# Chapter 405: Underground Trading Meeting
"Has the Fengyu Hall been checked for what was lost?" Feng Hengkong asked with a furrowed brow.
Feng Xichen replied respectfully, "The thing Hua Minghai stole the most in the past was Purple Vein Heavenly Crystals, but the Purple Vein Heavenly Crystals and Purple Vein Divine Crystals in Fengyu Hall have not decreased in the slightest. However... half a Phoenix Sunflower that had been used partially is missing. It seems that after the thief triggered the guardian profound formation, he panicked, grabbed something at random, and fled in haste."
"Half a Phoenix Sunflower?" Although Phoenix Sunflowers were rare, they were not considered too precious to the Fenghuang God Sect. Feng Hengkong snorted coldly, "Even if nothing had been lost, daring to break into our Fenghuang God Sect is a death wish. Starting today, search the entire empire for Hua Minghai's whereabouts. If it's possible to capture him alive and bring him back, that would be best. If it's difficult to take him alive, execute him on the spot!"
"Yes! I will issue the order immediately. Even if Hua Minghai had heaven-defying abilities, there's no way he could escape the grasp of our Fenghuang God Sect." Feng Xichen assured.
"I'll leave this matter to you. Hua Minghai's ability to escape from our Fenghuang God Sect's territory is already a huge humiliation. Consider capturing him as a test for you! Do not disappoint me!"
"Yes, Father. I certainly won't let you down."
Feng Hengkong turned to leave, but paused at the doorstep as he said flatly, "Before the Ranking Battle begins, Xue'er will be in seclusion at Qifeng Valley. Within fifty li of Qifeng Valley, no one—no matter how important the matter—is to approach within half a step! But I'm still a little uneasy. When you issue the order to hunt Hua Minghai, deploy some men to guard the east, west, and north sides of Qifeng Valley. Absolutely no one is to be allowed near. If anyone dares to disturb Xue'er, regardless of who they are, kill them without mercy!"
"Yes, I will see to it immediately."
After Feng Hengkong left, Feng Xichen let out a slight sigh of relief. After a long silence, he grew restless again. He paced back and forth in the hall for dozens of rounds before finally frowning and muttering in a low voice, "Chi Huo, come in!"
A flash of fire appeared, and a middle-aged man who looked around fifty years old materialized before Feng Xichen as if teleporting, bowing and saying, "What are Your Highness's orders?"
"Leave the palace immediately. In the coming days, secretly search the Shenhuang City area for a person named 'Yun Che'! He's coming to participate in the Seven Nations Ranking Battle, so he'll definitely show up within half a month... or perhaps he's already here. Once you find him, kill him covertly on the spot... Remember, the more secretive, the better. After killing him, destroy the body directly. Best to leave no traces at all!" Feng Xichen said with a vicious glint in his eyes.
"Yes, Your Highness." Chi Huo nodded in agreement.
"Remember, apart from you and me, don't let anyone else know about this! Not even my father." Feng Xichen said with a grave expression.
The surprise on Chi Huo's face flickered by, and he nodded without hesitation: "This old servant certainly won't disappoint Your Highness... This old servant takes his leave."
After Chi Huo left, Feng Xichen clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with venomous hatred. He muttered, "Yun Che... if I don't kill you with my own hands, I can't ease the hatred in my heart! But you must die before the Ranking Battle! Once the Cang Feng Kingdom is destroyed, that unforgettable humiliation will be forever buried under my feet!"
——————————————
The next day, Yun Che followed the directions given by Zi Ji and arrived at the Luoyan Chamber of Commerce in Shenhuang City.
When he got there, Yun Che realized that as Zi Ji had said, although it bore the name of a chamber of commerce, it was not a legitimate trading company. To be precise, it was more like an underground exchange! And it wasn't very large. In this area, there were many similar underground exchanges, all operating under the guise of chambers of commerce.
However, as long as he could buy the Phoenix Sunflower, it didn't matter whether it was a chamber of commerce or a black market.
Yun Che spotted a signboard engraved with the characters "Luoyan Chamber of Commerce" in a secluded dark alley. Beneath the signboard, a young maiden was standing gracefully. Seeing Yun Che approach, she took the initiative to meet him: "Young master, are you here to attend the Luoyan Trading Meeting?"
"Yes, please lead the way, miss." Yun Che said with a natural expression. Back on the Cang Yun Continent, he had been to many black markets. Such places always had someone to guide you into the trading area, and they also required a hefty "entry fee."
The guiding maiden said, "Today's Luoyan Trading Meeting will feature multiple rare treasures for sale, so the entry fee is slightly higher than usual. It's twenty Purple Mysterious Coins."
Twenty might not sound like much... but twenty Purple Mysterious Coins was a full two hundred thousand Yellow Mysterious Coins! And that was just the "entry fee"!
Yun Che didn't say much. He paid the twenty Purple Mysterious Coins without complaint. The young girl could never have imagined that the man before her was carrying a total fortune of a full one hundred billion Yellow Mysterious Coins.
"Please follow me, young master."
