Chapter 1151 Openly Provoking City Regulations?

From You Ruo's flowing black hair to Xie Pu Rou's flowing skirt tassels, his gaze lingered on their graceful figures. His throat moved involuntarily, he swallowed hard, and his heart instantly burned with desire.

He had seen many beautiful women in his life, but he had never seen such a stunning woman. He was completely mesmerized.

Upon realizing that this was their first time visiting Ash City, the man immediately stepped out from the group.

He strode up to You Ruo and Xie Purou, a fawning smile plastered on his face, and began to ingratiate himself: "Greetings, ladies! I am Cao Jian, the eldest son of the Cao Clan Chamber of Commerce!"

When the words "Cao's Chamber of Commerce" were mentioned, Cao Jian unconsciously puffed out his chest, a smug smile appeared on his lips, and his eyes showed a deliberate boasting.

He was certain that the two women would show surprise upon hearing the name "Cao's Chamber of Commerce".

Sure enough, when he revealed his identity, the monks queuing around him immediately cast various glances at him.

There was surprise, astonishment, and many people looked on with envy. Some even whispered among themselves, "So it's the eldest son of the Cao family's business association."

Clearly, most people here have heard of the Cao Clan Chamber of Commerce.

After all, this is one of the top merchant guilds in the Extinction Realm, controlling the trading of ores and pills in a large part of the realm, and its power is very strong.

Cao Jian felt the gazes from all directions, and his heart grew even more smug. He held his head even higher, and even his tone of voice became a little lighter.

He is the heir to the Cao Clan Chamber of Commerce, a man of high status, and ordinary cultivators don't even have the right to speak to him.

He eagerly awaited You Ruo and Xie Purou's reactions, believing that once they learned of his identity, these two stunning beauties would definitely favor him and even take the initiative to strike up a conversation with him.

After all, the Cao Clan Chamber of Commerce has a great reputation in the Extinction Realm, and countless people are eager to curry favor with it.

Even just exchanging a few words with him would be a great honor.

Just now, many cultivators around him were already eager to come over and greet him, but they were too embarrassed to approach him because of the queue order.

Cao Jian, who was beaming with pride, glanced at You Ruo and Xie Purou out of the corner of his eye, but the smile on his face suddenly froze.

To his surprise, upon hearing the identity of "the eldest son of the Cao family's business guild," the two men remained expressionless, their eyes as cold as ice, as if he had just spoken of an insignificant name, without even lifting their eyelids.

This stunned Cao Jian, who stood there, forgetting to put his hand down.

Did I not explain myself clearly?

Or did those two stunning beauties not hear clearly?

Otherwise, why would they be so indifferent?

You Ruo glanced at Cao Jian casually, her eyes even showing a hint of disdain, and said in a flat tone, "So what?"

Cao Jian's smile froze for a moment, then quickly returned. He chuckled and tried to remind the two, "Ladies, haven't you heard of the Cao Clan Chamber of Commerce? In the Extinction Realm, whether you're buying ores or pills, as long as you mention the Cao Clan Chamber of Commerce, no one will dare to disrespect you!"

You Ruo turned her head away, not even bothering to look at him, and said coldly, "Do I need to have heard of him?"

Seeing her increasingly cold attitude, Cao Jian was taken aback.

This was the first time he had ever met a girl with such a "personality".

Normally, when women see him, they are all incredibly enthusiastic and eager to get close to him.

Many women would deliberately bump into him in order to have a conversation with him.

Even more extreme, some women would go so far as to strip naked and crawl into his bed just to spend a night with him.

In the eyes of those women, to spend a night with the eldest son of the Cao family business was an immense honor.

Who would dare to put on airs in front of Cao Jian?

After staring at You Ruo and Xie Purou with their icy expressions for a few seconds, Cao Jian suddenly "figured it out".

How could these two fairies not know about the Cao Clan Chamber of Commerce?

The reason they put on such a cold demeanor is simply to feign aloofness, hoping to arouse his interest and ignite his desire to conquer through this unique attitude!

That must be it!

Cao Jianli was certain of his guess. After all, he really couldn't believe that any woman could remain so indifferent, or even look disgusted, after learning his identity.

This is a common trick women use: playing hard to get!

Having figured this out, Cao Jian laughed heartily, appearing quite carefree, and did not become angry or embarrassed by You Ruo's rudeness.

