"What is it?" Yang Kai turned his head to look at Ji Yao.
"Master, these three people have blocked our path for no apparent reason," Ji Yao replied.
"Master?" The three ahead heard this and all showed looks of extreme surprise. After all, judging by appearances, Yang Kai and Ji Yao seemed to be roughly the same age — yet this man turned out to be the icy beauty's master!
The floating ship was protected by a defensive formation array, so even if the old man wished to probe Yang Kai and Ji Yao's cultivation, he was unable to do so.
Still, if this man could serve as someone else's master, his cultivation couldn't be too low. The old man estimated that Yang Kai was at least an Emperor Realm cultivator — after all, this exquisite floating ship was an Emperor-grade treasure at the very least, and an ordinary Dao Source Realm martial artist would never be able to obtain one.
With that thought in mind, the old man smiled faintly and said to Yang Kai, "Young friend, there is no need to be nervous. We mean no harm."
"Am I nervous?" Yang Kai grinned to himself, thinking that this old man certainly had a high opinion of himself. He had ventured through the Primordial Lands, stirred up storms before the four Sacred Sovereigns, the thirty-two Demon Kings, and the eight Sacred Envoys, and had even met more than one Great Emperor. There was probably no one in this world who could make him nervous anymore.
The old man paid no heed to Yang Kai's remark and continued, "Miss Xue Man has taken a fancy to this floating ship, so this old man would like to discuss a deal with you, young friend. Would you be willing to part with it? I am prepared to pay for the ship."
After a brief pause, the old man added, "I forgot to introduce myself. I am Yan Qing of the Mysterious Thunder Pavilion. This is Bai Lu, the young master of our Mysterious Thunder Pavilion. And this is Miss Yan Xue Man, the daughter of the City Lord of Taiping City."
With that introduction, the old man, as well as the young man and woman beside him, all wore expressions of great pride, as though the Mysterious Thunder Pavilion and Taiping City were truly formidable powers.
The young master of the Mysterious Thunder Pavilion, Bai Lu, offered an elegant smile and clasped his fists. "May I have the lady's name?"
He directed his inquiry straight at Ji Yao, paying Yang Kai no mind whatsoever, clearly captivated by Ji Yao's beauty. Yan Xue Man, the City Lord's daughter, was no slouch herself, but compared to Ji Yao, she fell considerably short.
As soon as these words left his lips, Yan Xue Man standing beside him delivered a sharp kick to his shin, glaring at him furiously. "What do you want her name for? Don't tell me you've taken a fancy to her! You shameless little worm — one woman isn't enough for you, and you're already eyeing someone else? I'll beat you to death, beat you to death..."
She proceeded to pummel Bai Lu with her fists and kick at him, though her strikes were nothing more than dainty flurries that caused him no pain at all. If anything, it looked like she was flirting and acting coy, which only made Bai Lu burst into hearty laughter. He wrapped an arm around Yan Xue Man and pulled her into his embrace, looking every bit like a man who had won at life.
Yan Qing kept his gaze straight ahead and said, "The young master and Miss Xue Man are accustomed to their little games. Please don't take it to heart."
Ji Yao replied coldly, "Your affairs have nothing to do with us. My master and I are in a hurry. Kindly step aside!"
Yan Qing said, "Miss, our young master merely wishes to purchase this floating ship."
"I said it's not for sale!" Ji Yao's expression turned even icier.
Bai Lu smiled gently. "Don't be so cold, Miss. As the saying goes, having a friend means having one more path forward. It's only a floating ship, after all. Name your price, and I absolutely won't haggle!"
"How generous!" Yang Kai stepped forward, smiling at Bai Lu. "I just love having friends like Young Master Bai — wealthy, elegant, and refined! Since Young Master Bai is so generous, I say we sell the ship. What do you think, Yao'er?"
Ji Yao furrowed her brows slightly but still nodded. "If Master says to sell it, then we sell it."
Bai Lu clasped his fists. "Then I thank the lady."
Throughout the entire exchange, he had spoken only to Ji Yao, as though Yang Kai simply didn't exist. But now he finally turned to Yang Kai and asked, "What price did you have in mind?"
"One hundred million!" Yang Kai said casually. "If Young Master Bai can produce one hundred million, this floating ship is yours."
Bai Lu's expression didn't change. He nodded slightly. "One hundred million... for a flying Emperor-grade treasure, that is hardly expensive."
Hardly expensive? It was practically a giveaway. He figured Yang Kai was deliberately trying to curry favor and build a connection, after all, as the young master of the Mysterious Thunder Pavilion, not just anyone could hope to befriend him. The Mysterious Thunder Pavilion was a considerable power in the Northern Domain. He smiled faintly. "Elder Yan, pay up!"
"Understood!" Yan Qing nodded, fished out a Space Ring, and tossed it toward Yang Kai.
Yang Kai caught it, swept it with his divine sense, and smiled faintly. He pocketed the Space Ring and said, "Young Master Bai, the number of Source Crystals in here doesn't seem quite right."
"What do you mean?" Bai Lu furrowed his brows and turned to Yan Qing. "Elder Yan, did you count carefully?"
"One hundred million Source Crystals — this old man couldn't have made a mistake," Yan Qing replied.
"One hundred million Source Crystals, that much is correct..." Yang Kai nodded, then shifted his tone. "However, those are low-grade Source Crystals..."
Yan Qing's expression changed. "You didn't want low-grade? Don't tell me you wanted medium-grade?"
"What?" Bai Lu was also shocked. One hundred million medium-grade Source Crystals would be equivalent to ten billion low-grade Source Crystals. The nerve of this man to even ask.
"No, no, no!" Yang Kai raised a finger and waggled it. "Not one hundred million medium-grade Source Crystals... I want one hundred million high-grade Source Crystals!"
"You... you've lost your mind!" Bai Lu's entire body trembled.