Chapter 33: Da Huang Attracts Attention

In the corner of the Wu Prefecture City Lord's residence, it was dusk, and the last trace of red in the sky was reflected on the lake.

The young prince, dressed in white, walked into the courtyard by the lake, a sinister smile on his handsome face. "Juncai, I have some good news for you. That Ding Hao, not knowing his limits, has already entered the Outer Realm. Zhou Genwei and my men have already followed him!"

Ding Juncai had reached the third stage of the Innate realm, but the transition from the third to the fourth stage was a bottleneck, and he couldn't break through for the time being. He was currently practicing the martial skill "Ten Thousand Ice Crystals," and one could feel a faint icy aura around him.

"Has he really entered the Outer Realm at the third stage of the Innate realm? Could it be a mistake?" Ding Juncai finished his practice and walked in, somewhat disbelieving the news.

"Absolutely not!" the young prince said sternly. "He thinks he's a genius and can act recklessly, entering the Outer Realm at the third stage of the Innate realm. He's just asking for death!"

"That little waste of space is very cunning and vicious; you mustn't underestimate him!" Ding Juncai's face was colder than his age, and he continued, "Once my cultivation improves, I will tear him to pieces, smash his wooden sculpture, and take back my pet!"

"That won't be necessary," the young prince said with a sinister smile. "Someone has already followed him. Not only Zhou Genwei but also my guard, Lone Wolf! Zhou Genwei is at the seventh stage of the Innate realm, and Lone Wolf is at the ninth stage! Killing that little waste of space will be as easy as turning over your hand! Just wait for the good news!"

"Great!" Ding Juncai's eyes shot out a venomous light, and he added, "Young Prince, but just the two of them might not be enough. The Outer Realm is vast; what if he escapes..."

"Ha ha, did you forget that my Tang family has a business in the Native City? Even if that little waste of space manages to reach the Native City, he will be intercepted at the city gate!"

Ding Juncai nodded, saying with a sneer, "The Tang family, one of the Three Emperors of the Nine Provinces, is vast and powerful. How can a little waste of space like him stand against it!"

"Of course," the young prince nodded proudly. He then took out a delicate small box and handed it to Ding Juncai, saying, "This is for you."

"What is this..." Ding Juncai opened the box, and his eyes showed both confusion and surprise.

Inside the sandalwood box was a yellow paper talisman. He lifted the talisman, and a strong medicinal aroma spread. Beneath the talisman was a pill with a faint glow. Seeing this pill, Ding Juncai's confusion vanished, replaced by pure surprise!

The young prince said, "It's the Heaven-Breaking Pill. The cheapest one costs at least two hundred spirit stones. Take it and quickly advance to the middle stage of the Innate realm."

Hearing this, Ding Juncai had no more doubts. He knelt down and said, "Thank you, Young Prince. Ding Juncai swears to serve you to the death!"

"Rise, focus on your cultivation!"

Just as the young prince was about to leave, Ding Juncai hesitated and asked, "But... Young Prince, why are you helping me so much? You and Ding Hao don't have deep-seated grudges..."

This was what Ding Juncai had always wanted to ask. The young prince's help was something he couldn't understand.

"Do you think killing someone always requires hatred?" the young prince half-turned, his white robe fluttering in the wind in front of Ding Juncai. He said word by word, "Some paths are like narrow bridges. If someone else steps on them, you can't pass! What would you do in that situation?"

"I would fight to the death to stop him from stepping on it!" Ding Juncai replied.

"Ha ha." The young prince smiled faintly and walked out of the courtyard.

After leaving, a figure approached and saluted, saying, "Young Prince, three of the five have agreed, but the other two refused, saying that no amount of money or benefits can make them cheat in the imperial examination..."

"Then eliminate them all!"

At this moment, the last rays of the sunset had completely sunk into darkness, and the young prince's delicate face showed a ruthless expression. "There are too many geniuses. If you don't die, how can I stand out!"

...

"The Native City in the Outer Realm is a place where all kinds of goods are available. The shops are bustling with business, and not only do righteous immortal masters come and go, but also dark and ghostly immortal masters secretly enter to trade items. The largest four shops in the Native City are the Tang Family, the Shang Family, the Qian Family, and the Duanmu Family, with the Duanmu Family specializing in dark and ghostly business..."

In the dense forest, a short, yellow-faced man walked forward, holding a guidebook about the Outer Realm, which contained some information about the Native City.

This was the transformed Ding Hao.

"Really didn't expect that they can openly do dark and ghostly business. Is there no one to regulate it?" Ding Hao felt surprised. The world of the Nine Provinces was the domain of righteous immortal masters. How could dark and ghostly items be openly sold?

He continued reading, "The four major shops all have powerful backers. The Tang Family is part of the Tang Emperor of the Three Emperors of the Nine Provinces, and their business is the largest..."

"The Tang Emperor, isn't the young prince from the Tang Family?" Ding Hao was shocked. "So the Native City also has people from the young prince's family!"

