Madam, please ascend.

Chapter 298 Abacus
I had long suspected that the forces behind the Great Wind Alliance were not simple, but I never expected it to be the work of the Wen family.

It seems that with the successive destruction of the Heavenly Pillar and Earthly Vein, the structure of the cultivation world is no longer stable, and those reclusive families can no longer hold back and are about to come out and make their moves.

Yun Yi politely declined Qi Shi's invitation to take him sightseeing and instead boarded a small willow-leaf boat to return to land.

He left with a heavy heart, wondering what the Wen family's purpose was in collecting all the monsters in the world; it couldn't possibly be just for fun.

Strangely, the Pixiu actually became the manager of Liuxian Inn, which shows that these monsters were not kept in captivity in the Wen family, but were treated more like "people".

Perhaps the Wen family's attitude towards demonic beasts is not hostile; taking them in is a form of protection.

Yun Yi disembarked from the treasure boat, and after walking a short distance, he suddenly stopped and said without turning his head, "I am about to enter the city. If you wish to see me off, you may stop here."

Amidst the swirling sandstorm behind him, a gaunt figure gradually emerged—it was the Envoy of Color.

The willow-leaf armor worn by this person was strange; it could blend into the colors of the sand and wind, confusing the five senses and making it difficult to detect.

However, Yun Yi was an exception, because when he attacked Liu Ye with his sword energy, he "accidentally" left a trace of his unique aura on it, so the envoy's tracking actions were completely under Yun Yi's control.

He deliberately didn't expose him, wanting to see what this person was really up to.

The envoy thought that his armor was a rare treasure that could be easily hidden in various landscapes, making it extremely difficult for people in the same realm to find it. Unexpectedly, it was easily exposed by the swordsman in front of him.

He does indeed possess some skill.

Yun Yi slowly turned to look at the Envoy of Lust and asked, "Do you want to fight me?"

The envoy was expressionless, and the willow leaves on his armor stood up, looking like the scales on a demonic beast's neck, which was somewhat frightening.

His figure moved with the wind, crashing into Yun Yi.

Strangely, this person did not intend to kill, so Yun Yi did not reveal his Fang Yuan and instead met the enemy with his bare fists.

The two figures drew closer, seemingly engaged in battle, but in reality, the lecherous envoy took the opportunity to whisper, "Wine, women, wealth, and power have all been taken by Wen Daoxian, who has taken a wisp of his 'life soul,' making him subject to others and forever unable to betray them."

Upon hearing this, Yun Yi raised his hand, summoning a storm, and then erected a spiritual energy shield to block the sandstorm and the watchful eyes from the shadows.

He asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

"I can join forces with you to betray Wen Daoxian at a crucial moment, on the condition that you retrieve my life soul."

"Just you?"

"I am indeed unqualified, but you have the ability to kill him!"

"I don't even have this kind of confidence, so where do you get your confidence in me?"

"Intuition, my intuition is never wrong."

"That's what women like to say."

"I am a seductress, and I possess not only the intuition that women have, but also a stronger one."

Without even thinking, Yun Yi refused, saying, "Unfortunately, I have no grudge against Wen Daoxian and really don't want to get involved in your brothers' mess."

The envoy asked coldly, "Are you afraid?"

"Provocation won't work on me."

"What about the Tianhai Treasure Boat? You don't even want it?"

“A gentleman loves money, but he acquires it in a proper way. Besides, you are not me and do not know my financial situation. What makes you so sure that I would take risks for these benefits?”

The two exchanged blows, their bodies separating in an instant. As the spiritual energy barrier shattered, sand and dust rushed in, and the envoy's figure retreated rapidly.

After he regained his balance, he gave Yun Yi a meaningful look, then turned and left.

Yun Yi smiled faintly, thinking to himself that this Great Wind Alliance was indeed quite interesting, but unfortunately, it was a motley crew that couldn't unite as one and would ultimately be unable to accomplish anything great.

...At the same time, Qi Shi returned to the empty hall and carefully examined the two sword marks on the ground.

It resembled a cross, yet also somewhat like the Chinese character for "person." Even though its sharpness had faded, it still terrified him.

Qi Shi couldn't help but recall the moment Yun Yi drew his sword.

Two sword intents grazed past the color envoy, one pinning down the wealth envoy's magical fan, and the other piercing through the wine envoy's precious wine pot.

But the real killing intent of those two swords came when they passed in front of the envoy.

If the envoy loses his temper and tries to attack, he will immediately be torn to pieces by two sword intents.

This is Yun Yi's rule; his swordsmanship is extremely advanced and far-reaching, yet he leaves people with a glimmer of hope.

If one remains still, one can live. If one moves, one will die.

As a fellow swordsman, Qi Shi was utterly amazed by the sword intent in those two moves. "Is this his rule?"

He pondered in his mind how much chance he had of winning if he were to ambush Yun Yi, but after thinking it over, he felt that there was no possibility of victory.

Although sword cultivators are known for their unwavering determination, they inevitably feel completely suppressed when they encounter stronger like-minded individuals.

The saying "barefoot people aren't afraid of those wearing shoes" no longer applies if the person opposite is also barefoot.

On the other side, the envoy of lust returned to the Heavenly Sea Treasure Ship, where the envoy of wealth had been waiting for a long time.

The elegant young man opened his folding fan and asked, "Judging from your appearance, it seems you didn't get the better of me."

The envoy said irritably, "There will always be a chance to kill him."

"I'm afraid it will be difficult. Our leader just reminded me that harmony brings wealth."

"Then I'll find a way to take his life after the matter in Yaodu is over."

The envoy, with a cold face, brushed past the treasurer and went straight to a secluded spot on the ship.

As the treasurer watched him leave, he said to the cloud-born beast beside him, "Today we really met a remarkable person. The moment he appeared, all the vices of wine, women, wealth, and power changed."

Anger prevents one from getting angry, wealth prevents one from thinking about making money through harmony, and lust makes one impulsively want to kill this person.

Even the wine connoisseur, who had stopped drinking, was now clutching the gourd with a hole in it, feeling both distressed and curious that the sword intent had pierced his "gourd magic weapon" so easily.

Cultivation is the foundation of one's existence in the cultivation world, while wisdom and strategy are the basis for success.

Yun Yi, who is backed by the Burial Sword Valley, has a connection with Crescent Moon City, and is a guest of honor of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Such a person is indeed not easy to provoke; it might be even more troublesome than provoking a disciple of the Righteous Qi Sect.

Before long, the envoy arrived at an empty cabin, knocked on the door seven times before entering, and then immediately lit the oil lamp on the wall.

A figure was illuminated by the light; it was none other than Wen Daoxian, who had been waiting there for a long time.

The utterly fake smile vanished from his face, and he coldly asked, "When did you agree with him to kill me?"

The envoy replied respectfully, "His refusal was extremely decisive; it seems he will not help."

"Were you injured when you sparred with him?"

"He acted with great restraint and did not draw his sword."

After a moment's thought, Wen Daoxian said quietly, "It seems that Yun Yi is a trustworthy ally for the time being. However, when you see him in the future, you should still be confrontational."

The envoy replied, "I understand. Only in this way can we find the despicable person who really wants to stab us in the back."

(End of this chapter)