Dominator Emperor

Chapter 178: Chapter 177: The Mysterious Roof Tile (Part 1)

Looking at Leng Chengfeng’s flushed face, Li Qiye put on an exaggerated expression and said, "No way. Didn’t our Young Master Leng say he wasn’t short on money? What are a mere ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades to Young Master Leng? That’s just a drop in the bucket! Since Young Master Leng isn’t short on money, go ahead and buy it."

Li Qiye never showed his enemies any mercy. If someone tried to slap his face, he would stomp viciously on theirs in return, grinding it under his heel until the very end.

Leng Chengfeng trembled with anger, his expression hideous. He had already made a boast, and now he couldn’t take back his words. His face crimson, Leng Chengfeng finally stared viciously at Li Qiye and snorted coldly, "You talk as if you can afford it. Hmph, ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades... you couldn’t produce that much even if you sold your entire Xiyan Ancient Sect!"

"It’s true, I can’t produce ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades." Li Qiye smiled leisurely and said, "To be honest, ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades is indeed a huge sum for me."

"Heh, a dirt-poor sect like your Xiyan Ancient Sect has probably never even seen an Ancestor’s Essence Jade. Forget an Ancestor’s Essence Jade, I bet you couldn’t even produce a single Saint Emperor Essence Jade! Hmph, a pauper like you? It’d be a miracle if you could come up with ten Essence Jades!" Hearing Li Qiye’s words, Leng Chengfeng immediately sneered, refusing to miss an opportunity to mock him.

Every guest present could see that Li Qiye and Leng Chengfeng were at loggerheads. The other cultivators naturally had no interest in wading into their muddy waters and were content to just watch the show from the sidelines.

In the face of Leng Chengfeng’s mockery, Li Qiye wasn’t the least bit anxious. He remained perfectly calm and composed, saying unhurriedly, "I might be a little poor, and I may not have many Essence Jades on me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t afford it. Shuangyan, pay for me in a bit." With that, he instructed Li Shuangyan.

Li Shuangyan said little, simply taking out a Jade Seal and placing it gently on the medicine stall. "Elder Yao," she said, "this is the Nine Saints Demon Gate’s Treasure Seal for the highest line of credit."

The moment he saw Li Shuangyan produce such an item, Leng Chengfeng’s expression changed drastically. As the head disciple of the Nine Saints Demon Gate, of course he knew its significance. Such a Jade Seal could be used to pay for the Nine Saints Demon Gate’s maximum limit of Essence Jades, medicinal ingredients, Treasure Gold, and Divine Stones! There were no more than three such Treasure Seals in the entire Nine Saints Demon Gate: one kept in the sect, one in Sword Elder’s hands, and the last in the Sect Leader’s hands!

The moment he saw this Jade Seal, Leng Chengfeng knew exactly which one it was!

Li Qiye glanced at Leng Chengfeng and said leisurely, "I really don’t have much money, but since the Nine Saints Demon Gate is so hospitable, I don’t mind being a spendthrift. I wonder if Young Master Leng still wants to buy this family heirloom? Shall we raise the price a bit? Splash a little cash for fun?" His words were another vicious stomp on Leng Chengfeng’s face.

The Nine Saints Demon Gate needed a favor from Li Qiye. If Li Qiye could successfully bury the War God Hall’s Elder Ancestor, then money would be no object. Once this was accomplished, the benefits for the Nine Saints Demon Gate would be endless; the War God Hall would become their most powerful backer! Thus, the Sun Demon Emperor was naturally generous toward Li Qiye, giving him money if he needed money, and materials if he needed materials.

It was just that Li Qiye couldn’t be bothered to take advantage of the Nine Saints Demon Gate, so the Sun Demon Emperor’s Jade Seal had been left in Li Shuangyan’s care. Today, with the tactless Leng Chengfeng running over to provoke him, Li Qiye was more than happy to viciously stomp the face that had so willingly presented itself!

Leng Chengfeng’s face turned ashen with rage, and he trembled all over. Having suffered yet another defeat at Li Qiye’s hands, he was left seething with suppressed fury. He gave a cold snort, turned, and walked away. If he stayed any longer, he would be utterly and completely humiliated.

"A madman—" Seeing someone drop ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades on a single roof tile, even the other cultivators couldn’t help but shake their heads. As they left, they all muttered the same thing. No rich heir could compare to such a spendthrift. Ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades for a roof tile—it was simply outrageous.

Before finalizing the purchase, Li Qiye examined the roof tile one more time. Then he looked up at the young girl tidying the medicine stall and said, "How about a drop of fresh blood?" With that, he passed the roof tile to her.

The young girl instinctively looked at the Su Yin Medicine Elder. The Su Yin Medicine Elder nodded. Without another word, the girl pricked her finger, and a drop of fresh blood fell onto the roof tile.

The blood dripped onto the roof tile and slowly followed a groove, vanishing into it. Li Qiye watched intently and was finally certain that this was the genuine article!

"Fellow Daoist, you truly have a discerning eye. Your judgment is extraordinary." Seeing Li Qiye’s caution, the Su Yin Medicine Elder couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration. He then revealed a piece of inside information, "My apprentice’s family heirloom is a treasure bestowed upon her ancestors by the Tun Ri Immortal Emperor! If she didn’t need to buy a large quantity of medicinal ingredients, I’m afraid she wouldn’t be willing to part with it."

