After reading the information, Su Hong learned that it was the Tianli Clan of the Wind God Continent that was offering to buy a physical body. The jade slip also included various information about the Tianli Clan and the major events that had occurred in recent years.
Then, she was surprised to find a familiar name in the information—Li Yan. At first, Su Hong thought she had misread it, her face showing a look of astonishment.
It was one thing for her to be running around; that was a necessary part of her training. But how could that guy be so restless, going to the Wind God Continent? Hadn't he just formed his Nascent Soul?
In an instant, Su Hong's spirits lifted, and she began to carefully read the information in her hand.
The major events of the Tianli Clan, as well as the merchant guild's own analysis of Li Yan, confirmed that Li Yan was not from the Wind God Continent but had appeared suddenly in the Tianli Clan.
The time of his appearance was only about ten years different from the time Li Yan of the Malevolent Spirit Sect on the Desolate Moon Continent had announced his seclusion for cultivation. Taking into account the time to cross the void, it was indeed about right.
After seeing the analysis in the jade slip, the image of that plain-looking but cunning fellow appeared in Su Hong's mind.
For some reason, she immediately decided to participate in this business deal. This way, she wouldn't delay her training, and she could also go and confirm what that detestable fellow was up to again.
But what made her more and more depressed was that fellow seemed to have taken stimulants. Not long after returning to the Desolate Moon Continent, he had successfully formed his Nascent Soul.
And she firmly remembered the scene of almost being killed by him on that snowy night.
And later, on the Verdant Continent, when Li Yan saw her, he had a look on his face as if he had forgotten how he had treated her, as if they were very familiar.
After forming his Nascent Soul, Li Yan's strength was formidable. The records, line by line, gave her a sense of powerlessness. He was a mountain that she could never hope to catch up to.
Gui Qu Lai Xi had, of course, also collected information on what Li Yan had done at his Nascent Soul formation ceremony.
Having just entered the Nascent Soul stage, he had easily killed a veteran Nascent Soul of the same stage, Qi Jinghong, in just a few breaths. This was not something a human could do. This made the slowly fading image of Li Yan return to her memory.
When Su Hong thought again of her desire to surpass him and teach him a lesson herself, she felt that it was simply impossible.
Then, thinking that she had used the term "stimulants" to describe that dark-skinned brat's cultivation speed, her heart began to flutter, and her cheeks flushed red...
After hearing Su Hong's explanation, the Third Elder already felt that the two of them must know each other. She thought for a moment, then took out a transmission talisman and immediately sent a message.
Afterward, her tone became somewhat strange, her beautiful eyes filled with surprise and doubt, as she spoke to Su Hong again.
"The person Deacon Su is looking for should be him. He is currently in our clan, and in a few months, he will become the 'Qing A Wang'. This... this title 'Qing A Wang', you... you know of it, right..."
As she spoke, Su Hong's expression froze.
"What is 'Qing A Wang'?"
So, the Third Elder explained again. As she narrated, she carefully observed the other's expression. Su Hong's expression did indeed change, but it was one of utter shock.
It wasn't the kind of expression the Third Elder had expected, which made the Third Elder feel a sense of loss, as if a certain curiosity had suddenly vanished.
However, at this moment, Su Hong had an indescribable feeling in her heart, even a sense of indignation.
'Didn't he become Dao Companions with Zhao Min? Why... why did he come here and become Dao Companions with Gong Shanhe's daughter? So Gong Chenying is from the Wind God Continent...'
'He... he's too fickle... That Gong Chenying is also a peerless beauty, a stunning woman of the first rank in the world...'
Su Hong was stunned. Only then did she remember the name Gong Chenying, and quickly connected it to the Gong lineage of the Tianli Clan.
She knew Gong Chenying as well, but back then, the other party was just a minor Foundation Establishment cultivator. And in terms of strength in the Malevolent Spirit Sect at that time, she was only considered good, not the very top, so it wasn't worth inquiring about her past.
