“Fellow Daoist, I beg of you. No matter how many Spirit Stones, magical items or medicinal pills, I’m willing to negotiate. If I don’t have what you want, I can think of a way to acquire it to offer in trade.” He watched as Meng Hao continued to walk off toward a relatively remote area. This caused him to be a bit nervous; he knew that he had started out on the wrong foot, so, fearful that Meng Hao might suddenly attack him, he decided not to say anything more to provoke him.
“Fellow Daoist… are you here for the Sieve Earth Pills of the Black Sieve Sect?” he asked resolutely. “Nowadays it’s not hard to get your hands on them, but to get away safely is a different matter. Fellow Daoist, if you’re willing to have a business discussion regarding parting with your treasure, I can refer you to a disciple of the Black Sieve Sect. This disciple has information about the Black Sieve Sect that outsiders could never know, it will definitely increase your chances of getting away safely with your Sieve Earth Pill.” As the words left Lu Tao’s mouth, Meng Hao continued walking. They were now in a remote, abandoned alley.
“Fellow Daoist, senior,” Lu Tao said with a forced smile. “I very much wish to acquire the Thunderclap Leaf. It’s very important to me. Is there anything you would be willing to trade for it?” His pace slowed a bit.
Meng Hao suddenly stopped and turned. He looked at Lu Tao. There was neither happiness nor anger in his expression.
“Take out your wood-iron treasure and let me see it,” said Meng Hao coolly. His eyes flashed brightly.
When Lu Tao saw Meng Hao turn, it startled him. Without a word, he produced the wood-iron treasure and offered it toward Meng Hao. The iron chip flew toward Meng Hao, who grabbed it out of the air. He sent some Spiritual Sense into it. Immediately, he was able to sense the Thunderclap Leaf within his bag of the Cosmos. It emitted an aura of lightning that the iron chip absorbed. The iron chip then began to glitter.
“So, he’s not lying,” thought Meng Hao. “But, the whole thing seems a bit too coincidental.” He now knew that Lu Tao had used the iron chip to track him down because of the Thunderclap Leaf. But given his cautious personality, he still had some doubts.
“I do happen to have a Thunderclap Leaf. If you want to trade, then you’ll need to give a clear explanation of what you plan to do with it.” He waved his right hand, tossing the wood-iron treasure back to Lu Tao.
The Thunderclap Leaf was something that Meng Hao had acquired from Patriarch Reliance. And in fact, he had acquired not just a leaf, but an entire tree. It had been protected by a restrictive spell cast by Patriarch Reliance. However, Meng Hao wasn’t sure of its exact use. All he knew was that the Lightning Flag could be used to envelop and protect the Thunderclap Leaves.
“Well….” Lu Tao hesitated a moment, looking at Meng Hao with a hint of irritation. Finally, he gritted his teeth and continued. “Senior, I have a life magic that can be refined from stone from the Lightning Fringe Mountains. In order to release its full power, I have spent the past few years searching everywhere for various Lightning-type items. However, none of them can compare to the Thunderclap Leaf. It’s just that Thunderclap Leaves are very rare, so when I sensed yours, I was too eager, and accidentally offended you.” In order to prove the reliability of his words, he pressed down on the pit of his stomach; an electric flow emerged from his mouth, which then transformed into a fist-sized rock. The rock was black, and its surface was encircled with arcs of electricity as well as tiny plant-like vines that resembled rattan.
“So, what was that you were saying about the Black Sieve Sect?” said Meng Hao coolly.
“I can help you find someone from the Black Sieve Sect,” he gushed. “They don’t usually interact with strangers. If you pay this person a little bit, you can find out the reason why the Black Sieve Sect has arranged the gathering of Cultivators.
“Fellow Daoist, if you’re willing to trade me your Thunderclap Leaf, then I can take you to a secret meeting with me tonight. There will be about seven or eight other Fellow Daoists there, along with a prestigious member of the senior generation to act as host. Not only can you trade magical items, you can also trade information.
“One of the people there is a Black Sieve Inner Sect disciple.
“Fellow Daoist, please believe me. Nowadays, the State of Clear Skies has a bunch of dragons and snakes all jumbled together. There’s good people and bad people all over the place. Cultivators from all sorts of Sects and Clans are here. Furthermore, there are many factions within the Black Sieve Sect. Of course there will be conflicts between them. Therefore, news is bound to spread. It’s normal. Of course there’s sure to be some bad information, but if all the information was fake, then no one would believe anything. So of course there will be some good information out there as well.
“You re