He felt that women with a bit of a "temper" were actually more challenging.

"You're joking, fairy."

Cao Jian took the initiative to start a conversation, trying to close the distance: "Is this the first time you two fairies have come to Jinmie City? This is the rule of Jinmie City. Not only will we ask about your background, but we also have to pay ten low-grade Chaos Crystals every time we enter the city."

"Of course, the two fairies need not worry."

He patted his chest and said smugly, "As long as you follow my Cao Clan Merchant Guild's caravan into the city, I guarantee the city guards won't give you any trouble, and I'll even pay the entrance fee for you—this little bit of money is nothing to me."

This amount of money was indeed a drop in the ocean for him, and it was perfect for winning the heart of a beautiful woman.

You Ruo didn't even lift her eyelids, only uttering two words: "No need."

Cao Jian was immediately turned away, his smile instantly freezing on his face. He stood there speechless, as if someone had poured cold water on him, not knowing where to put his fingers.

The surrounding cultivators all wore expressions of anticipation, whispering among themselves: "This woman actually dared to refuse Young Master Cao?"

"That's incredibly audacious!"

"Perhaps it's a ploy to lure me in?"

They found this interesting; how could a girl dare to disrespect Cao Jian?

If it were any other woman, she would have been blushing with joy and eager to go with him immediately if Cao Jian offered to pay their city entry fee.

It's important to understand that while the entrance fee isn't much, the most valuable thing is the opportunity to get to know Cao Jian better and even enter the Cao Clan Chamber of Commerce.

They actually refused outright?

Is this really a case of feigning indifference to lure the prey?

Cao Jian did not expect to suffer setbacks one after another, but this did not make him give up. Instead, it aroused his competitive spirit.

He sneered inwardly: Women, you have successfully caught my attention!

"It's alright. If you two fairies need any help, please feel free to let me know."

Cao Jian remained magnanimous, even leaning forward and lowering his voice, "Whether it's finding a place to stay or purchasing cultivation resources, I can handle it all with ease. In this City of Extinction, there's nothing I, Cao Jian, can't do."

As they spoke, the procession moved slowly, and they had arrived at the city gate.

The city gates of Ash City were wide enough to accommodate ten flying boats side by side, and their height was like that of a small mountain.

The defensive runes engraved on the dark red city walls shimmered faintly in the sunlight, befitting the status of Ash City as a major city of the realm.

The cultivators in front took out high-quality immortal crystals and respectfully handed them to the city guards. Then they lowered their heads and answered the questions. They all looked very cautious and didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

When it was Ye Chen and his two companions' turn, a tall city guard immediately stepped forward, his spear striking the ground with a sharp clang that made the eardrums of those around him ache.

He frowned and demanded loudly, "Where did you come from? What is your purpose in entering Ashes City?"

When questioned in such a forceful tone, Xie Purou's already impatient nature instantly became uncontrollable.

She raised her chin, gave the city guards a cold look, and said in a clear voice, "Do we need to report to you where we came from? Who do you think you are, to question us like this?"

Upon hearing this, everyone at the city gate froze instantly, and the once noisy square fell silent as if frozen in time.

Everyone turned to look at them, their faces filled with disbelief and even a hint of fear, and they even held their breath.

This is the City of Ashes!

The city guards belong to the city lord's mansion, and behind the city lord's mansion is the powerful Shangguan family!

Entering the City of Ashes requires being questioned; this is a rule that everyone tacitly agrees on, and over the years, no one has ever dared to defy it.

The monks present had all heard of many bloody examples.

There was once a cultivator at the level of a Primordial God King who, during questioning, merely frowned and showed a hint of impatience, yet the city guards immediately broke all four of his limbs and threw him out of the city like trash.

Another merchant was stabbed through the heart by a city guard for complaining that "the rules are too strict." His body was left to rot at the city gate before being dragged away.

These lessons made everyone understand that when entering the city, they had to cooperate obediently and not resist or show any dissatisfaction, otherwise they might be beaten to death by the city guards!

This girl not only refused to be questioned, but also dared to talk back to the city guards in public.

This is simply courting death!

Cao Jian, who was following behind, had originally planned to help the two pay the city entrance fee later to gain their favor.