Information about Gong Chenying now quickly surfaced in her mind. By some trick of fate, her attention next shifted back to Li Yan, and at the same time, an indescribable feeling arose in her heart.
She was forcefully suppressing a certain thought. This thought was an impulse to immediately see Li Yan, then fiercely scold him for being fickle and a philanderer.
There was also the thought of looking at him coldly, wanting to see Li Yan at a loss for words...
In fact, when she saw Li Yan and Zhao Min together again on the Verdant Continent, some of these thoughts had begun to sprout. At that time, she herself was shocked and immediately suppressed them.
She was absolutely unwilling to admit it. She was just curious about Li Yan. A man who had almost killed her, of course, a woman would hold a grudge.
And Li Yan's cultivation speed was too fast. This was also someone the merchant guild needed to pay attention to. So, she felt she needed to get closer to Li Yan to uncover the secrets he might be hiding.
And she herself had suffered at Li Yan's hands before. She had to make Li Yan taste defeat as well. This was the reason Su Hong gave herself, forcefully suppressing a thought she herself found ridiculous.
But she had overlooked one thing. Since she felt Li Yan's cultivation speed was somewhat strange, so many years had passed, yet she had never reported this matter to her superiors, as if she had forgotten, only keeping it in her own heart.
"Oh? So it is such a coincidence. If it is indeed an old acquaintance of mine, to happen upon such a joyous union is truly a cause for celebration."
"And I have also met Fellow Daoist Chenying a few times, so it seems there can be no mistake. This joyous event, I truly cannot miss it, hahaha..."
"Third Elder, I wonder if you could inform Fellow Daoist Li that an 'old acquaintance from the wind and snow' has come to visit, and see if he would grant me the honor of a meeting?"
Su Hong's expression had changed from shock to a hint of cunning as she spoke.
"Old acquaintance from the wind and snow?"
This time it was the Third Elder's turn to be surprised. These four words, when applied to a man and a woman, seemed to carry an indescribable ambiguity. She didn't know that Su Hong was teasing Li Yan.
Li Yan had once used these words to find her. Now that she was here to find Li Yan, she was just returning the favor.
As for Su Hong also knowing Gong Chenying, given Su Hong's knowledge of the Malevolent Spirit Sect, the reason was obvious. But Su Hong hadn't immediately proposed to see Gong Chenying...
For a moment, a thousand thoughts raced through the Third Elder's mind!
"I will send a voice transmission to Li Yan now. Whether he will come or not, that I cannot say!"
The Third Elder replied immediately. She certainly couldn't take the other party directly to Li Yan. She didn't even know how familiar Li Yan was with this woman. Everything was, of course, for Li Yan to decide.
In a private room, Li Yan, who was cultivating, suddenly opened his eyes. He heard a commotion from the formation restriction outside the room, a series of "buzzing" sounds.
This time, his cultivation was not a true seclusion. Because he was worried that the Qionglin Sect might come looking for him at any time, and the "Qing A Wang" investiture ceremony was approaching.
Therefore, before entering the private room, he had activated all the warning functions on the formation restriction to prevent himself from not being woken up in time and missing something important. Of course, here, he was more worried about the sudden appearance of the Qionglin Sect.
This time, Li Yan's state of mind during his cultivation was very smooth. After the Heavenly Sacrifice ceremony, the Tianli Clan had brought him some fifth and sixth-rank healing pills, which accelerated his recovery even more.
Afterward, he began to diligently study the sixth level of the Qiongqi Purgatory Art, which further increased his strength and physical toughness.
The feeling brought by this surge in power gave Li Yan a strong sense of inflation, as if he could crush a mountain with a casual point of his finger.
He knew that this was just the feeling brought by the surge in power and should not be taken seriously.
Moreover, the First Elder had also stated that after the "Qing A Wang" investiture ceremony, once he truly became the "Qing A Wang," Li Yan could propose to enter the ancestral land at any time to receive the inheritance of the final three levels of the cultivation method.
