Today, Zuoliu was being auctioned at the Silver Building;

Today, heroes from all over Mingri Xinghai gathered;

Today, a grand feast lay before them;

…

Today, she had to find a way to rescue a “prospective” disciple of Yashan.

Everything was “today.”

When Wang Que said these words, had he made a judgment about her identity, or had he detected her purpose for this trip? Jian Chou couldn’t fathom it.

What she remembered was only that sword qi!

That night when she secretly explored the night sailing ship’s dungeon, that sword qi that leaped up from the darkness, vast and sweeping, stunningly magnificent!

The Hidden Sword, Wang Que.

Possessing such formidable strength, with Kunwu as backing, and appearing at the Silver Building today—heaven knows what they intended to do, what malicious intentions they harbored…

Perhaps it was prejudice, perhaps it was concern, or perhaps she simply didn’t feel like talking.

In the end, Jian Chou didn’t give a very clear answer, only curving her lips in a faint smile: “When that time comes, only heaven knows.”

An ambiguous answer, quite irresponsible.

But when Wang Que heard it, he didn’t mind at all, even showing an expression of expectation. He simply cupped his hands slightly toward Jian Chou and took his leave: “Then I shall wait and see.”

“I won’t see you off.”

Jian Chou politely bid farewell, returning the courtesy, standing in place to see him off. She watched as Wang Que’s steps remained as leisurely as when he came, strolling past most of the corridor before disappearing around the corner at the other end.

Dantai Xiu, who had been standing beside them without speaking, naturally watched too.

Only now did his handsome brows slowly furrow, and when he looked at Jian Chou again, his gaze had become much more peculiar: “That person’s cultivation is impressive enough, but his bearing is far too distinctive…”

Jian Chou raised an eyebrow, saying nothing.

But Dantai Xiu smiled: “However, even such a person couldn’t learn Miss’s name, so I suppose I needn’t waste effort asking for now. Why not look forward to it—perhaps we’ll know today?”

“Young Master Dantai…” Jian Chou felt somewhat helpless and had to explain, “Logically, since you’ve graciously invited me, I should tell you my name. But today there are indeed some inconveniences. Since you’ve treated me with sincerity, I don’t want to randomly make up a false name to deceive you. Please understand.”

“Haha, no matter, no matter!”

Actually, Dantai Xiu had been somewhat bothered, but upon reflection, his own purpose in approaching Jian Chou wasn’t entirely pure either—he was interested in her constitution. So they were even; what was there to fuss about?

He quickly waved his hand: “Names are trivial matters. What’s important is watching today’s excitement together. Please, Miss.”

As he spoke, he had already walked directly to the door of the Li Fire room and gently pushed.

The two doors had arrays drawn on them long ago, connected to the teleportation array in the ground floor hall, able to sense Dantai Xiu’s aura, so they immediately opened to both sides.

A spacious and bright room appeared before Jian Chou’s eyes.

Exquisite cloud and water ink painting screens separated the inner and outer rooms. Tall jade vases held small-leaf star bamboo unique to Mingri Xinghai. Passing around the screen, one could see landscape scroll paintings hanging on both walls, while the outer side had open windows with hanging bamboo curtains.

A round table was placed before the window with spiritual tea already prepared, and an inlaid gold cloud-pattern Boshan incense burner sat on top, with sandalwood smoke curling upward.

Dantai Xiu entered and walked to the bamboo curtains by the window, parting a gap to look outside.

“The Silver Building has a special layout. Look, this room is attached to the inner side of the ‘back’ character shape. Around it, including the two floors below, are places for receiving today’s guests. The platform at the very bottom is the ‘Isolation Platform’ used for display.”

“Taking the meaning of ‘watching fire from across the shore’?”

Jian Chou looked around the surroundings and also walked over, standing beside Dantai Xiu, looking outside through the gap he had opened in the bamboo curtains.

It was indeed as he said.

The Silver Building was a hundred zhang tall with ninety-nine floors total. The elevating Isolation Platform had now risen to the bottom of the ninety-seventh floor, surrounded by tall buildings like a sudden mountain peak, or like a solitary island unconnected to the surrounding towers.

From the window where Jian Chou stood to that platform was about ten-plus zhang of empty space, like a chasm.

“It should be that meaning.”

