“ hē hē ， shàng cì nǐ men gěi de shòu hún zhū ， kě zhēn shì hǎo yòng 。”
“呵呵，上次你们给的兽魂珠，可真是好用。”
"Haha, the beast soul pearl you gave me last time was really useful."
“ yóu qí nà kē fēng yìn le 【 chì jiǔ tóu 】 cán pò de ， dàng zhēn bù fán 。 lán yù cháng nà jiā huo ， běn lái zhǐ shì shāo wēi qiáng zhuàng yì diǎn 、 huì xiē wǔ yì de fán rén 。”
“尤其那颗封印了【赤九头】残魄的，当真不凡。蓝玉常那家伙，本来只是稍微强壮一点、会些武艺的凡人。”
"Especially that one with the封印ed【赤九头】residual spirit. It truly wasn't ordinary. Blue Jade Chang was just a slightly stronger and martially skilled mortal."
“ kě jiāng qí xī shōu le zhī hòu ， zhàn dòu lì bào zēng 。 wǒ men nà de pǔ tōng huà shén xiū shì ， qiē cuō de shí hòu ， dōu wán quán bú shì tā de duì shǒu 。”
“可将其吸收了之后，战斗力暴增。我们那的普通化神修士，切磋的时候，都完全不是他的对手。”
"After absorbing it, his combat power skyrocketed. Our average Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't even match him in sparring sessions."
“ jù lán yù cháng shuō ， zhè hái shì zài tā běn rén yǒu suǒ bǎo liú de qíng kuàng xià 。”
“据蓝玉常说，这还是在他本人有所保留的情况下。”
"According to Blue Jade Chang's own words, he still held back during that time."
“ rú guǒ tā fàng shǒu yī zhàn ， zé zé ……”
“如果他放手一战，啧啧……”
"If he had let loose, zzzz..."
lǐ fán kǒu wú zhē lán ， háo bù bì huì bān ， tāo tāo bù jué dì shuō dào 。
李凡口无遮拦，毫不避讳般，滔滔不绝地说道。
Li Fan spoke freely without any reservations, pouring out a stream of words.
ér xiǎo qīng zài tīng dào le 【 chì jiǔ tóu 】 zhè ge míng zì hòu ， liǎn sè wēi biàn 。
而小青在听到了【赤九头】这个名字后，脸色微变。
Upon hearing the name【赤九头】, Xiao Qing's expression changed slightly. After Li Fan mentioned someone was able to withstand the Nine-Headed Bird's overwhelming malevolence and absorb that beast soul pearl, she trembled slightly and blurted out, "Impossible! How could a mortal bear such a fierce aura..."
ér hòu yòu tīng lǐ fán shuō ， yǐ jīng yǒu rén néng gòu chéng shòu zhù jiǔ tóu niǎo de tāo tiān lì qì ， chéng gōng xī shōu le nà kē shòu hún zhū 。
而后又听李凡说，已经有人能够承受住九头鸟的滔天戾气，成功吸收了那颗兽魂珠。
Li Fan showed clear displeasure: "Don't be so surprised by something rare. Our Interdimensional Alliance has produced many talents; what kind of extraordinary figures haven't we seen?"
gèng shì jiāo qū wēi zhèn ， zhí jiē tǔ kǒu ér chū dào ：“ bù kě néng ！ fán rén zěn me kě néng chéng shòu zhù nà jiā huo de xiōng shà zhī qì ……”
更是娇躯微震，直接吐口而出道：“不可能！凡人怎么可能承受住那家伙的凶煞之气……”
"Your empire not finding the right person doesn't mean we can't."
lǐ fán zé shì guǒ duàn miàn lù bú yuè zhī sè ：“ shǎo jiàn duō guài 。 wǒ men wàn jiè lián hé huì rén cái bèi chū ， shén me yàng de qí rén yì shì méi yǒu ？”
李凡则是果断面露不悦之色：“少见多怪。我们万界联合会人才辈出，什么样的奇人异士没有？”
"Don't you think that just because you traded with us once, you're on equal footing now?"