The maiden accepted the Purple Mysterious Coins and led Yun Che into the dark alley. After a few twists and turns, they entered a concealed underground space. The space was not wide, containing only thirty or forty seats. At this moment, twenty-some people were scattered among those seats. Although this place was remote and hidden, everyone present was dressed in extremely luxurious attire. After all, someone willing to pay an entry fee as high as twenty Purple Mysterious Coins would naturally have no simple background.
After Yun Che came in, those present glanced at him. Sensing that his profound strength was only at the Earth Xuan Realm, everyone wore expressions of disdain. They turned their faces away, not bothering to look at him again. An Earth Xuan Realm cultivator under twenty years old—in the Cang Feng Kingdom, this was a rare talent. But in the Shenhuang Empire, there were too many such people to count, and they were nothing more than ordinary geniuses. Thus, no one took Yun Che, a mere "Earth Xuan Realm," seriously.
Yun Che paid it no mind and found a seat in the corner to sit down.
After a while, no more newcomers arrived. Then a woman in her thirties with thick makeup and a charming demeanor walked onto the stage at the center. She smiled seductively and said, "Everyone, I am Xiao Qi. Welcome to today's Luoyan Trading Meeting. The rules are the same as always: bid openly, with the higher price winning. No regrets after the deal. There will be a total of eight treasures up for bidding today. I believe they will not disappoint you all."
"Now, we begin with the first treasure."
Xiao Qi waved her hand, and the strip of red silk covering a tray flew up. A wooden box lay on the tray. She opened the wooden box to reveal two Purple Crystal Jade Marrows, each the size of a thumb, giving off a crystal-like luster.
"In this box are two Purple Crystal Jade Marrows. Starting bid: six hundred Purple Mysterious Coins."
As soon as Xiao Qi finished speaking, a young man in his twenties could not help but stand up, his eyes shining brightly. After all, Purple Crystal Jade Marrow was a material that could enhance a sword's spirituality and was of great value to sword cultivators.
The young man was about to speak when Xiao Qi's eyes curved like crescent moons as she smiled and said, "Now, the floor is open for bidding. The starting price..."
"Six hundred." Before Xiao Qi could finish her sentence, the young man had already raised his hand to bid.
Xiao Qi smiled sweetly, then turned to the others and said, "Young Master Gongsun has bid six hundred. Who else has a higher offer? Everyone should know that Purple Crystal Jade Marrow is hard to come by. The two here are of excellent quality, and this price is already a very good deal."
"Six hundred... Mm, this price is indeed fair." The young man surnamed Gongsun said with a beaming smile. He half-turned, clasped his hands to those around him, and said, "Friends, I am Gongsun Yu of the Holy Sword Sect. I urgently need these Purple Crystal Jade Marrows to enhance my beloved sword's spirituality. I hope you will do me the favor and let me have them."
As soon as the words "Gongsun Yu of the Holy Sword Sect" were uttered, many present changed color, and any thoughts of bidding were suppressed. Although the Holy Sword Sect could not compare to the Fenghuang God Sect, it was still one of the most famous sects in the Shenhuang Empire and a formidable power in Shenhuang City that no one dared to provoke. And this Gongsun Yu was the youngest son of the current sect master of the Holy Sword Sect.
Just then, a lazy voice rang out: "Brother Gongsun, since this is a trading meeting, naturally the highest bidder should win. If you play it that way, how is Miss Xiao Qi supposed to do business? Miss Xiao Qi might not say anything, but even I can't stand it anymore."
Upon hearing this, Gongsun Yu was not angry at all. Instead, he laughed heartily and clasped his hands to the speaker. "Brother Nalan is right. I was too eager upon seeing something I liked, and got a bit excited. I'll never do it again."
At the mention of the name "Nalan," the people present changed color once more. The Nalan Clan was also a major power in Shenhuang City, and moreover, they had been a millennium-old ally of the Holy Sword Sect. The speaker was a man named Nalan Xiong, who held an extremely illustrious status in the Nalan Clan. On the surface, he seemed to be reprimanding Gongsun Yu, but in truth, he was using the prestige of both clans to pressure everyone else present, making them dare not compete with Gongsun Yu.
"Two Purple Crystal Jade Marrows, six hundred Purple Mysterious Coins. I'll take them." Gongsun Yu said with a beaming smile.
But at this moment, an extremely flat but very discordant voice suddenly came from a corner: "Seven hundred Purple Mysterious Coins."
Gongsun Yu's brow locked tightly. He turned his head, his gaze landing on Yun Che. He scanned Yun Che's profound strength cultivation and a deep disdain flashed in his eyes... But since the other party dared to bid against him, he might have a significant background. Gongsun Yu did not rashly offend him. He said blandly, "My friend, it seems you don't want to give me this face?"
Yun Che smiled faintly and said, "What I want is the Purple Crystal Jade Marrow. What does your face have to do with it?"
Gongsun Yu's lips twitched slightly, and his face clearly darkened. He sneered, "Well said. In a trading meeting, victory is determined by strength, not face. Since you also want these Purple Crystal Jade Marrows, let's see if you have the ability... One thousand Purple Mysterious Coins!"