“Lord Zhou!”
Ba Jiu Dao’s body trembled violently, and he involuntarily knelt on the ground.
He had never dreamed that after finally leaving Tian Yuan Divine Prison, having escaped that nightmarish place, he would, soon after his release, encounter the source of all his nightmares, Lord Zhou, in this incredibly remote corner!
His first reaction was that this was no coincidence.
Zhou Qingyu had come to capture him.
His face instantly turned pale, and he stammered out a plea: “Lord Zhou, this humble one has been law-abiding since coming out and has not made any mistakes. Please examine the facts clearly!”
Thump, thump, thump—
He forcefully kowtowed several times, causing cracks to appear on the bluestone ground.
Chen Donglai and his subordinates, who were standing nearby, were dumbfounded.
They stared at the scene before them in disbelief.
Ba Jiu Dao, who dominated the world, the Vice President of the Black Dragon Merchant Guild, a peerless big-shot whose words could decide the fate of billions of lives—
Was actually kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy, like a pitiful worm?
Zhou Qingyu teased, “Don’t be afraid, I don’t eat people. Get up and speak.”
Upon hearing this, Ba Jiu Dao became even more terrified.
Zhou Qingyu didn’t eat people, but he was more terrifying than a man-eating beast.
He stammered, “Lord, how could this humble one be qualified to stand and speak before you?”
Tsk!
How boring!
Zhou Qingyu didn’t bother to tease him further and tossed the Black Heaven Token in his palm onto the ground in front of him.
“Do you recognize it?”
Ba Jiu Dao lowered his head to look at the token and immediately nodded repeatedly: “Of course I recognize it. This is the highest Rank Black Heaven Token, and there’s only one. The President was planning to give it to your Senior Master.”
He then realized something, trembled with fear, turned his head, and slapped Chen Donglai: “You good-for-nothing! You don’t even recognize the Black Heaven Token anymore?”
“All of you, kneel down and apologize to Lord Zhou!”
What?
Th-this is the Black Heaven Token personally given to Zhou Qingyu by the Black Heaven Demon Lord?
Chen Donglai was so frightened that his soul almost shattered. He quickly plopped down on his knees, cold sweat pouring down his face: “This humble one was blind and failed to recognize a great person. Please spare my life, please spare my life, Lord.”
The subordinates were also terrified, dropping their long staffs and short rods, kneeling on the ground, and kowtowing repeatedly.
Zhou Qingyu waved his hand casually: “All of you, get up. I don’t have time to bother with you.”
“Go, bring the nine nether jade dew over.”
Chen Donglai hurriedly got up but was pressed back down by Ba Jiu Dao, who forced him to continue kneeling: “Are you even worthy of being dispatched by Lord Zhou?”
He immediately got up and bowed repeatedly to Zhou Qingyu: “This humble one will go get it right away, right away!”
Soon.
A bottle containing a mysterious spiritual liquid that emitted nine-colored light was presented to him by Ba Jiu Dao with both hands.
Zhou Qingyu glanced at it and said with a half-smile, “Aren’t you heartbroken? This is the most valuable treasure of the local Wanbao Pavilion.”
Ba Jiu Dao said with a bitter smile, “Lord Zhou, you flatter me. It is our Black Dragon Merchant Guild’s fortune that you would favor the nine nether jade dew.”
One must know that in Tian Yuan Divine Prison, no matter how many people pleaded to give Zhou Qingyu peerless treasures, he might not even deem them worthy of a glance.
The nine nether jade dew was indeed a rare and precious treasure on this continent.
But in Tian Yuan Divine Prison, it was only fit for him to gargle with.
“Alright, I’ll take this item. Consider this Black Heaven Token used.” Zhou Qingyu accepted the nine nether jade dew.
Ba Jiu Dao, however, was startled: “No, no! This is the highest Rank Black Heaven Token. You can take any Supreme Rank treasure from the Guild at will.”
“If the President knows that I’ve taken back this Black Heaven Token for a mere bottle of nine nether jade dew, he’ll skin me alive!”
Zhou Qingyu smacked his lips and said, “I don’t like taking advantage of people. If I tell you to take it back, then take it back.”
Seeing Ba Jiu Dao’s bitter expression and his reluctance to take it, Zhou Qingyu sighed: “Alright, I’ll help you out.”
“Refine this nine nether jade dew into an ointment. The prescription is here.”
The nine nether jade dew was an extremely cold substance of heaven and earth, and preparing the prescription required a considerable level of cultivation, otherwise, one could easily suffer frostbite.
