"Ninth Prince, please follow me. The master is waiting inside," the ninth steward said, leading Zhang Ruochen into the Martial Market Bank.
Ninth Princess and Dan Xiangling remained outside, as their status was not high enough to meet the bank master.
As Zhang Ruochen and the steward departed, Liu Chengfeng's eyes narrowed. He thought bitterly, "Damn it! My father agreed to see him? What's so special about him?"
Turning his gaze toward Dan Xiangling and Ninth Princess, Liu Chengfeng quickly adjusted his expression, replacing his cold demeanor with a supposedly charming smile. He cupped his hands and said, "Miss Xiangling, I've long admired your name. Would you care to accompany me for a tour around the royal city?"
Given his status, Liu Chengfeng believed that the daughter of a mere sect master wouldn't dare reject him. As long as he could get her alone, he was confident he could win her over.
Liu Chuanshen was a legendary figure in Yunwu Commandery, controlling the entire financial and military power of the Martial Market Bank within the region. He was one of the top ten most influential people in the commandery.
Only individuals of Yunwu Commandery King's status had the privilege of meeting him. For most martial artists, seeing him was nearly impossible.
From the moment Zhang Ruochen laid eyes on Liu Chuanshen, he sensed the man's profound martial arts cultivation, exuding an imposing aura that felt like an insurmountable mountain. Most people would tremble in his presence, unable to meet his gaze.
But Zhang Ruochen remained composed and said, "I've long heard of your great name, Master Liu. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation."
"Ninth Prince, you are a dragon among men, as I've heard many times," Liu Chuanshen replied. Standing in the center of the room, he released his aura, attempting to intimidate Zhang Ruochen.
Watching Zhang Ruochen's calm and composed demeanor as he entered, Liu Chuanshen felt a sense of admiration. This young man was poised and steady, without a hint of arrogance or fear. If only Chengfeng had half of his character, Liu Chuanshen thought.
Zhang Ruochen sat opposite Liu Chuanshen and said, "There's no need for formalities. I came to the Martial Market Bank to discuss a business proposition. I believe that once you see the item, you won't be disappointed."
With that, Zhang Ruochen took off the spatial ring and placed it on the table, sliding it toward Liu Chuanshen.
"Just a jade ring?" Liu Chuanshen frowned slightly as he took the ring.
"Try infusing it with your energy," Zhang Ruochen suggested.
Liu Chuanshen channeled his Qi into the ring, activating the six spatial inscriptions within it. A faint white glow emerged from the ring's surface. When Liu Chuanshen extended his finger toward the ring, his entire hand disappeared as if swallowed by the ring.
"This…," Liu Chuanshen's eyes lit up with astonishment. "The ring contains a self-contained space! May I ask where the Ninth Prince acquired such a spatial treasure?"
Zhang Ruochen replied, "I'm afraid I cannot disclose that."
Withdrawing his Qi, Liu Chuanshen calmed himself and said, "There are fewer than ten spatial treasures in all of Kunlun Realm, and each is incredibly precious. However, the grade of this one seems quite low, and the space inside is limited. At best, it's a third-grade True Martial artifact."
"If I were to sell this treasure to you, how much could I get?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Though Liu Chuanshen was clearly interested in the treasure, he maintained a calm demeanor. "Typically, third-grade True Martial artifacts are worth between three thousand and ten thousand silver coins. Given this is a spatial treasure, I would offer the highest price—ten thousand silver coins."
"Two hundred thousand silver coins," Zhang Ruochen countered, immediately increasing the price twentyfold.
Liu Chuanshen smiled and shook his head. "Ninth Prince, you aren't negotiating—you're extorting. That's not how business works. If the spatial treasure's capacity were ten times larger, I might consider offering two hundred thousand silver coins. But the space inside this one is too small. How about this: I'll offer you twenty thousand silver coins, buying it under my personal name."
"One hundred fifty thousand silver coins," Zhang Ruochen replied.
"Thirty thousand," Liu Chuanshen countered.
"One hundred twenty thousand," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Forty thousand."
Zhang Ruochen made his final offer. "One hundred thousand silver coins. No less."
"Very well, one hundred thousand silver coins. Deal!" Liu Chuanshen laughed heartily, placing the spatial ring on his finger and examining it closely. "Would you like the hundred thousand silver coins deposited into your three-star noble account, or would you prefer spirit crystals?"
Cursing him internally for being a sly fox, Zhang Ruochen said, "Deposit it in the three-star account."
He still needed another hundred thousand silver coins to buy the refining furnace. He'd have to come up with another plan.
