He Yi-ming’s gaze shifted, and he immediately noticed the look of delight in the eyes of Zhu Ba-qi, Yang Hao, and the others.
It dawned on him that for those from the main lineages, a reconciliation between the Tu Fan and Heng Shan branches would surely be something they wished to see.
His eyes moved from the Black Wood Fungus to Zhou Da-tian’s face, where his dark eyes were filled with genuine sincerity.
Although He Yi-ming knew that the eyes of such an ancient, withered being who had become cunning could never be fully trusted, he understood even more clearly that since the other party had adopted this posture, he had only one choice.
Whether he was willing or not, in this situation, he could only accept the apology.
Smiling faintly, He Yi-ming said, “Brother Zhou is too polite; I truly feel unworthy of such a generous gift, Little Brother.”
Zhou Da-tian’s expression became incredibly solemn. “Brother He, whatever conflicts we may have had before, Heng Shan and Tu Fan are always one family. The friendship forged through thousands of years of this lineage’s inheritance is not easily erased. Moreover…” He paused, “Zhou would also be unwilling to be used by others, and I imagine Brother He feels the same.”
He Yi-ming’s expression shifted slightly. “What does Brother Zhou mean by that?”
Zhou Da-tian smiled faintly. “Please accept the Black Wood Fungus, Brother He. This evening, Zhou will pay you a visit to discuss the matter of the Five Elements Ring in detail.”
He Yi-ming’s eyes sharpened, and with a sweep of his hand, he took the Black Wood Fungus. He said earnestly, “Since that is the case, I, He, will await your esteemed presence this evening.”
In truth, after the scars on Yuan Li-xun’s face disappeared, He Yi-ming’s resentment toward the Tu Fan Kingdom had not been so profound. Now that Zhou Da-tian used the Black Wood Fungus as a stepping stone and mentioned the Five Elements Ring, He Yi-ming was naturally greatly moved.
If he could truly learn the origin of this imitation Five Elements Ring, he might discover the identity of that masked (strange man).
He Yi-ming harbored a deep, bone-deep hatred for the mastermind who had provoked trouble, attracted the Totem Clan, and caused the death of Elder Shui Xuan-jin.
Zhou Da-tian nodded with satisfaction and retreated with a smile. Yu Jing-lei glanced at him with surprise, a hint of awkwardness showing on his face.
Although a minor unexpected event occurred, the transaction was not affected. In the subsequent trades, everyone managed to exchange for the items they needed.
He Yi-ming quickly discovered the pattern: each person only traded one item at a time. After more than ten people had gone through the cycle once, they began the second round of trading.
Besides himself, even Yu Jing-lei had made a trade once. What surprised him even more was that before trading, they did not seem to choose blindly, but rather as if they had already discussed everything beforehand.
Only when the third round began did some people withdraw from the trading.
It took a full hour for all the trades to be completed.
Zhang Zhong-jin lightly clapped his hands twice, and several of his younger disciples entered the room, repacking the bundles onto their backs before bowing and taking their leave. Although they carried treasures worth fortunes on their backs, these individuals looked straight ahead, viewing the treasures as if they were piles of useless stones and trash.
This attitude made He Yi-ming envious and gave him a new understanding of Zhang Zhong-jin’s capabilities.
The old man smiled as he surveyed the room. “Gentlemen, this trade session has concluded smoothly. Except for one friend who did not arrive, everyone else is present.”
Yang Hao forced a wry smile. “Brother Zhang, that person probably can never come now.”
Zhang Zhong-jin paused in surprise and asked, “Why?”
“That person has entered a life-or-death seclusion to attempt to condense the third tangible flower, but a year ago, news arrived that his seclusion failed, and he exploded and died,” Yang Hao sighed deeply, saying with infinite regret.
Yang Hao paused for a moment and also sighed mournfully for a while.
Everyone present fell into silence. They were all peak experts (Yixian Tian), so they naturally understood how arduous the subsequent path of cultivation would be.
The expert who failed in seclusion could very well become a cautionary tale for them.
Yet, even knowing this outcome, few people could likely resist the temptation of breaking through in seclusion.
This was the unyielding nature of a martial artist, but also their greatest tragedy.
Among those present, only two pairs of eyes flickered, clearly showing different emotions.
He Yi-ming looked up and unintentionally met Jin Zhan-yi’s gaze. They both saw a flicker of disdain in the other's eyes before simultaneously looking away.
Their talents were extraordinary, so naturally, they could not truly empathize with the feelings of those present.
Zhang Zhong-jin suddenly shook his head. “Forget it, let’s not dwell on that. Next time any of you need something, just say the word, and we’ll see if this old man can manage to bring it to you.”
A branch expert seemed to have been waiting for this very sentence and immediately asked, “Brother Zhang, next time I need a patch of Rootless Duckweed from the East Sea, can you procure it?”
Zhang Zhong-jin frowned slightly. “Rootless Duckweed from the East Sea. This item is indeed rare, but I can keep an eye out for it. I estimate about a fifty percent chance of success.”