After all, this place was originally for people to fight, and spectators who didn’t participate in the fighting were naturally “watching fire from across the shore.”

Dantai Xiu gazed at the Isolation Platform, also looking at the mottled sword and blade marks on its dark gray surface, and some old, faded brown stains that were almost invisible.

“This place was once one of flashing blades and flowing blood…”

“Isn’t it still now?” Jian Chou looked back at him.

Dantai Xiu was startled, then laughed, looking back at her with deep meaning flowing in his eyes: “I suddenly don’t believe Miss is just here to watch the excitement.”

Wasn’t this obvious?

Jian Chou really wanted to say she hadn’t expected him to believe it either, but her words weren’t so direct: “Today the Silver Building will surely gather heroes from all directions. As merely an unknown nobody, even if I have the heart to join this excitement, I’m afraid I lack the strength…”

This was the truth.

But Dantai Xiu didn’t believe it.

“Miss, these words are rather…”

He turned around, wanting to say something to Jian Chou.

But unexpectedly, before he finished speaking, hearty laughter suddenly came from below the window: “Haha, truly we meet everywhere in life! Isn’t this Master Xianshan? You came too!”

“Oh my, Fellow Daoist Mingfeng, long time no see, long time no see!” Another voice from below also laughed in response.

Jian Chou was immediately stunned.

She instinctively looked outside through the small gap in the bamboo curtains, seeing that on both the south and north sides of the ninety-eighth floor, the bamboo curtains of guest rooms had been rolled up. An old Daoist stood on the south side, while an old man with a long beard sat on the right, both cupping their hands in greeting.

Clearly, these two knew each other and neither had expected to encounter the other here.

“Hmph, Master Xianshan, Old Ghost Mingfeng…”

Dantai Xiu naturally saw this too, but his brows furrowed with considerable contempt in his tone.

“These two old fellows only have early Nascent Soul cultivation and are near death’s door, yet they still dare come to such a place of conflict… Hardly worth watching.”

Not worth watching?

Jian Chou’s eyelid twitched upon hearing this, inexplicably catching a whiff of approaching storm from Dantai Xiu’s words, as if bloody winds and rain were right before them.

“Young Master Dantai means they’re not qualified to participate in today’s ‘auction’?”

“Whether they’re qualified isn’t for me to say.”

Dantai Xiu shook his head, but his slender fingers holding the bamboo curtain slowly lowered, and several traces of contemplation flashed through his mysterious dark silver pupils.

“That depends on who exactly will come today.”

Jian Chou’s thoughts were quite sharp, immediately catching the hidden meaning in Dantai Xiu’s seemingly normal words: “It seems some important figures will come to this Silver Building auction?”

“…You don’t know?” When Dantai Xiu heard her say this, his gaze suddenly became much stranger, then he laughed aloud. “It’s truly as I guessed earlier—Miss is indeed unfamiliar with some matters in Xinghai.”

This…

Jian Chou vaguely felt she had probably made some joke again, but she wasn’t embarrassed at this moment, even quite calmly saying: “Please enlighten me, Young Master Dantai.”

“I dare not claim to enlighten. Please see this, Miss.”

Dantai Xiu felt that his current role—being able to chat with Jian Chou while helping her—was the best role for capturing a beauty’s heart, so he cheerfully revealed everything without being mysterious at all.

He casually flipped his hand, and a jade booklet was already spread in his palm.

“This is…” Jian Chou was immediately surprised. “Zhilin Sou Daily News?”

“Correct.”

Dantai Xiu casually opened it and handed the booklet to Jian Chou.

“If we’re talking about news in this world, if Zhilin Sou dares claim second place, probably no one dares claim first. He may not know about outside matters, but at least regarding Central Domain affairs, he knows everything thoroughly. For such a major event as today’s Silver Building auction, he will definitely follow and come. He knows clearly how many invitations the night sailing ship sent out. When the time comes, whoever arrives will definitely appear on the list.”

“…”

Jian Chou was immediately speechless. Her gaze swept across the booklet and immediately discovered that in the lower right corner, where originally there were no words, the characters “Silver Building Auction Chronicle” had appeared.

What a joke…

When she left the Heaven and Earth Reverse Journey inn this morning, she had specifically looked at the “Zhilin Sou Daily News” to ensure she hadn’t missed any useful information.

But who would have thought this booklet had changed!

