Chapter 149: The Token of Honor, Unseen Dangers
The central market square buzzed with life beneath the morning sun. Stalls spilled onto the streets like a vibrant tapestry—fruits stacked high, spices clouding the air with their fragrance, merchants shouting over one another in a battle of prices. Footsteps echoed against worn cobblestones, and laughter mingled with the rustling of fabric and the clinking of coins.
Within this thriving heart of the district, one building stood out—tall, elegant, and oddly pristine amid the surrounding chaos.
The Thousand Beasts Pavilion.
Customers flowed in and out like bees around a hive, their expressions ranging from satisfaction to frustration—each one a quiet testament to whatever had transpired within.
Su Tianhao merged into the crowd without effort. His cultivation cloaked behind Illusory Flow, even his presence felt muted—just another face in the tide of people, distinguished only by his looks.
He entered without issue. The interior was as lively as ever, filled with the soft murmur of voices and the occasional sharp negotiation. Despite the crowd, the orderliness was impressive. No chaos. No raised voices. A perfect display of the pavilion's discipline.
His eyes scanned the space, looking for Lan Er.
He hadn't come to browse. He was here to settle a debt—five thousand gold coins, promised to be returned first thing in the morning. The plan was simple: hand it to Lan Er, let her relay it to Lu Qingran, and leave.
He had no intention of seeing that man again. Confident as he was in the Shrouded Dragon Veil, Lu Qingran's presence was simply too suffocating—oppressive in a way that Su Tianhao found difficult to ignore even at his best.
Fortunately, he didn't have to search long. He didn't find her—she found him.
"Lan Er," he greeted as soon as her light blue robes came into view, a quiet breath of relief in his expression.
"Young Master!" Lan Er bowed slightly, eyes brightening. A faint blush crept across her cheeks as she met his gaze.
Su Tianhao noticed it, narrowed his eyes briefly, but let it pass.
"I came to clear my debt," he said evenly. "I promised to return it first thing this morning—sorry for being a little late."
"N-No need to apologize," Lan Er said quickly, growing flustered.
"This isn't the best place for a transaction. Why don't we go somewhere more private?"
She composed herself. "Shall I bring you to Master Lu?"
"No," Su Tianhao said—firm, final, leaving no room for discussion.
"I see." Lan Er's expression turned professional. "Follow me."
She led him to a quieter section of the building, tucked behind a partial wall away from the main floor. Her steps were light and graceful. Su Tianhao followed without a word.
They stopped at a small counter in the corner. Lan Er turned to face him.
"I'll take the gold coins now," she said, her voice quiet but steady.
Su Tianhao reached into his spatial ring and withdrew a worn leather pouch heavy with gold. He held it out.
"Please check it," he said.
Lan Er received it with a slight bow, opened it, and counted with quick, precise fingers.
"Five thousand gold coins. All here." A faint note of relief entered her voice. "Thank you, Young Master."
He nodded and turned to leave.
But then—her hand caught his arm.
"Is something wrong?" Su Tianhao raised an eyebrow.
"N-No," she said quickly, releasing him. The leather pouch disappeared into the spatial ring on her finger, and from within, a token materialized in her palm.
Su Tianhao's eyes fixed on it immediately. The moment it appeared, he could sense something distinctive radiating from it—quiet but unmistakable. Definitely not ordinary.
"What is that?" he asked.
"Our pavilion token," Lan Er replied, composing herself. "Master Lu anticipated you wouldn't want to see him, so he left this for me to pass on."
'That man is truly terrifying,' Su Tianhao thought, a bead of cold sweat forming at his temple.
"Please accept it," Lan Er said, offering it with both hands.
He took it—albeit reluctantly—and studied it closely. The token was made of an unknown material, silver in color, bearing the emblem of the Thousand Beasts Pavilion on its surface: a coiling serpent wrapped around a crouching tiger. Its aura was subtle but distinct—the kind that couldn't be easily explained or replicated.
"What does it do?" he asked.
Lan Er's smile surfaced like morning light. She straightened slightly.