The man’s face immediately showed relief. “If even Brother Zhang cannot gather it, then I truly don’t know who else I could obtain it from.”
Zhang Zhong-jin smiled faintly, unconcerned by the flattery. Instead, he said, “It’s the usual arrangement. If I, Zhang, am fortunate enough to find the Rootless Duckweed from the East Sea, then I hope Brother Xu can prepare a portion of Ling Hu Stone Heart for me, is that acceptable?”
The man hesitated for a long moment, seemingly calculating something in his mind, before finally nodding heavily. “Agreed. I will have the Ling Hu Stone Heart ready and will not disappoint Brother Zhang.”
He Yi-ming was quite shaken. He hadn't expected such a significant transaction to be arranged in just a few sentences.
He Yi-ming actually knew nothing about what the Rootless Duckweed from the East Sea was, but the Ling Hu Stone Heart was famous among the various nations of the Northwest.
Anyone with some influence in the Northwest had likely heard of this item.
Ling Hu was actually a place name at the junction of the three major powers in the Northwest. In this lawless region, a type of jade stone was abundantly produced, and because of its origin, this jade was called Ling Hu Stone.
Amidst massive quantities of Ling Hu Stone, a completely transparent piece of jade would occasionally appear, with a heart-shaped small jade at its core.
It was rumored that this type of jade was also counted among the supreme treasures of heaven and earth, but it was extremely scarce, and even appeared to be on the verge of extinction, making it all the more precious.
Zhang Zhong-jin nodded with satisfaction. “Does anyone else have any requests, please state them.”
The crowd began to speak up, but He Yi-ming noticed a pattern: some people made their requests openly without reservation, while two individuals condensed their words into a whisper, clearly not wanting others to overhear.
Zhang Zhong-jin clearly had a prepared response. When someone made a request, he would either agree or refuse, but more often, his answer was ambiguous, suggesting he didn't have absolute certainty.
However, once he agreed, the others would breathe a sigh of relief. It was evident that expectations for him were very high among the group.
Yet, Zhang Zhong-jin was equally demanding. The items he requested were all heavenly materials and earthly treasures, most of which were Northwest specialties, likely only obtainable by these peak experts who had long resided in the Northwest.
The items they mentioned were practically priceless, but their value depended on who possessed them; no one could assign a definitive price.
Zhang Zhong-jin conversed with the group for a long time, finally roughly finalizing what each person required and what he, in turn, demanded.
Although these were only verbal agreements, everyone knew that given their status, once a promise was made, it was set in stone. Unless an accident occurred or they died violently, there would be no issue.
After today’s gathering, He Yi-ming understood that the items in the bundles were likely the treasures required by these peak experts from the previous Mountain Opening Ceremony.
Zhang Zhong-jin appeared unremarkable, but his influence was immense; he could satisfy the demands of so many peak experts.
Even as a member of the Great Shen’s foremost powerful sect, achieving this would be far from easy.
At this point, He Yi-ming felt a sense of reverence for him. To warrant such an escort of powerful figures, he truly deserved that status.
The items they spoke of were genuine treasures, and no one dared to treat them lightly. If a promise was made but ultimately unfulfilled, it wouldn't just mean offending someone; it would mean a significant loss of face.
After a long while, the intentions of both sides were finally settled. Zhang Zhong-jin rose to take his leave. Yang Hao and the other peak experts from the main peaks accompanied them out, while the peak experts from the branch lineages also took their leave of one another. Before departing, Zhou Da-tian nodded slightly to He Yi-ming and Yu Jing-lei, clearly reminding them of the evening's appointment.
After everyone had left, Yu Jing-lei whispered, “Elder He, do you really trust Zhou Da-tian?”
He Yi-ming pondered for a moment. “Whether I trust him or not isn't the main point; it primarily depends on their future conduct.”
Yu Jing-lei clapped his hands. “That’s right. Although the Tu Fan lineage has a Venerable presiding over them, our Heng Shan will not fear them.”
He Yi-ming paused, surprised. “Why?”
The gap between a Venerable and an ordinary Three-Flower realm expert was enormous; He Yi-ming certainly didn't believe Yu Jing-lei possessed the means to contend with a Venerable.
Yu Jing-lei chuckled knowingly. “Elder He may not know, but before my master passed, he was extremely close friends with Venerable Ai Wen-bin. Not only is he the Venerable of the Tianchi Mountain main lineage, but he is also an honorary Venerable of our Heng Shan lineage. If the Venerable of Tu Fan truly intends to use force, my master would certainly not stand idly by.”
He Yi-ming finally understood. No wonder Yu Jing-lei appeared so confident; it turned out the Heng Shan lineage had such a strong backer.
Yu Jing-lei suddenly let out a long sigh. “Elder He, although Venerable Ai looks upon Heng Shan favorably, ultimately, it is better to have one’s own Venerable.”
He Yi-ming paused, finally grasping his meaning, but the suggestion of the Five Elements Flower made by Ai Wen-bin caused hesitation in his heart...