After tricking the Lord of the Four-Phase Calamity, Gu Fangchen first used an illusion formation to send away the Sword Pavilion disciple, then took Qing Jian to the nearby Bright Pearl Tower.
Ning Songjun was different from Yi'er. He possessed far too many valuable things.
If he simply couldn't steal them, that would be one thing, but if he stole something that shouldn't be stolen, then matters could become truly disastrous.
Therefore, he had to make a few small preparations first.
The Bright Pearl Tower was a place where cultivators conducted all manner of transactions. With the tower's appraisers serving as witnesses, one could trade goods for goods, or buy directly with gold and silver. Regular auctions were also held there.
There were countless establishments like this across the land, but the Bright Pearl Tower was the largest and most trusted among them.
In truth, the force behind the Bright Pearl Tower was none other than the Sky-Eye Division.
Gu Fangchen once again disguised himself as that Jade Void Sect disciple. As soon as he stepped into the Bright Pearl Tower, someone immediately approached and invited him to the top floor for a private discussion.
All the cultivators inside turned to look. When they saw his completely unfamiliar face, their expressions varied widely.
On the top floor, Gu Fangchen met with the tower's branch master. He made no attempt at courtesy and directly stated that he wished to borrow their "Golden Mother Pearl."
The very foundation of the Bright Pearl Tower's operations lay in the fact that every tower housed one such pearl.
The Golden Mother Pearl had no other purpose than to naturally enhance the holder's fortune. For cultivators, this did not only mean an increased chance of obtaining wealth, but also a heightened probability of acquiring other magical artifacts.
When the Bright Pearl Tower first rose to prominence, the effect of this artifact was extraordinary. But nowadays, it was little more than a symbol of luck.
Still, the existence of this artifact remained a closely guarded secret.
The branch master was visibly stunned. After five minutes of internal discussion, he nonetheless agreed to lend him the artifact.
He didn't even set a return date.
It was, in effect, as if he had given it away.
Gu Fangchen knew very well what this meant. These people were certainly planning to investigate his identity later, especially the Yin-Yang Division Chief of the Sky-Eye Division.
But...
The Bright Pearl Tower in Dragon Hollow Commandery was under the control of the Yin Division, and its overseer was a Divine Dao cultivator who specialized in the art of karma.
If he wanted to uncover Gu Fangchen's true identity, he would definitely attempt to trace the karmic threads tied to him.
Had this been before, Gu Fangchen would never have come here so openly to request it. He would have simply used Passing Through the Garden of Ten Thousand Blossoms to steal it.
But now... he carried the Wheel of the Sea of Calamity with him, and his karmic entanglement had already grown unimaginably heavy.
Anyone who tried to peer into it would be scared out of their wits.
So, the Bright Pearl Tower's reaction was perfectly natural.
Once he obtained the item, Gu Fangchen immediately slipped back to the Sword Pavilion.
For the moment, the Lord of the Four-Phase Calamity couldn't do anything to him. But though she couldn't kill him, that didn't mean she wouldn't try to take control of him by force.
If she beat him to his knees and dragged him back to serve as a karmic slave, that would be disastrous.
He had temporarily fooled her, setting tiger against wolf, letting her go hunt down those Confucians who might appear during the Seven-Sect Rebellion, but that was only a stalling tactic.
For the Lord of the Four-Phase Calamity, killing a few Confucians below Third Rank was all too easy.
It could only buy him a short respite. Returning to the Sword Pavilion to find his uncle was far safer.
At the very least, within the Sword Pavilion's territory, the Lord of the Four-Phase Calamity would gain nothing.
Not to mention... he had stolen her Wheel of the Sea of Calamity, leaving her strength significantly diminished.
In the courtyard, Gu Fangchen carried that jar of Drunken Spring Breeze to Ning Songjun and placed it on the stone table.
Ning Songjun frowned, lifted the jar, and weighed it in his hand.
"Drunken Spring Breeze?"
