CHAPTER 873: CHAPTER 651: XIU XIANG RETURNS HOME

Li Yi led the group back to the home of Merchant Master Xiu Xiang,

Although Xiu Xiang had not yet returned home, he felt that staying here for a long time with this group was not very appropriate. He decided to purchase a house in Beihuai City in the next couple of days as his temporary residence.

When traveling back and forth between worlds in the future, he wouldn’t be left without a place to stay.

Soon.

He returned to his small courtyard, lit a bonfire, set up a large pot, brought out fine wine, and began cooking the meat of the mutant beast. The meat in this world was rich with the Essence of Qi and Blood, needing no spices, just a bit of salt to be incredibly delicious.

As dusk fell.

Everyone gathered around the bonfire, eating meat and drinking wine.

Especially Long Yu, who had been confined in a cage for too long, and the Slave Master dared not feed him too much lest he regain his strength and break free. So he was the most voracious, grabbing a large piece to eat even before it was fully cooked.

High Priest Dou Kun, though very old, had a great appetite like a robust young man, eating meat and drinking wine with a satisfied expression on his aged face.

"Haven’t eaten such good meat and drunk such fine wine in a long time," the High Priest Dou Kun lamented, "I never thought I would fulfill this wish before I died."

Li Yi, holding a bowl of wine, laughed, "Old priest, you will have fine wine and good meat every day, never suffering hunger again, I can promise you that."

With nearly eighty thousand gold, he had every reason to say such words.

"Haha, you are indeed different from other Masters, none would make such a promise to a servant who has never served them; you must be the first," Dou Kun laughed, his aged voice full of vigor.

Li Yi said, "You are an elder, and in my tribe, it’s normal to care for the elders."

"Master, your tribe must be strong and wealthy," Dou Kun said. "In most tribes, when food is scarce, the first to be sacrificed are the elders, because they can neither hunt nor protect the tribe, and they often get sick, consuming precious herbs. Next are women and children, who, while they represent the future, must also be sacrificed if the present cannot be preserved."

Li Yi drained his bowl and smiled, "Old priest, what you speak of will never happen to me; I would never sacrifice the elders or children."

"You are indeed a benevolent ruler. Come, everyone, let’s celebrate our compassionate Master," the High Priest Dou Kun said, with a smile on his old face, raising his wine bowl to the others.

"To our Master," Long Yu said in a deep voice, lifting his strong arm covered in Scale Armor, sincerely celebrating.

"To our Master."

Shanguo also raised her wine bowl, her expression somewhat dazed as she looked at Li Yi by the fire, realizing only after letting go of her hatred that he indeed was someone worthy to follow.

Beside him, E Ji and Su Ji sat closely, smiling sweetly as they poured him more wine.

Li Yi smiled once again, raising his bowl to drink with them.

"Master, please allow us to dance for you."

The two beauties, E Ji and Su Ji, then respectfully said they wished to add some joy to today’s feast, hoping their dance would please Li Yi.

"Alright." Li Yi nodded in agreement.

As the two beauties danced by the fire, Li Yi witnessed the dances of this world.

Ancient and graceful, as if ancestors were worshipping a great God on this land, or like a lively maiden expressing her love, and though Li Yi did not understand the dance, he could sense its meaning.

In any world, with different languages and movements, the expressed intent is always the same.

Li Yi admired the graceful dance, laughing, drinking, and eating, feeling a kind of indescribable freedom as if many shackles were cast off and the most primal instincts in his lineage were emerging.

Perhaps, this is the charm of the world.

It has both good sides and bad sides.

This simple feast continued until late at night, with everyone well-fed and a few even drunk, but all were in good spirits because they were no longer slaves traded in the market but had a new life and beginning.

Today was a simple meeting, but everyone’s fates were now intertwined, destined to live together for a long time.

Li Yi sent everyone to rest, fortunately, the small courtyard had enough rooms for them.

He did not sleep, instead rising on a Xiangyun, sitting on the rooftop, practicing the Heaven and Earth Qi Gathering Technique, collecting nature’s spiritual energy to continue his cultivation for the day.

This land remained untainted and undisturbed.

The night sky was dazzlingly bright, countless stars filled the firmament, casting starlight, with the immense Cosmic Energy gathering, transforming into Five-Colored Qi that enveloped Li Yi, each breath in harmony with the rhythms of the world.