“ nǐ men dì guó zhǎo bú dào hé shì de rén xuǎn ， bù dài biǎo wǒ men bù xíng 。”
“你们帝国找不到合适的人选，不代表我们不行。”
Li Fan seemed like a naive newcomer who spoke his mind without any subtlety. He said, "We entered into this transaction to help you. There are so many small worlds around the Xuanhuang Realm; we don't need your support."
“ nǐ gāi bú huì yǐ wéi ， gēn wǒ men jiāo yì le yī cì ， jiù néng gēn wǒ men xiāng tí bìng lùn le ba ？”
“你该不会以为，跟我们交易了一次，就能跟我们相提并论了吧？”
"You need our assistance, not us depending on you."
lǐ fán fǎng fú yí gè chū chū máo lú de lèng tóu qīng ， yǒu shén me huà dōu zhí jiē shuō chū kǒu ， gēn běn bù zhī dào shén me jiào zuò “ wěi wǎn ”。
李凡仿佛一个初出茅庐的愣头青，有什么话都直接说出口，根本不知道什么叫做“委婉”。
...
tā miàn dài bù xiè zhī sè ：“ wǒ men wàn jiè lián hé huì ， shì wèi le bāng zhù nǐ men ， cái gēn nǐ jìn xíng jiāo yì de 。”
他面带不屑之色：“我们万界联合会，是为了帮助你们，才跟你进行交易的。”
Xiao Qing's expression turned ugly when she heard Li Fan's harsh words but ultimately held back from reacting.
“ xuán huáng jiè zhōu biān xiǎo shì jiè zhè me duō ， bù chà nǐ men yī jiā 。”
“玄黄界周边小世界这么多，不差你们一家。”
Li Fan continued talking non-stop and noticed no response. Perhaps realizing it was uninteresting, he stopped as well.
“ shì nǐ men xū yào wàn jiè lián hé huì de bāng zhù ， ér bú shì wǒ men fēi nǐ bù kě 。”
“是你们需要万界联合会的帮助，而不是我们非你不可。”
Xiao Qing looked at Li Fan with some ill will in her eyes. However, after this exchange, she had no doubts about his identity anymore.
……
……
She picked up where they left off, asking softly, "Esteemed friend, since everyone thinks the transaction is beneficial for both sides, why did you suddenly decide to stop?"
xiǎo qīng tīng dào lǐ fán zhè nán tīng zhì jí de huà ， miàn sè biàn dé jí wéi nán kàn 。
小青听到李凡这难听至极的话，面色变得极为难看。
Li Fan sighed and said honestly, "It's due to an unforeseen factor."
bù guò zuì zhōng tā hái shì rěn zhù ， méi yǒu fā zuò 。
不过最终她还是忍住，没有发作。
He leaned forward and whispered, "According to our intelligence, there might be a major war between the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association soon."
ér lǐ fán dié dié bù xiū ， què fā xiàn duì fāng méi yǒu fǎn yìng 。 huò xǔ yě shì zì jué méi qù ， yě zhōng tú tíng zhǐ le xià lái 。
而李凡喋喋不休，却发现对方没有反应。或许也是自觉没趣，也中途停止了下来。
"You know how tense times are just before a war breaks out."
xiǎo qīng de yǎn shén ， kàn dài lǐ fán yǒu xiē bù shàn 。
小青的眼神，看待李凡有些不善。
"Essentially, we must stabilize our internal affairs first. If the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance discovers any trace of us, they might eliminate us to remove an internal threat before fighting the Five Elders Association."
bù guò jīng guò le zhè me yī chá ， tā què shì duì lǐ fán de shēn fèn zài wú huái yí 。
不过经过了这么一茬，她却是对李凡的身份再无怀疑。
Li Fan shook his head with no shame: "To be honest, although we've always used 'retaliate against the cultivation world' as our slogan, compared to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association, our organization is still lacking in strength. We can't deny this."
tā jiē zhe gāng gāng de huà tí ， qīng shēng wèn dào ：“ zhè wèi dào yǒu ， jì rán dà jiā dōu jué de de jiāo yì duì shuāng fāng dōu shì yǒu yì de ， nà yòu wèi hé huì zuò chū tū rán zhōng zhǐ de jué dìng ne ？”
她接着刚刚的话题，轻声问道：“这位道友，既然大家都觉得的交易对双方都是有益的，那又为何会做出突然中止的决定呢？”
"We need more power, so for now, we must bide our time."
