Chapter 58 Do I look like a sucker to the Black Market?

She snatched the Youth-Preserving Pill directly from Yan Moque's hand and hurriedly opened it. The moment a crack appeared, a refreshing fragrance drifted out.

This scent... It was so familiar!

Murong Xin glanced at Yan Moque's doting gaze, becoming increasingly certain of her inner conjecture.

Youth-Preserving Pill, Youth-Preserving Pill, Youth-Preserving Pill...

Amidst her tense and breathless anticipation, she slowly opened the exquisite, beautiful box. To her astonishment, a pill the size of a candy lay before her eyes, stunning even Yan Moque.

Although the item before them was small, it was extraordinarily refined. Even without any expertise in alchemy, they could instantly recognize it as a supreme masterpiece, marked by three distinct spirit lines on its surface—the definitive sign of a high-grade medicinal pill.

Murong Xin was so excited she felt like jumping up.

"This, this, this... Is this really a Youth-Preserving Pill? But wasn't it won by someone else at the auction? Crown Prince brother, how did you..." manage to get it?

Murong Xin's mind was a flurry of questions. At this moment, her mood was as bright and clear as the sky clearing after a rain, the fog parting to reveal brilliant sunlight!

"What, don't you want it?"

"Ah...! Crown Prince brother, Xin'er loves you so much!" Murong Xin was so thrilled she was practically jumping for joy. How could she not want it? She wanted it more than anything!

A Youth-Preserving Pill! This was a Youth-Preserving Pill! A high-grade medicinal pill! A divine medicine capable of preserving youth and renewing one's vitality, something countless people desired in vain! Murong Xin's little heart was beating so fast with excitement that words could no longer express her joy.

Seeing that Murong Xin was currently in a good mood, Yan Moque adopted a coaxing tone and said gently and softly:

"Then Xin'er, why don't we just let it go this time? You are a dignified princess after all; don't lower yourself to bickering with a mere black market. How worthless would it be to get yourself angry over this, right?"

Hearing Yan Moque's words, although Murong Xin still held a trace of lingering resentment, she agreed for the sake of the Youth-Preserving Pill resting in her arms.

"Fine, then I'll let them off this time for the sake of the Youth-Preserving Pill and Crown Prince brother."

Yan Moque breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He had finally managed to pacify this girl's mind. If she had continued making a fuss, who knew what trouble might have actually arisen.

It wasn't that Yan Moque was afraid of the black market; rather, the other party was far too mysterious, and their origins and background remained shrouded in complete secrecy to this day. Either their backing was unfathomably deep, or they were deliberately concealing their identity from public knowledge.

Yet, whichever the case might be, the formidable reality of the black market could not be ignored.

Therefore, without absolute certainty of success, he could not afford to act rashly. As long as the other party did not touch his reverse scale, the two sides would mutually mind their own business and take what they needed from each other.

Besides, the items provided by the black market were indeed of exceptional quality, and even people of their status stood to profit from them.

However, should that line be crossed, then... that would be a completely different story.

Suddenly, an aura of fierce ruthlessness surged from Yan Moque. After all, as the crown prince of a nation, how could he possibly lack backbone and resolve!

Cold, ruthless, and decisive in his judgment and execution!

Undeniably, Yan Moque's demeanor at this exact moment finally resembled what the true crown prince of the Tianlin Kingdom should look like.

As the head of the six nations, the Tianlin Kingdom held all symbols of supreme power within this very palace, with everyone bowing in submission beneath the feet of its highest ruler.

As the crown prince of Tianlin, standing beneath one person yet above tens of thousands and enjoying supreme honor, Yan Moque naturally needed to possess the capability to instill fear in others.

Thus, while Yan Moque usually appeared carefree and cynical, deep down he was a thorough and cunning apex predator. In the Tianlin Kingdom, virtually no one dared to look down upon him, and his methods had always been decisive, absolute, and unquestioned.

Only toward Murong Xin, his own biological sister born of the same mother, would Yan Moque show even a fleeting moment of human warmth.

