Chapter 611: True Identity
Daoist Master Jingyang was silent for a long while, seemingly mulling over Han Li's offer, but ultimately, he replied, "My apologies, but this Golden Jade Silk Square was quite difficult to come by, so I can't give it to you. Rest assured, I'll definitely secure a Profound Zoysia Crystal for you if it shows up during the auction."
"In that case, can you at least tell me how you managed to obtain this Golden Jade Silk Square?" Han Li asked.
"Even though the auction is set to take place over two hundred years later, the preparations for the event have already begun. I hear that they're missing a pill refinement master for pill appraisals, and I can see that you're a very competent pill refinement master, so perhaps you can apply for the role," Daoist Master Jingyang replied.
"Is that how you were able to secure your Golden Jade Silk Square, Fellow Daoist Jingyang?" Han Li asked.
"I'm trying to do you a favor here, Fellow Daoist Li, please don't pry into my personal matters," Daoist Master Jingyang replied in a resigned manner.
"My apologies. You have my thanks, Fellow Daoist."
Immortal Lord Hot Flame and the others were naturally oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place, and they continued to drink wine while denouncing Daoist Master Jingyang for being too stingy.
......
Half a month later, Han Li left the Leisure Valley once again.
In accordance with the instructions provided to him by Daoist Master Jingyang, he traveled directly to the Jade Kun Pavilion upon entering Jade Gathering City.
Just like last time, the doors of the Jade Kun Pagoda were tightly shut and sealed with talismans.
Han Li made his way around the Jade Kun Pagoda, then traveled down a street behind the pagoda until he entered a dead-end that was around six feet wide.
He strode over to the wall at the conclusion of the dead-end, then conjured up some immortal spiritual power over the palm of his hand before pressing it against the wall, upon which his entire body sank into the wall.
Han Li's vision turned dark for a moment, following which he arrived in a spacious courtyard.
Immediately thereafter, the sound of clanging armor rang out, and several warriors clad in suits of bright silver armor converged to surround him.
Han Li swept his gaze over these warriors and was surprised to discover that none of them were living beings. Instead, they were all Dao Warriors, and what was most remarkable about them was their suits of armor were riddled with spirit patterns that were giving off formidable energy fluctuations.
Each one of them seemed to possess Grand Ascension Stage power, which was naturally completely insignificant in the face of a Golden Immortal, but there were potentially some other special restrictions concealed in their bodies.
"Who goes there?" one of the Dao Warriors asked in a rather mechanical voice.
"I heard that the Jade Kun Pagoda requires a pill refinement master, so I've come here to try my luck," Han Li replied in a direct and straightforward manner.
"Come with me," the Dao Warrior instructed, then began to make its way toward a hall at the back of the courtyard.
Han Li followed along behind the Dao Warrior, while the other Dao Warriors also trailed along, continuing to surround Han Li in a loose encirclement.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the hall, the Dao Warriors formed two lines on either side of the entrance before falling still, while Han Li took a brief glance at his surroundings before entering the hall.
The interior of the hall was brightly lit, and there were three large chairs placed at its entrance. The chairs on either side were occupied by a thin elderly man wearing a tall hat and a burly elderly man with a dark red complexion, while the middle chair was vacant.
Both of the men were wearing the same attire with a flame design embroidered onto the chest of their robes, within which was what appeared to be a pair of iron hammers crossed over each other.
"You're here to apply for the role of pill appraiser?" the thin man on the left asked in a slightly raspy voice.
"That's right," Han Li replied.
"Do you know what prerequisite must be satisfied for the role?" the burly man on the right asked.
"No," Han Li replied.
"We need a pill refinement master that can refine at least High Zenith Stage pills. Do you fit the bill?" the thin man asked.
"Does that mean that if I can refine High Zenith Stage pills, I'll receive a Golden Jade Silk Square?" Han Li asked.
"That's right. If you can do that, then you'll be able to attend the auction, but of course, you have to fulfill your duties as a pill appraiser at the event," the burly man confirmed with a nod.
Han Li didn't waste any more time, cutting straight to the chase as he asked, "Do you have a pill refinement chamber here that I can use?"
"You can use the side hall to your left," the burly man replied.
Han Li did as he was told, making his way into the side hall before closing the door.
Right at this moment, a figure slowly emerged from the back of the hall, then sat down casually onto the middle chair. He then took a glance at the side hall to the left and chuckled, "It looks like he's set up an isolation restriction of quite a high caliber. How cautious..."
"Is he really able to refine High Zenith Stage pills, Deputy Mountain Master?" the thin man asked as he turned to the man in the middle chair.