Despite the continuous anomalies, his aura seemed to have vanished, as if it had merged with nature.

Li Yi’s cultivation continued until the next morning. Although the time was short, there was progress. As long as he kept accumulating, he believed that it wouldn’t take long to achieve transformation, reaching the peak of the Five Qi Realm, while also filling sixty acupoints with Divine Blood.

However, this day.

An angry voice suddenly rang out from the direction of the gate.

"You, Lie Hou, you bastard, dared to insult my esteemed guest while I was away. I’m going to kill you and hang your head at my door, using your blood to wash away the shame you’ve brought upon me."

At this moment, Merchant Lord Xiu Xiang returned to Beihuai City.

However, before he came, he had already received news about what had happened here, but it didn’t affect his angry mood.

Although Taiyi was attacked and not injured, even defeating the opponent’s Divine Blood Warrior, another Merchant Lord dared to commit a crime directly while Xiu Xiang was not at home. This was undoubtedly a severe humiliation for him.

If Xiu Xiang did not find a way to seek revenge, he would only be ridiculed as a Merchant Lord in the future, seen as weak and incompetent, unable to protect the esteemed guests in his home. Who would be willing to do business with such a person?

"Master, you’ve finally returned, it’s wonderful."

"Greetings, Master."

Xiu Xiang’s voice immediately brought all the servants, guards, beauties in the mansion rushing out to greet him. Even E Ji and Su Ji, who were in Li Yi’s bedroom, quickly got up and hurried out into the courtyard.

After all, E Ji and Su Ji still belonged to Xiu Xiang, so they naturally had to follow the rules.

Xiu Xiang looked at everyone in the house, his gaze was very gloomy because many people were missing.

One of his beloved beauties had died, his loyal old servant was gone, and even a few guests had disappeared. He knew these people had not run away nor betrayed him, but had perished that night.

Although many ended their own lives out of shame for failing to protect the esteemed guest, this hatred naturally had to be counted against Lie Hou.

However, the home of the nearby Merchant Lord Liehou had become ruins, with no plans to rebuild. The entire family was no longer there, possibly having left Beihuai City to avoid him or perhaps just moved to a new place.

No matter what, Xiu Xiang swore to find Lie Hou.

But as a qualified Merchant Lord, Xiu Xiang quickly regained his composure after a brief moment of anger, because he saw two beauties with disheveled hair and disordered clothes rushing out from the east courtyard.

He remembered these were his best beauties in the house, one named E, the other Su.

He had bought these two beauties a long time ago but never used them, as they were reserved for Da Yi. Even though he didn’t know when Da Yi would return to Beihuai City, as a Merchant Lord, he had to prepare some good things to entertain esteemed guests.

So, when Xiu Xiang saw E Ji and Su Ji coming out of the courtyard where Da Yi resided, his mood improved significantly.

Because Da Yi accepted the gifts he had prepared and did not leave in anger after the previous attack.

This was very good news.

However, Xiu Xiang still deliberately pretended to be angry and said, "E Ji, Su Ji, at this time, you should be serving the esteemed guest well and not rushing out at the first sign of noise. Have you forgotten how I usually instruct you?"

E Ji and Su Ji, frightened, quickly knelt to the ground, too nervous to speak.

But Xiu Xiang did not actually intend to punish them and instead said, "To prevent such situations from happening again, starting today, I will give you to Da Yi, and you will serve him for life. Henceforth, your lives belong to Da Yi. Go, acknowledge Da Yi as your master."

He displayed a look of disdain, shooing them away.

When E Ji and Su Ji heard this, their previously tense moods instantly turned into delight.

Although Da Yi had mentioned asking the Merchant Lord for both of them, when that moment finally came, they felt the brilliance of their destiny unfolding.

However, at this moment.

The sound of steady footsteps approached.

Soon, a young man wearing Red Feather Purple Gold Armor, carrying a Divine Wood Great Bow, wielding Dragon and Tiger Energy, and cloaked in thunder and lightning strode forward.

He resembled a young god; though not yet strong, the potential of One God had begun to show.

Such extraordinary aura left Xiu Xiang, a Merchant Lord, utterly captivated.

Last year, he had met Da Yi when he was still an ordinary Divine Blood Warrior, his extraordinary potential discerned by Nanshan Bo. Now, he had to admit, Nanshan Bo’s judgment was correct.