Chapter Twenty-Four: Beyond Help

Since Hong Jiuling had given him ample respect, he could not simply remain upstairs forever. Yet he was also reluctant to walk down directly—doing so would thrust him into their encirclement, and the momentum of his words would be greatly diminished. Besides, he disliked the feeling of being surrounded.

Xiao Cheng walked to the staircase, found no one nearby, silently recited a mantra, formed a hand seal, and approached the wall. Like stepping into water, he vanished from the shop.

Passing through the shop’s wall and a narrow alley, he emerged onto the main street. The crowd still clustered at the shop’s entrance, waiting for him to descend. Xiao Cheng smiled, released his spiritual sense to envelop himself, masking all his aura, and treaded a subtle arc through the street, quietly approaching to within five meters behind Hong Jiuling.

As long as he kept enough distance that Hong Jiuling would not sense his presence, he would not be discovered. Xiao Cheng silently arrived five meters behind the city lord, noting that Hong Jiuling stared unwaveringly at the strange stone shop’s entrance, waiting for him to appear.

Five meters was not far, but Xiao Cheng did not believe this was sufficient to kill a master of innate power. If he had begun with murderous intent, he never would have gotten so close. Cultivators were extraordinarily sensitive to the flow of energy—this was why they were never caught off guard. Spiritual sense and energy detection were entirely separate matters.

“City Lord, thank you for your patience!” Xiao Cheng stood behind Hong Jiuling, smiling as he spoke.

Hong Jiuling heard the familiar voice from behind and, turning, saw Xiao Cheng grinning at him. An inexplicable chill swept over him; his back felt cold.

When had this sly fellow gotten behind him? How had he not noticed? And who said Xiao Cheng was a useless waste? Clearly, he was a true expert!

To evade his spiritual sense and approach from behind required at least fourth-tier innate skill. Was this young man a genius? Had the Xiao family deliberately spread rumors of his incompetence to hide him?

Though Hong Jiuling was startled within, his expression did not change. He replied, “Young Master Xiao, your arrival in the underground city is worth any amount of waiting!”

Xiao Cheng noted the city lord’s unfazed demeanor and inwardly admired his composure. Truly, his reputation was well earned—he had managed such a grand domain for over a decade with remarkable skill.

The city lord seemed harmless, always smiling, yet his smile was impossible to read. His features were naturally delicate, with sharp, spirited eyes, a rounded nose, and a goatee beneath his lips.

Whether because of Xiao Cheng’s presence or something else, the city lord showed no airs at all.

“You flatter me, City Lord. I was merely curious about this place and hoped to purchase a few things. You handle a thousand matters daily—I would not dare to intrude.”

Hong Jiuling laughed heartily, perhaps catching the subtle mockery in Xiao Cheng’s words, then continued, “Did anything here catch your eye, Young Master Xiao? If not, just name what you desire—within ten days, I’ll have it delivered to your door.”

“Bring me ten Nine-Heart Lotuses,” Xiao Cheng replied with a smile.

The Nine-Heart Lotus was famed in the cultivation world as a miraculous herb that could revive the dead and restore flesh to bone. It was nearly impossible to find.

Hong Jiuling’s face darkened, nearly biting his tongue. “Let’s change the subject.”

What kind of cosmic joke was this? The Nine-Heart Lotus was not something one could simply acquire. It might well be extinct, let alone ten—did Xiao Cheng think they grew like cabbage by the roadside?

“Ha, I was just teasing. I did fancy a stone earlier, but I don’t have enough cash on hand. I’m off to prepare it now,” Xiao Cheng laughed, unwilling to conceal the stone. Once he left, the city lord would surely investigate; to deliberately hide it would only draw suspicion.

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“Oh? A stone? I did not expect Young Master Xiao to be interested in stones.” Hong Jiuling was unconcerned, glanced at Boke waiting by the entrance, and ordered, “Bring the stone out here. Don’t try to cheat him.”

Boke reluctantly turned and went upstairs.

Xiao Cheng felt a slight tension, hoping the city lord would not discern the stone’s true nature.

As Boke went to fetch the item, Hong Jiuling turned to Xiao Cheng, stroked his goatee, and smiled. “An hour ago, you injured my brother. That was not a light blow.”

He mentioned it casually, with no trace of reproach, as if simply stating a fact.

Xiao Cheng knew this matter could not be glossed over. After all, the city lord ruled the city; if his subordinate was bullied, he had to intervene, even if he did not wish to. Yet the city lord had shown him considerable respect—anyone else would not have let the matter rest so easily.