lǐ fán tàn le kǒu qì ， shí huà shí shuō dào ：“ shí zài shì yù dào le bù kě kàng lì de yīn sù 。”
李凡叹了口气，实话实说道：“实在是遇到了不可抗力的因素。”
Suddenly, Li Fan's expression turned excited: "Moreover, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association haven't had such a major conflict in years."
tā shēn tǐ wēi xiàng qián qīng ， còu shàng qián lái ， xiǎo shēng dào ：“ gēn jù wǒ men de qíng bào ， zuì jìn wàn xiān méng hé wǔ lǎo huì zhī jiān ， hěn kě néng huì bào fā chū yī cháng dà zhàn 。”
他身体微向前倾，凑上前来，小声道：“根据我们的情报，最近万仙盟和五老会之间，很可能会爆发出一场大战。”
"This war will surely be unprecedented in scale and brutality. We can hide in the shadows and take advantage of their internal strife."
“ nǐ yě zhī dào ， wǎng wǎng zhàn zhēng jí jiāng lái lín de zhè duàn shí jiān ， shì shuāng fāng zuì jìn jǐn zhāng de shí kè 。”
“你也知道，往往战争即将来临的这段时间，是双方最近紧张的时刻。”
"Perhaps we can even reap some benefits."
“ suǒ wèi rǎng nèi bì xiān ān wài ， rú guǒ zài zhè ge shí hòu ， bèi wàn xiān méng fā xiàn le wǒ men wàn jiè lián hé huì de zhū sī mǎ jì 。 shuō bù zhǔn tā men jiù huì wèi le xiāo chú nèi bù de yǐn huàn ， zài hé wǔ lǎo huì kāi dǎ qián ， xiān jí zhōng lì liàng ， bǎ wǒ men dàng píng le 。”
“所谓攘内必先安外，如果在这个时候，被万仙盟发现了我们万界联合会的蛛丝马迹。说不准他们就会为了消除内部的隐患，在和五老会开打前，先集中力量，把我们荡平了。”
Xiao Qing looked at Li Fan's smug expression, unsure about the "upcoming war" he mentioned.
lǐ fán yáo tóu huàng nǎo ， bìng méi yǒu bàn diǎn de bù hǎo yì sī ：“ shí shì qiú shì de jiǎng ， suī rán wǒ men yì zhí yǐ fǎn gōng xiū xiān jiè wèi kǒu hào 。 dàn xiàn rú jīn ， zǔ zhī gēn wàn xiān méng hé wǔ lǎo huì tā men xiāng bǐ ， shí lì hái shì yǒu diǎn chā jù de 。 zhè wǒ men yě wú fǎ fǒu rèn 。”
李凡摇头晃脑，并没有半点的不好意思：“实事求是的讲，虽然我们一直以反攻修仙界为口号。但现如今，组织跟万仙盟和五老会他们相比，实力还是有点差距的。这我们也无法否认。”
The empire had its own intelligence sources. Over these years, although few, the thieves' arts practitioners were scattered throughout the Xuanhuang Realm.
“ hái xū yào zài jī xù lì liàng ， suǒ yǐ xiàn zài yě zhǐ néng xiān zàn bì fēng máng le 。”
“还需要再积蓄力量，所以现在也只能先暂避锋芒了。”
During Xiao Qing's recent return to the cultivation world, she had reconnected with most of them. Their existence gave her some insight into the current situation in the Xuanhuang Realm.
hū de ， lǐ fán de liǎn sè yòu biàn dé yǒu xiē xīng fèn ：“ gèng hé kuàng ， zhè kě shì gè qiān zǎi nán féng de hǎo jī huì 。 wàn xiān méng hé wǔ lǎo huì ， yǐ jīng xǔ duō nián méi yǒu dà dǎ chū shǒu le 。”
忽的，李凡的脸色又变得有些兴奋：“更何况，这可是个千载难逢的好机会。万仙盟和五老会，已经许多年没有大打出手了。”
A great wind rises from a tiny blade of grass; there must be reasons for war.
