In another manor.
Song Danshi and Nangong Yan were seated together.
But right now, the two of them sat stiffly, tense and uneasy.
Across from them sat another young man—handsome and refined.
This wasn't just any ordinary young man. He was Ning Yuan, a son of the Ning family from the Horn Constellation Realm. His sister was the famous Ning Yao.
"Where's the Ginseng Boy?" Ning Yuan asked calmly.
Cold sweat dripped down Song Danshi and Nangong Yan's backs.
"Master Ning, the Ginseng Boy was bought by some little bastard from who knows where… for 220 million top-grade spirit stones," Nangong Yan said, knowing there was no way to hide it.
Ning Yuan raised an eyebrow, but he didn't get angry. Instead, he replied flatly, "I underestimated the situation. I thought 200 million would be enough to handle anything in the Wasteland Realm."
"We thought the same thing," Nangong Yan said. "Never expected such a complication."
"Master Ning, if I may ask…" Song Danshi said, curiosity in his voice. "That Ginseng Boy didn't seem like an ordinary spiritual ginseng. Is there something else hidden about it?"
"This thing came from our Horn Constellation Realm," Ning Yuan said. "It belonged to a once-powerful noble family. That family declined, and their descendants fled to the Wasteland Realm, fearing revenge. And this item—if awakened—will have intelligence no weaker than a human."
Both Nangong Yan and Song Danshi sucked in a sharp breath.
A spiritual ginseng with human-level intelligence? That was terrifying.
"Looks like we have to get the Ginseng Boy back no matter what," Nangong Yan said.
"What's your plan?" Ning Yuan asked. "I'm not familiar with the Wasteland Realm, so I'll have to rely on you for this."
"That's easy," Song Danshi said with a smug smile. "We'll pose as bandits, kill a few of them, and that brat will definitely be scared enough to hand over the Ginseng Boy without a fuss."
"Well, aren't you clever."
Just then, a cold voice cut through the air.
Everyone froze in shock.
A moment later, they saw another person had appeared inside the room.
The man strolled in casually, found an open seat next to them, sat down, and even started sipping the tea they'd brewed.
"You!" Song Danshi's pupils shrank.
The young man before them was none other than the one who had won the Ginseng Boy at auction.
Nangong Yan's face darkened, eyes locked on him. "How did you get in here?"
This was his private manor.
Since Ning Yuan was staying here, he had stationed guards everywhere and even set up powerful defensive arrays.
Even a Martial Emperor would struggle to break in.
But this guy not only got in—he did it silently.
"Who is he?" Ning Yuan asked, curious.
"Master Ning, this is the brat who bought the Ginseng Boy," Song Danshi said.
"So it's him." Ning Yuan looked unconcerned.
"Brat, we were just about to come looking for you. And here you are, delivering yourself right to our door. Saves us the trouble," Song Danshi sneered.
Yang Cheng calmly drank the tea in his cup, then said, "Exactly. Saves you from pretending to be bandits and killing my companions."
"Song Danshi was just speaking out of anger," Ning Yuan said at this moment. "Little brother, the Ginseng Boy is very important to me. Would you be willing to part with it? I'll return the 220 million top-grade spirit stones to you, and you'll also gain my friendship."
Song Danshi and Nangong Yan both showed expressions of jealousy.
"Kid, you're really lucky to meet someone as generous as Master Ning," Song Danshi snorted coldly.
But Yang Cheng replied, "Sorry. To me, the Ginseng Boy is priceless. Forget 220 million spirit stones—even if you gave me 200 million divine stones, I wouldn't sell it."
Ning Yuan's brow furrowed. He immediately understood that Yang Cheng truly knew the Ginseng Boy's value.
"There really are people in this world who don't know what's good for them," Song Danshi sneered. "Master Ning, there's no need for you to say another word. Leave this matter to us."
Ning Yuan was clearly angry too and said nothing more.
"Kid, I'll give you the first move," Song Danshi said.
Yang Cheng looked at him calmly. "No need to pretend. You've been secretly gathering true qi this whole time, trying to activate some treasure, right?"
Song Danshi's eyes suddenly focused—he hadn't expected Yang Cheng to see through him so easily.
This clearly showed the boy wasn't simple.
Song Danshi didn't dare be careless anymore. He pointed at Yang Cheng. "Suppress!"
Buzz!
A small cauldron appeared, instantly expanding to half a zhang in size as it crashed toward Yang Cheng.
In an instant, a terrifying pressure burst out from the cauldron.
It was clearly a divine artifact.
Nangong Yan's expression changed. He quickly retreated.
The chair beneath him turned to dust on the spot.
Only Ning Yuan remained still, a faint white glow surrounding his body, blocking all external force.
"Kid, this is my Sanyang Cauldron—a divine artifact," Song Danshi said smugly. "Not only that, I had Prince Nangong prepare a grand formation in this manor. It enhances my Sanyang Cauldron."
"Maybe you've got some skill. But you're too arrogant and too young. Only a fool would walk straight into our trap. Here, even a Demigod would be suppressed by me."
"Demigod?" Yang Cheng said blandly. "So that's all you've got."
After what happened with the Ouyang family, his first reaction to danger now was to eliminate it in advance.
So, he hadn't given Song Danshi or Nangong Yan any chance. He'd come straight to them.
Once he confirmed their malicious intent, he struck with full force.
But it seemed he had overestimated Song Danshi. Even though the man was known as the number one alchemist of Great Zhao, his actual skills weren't much.
Before Song Danshi could react, Yang Cheng flicked his finger.
Clang!
The suppressing force Song Danshi cast was shattered instantly.
The furniture around the hall exploded into pieces, and the Sanyang Cauldron was sent flying by a single flick of Yang Cheng's finger.
"This... impossible!" Song Danshi cried out in horror. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Nangong Yan was just as terrified.
He knew exactly how powerful Song Danshi was.
Even Ning Yuan looked surprised—clearly shocked by the outcome.
"This divine artifact isn't bad. But your skill with it is garbage," Yang Cheng said.
"Run!" Song Danshi immediately gave up any thought of fighting.
Right now, he realized he'd kicked an iron wall. His first instinct was to survive.
That instinct had kept him alive till now.
As for Nangong Yan and Ning Yuan? He couldn't care less.
Before fleeing, he even tore off the jade pendant hanging from his neck and used it to unleash a powerful mental interference against Yang Cheng.
He wasn't hoping to hurt him—just to stall him for a few seconds so he could escape farther.
"Hmph."
Unfortunately for him, Yang Cheng just let out a cold snort, and the jade pendant exploded on the spot.
Song Danshi, who had just made it to the doorway, was hit by a shockwave and fell flat on his face like a dog eating dirt.
He tried to get up, but found his back pinned down by a foot.
"Y-You... who are you really?" Song Danshi trembled. "Senior, I-I didn't know who I was dealing with. I shouldn't have plotted against you. I admit my mistake!"