Chapter 549: Sneaking into the City |
"I was just looking for you."
Seeing the shop assistant, Ning Qi smiled as he stepped forward to speak.
"Ah? Looking for me?"
Hearing this, the shop assistant couldn't help but feel apprehensive.
He wanted to leave.
"Wait, my jade pendant is missing."
"I can't get back in."
"You must have a spare, right? Help me open the Sumeru Courtyard!"
Ning Qi grabbed his arm, smiling as he said, "I must have lost it while having fun downstairs earlier."
Hearing Ning Qi say this, the shop assistant immediately felt relieved.
Clearly, he had thought Ning Qi was coming to confront him.
If it was just about using a jade pendant to open the door, then it didn't matter.
"What? You don't have one with you either?"
"I can go with you to get it."
Ning Qi revealed a harmless, innocent smile.
He was about to follow the shop assistant.
"I have it, Young Master!"
"I thought you wanted me for something else!"
"Then let's go, I'll help you open it!"
The shop assistant snapped back to reality, smiling as he spoke.
"Good, please lead the way!"
Ning Qi nodded, then had the shop assistant follow him upstairs.
They soon arrived at the door of his chamber.
Then the shop assistant directly opened his door.
Immediately after activating the jade pendant, the door to the Sumeru Courtyard also swung open with a click.
"Whoosh!"
From the courtyard, a thick, pungent smell of blood rushed out.
The shop assistant smelled it and instantly felt something was wrong.
He turned to flee.
"Thud!"
However, Ning Qi had been waiting behind him all along.
Seeing him try to escape, Ning Qi kicked him, sending him flying into the courtyard.
"!"
Then, he closed the door to the Sumeru Courtyard.
Completely isolating it from the outside world.
"Young Master, what is the meaning of this?"
The shop assistant scrambled up from the ground, asking with a tearful face, "Has this lowly one done something wrong? Please speak freely, Young Master."
"This lowly one will certainly apologize to the Young Master."
"Oh? What did you do wrong?"
Hearing his words, Ning Qi couldn't help but smile, then continued, "Do I need to tell you what you did wrong?"
"Or are you, esteemed sir, so forgetful that you've already forgotten?"
Those eyes were filled with mockery.
He stared coldly at the utterly panicked shop assistant before him.
"This... Young Master... this lowly one truly doesn't know!"
"Please spare this lowly one."
The shop assistant put on an aggrieved expression, pleading repeatedly, "This lowly one really doesn't know what's going on. Please enlighten me, Young Master."
Even now, he was still trying to lie his way out.
"I ask you, how did those assassins pinpoint my location so accurately!"
"How did they find my Sumeru Courtyard!"
Ning Qi looked at the shop assistant, asking word by word.
His voice was icy, like ten-thousand-year-old glacial ice.
It sent chills down one's spine.
Hearing his words, the shop assistant panicked at first.
But he quickly reacted.
"Young Master, I don't know. Someone must have used some kind of magical artifact!"
"This matter is very serious. Please allow this lowly one to report the situation to our Commander!"
The shop assistant shook his head, quickly putting on a serious expression as he spoke to Ning Qi.
"I don't think that's necessary!"
Ning Qi shook his head, then continued, "Tell me the truth now, and I can spare you."
"Also, tell me everyone else who knows about this. Spill it all."
"I can let bygones be bygones. If you don't speak, then don't blame me for being ruthless."
"Young Master, this lowly one is wronged!"
"We can find the Commander. Our Giant Ship will definitely give you an explanation!"
"We can investigate who did this!"
"Everyone on this Giant Ship can be investigated!"
"Oh? So you're saying I still have a chance?"
Hearing the shop assistant's words, Ning Qi smiled again, then continued, "It seems you won't admit the truth until you see the coffin."
"Let me see your soul to find out if you're lying."
After hearing Ning Qi's words, the shop assistant's eyes widened.
Someone capable of such a method couldn't possibly be a mere True Immortal.
In other words, the Ning Qi before him was an expert with the strength of a Celestial Immortal.
Damn it, why didn't I see his strength earlier?
Now I'm done for.
"Young Master, this lowly one knows he was wrong."
"Please spare this lowly one just once!"
Thinking of this, the shop assistant immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowing like pounding garlic.
Snot and tears streamed down his face.
"Oh? Then I ask you, who else knows about this?"
Ning Qi acknowledged with a sound, then asked further.
"Liu Xi, and the people from the assassin organization in the lower decks."
"The rest would be the young city lord of Cloud City, Xue Haoran."