“ zhè cì dà zhàn ， dìng rán shēng shì 、 cǎn liè chéng dù kōng qián ， tā men gǒu yǎo gǒu ， wǒ men zé duǒ zài àn chù ， hún shuǐ mō yú 。”
“这次大战，定然声势、惨烈程度空前，他们狗咬狗，我们则躲在暗处，浑水摸鱼。”
If the next war was as brutal as he said, signs should have appeared before it broke out.
“ shuō bù dìng hái néng zuò shōu yú wēng zhī lì ， chèn jī nòng diǎn hǎo chù ne 。”
“说不定还能坐收渔翁之利，趁机弄点好处呢。”
"Perhaps they missed something..."
xiǎo qīng kàn zhe lǐ fán yáng yáng zì dé de mú yàng ， xīn zhōng què shì duì tā kǒu zhōng ， suǒ wèi de “ jí jiāng bào fā de zhàn zhēng ”， yǒu xiē jiāng xìn jiāng yí 。
小青看着李凡洋洋自得的模样，心中却是对他口中，所谓的“即将爆发的战争”，有些将信将疑。
While Xiao Qing pondered, Li Fan paid no mind to her thoughts and boldly asked for more beast soul pearls. "Ah, my brothers are quite envious this time. I must bring some local specialties back."
dì guó yě yǒu zì jǐ de qíng bào lái yuán 。
帝国也有自己的情报来源。
"Lord Blue Jade, Sage Master Blue Jade."
zhè xiē nián lái ， dào fǎ zhě suī rán shù liàng bù duō ， dàn shì biàn bù xuán huáng jiè gè dì 。
这些年来，盗法者虽然数量不多，但是遍布玄黄界各地。
"You have plenty of these in your empire; just give me a few to fulfill my mission."
xiǎo qīng chóng xīn fǎn huí xiū xiān jiè de zhè duàn shí jiān ， yǐ jīng hé tā men zhōng de jué dà duō shù qǔ dé le lián xì 。
小青重新返回修仙界的这段时间，已经和他们中的绝大多数取得了联系。
Seeing Li Fan's grin, Xiao Qing almost burst out laughing.
zhèng yīn wèi yǒu tā men de cún zài ， xiǎo qīng qí shí duì rú jīn xuán huáng jiè de jú shì ， hái shì yǒu suǒ liǎo jiě de 。
正因为有他们的存在，小青其实对如今玄黄界的局势，还是有所了解的。
But dealing with such people wasn't worth it.
suǒ wèi dà fēng qǐ yú qīng píng zhī mò 。
所谓大风起于青萍之末。
Xiao Qing took out two beast soul pearls equivalent to Golden Core strength and handed them over. The other party still wasn't satisfied and tried to beg for more.
zhàn zhēng de bào fā ， zǒng yào yǒu yuán yīn de ba ？
战争的爆发，总要有原因的吧？
This time, Xiao Qing didn't tolerate him; she gave a direct order to leave.
rú guǒ jiē xià lái de nà chǎng zhàn zhēng ， zhēn de xiàng duì fāng suǒ shuō de nà bān ， shí fēn cǎn liè 。
如果接下来的那场战争，真的像对方所说的那般，十分惨烈。
"I really don't have any more beast soul pearls. Esteemed friend, please go back!"
nà me xiàn zài jiù yīng gāi néng zhǎo dào yī xiē zhàn zhēng bào fā qián de zhēng zhào 。
那么现在就应该能找到一些战争爆发前的征兆。
Li Fan's expression changed quickly. Just now, he called her Sage Master, but hearing this, his face fell as he flew away without saying goodbye.
“ huò xǔ shì tā men yí lòu xiē shén me xì jié ……”
“或许是他们遗漏些什么细节……”
"How can there be such people in the Interdimensional Alliance?"
xiǎo qīng xiàn rù chén sī de shí hòu ， lǐ fán què shì wán quán bù zài hū tā shì zěn me xiǎng de 。
小青陷入沉思的时候，李凡却是完全不在乎她是怎么想的。
"In our empire, he would have been fed to the Rift Whale long ago!"
fǎn ér hòu zhe liǎn pí ， gēn xiǎo qīng yào qǐ le “ shòu hún zhū ”。
反而厚着脸皮，跟小青要起了“兽魂珠”。
Xiao Qing was furious.
