The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 105: Framing The Decree Master!

Framing The Decree Master! . . .

Gu Jin-Lu had recently reached the 3rd level of the Grade of Daoyuan, making him just a first-rate superior cultivator in the Qing-Yun Realm. Nevertheless, he played a pivotal role in the battle to capture the Xiao Monarch.

Initially, he had approached the Xiao Monarch under the guise of an apology and negotiation, all the while scheming to lower the Xiao Monarch's guard. Step by step, he lured the world-shocking Xiao Monarch into a carefully laid trap.

During that fateful battle, most of those who were far more skilled than Gu Jin-Long perished, yet he miraculously emerged unscathed, despite being the weakest among them. This painted him as a selfish and ruthless individual.

Had he truly fought with honor, he would have stood at the forefront and faced the Xiao Monarch's sword bravely. Instead, when the Xiao Monarch was weakened and struggling to escape, Gu Jin-Long thrust his sword into the Xiao Monarch's chest, creating a bloody wound.

In the entire battle, he had struck only once, severely injuring the Xiao Monarch while ensuring his own safety. Gu Jin-Long possessed a remarkable ability to seize the perfect opportunity, making him instrumental in the Xiao Monarch's downfall.

Cha Eun Xiao, despite facing numerous superior cultivators from the three factions without fear, remained cautious of a man who was cunning, malicious, and adept at deception.

When he heard Gu Jin-Long mention "something else" unexpectedly, Cha Eun Xiao couldn't help feeling a sense of unease, a feeling he had never experienced before. He knew he was still too weak at the moment.

Curious, he inquired, "Oh? There is something else? May I ask what it is?"

Gu Jin-Long replied casually, "It is about the auction... Brother Feng, you purchased an item here, and in reality, it was something I had set aside. I had helped, invested in, and supported Wan Zheng-Hao with it. We made a deal long ago that once Ling-Bao Hall became successful, I would reclaim it. However, it has been a while, and Wan Zheng-Hao misunderstood my intentions and inadvertently sold it. I understand it may sound inappropriate, but this item holds great significance to me."

Cha Eun Xiao immediately grasped the subject of their conversation.

The Cosmic Hades.

While he nodded in apparent understanding, his thoughts were filled with a million curses aimed at Gu Jin-Long.

"It's all a bunch of nonsense," he thought.

He continued to listen as Gu Jin-Long spoke, "Our initial mistake led to this situation, and we won't let you suffer any loss. I will reimburse you double the amount you spent on it. What do you think?"

Inwardly, Cha Eun Xiao cursed Gu Jin-Long's entire lineage repeatedly.

"Double? Even if you offered twenty thousand times the price, I wouldn't part with a single piece of it," he thought, refusing to relinquish the Cosmic Hades.

Cha-Eun Xiao said, "Now that I have told you everything. I wonder if I could keep my life… Well at least I have told you the secret. Even if I will die later, my master's effort will be passed down to the future by you two. It won't be wasted anyway…"

"You are mistaking us, Brother Feng…" Wan Zheng-Hao hurriedly explained. He kept shaking his hand, "I am not such a despicable man, am I?"

Cha-Eun Xiao said, "But it is the supreme dan beads… Everyone wants it…"

Gu Jin-Long smiled and said, "Brother Feng, you are telling the truth. However, even if we wanted the supreme dan beads, we will never use such an ugly way…"

He stopped for a while and then continued, "If you don't mind, Brother Feng… Can you master make any supreme dan beads of some higher-level dan?"

Cha-Eun Xiao was surprised and then he said, "It is possible, but as I said, my master might not have the time to do it. Even if he wants to, he may not be able to…"

"I see." Gu Jin-Long changed the topic immediately, "Well one more thing… The reason why we have been a little bit impolite to you today is because of something else."

Cha-Eun Xiao was surprised, "Something else?!"

He wasn't pretending to be surprised. He was indeed surprised and cautious at the same time!

He knew about Gu Jin-Long deeply.

Gu Jin-Long might look well behaved and elegant. He had a good reputation in the world. He was like a representation of the noble men.

But Cha-Eun Xiao knew that he was extremely insidious and acrimonious inside.

He might be smiling at the moment, yet the next second, he would draw out his sword and take your life. He had done this so many times before.

There had been many people in the Qing-Yun Realm who had died in the hidden dagger behind his smile. They had never figured out what had truly happened even at the last moment of their life…

"That is the Cosmic Hades! Is it a cabbage to you? Double the price, huh. You truly see me as an ignorant, stupid country boy…"

However, he laughed brightly and said, "The first sight of you made me think that you must be a very good friend to me. It is nothing but a piece of treasure. No problem. Well actually, I wonder what exactly is it that you are talking about? To be honest, I have bought many precious treasures in that auction. I have no idea which one are you talking about. Just tell me, and I will return it. That's all. Forget about doubling the price or something. Just see it as a gift from me… Brother Gu, don't see me as a man who couldn't even afford giving his friend a gift. I don't even care about my money in the Ling-Bao Hall. Why would I care about just a piece of treasure."

