Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

Chapter 170: Generous Gifts

The hilt of the bladeless sword seemed to have become incredibly tough, and it even seemed to carry a unique aura of menace.

Moreover, this tiny achievement seems to have made the entire Wufeng Sword much more powerful and imposing.

Zhu Wuyao couldn't even imagine how happy she would be if the blade could become like that.

Why was the sword hilt successfully refined?

She was puzzled.

After passing through Nanli City from Zhongling City, she only encountered two such magical stones.

If you rely on luck to find them, you might not be able to find enough even if you search the entire mainland. You still have to put in the effort at the so-called "Tongtai Cliff".

We need to first examine this magical stone to find out its origins.

Thinking of this, Zhu Wuyao immediately got up, intending to return to the Pei family to find out what was going on.

It's unrealistic for a family in a small place to have a Golden Core cultivator in charge. Fang Yong is probably the strongest among them. Now that he's launched a surprise attack, he'll definitely catch them off guard.

They probably didn't realize Fang Yong was dead, and were still waiting for the outcome, without ever seeking help from outside.

As she expected, the Pei family members were all terrified when they saw her, and their expressions were extremely unnatural.

This time, Zhu Wuyao didn't sneak in.

Instead, they were invited directly to the front hall. Just as they picked up their teacups, they saw the head of the Pei family leading that young master Pei in a hurry.

"I was unaware of your presence and have been impolite. Please forgive my lack of courtesy."

"I already disciplined this unfilial son for his rudeness the day before yesterday, and I will never let him do anything that would disgrace the family again!"

Patriarch Pei naturally recognized that Zhu Wuyao, like him, was in the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

However, realm is not entirely equivalent to ability.

That person who was at the late Foundation Establishment stage, whom even he had to treat with deference, didn't he also not return?

Seeing his attitude, Zhu Wuyao, though displeased with the Pei family's ways and unable to be overly warm, was not too domineering.

He cut to the chase: "Where did the stones for your roof tiles come from?"

Upon seeing Zhu Wuyao's attitude, Patriarch Pei roughly guessed what had happened.

So this is where the matter originated.

"The roof tiles and the like, apart from those bought in the market, are mostly carved from scraps of ore, and the raw materials for these ore come from the West."

As he spoke, he asked someone to bring a map and marked it.

A dead Taoist friend is not a poor Taoist.

Although this town marked by the Western symbol was his superior's home, he couldn't just stubbornly resist when disaster struck. Besides, this person's cultivation level was not high, so sending him to his death would relieve his hatred!

Zhu Wuyao put away the map and asked:

Where is Tongtai Cliff?

When she asked this question, she stared intently at the head of the Pei family, and sure enough, she saw his expression stiffen slightly.

There was indeed something being hidden.

"Although I know of the existence of Tongtai Cliff, I do not know its exact location. I suppose... I suppose the upper class in the west should know about it!"

Zhu Wuyao sneered inwardly and continued:

"Oh, really?"

"Then let me ask you again. Although this place is some distance from the Juque Sect, it's not that far. I wonder which senior is protecting it?"

"What have you set your sights on? What are you secretly communicating with?"

With each question, Patriarch Pei felt cold sweat break out on his forehead. He had thought that although this person was a powerful outsider, he would be easy to deal with.

Unexpectedly, he immediately brought up this private transaction, clearly probing for evidence to prevent him from harming him.

"This……"

"Master Pei, please don't be offended. I'm not a fast traveler. I don't want you to report to me right after I leave, lest I fall into your trap. I need to be careful and understand your business practices."

Hearing this, Patriarch Pei felt extremely frustrated.

Isn't this inevitable? Why make it so clear?

I need to give you an explanation. Since you knew I would do this, just be careful. Why are you making things difficult for me?

Seeing that Zhu Wuyao was neither a hothead nor did he follow the rules of the martial arts world, Patriarch Pei had no choice but to speak frankly.

"Young lady, my Pei family is currently in a weak position, so we naturally treat you with respect. But you can't leave us no way to survive!"

Zhu Wuyao calmly took a sip of tea and said:

"Patriarch Pei, you are overthinking it. I just want to understand how this works so that I don't act rashly and offend someone I can't afford to offend."

"Today's conversation, once spoken by you, has entered my ears, and no one else will know. I have no grudge against the Pei family, and I have no desire to put myself in danger. There is no reason for me to cause trouble and drag your Pei family into the fire."

"However, if I don't understand the situation, I won't know where to start, and I won't be able to benefit from them. I'll have to bother the Pei family for a few more days."

Setting down her teacup, Zhu Wuyao slowly raised her eyes and looked at the Pei family head.

The head of the Pei family sighed deeply.

What a disaster! They've attracted these two scourges. Even if she doesn't reveal the leak, if someone with a higher cultivation level catches her and uses a soul-searching technique, the Pei family, having become traitors for the leak, still won't escape punishment...

But he understood the underlying threat in those words.

Zhu Wuyao is in no hurry to secure his position.

After a long while, the head of the Pei family gritted his teeth and said:

"Alright, young lady, though your cultivation level is low, your skills are considerable. I cannot afford to offend you, so I can only tell you the truth!"

His tone was full of helplessness and resentment.

Zhu Wuyao gave him a half-smile, but didn't expose his little scheme.

After getting a general understanding of the business, even with some guesses, I was still slightly amazed.

According to the head of the Pei family, his line involved passing off inferior goods as superior ones. What appeared to be ordinary ore was actually high-quality material after being cut open, which was then resold.

Some of these stones, after being opened, could even be directly divided into spirit stones for use, often as gifts for those who offered protection to various parties.

Two words came to mind when Zhu Wuyao thought of them: exorbitant profits.

Such stones can be used as gifts, but they can also be used for other purposes, no less than printing money or washing spiritual stones.

Although the Pei family spoke cryptically, a glimpse reveals the whole picture.

This business is large-scale yet unknown, with low prices and high volume. To ensure profitability, the top line must be hiding extremely deep evil.

Compared to this, the Pei family is merely a minor detail.

Even so, there were still people like Fang Yong, who were close to achieving the Golden Elixir, who served as offerings.

At the end, Patriarch Pei said meaningfully:

“Young lady, this matter is complicated. I am mostly just guessing. Even if we reach the Pei family, we won’t get a large share of the profits. If you want to do anything, you need to be extremely careful.”

Don't let them get arrested and implicate the Pei family.

After Zhu Wuyao left, the Pei family head turned around, and the woman in red appeared silently before him.

He said helplessly:

"I've said what I needed to say. I've given her the wrong advice and led her astray. Senior, could you please be merciful and let the Pei family off the hook?"

If it weren't for this powerful figure keeping him in check, how could he have been so honest with that girl?

What an eventful time.

Ye Xiaozhou tossed the storage bag in his hand and looked in the direction Zhu Wuyao had left.

This isn't a matter of not understanding the rules; it's clearly a matter of having too many rules in mind. The Pei family's business sounds very profitable, and since they've already come all this way, they haven't managed to steal anything.

Did they just leave after asking the questions?

"Alright, we're friends, it's fate, so prepare a generous gift for me."