Hearing Ning Qi's question, the shop assistant hurriedly replied.
Not daring to show the slightest delay anymore.
Afraid that if he were any slower, Ning Qi would directly search his soul.
That would truly be the end.
"Where exactly are the people from the assassin organization below?"
Ning Qi looked at the shop assistant, asking word by word.
"They're on the second level of the ship's hold."
"It's a pawnshop, and there's only one of those."
"Their shopkeeper definitely knows about this too!"
The shop assistant pointed in the direction downstairs as he spoke to Ning Qi.
"Hmm, good."
Ning Qi nodded with satisfaction, then smiled, "Since that's the case, then you can go die now."
"Ah? Young Master..."
Hearing his words, the shop assistant panicked instantly, quickly begging for mercy.
But before he could even utter a full sentence.
Ning Qi struck, snapping his neck.
Until his death, the shop assistant never expected that even after he had spoken.
Ning Qi still didn't let him go.
An expert with Celestial Immortal strength, so untrustworthy?
After dealing with the shop assistant, Ning Qi similarly stored his corpse away.
Once everything was properly tidied up, he directly went down to the lower decks of the ship.
With practiced ease, he found the second-level pawnshop.
Here, there was no distinction between day and night.
After all, they were inside the ship's hold.
Business here was still quite good, with a steady flow of people coming and going.
"Young Master, what have you come to pawn?"
As soon as he entered, a shop assistant came forward to greet him.
He didn't recognize who Ning Qi was.
Because, at this moment, Ning Qi, with the help of the Pill Spirit, had successfully altered his appearance.
With the Pill Spirit's assistance, no one could possibly recognize who he was.
"I have a treasure to pawn."
"Is your shopkeeper here?"
Ning Qi glanced at the shop assistant, then asked in a deep voice.
"He is, he's inside!"
"Young Master, please follow me!"
Hearing Ning Qi say this, the shop assistant immediately became interested.
With a greeting, he had Ning Qi follow him.
"Good!"
Ning Qi agreed, then followed the shop assistant toward the backyard.
In no time, they arrived in the backyard.
The shop assistant led Ning Qi further forward, soon arriving before the door to a study.
"Shopkeeper, we have a distinguished guest."
The shop assistant knocked on the wooden door, then said respectfully.
"Come in."
Soon, a dignified voice came from inside.
"Young Master, please enter!"
The shop assistant respectfully opened the door, then let Ning Qi enter.
"Good!"
Ning Qi acknowledged, then opened the door and walked in.
He saw that seated behind the desk was a white-haired, elderly man.
However, those eyes of his shone with a sharp light.
With just one glance, Ning Qi could tell that this old man's strength was also at the True Immortal level.
Probably even stronger than Wei Xian.
But for the current Ning Qi, that strength was far inferior.
"Young Master, what have you come to pawn?"
The old man looked at Ning Qi, asking curiously.
"What percentage of the value do you offer for pawns here?"
Ning Qi didn't say anything specific, instead asking a question first.
"We can only give you sixty percent."
"Our Giant Ship travels through the void year-round. You come this time, but next time you might not even find us."
"So, for us, this is essentially a one-time transaction."
"You understand what this old man means, right?"
Hearing Ning Qi's words, the old man first smiled, then seriously explained.
"I understand."
Ning Qi nodded, then smiled and said, "Then, old sir, besides pawning business."
"Do you do any other business?"
"Oh? What does the Young Master mean?"
"Do you have some difficulty?"
Hearing Ning Qi's words, the old man didn't state it directly.
Instead, he asked a question first.
"Hmm, indeed I do."
Ning Qi nodded, then continued, "I came here following Liu Xi."
"Oh? Liu Xi?"
"Didn't he already take people there? Why are you still here?"
"Didn't you coordinate?"
Hearing Ning Qi's words, the old man didn't react immediately.
"We did coordinate. It's precisely because we coordinated that I was able to find this place."
Ning Qi nodded, then looked at the old man with burning eyes, "So, my matter is very simple."
"That is to take your life."
"Kid, you're Ning Qi!"
Hearing Ning Qi speak to this point, the old man understood what was happening.
The mission had failed, and the target had come knocking.
"Yes."
Ning Qi nodded, "I altered my appearance, so you didn't recognize me."
"You should know why I've come looking for you, right?"
"Hmph, do you think you're a match for this old man?"
The old man snorted coldly, preparing to make a move.
"Slap!"
However, Ning Qi didn't give him that chance at all.
Before the old man could act, one hand had already clamped down tightly on his neck.
