Chapter 244

Chapter 244: Who Else Would I Trick?

In the Green Sparrow Palace’s reception hall, when Zhang Yang and Bing Yuyan entered, Yilie sat alone, sipping tea. A Small Boundless expert from Green Sparrow Palace, visibly uneasy, quickly excused himself upon their arrival.

Zhang Yang’s gaze sharpened. "The Third Elder has traveled all this way to find me. I wonder what brings you here."

He harbored deep resentment toward Yilie.

Before they had even met, Yilie had leveraged his connections with Yi Ren Zui to negotiate for something Zhang Yang never intended to trade.

During their first encounter, Yilie had imprisoned him without hesitation, intending to auction him off, ruining his friendship with Yi Ren Zui while disregarding her feelings entirely.

Now, in their true second meeting, he had already schemed against him in secret.

The thought made Zhang Yang’s killing intent surge. Were it not for Yi Ren Zui, he might have let Bing Yuyan take Yilie down on the spot.

"The Third Elder isn’t planning to harm me again, is he?" Zhang Yang’s voice turned cold.

He spoke to mask Bing Yuyan’s undeniable murderous intent. Despite being a breathtaking beauty, she had a good heart—too proud due to her goddess-like demeanor, but relatively simple compared to others. She wasn’t used to concealing her emotions.

Yilie chuckled. "How could Zhang Shao say such a thing? You are no longer the person you once were. I wouldn’t dare act carelessly. Any past misunderstandings were my fault, and I sincerely apologize to Zhang Shao."

Zhang Yang observed him carefully. Yilie remained as charming and smooth as ever, as if his past actions held no significance.

Disgusting.

Such people saw only benefits.

Emotions? To them, anything valuable was a commodity to be traded.

"Ha ha, for Yi Ren Zui’s sake, I’ll let it go," Zhang Yang said, eager to cut to the point. "But I wonder why the Third Elder has come to find me. Let’s not beat around the bush. We have no emotional ties, and I’m not interested in idle chatter."

Yilie still wore a smile, but a flicker of coldness passed through his eyes. "Then I will get straight to the point. It’s quite simple. My past actions were aimed at securing my position as the owner of Moonview Tower. That was merely a stepping stone, to obtain more resources and ascend to Sainthood.

Now that the Great Path Sacred Fruit has appeared, it is naturally my top priority."

"So?" Zhang Yang asked.

"The Great Path Sacred Fruit is in the Vast Forest. I’ve been there. They told me that the rights to distribute and trade it belong entirely to you—no one else, not even Chi Sheng, will interfere. Therefore, I have no choice but to come to you for a trade," Yilie explained.

Zhang Yang suddenly understood.

He had been wondering why Yilie hadn’t acted sooner, but now it made sense. Yilie had gone to the Vast Forest first, likely assuming Zhang Yang had returned there.

This guy’s intelligence network is impressive. He found me this quickly.

"A trade, huh?" Zhang Yang smiled.

Did he really intend to negotiate with Yilie?

Absolutely not.

"I know Zhang Shao has grievances against me," Yilie continued, "but I believe that after hearing my terms, you will certainly be interested."

Zhang Yang crossed his arms and chuckled. "The Third Elder seems a bit overconfident."

Bing Yuyan sat quietly beside him, her sharp, enchanting eyes locked onto Yilie, never looking away.

She felt humiliated.

At the time, she had been unaware of Yilie’s earlier schemes against Zhang Yang, and the realization that she had been outmaneuvered infuriated her.

She would not allow such a disgraceful event to occur a second time.

Thus, the pressure radiating from her filled the reception hall, making the air tense and stifling.

Yilie felt the weight of her presence pressing down on him, forcing himself to continue speaking.

"I come from Moonview Tower, an organization that primarily deals in information. In my fifty years of experience, I have encountered many seemingly worthless pieces of knowledge—only for them to later be sold at sky-high prices."

"I believe Zhang Shao will find this one especially valuable."

As he spoke, Yilie retrieved a fist-sized, smooth, and lustrous stone from his storage bag.

Both Zhang Yang and Bing Yuyan narrowed their eyes in surprise.

The stone radiated a faint holy aura, its surface shrouded in holy light.

A holy treasure.

"Holy Bone Dan Stone," Bing Yuyan identified it in a soft voice. "A saint can use it to cultivate and break through to a higher level of sainthood."

Zhang Yang smiled. "The Third Elder certainly knows how to conduct big deals."

Yilie replied smoothly, "Holy treasures may be valuable, but the Great Path Sacred Fruit is even rarer. Trading one for the other seems quite reasonable to me."

It was undeniable, the Holy Bone Dan Stone was tempting.

If he obtained this treasure, it could greatly aid Liao Qingshan, whose saintly foundations were incredibly deep. Helping him break through even a single small realm would be a major advantage for the Vast Forest.

"I’m tempted," Zhang Yang admitted.