Upon hearing Xie Purou's words, his face instantly turned deathly pale, his pupils shrank sharply, and he looked terrified, as if he had seen a ghost. He couldn't help but shrink back.

Even the eldest son of the famous Cao family business association wouldn't dare offend the city guards!

The city guards themselves weren't particularly strong, at most at the level of a Primordial God King, but their identities represented the rules of the City of Extinction and the prestige of the Shangguan family!

Offending them is tantamount to offending the Shangguan family.

No matter how wealthy the Cao family's business guild is, it cannot withstand the wrath of the Shangguan family.

Cao Jian, who had just vowed to help You Ruo and Xie Purou, suddenly took three steps back as if avoiding a plague, widening the distance between himself and the three.

He even moved to the side, deliberately standing behind another cultivator, as if this would sever ties and prevent the city guards from noticing him.

"Damn it, is this woman crazy? How dare she go against the city guards?"

Cao Jian's face turned pale, his heart pounded, his palms were covered in cold sweat, and he was filled with lingering fear.

"Isn't this going against the City Lord's Mansion? To put it more bluntly, it's going against the Shangguan family!"

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became—he had almost gone up to them on his own initiative, and if he had really gotten involved with these two women, he would definitely be being watched by them now.

Fortunately, the two women did not agree to his help, otherwise he might have been in trouble today, and the Cao Clan Chamber of Commerce would have been implicated as well!

The atmosphere at the city gate instantly became tense. The city guard who had been questioning Xie Purou's face darkened, and he tightened his grip on his spear, pointing the tip at her.

Other city guards also gathered around, their hands on the hilts of their swords, their eyes filled with murderous intent, and the scene was about to erupt into violence.

"You audacious scoundrel, how dare you violate the rules of Ashes City? You deserve to be executed!"

The city guard at the front took a step forward, his black armor clanging together with a sharp clang. He slammed his spear heavily on the ground, the tip of the spear kicking up tiny stone chips. His voice was filled with murderous intent.

His pupils constricted as he stared intently at Xie Purou, as if he were about to thrust his spear at her in the next second.

"The city rules of Ashes of Annihilation? What's the point?"

Xie Purou raised an eyebrow slightly, a cold sneer curling at the corner of her lips. Her voice was so clear that everyone around could hear it: "Even Jinmie City is almost gone, what use are these city rules?"

The three of them, master and disciples, did not come here for sightseeing.

Since the Extinction Realm is the Shangguan family's territory, they naturally have to do something "exciting".

For example, completely destroy the City of Ashes, which symbolizes the authority of the Shangguan family!

These words caused an uproar among the surrounding crowd, which then fell into an even deeper silence, with terror written on everyone's face.

"This woman... this woman is incredibly audacious!"

A cultivator in a gray robe couldn't help but lower his voice, his fingers trembling: "She actually said that Ash Destruction City would be destroyed? Just for that sentence, she deserves to be executed by slow slicing a hundred times over!"

"Crazy, really crazy!"

The middle-aged merchant next to him retreated repeatedly, wishing he could disappear into the crowd immediately: "From ancient times to the present, no one has ever dared to run wild in the City of Ashes! But she dares to curse the destruction of the City of Ashes with her first words. This girl must be tired of living!"

"Does she even know what she's saying?"

A young cultivator frowned, his voice filled with lingering fear: "The Shangguan family is most averse to others speaking ill of their territory. If this gets out, no one can save her!"

Everyone retreated as if avoiding a plague.

The crowd that had been surrounding Ye Chen and his two companions scattered with a "whoosh".

In the blink of an eye, a clearing about ten feet wide appeared around the three of them, with not a single person approaching.

Everyone kept their heads down, not daring to look this way again, for fear of being mistaken for accomplices by the city guards.

Cao Jian, hiding behind the crowd, had his back soaked in cold sweat, and his brocade robe clung to his body, feeling sticky and uncomfortable.

He gripped the jade pendant at his waist tightly, his heart pounding like a rabbit's.

Just now, he went up to those two women and started chatting them up. I wonder if the city guards saw him.

"If the city guards recognize me, won't they suspect that I'm in cahoots with them?"

Cao Jian grew increasingly frightened, his teeth chattering: "Damn it, I should have known better than to be lustful! I shouldn't have struck up a conversation with them earlier. I'm so audacious, I'm going to be in big trouble now!"