For Ba Jiu Dao, doing this was effortless.
Upon hearing this, Ba Jiu Dao’s face finally showed joy.
If he completed a task for Zhou Qingyu, the President would not only not blame him but would also reward him handsomely!
“Yes, Lord!”
Ba Jiu Dao took the prescription and glanced at it, slightly surprised: “Lord, you intend to refine the Supreme Purity Beautifying Ointment!”
“Which peerless Fairy is so fortunate to have Lord Zhou personally prepare this medicine?”
“Could it be the Three Fairies of Jade Pond? Or the Purple Bamboo Mystic Maiden of the South Sea Divine Island?”
Given Zhou Qingyu’s status, only those peerless beauties would be worthy of his personal effort.
“My wife, the Eldest Young Miss of the Zhao family in this city, is a Mortal.”
Zhou Qingyu rolled his eyes at him and said, “Refine it properly for me. If there’s any mistake, you’ll be in for it.”
Wife?
Ba Jiu Dao trembled, wishing he could slap himself a few times.
He had tried to flatter and ended up hurting himself!
He dared not say more and quickly retrieved the other ingredients for the prescription from the treasure vault, mixed them on the spot, and made an ointment.
“Lord, it’s ready.”
Zhou Qingyu took it casually and nodded slowly: “Good. I’ll reduce your President’s sentence by a hundred years later.”
Ba Jiu Dao was overjoyed upon hearing this: “Thank you, Lord, thank you, Lord!”
He bowed, watching Zhou Qingyu depart until he was out of sight.
After a long while, he straightened up, let out a long breath of stale Qi, and was in a great mood: “What incredible luck have I stumbled upon, hahahaha!”
Unexpectedly meeting Zhou Qingyu, he was even able to get his President’s sentence reduced.
The President would surely be deeply grateful to him.
“Lord Ba, who is this Lord Zhou?” Chen Donglai asked tentatively.
The surrounding subordinates also looked curious.
Ba Jiu Dao’s expression changed, and he suddenly sternly shouted: “Is this something you are allowed to inquire about?”
He realized that Chen Donglai and his subordinates could not remain in Qingdi City.
Zhou Qingyu descending to the Mortal realm to marry—what a profound heavenly secret was this?
If they were to leak it and cause trouble for Zhou Qingyu, the entire Black Dragon Merchant Guild would face utter annihilation.
“Starting today, the Wanbao Pavilion in Qingdi City will be closed. All of you will follow me to the headquarters. Without my permission, you are not to come to the Fengyue Continent!”
Upon hearing this, Chen Donglai and the others were overjoyed.
Even just doing odd jobs at the headquarters was better than serving as a Pavilion Lord on this godforsaken continent!
“You all immediately pack your things. I’ll go to Xingyun Pavilion first!”
Soon after.
Xingyun Pavilion, thousands of miles away.
The Xingyun Pavilion Lord, covered in blood, knelt in a pool of blood, his eyes filled with sorrow: “Senior Ba, I was also forced by others to take business from your Wanbao Pavilion.”
“You can kill me, and I have nothing to say, but the others in the Pavilion are innocent. Please spare them.”
Ba Jiu Dao snorted coldly: “You have quite the backbone!”
“Alright, I’ll give you a chance to atone for your misdeeds!”
“Do you know Qingdi City?”
The Pavilion Lord was slightly startled and said, “Of course, I know it. It’s a city within the Domain of my Xingyun Pavilion.”
“Not long ago, a Young Miss named Zhao Yanyun from that city was favored by an Elder in my Pavilion and was designated as a True Disciple.”
Ba Jiu Dao raised an eyebrow. Oh, what a coincidence?
He had heard that the Eldest Young Miss of the Zhao family was named Zhao Yinxi, and the Second Young Miss was named Zhao Yanyun.
“This is fate!” he muttered.
They were sisters, yet the Elder sister was married to Zhou Qingyu, and in the future, she would surely become an Empress, second to none.
Although the younger sister had some Aptitude, her future achievements would not even be one-ten-thousandth of her sister’s.
He sighed in his heart and then said sternly and coldly:
“The Zhao family also has a Young Miss named Zhao Yinxi. You Xingyun Pavilion must take good care of her for me!”
“If a single hair on her is harmed, not only will you be unable to bear the consequences, but even I, and our Black Dragon Merchant Guild, could be utterly annihilated. Do you understand?”
Wh-what?
The Black Dragon Merchant Guild could even face utter annihilation?
The Xingyun Pavilion Lord swallowed hard, engraving the three words “Zhao Yinxi” deep into his bones.