224: Chapter 224: The Deal

The afternoon of the next day.

Xiao Ran went to the Patrol Guard early in the morning, where he arrested a few Sect Disciples under the admiring gazes of his subordinates.

Afterward, he went to Wan Hua Pavilion, but feeling it was too early, he visited the three top courtesans again.

It wasn't until the afternoon that Xiao Ran changed into a clean black robe and walked toward the north of the city.

The headquarters of the Wanhua Society was located in the north of the city, a massive estate covering a hundred acres.

It had white walls and black tiles, with flying eaves and arched brackets.

Two rows of maids in green stood at the entrance, all of them delicate in appearance and possessing not-weak auras.

Even the weakest among them was at the Golden Core Stage.

When Xiao Ran walked to the entrance, a maid came up to meet him and bowed gracefully.

"Young Master Xiao, the President is already waiting in the hall. Please follow me."

Xiao Ran nodded and followed the maid into the estate.

They passed through several corridors, went around a rockery, and arrived before an elegant living room.

The maid pushed open the door and stepped aside: "Young Master Xiao, please."

Xiao Ran stepped inside.

The living room was not large, but it was decorated very elegantly.

In the center was a sandalwood long table, on which sat a pot of orchids, emitting a faint, refreshing fragrance.

Behind the table was a screen embroidered with a vivid pattern of flowers competing in beauty.

On the surrounding walls hung several calligraphy and painting works, with elegant brushstrokes and a profound Concept.

On the windowsill was a pot of green bamboo, its leaves swaying gently in the breeze.

A woman's voice came from behind the screen, soft and deep, like a clear spring in the mountains.

"Young Master Xiao has arrived, please take a seat."

Xiao Ran sat down at the table and cast his gaze toward the screen.

A moment later, a woman walked out from behind the screen.

She looked to be in her early thirties, with exquisite features and picturesque brows.

Her eyes were as deep as an abyss, with stars faintly swirling in her pupils.

Not only that, her skin was as white as snow, and her long hair, like a waterfall, was pinned up with a jade hairpin, with a few strands hanging by her ears, adding a touch of laziness.

She wore a light purple long dress, with orchids embroidered on the hem, and a white jade belt around her waist that perfectly outlined her slender figure.

Most importantly, the aura of this young woman was restrained, making it impossible to gauge her depth.

But that faint, almost imperceptible pressure made Xiao Ran's heart tighten.

Body Integration Stage.

This was the President of the Wanhua Society.

Xiao Ran stood up and cupped his hands: "Junior Xiao Ran greets the President."

The President smiled slightly, sat down behind the table, and gestured with her hand: "Sit."

Xiao Ran sat down.

The President poured tea herself and pushed it in front of Xiao Ran.

The tea soup was emerald green, emitting a faint, refreshing fragrance. It had a sweet aftertaste, and a warm Spiritual Qi circulated within his body.

"Good tea," Xiao Ran praised.

The President laughed: "This is Spirit Tea grown by the Wanhua Society itself. We only get one catty every hundred years. I am glad Young Master Xiao likes it."

She picked up her teacup, took a sip, put it down, and looked at Xiao Ran.

Her gaze was gentle, as if looking at a Junior.

"Young Master Xiao, I have heard about what you did in the east of the city these past few days."

"The outside world says you are impartial and incorruptible, even daring to arrest the Void Refinement Stage Old Ancestor of the Zhou Family."

Xiao Ran said modestly: "The President is too kind. This Junior is just acting according to the law."

The young woman giggled and shook her head.

"No need to call me President. My family name is also Xiao, and I am a bit older than you, so just call me Sister Xiao!"

Xiao Ran immediately called her that.

Xiao Yating smiled with satisfaction and continued.

"Over these years in the Sword Qi Great Wall, the influence of the aristocratic families and Sects has grown larger and larger. The City Lord wants to reclaim power but has never been able to find the right person."

"Your arrival came just in time to solve the City Lord's urgent need."

"The City Lord made you the captain of the Patrol Guard precisely because he valued your status as an outsider; you have no conflicts of interest and are not afraid of offending people."

Xiao Ran's heart stirred.

This President saw the City Lord's intentions very clearly!

"Sister Xiao, you didn't call me here today just to praise me, right?"

Xiao Ran thought for a moment and decided to get straight to the point.

Xiao Yating liked this straightforwardness.

"Young Master Xiao is sharp and direct. Good, I won't beat around the bush either."

She put down her teacup and said seriously:

"Young Master Xiao, are you aware that an ancient ruin will soon emerge at the border between the Sword Qi Great Wall and the Wilderness Lands?"

Xiao Ran was stunned: "An ancient ruin?"

Xiao Yating nodded: "Yes, this ruin appears once every hundred years. It was a battlefield during the ancient war between the Human Race and the Yao Race, and it is the largest and most rewarding of all the ruins."

"Inside, there are not only the Legacies, Cultivation Techniques, and Magic Treasures of ancient powerhouses, but also various Heaven And Earth Treasure and Spirit Pills."

"Every time it opens, it is a bloody affair."

Xiao Ran's heart trembled.

He recalled the scene in the Ancient Battlefield, where those twenty-three Legacies allowed him to break through from Golden Core to Soul Transformation in just two years.

If this ruin was bigger and richer...

"What are the restrictions on the ruin?" he asked.

Xiao Yating said: "There is only one restriction—it is for those below the Void Refinement Stage."

"Cultivators above the Void Refinement Stage cannot enter."

"Therefore, everyone entering the ruin is a Cultivator at the Soul Transformation Stage or Nascent Soul Stage."

Xiao Ran nodded.

This was similar to the Ancient Battlefield he had participated in before.

"However, there is one difference this time. When the ruin opens, not only will the Human Race send people in, but the Yao Race will as well."

"Each race has one hundred spots."

"The spots for the Human Race have always been distributed by the City Lord's Mansion. Various Sects, aristocratic families, and the Loose Cultivators Alliance will all fight for these spots."

"Since you are the City Lord's man and a rising star recently, the City Lord will definitely give you a spot."

Xiao Ran was silent.

He believed Xiao Yating's words.

The City Lord gave him the city lords token and told him to go all out, which meant he treated him as one of his own.

Naturally, he wouldn't be left out of such a good thing.

After Xiao Yating finished speaking, she began to state her true purpose.

"I called you here because I want to make a deal with you."

Xiao Ran asked: "What kind of deal?"

Xiao Yating took a Jade Slip from her bosom and pushed it to Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran picked it up and probed it with his Divine Sense. Inside was a map marking a certain location within the ruin.

"There is something hidden in this ruin."

"I would like to ask Young Master Xiao to go to this place and help me retrieve that item after you enter the ruin."

Xiao Ran put down the Jade Slip upon hearing this and looked at her curiously.

"What kind of item is worth Sister Xiao being so concerned about?"

Xiao Yating was silent for a moment, then said slowly:

"A flower, called the Other Shore Flower."

"That is a relic left by the founding Ancestral Master of the Wanhua Society, and it is crucial to me."

Xiao Yating's request was finished.

Since ancient times, where there is a request, there must be a reward.

Therefore, Xiao Ran asked:

"Sister Xiao, although we share the same surname, even brothers must settle accounts clearly."

"What can I get if I help you?"

Since Xiao Yating dared to call Xiao Ran, she was naturally prepared.

"Your cultivation has been stuck at the Soul Transformation Stage Middle Stage for some time, right?"

"I can help you quickly improve your cultivation."