C3 Treasure Pavilion

"Tang Yuan has arrived!"

Someone in the crowd shouted, and everyone quickly turned to see Tang Yuan approaching, parting to create a path for him.

Tang Ling stood there, a corpse lying next to her — the body of Tang Meng.

"You have a cruel heart, Tang Yuan! How could you bear to lay a hand on Brother Tang Meng?" Tang Ling accused. "Brother Tang Hsing and I were concerned about your injuries, so we sent them to check on you, but you went and killed them!"

"Get out of my sight!" Tang Yuan's eyes brimmed with loathing at Tang Ling's theatrics.

"Mr. Tang Yuan, how can you speak such harsh words?" Tang Ling implored with feigned innocence. "I know it's all my fault. It was because of me that you agreed to the duel with Brother Tang Hsing. So, if you lost, it's on me. But please, I'm begging you, no more killing, okay?"

"Can you just shut your deceitful mouth? I'm sick of it!" Tang Yuan cut her off icily. "I'll deal with both of you. Now, leave!"

Tang Yuan pointed towards the door, his voice cold as ice.

Hatred twisted Tang Ling's features. She couldn't believe that a man soon to be ousted as the young master could speak to her like this!

"Do you really think you're still the revered Young Master? Ever since your father disappeared, you've been nothing!" Tang Ling's voice was chilling. "In three months, at the Family Competition, if you lose, Brother Tang Hsing will cast you out of the Tang family. Then, you'll be nothing but a stray dog! Haha..."

Her laughter was abruptly silenced as Tang Yuan stepped up to her, his right hand raised high.

Smack!

The crisp sound halted her mockery.

Tang Ling's face swelled instantly, a blood-red handprint marking her once beautiful visage like a brand of sin.

"Ah! Tang Yuan, you cur, how dare you!" Tang Ling lunged at him, crazed with fury. She possessed the power of the Spirit Containing Stage Level Five Heaven. She raised her hand to strike Tang Yuan.

Smack!

Another sharp sound echoed as the other side of Tang Ling's face swelled.

"I'll say it one more time: leave!" Tang Yuan's gaze was icy, his intent to kill undisguised.

Tang Ling, facing the wrath of Tang Yuan, trembled involuntarily. She knew that if she didn't go now, Tang Yuan might very well take her life.

The door closed gently behind him. Tang Yuan sat on the bed in a meditative posture, resuming his cultivation. Despite possessing the most formidable techniques, he knew that hard work was essential to grow stronger.

Reborn, Tang Yuan recognized the need for increased strength and thus committed to dual cultivation of martial arts and spiritual techniques.

Throughout the night, leveraging his exceptional martial arts talent from his past life, Tang Yuan made successive breakthroughs, ascending to the Level Four Heaven of the Spirit Containing Stage.

Come morning, Tang Yuan set out to explore the marketplace. Although Tang Hu was supportive, Tang Yuan's confidence in his own abilities was unwavering. As a martial artist, he understood the necessity of various medicinal herbs for body tempering.

As he meandered through the market stalls, Tang Yuan couldn't help but reflect on his past life, where these same items seemed like mere junk to him.

Eventually, he paused in front of an opulent structure—the Treasure Pavilion. The name carried an air of command, and the pavilion was renowned even in his previous life, rumored to be owned by a supreme Great Monarch.

Tang Yuan shook his head in nostalgia. What had once been a modest trading spot he'd established had grown into a behemoth, stirring a sense of wistfulness within him.

"Stop right there. The Treasure Pavilion is off-limits to outsiders," two imposing guards at the entrance said sternly, blocking Tang Yuan's path.

"Don't you recognize me?" Tang Yuan asked, puzzled.

"Should I know you?" came a mocking retort from behind. Zhou Yang, a young man from the Zhou family, approached with a smirk. "The Tang family's Young Master—famous, aren't you?"

Laughter erupted from Zhou Yang's entourage and the guards at the door.

Tang Yuan faced Zhou Yang, who boasted the strength of Level Six Heaven in the Spirit Containing Stage. The Zhou family and the Tang family were business rivals, often engaged in both overt and covert conflicts.

