Chapter 467: Chapter 452: Head Deal!
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Zhou, you’ve finally returned!"
"Jin had been worried for a while after hearing about the incident at the underground auction. Now seeing Fellow Daoist safely return, Jin can finally set his mind at ease!"
Inside the Cyan Yuan Pavilion, Shopkeeper Jin Qu immediately showed full joy upon seeing Zhouyang, exclaiming long sighs of relief while looking sincerely pleased.
Seeing this, Zhouyang also displayed a hint of relief as he nodded and said, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Jin, for your concern. Zhou was fortunate to narrowly escape this ordeal!"
He didn’t want to discuss the matter further, so he quickly shifted the subject to his purpose.
"I wonder if Fellow Daoist Jin could help contact Elder Zhao Hao of your sect? Zhou has an urgent matter and wishes to seek Elder Zhao for a discussion."
Jin Qu, understanding the situation, promptly replied, "Of course, there’s no problem. I’ll convey the message to Junior Martial Uncle Zhao right away, however, whether he wants to meet with Fellow Daoist Zhou is not something Jin can decide."
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Jin."
Immediately, Jin used Cyan Origin Sword Sect’s communication channel to send Zhouyang’s message to Zhao Hao, who was at the sect’s main gate. Meanwhile, they chatted and drank tea in the room, waiting for Zhao Hao’s response.
After waiting for most of the day, Zhao Hao’s reply arrived at the Cyan Yuan Pavilion.
Jin Qu, after reading the message, smiled at Zhouyang and said, "Good news, Junior Martial Uncle Zhao agreed to meet you and is on his way to Haoyang Immortal City."
The Cyan Origin Sword Sect’s main gate is quite a distance from Haoyang Immortal City, so Zhouyang didn’t wait at Cyan Yuan Pavilion but instead returned to his own residence.
Back at his residence, Zhouyang immediately activated multiple arrays within his residence, and hurriedly inventoried the spoils obtained from slaying Ba Yan’Er.
Most of Ba Yan’Er’s artifacts and talismans had been damaged during his breakout and escape, leaving only his Tier Five Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact Curved Saber and his Lifebound Spiritual Artifact Flying Saber still usable.
Furthermore, as he was executing a mission deep behind enemy lines, his storage ring contained, besides thirteen top-grade Spirit Stones for magical power recovery, only dozens of spare middle-grade Spirit Stones.
What Zhouyang found most valuable in his storage ring was a bottle containing Tier Four High-Grade Spirit Pills "Jade Purity Heart Supplement Pill," but only two pills were left inside.
This was undoubtedly the poorest Golden Core Stage Cultivator Zhouyang had ever seen!
Recalling the risk he took in exposing his identity and the danger of falling, using every method possible to kill Ba Yan’Er, while also spending his only Tier Five Healing Spirit Talisman "Life-saving Talisman," Zhouyang felt immediately dispirited.
"I’ve truly made a huge loss this time!"
He sighed bitterly, his expression as difficult as can be.
Undoubtedly, the reason he took the risk to kill Ba Yan’Er was that he saw the opponent injured and deprived of most artifacts and felt there was a chance to make a move.
Influenced by relics from previous Golden Core Stage cultivators he’d obtained, Zhouyang assumed the spoils from killing a Golden Core Stage cultivator would definitely outweigh the cost he incurred.
But this incident taught him he had overestimated.
"Experience can be deadly!"
Looking dejectedly at the sparse few spoils in front of him, Zhouyang finally realized what it truly means to "gain nothing but lose everything."
Now, he could only hope to obtain what he wanted from Zhao Hao; otherwise, this venture would have been a total loss.
A day later, Zhouyang met with Cyan Origin Sword Sect’s Golden Core Elder Zhao Hao again in Cyan Cloud Pavilion.
The previous attempt to slay the Flood Dragon failed, and Zhao Hao missed the chance to break through to the late stage of Golden Core. Even after several years, his Cultivation remained at the sixth layer of Golden Core.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou requested a meeting about an urgent matter; what might it be?"
In the quiet chamber, only Zhouyang and Zhao Hao were present, with even Jin Qu, the shopkeeper of Cyan Yuan Pavilion, excusing himself to avoid impropriety.
Upon hearing Zhao Hao’s inquiry, Zhouyang calmly clasped his hands and said, "Elder Zhao, please understand. I humbly requested Elder Zhao to come here actually to propose a transaction."
"What kind of transaction?"
Curiosity flashed in Zhao Hao’s eyes as he looked at Zhouyang.
"A head trade!"
Zhouyang’s smile widened as he waved his hand, tossing Ba Yan’Er’s head, the Golden Core Stage Cultivator, onto the ground.
"This is..."
Zhao Hao’s eyes narrowed, and he scrutinized the fierce face of the severed head before his expression changed, exclaiming, "This is Ba Yan’Er, the Elder of Golden Saber Hall of the Great Brightness Immortal Palace!"
The Great Brightness Immortal Palace consists of three palaces and eighteen halls. Each palace’s Palace Master and each hall’s Hall Master are Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, with Golden Core Stage cultivators serving as Elders.
Ba Yan’Er, as an Elder of the "Golden Saber Hall" among the eighteen halls, was a notable figure within the Anti-Light Alliance. His image was seen by all Golden Core Stage cultivators in the alliance, Zhao Hao included.
So when he saw Ba Yan’Er, with a face that was both unfamiliar and somewhat familiar with a fierce expression, he recalled for a moment and recognized its origin, then couldn’t help exclaiming.