Gu Jin-Long laughed loudly and said, "Brother Feng is a generous man! Well then, I think I should just be straight. It is the Cosmic Hades I am talking about…" He nervously looked at Cha-Eun Xiao and spoke slowly, "It is not a precious thing really… However, it is something that has been passed down from generation to generation in my clan… It had been kept in my family for hundreds of years… Brother Feng, please…"

Gu Jin-Long thought that Cha-Eun Xiao was the only source of the supreme dan, and his master was about to die soon. Otherwise, he would have torn apart Cha-Eun Xiao after torturing and questioning him until he got the secret of the supreme dan beads.

Gu Jin-Long surely wanted the Cosmic Hades, but he also wanted the supreme dan beads…

That was why he had to be patient and tried to fool Cha-Eun Xiao.

Cha-Eun Xiao was suddenly quiet and then he stood up and said, "Wh… wha… what? The Co… Cosm… Cosmic Hades?"

Gu Jin-Long was stunned and asked cautiously, "Brother Feng… Is there a problem?"

Cha-Eun Xiao suddenly sat back on the chair and spoke, "Why would it be the Cosmic Hades?"

Gu Jin-Long frowned and spoke, "What? Anything happened during these days?

He sounded a bit annoyed already.

"To be honest, Brother Gu, there is a problem indeed… Oh." Cha-Eun Xiao sighed and said, "It is no longer with me now…"

Gu Jin-Long frowned and his face was a bit cold already, "Then… Who has it now?"

"I don't know that guy's name actually…" Cha-Eun Xiao frowned and looked anguished, "I never wanted the Cosmic Hades. I was asked to buy it… That's why I bidded for it. I had never attended an auction. That's true. Yet I had heard something about the Cosmic Hades. I wouldn't want such a useless thing!"

"What was it? Please tell me specifically!" Gu Jin-Long realized that things were bad for him, but he stayed patient and went on asking.

"Hmmm. It was… A long time ago, there was this guy visiting my master. He gave my master a variety of precious treasures. Some of them were actually something from outside this world. Those were truly something that could only be found by luck. Yet he seemed to care nothing about them. What he gave my master were just enough to make ten groups of dan beads. They were perfectly organized… He stated it quite clear to my master that he would only take one dan bead from my master, and it had to be a supreme dan bead."

Cha-Eun Xiao frowned. He started to make up some story again. This time, he did it much more fluently, "My master didn't accept it at the first place because it was too difficult. Those materials were all extremely precious, so it was very difficult to successfully produce dan beads, let alone supreme dan beads. My master thought that even if he used all those materials, he might fail to make even one supreme dan bead."

"Precious dan beads? What kind of dan beads could make your master feel difficult?" Wan Zheng-Hao spoke out his question in a perfect moment again…

"It was… well hmmm… Nine-rolled Purple Cloud Dan." Cha-Eun Xiao rolled his eyes to show that he was recalling it so hard.

"What?!" Gu Jin-Long suddenly stood up.

His face turned green, "Nine-rolled Purple Cloud Dan? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely!" Cha-Eun Xiao confirmed, "I had never heard of it, but I wouldn't forget the name I heard. My master had murmured about it for several months…"

"Nine-rolled Purple Cloud Dan… What is it?" Wan Zheng-Hao was confused.

"Nine-rolled Purple Cloud Dan is something that specially cures the soul wounds… It is a divine medicine of the world!" Gu Jin-Long's face was dark, and he said, "It is a level 7 dan… Even in the Qing-Yun Realm, it is among the top-ranged dan. If it is also some supreme dan bead, only those who have reached the fifth level of the Grade of Daoyuan would need it for their soul wounds. If it is some supreme Nine-rolled Purple Cloud Dan, people below the fifth level of the Grade of Daoyuan who have eaten it will die with their souls broken into pieces and then vanish…"

"Who exactly… Who would need such a thing?" Gu Jin-Long felt something was wrong about it.

He looked at Feng Zhi-Ling and thought that he looked honest and humble. He thought that Feng Zhi-Ling wouldn't be able to make up a lie that was so flawless. [Even if he was able to, he couldn't just make up the name, Nine-rolled Purple Cloud Dan!

Things are not going well… I am afraid.]

"Do you know the guy's name?" Gu Jin-Long frowned.

"I have no idea. He was talking to my master, and I was hardly around them." Cha-Eun Xiao acted like he was trying so hard to recall, "Oh right… I have heard my master talk about it once… He was calling the guy… the guy… What Decree Master [1]? Right, the master!"

He slapped on his leg to show affirmation.

"Decree Master…" Gu Jin-Long's face suddenly turned blue.

In the Qing-Yun Realm, there were no more than six people who were named with 'Decree Master'. Any of them was a great figure though! They were someone who had shocked the world!

They were all people that he could never afford messing up with.

Yet he had never heard that these people had been harmed…

"What Decree Master? What does he look like? How tall? His weight? His face? His hair style? His clothes?…" Gu Jin-Long asked about twenty questions in one breath.

"Hmm. I have only seen him one or two times. He looked…" Cha-Eun Xiao frowned and rolled his eyeballs. He seemed to be thinking so hard and described how the Purple Lotus Decree Master looked bit by bit.