Chapter 6

The next morning, Yichen told Huoning that he was going to separate from the caravan.

Although Huoning was not entirely at ease, seeing the simple and steady appearance of Tian Tao and knowing that his cultivation was much higher, he reluctantly agreed.

Huoning told Yichen that the caravan would stay in Tianyun City for about a month, lodging at the Yuelai Inn in the eastern part of the city.

After bidding farewell to Huoning, Tian Tao and Yichen rode a horse together, while Lin Lei rode another. They reached the Hundred Li Forest as evening approached.

The so-called Hundred Li Forest referred to the fact that a straight line through the forest was a hundred li long.

In reality, the forest was vast, connecting to the Tianluo Mountains deep within. Ordinary people dared not venture into the depths of the forest.

The three stayed at an inn on the edge of the forest, leaving their horses there. They planned to enter the forest on foot the next day.

During dinner, the three ordered some wine and dishes, sitting at a table by the window, eating and chatting. Tian Tao briefly introduced his family's situation to Yichen.

The Tian family had an auction house in the capital, mainly auctioning mid-to-low-level cultivation techniques, weapons, medicinal herbs, and magic cores. It was a small auction house.

There were two large auction houses, eight medium-sized ones, and nearly a hundred small ones in the capital.

All were managed by the Auction Guild, with strict level restrictions. Large auction houses had to have at least three generals and five commanders. Medium-sized auction houses had to have one general and three commanders. Small ones only needed commanders.

High-quality items were rarely auctioned by small auction houses. To make a name in this industry, one had to reach medium size.

After several generations of effort, the Tian family's auction house had grown to nearly medium size but still lacked the qualifications to apply.

They were short of one commander, and they could have hired an elder from outside, but due to the sudden intervention of the Xiao family, all the experts who were willing to apply for the position of elder avoided them.

The Xiao family was the fourth largest family in the capital, with formidable strength and influence.

The Xiao family announced that to help the Tian family's auction house advance, they would send a commander-level expert to take charge.

There were two conditions: first, a marriage alliance, where the seventh young master of the Xiao family would marry Tian Qing, the niece of the Tian family's head, as his sixth concubine.

Second, profit sharing: the Tian family's auction house would contribute 20% of its profits to the Xiao family.

Tian Qing was Tian Tao's younger sister. Due to their parents' early death, the siblings had relied on each other for many years.

Although Tian Tao was already married, he still loved his sister deeply. Upon hearing the news, he naturally refused.

However, Tian Guiyin, Tian Tao's third uncle and the head of the family, thought differently. On the surface, he said he was unwilling to push Tian Qing into a difficult situation, but secretly, he was preparing to sacrifice her.

He gave Tian Tao six months to break through to the commander level, so they wouldn't need outside help.

In reality, he was buying fourth-grade pills everywhere and refused to pay any expenses for Tian Tao.

Tian Tao knew he had been stuck at the supervisor level for many years and couldn't break through without pills within six months.

Over the years, he had spent much time working for the auction house and hadn't received a salary, but he didn't care.

Tian Qing had been placed under house arrest and was not allowed to leave the family.

In desperation, Tian Tao took the risky step of accepting the fourth-grade magic core mission...

While eating, the three sighed. Yichen despised Tian Guiyin but also deeply admired Tian Tao's integrity.

At that moment, four men in yellow robes walked in, each with a black eagle head emblem on their chests.

"Waiter, bring us some good dishes, and two pots of wine. I'm hungry. Also, prepare three clean rooms."

One of them shouted as he sat at an empty table, taking off his large saber and throwing it on the table.

The other three also put down their weapons and sat together.

The wine and some small dishes like peanuts were quickly served. The four men drank and ate, talking loudly.

"Black Five, what's wrong with the boss this time? He's ignoring the Zhao family's fat meat and coming here to dig up some broken tiles. It's not worth it at all!" the one with the hoarse voice said.

"Keep your voice down. If Black Eagle hears you talking behind his back, you'll be in for a beating," Black Five warned, pulling the hoarse-voiced man aside.

"This was arranged by Master Chen, and the information was provided by his godson, Liu. The goods are worth 50,000 crystals, and they're easy to sell. Master Chen is just helping Liu vent his anger, not planning to share the profits," Black Five explained.

"Is that so? Master Chen is cunning. How can he do it for free?" the hoarse-voiced man didn't understand.

"You're really stupid. The Liu family wants to deal with the Yi family and clear themselves. Naturally, they will give Master Chen some benefits. Master Chen stays out of it, which is the way of the old fox," Black Five explained.

"The Yi family's convoy is carrying porcelain, which is fragile and slow-moving. They won't arrive for at least three or four days. Why did the boss come in the middle of the night?"

The hoarse-voiced man was straightforward and spoke without thinking, just asking questions.