Originally, Yan Moque also carried the surname Murong. The Emperor and Empress had named him Murong Jue, and people generally addressed him as Crown Prince Murong.

However, he later fell severely ill, and everyone declared him beyond medical cure.

At that time, a ragged and slightly eccentric old Buddhist monk claimed that he lacked the element of fire in his destiny. Since the Tianlin Kingdom abounded with water and most people cultivated water-based techniques, water and fire were mutually incompatible, making it impossible for him to survive.

Later, upon the advice of that old monk, Murong Jue changed his name to Yan Moque, symbolizing roaring, unyielding flames that would burn forever, ensuring his life force would never be exhausted.

Coincidentally, no sooner had he changed his name than Yan Moque's frail body suddenly recovered. Not only did his constitution become robust and strong, but his cultivation speed also increased day by day.

Everyone was overjoyed, and consequently, Yan Moque became his permanent name—which explained why most people only recognized Yan Moque and had long forgotten the name Murong Jue.

He was also the sole crown prince recognized by everyone as possessing an extraordinary destiny.

Tonight.

Yan Moque had coincidentally run into the Leng siblings traveling alone down a dark path and inadvertently overheard news regarding the Youth-Preserving Pill, which prompted him on the spur of the moment to waylay them, intending to present it as a gift to Murong Xin.

And, quite by chance, to exact revenge on someone's behalf...

Ever since learning of Luo Qianfan's true identity, Yan Moque had casually inquired about some of Luo Qianfan's childhood affairs, discovering that Leng Qing'er and that girl had always been at loggerheads. Thus, on a whim, he had decided to teach them a lesson.

He had originally expected it to require considerable effort, given that the formidable reputation of the Leng siblings was not to be underestimated.

Yet he never imagined that the Bone-Corroding Fragrance he had lifted from Luo Qianfan would prove so effective, allowing him to knock down these two arrogant figures without the slightest exertion.

It had truly saved him a great deal of trouble.

Just as he was preparing to thoroughly discipline the pair, Luo Qianfan had suddenly appeared. Fortunately, he had made his exit swiftly; otherwise, he would have been exposed.

Thinking about it, he really had acted quite cowardly. Yet a mere woman had managed to scare the dignified Crown Prince of Tianlin to such an extent—it was truly humiliating if word ever got out.

Meanwhile, Murong Xin held the Youth-Preserving Pill tightly in both hands, her cherry lips slightly parted as she debated from which angle she should consume it.

Noticing that Yan Moque was still stupidly lingering here, she hurriedly flashed him a smile and then ruthlessly issued an order of eviction.

"Crown Prince brother, you must be exhausted from your journey back. I'll have someone prepare water for you to wash up, and I'll be off to sleep..."

"Crown Prince brother, goodnight!"

"Hurry up and go, go."

Murong Xin's echoing voice still lingered, but her figure had already vanished from sight.

Watching Murong Xin heartlessly desert him for the sake of the Youth-Preserving Pill, Yan Moque laughed silently, let out a sigh, and turned to walk toward his Crown Prince's Residence.

Because he was the crown prince, he was entitled to establish his own independent estate, and the Crown Prince's Mansion was his exclusive domain.

To think that he had finally returned after a long absence, only to be abandoned by his own younger sister—wasn't he the most pathetic older brother in existence?!

As for his sister—Murong Xin—she was currently gazing at the Youth-Preserving Pill with unrestrained joy. Finally, she used her delicate fingertips to pick up the resilient pill and slowly placed it into her cherry mouth.

Without further ado, to prevent any complications from arising through a prolonged delay, she decided she might as well consume it now.

The moment it entered her mouth, she felt a surge of warmth rush into her chest, followed immediately by pitch-black darkness sweeping over her vision as she collapsed.

Meanwhile, just as the rest of the world was drifting off to dreamland, a room within the black market was exceptionally lively.

Luo Qianfan and Dongfang Yuyue were seated separately on opposite sides, while Maiden Qianyu stood in the middle. The Leng siblings were in a rather sorry state; although the effects of the drug on their bodies had mostly faded, the bedraggled appearance from their recent battle remained starkly evident.