"You... you are..."
The old man grabbed Ning Qi's arm with both hands, wanting to resist.
Unfortunately, it was already useless.
With Ning Qi's Celestial Immortal strength unleashed, the old man was no match for him at all.
"Crack!"
Ning Qi didn't say a word. With just a squeeze of force, he directly crushed the old man's neck.
Patting his storage bag, he directly stored the old man's corpse away.
After everything was over, Ning Qi stood up.
Then walked out of the courtyard.
After leaving, he went to the front hall.
"Young Master, take care."
The shop assistant didn't know what had happened, still smiling as he escorted Ning Qi to the door.
"Good!"
Ning Qi just glanced back at the shop assistant, then walked straight away.
After he left, Ning Qi directly restored his original appearance.
"Well, that should take care of everything that needed solving, right?"
He analyzed with the Pill Spirit on his shoulder.
"Master, it should all be resolved."
The Pill Spirit thought for a moment, then continued, "Even if there are any fish that slipped through the net, it doesn't matter."
"We're just here to say goodbye. Once we're done, we'll leave this place."
"What does it matter if they go looking for us?"
"We're at the edge of the fifteenth zone, right at the border between the fifteenth and fourteenth zones."
"They're worlds apart. It's impossible for anyone to find us."
"Ting, what you say is also correct!"
Ning Qi hummed lightly, then took the Pill Spirit and returned to the deck above.
He opened an ordinary chamber, only then returning to the bed to rest.
The night passed slowly.
When dawn broke the next day, Ning Qi awoke from his slumber.
He could already hear the clamor outside the Giant Ship.
After leaving, he directly came to the deck area.
He saw quite a few people had already gathered here.
Clearly, these people were preparing to disembark.
"Master, we're finally almost there."
The Pill Spirit on his shoulder stretched lazily, smiling as he spoke.
"Yes, this journey has been quite interesting."
Ning Qi smiled, then continued, "Let's go, it's already starting to descend!"
"Good!"
The Pill Spirit agreed, then looked forward.
The Giant Ship was indeed beginning to descend.
Soon, people started disembarking one after another.
Ning Qi and the Pill Spirit followed the crowd, walking down together.
They arrived at this spacious open area, seeing that many people were already waiting here for those disembarking.
Among them was also a team of guards, standing ready in full formation.
"Master, do you think they're waiting for Xue Haoran?"
Looking at these people, the Pill Spirit couldn't help but ask curiously.
"They look like guards, probably from this city."
"Maybe they really are."
Ning Qi smiled, then continued, "However, they'll be waiting for him for the rest of their lives."
"Then let them wait until their next life."
The Pill Spirit smiled along.
Ning Qi then took the Pill Spirit and continued walking toward the direction of the city.
Merchant caravans along the way, along with carts and horses large and small, were also moving forward together.
Ning Qi proceeded on foot like this. After walking for a while, he finally reached the outskirts of Cloud City.
"Master, let's go in."
The Pill Spirit glanced inside, revealing a curious look.
Clearly, he wanted to see what fun things Cloud City had.
"Come, let's find a group to blend in with."
Ning Qi spotted the guards of Cloud City from afar.
Then he looked back, wanting to find a group to successfully blend in with and enter.
"Master, wouldn't it be fine to just enter openly and honestly?"
"Why blend in?"
The Pill Spirit asked, puzzled.
"We came down from the Giant Ship. Their young city lord is dead."
"Someone will definitely investigate us."
"Wouldn't blending in solve everything?"
Ning Qi smiled, then continued looking back.
Soon, his eyes lit up.
"What is it?"
Seeing this, the Pill Spirit immediately became tense.
"I see an acquaintance!"
"I never expected that all the way down, we actually came with this princess! I didn't even notice!"
Ning Qi smiled, pointing at the convoy behind them.
It was precisely Princess Xiangxiang's group.
The leading Commander had clearly also seen Ning Qi.
He directly rode his horse over.
"Benefactor!"
He respectfully dismounted and paid his respects to Ning Qi.
"We really are fated!"
Ning Qi looked at the Commander, smiling as he said, "Since fate has brought us together like this, I'll just enter with your group!"
"For our Benefactor to enter the city with us is our honor!"
"Please!"
Hearing that Ning Qi wanted to enter the city with them, the Commander immediately showed a happy expression.
He quickly made way, inviting Ning Qi to follow him back to the convoy.
"Please!"
Ning Qi also smiled, walking together toward this convoy he hadn't seen in what felt like ages.