As he took the three-star account card from Liu Chuanshen, an idea came to Zhang Ruochen's mind. "Since I'm here at the Martial Market Bank, why not visit the Martial Market Arena? I should be able to earn the remaining one hundred thousand silver coins there."
The "Martial Market Arena" was an arena operated by the bank. With a long history, it symbolized martial spirit and was a place where many rose to fame.
Martial artists confident in their skills often challenged the arena to prove their prowess. Winning ten matches in a row earned them significant silver coin rewards and a spot on the bank's official ranking list.
The bank maintained four major ranking lists: the Yellow List, the Black List, the Earth List, and the Heaven List.
Spanning the entire realm, the bank's information network was extensive, gathering data on martial artists both in and outside the arena to compile accurate rankings.
Of course, to make the list, one had to fight in the arena. After all, the world was vast, and there were too many martial artists for the bank to track everyone.
Winning ten matches in a row on the Yellow Stage could place one on the Yellow List. The more victories achieved, the higher the ranking.
Winning ten matches in a row on the Black Stage could earn a place on the Black List.
The Earth Stage and Heaven Stage were reserved for those in the Earth and Heaven Realms, respectively. Since Earth and Heaven Realm martial artists were scarce, Yunwu Commandery didn't have these stages.
With his current cultivation, Zhang Ruochen could only participate in the Yellow Stage battles.
If he could win ten matches in a row on the Yellow Stage, he'd not only earn a hundred thousand silver coins but also secure a place on the Yellow List.
Currently, Yunwu Commandery had only twenty-seven Yellow List martial artists, all of whom dominated the Yellow Realm, regarded as invincible.
Yellow List martial artists frequently moved up the rankings, as they often advanced to the Black Realm. When they did, they were no longer on the Yellow List. But as older Yellow List warriors moved on, new ones emerged, maintaining a consistent count of around twenty to thirty.
Yunwu Commandery's Yellow List was unique, ranking only its own martial artists from first to twenty-seventh place.
Liu Chengfeng was a Yellow List martial artist, with a record of thirteen consecutive victories, placing him eleventh on the list.
Among the young generation in the royal city, Liu Chengfeng was the strongest, with the ten ahead of him being older warriors with decades of experience.
These older fighters, unable to break through to the Black Realm, refined their techniques and honed their combat experience, making them formidable opponents for the younger generation.
Zhang Ruochen shared his thoughts with Liu Chuanshen.
"The Ninth Prince wants to compete on the Yellow Stage?"
"With your current cultivation… that might be a bit difficult. If you train for another three to five years and reach the peak of the Yellow Realm, you could certainly become a powerful Yellow List martial artist," Liu Chuanshen said.
Liu Chuanshen couldn't discern Zhang Ruochen's exact cultivation level but knew that during the year-end evaluation, he was only at the lower Yellow Realm. Even if his cultivation had advanced to the mid-Yellow Realm, it was unlikely he could make it onto the Yellow List. Winning three matches would already be impressive.
"We'll see whether I can become a Yellow List martial artist after the battles," Zhang Ruochen replied.
"Since the Ninth Prince is so confident, I won't dissuade you. Coincidentally, I'm inspecting the arena today. Let's go together."
Liu Chuanshen stood up, and he and Zhang Ruochen headed out.
As they reached the entrance, they heard a commotion outside.
"How dare you refuse my invitation after I offered so sincerely? You must not know your place. Men, grab her, clean her up, and bring her to my room!" Liu Chengfeng commanded angrily.
Rejected by Dan Xiangling, Liu Chengfeng was enraged, feeling humiliated. He decided to take her by force.
Two guards approached Dan Xiangling, unfazed by the order. To them, this was nothing new. Any woman Liu Chengfeng fancied, even a sect master's daughter, had no escape. The Chi Cloud Sect wouldn't dare offend the Martial Market Bank.
Once Liu Chengfeng tired of her, the guards might even get a chance.
Dan Xiangling's face paled as she said, "Liu Chengfeng, you are a Yellow List martial artist and the son of the bank master. How can your conduct be so disgraceful?"
Liu Chengfeng laughed loudly. "You'll learn soon enough tonight! I advise you not to resist. You know the consequences of offending the bank. If you do, it won't just be you—your entire sect will be wiped out overnight."
Dan Xiangling bit her lip, furious yet unable to defy the bank. Its power was vast enough that a single order could destroy the Chi Cloud Sect.
Just as Liu Chengfeng was laughing maniacally, Zhang Ruochen and Liu Chuanshen stepped out of the Martial Market Bank.