This discovery made him frown. The young prince was not friendly to him, and he feared he would face trouble in the Native City. However, the information below made him feel more at ease.

"The Shang Family's background is the Qin Emperor, one of the Three Emperors. The Shang Family's Grand Elder, Shang Guanghai, is at the late stage of the Qi Refinement realm, originally a powerful expert under the Qin Emperor!"

He didn't expect the Shang Family to have such a powerful backing. As long as he entered the Native City, he would be safe!

"The Qian Family's backing is the Zhou Emperor, also not to be underestimated. As for the Duanmu Family, they are the strongest, but they act low-key. The reason is unknown, but some say the Duanmu Family has connections with the Nine Provinces Academy..."

"What? The Duanmu Family, which specializes in dark and ghostly business, actually has connections with the Nine Provinces Academy?" Ding Hao found it hard to understand.

This world had too many secrets, and what he knew was just a tiny fraction.

Ding Hao's journey was very safe so far. With Da Huang leading the way, he could avoid people in time when they appeared ahead.

But at this moment, Ding Hao suddenly heard the rustling sound of footsteps behind him, very light and fast.

"Bad, someone's here!" Ding Hao was startled, his back hair standing on end.

He turned around sharply and saw a tall, thin woman in tattered clothes hurrying along. Ding Hao could see cultivators up to the seventh stage of the Innate realm, but he couldn't discern this woman's cultivation.

"Seventh stage of the Innate realm or higher!" Ding Hao stopped, feeling nervous. He thought, "Is Da Huang's nose blocked? This is going to get me killed!"

The woman saw him stop and looked up at him.

This glance made Ding Hao even more alarmed. The woman's face was covered with red, black, and green patterns, making her look like a monster, very terrifying.

Seeing Ding Hao's frightened eyes, the woman actually smiled at him reassuringly, then quickly walked into the depths of the forest and disappeared.

"Nothing happened?" The woman vanished without a trace, and Ding Hao finally came to his senses. He had prepared for battle, but strangely, the woman didn't attack him.

At this moment, Da Huang returned, barking twice, indicating everything was safe.

"You stupid dog, barking for nothing! Someone just walked past here, and you didn't even smell it!"

Ding Hao scolded the irresponsible dog. Da Huang stood there for a while, then sniffed around again and finally came back, shaking his head pitifully. He had learned to shake his head at some point, but Ding Hao didn't have time to be happy. He suddenly thought that if Da Huang couldn't smell the woman, it might be because she was a dark and ghostly immortal master!

"Dark and ghostly!" Thinking of this, Ding Hao was scared and shouted, "Run!"

Immediately, the yellow-faced man and Da Huang ran quickly in another direction.

After running for a while, Ding Hao finally relaxed, leaning against a big tree and taking out a spirit stone to replenish his spiritual energy.

But the woman's smile still lingered in his mind. Although it was terrifying, her eyes showed no malice. He suddenly thought, "Was she reassuring me that I had nothing to fear?"

Could there be good people among dark and ghostly immortal masters?

Just as Ding Hao was catching his breath, he heard barking behind him. Da Huang was barking loudly, clearly encountering trouble.

"Woof woof woof!" Da Huang was fighting with a fierce hunting dog. Ding Hao ran over, and the owner of the hunting dog, a middle-aged man in yellow clothes, who looked like a hunter, also ran over.

"Hunt Tiger, come back." The hunter shouted, calling the hunting dog back.

"Da Huang." Ding Hao also called Da Huang back. He noticed the hunter, who was at the seventh stage of the Innate realm. The hunter, however, looked at Da Huang with surprise, "Brother, how did you raise this grass dog to be so strong?"

Ding Hao said, "I'm not sure."

The hunter's dog was a genuine hunting dog, but in the fight, it was clearly at a disadvantage. Da Huang was fierce, agile, and had a shiny coat. The hunter's greed was aroused, and he asked, "Brother, how much do you want for this dog?"

Ding Hao said, "Sorry, I have no intention of selling my dog."

The hunter ignored him, threw a piece of fist-sized rhinoceros meat from his storage bag, and called out, "Da Huang, follow me, and you'll have food and drink."

Da Huang ran over, and the hunter was delighted, but Da Huang picked up the meat and brought it back to Ding Hao. The rhinoceros meat looked dry and hard. Ding Hao saw a crack on the surface and broke it open, revealing a green pill inside, clearly not a good thing.

Ding Hao's face darkened, "Friend, what do you mean by this?"

The hunter said, "Nothing, just a Beast Confusion Pill. It won't harm him."

Ding Hao coldly said, "Feeding my dog a pill in front of me, do you really think I don't exist?"

The hunter sneered, "Seventh stage of the Innate realm. Brother, do you really want me to kill you? Drop your dog and storage bag, then kowtow three times and get lost! I'm in a good mood today and don't want to kill, or I'll cut you into pieces for bait!"