When Han manifested the Heaven’s Grace Technique in a dream and passed it to An Lang, she was delighted at first.

  If she could borrow all of his power, wouldn’t that mean she could turn the tables and take the upper hand?

  But when she learned that she could only borrow a portion of his strength—and only with Han’s approval—she was still pleased.

  After all, with that, she could at least hold her head high in front of others and carry herself with confidence.

  However, Han then spoke to her with a solemn tone:

  “Train diligently in this Daoist technique and master it as soon as possible. That way, you’ll be able to take on higher-level missions at the Ghost and Spirit Bureau, with better rewards.”

  “You’ll also be able to complete more tasks each day.”

  “As the old saying goes, ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’”

  “Do your best.”

  An Lang’s smile vanished completely, her face falling.

  Once again, life had ambushed her.

  Later that day, after Han finished his martial arts training, he sought out Bai Tian.

  “You’re heading to Yunlong City?” Bai Tian asked.

  Han nodded. “Yes, I have some matters to take care of there.”

  Hearing this, Bai Tian immediately understood.

  In a place like Yunlong City—where all kinds of people, creatures, and spirits mingled—what kind of ‘matters’ could one possibly have?

  Certainly nothing that could be done in the daylight.

  “You…” Bai Tian hesitated, wanting to dissuade him. But after considering Han’s current strength—well-established in the surrounding regions—he changed his words:

  “Just be careful.”

  “Don’t worry, Master.”

  As Han was preparing to leave, he ran into Bai Ruoyue.

  “Why are you looking for my father?” she demanded.

  “To have him expel you from the Taibai Martial Pavilion?”

  Moments later, the two of them departed from Heiyun Town, following the Yun River toward Yunlong City.

  Upon learning of Han’s plans, Bai Ruoyue had immediately insisted on accompanying him.

  After some thought, Han agreed. Traveling together was certainly better than going alone.

  As they journeyed, Bai Ruoyue suddenly asked, “Little junior, are you going to Yunlong City just to take care of business, or are you also planning to see the Dragon Maiden?”

  Han froze for a moment. The thought of the Dragon Maiden made him fall silent.

  That woman… she truly terrified him.

  She was genuinely, completely, unmistakably obsessed with his body.

  “Nonsense,” Han denied. “I’ve only met her three times—we’re just ordinary acquaintances. Why would I go out of my way to see her?”

  Bai Ruoyue stared at him for a moment, then turned away.

  “You’d better be telling the truth.”

  “I am, of course.”

  Yunlong City was just over three hundred miles from Heiyun Town. The two of them arrived swiftly.

  The city was even livelier than the last time Han had visited. The streets were packed with people, the air filled with bustling voices.

  “So many people!” Bai Ruoyue exclaimed. “I wonder why?”

  Han shook his head. After leading their horses to a designated storage area—where fees were charged based on the duration—he muttered, “Didn’t expect they’d have parking lots here.”

  “What’s a ‘parking lot’?” Bai Ruoyue asked.

  “It’s a place where you park carriages and horses.”

  Hearing this, Bai Ruoyue glanced back at the stable and found his explanation rather fitting.

  Merging into the crowd, Han listened to the chatter around them and soon understood the reason for the city’s increased population.

  After a decade-long hiatus, news had spread that the Dragon King Banquet would soon be held again, drawing the attention of countless cultivators.

  Last time, when the banquet was held, only a small number of people in Tianyue Prefecture had caught wind of it, let alone those from other regions.

  Now, after a decade of closure, Yunlong City had lost a great deal of its usual traffic. But with the banquet’s return, all that lost momentum had been regained in an instant.

  Many cultivators had come to the city, hoping to seize an opportunity. Even just witnessing the banquet was a stroke of fortune—but being invited to participate? That was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

  Ignoring the long lines of street vendors, Han and Bai Ruoyue made their way straight to a district filled with interconnected buildings.

  Owning a shop in this area meant one of two things—either you were incredibly powerful, or you had an unshakable background.

  Scanning the various signboards, Han walked past several establishments before finally stopping in front of a three-story building.

  “This is it—the Black-White Pavilion.”

  Bai Ruoyue frowned slightly. “You seem to have come here with a purpose?”

  Han nodded. “Yes.”

  “When Aunt Mo and my master heard I was coming here, they both recommended the Black-White Pavilion. They said it could meet my needs.”

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Han recalled Lu Qingmo’s words clearly.

  The Black-White Pavilion—where light and dark were both welcomed. They accepted anything and everything, without questioning origins, and generally ensured confidentiality.