"This time, we have forty people, plus us and the boss, making forty-five. The boss came first because he's about to break through and wants to practice in peace. He'll soon be a commander, and then he can do bigger things."

Black Five looked around and lowered his voice.

"The captain of the Yi family's escort team is only a fifth-grade supervisor, and the rest are war masters. We four can take out half of them, and the boss won't even need to move."

In the guest room upstairs.

"Brother, don't be impulsive," Tian Tao was trying to calm Yichen.

Earlier, upon hearing Black Five's conversation, Yichen had lost his temper and almost lost control. Fortunately, Tian Tao and Lin Lei dragged him into the room.

"Brother, don't stop me. Although my cultivation is low, I won't allow anyone to harm the Yi family," Yichen was still agitated, shouting, "They can kill me first, but they won't get the Yi family's goods."

"Brother, you're young, and being impulsive will only make things worse. These four are just scouts. Even if we kill them now, Black Eagle will still come. That would alert him and make things worse," Tian Tao, with his rich experience, remained calm.

"Let's send one of us to report the news while the others stay and ambush. When Black Eagle comes, we can try to ambush him," Lin Lei suggested.

"Good. Lin Lei, go report the news. Leave immediately. Rent a horse from the inn ahead and circle around. We'll see what we can do before the main force arrives," Tian Tao, a seasoned veteran, remained calm.

Tian Tao handed Yichen a dagger and instructed him to be ready to act.

At midnight, opposite Yichen's room, Black Five opened the door and welcomed their boss, Black Eagle.

Black Eagle was tall and muscular, with a large scar on his left face. The scar ran from beside his left eye to his mouth, paired with a hooked nose, making his face look sinister and terrifying.

Black Eagle was meditating on the bed, while Black Five and the others had their tasks.

Black Eagle was very cautious. He was in the middle room, with one person in each of the side rooms, and two guarding the door. He couldn't afford to be disturbed as he was about to break through.

Yichen and Tian Tao closely watched the opposite side, planning their next move.

Tian Tao's strength was on par with Black Eagle. If Yichen could lure the two guards away, Tian Tao could sneak in and attack while Black Eagle was meditating.

An hour later, the two guards at the door seemed tired. One went to the corner to relieve himself, leaving only Black Five at the door.

Tian Tao slipped to the corner, dagger in hand...

A faint white light flashed, and the man didn't even have time to cry out before his throat was slit.

Tian Tao gently leaned the body against the wall and then walked out.

At the same time, Yichen, using the cover of night, used a concealment technique to approach Black Five.

A cold light shot towards Black Five's chest, but Black Five, a third-grade supervisor, sensed it just in time.

He quickly dodged, and the dagger grazed his chest, leaving a half-inch deep wound.

This was Yichen's first real combat. Although he didn't succeed, he was pleased with the result.

Before Black Five could draw his saber, Yichen flipped his hand and used a killing technique, aiming for the throat.

Black Five, still shaken, had to tilt his head to avoid it. However, Yichen had a follow-up move, slashing downward, leaving a fresh red cross on Black Five's chest.

These two moves were completed in an instant. Even with his battle experience, Black Five was drenched in cold sweat and dared not risk drawing his saber.

The pain from the wounds cleared his mind, and he fought Yichen with his fists.

Black Eagle sensed the commotion outside, knew something was wrong, and quickly stopped meditating, preparing to get up.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a figure lunged in, a large fist whistling towards him...

Sitting on the bed, Black Eagle knew he couldn't avoid the punch and didn't have time to gather his energy, so he raised his arm to block.

"Bang!" Tian Tao's punch broke Black Eagle's arm and hit his head with the remaining force.

"Ah!" Black Eagle screamed, his nose broken.

He rolled off the bed, stood up, and was kicked in the chest, flying out the door.

"Spit!" A mouthful of blood spewed out, and Black Eagle was severely injured.

Tian Tao chased after him, but Black Eagle was too weak to fight back.

Just as he was about to be killed, two people from the side rooms rushed out, blocking Tian Tao.

Black Five, seeing the situation, attacked Yichen, using the opportunity to reach Black Eagle, picked him up, and fled the inn.

Yichen watched them escape, knowing that even if he chased them, he couldn't do much, so he turned to join Tian Tao's battle.

The two Black Eagle subordinates were third-grade supervisors, and against the ninth-grade supervisor Tian Tao, they were at a disadvantage.

One of them barely avoided Tian Tao's fierce attack and was still unsteady when Yichen caught up, stabbing him in the heart and finishing him off.

Tian Tao also twisted his opponent's neck, ending the battle.

Tian Tao and Yichen emerged victorious, killing three and injuring one, seizing three storage rings, over a thousand crystals, and several first and second-grade magic cores.

They quickly left the inn before it became chaotic, leading their horses away.

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