And the First Elder's words were spoken in front of the Fourth Elder and the others. However, that time, there was a surprising unanimity, and no one raised any objections.
In the private room.
"Why is it her? Why has she come to the Wind God Continent again? Can a cultivator be so idle? Even a long-life cultivator who yearns for immortality has to worry about their own lifespan all the time..."
Li Yan, stripped to his well-built waist, held the transmission jade slip with a look of astonishment. The name Su Hong had already begun to fade from his memory, yet she had come looking for him.
However, regarding the abilities of Gui Qu Lai Xi, Li Yan was not surprised that they knew he was here. Moreover, he hadn't deliberately hidden his tracks in the Tianli Clan.
For Gui Qu Lai Xi, his situation would easily appear in their intelligence. But he didn't understand why Su Hong was paying attention to the news from the Wind God Continent. Wasn't she on the Verdant Continent?
...
A quarter of an hour later, when Li Yan, dressed in a green scholar's robe, appeared in the private room, the Third Elder had already gone to another private room to talk with Wan Qingshe.
Looking at the young woman in the form-fitting green palace dress before him, Li Yan couldn't help but touch his nose. A wry smile appeared on his face.
"Great Manager Su, next time just say your name directly. Why bring up the past?"
As he spoke, he sat down in the seat where the Third Elder had just been. Su Hong didn't speak immediately, but looked at the two black-robed, masked elders behind her.
"Uncle Ning, Uncle Lian, you can wait outside the door!"
"Miss..."
The two, who had been like puppets, heard her words. One of them, a man with gray eyebrows, raised an eyebrow and glanced at Li Yan.
This dark-skinned young man who had just entered was extremely ordinary in appearance, giving off a very honest and simple feeling. Only his short, bristle-like hair was somewhat striking.
But no matter how they probed, they couldn't see through his true cultivation realm.
And as they were probing, the other party just raised his gaze slightly, seemingly glancing at them inadvertently, which immediately gave them a feeling of extreme danger.
They felt that this young man who had entered was like a ferocious beast hiding in the dark, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment. Under his single glance, they both felt a chill run down their spines.
Although their young lady and the Third Elder had been communicating via voice transmission earlier, a few words of their conversation had fallen into their ears. They guessed that this person should be the one called Li Yan.
After hearing Su Hong's order, one of the elders couldn't help but speak up quickly, but before he could finish, he was interrupted by Su Hong.
"It's fine. If Fellow Daoist Li wanted to harm me, I would have been dead long ago. Go out!"
The two masked, black-robed elders looked at each other and could only retreat silently. They knew their young lady's temper. If she spoke to you gently, it was already a command, not allowing for any changes.
Once she truly got angry, the consequences would be something they absolutely could not bear.
But they would not go far. After the two went out, without even a single voice transmission between them, they just glanced at each other. One immediately went out and stood outside the stilted building, while the other stood by the door.
Seeing the two of them leave, Su Hong finally replied to Li Yan's earlier words.
"I didn't expect the Li Yan who appeared here to really be you. You are truly everywhere. If I didn't say that, you might have suspected my identity, right? If you refused to see me, wouldn't I be in an awkward position!"
"Cough, cough, cough. It has been nearly a hundred years since I last saw Fellow Daoist Su. I didn't expect to meet again in a foreign land. It is truly fate. Did Fellow Daoist come here for that business with the Tianli Clan?"
On his way here, Li Yan had been pondering Su Hong's intentions. He didn't think she was here to find him.
The only thing that made sense was the matter of Hong Yin's physical body from a few years ago, for which the Tianli Clan had paid a deposit to Gui Qu Lai Xi. Other than that, Li Yan couldn't guess anything else.
"Of course. It's just that Fellow Daoist Li didn't expect me to be here, and I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Li to be holding 'another' wedding ceremony. When I inquired, I felt it had to be you."