"Elder Zhao, if you recognize this person, it will be easy to handle."
"I know that within the Anti-Light Alliance, there is a bounty on the head of every Golden Core Stage cultivator from the Great Brightness Immortal Palace, and the bounty is quite generous."
"What I want to trade with you, Elder, is Ba Yan’Er’s head in exchange for a piece of Purple Heart Jade Marrow and a Tier Five Lower-Grade Attack Spirit Talisman. What do you think?"
Zhouyang looked solemnly at Zhao Hao and stated the purpose for which he invited him over in a deep voice.
After a barter and an underground auction both failed to get him the "Purple Heart Jade Marrow" he desired, Zhouyang could still comfort his niece Zhou Guangxiang on the surface, but he was actually quite anxious about it.
Therefore, when he saw Ba Yan’Er injured at that time, he immediately had an idea to take the opponent’s head to exchange for "Purple Heart Jade Marrow".
However, he didn’t want to handle the head exchange himself, as doing so would expose that he killed Ba Yan’Er and bring him endless trouble.
So he thought of Zhao Hao; Zhao Hao is already a member of the Anti-Light Alliance and a Sixth-Layer Golden Core Cultivator. If he takes Ba Yan’Er’s head to claim the reward, no one would doubt anything.
Even if someone had suspicions, Zhao Hao’s status could withstand the investigation.
And for Zhao Hao, a head of a Golden Core Stage cultivator from the Great Brightness Immortal Palace fetches much more than just a piece of "Purple Heart Jade Marrow" and a Tier Five Lower-Grade Spirit Talisman.
Just the achievement of slaying Ba Yan’Er is enough for him to gain fame within the Anti-Light Alliance.
Therefore, Zhouyang is not afraid Zhao Hao will refuse this transaction.
"Did you kill Ba Yan’Er?"
Zhao Hao’s expression shifted several times, he hesitated yet couldn’t help but ask this question.
"That doesn’t seem very important now. What matters is Ba Yan’Er is indeed dead, and the person bringing back his head is you, Elder Zhao, isn’t it?"
Zhouyang smiled faintly, neither admitting nor denying, but with deep meaning, pointed out the crux of the matter to Zhao Hao.
Seeing this, Zhao Hao was even more convinced of his conjecture.
His expression turned complicated as he murmured softly: "I didn’t expect Fellow Daoist Zhou’s strength has reached such a degree, Zhao indeed underestimated you back then!"
Before his words were finished, he nodded heavily and said: "Alright, Fellow Daoist Zhou’s conditions, Zhao agrees to them. Zhao can give you the Tier Five Spirit Talisman right now, and will apply for a piece of ’Purple Heart Jade Marrow’ from the alliance using Ba Yan’Er’s head!"
"Then, thank you very much, Elder Zhao. I will await your good news,"
Zhouyang’s face lit up with joy, he smiled and bowed with his hands, expressing his gratitude.
Seeing this, Zhao Hao hurriedly replied with a bow: "Fellow Daoist is too kind. Speaking of this affair, it’s Zhao who has benefited from Fellow Daoist Zhou’s light after all."
Whether or not Ba Yan’Er was killed by Zhouyang, Zhao Hao now dare not treat Zhouyang as an ordinary Purple Mansion Stage Cultivator anymore, and some courtesy he previously ignored has now become respectful.
To Zhouyang, it’s both good and bad.
The good is that in future dealings with Zhao Hao, he won’t be treated as disposable like a rag, used and tossed aside.
The bad is Zhao Hao will surely investigate his identity and background later.
But this can’t be helped. Zhouyang has long known that as he gradually reveals his strength and becomes known by others, his identity and background will surely be investigated.
Fortunately, since he came to the Land of the Far West, he has never appeared together with Zhou Guangxiang or other Zhou Clan Members in public. Even if someone investigates him, they can only find records of his short stay in Cangyuan Immortal City, and won’t link him to any newly established small clan within Cangyuan Immortal City.
With these bits of information, he might at most be labeled with a "mysterious and unknown origin" tag but won’t truly be traced back to the Cultivation Realm outside the Land of the Far West.
In this case, Zhouyang can handle it.
Immediately, Zhao Hao took out a Tier Five Lower-Grade Spirit Talisman "Weak Water Corrosive Immortal Talisman" from his Storage Ring and handed it to Zhouyang, then departed with Ba Yan’Er’s head to the Anti-Light Alliance office located in Haoyang Immortal City.
The Anti-Light Alliance has an office in every country, generally located in the largest Immortal City of the country, with personnel overseeing various alliance affairs.
Zhao Hao, being a Golden Core Stage cultivator, has the right to directly meet the administration head of the office.
When he met He Bin, the administration head of Jinyang Country’s office, he didn’t waste any words and directly presented Ba Yan’Er’s head.
Regarding Ba Yan’Er’s presence in Jinyang Country, He Bin, as the head of the Anti-Light Alliance’s local branch, naturally knew about it through specialized intelligence channels.
Seeing Zhao Hao bring out Ba Yan’Er’s head, he was only briefly surprised. Then he took the head, verified its authenticity, and inquired about the details of Zhao Hao slaying Ba Yan’Er.
Zhao Hao, of course, casually fabricated a story, and He Bin didn’t delve deeper into it. He immediately registered it and recorded it according to Zhao Hao’s narrative and asked what kind of reward Zhao Hao wanted.
Soon, Zhao Hao returned to Cyan Cloud Pavilion with the rewards he received, and handed over one of the rewards, a piece of "Purple Heart Jade Marrow" to the waiting Zhouyang.