218: Chapter 218 Conflict Resurgence

The three continued deeper into the plaza, where Zhou Tianchen stopped at a stall selling Spirit Medicine, crouching down to carefully examine the Spiritual Plants and Spiritual Roots displayed in the jade boxes.

The stall owner was an old apothecary with white hair and beard; seeing Zhou Tianchen's extraordinary demeanor, he hurriedly and enthusiastically began to introduce his wares.

Lu Jinghan stood to the side, his gaze casually sweeping over the surrounding crowd, when suddenly, his eyes stopped on a corner on the east side of the plaza.

A large crowd had gathered there, numbering at least thirty or forty people, blocking the stall completely.

Voices of an argument could be heard from time to time; one voice was sharp and arrogant, while the other was neither humble nor pushy, calm and measured.

Lu Jinghan glanced in Zhou Tianchen's direction, and seeing him still crouching before the Spirit Medicine stall carefully making his selection, he did not rush him.

Once Zhou Tianchen had finished selecting a few Spiritual Plants, paid the Spirit Stones, and stood up, Lu Jinghan gestured with his chin toward the direction where the crowd had gathered.

Zhou Tianchen followed his gaze and happened to hear a cold laugh raised in volume from within the crowd.

The three walked to the outer edge of the crowd, where the situation inside became clear.

Surrounded by the crowd in the center was a raw stone stall, where a lean, middle-aged Cultivator stood helplessly behind the stall, looking left and right with a troubled expression.

The two people confronting each other in front of him were Zheng Lingfeng and Sun Mingcheng.

Zheng Lingfeng was still wearing his dark gold brocade robe, though today the fire phoenix pendant was missing from his waist; his face was gloomy, and a trace of an impatient, cold sneer hung at the corners of his mouth.

He was followed by two attendants who stood with their hands on their hips, looking ready to use their influence to pressure others at any moment.

Standing opposite him, Sun Mingcheng wore a moon-white robe, still holding that jade-boned folding fan in his hand; his demeanor was composed, and he wore a smile, as if he did not take Zheng Lingfeng's aggressiveness to heart at all.

Behind him, in addition to the three guards, were two young Cultivators who appeared to be new retainers recruited by the Sun Family, whispering something to Sun Mingcheng.

Between the two, on the stall, sat a dark gold raw stone about half a foot square; the surface of the stone skin was covered in fine golden patterns, with a faint spiritual light shimmering within them.

The quality of this stone was excellent; even from several feet away, one could feel a faint metallic spiritual power fluctuation.

Clearly, both Zheng Lingfeng and Sun Mingcheng had taken a fancy to this same stone.

"I laid eyes on this stone first." Zheng Lingfeng's voice was sharp and arrogant, his gaze sweeping over Sun Mingcheng with undisguised hostility.

"Young Master Zheng, what a thing to say. You saw it first? It is true that you stood before this stall first, but you stood there for a long time without making an offer." Sun Mingcheng opened his folding fan, waving it slowly with a calm smile.

"This stall owner's rule is that the highest bidder wins; just because you won't make an offer, you can't expect others not to, can you?"

"Sun Mingcheng, are you determined to go against me today?" The cold sneer on Zheng Lingfeng's face vanished, replaced by an intense, dark rage.

"Young Master Zheng, that is incorrect." Sun Mingcheng closed his folding fan and tapped it lightly against his palm.

"I simply happened to take a fancy to the same stone; how can you call it going against you? The rules of Liuli Plaza are that those who see it have a share, and the highest bidder wins; let us have a fair competition."

A low murmur of agreement arose from the surrounding crowd.

Many of these people were Loose Cultivators who had been frequenting Liuli Plaza for years and had long been displeased with the Zheng Family's third Young Master's bullying ways, but they usually dared not speak out.

Today, with the Sun Family's second Young Master standing at the front, they were happy to watch a good show.

Zheng Lingfeng gritted his teeth, turned to look at the stall owner, and said with an unquestionable pressure in his tone: "I offer one million Spirit Stones for this stone."

The stall owner, a lean, middle-aged Cultivator, looked at Zheng Lingfeng, then at Sun Mingcheng, with a fine layer of sweat already seeping from his forehead.

He certainly knew the reputation of the Zheng Family's third Young Master and knew this Young Master's methods; if he did not go along with his wishes, his life in Huaiyang City would likely be difficult in the future.

But the Sun Family's second Young Master was not to be trifled with either, and with so many people watching, if he openly favored one side, how could he continue to run a stall in Liuli Plaza?

"One million one hundred thousand." Sun Mingcheng's voice was unhurried, as if he were merely reciting an insignificant number.

"One million five hundred thousand!"

"One million six hundred thousand."

"Two million!" Zheng Lingfeng's voice had begun to tremble, not because of the cost of the Spirit Stones, but because of his rage.

"Two million one hundred thousand." Sun Mingcheng remained unhurried.

The watching Cultivators were enjoying the show; Young Masters from the two great families of Huaiyang City vying over a raw stone in Liuli Plaza was the kind of gossip that could be talked about for half a month.

Someone lowered their voice to whisper to their companion: "Did you hear about the time Third Young Master Zheng lost the fire phoenix pendant at Bafang Pavilion? It's said that it was won by the second Young Master of the Sun Family, and it was opened under the guidance of that gray-robed Senior—tsk tsk, this grudge is quite deep."

Lu Jinghan stood on the edge of the crowd, his gaze sweeping over Zheng Lingfeng and Sun Mingcheng before landing on the dark gold raw stone; a faint light deep within his pupils shimmered for an instant before receding.

Zhou Tianchen noticed his action, moved a little closer to him, and lowered his voice to ask: "Senior Brother, what is inside that stone?"

Lu Jinghan's expression was indifferent as he said only two words: "It's empty."

Zhou Tianchen was taken aback upon hearing this, then a meaningful smile appeared on his face: "That is true; the stone skin is quite thick."

Duan Xinghe stood to the side, hugging his long sword; although he did not speak, a trace of almost imperceptible amusement flashed in his cold, clear eyes.

The three stood on the edge of the crowd, watching calmly as Zheng Lingfeng and Sun Mingcheng continued to bid higher.

"Three million!" Zheng Lingfeng squeezed the number out from between his teeth.

Just as Sun Mingcheng was about to raise the bid again, he suddenly felt an extremely subtle fluctuation of spiritual power coming from the crowd behind him.

The fluctuation was extremely light, so light that among everyone present, only he had noticed it.

It was a sound transmission compressed into a line using a secret technique, precisely delivered to his ears, the voice calm and familiar: "There is nothing inside the stone; let him buy it."

Sun Mingcheng's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

He did not turn his head, nor did he look in the direction from which the transmission came; he merely remained silent for a few moments, then unfolded the folding fan in his hand, the smile on his face becoming a bit brighter than before.

"Three million, what boldness."

Sun Mingcheng tapped the folding fan lightly against his palm and took a step back.

"Since Young Master Zheng likes this stone so much, I shall not deprive you of it."