelings that words seemed to falter in expressing. Just as he sensed the moment hanging in the air, he cleared his throat, breaking the spell.
"Ehem!"
"Well, tell him I dropped by," he said with a casual tone, turning to leave.
Before stepping out into the cool evening air, he paused and turned back to the employee, a charming smile gracing his face.
"Good night and goodbye, miss."
"Take care of yourself."
With that, he pushed the door open and stepped out into the embrace of the cool evening. The shop's bell jingled cheerfully at his back, a stark contrast to the silence he left behind. As he merged with the bustling currents of the street, the warmth of the encounter—the haunting. That moment was but a mere fleeting moment for Long Huang.
However, to the employee who was left in a daze, it was as if her world had collapsed. She understood the miss in Long Huang's words was meant to distance him from her.
As Long Huang walked through the streets, he could hear the whispers of women talking to each other.
"He's so hot."
"Shhh, he can hear you."
"Go ask him out."
One of the women came up to Long Huang with a shy smile on her face and began speaking.
"Umm, hi, would you mind having a few drinks with us?"
"No, I'm busy. Goodbye."
He felt annoyed; the last time he had been out, there hadn't been much attention directed at him. What he didn't take into account was the upcoming martial competition.
As he walked through the City he called home, he couldn't help but stop and take in the beauty, stopping along his way to feed the homeless and some animals with the leftover food he had in his possession.
Eventually, he reached the entrance of the Azure Lotus Sect. After pausing to gaze at the mighty gates for a moment, he walked in and headed to the Fifth Elder's Manor to inform Huang Min and her parents that he was back, having left without saying a word.
Upon arriving at the Fifth Elder's Manor, he greeted the guards as usual and entered. The guards were surprised to see him, as he was supposedly missing according to the Fifth Elder and thought to be dead by some.
The guards gave each other a look of 'are you seeing this too' as they too thought he was dead.
But here he was, standing right in front of them. They then allowed him to enter.
As Long Huang entered the manor yard, he saw Huang Peng and Su Yan walking in the manor yard.
Seeing him, they rushed forward and began checking him over.
"Where have you been, kid?"
"Why did you leave without saying a word?"
"Why are you only back now?"
They bombarded him with questions, flustering Long Huang, but he understood that they were concerned for him.
After a few more questions, they finally stopped, giving Long Huang a chance to explain.
"I was in the Archdevil Mountain Range in the Sky Cloud Forest."
"I just got back today."
"What!" the couple exclaimed in shock.
It was a dangerous place for a Skin Tempering Realm cultivator.
"How did you survive?" they asked.
"Well, a deer helped me find some Yang fruits, and I broke through to the Meridian Tempering Realm," Long Huang replied.
Then he took out the last Yang fruit and handed it to the couple.
"It really is a Yang fruit,"
Su Yan said, staring at the fruit in Long Huang's hand. Long Huang then asked,
"Where's Huang Min? I don't see her around."
Hearing this, the couple's faces froze. They exchanged glances before Huang Peng finally said,
"She's in her room, and it's been that way for a while."
"Oh, why is that?" Long Huang asked curiously. The couple looked at each other again before responding.