Chapter 352: Chapter 351: He’s Here
As it turned out, Luo Xiaowen and Luo Cheng were half-siblings who shared the same father. Although Luo Xiaowen’s mother was the primary wife, the second wife had been the first to give birth to two sons, which made Luo Xiaowen the youngest sister in the family.
As the child of the primary wife, Luo Xiaowen was expected to inherit the family’s enterprise. However, the second wife strongly objected because Luo Xiaowen was a girl, wanting her own two sons to inherit the Luo Family business instead.
Luo Xiaowen knew what the second wife was scheming. The woman had always been at odds with her own mother. ’Once my two brothers inherit the family enterprise, there will be no good days for Mother and me!’ Therefore, to keep her mother from suffering in the future, Luo Xiaowen could only compete relentlessly with her two older brothers.
As a woman, Luo Xiaowen’s Talent for Cultivation was naturally a bit weaker than her two brothers’. However, the Luo Family’s main business was running auction houses, and in terms of business acumen, her brothers were no match for her. It was precisely because all three had their own distinct strengths that the family’s Elder Council couldn’t reach a decision and remained in a state of observation.
"Then what’s this Fusheng Token all about?" Shen Haoran asked in confusion as he took out the purple token. He seemed to recall her mentioning it was related to some kind of competition in the Luo Family.
"The Fusheng Token is a status symbol for the direct descendants of the Luo Family. A person can only give one away in their entire lifetime. It’s connected to a Luo Family secret, and now isn’t the time to talk about it!" Murong Wanqing explained from the side. As Luo Xiaowen’s close friend, Murong Wanqing knew quite a bit about the Luo Family’s affairs.
"When you didn’t come out of the Spirit Emperor’s Tomb, I thought I’d given my Fusheng Token away for nothing. I never expected you to still be alive. Since that’s the case, you must come to the Imperial City in three years!" Luo Xiaowen said, looking at Shen Haoran with a light laugh.
"In three years?" Hearing her words, Shen Haoran mused for a moment before nodding lightly. ’In three years, it’s true I should pay a visit to the Imperial City.’
"Don’t worry, Sister Xiaowen," Murong Wanqing promised from the side. "When the time comes, even if he won’t go, I’ll drag him there for you. This is about your destiny, after all!"
Hearing this, Luo Xiaowen laughed softly, fully confident that Shen Haoran would arrive on time.
"By the way, Sister Xiaowen, what brings you to a place like the Northern Domain? And that pest Luo Cheng is here too!" Murong Wanqing asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Don’t tell me you also found it too stuffy back home and snuck out?" Murong Wanqing added with a sly laugh.
At her words, Luo Xiaowen gently poked Murong Wanqing’s forehead and said with a chiding laugh, "You think everyone is like you, just wanting to play all day? I received a family order to retrieve an item from the Desert Ancient City in the Northern Domain. I heard it’s quite important to the family. Luo Cheng found out and followed me, hoping to steal the credit!"
"Sister Xiaowen is going to the Desert Ancient City too? What a coincidence!" Murong Wanqing exclaimed, making everyone in the room jump.
"What do you mean, ’too’?" Luo Xiaowen asked, confused.
Then, before Shen Haoran could say a word, Murong Wanqing launched into a rapid-fire story of her and Shen Haoran’s experiences. Only then did Shen Haoran see her true nature. ’She’s so hyperactive,’ he thought. ’Once she starts talking, it’s like a string of firecrackers—impossible to stop!’
Luo Xiaowen, apparently long accustomed to this side of Murong Wanqing, listened patiently to the whole story and managed to pick out the important details. Shen Haoran and the others were full of admiration. Murong Wanqing had rattled off a mountain of words, mostly irrelevant nonsense. ’A normal person would need half a day to figure out what she meant, but Luo Xiaowen understood it in an instant. How incredible is that?’
"Oh, so you’ve come to Divine Martial City to compete for a spot, too!" Luo Xiaowen said, nodding.
"That’s right. A mission from the Sect," Shen Haoran said with a casual shrug.
"It seems we’re quite fated, all of us having to fight for these spots," Luo Xiaowen said, rubbing her forehead with a touch of resignation.
"The Celestial Martial Auction House has so much influence in Divine Martial City. Do you really need to fight for a spot?" Murong Wanqing said with a pout.
"Of course," Luo Xiaowen said. "These are the rules of the Northern Domain, not something the Celestial Martial Auction House can influence. I’ve heard there are only four spots in Divine Martial City. You have to pass the trials in the Divine Martial Realm, and only the top four will qualify for a spot to the Desert Ancient City. I’ve been busy with this very thing these past few days."
"The Divine Martial Realm? What kind of place is that?" Shen Haoran and the others were all confused.
"The Divine Martial Realm is a pocket dimension created in Ancient Times by the Divine Martial Venerable. He established four major trials within it to select his disciples, and it’s been left behind since then. As for the specifics of the four trials, I haven’t figured that out yet," Luo Xiaowen explained, sharing everything she had found out with Shen Haoran.
Upon hearing this, Shen Haoran and the others nodded, their curiosity about the Divine Martial Realm piqued.
"Miss," a maid entered the room and said respectfully just as Shen Haoran and the others were enjoying their conversation. "Young Master Hua Zhiming, the second son from the Divine Martial City Lord’s Mansion, is outside requesting an audience."
"Hua Zhiming? What would he want with me?" Luo Xiaowen’s brow furrowed slightly. ’I’ve only been in Divine Martial City for a few days and haven’t had any contact with people from the City Lord’s Mansion.’
"Ahem..." At her words, Shen Haoran coughed lightly and said, "Sister Xiaowen, that Second Young Master of the Hua Family... he’s here to see me."
"For you? What trouble did you stir up this time?" Looking at Shen Haoran’s awkward expression, Luo Xiaowen immediately understood. She couldn’t help but feel amused. ’This kid is a magnet for trouble wherever he goes!’
"Send him away," Luo Xiaowen instructed. "Tell him the person he’s looking for isn’t here!"
"Whoa, whoa, wait, Sister Xiaowen!" Shen Haoran quickly protested when he heard she was going to send Hua Zhiming away. "I went to great lengths to lure him out! You can’t just let him go like that!"
"You lured him out?" Luo Xiaowen asked, looking at Shen Haoran with a puzzled expression, wondering what he was up to.
"Come on, let’s go downstairs and have a look!" Shen Haoran said with a chuckle, then immediately led the way downstairs.
Outside the main gate of the Celestial Martial Auction House stood a young man with a deathly pale face. Behind him was a troop of well-trained soldiers!
Seeing the soldiers, the Martial Artists in the vicinity of the Celestial Martial Auction House gathered around and began whispering to one another.
"Aren’t those the City Lord’s Mansion’s troops? What are they doing at the Celestial Martial Auction House? Looks like they’re trying to start something!"
"The Celestial Martial Auction House never gets involved in city matters. Why would the City Lord’s Mansion’s troops be facing off against them?"
"I don’t know. Let’s just watch!"
The ashen-faced young man paid no mind to the crowd’s whispers. He took a deep breath and bellowed toward the Celestial Martial Auction House, "Shen Haoran, get the hell out here!"
The powerful sound wave reverberated throughout the Celestial Martial Auction House...
