Chapter Seventy-Six: Stirring Up Trouble

The masked man at the front was just about to check the man waiting in line when he spotted the approaching middle-aged man. Immediately, he halted his actions and strode directly toward him.

“Master Wang Dan, please come inside. Your private box on the second floor is ready. Someone inside will guide you.”

As he spoke, he gestured politely, signaling for the man to pass through.

“It’s my turn! Why does he get to go in? I have an invitation!” protested the man in line, holding up a striking red invitation card emblazoned with the bold characters for the Zijin Auction House.

“Your invitation is for the general seating in the main hall. Master Wang Luodan is a prodigy renowned across the continent, an invaluable talent and our guild’s highest-ranking member. The pills he refines are worth their weight in gold—how dare you compare yourself to him?”

With that, the guard at the entrance waved his hand and shouted, “Where is the enforcement team? Someone is causing trouble!”

No sooner had he spoken than a squad of five burst out from inside the auction house at lightning speed.

“Just a mere cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment dares to stir up trouble? Truly ignorant of your own limits. It seems our Zijin Guild has kept a low profile in the cultivation world for too long—people have forgotten us.”

The five men released their protective auras, their bodies shimmering with defensive energy.

“Ah! They’re all at the Golden Core stage! All five of them!” a cry erupted from the crowd. Many had never witnessed such a scene in their lives—five Golden Core experts appearing together. A single expert at this level could found a sect of his own, and some minor sect leaders possessed only peak Foundation Establishment cultivation.

Though only a single stage apart, the difference was like night and day: one could command the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, while the other could only sense it—a chasm impossible to cross.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve acted—let me give you a demonstration,” said the squad leader. Without warning, he vanished from his spot and reappeared beside the troublemaker, striking with his palm. The very air rippled with the force, and the man flew like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily to the ground.

A thunderous crash resounded. As the man landed, the audience collectively drew in a breath. He was gravely injured, sprawled on the ground, glaring furiously at the black-clad guard.

“You just wait for the Li family of Bishui County to take their revenge!” he threatened.

The black-clad man who had just struck him down looked at the fallen troublemaker and replied coldly, “Dare to threaten us? Death is the only answer.”

Without another word, the remaining four men attacked in unison. Before anyone could see what had happened, the four stood where they were, but the man who had been lying there was gone—his body obliterated, leaving only marks on the ground as evidence of his existence.

Even through their masks, the icy, merciless stares of the four men were palpable. They turned and nodded to the guard before reentering the hall.

“The Li family of Bishui County—aren’t they the ones by the coast, renowned for their sea beasts and vast cultivation resources? Even they dared to kill him?” someone in the queue whispered.

“Anyone who doesn’t wish to attend the auction may leave now. Inside, you must abide by the rules. Next!” The black-clad guard swept his gaze across the crowd, pausing meaningfully on the two who had just been whispering. The pair fell silent, cowed into submission.

Tao Sansheng watched from behind, pondering to himself. It seems the Zijin Guild is just as Zhao Jinqian described—rumored to be the property of the Zi family. But to deploy so many Golden Core experts at once? Even the Zi family shouldn’t be able to manage that. Judging by this squad, there must be more than one. Whose mysterious power is behind this?

Soon it was Tao Sansheng and his group’s turn. The people ahead of them were quickly checked and admitted. Now the four stood before the black-clad guard.

The guard extended both hands. Tao Sansheng hesitated, embarrassed, but finally placed his hand atop the guard’s and darted an awkward glance at him.

The man’s palm brushed Tao Sansheng’s, and his expression changed instantly from calm to furious. He jerked his hand away.

“How dare you try to deceive the Zijin Guild! You deserve death!” Tao Sansheng was bewildered, while the three behind him broke into a cold sweat. Chao Xiong shut his eyes and murmured, “Leave the body whole, leave the body whole…”

Tao Sansheng thought, But you just gave me a signal! I only did as you suggested—was it wrong? His mind reeled with questions.

Still, the guard raised his hand and shouted, “Enforcement team! Someone is causing trouble!”

The same five men appeared at the entrance, their faces thunderous as they saw only four people at the Qi Refining stage.

“Clearly, we weren’t ruthless enough before—now even Qi Refining cultivators dare cause trouble at our gates. We’ll make an example of you and hang it at the door, so everyone remembers the rules,” the squad leader declared.

Just as he finished, a young man leaped down from a spirit beast carriage drawn by three spirit hounds, shouting breathlessly, “Wait! Spare them!”

He rushed over, supporting Chao Xiong by the shoulder, and after catching his breath, produced a token from his sleeve—a purple-gold token, without ornament, bearing only the number sixteen in the center, entwined with a living green vine.

“If you’re a VIP client of the Zijin Guild, naturally we wouldn’t act rashly. But we need a reason,” the captain said, fixing his icy gaze on the black-clad guard at the door, making everyone uncomfortable.

The masked guard flushed red beneath his mask, his ears visible even through the covering as memories of the recent events surfaced.

“He tried to enter without an invitation, and I couldn’t stop him. That’s why I called you out,” she said. But the once magnetic male voice now sounded coquettishly feminine. In an instant, everything changed—the people in line all turned to look.

“So the guard is a woman? With the mask, we couldn’t tell, but by the sound of her voice, she must be a beauty,” people in line whispered. Most were bored and happily seized on this morsel of drama.

The squad leader was stunned. He was sure there were no women among the security detail—had someone infiltrated, intending to sabotage the auction?

Realizing she’d exposed herself, the woman bolted into the hall, ignoring all order. The enforcement squad hesitated for a moment before darting after her, leaving the crowd outside.

The other guard who had been checking tickets with her stepped forward, spirit tool in hand, and addressed the crowd: “Everyone, remain calm. Entrance is suspended until this matter is resolved. Afterward, you may continue inside.” He stationed himself in the doorway, blocking entry.

Chao Xiong, seeing the enforcement team withdraw, jumped up in excitement and said to Zi Chenyu, “I knew I, Chao Xiong, was blessed with good fortune! My grandmother always said that years ago an old cultivator passed through our village and read my fortune—he was famous for his accuracy throughout the land.”