At the next table, a man, quite unremarkable, smirked as he overheard everyone discussing the affairs of the City Lord's Mansion. Yan Ze was truly in a bad way if he couldn't even keep track of his mount. It was no wonder; he was acutely aware of the potency of the poisons he concocted.
"Uncle-Master, I heard that the old City Lord of Wuji City treasured his immortal cranes, admiring and playing with them daily. How could someone have stolen them right under his nose?"
"Indeed, why would that be?" The middle-aged man chuckled strangely. "What if something happened to him, and he simply couldn't bother with his cranes anymore?"
"This..." The man scratched his head. The old City Lord was, after all, a cultivator of the Golden Core stage, a formidable expert in Wuji City. Who could possibly cause him trouble?
"Uncle-Master, the recruitment for the Seven Great Sects is imminent. Are we here to scout for promising talents?"
The middle-aged man idly twirled his teacup. "What is Yan Yan's current cultivation level?"
"City Lord Yan Yu requested a Foundation Establishment Pill from the Hundred Herbs Hall, presumably for Miss Yan. The last time I was here, the young lady was already at the ninth stage of Qi Condensation. With the help of the Foundation Establishment Pill, she should have entered the Foundation Establishment stage by now."
"If she has indeed reached the Foundation Establishment stage, then she is somewhat useful," a cold sneer flickered across the man's lips. "I shall reluctantly take her as my disciple."
The man dared not reply. Their Uncle-Master had an insatiable appetite for beauty, and many female disciples within the sect had fallen prey to him. However, his skill in poison was unparalleled, and his mastery of its use was profound. Furthermore, his own brother was one of the elders of the Five Poisons Sect, so everyone in the sect turned a blind eye to his behavior.
However, a Foundation Establishment cultivation was something other sects would also covet. It would ultimately depend on Yan Yan's choice. As far as he was concerned, Yan Yan might not be willing to join the Five Poisons Sect.
"Uncle-Master, if Miss Yan is unwilling to join the Five Poisons Sect, what should we do?"
"She will willingly come with me," the middle-aged man stated with absolute certainty. He had timed his arrival precisely. The antidote for the poison Yan Ze had ingested would be exchanged for Yan Yan's allegiance to the Five Poisons Sect. This was a transaction that the filial Yan Yan would surely accept. Even if she refused, he had plenty of ways to make her comply!
"Uncle-Master, should we head to the five great sects' recruitment points next?"
"No, first we pay a visit to the Zhang family," the middle-aged man said slowly. "The head of the Zhang family has invited me to their home multiple times. Since I am here, I should pay my respects. After all, the Zhang family's son and daughter are quite outstanding. I will take a look at these two children. If they are truly exceptional, it would be a matter of recruiting two excellent disciples for our Five Poisons Sect."
"Uncle-Master's foresight is truly admirable," the disciple said, flattering outwardly but inwardly full of disdain. His Uncle-Master clearly had designs on the Zhang family's young lady!
"Enough with the flattery. Let's go see the Zhang family first."
"Yes, Uncle-Master."
The Zhang family held considerable status in Wuji City, and they also had a marital connection with the City Lord's Mansion.
Years ago, the patriarch of the Zhang family had inadvertently saved the City Lord's life. In gratitude, the City Lord, seeing that the Zhang family's wife was pregnant and his own wife was also nearing childbirth, arranged for a betrothal based on their unborn children.
If both families produced a son and a daughter, they would become in-laws. If they both had sons or both had daughters, they would become sworn siblings. Ten months later, both families gave birth on the same day. The City Lord had a son, while the Zhang family was blessed with twins, a boy and a girl.
Thus, the betrothal was sealed. The Zhang family's young master, Zhang Sheng, was designated as the City Lord's prospective son-in-law. The two families maintained frequent contact. However, due to the old City Lord's injury, Yan Yu had reduced their interactions to avoid leaking news. Yet, their children were still betrothed, so their ties could not be entirely severed.
The elder from the Five Poisons Sect went to the Zhang family, while Zhang Sheng headed to the City Lord's Mansion.
The steward of the City Lord's Mansion was a hunchbacked old man, who was fond of napping and usually nowhere to be found.
"Is Young Master Zhang here to see the eldest young lady?" Steward Xia, stooping, led the young master of the Zhang family inside with a humble demeanor.
"A few days ago, I went out for cultivation and only recently returned. As soon as I came back, I hurried to see Yan'er." Zhang Sheng's words explained why he hadn't visited his fiancée for many days.
Old Xia was frail and walked with slow steps. Zhang Sheng lowered his gaze, somewhat bewildered. The City Lord's Mansion was a prestigious place; what kind of person couldn't they find to be a steward? Was it merely to win the favor of the Yan family, that they employed such an elderly man on his last legs? Even so, he maintained a polite demeanor towards the old gatekeeper.
"I heard that Young Master Zhang went out for cultivation with the immortal masters from the Hundred Herbs Hall this time?"
Zhang Sheng, adept at concealing his emotions, replied calmly, "That is indeed true. The immortal masters of the Hundred Herbs Hall needed to find ingredients for refining medicine, and they happened to need someone familiar with the terrain to lead the way. For me, it was an extremely rare opportunity for training, so I volunteered to guide them."
"I heard that only you and the immortal masters from the Hundred Herbs Hall went on this cultivation trip?"
Zhang Sheng's brow furrowed. His cultivation trip with the immortal masters from the Hundred Herbs Hall was supposed to be a secret. How did people from the City Lord's Mansion know about it?
"Yes," the young master of the Zhang family said, smoothly changing the subject. "I haven't seen Yan'er in a long time. Is Yan'er well?"
"The eldest young lady is doing very well, young master need not worry." Old Xia glanced at Zhang Sheng and continued forward. "It's just that the young lady has failed her Foundation Establishment attempts multiple times. I don't know if she can successfully establish her foundation before the Seven Great Sects' recruitment."
"Doesn't Yan'er have a Foundation Establishment Pill? Why did she fail?" Zhang Sheng asked, puzzled. The Foundation Establishment Pills from the Hundred Herbs Hall were of excellent quality. With Yan Yan's talent, a single pill should have ensured her steady advancement to the Foundation Establishment stage. Why the delay?
"Speaking of which, it's infuriating," Old Xia said indignantly. "When the eldest young lady went out, she encountered a young man. That young man, somehow, learned that the young lady had a Foundation Establishment Pill and painstakingly tricked her out of it!"
"What? How could such a shameless person deceive Yan'er out of her Foundation Establishment Pill? Was that abominable trickster caught?"
"No, after tricking the young lady out of the pill, the person vanished. The young lady can only rely on her own abilities to establish her foundation, but how easy is Foundation Establishment?" Old Xia sighed mournfully. "Although one can join the Seven Great Sects at the ninth stage of Qi Condensation, it's ultimately lacking."
Zhang Sheng remained silent. Yan Yan's Foundation Establishment Pill had been tricked away. However, he still had a Foundation Establishment Pill. He had originally intended to visit the City Lord's Mansion to see Yan Yan and strengthen their bond, as Yan Yan was his fiancée. But now, he felt a pang of regret. If the City Lord asked him to give his Foundation Establishment Pill to Yan Yan, would he give it or not?