"Would you like me to show you around?" Zhou Yang offered, his smile widening. He then stood at the entrance, legs dramatically apart, and taunted, "Go ahead, crawl through here."

The scene naturally elicited laughter from many onlookers. A crowd had gathered, and Tang Yuan's identity was swiftly recognized.

"Poor guy. Ever since his father, Tang Xiu, vanished two years ago, Tang Yuan's standing in the Tang family has all but disappeared."

"Right, I heard Tang Hsing had him underfoot just a few days ago. It won't be long before he's expelled from the Tang family."

The crowd murmured and pointed, while Zhou Yang wore a satisfied grin, having achieved his aim of shaming Tang Yuan. He turned and made his way toward the Treasure Pavilion.

"Who said you could leave?" Tang Yuan's icy gaze fixed on Zhou Yang.

Zhou Yang halted abruptly, a complex look crossing his face as he turned back and scoffed at Tang Yuan.

"What's the matter? Looking for death?"

The two guards flanking Zhou Yang also smirked and closed in. In the past, killing Tang Yuan would have provoked the Tang family's wrath. Now, it might even earn them gratitude!

Tang Yuan glared at the guards before launching a sudden attack. He moved like a specter, closing the distance in an instant and sending the guards flying with a swift palm strike—pure martial arts prowess!

Zhou Yang's eyes grew colder. These guards were both at the Spirit Containing Stage Level Five Heaven, yet they stood no chance against Tang Yuan!

"You've got some skills. Now, let me personally escort you to hell!" Zhou Yang declared as a massive wolf materialized behind him.

"Who dares to make trouble at the entrance of the Treasure Pavilion?!" A chilly female voice rang out, and a woman emerged from the Pavilion.

Clad in a fiery red gown that hugged her stunning figure, and with a face that could bewitch any onlooker, this woman was enchanting incarnate.

"Miss Menng Ya, my apologies for the disturbance. I should not have stooped to engage with such a person. I ask for your forgiveness." Zhou Yang's eyes were fixed on Menng Ya's impressive form, making no attempt to conceal his desire.

"Young Master Zhou, you flatter me," Menng Ya responded with a nod, her smile unwavering. "Young Master Tang, might I persuade you to consider a truce in honor of my request? Let's turn our conflict into peace."

"Meng Ya, is Meng your last name?" Tang Yuan murmured to himself as he observed Menng Ya. A flurry of thoughts crossed his mind, and he gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

"Indeed, please come inside," Menng Ya said. Noticing that Tang Yuan was eyeing her just as Zhou Yang had, any flicker of sympathy she initially felt for him vanished.

Tang Yuan, with his keen Divine Sense, detected the subtle shift in Menng Ya's demeanor, but he didn't dwell on it.

The interior of the Treasure Pavilion was even more lavish, with decorations alone that were incredibly valuable.

Tang Yuan opted for a more affordable private room, simply because the esteemed Young Master of the Tang family had run low on funds.

Once Menng Ya had shown them to the room, she turned and left. In her eyes, Tang Yuan was just like any other privileged young man, perhaps even worse.

Tang Yuan's visit to the Treasure Pavilion was motivated by his desire to purchase materials to advance his Martial Arts and magical skills, making various pills essential.

Pill refining required immense psychic force, resulting in a limited number of Pill Refining Masters within the Sword Dynasty.

Even being a first-grade Pill Refining Master could make one a sought-after ally for many families.

In his past life, Tang Yuan had been a ninth-grade Pill Refining Master. However, due to his focus on cultivation, he hadn't dedicated much effort to mastering pill refining.

"That Meng family kid must be a top-tier ninth-grade Pill Refining Master by now!" Tang Yuan mused with a smile, thinking of an old acquaintance. Surely, Menng Ya must be his descendant.

"Thank you all for joining us. Today's auction will surely make your visit worthwhile," Menng Ya's voice cut through Tang Yuan's reverie.

Tang Yuan settled back into his seat. Now that he was here, he was eager to see if anything would catch his interest.