The scattered rogue cultivators were tough, brawny sorts. When they saw someone approaching to bother them, their instinct was to open their mouths and start cursing—but after noticing the newcomers' attire, which suggested they were sect disciples from the Red Cauldron Central Domain, the insults died on their tongues and were swallowed whole. The one-eyed man glanced at the group and gave a noncommittal nod.
"We just came out, and it's already all over the place. You gentlemen haven't heard yet?"
Those sect disciples were weaker than the rogue cultivators and didn't want to stir up trouble. They quickened their pace toward the exit, clearly eager to see what the commotion was about.
When Jiang Chen heard about the bounty, he wasn't particularly surprised. After everything that had happened—with both sides at each other's throats—the Red Cauldron Empire putting a price on his head was the most natural thing in the world.
The crowd around the bounty announcement was a sea of people.
Fortunately, copies of the wanted notice had been posted all over the imperial capital. Standing amid the crowd, Jiang Chen didn't look out of place. He studied the notice and sneered inwardly—a bounty on my head?
Jiang Chen wasn't worried in the slightest. Such a bounty could certainly draw every manner of desperado after him, but that sort of scum couldn't trouble him, no matter how many there were.
After reading the bounty, Jiang Chen returned to the Dragon Phoenix Inn. Not long after his return, he spotted a group descending the stairs from the second floor.
At their center walked a young man in fine robes, flanked front and back by personal guards. Those guards had eyes like hawks, scanning every direction with extreme vigilance.
Besides the young man's entourage, there was another group whose status was clearly not low either. Their leader was a first-level Imperial Realm powerhouse.
"Elder Gui, I truly am sorry about this. If you had informed me sooner, I would certainly have held him for you. A Superior Innate Wood Spirit Constitution—I honestly failed to notice. It was my oversight."
The young man kept referring to himself as "this prince," suggesting he might be a prince of the Red Cauldron Empire.
"Elder Gui" beside him was of medium build, wearing a pale cyan robe, and didn't look particularly remarkable. However, his first-level Imperial Realm cultivation gave him an effortless air of authority.
"Forget it. It's already been sold—there's no point talking about it now. What a pity about that Superior Innate Wood Spirit Constitution. By the time I got the word, it was too late. Sigh!" Elder Gui let out a soft sigh, brimming with regret.
The two spoke in hushed tones, but Jiang Chen's divine sense was exceptionally keen, and he caught every word.
Superior Innate Wood Spirit Constitution? Could they be talking about Mu Gaoqi?
"Indeed. If the buyers hadn't been from Radiant Glass Royal City, I might not have been so willing to hand everyone over. Radiant Glass Royal City isn't someone I can afford to offend. Besides, all the information that needed squeezing out of those people has already been extracted." The Third Prince offered a few more words of explanation.
Elder Gui nodded and said offhandedly, "I hear there's a recipe for the Myriad Longevity Pill. Surely your Red Cauldron Empire doesn't intend to withhold it from the Celestial Capital?"
The Undying Celestial Capital?
At this, Jiang Chen immediately grasped Elder Gui's origins. He was indeed from the Undying Celestial Capital—no wonder even an imperial prince treated him with such deference.
"Ah… my father, the Emperor, has in fact already prepared to offer the Myriad Longevity Pill recipe to the Celestial Capital. However… our empire's finances have been rather strained these past years. So… I was hoping Elder Gui might put in a good word, that the profits from the Myriad Longevity Pill could be shared with the Red Cauldron Empire to some degree."
Elder Gui offered a thin smile. "Before I set out, the Sect Master himself addressed the matter. You'll receive twenty percent of the Myriad Longevity Pill's profits. The higher-ups of the Celestial Capital don't act unreasonably."
The Third Prince nodded obsequiously, though inwardly he sneered. The Myriad Longevity Pill recipe was obtained by the Red Cauldron Empire—this man simply took it and then offered them a mere twenty percent, and that was supposed to be "not unreasonable"?
But such grievances could only be muttered about in one's heart.
Jiang Chen's fury surged. The Myriad Longevity Pill was his exclusive secret formula, and these bastards had carved it up among themselves!
And here these scoundrels were, shamelessly dividing the spoils right in public!
But there was good news too. Judging from the Third Prince's words, everyone from the Dan Qian Palace should have been sold to Radiant Glass Royal City.
Jiang Chen wanted to press for more details, but after a moment's thought, once he reached Radiant Glass Royal City, finding such a large group of people would be entirely feasible.
He withdrew his divine sense and stopped eavesdropping. His gaze also drifted away from the group.
Now that he'd confirmed no one from the Dan Qian Palace remained in the Red Cauldron Empire, there was no longer any need to keep listening in. If the other party detected him, things could only get worse.
This was the imperial capital of the Red Cauldron Empire. If his cover was blown, the difficulty would multiply many times over.
A day later, Jiang Chen and Huang'er departed the capital, setting off in the direction of Radiant Glass Royal City.
Not being able to tear through the capital in a bloodbath left Jiang Chen somewhat frustrated. On top of that, the leaking of the Myriad Longevity Pill recipe, the Wood Spirit Spring falling into Gong Wuji's hands, and so many of his fellow disciples being sold off to Radiant Glass Royal City—all of it weighed on his mind, filling him with restless irritation.
The Myriad Longevity Pill recipe had been known only to Palace Master Danchi and Elder Yunnie. For it to have been tortured out of someone, it must have come from Elder Yunnie. Jiang Chen felt a pang of misery—he had believed Elder Yunnie was not the sort of person who would betray secrets out of fear of death.
Seeing Jiang Chen's low spirits, Huang'er offered comfort: "Young Master Jiang, things will work themselves out in the end. Being sold to Radiant Glass Royal City is still better than falling into the hands of the Undying Celestial Capital."