Chapter 304: Freeloader
Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu were the kind of men who cared about their reputations. So when they entered the Hehuan Sect, they naturally changed their appearances and snuck in discreetly.
The Artifact Peak Master was named Tang Ben. His artifact-forging skills could be considered legendary throughout the Nine Provinces—only the Dao Ancestor surpassed him, having forged the Yin-Yang Heaven Seal, a divine immortal weapon, before even ascending.
Aside from the Dao Ancestor, no Integration Stage cultivator in the history of the Nine Provinces could compare to Tang Ben in artifact forging.
But geniuses often came with their quirks, and Tang Ben exemplified that perfectly.
He had crafted night pearls that only worked during the day, a furnace that didn’t block heat or cold and could only be used by Nascent Soul cultivators, a flying sword that could fly away but not return, and a top-grade artifact that required a whole tub of blood for recognition…
“If only we could use spiritual sense—it’d be easy to find Tang Ben,” Bai Hongtu muttered quietly.
Jiang Li gave him a look.
Using spiritual sense in the Hehuan Sect? You’d end up watching everything going on in every room before even finding Tang Ben.
“I’m an honest man,” Bai Hongtu insisted, sensing Jiang Li’s dubious gaze. “Never had any impure thoughts.”
“Come in, gentlemen. You may call me Yousi.” The madams of the Hehuan Sect were always graceful, mature women who stirred the imagination.
A cultivator’s appearance was determined by mental age.
Many customers hoped for a taste of Yousi’s services, but unfortunately, her standards were extremely high. While she seemed warm to everyone, there was always an unreachable distance between her and the guests.
“Bring out your best girls—” Bai Hongtu said smoothly out of habit, then stopped halfway. “Wait, no—we’re here to find someone.”
“Everyone comes here to find someone. May I ask which girl you’d like to name?” Yousi chuckled softly.
“We’re looking for a man,” Bai Hongtu tried to explain without directly naming Tang Ben.
Nobody used their real name in the Hehuan Sect.
“Men are available too.”
The Hehuan Sect didn’t only serve male cultivators—many female cultivators came here for fun as well.
“But I don’t recommend dual cultivation between men. Yang with yang brings no benefit to cultivation. But if you just like men—well, I won’t judge.”
Bai Hongtu felt the misunderstanding was going way off-track.
Thankfully, Jiang Li stepped forward just in time. “Actually, we’re here to sell clothes.”
“Clothes?” Yousi looked the two up and down. They didn’t look like tailors. Plus, the Hehuan Sect had access to every kind of outfit—even royal robes.
Of course, they wouldn’t dare replicate the Human Sovereign’s robes.
“This is called the Invisibility Clothes.” Jiang Li presented the item. “When worn, the wearer can selectively make parts of it disappear.”
Yousi’s eyes sparkled. “Come inside, gentlemen—tell me more.”
The two were treated as VIPs and brought to the Hehuan Sect’s inner chamber. Based on Bai Hongtu’s experience, only those who spent enough spirit stones were allowed in here.
The inner sect disciples were clearly a tier above the outer sect—more beautiful, more enchanting, thanks to the Hehuan Sect’s cultivation techniques.
Jiang Li handed the Invisibility Clothes to Yousi, inviting her to try it.
The outfit automatically adjusted to fit her figure—just as it had with Jiang Li’s average build and Zhang Konghu’s burly frame.
Yousi put it on and activated it with a thought. The sleeves vanished, revealing her pale arms and smooth underarms.
Her eyes widened—she hadn’t expected such a magical garment.
Next, the hem disappeared, unveiling her sleek, flawless legs.
Then the fabric over her waist vanished, showing off her sexy midriff and belly button.
Bai Hongtu thought Tang Ben was a true genius—this was better than watching a striptease.
Watching a beauty gradually expose more of her alluring body—it was quite a sight to behold.
Yousi was about to keep going and see what other parts could vanish…
“How’s the outfit?” Jiang Li interrupted, stopping her from experimenting further. Some areas just weren’t meant to be shown.
“It’s amazing.” Yousi was very pleased. The Invisibility Clothes maximized male desire. If every disciple in the sect wore them, they’d be unstoppable.
“It’s just a shame this one’s a male version,” she added, slightly disappointed. Even wearing a man’s outfit, she exuded charm.
She believed that once she got the female version, she could definitely win Jiang Li’s heart.
Earlier, Jiang Li had sat there like an old monk—utterly unaffected, which left her feeling a bit defeated.
“This is a sample,” Jiang Li explained. “If you like it, we can discuss further collaboration.”
“You mean we can order custom designs?”
“Of course,” Jiang Li nodded. “But we haven’t located the original maker yet.”
“No leads at all?”
“He’s probably somewhere in your Hehuan Sect. That’s why we came to find him.”
“What does he look like?”
Jiang Li naturally didn’t name Tang Ben. “About 1.8 meters tall, almost bald with short hair, strong muscular arms, dark skin…”
“Dark-skinned? Oh, I know who that is.” Yousi’s eyes lit up in realization.
“What name does he use here?” Bai Hongtu asked.
“Tang Dahui.”
“……” The moment they heard that, the two knew for sure—it was definitely Tang Ben.
“He’s a regular of ours. Always fighting with the Wei Emperor and the Mengjiang Emperor for attention. I’m guessing he’s some high-level cultivator too.” Clearly, Tang Ben was quite famous here.
“So Tang Dahui is the one who made the clothes.”
Jiang Li nodded. “Is he here now?”
“He is.” Yousi thought for a moment. “He should be finishing up right about now.”
Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu didn’t really want to know what kind of “finishing” she was referring to.
…
“I rushed out and didn’t bring enough spirit stones. Can I put it on credit?” Tang Dahui, the freeloader, asked carefully as he got dressed.
When the woman who had just been clinging to him suddenly changed her expression, Tang Dahui knew—credit was out of the question.
Sure, he could rely on his Integration Stage cultivation and force his way out. But he still wanted to be a returning customer—doing that would burn bridges.
“Actually, I brought a freshly forged spiritual treasure.”
The woman instantly smiled like a blooming flower.
“Check this out—the Blood-Drinking Berserk Dragon Saber. The more blood it absorbs, the sharper it gets. There’s no upper limit to its sharpness. Drip your blood, and it’s yours.”
Tang Dahui took out a finely crafted longsword, suitable for both men and women, elegant and artistic.
He firmly believed that he didn’t come to the Hehuan Sect for pleasure—he came to cultivate his aesthetic sense, so his forged artifacts would be both powerful and beautiful.
The woman’s eyes lit up. This was a rare growth-type spiritual treasure—totally worth her services.
“But… there’s a slight issue with the blade.”
“What is it?”
“If you slash someone and they bleed too much… the blade might mistake them for its master.”
“……” The woman went silent for a few seconds, then yelled,
“Someone help! I’ve been scammed by a freeloader!”