"Back on the Verdant Continent, I didn't expect you to leave just like that, and even have me plan your return!"
Su Hong shifted her position. As she crossed her legs, the slit on the side of her dress revealed a large expanse of snowy white, fair skin. She looked at Li Yan with a half-smile, but in her heart, she was cursing.
'You scoundrel, you call this fate? This granny came across realms because I knew you dark-skinned rascal were here, just to see if it was you again, you devil!'
Hearing this, Li Yan was taken aback, and then he reached up to scratch the back of his head in embarrassment. She had deliberately emphasized the word "another"; she must know that he had already become Dao Companions with Zhao Min.
And he was a little afraid of people mentioning this matter, but it seemed he was indeed quite fickle.
"Cough! I returned with my two martial uncles back then. We left in a hurry, so I didn't get to say goodbye in person. But later, I found your merchant guild on the Desolate Moon Continent and sent you a message saying I had returned to my homeland..."
Li Yan explained, somewhat embarrassed.
Su Hong looked at the dark-skinned young man with an embarrassed expression. She had, of course, later received the news from the Desolate Moon Continent, but she still felt annoyed. He couldn't even say goodbye in person when he left.
But at this moment, the look in the young man's eyes gave her a very familiar feeling again.
Li Yan's gaze held no trace of desire, only a calmness, and a "simplicity" that made her angry and want to kick him a few times.
Li Yan's somewhat dull appearance, every time Su Hong saw it, she felt that he was too deceptive. He was a ruthless and black-hearted person.
She knew how black-hearted Li Yan was. Back then, without understanding her situation, he had had the thought of killing her. After the matter passed, every time Li Yan saw her, he seemed to have completely forgotten how he had treated her.
And his attitude towards her was completely indifferent, which made Su Hong, who had always been proud of her looks and figure, feel a little dazed, wondering if she had overestimated herself.
But it was precisely such a person that when she faced him, although she hated him to the core, she felt that there was much less hypocrisy. Those men all wanted to possess her, to have her beauty and her body.
And in the eyes of the talented young men who knew her background, she was a high branch to be climbed, one that could bring them both wealth and beauty, which was why they flocked to her like bees.
"Here, should I congratulate Fellow Daoist Li again? As the mortals say, 'Success in the imperial examinations, a candlelit wedding night!'"
"Since I know of such a great joyous occasion, I have decided to stay and ask for a cup of wedding wine. You will need to send me an invitation later!"
Su Hong extended a slender, jade-like finger, almost translucent, and tapped on the tabletop, her expression a half-smile.
"It is my greatest wish that Manager Su would grace us with her presence. You are already here, do you still need an invitation?"
Li Yan smiled at Su Hong.
"How can you be so ignorant of the rules? There must be etiquette when inviting someone. If you put it that way, am I not just forcing myself here, demanding to drink your wedding wine?"
Su Hong subconsciously drew a circle on the tabletop with her finger and said with some dissatisfaction, a playful pout on her face. For a moment, she was even more charming and alluring.
Li Yan maintained his smile, but he was already thinking in his heart.
'Didn't you ask to stay yourself? I didn't invite you, yet you insist on going through this useless process!'
But he said aloud repeatedly.
"Hahaha, my apologies, my apologies. I will give Manager Su an invitation later. I was truly rude before!"
"Exactly. You are a Nascent Soul cultivator. I came on behalf of Gui Qu Lai Xi, which also gives you face. Now you know the strength of our merchant guild. In that sense, you are really getting a good deal."
As Su Hong said this, a faint blush appeared on her peach-like cheeks. In front of Li Yan, when she spoke, she sometimes had fewer reservations.
She was no longer the young woman who had to think things through before speaking. But she had just said that Li Yan was "getting a good deal."
Su Hong couldn't help but be annoyed with herself in her heart. How had she lost her calm state of mind in front of this person after all these years of training?
Li Yan, on the side, just smiled without saying a word.