  Their reputation was sterling, recognized and respected by cultivators far and wide, and their establishment had existed for ages.

  Lu Qingmo had assured him that he could sell his goods here without worry. The pavilion wouldn’t risk its reputation over mere trinkets.

  Of course, because the goods in question were of a… less than legitimate nature, their prices would naturally be lower than market value. That was simply the norm.

  “Senior sister, wait outside while I go in alone,” Han said.

  “Why?”

  “To create misdirection,” he explained. “If I go in alone, I won’t attract much attention. But if we go in together—a man and a woman—it’ll be too easy to remember us.”

  Lu Qingmo had vouched for the Black-White Pavilion’s discretion. But she had also noted that their confidentiality wasn’t absolute.

  No organization could offer perfect privacy. It was the same as those so-called ‘privacy-respecting’ apps from Han’s past life—none of them were truly secure.

  Both Han and Bai Ruoyue had altered their appearances for this trip, taking extra precautions to remain inconspicuous.

  After considering his words, Bai Ruoyue nodded. “Alright, little junior, go ahead. I’ll wait for you.”

  As soon as Han entered the Black-White Pavilion, an attendant greeted him.

  “Honored guest, are you here to buy or sell?”

  “I’d like to sell some things.”

  “Please, follow me.”

  The attendant led Han to the second floor, into a secluded chamber with a long table. An elderly man sat behind it, and as Han stepped inside, the attendant quietly withdrew.

  “What does the guest wish to sell?” the old man asked.

  “Just a few trinkets.”

  Han retrieved several spatial pouches filled with various items—many of them things he no longer needed.

  Among them were techniques like the Soul-Burning Method, certain doctrines from the Earth Corpse Sect, and other Daoist arts he had no intention of practicing.

  Of course, everything he sold was a copied version—he had kept an original copy for himself.

  However, he had chosen not to sell anything related to incense offerings, despite no longer needing them. They would fetch far better prices in the prefectural city.

  As the old man examined Han’s collection, his eyes flickered with interest. He quickly recognized that most of these items likely had… questionable origins.

  But he didn’t ask questions. Instead, he meticulously appraised each one.

  After a while, he looked up and asked, “Would you prefer direct payment, or an exchange for goods?”

  “Rest assured—any items offered in exchange are guaranteed to be legitimate and free of complications.”

  The Black-White Pavilion operated on both sides of the law—but when they provided goods, they ensured they were clean.

  “What can I trade for?” Han inquired.

  “Please wait a moment.”

  The old man left through another door.

  Han remained calm, knowing he wouldn’t be swindled. He had already estimated the worth of his goods based on Lu Qingmo’s insights.

  If the deal wasn’t fair, he would simply walk away.

  A short while later, the old man returned, holding a palm-sized jade tablet, which he handed to Han.

  “This contains the list of items you may exchange for. The final value will depend on the appraisal.”

  Han took the jade tablet and found that it displayed detailed illustrations and descriptions of various treasures. Swiping left or right allowed him to flip through the pages.

  “……”

  Truly, Daoist techniques had transformed the world.

  As Han browsed through the jade tablet, he saw that every listed treasure was of immense value.

  To be honest, he wanted them all.

  The items Han had brought out were mostly ordinary, though a few were quite rare.

  For example, from the corpse of a disciple of the Earth Corpse Sect, he had looted a Manifestation-level offensive Daoist technique. Though specialized for combating zombies and thus highly situational, it was still a Manifestation-level technique and carried significant value.

  He memorized the items he found useful. Then, as he flipped to another page, his eyes suddenly paused on one particular entry.

  It was a bone, labeled as a "Huntian Roc Bone."

  A bone from the Huntian Roc clan…

  After some time, Han finished reviewing the jade tablet.

  “I intend to barter.”

  The old man was unsurprised. Cultivators rarely lacked money, especially someone as ruthless as this young man before him.

  Some treasures simply couldn’t be bought with money. If one never encountered them, where would one even begin to purchase them?

  “What has caught the young master's eye?”

  “The Huntian Roc Bone. What is its price?”

  “It is not something your treasures alone can cover.”

  Han nodded and proceeded to select a few more items. Only when the old man finally deemed the exchange equitable did he put the jade tablet down.

  After doing some mental calculations, Han nodded. This trade was worth it.

  Before long, a servant arrived, delivering the items Han had selected—a total of five.

  A bone, a book, a vial, a scale, and a fruit.

  “Please verify the items, esteemed guest. If there are no issues, this transaction will be complete.”

