Chapter Twenty-Two: Standing as Equals

The woman was incredibly persistent. Her eyes were filled with rage as she glared at Lu Qingyun, convinced that he was the one responsible for what had happened.

"That night, my father only met with you. He didn't see anyone else. Besides you, it couldn't possibly be anyone else!"

"You took the item from him so easily. I didn't ask you to do anything else, yet you chose to kill for money. Where have you hidden my father's body?"

Hearing this, Lu Qingyun felt deeply perplexed. He frowned and replied, "I have already made it very clear to you. No matter what, you must produce some evidence, don't you? If you can't provide any proof, why must you insist that I am the killer? How do you expect me to confess?"

"Your father met so many people at the auction house, why must you blame me? I think you should calm down. Perhaps it was someone else?"

Lu Qingyun had never intended to have any further dealings with this woman, nor had he expected such a situation to arise. However, for a woman who had just lost a loved one, Lu Qingyun did not want to say anything too cruel.

The woman was stunned, unsure if the decision she had made was right or wrong. Faced with Lu Qingyun's firm attitude, she was momentarily at a loss.

Xu Feng finally gathered his thoughts and spoke up from the side, "Young lady, I think you should calm down. Why don't you sit, have some tea, and tell us exactly what happened?"

As the chief disciple of his sect, Xu Feng was well-traveled and had handled many complex situations within the sect. Of course, Wu Yong and Zhang Tianjiao were exceptions; they were such scoundrels that talking to them was futile.

The woman introduced herself as Meng Li. After arriving in this city, she had been earning a living by playing the zither on the island in the center of the lake.

But just as she started to explain, Lu Qingyun interrupted her.

"Meng Li, is it? If you want to clarify everything, I think you should be honest. Do you really think we would believe you if you keep hiding things?"

"A timid woman who plays the zither for a living? That hardly seems to fit your demeanor. Since when does a 'weak' woman carry such a sharp blade to attack others?"

Lu Qingyun was not a meddlesome person. He disliked getting involved in other people's affairs; for him, it was best if things had nothing to do with him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent all his time at home before transmigrating. In this world, there were not that many good people, and doing good deeds often brought no good rewards. Therefore, the philosophy of "if it doesn't concern you, stay out of it" was highly practical everywhere.

Xu Feng and his two companions remained silent. They knew better than anyone that Lu Qingyun could handle everything with his own strength. Any intervention on their part would be meaningless.

Meng Li looked at Lu Qingyun intently, and suddenly, tears began to stream down her face, as if she had suffered a grave injustice. Lu Qingyun was baffled by this sudden shift; he had never been able to handle seeing a woman cry. Meng Li was undeniably beautiful, possessing a distinct and elegant temperament.

Lu Qingyun urged, "Crying won't solve anything. It's pointless. The auction is about to start soon, so just speak plainly!"

Having no other choice, Lu Qingyun resorted to this stern approach to resolve the matter. After a few sobs, Meng Li slowly explained, "The truth is, I suffer from a strange illness. Only the medicinal herbs found in this auction house can help me. My father kept watch day and night, but he couldn't find them."

"The night you met him, I returned from the island and waited for him here. But even after all the people at the auction house had left, I never saw him come out..."

Fatty Wang and the others felt a pang of sympathy, but Lu Qingyun remained expressionless, his face cold. He even sounded somewhat annoyed.

"Do you think we have nothing better to do? Do you think we are here to play games with you? If there's nothing else, please leave! I don't think there's any point in continuing this conversation. It’s just a waste of our time. Please go; I don't want to say anything harsh to a woman!"

Xu Feng and the others were confused, unable to understand why Lu Qingyun was being so cold. Fatty Wang whispered, "Her father is dead; how can you be so heartless?"

Lu Qingyun looked at Fatty Wang’s earnest face and replied in a low voice, "If she truly needed help, even if it were troublesome, I would have helped her. If it brought us trouble, how could I just sit by and watch?"

"What I hate most is being deceived. No matter who a person is, how strong they are, or how breathtakingly beautiful they may be, they are never allowed to deceive me in the slightest!"

***

Lu Qingyun’s words were clear. It was obvious that he believed Meng Li had lied to him, and even to the three of them.

Xu Feng looked at Meng Li in astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Meng Li stopped pretending to be pathetic. She turned around in a rage, and before leaving, she said coldly, "I thought you were a good person, but it turns out you’re just a lackey. Working for that City Lord will never lead to a good end!"

"I had hoped you would help us, but I was clearly mistaken. We shall not meet again. Next time, I will kill you!"

With that, Meng Li left rapidly. Apart from the lingering scent in the air, it was as if she had never appeared at all.

Xu Feng asked urgently, "Don't let her get away. Should we go after her?"

Lu Qingyun sat there with a faint smile and replied slowly, "No need to dwell on it. It’s all unnecessary. Don't forget why we are here. Let’s rest..."

Lu Qingyun had a very clear objective: to obtain the silver key and take his three companions away. He knew exactly why the City Lord had summoned Xu Feng—it was to keep the Tianling Sect under his thumb and prevent them from leaving easily. However, Lu Qingyun had already planned for everything; as long as he followed his strategy, nothing would go wrong.

