Chapter 536: A Display of Women
Chapter 536: A Display of Women
“Senior Li, please enter!” The woman pushed the stone door open and respectfully invited Han Li inside.
Han Li nodded and walked in without another word as the woman closely followed after him. The stone door then closed by itself and disappeared, returning the wall to its previous unremarkable appearance.
After entering, Han Li saw a grey stone passageway that didn’t appear very long based on the white light he saw faintly shining at the end.
Han Li silently walked forward and made a turn at the end of the passage, suddenly facing a wide open stone door. There was a gloomy middle-aged, mid Core Formation cultivator standing outside the doorway.
When he saw Han Li appear, he immediately smiled and said, “So you’re Fellow Daoist Li? I am Yun Tianxiao, the master of the city. Welcome to my trade meeting. Nearly all of the fellow Daoists have already arrived.” The Confucian scholar surnamed Yun was very courteous to Han Li. He then indifferently turned to the woman and said, “Young Lady Wen, properly attend to Brother Li. Make sure not to neglect him!”
‘Fellow Daoist Wen?’
There was no longer any doubt regarding the woman’s identity. She was Wen Qiang’s daughter, the Exquisite Sound Sect’s Wen Siyue1. Just what had happened for her to appear at this place?
It had caused Han Li no small amount of amazement. Naturally, since he had used the Appearance Exchange Arts, the woman was unable to recognize him.
When Wen Siyue heard him, her flowery expression changed and she hastily acknowledged him.
Although Han Li didn’t turn around, he could faintly perceive that Wen Siyue was very fearful of Yun Tianxiao.
A strange expression flickered within Han Li’s eyes, but he merely smiled and casually said a few words of formality before entering.
The door let to a large square hall with a huge round table at its center. The table had over a dozen remarkably wide armchairs surrounding it. Most of the chairs were already occupied by other cultivators.
But when Han Li clearly saw the circumstances in the room, he wore a baffled expression.
Apart from two female Core Formation cultivators that were sitting alone, the male Core Formation cultivators were each nestled together with a gorgeous and alluring female cultivator. These female cultivators were either at peak Qi Condensation or early Foundation Establishment, and each of them were all young exceptional beauties.
While Han Li looked at this in a daze, he suddenly smelled a sweet fragrance, and a soft, trembling body stood close by his side. Han Li’s body tensed up and he slowly turned around to see a stiff, beautiful face. Wen Siyue had taken the initiative to draw closer to him, allowing him to catch a whiff of her intoxicating scent.
Han Li frowned, but he didn’t push away the woman in an act of false sophistry. Instead, he again glanced at the female cultivators at the male Core Formation cultivator’s sides with a gaze of understanding.
After some thought, he wrapped his arm around the woman’s waist and headed towards an empty armchair before sitting down.
Wen Siyue did the same as the other female cultivators, and reluctantly sat alongside him while leaning into Han Li’s chest.
For the moment, Han Li’s chest had the warm company of a beautiful woman.
Just as Wen Siyue silently pressed her stiffened body against Han Li, Han Li relaxed the arm he had wrapped around her waist. Wen Siyue was stunned for a moment. She then unconsciously glanced at Han with a trace of bewilderment.
At that moment, Han Li was calmly examining the others in the room.
The eight other Core Formation cultivators had naturally gazed in Han Li’s direction as well.
Although they found Han Li’s appearance strange, they didn’t reveal it on their faces. Instead, most of the people looked at Han Li with a kind smile. Han Li’s expression relaxed and he returned the gesture.
A short momenter later, six more Core Formation cultivators entered the hall, each with a young, beautiful female cultivator at their side.
Han Li watched this with an ordinary expression, but his heart felt amazement.
Yun Tianxiao must’ve possessed significant skill to have found so many young and beautiful female cultivators. All of their cultivations weren’t shallow either but they were still at varying levels.
Just as Han Li pondered this, Yun Tianxiao finally entered the hall with a graceful and elegant beauty wrapped around his arm. The woman was at late Foundation Establishment Stage.
