Chapter 60: Qitian's Probing

The final bell of the auction had just finished chiming. As Lin Chuan was preparing to lead Zhang Lin and the others out of the private suite, he pushed open the door to find several maidservants standing respectfully on either side, with a man clad in pitch-black armor standing in the center.

The dark red patterns on that suit of armor resembled dried blood, emitting an eerie sheen under the lights.

"Young Master Lin."

The leading maidservant bowed slightly. "This is Lord Qiyun, commander of the city guard. He has come under orders from the city lord to invite you for a chat."

Lin Chuan's pupils constricted slightly, though his expression remained completely unchanged.

He sensed an intangible, almost imperceptible pressure radiating from the black-armored man, akin to a dormant ferocious beast.

"Peak Revered Martial Realm," Fatty's voice echoed in his mind. "If you refuse to go, this fellow will forcibly take you."

Understanding bloomed in Lin Chuan's heart. Before the auction had even begun, City Lord Qi Tian had already sent someone to deliver a jade slip to him. Both Lin Chuan and Fatty had anticipated the current situation long in advance.

Besides, prior to the auction, Fatty had already sensed Qi Tian's special attention toward Lin Chuan, and Lin Chuan himself wished to test the waters with this individual.

He turned to Zhang Lin and the others with a smile. "You all go back and rest first. I'll go and be right back."

Zhang Lin wore a worried expression as he lowered his voice. "Lin Chuan, could this be..."

"It's fine."

Lin Chuan patted his shoulder. "Since the city lord has extended an invitation, how could I not show him this courtesy?"

The black-armored man, Qiyun, remained silent throughout, merely making an inviting gesture with his hand.

Lin Chuan followed him through the intricate corridors of the Heavenly Fortune Pavilion, ultimately arriving at a lavishly decorated hall on the top floor of the main building.

The interior furnishings were the epitome of luxury; the floor was covered with a carpet made from the fur of some exotic beast, emitting a pleasant warmth when stepped upon.

Luminous pearls hung from all four walls, casting a soft glow that illuminated the entire space as bright as day.

"Young Friend Lin, I've heard much about you."

A hoarse voice came from the main seat.

Lin Chuan raised his eyes and saw a gaunt, emaciated middle-aged man gazing at him with a smile.

The man looked haggard, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to an expert in the early Imperial Martial Realm. Yet, his eyes were exceptionally bright and piercing, as though they could see straight through a person's soul.

"Greetings, City Lord."

Lin Chuan cupped his fists in salute, though his heart remained inwardly vigilant.

This Qi Tian seemed amiable on the surface, but his aura was actually restrained, making him even more unfathomable than Qiyun.

Qi Tian slowly walked down from the main seat, his withered palm resting gently on Lin Chuan's shoulder. "Young friend need not be so formal."

In an instant, a pure surge of spiritual energy rushed into Lin Chuan's body like a tidal wave, roaming through his meridians to probe him.

Lin Chuan's heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to remain calm—he trusted Fatty's methods.

"Don't be afraid."

Fatty's voice carried a hint of disdain. "The Blood Spirit Ring was forged by your lord and father during my prime. Let alone this puny early-stage Imperial Martial expert, even a peak deity wouldn't be able to find anything amiss."

Sure enough, Qi Tian's spiritual energy circulated through Lin Chuan's body and retreated empty-handed.

A trace of surprise flashed across Qi Tian's eyes, which instantly returned to normal.

After all, if Lin Chuan's situation truly matched what he suspected in his heart, not discovering anything was the only expected outcome.

"Young friend has a solid foundation. No wonder you could reap rewards in the Azure Nether Secret Realm."

Qi Tian withdrew his hand and turned back to the main seat.

Lin Chuan breathed a silent sigh of relief while wearing a look of confusion on his surface. "What does the city lord mean by this?"

Qi Tian picked up his teacup, took a sip, and cut straight to the point. "To be honest with you, this old man has heard rumors that the traces of a Divine Martial expert appeared within the Azure Nether Secret Realm, and young friend seems to be connected to it."

"He's lying!"

Fatty's voice resounded in Lin Chuan's mind. "I sensed it from his spiritual soul fluctuations—this old bastard is coming straight for me!"

A shock ran through Lin Chuan, though a bitter smile appeared on his face.

"You jest, City Lord. If I truly knew a Divine Martial expert, how could I possibly be idling away in this tiny Heavenly Fortune City?"

Qi Tian gazed deeply at Lin Chuan for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter. "It seems this old man has been overthinking. With affairs in the city being so complicated lately, it is inevitable to be overly suspicious. I hope young friend will forgive me."

"The city lord speaks too seriously," Lin Chuan said, cupping his fists.

"Someone come, escort Young Friend Lin back."

Qi Tian waved his hand, then added, "If young friend has any needs in Heavenly Fortune City in the future, feel free to come to this old man."

After leaving that room, doubts welled up in Lin Chuan's mind once more:

"Since the City Lord of Heavenly Fortune already has his suspicions, why did he only test me instead of reporting the news that 'Fatty might have appeared in Heavenly Fortune City' to the higher-ups of the Dao Court?"

"Even though this Qi Tian isn't targeting me, I can sense that he harbors no malice toward you, nor even toward me."

Fatty's voice turned solemn.

"As for why he hasn't reported my whereabouts to my 'good disciple,' I can't figure it out for the moment either."

...

Just as Lin Chuan was being led away by Qiyun to meet Qi Tian, inside the Heavenly Grade No. 3 VIP suite, Zhen Hai had already approached Young Master Wan San.

"Brother Wan, I have already had my men complete the paperwork for that plot of land. Here is the title deed."

Zhen Hai respectfully presented a jade slip with both hands. "A mere billion spiritual stones, take it as a welcome gift for Brother Wan."

Young Master Wan San leaned lazily against the soft couch, not even lifting his eyelids. "Brother Zhen Hai is too polite. I indeed have need of that plot of land; let's acquire it at the auction price plus a ten percent markup."

The Undying Heavenly Phoenix stood behind Wan San, her sharp gaze fixed unblinkingly on Zhen Hai.

After Zhen Hai took his leave, she spoke coldly, "This man harbors malicious intentions. Why did you still trade with him?"

Young Master Wan San finally opened his eyes, a playful smile curving the corner of his lips. "A mere clown. The faction behind the 'Snow Emperor' has been making frequent moves within the Dao Court lately; I might as well use him to test the waters."

"Then shall we still go and see that Lin Chuan?"

"Naturally, we must."

Young Master Wan San toyed with the jade slip in his hand. "To dare bid against me for items, manage to have that old fox Qi Tian personally receive him, and even trigger your resonance—this Lin Chuan must possess some extraordinary traits. Such a person is certainly worth a meeting."

...

Outside the main building of the Heavenly Fortune Pavilion, moments after the auction concluded, Young Master Wan San's carriage still had not departed, drawing countless people to stop and watch.

"The auction is already over. Why is Young Master Wan San's carriage still outside the Heavenly Fortune Pavilion?"

"Perhaps the spiritual stones for the spiritual fruits Young Master Wan San auctioned off at the very beginning haven't been settled yet, and he's waiting inside the pavilion to pay."

"What do you know? With Young Master Wan San's status, the spiritual stones he can mobilize amount to at least several hundred billion low-grade spiritual stones. Would he condescend to wait here for a mere few billion?"

Just as the onlookers were debating the reason for the carriage's lingering presence, Lin Chuan stepped out from the Heavenly Fortune Pavilion. Just as he was about to return to the Earth Fire Courtyard, he heard a voice calling out from the carriage:

"I wonder if Brother Lin Chuan has the time to come over and sit with me for a while."