"It's a token of honor—given only to VIP customers. With it, you receive a twenty percent discount on any purchase made at any of our branches."
"Twenty percent..." Su Tianhao was quiet for a moment.
Although it might sound modest, it was significant at the scale of high-value transactions—spirit stones, rare materials, powerful weapons—twenty percent could mean millions saved over a lifetime.
"Isn't a token like this difficult to issue?" he asked, brows furrowing. "Surely not just anyone has the authority to hand one out."
"You're right," Lan Er admitted. "Honestly, I don't fully understand it myself. Master Lu is a Junior Elder within the pavilion—he has the right to entrust that token to one person of his choosing. He chose you."
"Junior Elder..." Su Tianhao's eyes widened slightly.
From Lu Qingran's aura and presence alone, he had already placed him at the Martial Master level—which meant that even the junior ranks within the Thousand Beasts Pavilion operated at that tier.
'If a Junior Elder is already a Martial Master, I can't imagine what their Senior Elders would be...' He exhaled quietly. 'The Thousand Beasts Pavilion is far from what it appears.'
"Young Master?" Lan Er voiced, her professional tone carrying just a trace of concern.
"I'm fine," Su Tianhao said, his expression easing into a faint smile. "Thank you, Lan Er. Please pass along my gratitude to Master Lu."
Lan Er nodded, eyes gleaming with something unspoken. "I will. Is there... anything else?"
"No. That's all." He tightened his grip around the token. "I'll be leaving Oakwood City today."
Lan Er's gaze dropped briefly—a shadow of something passing across her face. A shadow she ultimately decide to bury.
"Be safe, Young Master."
Su Tianhao nodded once and turned. But just before he vanished from the hallway—he paused, glancing back briefly.
"Take care, Lan Er."
Then he stepped into the crowd and disappeared.
---
After leaving the pavilion, Su Tianhao moved with purpose. With every debt settled and every farewell said, there was nothing left holding him to Oakwood City.
He moved through the crowd, each step deliberate. Before long, the press of people thinned and the path ahead opened into a quieter stretch—a desolate alley.
He recognized it.
This was where Ye Jianping and Gao Min had ambushed him two months ago. He had been only a 1st level Martial Disciple then, and he had overwhelmed them anyway—through the Supreme Dragon Transformation Technique and the Raging Dragon Fist. What had seemed like a dangerous gamble at the time was, in hindsight, only the beginning.
His eyes swept the alley entrance, and something nostalgic settled in his chest. Two months. But it felt like years.
'This passage is a little risky—but it's undoubtedly the shortest route to the main streets.'
Su Tianhao stepped forward.
He wasn't someone who went out of his way to avoid danger. That simply wasn't his way.
But the moment he entered the alley—he stopped dead.
"What is this?"
His body trembled—not from cold, not from fear, but from something deeper and more instinctive than either. It was the same sensation he had felt standing before Ye Shiming on the edge of death. Except this time, the source wasn't close. It was distant.
And he could still feel it with perfect, unsettling clarity.
'What is going on...'
Before he could ponder, the answer surfaced with sudden, absolute certainty.
Dragon Instincts.
Not his human intuition. His dragon instincts—sensing danger at a range no ordinary cultivator could perceive.
'I need to get out of here. Now!'
His gaze hardened.
He turned and sprinted with a burst of motion—no hesitation, no restraint. His aura erupted outward, brilliant golden energy surging around him as his full 1st level Martial Adept cultivation poured into every stride.
He covered ground fast. The noise of the market district swelled ahead—he was nearly there.
But then—the air changed.
A chill swept across his skin like ice dragged across bare flesh, and a blur of blue light streaked past him—impossibly fast.
'So fast...'
He stopped. His senses, already sharpened to their limit, locked onto the figure that had materialized to block his path.
A middle-aged man. Long black hair tied into a topknot. Expensive robes that spoke of status. Brown eyes gleaming with something cold and deliberate.
Su Tianhao's heart sank.
He would recognize this man even if he wore a mask.
"Su Liang."