"Who knows? We'll just have to wait and see..."
......
Close to half a year flew by in the blink of an eye, and on this day, the door of the side hall finally swung open.
After one failure, Han Li used his final remaining batch of ingredients to refine three Clear Jade Pills.
"These pills are of an exceptional quality and contain tremendous spiritual qi! Out of all of the Clear Jade Pills I've seen, these definitely rank among the top three!" the thin man praised in an ecstatic voice as he examined the freshly refined batch of pills.
The burly man was far more calm and composed, but there was still a pleased smile on his face as he agreed, "Indeed! You definitely possess the pill refinement nous required to take on the role of pill appraiser during the auction."
Han Li accepted the Clear Jade Pills that were being handed back to him by the thin man, then smiled as he asked, "In that case, it's about time that Fellow Daoist Jingyang came out to see me, right?"
The expressions of both men stiffened slightly upon hearing this, and they exchanged an awkward glance with one another.
Right at this moment, Daoist Master Jingyang emerged from the back of the hall as he chuckled, "As expected of you to have correctly guessed my identity right away, Fellow Daiost Li."
He was also wearing a robe of the same style as the other two men in the hall, except the flame design embroidered onto the chest of the robe was golden in color.
"It was quite obvious. Back when I first arrived here, they didn't even ask who I was before allowing me to commence my pill refinement attempt right away, so they clearly already knew who I was in advance. On top of that, they were already aware that I would come here.
“To make things even more obvious, the main chair in the hall had been left vacant, all but telling me that there was someone else overseeing the proceedings from behind the scenes," Han Li said with a smile.
"You really should learn to be more subtle and tactful, Fellow Daoist Li," Daoist Master Jingyang chuckled as he took a glance at the vacant chair in the hall.
After that, he dismissed the other two men, then began making his way toward the back of the hall.
"I wanted to lay things out to you in a more direct fashion, but this auction is being jointly held by the Black Mountain Immortal Palace and our Hundred Creations Mountain, and there are some rules that I have to follow. I'm already aware of your pill refinement prowess, so I only asked you to come here as a formality more than anything else," Daoist Master Jingyang explained.
"Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Fellow Daoist Jingyang. May I ask what you true identity is?" Han Li asked.
Daoist Master Jingyang heaved a faint sigh upon hearing this, and he pulled out a wine gourd from beneath his robe, then took a sip of wine before replying, "I am one of the 72 deputy mountain masters of the Hundred Creations Mountain, and I'm responsible for overseeing our Black Soil Immortal Region branch."
"Black Soil Immortal Region? Not the Black Mountain Immortal Region?" Han Li asked with a perplexed expression.
"The Black Soil Immortal Region, the Black Mountain Immortal Region, the Concealed Lake Immortal Region, and the Origin Contention Immortal Region are very close to each other, and aren't separated by any primordial lands, so they're collectively known as the four allied immortal regions.
“Our Hundred Creations Mountain branch is set in the Black Soil Immortal Region, but it oversees all of the four allied immortal regions. Otherwise, a deputy mountain master like myself wouldn't have been assigned to this place," Daoist Master Jingyang explained.
"In that case, why have you concealed your identity and settled in the Leisure Valley?" Han Li asked.
"I'm a lot like Old Man Hot Flame, I can't stand having to deal with a bunch of official responsibilities. I came to the Black Mountain Immortal Region because I had heard that the Floating Cloud Mountain Range was a great place to escape from worldly responsibilities, and I met Yu Ziqi and became close friends with him on the way here," Daoist Master Jingyang explained.
Daoist Master Jingyang could see that Han Li was still looking a bit skeptical, and a disgruntled look appeared on his face as he exclaimed, "Quit suspecting me of foul play! I didn't even have to personally oversee this auction, nor did I want to get involved, but I did so anyway just to gather information about Floral Heart Stones for you! You should be grateful rather than suspicious!"
Han Li's expression eased slightly upon seeing this, and he asked, "Is that really the case?"
"Well, I suppose that's not entirely true. I always come to attend these auctions, but only on my own behalf, it's just that this time, I'm getting involved in the official side of things," Daoist Master Jingyang admitted as a sheepish smile appeared on his face.
"In any case, I must thank you, Fellow Daoist Jingyang. You can have the brewing recipes for Fire Drop Wine and Red Mulberry Wine in return for what you've done for me. As for everyone else in the Leisure Valley, rest assured, I won't speak of this to anyone," Han Li said as he cupped his fist in a grateful salute.
Daoist Master Jingyang immediately gave Han Li a thumbs up as he praised, "You're a
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