Needless to say, it must be Zhilin Sou’s doing!

Wasn’t it the same during the Left Three Thousand gathering back then? To ensure that those who bought jade booklets could get information about the competition for the platform first, Zhilin Sou would immediately modify rankings after learning certain information.

Seeking accuracy and speed!

“I see…”

Jian Chou sighed inwardly, roughly understanding what Dantai Xiu meant earlier. She simply touched the words “Chronicle.”

“Swish!”

In that instant, it was like floodgates opening.

A brilliant radiance flashed out, revealing a dense mass of names with the top line reading—”Night Sailing Ship Invitation List”!

Sweeping Dust Studio, Elder Xuyun;

Five Elements Eight Trigrams Building, Chu Musheng;

Rain Sword Manor, Master Sujian;

…

Name after name arranged in a long list. Jian Chou even saw Shen Yao’s name among them—that female cultivator who was the first to become Grand Marshal of Tongguan Station in the Southeast Barbarian Wasteland’s Three Demon Paths with her female cultivation.

However, among these names, some had lit up while others remained dark.

Dantai Xiu explained beside her: “All the names the night sailing ship invited are here. Those who came uninvited are unknown for now. The lit names are those who’ve arrived; the dark ones haven’t arrived yet. Looking at this, you’ll know how good today’s show will be…”

Lit up meant they had arrived;

Dark meant they hadn’t arrived yet.

Would the show be good?

Looking at this long list with more than half the names lit up, Jian Chou’s heart sank considerably: So many people, each with their own background. Now she was alone, single-handed—how could she rescue Zuoliu from such encirclement?

This matter didn’t just require money—it could cost her life!

With a bitter inner smile, Jian Chou’s worries deepened another layer. But in front of Dantai Xiu, she showed none of this.

“Though the Southeast Barbarian Wasteland borders Mingri Xinghai, the distance is still quite far, right? According to the Three Demon Paths’ rules, the Grand Marshal of Tongguan Station has the most honored status, capable of calling wind and rain, omnipotent. This Shen Yao—”

Jian Chou had been browsing the list with a normal expression, thinking to learn something from Dantai Xiu. But halfway through her words, she suddenly stopped abruptly, as if something had forcibly cut her off!

In those clear and calm eyes, several traces of astonishment and surprise suddenly appeared.

Dantai Xiu was somewhat surprised: “What’s wrong?”

So many influential figures in Xinghai earlier hadn’t made her blink, so what had she seen now? He followed her line of sight and immediately understood—

Sword Emperor, Qu Zhengfeng.

Five simple characters, just hanging at the very end of the long list, currently still dark. Compared to those lit names, they even seemed somewhat inconspicuous.

But…

Once seen clearly, who would dare ignore this name, dare ignore that spontaneous sense of awe?

“How did the night sailing ship…”

Jian Chou’s voice carried a strange hoarseness, but even she didn’t know where this hoarseness came from.

“Rumor has it the night sailing ship is arrogantly ambitious and has opposed Qu… opposed the Sword Emperor for a long time. Now this Zuoliu has some connection with Yashan—how do they dare send an invitation there?”

“It’s obviously a provocation.”

Dantai Xiu shrugged, giving the most common and standard answer, but his smile carried considerable mockery.

“It’s just a pity that though the night sailing ship racked their brains for this, His Majesty the Sword Emperor may not give them face. A three-chi Sea Light Sword, a single Yashan blade—the night sailing ship is ultimately just a jumping clown…”

Jian Chou understood Dantai Xiu’s implication clearly.

Thinking carefully, this was indeed logical. But at this moment, seeing this name appear so realistically yet so unreachably before her made that complex feeling in her heart climb to its peak, impossible to suppress.

“Young Master Dantai is right…”

After all, Qu Zhengfeng was no longer under Yashan’s banner. His status had completely transformed—transcendent and sage-like, titled Sword Emperor, one of Mingri Xinghai’s three great magnates. How would he bother with small fry like the night sailing ship?

If he came, that would truly be seeing ghosts.

Thinking this, Jian Chou finally slowly suppressed that inexplicable oppression in her heart and the strange boiling in her blood, closing the jade booklet and covering those dark five characters.

“Speaking of which, Young Master Dantai is also an important figure who received an invitation. Coming today, also for Zuoliu?”