Chapter 567: Banquet
Translator: Yukidaruma Translations Editor: Yukidaruma Translations
Seeing Audrey's reaction, Fang Xingjian did not say much. He knew that facts would speak louder than words.
"We'll leave it to tonight to see if I'll be able to fend off the Eight Directional Crimson Dragon. You just need to prepare the Star of Brilliance."
Audrey smiled, shaking her head. "You want the Star of Brilliance this much? If that's the case, I'll give it to you. Anyway, I won't have anymore use for it. If you need it, then you can have it." After saying that, she stood up and headed for her bedroom.
Fang Xingjian looked at Audrey in astonishment. It was as if he was not expecting her to be cool with it.
On the way, Fang Xingjian continued to move between the spatial gaps as he followed Audrey through many pavilions and buildings. They then arrived at her cloakroom.
The entire cloakroom covered an area of over 100 square meters. There were all sorts of clothes, jewelleries, shoes, and many other things. It showed Pop Clan's wealth.
Audrey walked up to her jewellery cabinet, pulled out a drawer, and took out a gemstone necklace from a corner. She said to the air, "Strange guy, are you still there?"
Fang Xingjian appeared with a flash from the spatial gaps. He looked at the Star of Brilliance which Audrey was holding in her had. One of the red gemstones used for the necklace was suspected to be an Origin Essence Stone.
Audrey handed the Star of Brilliance to Fang Xingjian, saying, "Take it. This is the thing that you want, right? Take it and leave. The Eight Directional Crimson Dragon isn't that easy to deal with. Don't be rash and end up losing your life."
Fang Xingjian was stunned for a moment, as if he had not expected to be able to get his hands on the Star of Brilliance so easily. He looked at Audrey's beautiful face, took the Star of Brilliance, and studied it.
Scanning it with waves of Heaven's Perception, Fang Xingjian attempted to channel in his deathly sword intent. At the beginning, there was nothing. However, as more and more of his deathly sword intent was channeled in, Fang Xingjian soon realized something with his sharp senses. There seemed to be almost no depletion to the deathly sword intent that had been channeled into the Origin Essence Stone.
The Origin Essence Stone was even able to absorb some kind of unknown energy to replenish the sword intent's depletion.
'Not only can consciousness be stored in it for a very long time, but the consciousness would even continue to be nurtured.
'However, a person must be of an extremely high level of cultivation with extremely sharp senses to be able to detect such fine differences.'
Fang Xingjian looked at the Origin Essence Stone in his hand and then lifted his head to look at Audrey. His emotions were a little complicated as he had not expected that Audrey would hand him the stone so easily.
Although she was not aware that this was a piece of priceless Origin Essence Stone, just the necklace alone was worth over 10,000 gold.
After seeing Fang Xingjian's strange expression, Audrey smiled teasingly and said, "What? Could it be that you still want other stuff? That won't do. My father will notice it. When that happens, he'll definitely give me a scolding."
"A small favor must be returned many folds over," Fang Xingjian said calmly. "Don't worry. I'm a person who distinguishes between favors and feuds, paying back in kind. Since you've given the Star of Brilliance to me, I won't let you do so for nothing. I'll take on the matter concerning the Eight Directional Crimson Dragon."
Audrey looked at Fang Xingjian, finding it both funny and angry. "Why don't you listen to what people say..."
She still wanted to say more but the strange man disappeared completely from her sight.
Letting out a bitter laugh, Audrey paid it no heed. To her, it seemed as if the other party had just been putting up a front and saying nice words.
As the top beauty in the Northern Ice Region, she had encountered too many men like this.
"I was still thinking if you could bring me with you and escape this place. To think that you left just like that."
Fang Xingjian left the place and once again appeared next to Lilia. She asked, "Master, how was it?"
Fang Xingjian nodded, "I've gotten it." Fang Xingjian opened his hand and the Star of Brilliance lay on his palm.
Lilia said excitedly, "Was it so simple? Master, you're truly very amazing. Are we heading back now?" Toward the latter part of her words, she appeared slightly down. It was as if she had not expected that they would be returning so soon, considering it had not been long since the two of them left for this trip.
Fang Xingjian shook his head. "There's no hurry. We'll stay for the night. Tomorrow, I'll head back to cultivate the tenth level of the mystical prints."
During the next few hours, Fang Xingjian brought Lilia with him, found a vacant house, and then meditated and cultivated. When night fell, Fang Xingjian then performed Infiltrating Void while bringing along Lilia with him.
Fang Xingjian immediately felt layers of difficulty in bringing someone with him as he performed Infiltrating Void. He secretly calculated that even with his cultivation, he would only be able to bring three to four people with him at most. Otherwise, he would not be able to perform Infiltrating Void.
The two of them continued to pass through layers of spatial gaps. In the blink of an eye, they arrived in an empty courtyard in the Pop Clan's manor. Then, with a flash, they appeared in the physical world once again.
Right now, in the Pop residence, the place was filled with light all over, and there were lively sounds in the distant. There were constantly sounds of wine cups meeting and the laughter of men and women alike. It was clear that some kind of drinking party was going on.
"Come, let's go over and take a look."
Fang Xingjian's gaze flickered slightly, and he headed for the lawn where the gathering was being held.
The two of them walked over to the lawn and saw that there were many guests. Most of them were wearing gowns and suits. The men were dressed very smartly while the ladies wore expensive jewelleries. It was apparent that they were all very important and influential characters of the Northern Ice Region.
Many attendants walked on the grass, carrying cocktails and small desserts.
Men stood in small groups, occasionally bursting out in laughter.
Neither Fang Xingjian nor Lilia were dressed up for the event. They were wearing ordinary training clothes and appeared to be unable to fit in with the rest of the people present.
Lilia instinctively detested gatherings like this. She was the daughter of Kirst's City Lord, but back when she was in Kirst City, she had never attended such drinking parties. She felt that they were boring and a waste of time.
So, Lilia could not help but ask Fang Xingjian, "Master, how long are we going to stay here?"
Fang Xingjian walked to a corner with her, closed his eyes, and started to quietly cultivate his ether organs. Hearing Lilia's question, he replied, "We're waiting for the people from the Eight Directional Crimson Dragon to come."
Just as Lilia was feeling a little impatient, a male's voice of surprise rang out, "Lilia, why are you here?"
Lilia lifted her head and looked over. She frowned. "Kite?"
The young man was dressed in a smart suit and his hair combed back. The treasured sword hanging by his waist was clearly very valuable, and he appeared to be filled with the aura of a noble.
This guy was Kite, Lilia's classmate back in the Great Western City's Knight Academy. He had once pursued Lilia.
"Lilia, where have you been all this while?" Kite looked at Lilia, pleasantly surprised. He then looked warily at Fang Xingjian. However, Fang Xingjian had concealed his aura and changed his appearance. Therefore, it was impossible for Kite to recognize him.
Looking at Kite, Lilia frowned and said, "Why have you become like this? You look so weak and girly. Didn't you work hard in cultivating your martial arts?"
Kite was slightly taken aback, appearing slightly awkward. Standing beside him was an effeminate man who seemed to be his friend. This effeminate man found what Lilia had said to be funny. "Young miss, although you look quite pretty, you're quite fierce when you talk."