Spells Grinding: From Basic Sparks to Divine Arts

Chapter 241: Exposed

“Hall Master Lang! This…!”

The youth in the navy-blue robes cried out, his face flushed with anxiety.

“Enough!”

Lang Yi cut him off, turning slightly to address Liu Qingyan. “I will personally locate the item Qingyan requires. Consider this matter closed.”

Hearing this, the navy-robed youth’s face twisted with suppressed rage, but he dared not openly argue with a Golden Core cultivator.

After a moment’s hesitation, he spun around and bellowed at the black-robed boy who had already reached the entrance:

“Kid! Do you dare leave your name?!”

The boy in black paused. He stood rooted in place, his back to the hall.

A moment later, a voice cold as ice and dripping with disdain echoed through the grand hall:

“Why wouldn’t I? Listen closely. I am Tang Bai, a Loose Cultivator. If you want revenge, come find me.”

“Good! Good!”

The navy-robed youth trembled with fury, his teeth grinding audibly.

But Tang Bai paid him no mind. With a single, decisive step, he strode out of the hall and vanished.

With the instigator gone, the hall fell into a heavy silence. Dozens of pairs of eyes swiveled toward the navy-robed youth, waiting to see how he would salvage his dignity.

Qin Lu was no exception, blending in with the crowd of onlookers.

Sensing the weight of the public’s gaze, the humiliated youth flushed a deep crimson. He flicked his sleeves violently and marched straight toward Liu Qingyan, clearly intending to seek solace.

The crowd’s attention naturally followed him to the beautiful woman. But to their surprise, Liu Qingyan wasn’t looking at her suitor. She wasn’t even looking at Hall Master Lang.

She had turned her head and was staring intently at a specific corner of the crowd.

Curiosity piqued, the onlookers traced her line of sight.

Qin Lu, however, did not turn to look like everyone else.

Because Liu Qingyan was looking directly at him.

…

Why is she staring at me?!

Qin Lu felt a spike of panic in his chest.

He had absolutely no desire to stand out in a major cultivation city teeming with hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

Forget the numerous cultivators at Foundation Establishment Perfection; there were plenty of Golden Core experts here. The number of people capable of snuffing out his life was far too high.

Attracting attention in a place like this only increased the danger of his journey.

His plan was simple: keep a low profile, acquire his pills, and immediately return to the White Jade Market. He was not like Tang Bai, that fearless young genius who crushed authority with brute force. Qin Lu was a pragmatist.

And now, Liu Qingyan’s gaze had locked onto him, throwing his plans into disarray.

Fortunately, Qin Lu was surrounded by a cluster of other Loose Cultivators. The group began craning their necks, looking left and right, whispering guesses about who the beauty was actually observing.

Qin Lu naturally blended in, putting on a show of confusion as he glanced around with the rest of them.

But Liu Qingyan’s next move made his heart seize.

Ignoring the navy-robed youth who had just arrived at her side, she walked straight toward Qin Lu. Her footsteps were light, yet in the silent hall, they seemed to thunder against the floor.

Damn it! What is this woman doing?

Qin Lu’s expression stiffened, his heartbeat accelerating.

Her actions sent a ripple of surprise through the crowd. Everyone stared—including the spurned suitor and Hall Master Lang.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire hall, Liu Qingyan approached unhurriedly and stopped directly in front of Qin Lu.

Instantly, every gaze in the room converged on him. He could practically feel them dissecting him, speculating on his identity.

Qin Lu looked at the peerless beauty up close. He hesitated for a beat, then feigned ignorance.

“Liu… Fellow Daoist, can I help you?”

“Hey now. Fellow Daoist, you’ve probed me twice. What exactly are you trying to do?”

Liu Qingyan’s voice was soft and enchanting, carrying clearly across the hall.

“Uh…”

Qin Lu immediately adopted a mask of bewilderment. “Miss Liu, surely there must be a mistake? I haven’t probed you.”

Although his face showed confusion, his mind was racing. He knew exactly why she had singled him out.

It was the Heavenly Eye Technique. The fluctuation of Spiritual Qi when he cast it had swept over her!

It had happened when he first entered the city, too. The moment he activated the technique, she had sensed it.

But this time, Qin Lu had been using it to check Hall Master Lang’s cultivation level. He hadn’t expected the Golden Core expert to remain oblivious while Liu Qingyan detected it instantly.

“Don’t lie to me. I saw you yesterday when you entered the city, and now I see you again. If it’s not you, who is it?” Liu Qingyan’s eyes curved into crescents, her voice dripping with honeyed suspicion.

“Uh…”

Her beauty was formidable. Up close, her gaze was like an ensnaring web, capable of capturing a man’s soul before he even realized he was trapped. Qin Lu felt a momentary flutter in his chest.

But survival instinct quickly overrode attraction. He knew deep down that a woman like this was a walking disaster—a hot potato that would burn anyone foolish enough to hold it.

He couldn’t afford to be entangled.

Qin Lu raised his voice, sounding righteously indignant. “If you want to condemn someone, you can always invent a crime! I have never probed you. How can Fellow Daoist Liu pin such baseless accusations on me? I am an upstanding gentleman!”

At this point, his only option was to deny everything with absolute conviction.

“You…”

Liu Qingyan’s red lips parted, but she hesitated. Her eyes still held a look of deep suspicion.

Just then, Lang Yi’s authoritative voice cut through the tension.

“Qingyan, this person likely didn’t probe you. Even I didn’t sense anything just now. You must be mistaken.”

“Hehe! If Uncle Lang says so!”

Liu Qingyan let out a light laugh. She gave Qin Lu one last, meaningful look—a look that said I know you’re lying—before twisting her waist and turning away.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you to find the Ancient Yang Crystal.”

Lang Yi didn’t give the minor dispute a second thought. clasping his hands behind his back, he turned and headed toward the depths of the Merit Hall.

“Coming~” Liu Qingyan chirped, quickly following him.

Soon, led by Lang Yi, Liu Qingyan and her entourage of young talents disappeared into the inner sanctum.

The drama had officially concluded.

Seeing there was no more spectacle to watch, the crowd of Loose Cultivators dispersed, returning to their own business. However, as they left, many cast curious glances at Qin Lu, wondering who he really was to attract such attention.

Qin Lu ignored them all. He kept his head down and hurriedly exited the Merit Hall.

Inside, he was cursing up a storm.

What kind of top-grade Magical Artifact is that woman carrying?!

A Golden Core cultivator didn’t react, yet she detected me instantly!

It seems I can’t use the Heavenly Eye Technique casually anymore. I need to avoid this kind of trouble.

Still fuming over the close call, Qin Lu navigated the bustling streets. Before long, he arrived at his next destination.

The atmosphere here was vastly different from the refined Merit Hall.

Dozens of burly men, stripped to the waist, wielded massive cleavers. They stood before rows of heavy tables, vigorously chopping apart the carcasses of Demon Beasts.

The air was thick with the metallic tang of blood. Scraps of meat and bone littered the ground. Everything about the place screamed visceral violence.

This was the city’s slaughterhouse.

It was also Qin Lu’s third stop for the day.

His goal was to find a captain of a beast-hunting squad and inquire about the Black Mysterious Grass and the Earth Armor Dragon.

I hope this trip yields some results…

Qin Lu sighed internally, pushing aside the lingering anxiety from his encounter with Liu Qingyan. He steeled himself, stepping over the bloody threshold and into the slaughterhouse.