“ āi yā ， wǒ zhè cì qián lái ， xiōng dì men dōu shí fēn yǎn chán ne 。 shuō shén me yě ràng wǒ shùn biàn dài diǎn tè chǎn huí qù 。”
“哎呀，我这次前来，兄弟们都十分眼馋呢。说什么也让我顺便带点特产回去。”
"Still, the previous esteemed friend was better."
“ qīng dà rén ， qīng shèng shī 。”
“青大人，青圣师。”
She remembered how satisfied both parties had been during their last transaction. The subsequent material handover went smoothly as well.
“ fǎn zhèng zhè dōng xī nǐ men dì guó yào duō shǎo yǒu duō shǎo ， jiù suí biàn dǎ fā wǒ diǎn ba 。 wǒ yě hǎo huí qù jiāo chāi 。”
“反正这东西你们帝国要多少有多少，就随便打发我点吧。我也好回去交差。”
"Unfortunately, that person must be busy and can't spare time." Xiao Qing thought regretfully.
kàn zhe lǐ fán nà fù xī pí xiào liǎn de mú yàng ， xiǎo qīng chà diǎn bèi qì xiào le 。
看着李凡那副嬉皮笑脸的模样，小青差点被气笑了。
Recalling her thoughts, she contacted her empire's spies to inquire if there were any unusual activities in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance recently—any signs of an impending war.
bù guò gēn zhè zhǒng rén yě méi bì yào jì jiào shén me 。
不过跟这种人也没必要计较什么。
Her subordinates quickly replied; everything was as usual, with no news of a war. This left Xiao Qing uncertain.
xiǎo qīng zhè me xiǎng zhe ， qǔ chū liǎng méi xiāng dāng yú jīn dān shí lì de shòu hún zhū ， dì le guò qù 。
小青这么想着，取出两枚相当于金丹实力的兽魂珠，递了过去。
"Is it true or false?"
ér duì fāng jìng rán hái bù zhī zú ， hái xiǎng sǐ pí lài liǎn de zài yào yì diǎn 。
而对方竟然还不知足，还想死皮赖脸的再要一点。
—
zhè cì xiǎo qīng méi yǒu zài rěn ， zhí jiē xià le zhú kè lìng 。
这次小青没有再忍，直接下了逐客令。
While this Sage Master from the empire was troubled, He Zhenghao had already been counting his money to the point of cramps on his face. Smiling widely, he recorded every contribution and replied diligently to the creditors: "Friend Qin, rest assured; your contributions have been received. Just wait for your big fortune!"
“ shòu hún zhū wǒ shēn biān shì zhēn méi yǒu le ， dào yǒu hái shì qǐng huí ba ！”
“兽魂珠我身边是真没有了，道友还是请回吧！”
"Little Brother Wei, I've noted down your ten thousand contributions. Ah, I understand it took you everything you had to save up. Who hasn't? Don't worry; could Master Secret Envoy really lose out on you?"
lǐ fán biàn liǎn yě shì jí kuài 。
李凡变脸也是极快。
(End of Chapter)
"Haha, the beast soul pearl you gave me last time was really useful."
"Especially that one with the封印ed【赤九头】residual spirit. It truly wasn't ordinary. Blue Jade Chang was just a slightly stronger and martially skilled mortal."
"After absorbing it, his combat power skyrocketed. Our average Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't even match him in sparring sessions."
"According to Blue Jade Chang's own words, he still held back during that time."
"If he had let loose, zzzz..."
Li Fan spoke freely without any reservations, pouring out a stream of words.
Upon hearing the name【赤九头】, Xiao Qing's expression changed slightly. After Li Fan mentioned someone was able to withstand the Nine-Headed Bird's overwhelming malevolence and absorb that beast soul pearl, she trembled slightly and blurted out, "Impossible! How could a mortal bear such a fierce aura..."
Li Fan showed clear displeasure: "Don't be so surprised by something rare. Our Interdimensional Alliance has produced many talents; what kind of extraordinary figures haven't we seen?"
"Your empire not finding the right person doesn't mean we can't."
