"The Jade Cauldron Sect? The same Jade Cauldron Sect that rules over the White Orchid Domain?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down. I was fortunate enough to have seen him once from a distance. Not even our seniors are qualified to greet him. Don't let him notice us!"
Xu Ren quickly continued. "And that one? The one buried in the ground?"
"Shut up! That's his battle technique!"
"Oh. Then who is he?"
"He’s Cranekeeper of the Cloudcrane Domain!”
"That Cloudcrane Domain?"
"What other Cloudcrane Domain could there be?"
"So he’s a big shot.
"Which one?"
"The most obvious one."
"The one standing like a wooden stake?"
"Lower your voice! That's Si Kong from the Misery Gate."
"Hsss! The Misery Gate’s Si Kong? Why are there so many big shots here? What are they all up to? Is some sort of treasure about to appear?"
"Hmph! Not a treasure, but a group of dangerous people. All these people are following the Grandverse Manor’s Third Boss to keep a close eye on him."
Xu Ren grew confused. "What’s the Grandverse Manor?"
Sixth Brother replied, "This is something big that is affecting the entire megaverse, so it's normal for you to not know, but let me tell you…"
"Hey, you two!" A sharp voice called to them from up above.
Sixth Brother and Xu Ren both looked up to see a pale, beautiful young woman. Her hands were on her hips, and she was glaring at the two men in an arrogant manner.
The two stared up at her in a daze.
"Little Princess?" Xu Ren felt confused. The young woman was a descendant of Sage Qian, and in the Vast Qian Domain, she was known as the Little Princess. He had never had any sort of interaction with her before, so how had she found them?
The young girl stared down, and her eyes fixated onto Xu Ren. "You are Xu Ren, right?"
Xu Ren nodded. "Yes."
"Give me the mist that you've gathered."
Xu Ren asked in a daze, "Why?"
The young girl snorted contemptuously. "I told you to give it to me, so hand it over. Why the question? What's wrong? Can you not understand me?"
Xu Ren remembered a rumor that he had heard before. It claimed that this little princess had once tried to enter the Skyriver, but had been chased away by Sage Qian.
Only those who were given explicit permission by Sage Qian were allowed to enter the Skyriver. No one else was permitted, not even the domain’s Little Princess.
Xu Ren immediately understood that the Little Princess had her eye on the river’s mist.
With enough mist, one could gain as many benefits as if they had bathed directly in the Skyriver mist.
Xu Ren was unwilling to comply. He had spent an entire year collecting mist, and he had intended to sell it to Sixth Brother. Being targeted by the Little Princess was completely unexpected.
Sixth Brother felt relieved. He was lucky that he had not brought any mist, as he would have suffered a massive loss if he had. All of his goods would have been confiscated.
He gave Xu Ren a sympathetic look. "Brother, you've run out of luck. My family might have a bit of money, but I can't stand up to this little princess either."
"Why are you still staring? Hurry up and give it to me!" the Little Princess scolded.
Xu Ren reluctantly handed a gourd to the young woman.
The Little Princess smiled. "Remember, from now on, you will gather mist specifically for me. Don't worry, I won't treat you poorly. If anyone dares to make any problems for you, just mention my name. That’ll protect you, haha."
Xu Ren was stunned. Not only had he been ordered to turn over the mist that he had just gathered, but was she also demanding all that he accumulated in the future? He could not agree to that. How was that any different from cutting off his path forward? He relied on the mist that he gathered to acquire resources for his own cultivation.
"Little Princess, I- I also need to cultivate."
The young woman frowned. "I allow you to gather mist because I think well of you. If you say another word, I'll have Granny here beat you."
A short distance behind the Little Princess was an old woman, and she shot a cold, vicious glare at Xu Ren, immediately frightening him into silence. He could only reluctantly agree.
"You too." The Little Princess then turned her attention to Sixth Brother.
The man was taken aback, but he quickly tried to appease the young woman. "What would you like me to do, Little Princess?"
The Little Princess sized Sixth Brother up. "Are you here to buy this mist from Xu Ren?"
Sixth Brother was about to deny it, but then he suddenly felt a spike of bloodlust lock onto him from nearby. It was from the old woman.
His face grew pale, and he forced out an awkward smile. "Yes."
The Little Princess sneered. "Give me the mist you've bought before."
Sixth Brother was naturally unwilling to agree. "Little Princess, my family has served Sage Qian for generations, transporting resources for him. We have a home that was given to us by Sage Qian himself. My family is absolutely loyal to Sage Qian and to you, Little Princess. Please, look into this matter carefully."
The Little Princess raised an eyebrow. "You transport resources?"
At that moment, a sharp shout rang out, and the area grew darker. The old woman instantly appeared in front of the Little Princess, warily watching a distant figure who was half-buried in the ground. "Where did this horrid brat come from? Be quiet!"
The Little Princess was terrified. The moment the man had shouted, she had felt like she was staring at the talons of a crane in flight. The talons contained a cold killing intent, and she had nearly broken down from the intense sensation.