Chapter 758 - 438 The Young King_2
Chapter 758 - 438 The Young King_2
Ten meters in front of him was a shabby stall, yet the items on display were attracting the entire crowd. Numerous mercenaries and young masters scoured through the wares for sale. Managing all these customers was a young man named Fang Wei. Cou Ling was nowhere in sight at first, but as he approached the stall, he noticed her lying on the ground behind it, observing the commotion but not assisting in selling anything.
Grinning widely, Yan Xiaobao moved behind the stall. "How can you let poor Fang Wei handle all these customers on his own? Don’t you think he might be swallowed up by those terrifying mercenaries?" he laughed, his voice drifting into Cou Ling’s ears. A flush of red swept across her cheeks as she immediately sat up, glaring at Yan Xiaobao angrily.
"You cheap b****rd," she muttered as she looked at the young man she hadn’t seen in half a year. "Even though I often meet with the Ma family, I still hoped to see you from time to time," she said. "I mean, I decided to help you, but when I visited your mansion, I was turned away because they said they were too busy training."
Seeing Cou Ling’s confusion, Yan Xiaobao looked puzzled. "I never heard about you coming to visit me. If I had known a beauty like you took the time to see me, I’d have dropped whatever I was doing immediately!" he said with an apologetic smile. "Though I’ve been busy training to polish my skills. I need all the strength I can muster to survive in that terrifying tomb," he continued. "I’m only a King. Without enough skill, I’ll never gain any treasures. More importantly, I might just end up dead," he said with a shrug.
The two sat silently on the ground, watching as the flustered Fang Wei sold item after item. An hour of silence passed between them, and the young man managed to sell nearly half of the items they had brought.
"Close the shop now," Cou Ling ordered, and Fang Wei nearly started crying in relief. He apologized to the remaining customers before wrapping up all the leftover armor and weapons in oilcloth and storing them in a storage stone.
Even the entire stall could be stored inside one of the stones. Once the stall vanished, Fang Wei let out another sigh of relief. Then he rushed to Cou Ling’s side and handed her a golden Memory Stone—a stone containing all the gold coins they had earned that day.
Although they had only earned about two or three spirit coins, for Cou Ling, this was still an incredible haul for just one day. Beaming at Yan Xiaobao, she said enthusiastically, "I suppose you haven’t had dinner yet. Why don’t you eat with us? I’ve prepared some meat before we leave Muchuan City."
The direct invitation had Yan Xiaobao agreeing quickly. Especially after hearing how she had frequently visited him before but was turned away without meeting him. Feeling guilty, he offered an awkward smile, yet he was also relieved that the spiritual blacksmith before him hadn’t become so discouraged as to deem him unworthy of her support anymore.
Seeing that Yan Xiaobao had agreed so readily, Cou Ling felt a surge of joy. She quickly started a fire and took out some meat. Since Cou Ling no longer ate Magic Beast meat, the meat was venison. Watching Yan Xiaobao, she remembered the shivers she couldn’t stop when she had once eaten wolf meat.
The meat grilling over the fire smelled delicious, various herbal seasonings having been rubbed into it before cooking. A small pot of vegetables boiled nearby, and Fan Wei and Fang Wei relaxed calmly by the fire with Yan Xiaobao.
As more stalls selling weapons and items closed for the night, food stalls began bustling, catering to cultivators and mercenaries who preferred buying food to cooking after a long day. Insults flew whenever someone thought they were being cut in line or accidentally bumped into another.
Unlike in the cities, there were no guards here to break up scuffles, some of which escalated into full-blown brawls, dragging even bystanders into the chaos. Most fights, however, served as pure entertainment, with people placing bets on them.
Turning his head, Yan Xiaobao watched everything with an indifferent smile on his face. His icy blue eyes observed the surrounding happenings, ensuring no fights erupted too close.
As they moved some distance away from their stall, the trio was finally left alone. They managed to enjoy their meal amidst pleasant conversation and the calm weather. Watching the fights and the growing rowdiness, Yan Xiaobao decided to head toward the blacksmith area. Though they were here to sell items, if they got caught in the crossfire of many ongoing battles, they’d be in a terrible straight path. Neither blacksmith was a strong cultivator and lacked the ability to defend themselves on this journey.
Once everyone reached the tomb, all merchants and craftsmen would return to Muchuan City, but until then, they were easy prey. Glancing around, Yan Xiaobao frowned slightly as he saw a group of threatening-looking cultivators moving from one group of mercenaries to another. As they moved, merchants handed them coins. Why this was happening, Yan Xiaobao didn’t know.
"Oh, we’ll find out soon enough," he thought as he watched the group approach. Seeing Yan Xiaobao looking at something, Cou Ling turned her attention in the same direction. Her brows furrowed upon seeing what was happening, and her hand instinctively clutched the golden Memory Stone, promptly storing it in a storage stone.
Though a hint of worry crossed her mind, she glanced at Yan Xiaobao’s calm demeanor and felt her anxiety diminish. He had once handled six King-level experts simultaneously. Even though a group of four was advancing toward them, Cou Ling trusted that as long as Yan Xiaobao was by her side, he wouldn’t let anyone harm her.
Before long, the group of experts appeared in front of Yan Xiaobao, Cou Ling, and the young Fang Wei. Their smiles brightened immediately upon seeing Cou Ling, but their joy dimmed slightly when they noticed Hui Yue calmly sitting by her side.
"We are from the Bloody Vulture family," one of the men said with a smile directed at Cou Ling. "We’re here to help merchants and craftsmen stay safe. For the modest fee of 500 gold coins, we’ll ensure your safety. No one will threaten you on your journey. We’ll even escort you back to Muchuan City, so you won’t have anything to worry about," he said politely. If it weren’t for the sanctimonious expressions worn by other merchants, Yan Xiaobao might have thought this was a decent deal.
"No, thanks," he said nonchalantly, cutting off whatever Cou Ling was about to say. Turning his attention back to Cou Ling, he resumed their conversation.
The woman was taken aback. But as Yan Xiaobao took the lead, she eventually followed, albeit her responses were somewhat scattered as she continued to ignore the cultivators.
A vein throbbed visibly on the forehead of the man who had just spoken, his face turning red with rage. His eyes burned with fury, and he stepped forward, only to be stopped by one of his companions.
This newcomer was much smaller than the angry man. His body appeared frail, yet his aura revealed him to be a King-level expert like the others. Unlike his three companions, a smile still lingered on his lips, and his sharp eyes seemed to constantly assess everything around him, calculating his next move based on what he gleaned. It was clear he wasn’t as easily provoked as the others.
"Young man, I don’t think you fully understand what’s going on here," the frail-looking man said with a sly smile that was impossible to miss. Lifting his gaze, his eyes fell on the face of the slender man. The moment their eyes met, the other man’s spine tingled, and he involuntarily took a step back, his forced smile faltering into tension, his gaze growing serious.
Yan Xiaobao didn’t do anything. He neither unleashed killing intent nor displayed any form of power, yet this scruffy man still felt uneasy and recoiled. Staring at the young man before him, he was filled with an overwhelming sense of danger.
The initial feeling was paralyzing, but this was a man hardened by battles where his life was on the line. Having faced death countless times, he wasn’t the type to retreat at the slightest hint of danger anymore.
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