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Chapter 134 Substituting One Thing for Another: The Treasury is Empty, A Glimmer of Hope Appears, and the Master's Aid [Two-in-One]

With this incident, the auction naturally couldn't proceed.

Watching the group rush out, Nan Lianzhu looked at Yin Yuan with a puzzled expression.

"Guangbai, why do I think those were Beishan Ming and Langgan just now?" She hadn't seen them clearly, but the two leading them looked similar in figure.

Yin Yuan briefly recalled and remembered who these two people were.

When she came to act as a stand-in, Tang Hao naturally told her many things, especially those related to the Nan siblings.

But she had only heard about it; she didn't recognize it. So she could only pretend and say, "It does look somewhat similar."

"Right! Why don't we follow them and take a look?" Nan Lianzhu grabbed his arm, her face full of curiosity and schadenfreude as she suggested.

Upon hearing this, Nan Liansong couldn't help but frown: "This Langgan is a fugitive from Yuequan Island, yet he holds shares in Qingquanju. The Quan family's affairs are rather complicated; it's best if we don't get involved."

"Let's go take a look!"

She ignored her brother's words and kept begging Yin Yuan.

"Once things are settled here, if I can still make it, I'll naturally go and see what's going on," Yin Yuan replied casually with a smile.

Knowing the arrangements, Yin Yuan naturally understood that the young master would definitely follow along with the other sisters, and she had no objections to this.

but……

He glanced at the two teams of secret vault guards who were still on duty.

'Although Bei Shanming and his group are all Foundation Establishment cultivators, their numbers are not large. The secret vault guards, plus the merchant guild guards, number over ten Foundation Establishment cultivators. It seems the two teams here won't move.'

She felt that she probably wouldn't be able to meet up with the young master anytime soon.

Unless we abandon this body now and rush over there.

Just as she expected, Quan Zhixian was not completely distracted by Langgan.

He still wants to find out the alchemist's whereabouts.

'No matter how important the Langgan is, that's only for the clan. For me, the top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill is much more important.' He gestured to the guards at the secret vault to continue the search.

After thinking for a moment, Quan Zhixian waved to the lurking commander in the shadows.

Quan Zhixiao reluctantly appeared and walked over: "What are your orders, Steward Xian?"

"Is there anything unusual about the secret vault?" Quan Zhixian ignored the other person's expression, his gaze sweeping across the venue.

Quan Zhixiao casually said, "Everything in the secret vault is normal, it's just that the second team members haven't had enough rest, and the second team leader is having a nightmare."

He secretly harbored resentment.

'All three talismans are here; what could possibly go wrong? A direct assault would be useless against those below the Core Formation stage. Even if a Core Formation cultivator goes, whether they attack directly or not, the alarm will be triggered as soon as the talismans are stored; we don't need to worry about it.'

Most people only know that being attacked will attract the attention of Core Formation cultivators, but they don't know that there is actually a sensing array in the storehouse, which is specifically designed to sense Core Formation cultivators.

"A nightmare?" Quan Zhixian frowned. "Isn't this too much of a coincidence?"

"It's not a coincidence."

Shaking his head, Quan Zhixiao secretly pursed his lips: "The duty roster is the result of careful calculation, and any slight change could lead to errors."

"But the second team captain is a Foundation Establishment cultivator, how could he..."

Before he could finish speaking, Quan Zhixiao interrupted him, saying, "The nightmare energy inside the secret vault is even more intense, and Qi Refining cultivators are not allowed to enter. Foundation Establishment cultivators will naturally be more affected."

The guards checked each guest one by one. Although the guests were generally cooperative, they didn't give the guards a pleasant look.

Quan Zhixian knew that his reputation was bound to be affected, so he sighed inwardly and turned to look at Quan Zhixiao.

"I know Commander Xiao is quite dissatisfied with my arrangements for today, but you should still contact them again to make sure there are no problems there."

Seeing that he said that, Quan Zhixiao thought it made sense. Since it wouldn't take much effort, he immediately took out the communication jade tablet and sent a message.

After waiting for a while, there was still no response from the other end, and his face turned pale.

Without even saying goodbye, he dashed off toward the secret vault.

Seeing this, Quan Zhixian's heart sank: 'It's over, could there really be a problem with the secret vault?'

Unable to focus on the search scene any longer, he paced back and forth a few times, his double anxiety making him feel like an ant on a hot pan.

Just then, he and the two captains received a message at the same time.

"The entire second team has been knocked unconscious, and the situation in the secret vault is unknown. Send me a talisman; I need to enter the vault to investigate."

The three exchanged a glance, all sensing that something was seriously wrong.

"Manager Xian?"

Quan Zhixian's eyelids twitched, and a feeling of impending doom welled up inside him.

"We can't panic. If something went wrong over there, we need to search this place even more thoroughly. If we can catch someone, they're probably an accomplice, and perhaps we can follow the trail to recover the lost items!"

He composed himself and instructed, "Just do as Commander Xiao has arranged. One of you two can go. The rest of you continue the search. Do not slack off."