Even Leng Qing'er, who was usually revered like a goddess wherever she went, could not escape looking disheveled at this moment, the hem of her robe even bearing a torn ragged edge.

Yet, cautious as Leng Qing'er habitually was, she failed to notice her own impropriety, appearing to intentionally or unintentionally expose a certain ample curve as she leaned closer to Dongfang Yuyue.

This display struck Luo Qianfan as utterly comical.

Yet Dongfang Yuyue remained completely motionless at her overtures, his eyelids so heavy that he didn't even bother to lift them.

As for the other males in the room, aside from Leng Ziwei, there was only Luo Qianfan. Since Leng Ziwei was her biological brother, he naturally had no interest in casting stray glances, while Luo Qianfan was a disguised female and thus harbored no such inclinations either.

Only, Luo Qianfan had not expected Leng Qing'er to be so utterly cheap at her core.

Putting on such a lofty facade on ordinary days, she had truly imagined herself to be some pristine, virtuous maiden, hadn't she?

Luo Qianfan let out a cold internal scoff.

The atmosphere inside the room was bizarre in the extreme; all five individuals were extraordinary in their own right, and each of them understood the situation as clearly as a mirror.

As the host, Maiden Qianyu naturally had to make an effort to ease the tension.

She was already aware of the reason behind the arrival of Leng Qing'er and Leng Ziwei: nothing more than the Youth-Preserving Pill they had won at today's auction being snatched away halfway, leaving them with no trace of its whereabouts, which was why they had come to the black market to demand an explanation.

As for Luo Qianfan and Dongfang Yuyue, the two hadn't uttered a single word since arriving, and Maiden Qianyu couldn't quite fathom their intentions either. However, given Luo Qianfan's prominent status, anxiety inevitably stirred in her heart.

Crucially, Luo Qianfan was the Young Master of the Medicine Underworld Valley, and the black market happened to have a signed cooperative agreement with them. Since they were currently business partners, offending her was certainly out of the question.

Over on the other side, Leng Qing'er was still relentlessly demanding justice from them. Maiden Qianyu cast a lazy, sidelong glance at her with a cold expression.

Qianyu simply could not comprehend this: the brother and sister duo had lost the Youth-Preserving Pill themselves, yet they had the audacity to demand accountability from the black market. Were they completely foolish or simply naive?

Did they really take the black market for a pushover willing to foot the bill for their losses?!

Anger choked up inside Leng Qing'er's chest. Could it possibly be her fault that the Youth-Preserving Pill was lost?

"Maiden Qianyu has misunderstood. It's just that the Youth-Preserving Pill is far too precious. Now that it has been seized by someone not far from the black market, Qing'er believes that if word of this gets out, it wouldn't reflect very well on the reputation of the black market, would it?"

"That is why Qing'er hoped Maiden Qianyu could assist in tracking it down. Qing'er is confident that with the black market's formidable intelligence network, there will definitely be news within a day."

Leng Qing'er spoke with a mix of flattery and coercion, clearly determined to force the black market into helping, even stooping to threaten them with the black market's reputation.

Hearing her words, Maiden Qianyu was rendered speechless. Truly, when people decided to act shamelessly, they were invincible under heaven!

Instantly, Qianyu's tone grew as cold as ice: "Hmph, and what if I say no? Could it be that Lady Leng intends to pin the blame on my black market!"

She was baffled: the item had been lost while in their own possession, yet they dared to pin the blame on her doorstep? What kind of people were these? The so-called First Talented Maiden? The Mandated Daughter of Heaven?

More like a laughable joke of a maiden, she supposed!

She had never expected that the widely praised Leng Qing'er of the Leng family would turn out to be such a scheming, shameless woman.

Leng Ziwei stood aside in a daze as well. Naturally, losing the Youth-Preserving Pill did not sit well with him either—after all, it had cost three and a half million taels of gold—but Leng Qing'er coming directly to the black market had also caught him entirely off guard.

This younger sister of his was far deeper and more calculating than he had ever realized.