"Don't you think that just because you traded with us once, you're on equal footing now?"
Li Fan seemed like a naive newcomer who spoke his mind without any subtlety. He said, "We entered into this transaction to help you. There are so many small worlds around the Xuanhuang Realm; we don't need your support."
"You need our assistance, not us depending on you."
...
Xiao Qing's expression turned ugly when she heard Li Fan's harsh words but ultimately held back from reacting.
Li Fan continued talking non-stop and noticed no response. Perhaps realizing it was uninteresting, he stopped as well.
Xiao Qing looked at Li Fan with some ill will in her eyes. However, after this exchange, she had no doubts about his identity anymore.
She picked up where they left off, asking softly, "Esteemed friend, since everyone thinks the transaction is beneficial for both sides, why did you suddenly decide to stop?"
Li Fan sighed and said honestly, "It's due to an unforeseen factor."
He leaned forward and whispered, "According to our intelligence, there might be a major war between the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association soon."
"You know how tense times are just before a war breaks out."
"Essentially, we must stabilize our internal affairs first. If the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance discovers any trace of us, they might eliminate us to remove an internal threat before fighting the Five Elders Association."
Li Fan shook his head with no shame: "To be honest, although we've always used 'retaliate against the cultivation world' as our slogan, compared to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association, our organization is still lacking in strength. We can't deny this."
"We need more power, so for now, we must bide our time."
Suddenly, Li Fan's expression turned excited: "Moreover, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association haven't had such a major conflict in years."
"This war will surely be unprecedented in scale and brutality. We can hide in the shadows and take advantage of their internal strife."
"Perhaps we can even reap some benefits."
Xiao Qing looked at Li Fan's smug expression, unsure about the "upcoming war" he mentioned.
The empire had its own intelligence sources. Over these years, although few, the thieves' arts practitioners were scattered throughout the Xuanhuang Realm.
During Xiao Qing's recent return to the cultivation world, she had reconnected with most of them. Their existence gave her some insight into the current situation in the Xuanhuang Realm.
A great wind rises from a tiny blade of grass; there must be reasons for war.
If the next war was as brutal as he said, signs should have appeared before it broke out.
"Perhaps they missed something..."
While Xiao Qing pondered, Li Fan paid no mind to her thoughts and boldly asked for more beast soul pearls. "Ah, my brothers are quite envious this time. I must bring some local specialties back."
"Lord Blue Jade, Sage Master Blue Jade."
"You have plenty of these in your empire; just give me a few to fulfill my mission."
Seeing Li Fan's grin, Xiao Qing almost burst out laughing.
But dealing with such people wasn't worth it.
Xiao Qing took out two beast soul pearls equivalent to Golden Core strength and handed them over. The other party still wasn't satisfied and tried to beg for more.
This time, Xiao Qing didn't tolerate him; she gave a direct order to leave.
"I really don't have any more beast soul pearls. Esteemed friend, please go back!"
Li Fan's expression changed quickly. Just now, he called her Sage Master, but hearing this, his face fell as he flew away without saying goodbye.
"How can there be such people in the Interdimensional Alliance?"
"In our empire, he would have been fed to the Rift Whale long ago!"
Xiao Qing was furious.
"Still, the previous esteemed friend was better."
She remembered how satisfied both parties had been during their last transaction. The subsequent material handover went smoothly as well.
"Unfortunately, that person must be busy and can't spare time." Xiao Qing thought regretfully.
Recalling her thoughts, she contacted her empire's spies to inquire if there were any unusual activities in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance recently—any signs of an impending war.
Her subordinates quickly replied; everything was as usual, with no news of a war. This left Xiao Qing uncertain.
"Is it true or false?"
—
While this Sage Master from the empire was troubled, He Zhenghao had already been counting his money to the point of cramps on his face. Smiling widely, he recorded every contribution and replied diligently to the creditors: "Friend Qin, rest assured; your contributions have been received. Just wait for your big fortune!"
"Little Brother Wei, I've noted down your ten thousand contributions. Ah, I understand it took you everything you had to save up. Who hasn't? Don't worry; could Master Secret Envoy really lose out on you?"
(End of Chapter)