In the courtyard of the secret vault, Octopus Head and the others had been awakened.

"You all had an octopus nightmare attack, jumping around and talking nonsense, and then you all passed out one after another?" Quan Zhixiao's face twitched.

He turned to the octopus head: "How are you feeling right now?"

The octopus head was completely bewildered and still didn't quite understand the situation, so it quickly bowed respectfully upon hearing this.

"Reporting to the commander, I only remember fainting at the fountain, and after that... I remember nothing at all."

He wore a wry smile, feeling like he had the worst luck in the world to have gotten himself into this mess.

“Losing some memories is indeed a side effect of the nightmare.” Quan Zhixiao paced back and forth a few steps. “But why did the others faint at the same time?”

The members of the second team remained silent, not daring to disturb his thoughts.

"It's sequentially, not simultaneously," the octopus head muttered under its breath.

"Hmm?" Quan Zhixiao frowned and looked up, but Captain Turtle Shell had already arrived quickly and presented the talisman without saying a word.

Putting aside the issue of whether it was the same time or not, he quickly activated the mechanism and opened the door to the secret vault.

The moment the door opened, Quan Zhixiao's heart leaped into his throat, but the sight that greeted him left him stunned.

Not only him, but the secret vault guards who were peeking out from behind were also taken aback.

Everyone had anticipated that the door would open to reveal a scene of utter chaos, but what actually happened was...

"Nothing seems amiss?" The octopus head and the turtle shell captain exchanged a glance and said in unison.

Quan Zhixiao felt the same way, but dared not be careless in the slightest. He circled the secret vault, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

The captain and vice-captain who followed them in also looked around to check the situation.

As guardians of the secret vault, they naturally knew everything about the treasures inside, and even the quantity of each item was memorized.

After turning its head around once, the octopus finally breathed a sigh of relief: "All the restrictions are intact, and the treasures are all there. There is no problem on the surface."

He could be considered a direct party involved tonight, although the primary responsibility lay with Manager Xian and the secondary responsibility with Commander Xiao; they were merely lowly soldiers acting on orders.

No matter what the two officials are like, if something happens to them, their lives will be nothing more than trash to be trampled on by those above.

"Wait, on the surface?"

Quan Zhixiao's heart jumped again, and he quickly walked to the center of the secret vault.

If we were to ask what is the most important item in the Quan family's secret vault, and if the mermaid pearl were to rank second, what would dare to rank first?

Everyone's gaze followed and fell upon that restricted area.

Inside was a wooden box about one square foot in size, with a mermaid pearl embedded at the top.

This shark pearl is crystal clear and lustrous, with a clear iridescence. It is not a perfectly round pearl, but rather somewhere between a teardrop shape and an oval shape.

Its color is also a lustrous white, which is distinctly different from the various red, pink, and purple pearls commonly seen today.

"I hope it wasn't burgled."

“I also think that what’s inlaid on this treasure box is a genuine [Mermaid Pearl], and the value of just one is enough to be worth more than half a box of [Blood Mermaid Pearls].

"More than that, I heard that this mermaid pearl is at least a third-tier treasure. The Blood Mermaid Pearl is extremely rare, let alone a third-tier one."

The murmurs of his subordinates did not affect Quan Zhixiao. He deftly opened the barrier, took a deep breath, and opened the treasure box, which immediately shone with a pink halo.

Inside the box, on a piece of pure white silk, lay at least thirty or forty Blood Shark Pearls.

"One, two, three... thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven." After counting back and forth three times, Quan Zhixiao finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"All three Tier 2 and thirty-four Tier 1 are still here. It seems it was a false alarm."

The octopus stretched its neck and peeked around, confirming that the number matched its memory, and its tense mind relaxed.

After relaxing, he asked, puzzled, "How did we pass out? There's something strange about this whole thing."

Place the treasure box back in its place and reopen the restriction.

The rest naturally do not need to be checked.

The most precious mermaid pearls were not lost.

Who would enter a treasure mountain and not pick up any treasures, but instead take back two broken stones?
Quan Zhixiao breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the octopus head upon hearing this.

“Based on past experience, perhaps your divine sense surged under the control of the nightmare energy, causing you to attack them,” he said, waving his hand to signal everyone to leave the warehouse.

After sealing the door to the secret vault, he continued, "As the first Foundation Establishment cultivator to be affected by the nightmare, I will have to question and examine him carefully from now on. Please cooperate fully."

"Hmm...you guys get two extra days off as compensation." He thought for a moment and added.

"Yes!"

The octopus nodded its head to indicate that it understood.

His subordinates, seeing that they could continue to rest and even have two more days, cheered, "Thank you, Commander!"

"Second team, continue your duty. Old Turtle and I will return to the auction house." Quan Zhixiao waved his hand dismissively, gave the order, and then led the Turtle Shell Captain towards [Quanxing Pavilion].

At this moment, a guard from the secret vault ran to the auction stage to report.

"Reporting to Steward Xian, after investigation, among the participants, there are thirteen Foundation Establishment cultivators, but none of them are the person in the image."