  Han was meticulous, carefully inspecting each item.

  The book appeared ordinary, bound with simple paper, containing no recorded martial techniques or Daoist arts, yet it exuded an inexplicable uniqueness.

  The jade vial contained a colorless, transparent liquid—fluid yet boundless in presence.

  The scale was a brilliant blue, razor-sharp at the edges, polished to a reflective sheen that clearly mirrored Han’s face while radiating a strong aquatic aura.

  The fruit was dual-colored—red and blue—giving off an impression of both vitality and spirit, clearly a cultivation-enhancing item.

  And finally, the Huntian Roc Bone…

  The moment he touched it, his true energy stirred slightly within him. It was a familiar sensation.

  This bone—this was the right choice.

  He could have forsaken everything else, but this bone was a must.

  “There are no issues.”

  “Do you require anything else, esteemed guest?”

  Han shook his head. The old man courteously invited him to return in the future, then had someone escort him out.

  The old man returned to his seat, carefully storing the items Han had exchanged. He remained motionless, as if he had fallen asleep.

  As for Han, the old man had no interest in him.

  In the Black and White Pavilion, countless individuals came and went daily. The origins of the goods passing through his hands were often dubious.

  When running a business, why ask unnecessary questions? Why concern oneself with things that don’t matter?

  Upon exiting the Black and White Pavilion, Han scanned his surroundings but did not see Bai Ruoyue. He frowned.

  A short distance away, about a dozen meters to his right, a crowd had gathered, seemingly watching something unfold.

  Within that crowd, Han detected Bai Ruoyue’s presence.

  He approached, pushing his way through the onlookers.

  Inside, he found Bai Ruoyue holding a randomly snapped tree branch, poking at a man’s forehead.

  Beside her, three or four warriors lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain.

  “What’s going on?” Han asked.

  Bai Ruoyue turned to glance at him and said, “Oh, you’re here, little… thing.”

  …???

  Senior Sister, what did you just call me?

  Care to repeat that?

  Am I a ‘little thing’ or something else? Didn’t you feel anything in the Pool of Life?

  “These guys saw me alone and started making inappropriate remarks, even trying to lay hands on me,” Bai Ruoyue explained. “So I taught them a lesson.”

  Han looked at the man she was poking—a young cultivator, though clearly one who had overindulged in carnal pleasures.

  With his dual cultivation of martial and Daoist arts, Han could tell at a glance the kind of lifestyle this man led.

  Shaking his head, Han sighed. The allure of beauty—throughout history, few had ever resisted it.

  Thankfully, his willpower was firm. He would never succumb to such temptations.

  “You were too impulsive. Why couldn’t you resolve this peacefully?” Han chided with feigned seriousness. “When traveling, harmony brings prosperity. In the future, you mustn’t act so rashly.”

  “Aahhh!!”

  A sudden scream echoed through the air, piercing and filled with agony.

  The young man’s face contorted in pain, tears and snot flowing uncontrollably.

  Only then did everyone notice—somehow, Han’s foot had ended up pressing down on the young man’s arm, visibly warping its shape.

  Han, however, remained expressionless, as though oblivious to the fact that he was crushing someone’s limb. He continued imparting his ‘wisdom’ to Bai Ruoyue.

  “In situations like this, try reasoning with people first. We’re all civilized individuals, surely we can settle things rationally.”

  “Resorting to violence is barbaric. Such conduct is disgraceful.”

  “If you just explain things properly, I’m sure he’ll listen.”

  Bai Ruoyue’s expression grew increasingly strange.

  Is this what you call ‘harmony brings prosperity’?

  Is this how you ‘reason’ with people?

  Han finally turned his gaze to the man beneath his foot.

  “My nameless friend, do you understand what I’m saying?”

  The man remained silent, glaring at Han with a twisted expression.

  Han exerted a little more pressure. “Still don’t understand?”

  “I do! I do!” The man shrieked.

  “Can we have a proper conversation?”

  “Yes! Yes, we can!”

  “Now, tell me—whose fault is this?” Han asked, revealing something in his hand.

  “It’s my fault! I shouldn’t have spoken rudely, shouldn’t have tried to lay hands on the young lady! I apologize! I’m willing to compensate!”

  “Ah, see?” Han nodded, then turned to Bai Ruoyue.

  “What did I tell you? Everyone is reasonable and understands logic.”

  Bai Ruoyue rubbed her forehead. If not for the fact that Han was holding a blade to the man’s face, she might have actually believed him.