Xiao Cheng had not attained the realm of returning a foot for an inch, but he could match respect with respect. The city lord wanted nothing more than a word from him.

“Very well. I’ll compensate with a million for medical expenses.”

Hong Jiuling’s smile brightened; he relaxed considerably, surprised that Xiao Cheng was so cooperative. As for the million, he did not care about the money—what mattered was the promise, which gave his men an explanation.

As they spoke, Boke returned with the silver stone.

Hong Jiuling took the stone, examined it closely, and discreetly watched Xiao Cheng’s expression, finding him calm and indifferent as ever. He tossed the stone back to Boke, unaware he had just discarded something worth tens of billions.

Seeing the city lord had not noticed the stone’s peculiarity, Xiao Cheng felt relieved. The stone indeed appeared ordinary. In his previous life, Xiao Cheng had never heard of such a superior material. Had he not absorbed the knowledge from the jade slip in this life, he would not have recognized it either. It was natural that Hong Jiuling could not tell.

“How much did you sell the stone to Young Master Xiao for?” Hong Jiuling’s tone to Boke was less gentle, carrying a hint of authority.

“Two million,” Boke replied timidly.

“What? A worthless stone for two million?” Hong Jiuling was displeased.

“A million, then!” Boke quickly amended, though he bled inside.

“Let it be two million. Don’t make things hard for Boke,” Xiao Cheng said unexpectedly.

He spoke thus to avoid owing the city lord a favor—a million was not worth such a debt. He disliked small gains that led to great losses, especially since he had already profited enormously.

Hong Jiuling saw Xiao Cheng’s refusal to accept his favor and regarded him with newfound respect. A million was no small sum, yet Xiao Cheng was unmoved.

Such people avoided owing favors for two reasons: either they felt unable to repay, or they disdained being bought. Clearly, Xiao Cheng was the latter, which made Hong Jiuling appreciate him even more. It was a subtle, profound feeling.

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Xiao Cheng and Hong Jiuling exchanged a few idle remarks—about business, daily life, and such.

Xiao Cheng had considered asking to take the stone first and pay later, but before he spoke, he realized it would seem too eager. Since the city lord had not recognized the stone, there was no need to rush; if he pressed, he might arouse suspicion.

He also took the opportunity to ask the city lord not to trouble Sun Qian too much. Although Sun Qian was timid, his nature was decent.

After some bland conversation, Xiao Cheng felt his interest wane and, unwilling to waste more time, politely declined the city lord’s invitation and left the dark underground city.

As Xiao Cheng’s figure disappeared, Hong Jiuling stared in the direction of his departure, lost in thought. He nodded, then shook his head; his expression was complex. He had met many heirs from the five great hidden families of Hu Hai, and some were remarkable, but Xiao Cheng was clearly the most outstanding.

So young, yet his mind was extraordinarily resolute. He even joked with him and showed disdain for being bought.

If an older man could achieve such composure, it would not be surprising. But unless he was mistaken, Xiao Cheng was only eighteen years old. How could one so young possess such formidable resolve? The Xiao family was sparse in numbers compared to other hidden clans, but with Xiao Cheng alone, they were sufficient.

This assessment might seem exaggerated, but Hong Jiuling disagreed. One’s future achievements depended on one’s mindset. Only those with a truly strong heart could go further—and Xiao Cheng already possessed power equal to his own. Hong Jiuling suddenly recalled his own eighteenth year, when he was still moping over heartbreak.

After a long while, Hong Jiuling returned to himself, thinking of the rumors about Xiao Cheng—that he was a hopeless fool. If Xiao Cheng was a fool, then what was he in his youth?

“Is Xiao Cheng’s information collected?” Hong Jiuling asked lazily.

“It was Wu Xiaogang.”

“Who said Xiao Cheng was useless?”

“Wu Xiaogang as well.”

“Cut off one of that fellow’s fingers for me. Damn it, all I hear are rumors.”

“What? His finger was already cut? Then take a toe!”

Xiao Cheng left the underground city, driving his flashy Lamborghini straight to She Mountain in the western suburbs, unaware that someone was suffering toe mutilation because of him. He headed to She Mountain, naturally, to make money. In the dead of night, where else could he find two million in cash? He could think of nowhere but She Mountain.

The Lamborghini, pushed to its limits, turned into a graceful arc of light beneath the night sky.

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