"A treasure bestowed by the Tun Ri Immortal Emperor!" Hearing this, both Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao were deeply stirred. A treasure from an Immortal Emperor was an incredible thing.

"I know," Li Qiye said with a calm smile. "I’ll buy it, but I need a bottle of her blood." He pointed at the young girl as he spoke.

The Su Yin Medicine Elder couldn’t help but study Li Qiye for a long moment. This roof tile was his disciple’s family heirloom, and he himself had studied it for a long time without ever figuring out what made it so precious. Now, seeing Li Qiye’s complete confidence, he too was moved.

"Alright." The Su Yin Medicine Elder looked at his apprentice. The young girl nodded silently, so the Su Yin Medicine Elder agreed to Li Qiye’s condition.

"Shuangyan, pay him." With a grand air, Li Qiye put away the roof tile and spoke to Li Shuangyan.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Shuangyan settled the payment with the Su Yin Medicine Elder. Of course, such an expense was charged to her master, the Sun Demon Emperor. Even as the successor to the Nine Saints Demon Gate, she lacked the authority to mobilize such a colossal sum on her own.

After leaving the medicine stall, Chen Baojiao couldn’t help but ask, "Is that an Emperor’s Treasure? An Emperor’s Treasure from the Tun Ri Immortal Emperor?"

"Emperor’s Treasure? Do you think you can buy an Emperor’s Treasure for ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades? If it were truly an Emperor’s Treasure, it would be worth even ten Immortal Emperor Essence Jades," Li Qiye said with a smile.

"If it’s not an Emperor’s Treasure, then what is it?" Li Shuangyan couldn’t help but ask. Ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades was not a small sum. Even for their Nine Saints Demon Gate, it was still a huge amount.

Li Qiye said unhurriedly, "It’s just a roof tile. A roof tile so ordinary it couldn’t be more ordinary!"

"A roof tile?" Chen Baojiao was stunned for a moment. "You... you used ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades to buy an ordinary roof tile?" She added, "Isn’t that way too extravagant?!"

"And why not? If I think it’s worth it, then it’s worth it," Li Qiye said with a smile.

At this, even Li Shuangyan was stirred. Ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades was no small sum. She couldn’t help but ask, "Could it be that Elder Yao was lying earlier?"

"No, he was telling the truth." Li Qiye shook his head. "This roof tile did indeed come from the hands of the Tun Ri Immortal Emperor. However, it was from when he was still young, before he became an Immortal Emperor. He gave this roof tile to a friend. It wasn’t something he bestowed upon someone after he had already become an Immortal Emperor!"

Both Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao were stunned. To buy a roof tile for ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades—and an ordinary, worthless one at that, something no one would even pick up if it were thrown on the ground... Anyone else would definitely think Li Qiye was insane.

"Does... does this roof tile have some heaven-shattering origin?" Chen Baojiao was completely bewildered. Buying a useless roof tile for ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades was just madness.

"No heaven-shattering origin. To put it bluntly, the Tun Ri Immortal Emperor was a poor kid in his youth. It’s no exaggeration to say he was dirt-poor—so poor he couldn’t even afford to eat. One day, when he was parting ways with the sworn brother he had grown up with, being penniless, he had nothing to give. So he tore the last roof tile from their dilapidated hut and gave it to him. Later, the Tun Ri Immortal Emperor joined the Feixian Sect, slowly made his way in the world, and eventually became an invincible Immortal Emperor of his generation." Li Qiye spoke leisurely, as if telling a story.

Hearing this story, it wasn’t just Chen Baojiao and Li Shuangyan; even Shi Danggan, who was following behind them, was stunned. This was likely the first time any of them had heard such a secret. The Tun Ri Immortal Emperor, who once swept through the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, was not just an Immortal Emperor but also possessed an Invincible Immortal Body! His life was incomparably brilliant, his halo illuminating one era after another. But who could have known that the Tun Ri Immortal Emperor, invincible in the eyes of the world, had such an unknown past?

A past like the Tun Ri Immortal Emperor’s could not have been passed down. It was impossible for the world to know. So why, of all people, did Li Qiye know? That was a secret no one would likely ever discover.

Of course Li Qiye knew about the Tun Ri Immortal Emperor’s past. Because back then, it was he, the Yin Ya, who had personally sent him to the Feixian Sect. He had wanted to keep the Tun Ri Immortal Emperor and cultivate him himself but, unfortunately, he owed the Feixian Sect a favor and had no choice but to give this prime seedling to them.

"Does the roof tile have any other use?" Li Shuangyan, still not giving up, couldn’t help but press on. This was ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades! Even if it wasn’t her money but the sect’s, she still felt the sting of the expense. Ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades for one roof tile was an unparalleled extravagance!

"It’s just a roof tile, as ordinary as can be. If you think it’s some kind of treasure, you’re mistaken. It has no use for a cultivator," Li Qiye said, shaking his head with a smile.

"You’re insane," Chen Baojiao couldn’t help but complain. "Ten Ancestor’s Essence Jades for a roof tile is just plain crazy. There has to be a limit to being a spendthrift!"