Quan Zhixian frowned upon hearing this, staring at the guard: "Are you sure?"

Before leaving, the alchemist, preoccupied with other matters, had secretly used various means to confirm some things.

For example, the other party was not wearing a human skin mask, nor had they disguised themselves.

"I've confirmed that the true appearances of those wearing masks and disguises have been verified," the guard replied hastily.

'This is troublesome. Could it be that the other party has used a secret technique to change their appearance? Such magic is not easy to cultivate.' Quan Zhixian squinted.

He suddenly gazed wistfully in a certain direction: 'Who says it's definitely that person coming? If so, the most likely candidate is…'

After all, most of these dozen or so people had crossed paths with him, and a few were local mutated cultivators.

'These three are the only complete strangers.' He waved his hand, and upon receiving a telepathic command, the guards of the secret vault slowly surrounded them.

Noticing Quan Zhixian's gaze and the unusual movements around him, Nan Liansong's heart skipped a beat; he knew exactly what was going on.

'What the hell? This guy suspects us? On what grounds?'

Nan Lianzhu also felt threatened and exchanged a glance with his brother.

In the world of cultivation, once you are suspected, handing over your storage device for inspection is just the basics if you want to clear your name.

If the stolen goods are found, then naturally there's no question, the charges will be established, and we'll await the victim's judgment.

If they can't find it, things might be even worse. Torture and forced confessions would be inevitable, and they might even have to endure the agony of having their souls searched.

The Soul Searching Technique is not something easily withstood; at best, it damages the soul; at worst, it causes dementia and madness; and at worst, it leads to death and the dissipation of one's spiritual essence.

"Guangbai, we're about to break out, you..." Nan Lianzhu didn't expect that just moments ago he was gloating over Langgan and the others' misfortune, but now it was his turn.

Yin Yuan naturally sensed that something was amiss, but having anticipated this, she wasn't particularly surprised and immediately replied via telepathy:
"We came together, so of course we'll leave together."

She paused briefly, then added, "Just keep running, I'll hold off the pursuers for you."

Nan Liansong was somewhat surprised: 'Guangbai usually doesn't seem to have any other feelings for his sister, yet he's gone to such lengths. Should I stop interfering from now on?'

“This…” Nan Lianzhu looked at her incredulously, about to say something, when he was interrupted.

"Stop talking nonsense. You all know my strength. These people can't stop me. My subordinate, Jade Face Makeup, can join me at any time," Yin Yuan said confidently.

Once she loses her physical body, she'll only run even faster.

Seeing the guards approaching, she shouted, "Go!"

The Nan siblings scattered a large amount of medicinal powder, while Yin Yuan unleashed a burst of rich blood energy, sweeping the powder around them.

Many of the participants were caught in the crossfire, collapsing to the side without uttering a sound.

Although the guards of the secret vault were on guard, most of them still fell during the attack.

"Take them down!" Quan Zhixian roared and acted decisively.

Several Foundation Establishment team leaders also used their own methods.

When Quan Zhixiao and Captain Turtle Shell returned to the venue, this was exactly what they saw.

"what's the situation?"

"Why are they fighting? Have they found the thief of the pill?"

Although the two were still not quite clear about the situation, they were able to distinguish the targets of their colleagues.

They immediately activated their magic power and chased after the three who had broken through.

'Running too slowly!'

Seeing the slow pace of the Nan siblings, Yin Yuan sighed inwardly, and a flash of blood-red light appeared on his palm.

Suddenly, an immense force propelled the brother and sister forward at breakneck speed.

Pushed out of the venue and out of the encirclement, the two dared not hesitate for a moment, and set off in their flying boats, fleeing into the distance.

Yin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief: "Although the young master didn't give any instructions, these two are acquaintances after all; it's best not to let them perish here."

She had already run to the entrance of the venue, but instead of running away, she turned around and stood in front of the door.

"It seems the mastermind is those two cultivators from Hundred Flowers Valley. Capture this man, the rest of you follow me!"

Upon seeing this, Quan Zhixian felt he understood the truth and selected several deputy captains to stay behind.

Just as he was about to lead his men through, he suddenly felt a violent surge of spiritual energy in front of him.

"This is?"

"Why does it look like a magical artifact self-destructing?"

"not good……"

The guards of the secret vault immediately changed their expressions and joined forces to implement defensive measures.

They not only had to protect themselves, but also ensure that the other bidders behind them did not suffer excessive losses, otherwise the Izumi family would also face criticism.

"boom!"

A violent explosion, with crimson light filling the sky, shattered the venue.

No one noticed that at the moment of the explosion, a shadowy figure flashed by and disappeared.

The sea off Yuequan Island.

Beishan Ming and Langgan were somewhat disheveled.

After running away for so long, I was still cornered here.

After a major battle, both sides suffered losses.

'Are we going to lose here today?' The two looked at each other, both feeling a sense of despair.

Just then, a flying boat arrived in an instant.

A shout rang out at the same time.

"Master Yanming has arrived!"

(End of this chapter)