Gu Fangchen raised an eyebrow and gave him a thumbs-up. "Seems Uncle's sword and nose are still as sharp as ever."
Ning Songjun's face darkened.
What did he mean by "his sword and nose were equally sharp"?
This brat was mocking him again.
Ning Songjun narrowed his eyes and gave a noncommittal snort. "A bribe?"
"Uncle, that's such a cold word. What bribe?"
Gu Fangchen put on a wounded expression. "I found good wine and wanted to show my filial piety, yet that's what Uncle thinks of me?"
He pouted and reached as if to snatch the jar back. "Forget it then. I'll just take it to my dearest Martial Saint master. If he's in a good mood, maybe he'll teach me a trick or two, or give me one of his treasured artifacts."
"Saves me the trouble of forcing affection where it's unwanted, and being wrongly accused on top of that."
Ning Songjun watched him without expression, letting him take the jar and turn to leave.
Gu Fangchen had barely taken ten steps when the Sword Saint's calm voice sounded behind him. "Wait."
Gu Fangchen turned back, feigning innocence. "Does Uncle have more to say? If not, I'll be off."
Ning Songjun cleared his throat. "Where did you get the Drunken Spring Breeze? The man who could brew it should have died long ago."
Over the years, many had searched the Lü family's wine cellars, but not a single jar of Drunken Spring Breeze had ever been found.
Gu Fangchen replied, "Didn't Uncle just say he didn't want it? Why worry about where it came from?"
Ning Songjun's face hardened. "If you stole or robbed it, using your title as heir to act lawlessly, I'll report you to your aunt today."
Old habits died hard, and what worried him most was that Gu Fangchen, having hidden his true self for so many years, might have grown too accustomed to deceit.
No one knew a nephew better than his uncle... and he had guessed perfectly right.
Gu Fangchen's face didn't change; his heartbeat didn't quicken. "It was a mutual agreement. How could that be called lawless?"
When he had spoken with Yi'er, the very first question he asked was whether her other belongings could serve as dowry.
Her answer made it clear: aside from the wine cellars, all her savings over the years could be given to him.
Later, through subtle probing, she had even hinted that if Gu Fangchen were willing to marry her, she would open a jar of Daughter's Red as part of the wedding.
Thus, if he truly married her, she would truly marry him.
Of course, Yi'er herself likely had no objection, but as for Lü Fuyi, he couldn't be sure.
Taking the jar now was, at most, an early withdrawal from his dowry.
Ning Songjun's expression was skeptical; he clearly didn't fully believe it.
But Gu Fangchen hadn't actually lied.
He continued, "You took that jar just to trade it for a technique or artifact? Such waste!"
Ning Songjun clasped his hands behind his back, his expression darkening as he quietly tried to intimidate his nephew.
"Do you know what three things the Martial Saint hates most?"
Gu Fangchen cooperatively blinked. "What are they?"
Ning Songjun said sternly, "Taking without asking, wasting precious things, and harming the innocent."
"Anyone who ever did any of those three before him met a miserable end."
Sorry, old man. When I met the Martial Saint, I had already done all three.
Gu Fangchen clicked his tongue. "That serious?"
Ning Songjun nodded.
Gu Fangchen hesitated for a moment, looked down at the jar in his hand, and sighed. "Then I suppose I'll give it to you, Uncle."
Ning Songjun reached out, took the jar, examined the faded seal around its mouth, and said regretfully, "This jar is only sixteen years old, still short of its peak fragrance."
Gu Fangchen saw how reluctant he looked, clearly planning to hide it away for decades again. He sighed and said, "What a pity. You should've said that earlier, I already opened it and had a sip."
There were very few wines in the world strong enough to intoxicate Ning Songjun.
Naturally, he couldn't let Ning Songjun bury this one away again.
Ning Songjun fell silent.
Blue veins popped out on the Sword Saint's forehead, his face dark as ink.
At this moment, never mind the Martial Saint hating waste, even he hated it.