Yilie chuckled as he gently caressed the Holy Bone Dan Stone. "However, I don’t simply want to trade this for the Great Path Sacred Fruit. That would be too boring—not thrilling at all. We should make it more interesting."

Zhang Yang’s interest piqued.

He had recently unraveled the forbidden laws of the path of a saint, and this situation might allow him to test some theories.

Smiling, he asked, "What does the Third Elder have in mind?"

Yilie stared at him for a moment, his eyes gleaming.

Zhang Yang smirked inwardly.

He’s trying to see if I’ve noticed the forbidden laws of the path of a saint.

Keeping his expression neutral, he met Yilie’s gaze without a flicker of reaction.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Third Elder?" Zhang Yang feigned confusion. "Is there something else?"

His demeanor radiated wariness.

Beside him, Bing Yuyan rolled her eyes. This man is such a con artist.

Yilie waved it off. "Oh, it’s nothing. It just seems like Zhang Shao is very cautious of me."

"Ha ha, as long as the Third Elder understands that," Zhang Yang replied.

Yilie leaned forward slightly. "I have a rather thrilling suggestion, but I wonder if Zhang Shao dares to accept it."

"Go ahead," Zhang Yang urged.

"How about a gamble?" Yilie proposed. "I’ll bet the Holy Bone Dan Stone, and you bet the Great Path Sacred Fruit. The outcome will be determined by a duel. I will arrange for someone to fight you in a fair match. Whoever wins keeps the stakes."

What a wicked plan.

He had clearly planned this in advance.

By arranging a duel, he could exploit the forbidden laws of the path of a saint, which still limited Zhang Yang’s full strength.

Losing would be inevitable.

I might even die at the hands of his chosen fighter, and he’d be able to shirk all responsibility.

Since you’re so malicious, don’t blame me for being ruthless.

Who else would I trick if not you?

This time, I’ll turn your scheme against you!

"Ha ha, I’m not boasting, but among the Moonview Tower’s ranks, no one at my level can match me," Zhang Yang declared confidently.

Yilie chuckled. "It is well known that Zhang Shao dominates all his peers. A same-realm duel would be an automatic loss for my side. So, to make things fair, exciting, and suspenseful, I propose an opponent from the Level One Opening the Sky Realm instead. What do you think?"

"Third Elder, that proposal is quite unfair! I’m just at the fourth level of the Ascending to Heaven Realm," Zhang Yang replied lightly.

He deliberately concealed the fact that he had already advanced to the fifth level. If Yilie realized his breakthrough, he might also deduce that Zhang Yang had solved the forbidden laws of the path of a saint.

Yilie smirked. "Who doesn’t know that Zhang Shao crushed all his enemies in the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins? If it were someone from the Ascending to Heaven Realm, my fighters wouldn’t stand a chance. Only by choosing an opponent from the Opening the Sky Realm would there be even a sliver of hope. That’s why my proposal is reasonable."

Zhang Yang hesitated, stroking his chin.

Yilie pressed on. "Does Zhang Shao lack confidence? You are meant to overshadow the world—the Mighty Battle God! If you fear even this, it’s truly disappointing."

Zhang Yang still hesitated.

Yilie continued. "Are you afraid of challenging the entire Southern Region’s Human Catastrophe?"

A blatant provocation.

Zhang Yang almost agreed on the spot.

But he knew better.

With a clever fox like Yilie, he couldn’t be too hasty.

Feigning reluctance, he remained silent, pretending to weigh his options.

Finally, Bing Yuyan could no longer hold back and said, "You are the master of our Vast Forest! Are you really afraid of such a small challenge?"

"Alright, since you put it that way, how can I refuse? Let me battle the Level One Opening the Sky Realm expert with my fourth level of the Ascending to Heaven Realm!" Zhang Yang agreed.

Yilie laughed heartily. "Good! It’s decided. The weather will be clear tomorrow, and we shall have a fair battle!"

"Then the duel will be tomorrow," Zhang Yang nodded.

Yilie wasted no time and bid farewell immediately.

His people were still outside Green Sparrow Palace, numbering over a hundred.

Upon returning, Yilie retrieved a palace-like sacred treasure, enlarged it, and led his group inside.

They were preparing.

Back at Green Sparrow Palace, as soon as they entered, Bing Yuyan cheered excitedly. "Con artist! The Holy Bone Dan Stone is mine! You can’t give it away! I want to use it as soon as I achieve sainthood!"

"Yours?" Zhang Yang raised an eyebrow.

Bing Yuyan gritted her teeth. "You’re not giving it to me?"

"I can give it to you, as long as…" Zhang Yang deliberately paused.

"As long as what?" Bing Yuyan asked suspiciously.

Zhang Yang smirked. "As long as you warm my bed."

"I’ll kill you, you lecherous schemer!" Bing Yuyan shrieked in frustration.