‘Lady Fan!’ Han Li heart was shaken upon seeing her.
‘She is the Exquisite Sound Sect’s Envoy of the Right, Lady Fan. It seems she has a somewhat deep relationship with the city master. This trade gathering should prove to be quite interesting.’ Despite his excitement and the expectations in his heart, Han Li was able to maintain his calm expression.
“Ah!” Wen Siyue faintly trembled next to Han Li. A faint, painful groan left her dainty mouth. It sounded as if it contained flustered embarrassment.
Han Li was stunned for a moment and couldn’t help but puzzlingly glance at her. He found her face to be flushed red and bashful.
He also discovered that his arm had unknowingly grasped onto her chest. He even felt his fingers pinching onto something stiff and round.
This soft, overwhelming sensation shook the depths of Han Li’s soul. He immediately withdrew his hand out of instinct.
Wen Siyue’s smooth, delicate neck was now flushed red. She hesitantly raised her head and gazed at Han Li’s face with a trace of astonishment.
A trace of discomfort faintly appeared on Han Li’s face, but he pretended not to notice, relaxing the arm he had around her.
Although he had never thought of himself as a man of honor, this woman could be considered an acquaintance, causing Han Li to be somewhat embarrassed.
Han Li discovered that this strange display wasn’t noticed by anybody else in the room. Their attention had been captured by Yun Tianxiao who had already sat in the main chair with Lady Fan gracefully poised at his side.
Yun Tianxiao widely smile and said, “I am truly honored to have you thirteen Fellow Daoists participate in this trade meeting. Although there were two Fellow Daoists that had to leave early, this trade meeting is already the largest one yet. That is about all I have to say. Everyone can now take out their items. Give your items a brief introduction, and then, everyone can start bidding or offer an exchange. Accept whatever offer pleases you.”
He then turned his head to the fat, blue-robed old man and smiled. He was clearly indicating for him to start.
As of current, the fat old man was closely embracing the body of a dainty female cultivator. Upon seeing Yun Tianxiao’s smile, he reluctantly relaxed his grip on her waist and leisurely said, “Since this is the case, I will start. I’ve brought quite a few good items this time around. I am more than willing to exchange them for any of the materials that I require.” After that was said, the old man stood up and placed a storage pouch from his waist onto the table.
Numerous items suddenly appeared on the table in a vortex of spinning red light. The spiritual Qi that the items emitted appeared significant.
“Three Heavenly Spirit Beads, an Ambusher Shark demon core, the hide of an Oceanform Beast…” The old man gave a proud introduction for each of his items, impressing no small number of the cultivators at the table. It was clear that each of these items were quite rare.
Han Li couldn’t help but coldly smile at the items. While these items could be considered truly valuable to ordinary Core formation cultivators, they were completely unremarkable to him. The rarest item amongst them, the Ambusher Sharp demon core, was only a grade six demon core. Han Li had personally exterminated at least eight demon beasts of that specific type.
When the fat old man finished giving an introduction to his items, he sat back down and once again embraced the dainty woman at his side. He had a face full of arrogance.
The Qi Condensation woman was originally somewhat unwilling to be held by him, but now, her eyes unconsciously glowed with a soft light.
After the old man sat down, the person who sat next to him, an eccentric with a red embroidered headband, dryly coughed and unsteadily stood. This person was rather shriveled and appeared as if a stiff breeze would blow him over.
“I’ve only brought one item. The beast egg of the grade five Darkcoil Worm.” He spoke unhurriedly and took out a yellow beast egg from his robes shortly after he finished speaking. It was the size of a chicken egg.
“Darkcoil Worm!”
Once the eccentric had finished speaking, the eyes of the other cultivators brightened, and they rigidly stared at the demon beast egg with fervent gazes.
1. Wen Qiang was a Qi Condensation cultivator that met Han Li at Stalwart Star Island. Han Li met him once again many years later along with his daughter in chapter 430.