Just then, the auction began. A host took the stage and said enthusiastically, "Welcome everyone to the annual auction, the biggest event in Bixiao City. Our President has prepared many gifts for you; you will certainly not leave empty-handed."

"Time flies, and the years turn; we meet here once again..."

Although Lu Qingyun had never attended such an auction before, he was familiar with these kinds of opening remarks. However, today was slightly different. The Zhao family, the largest pill-making family in Bixiao City, usually had their head give the speech. But because their head had been beaten up by someone two days ago and had yet to recover, Zhao Tuo had to stand in for him.

Lu Qingyun didn't care about such trivialities. Just as they were listening intently, footsteps echoed at the door.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

"The President requests your presence!"

Lu Qingyun and his group were already in a private room on the second floor, overlooking the entire auction floor. That the President would suddenly invite them did not surprise Lu Qingyun in the slightest.

Lu Qingyun said to the three of them, "Buy whatever you want. We’ll leave when the crowd is at its peak. Leave the matter of the other key to me; we will regroup at the pre-arranged spot."

"If anything unexpected happens, your survival is the priority. Don't worry about anything else. Is that understood?"

Clearly, the President's invitation was already part of his plan. Xu Feng and his companions were both nervous and expectant. After all, they could acquire many rare treasures at such an auction, and Lu Qingyun had already declared their allegiance to the City Lord at the entrance. If anyone wanted to cause trouble, they would have to consider the City Lord, so they were unlikely to be attacked easily. As for what followed, they would have to rely on their own luck. Surviving was what mattered most.

After giving his instructions, Lu Qingyun left the room. Two graceful maids stood waiting respectfully at the door.

"Lead the way."

All of Lu Qingyun's plans were like walking a tightrope; one wrong step would lead to an abyss, and he could not afford any mistakes. Fortunately, everything was proceeding according to plan.

Led by the two maids, he arrived at the third floor, where the President’s private quarters were located. Lu Qingyun looked at the semi-transparent door; it was clearly a small barrier. Without permission, one had no qualification to enter.

One of the maids took out a jade hairpin and lightly traced it across the barrier. The barrier parted like two thin veils. The maid whispered softly, "Please..."

Since he was already here, Lu Qingyun took a deep breath and stepped inside.

Upon entering, he was greeted by a refreshing fragrance that put him at ease. The room was filled with treasures—anything that was considered a precious item on this continent could be found here.

Lu Qingyun’s eyes fell upon a person standing at the back. She wore a pale blue dress with her hair falling loosely. In her hand, she held a silver goblet, and from a distance, one could see the pale purple wine within.

This was a continent filled with spiritual energy, and the wine brewed here was vastly different from what he had known in his previous life. The woman did not look back. She took a slow sip of the wine; through her fair skin, one could see the wine traveling down her throat.

She licked her lips, watching the auction below with a calm expression, and said indifferently, "Indeed an extraordinary youth. No wonder that guy chose you. You want to take the key, right? It's right here on my table. Take it!"

Lu Qingyun was shocked and felt quite surprised. He didn't think it would be that simple! If the item could be taken so easily, why had the City Lord waited so many years? There had to be a catch.

Lu Qingyun walked over slowly and indeed saw a silver key on the table. Judging by the engravings, it was identical to the golden key in his possession. Apart from the material, the aura emanating from the key was exactly the same.

Lu Qingyun asked suspiciously, "You're really letting me take this key? You don't need me to do anything else?"

The woman still didn't turn around. She finished the wine in the silver goblet before saying slowly, "Heh, what's the matter? Isn't the purpose of your visit to take this? In this world, apart from one's life, everything else is merely an external object."

"Since you want it, why should I make things difficult for a young man?"

She didn't look old, and her voice suggested she was only in her thirties. Hearing such profound wisdom from this woman felt like a sharp contrast.

Lu Qingyun gave a bitter smile. He didn't like beating around the bush. He walked toward the table and reached for the silver key.

"Thank you!"

But before he could finish his sentence, he felt a strange force erupt from the silver key. He quickly pulled his hand back, frowned, and looked at the woman, feeling a bit angry.

"Are you playing with me?"

The woman turned to look at Lu Qingyun and let out a wild, arrogant laugh.

"Hahahaha! This key is so precious, how could I just give it to you so easily? Do you think that’s possible?"

Lu Qingyun frowned deeply, feeling as if the woman was a lunatic. Her wild laughter even drew the attention of some people below, though they only glanced up, not daring to say a word, only whispering among themselves.

"I wonder who is in trouble now. The consequences of provoking that crazy woman are unimaginable."

"Indeed. It is said that only the City Lord has ever met the President and managed to escape with his life after giving it his all."

"Regardless, that woman's power is terrifying. Otherwise, how could she stand toe-to-toe with the City Lord here?"

When Lu Qingyun was at the City Lord's mansion, he had briefly looked into the President of the auction house. Information about her was scarce, and much of it turned out to be false. Now he understood why—everyone who had truly seen this crazy woman was likely dead.

Lu Qingyun suddenly took out the golden key and tossed it onto the table.

He said coldly, "I don't want to be a pawn in your games. Whatever you and the City Lord are planning has nothing to do with me. Here is the key. Don't ever look for me again."

"This is the answer you wanted, right? Can I leave now? I promise I will never return..."