At this point, if Joe Di still didn't realize that the one who destroyed the other three branches of the Qi Trading House under the guise of the white-haired elder was the hunchbacked man before him, he would truly be a fool.
Old Crook grinned, "Of course it was me. Like you said, the enemy of my enemy is an ally. We're both enemies of the Qi Trading House, so I figured I might as well help you..."
"You actually overheard our conversation?" Joe Di felt a chill in his heart. When he spoke with Geng Ji, his divine sense had already been monitoring the surroundings, yet someone still managed to eavesdrop.
If this Old Crook wanted to harm them, even a hundred of him would be no match for Joe Di. A cold shiver ran down Joe Di's spine. Though he always said he'd rather reincarnate than face a dead end, unless he was truly desperate, he'd never willingly choose reincarnation.
Joe Di quickly regained his composure, set aside other thoughts, and focused on dealing with the situation at hand.
If Joe Di hadn't known that Old Crook had destroyed three other Qi Trading House branches using his name, he might have believed the old man was truly here to help. Now, though, Joe Di was certain that wasn't the case.
"You two were chatting carelessly in the street, and I happened to overhear as I passed by. I agree with what you said—I'd put it this way: the enemy of my enemy is a friend. Now that we share a common enemy, that makes us friends." Old Crook waved his hand nonchalantly as he spoke.
The enemy of my enemy is a friend? Joe Di sneered inwardly. That wasn't necessarily true. Still, he kept his thoughts to himself.
Joe Di cupped his fists. "Senior, you just said that going to the Qi Trading House would be suicide. What did you mean by that?"
No matter what, Old Crook probably wasn't a top expert from the Qi Trading House, which meant Joe Di could temporarily set aside concerns about his threat. He believed Old Crook wasn't speaking without reason; if there was something dangerous about the Qi Trading House that he didn't know, now was the time to ask.
Every time before he acted against the Qi Trading House, Joe Di would observe for several days, making sure there were no threats from the Qi Trading House or its surroundings before making his move.
With his current understanding of cultivation, no Golden Core cultivator could possibly conceal their strength from him. Only a Soul Ancestor might be able to, but Joe Di believed that even the Qi Trading House wouldn't have Soul Ancestors everywhere.
How many branches does the Qi Family have in the Northern Domain? Even the Qi Family themselves probably couldn't count them all. Would every little branch have a Soul Ancestor overseeing it? Not likely.
"According to the information I received, after the Qi Trading House in Weichun was destroyed, the Qi Family headquarters brought out two Teleport Beacons." Seeing the confusion in Joe Di's eyes, Old Crook smiled proudly, flashing his yellow teeth as he continued, "You don't know what a Teleport Beacon is, do you? Let me teach you: a Teleport Beacon allows someone to instantly teleport to a designated location."
Joe Di understood. "Senior, are you saying that if I attack any Qi Trading House branch, a Soul Ancestor from the Qi Family could teleport here instantly?"
"You're not stupid, kid. That's exactly right. But those two Teleport Beacons, while rare, can't be used just anywhere—only within the Northern Domain." Old Crook looked at him as if he were a promising student.
After saying this, as if he still hadn't scared Joe Di enough, Old Crook pointed at the Qi Trading House beside them. "There are twenty-one Golden Core cultivators cultivating inside this Qi Trading House, three of whom are at the peak of the Golden Core stage. Besides that, the Soul Ancestor who just left could return at any time. Do you really think coming here was anything but suicide? Don't even think about escaping before the Soul Ancestor returns. You can't do it right now."
This time, Joe Di was truly grateful to Old Crook. He bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Senior, for saving my life. Otherwise, I would surely have died here. Your kindness will not be forgotten."
He had been too arrogant. It was one thing to have higher cultivation, but he was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. His arrogance came not only from smooth sailing since he began cultivating, but also from his foundation as a fifth-level Array Master.
In truth, Joe Di wasn't particularly afraid of the twenty-one Golden Core cultivators, since he wasn't planning to fight head-on. What he feared was that Soul Ancestor. No matter how many Golden Core cultivators there were, with his fifth-level Deathtrap Array, he could still escape with ease. But if a Soul Ancestor arrived, he would be doomed.
Right now, Joe Di just wanted to leave Northridge City as soon as possible. With the Qi Family's Soul Ancestor possessing a Teleport Beacon, staying here would be suicide. Not only did he need to leave, he had to make sure no one discovered his whereabouts.
"Hey, don't go!" Seeing Joe Di eager to leave, Old Crook stopped him.
Joe Di looked at Old Crook in confusion. This guy was very powerful; if he didn't want Joe Di to leave, there was no way he could get away.
After stepping into Foundation Establishment and comprehending Peak Convergence and Raging Waves, Joe Di had indeed been full of ambition. But now, all he wanted was to find a place to advance to the Golden Core stage. In the eyes of a Soul Ancestor, Foundation Establishment was probably nothing but an ant. If he reached Golden Core, he might barely be able to protect himself—if he couldn't win, he could at least escape.
Old Crook grinned again, flashing his yellow teeth, and said with a sly look, "Kid, we could work together..."
"I wonder what Senior means?" Joe Di straightened his posture. If he were to cooperate with this powerful hunchback, he'd be at a complete disadvantage.
Joe Di truly didn't want to work with this guy—he'd rather leave Northridge City immediately.
Old Crook leaned in close to Joe Di, lowering his voice like a thief, "Here's the deal—just go ahead with your original plan, and I'll back you up from the sidelines."
If something this good actually happened, it would be a miracle. Joe Di frowned and said, "Now that I know how dangerous the Qi Family is, Senior, your strength is unmatched so you're naturally fearless. But my friend and I are weak; if we're blocked by a Soul Ancestor, we'll have no choice but to die."
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Old Crook clasped his hands behind his back and said coolly, "Since you don't want to cooperate, I'll be leaving. By the way, that Qi Family Soul Ancestor Elder hasn't gone far. You might still be in Northridge City when he comes back."
Joe Di was annoyed by the threat, but since he was at a disadvantage, he could only grit his teeth and say, "Senior, just be straightforward. What do you want, and why are you seeking help from a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like me?"
Old Crook slapped Joe Di on the shoulder. "You've got promise, kid! Once we enter the Qi Trading House, I only want to pick one item—everything else is yours. As for working with you, it's partly because I like you, and partly because the enemy of my enemy is a friend. Or have you forgotten?"
Joe Di chuckled. "Senior, you probably need me to set up a Deathtrap Array, don't you?"
"Exactly, exactly! Your skills with arrays are top-notch—I need your help." Old Crook quickly agreed when he heard Joe Di's words.
But Joe Di was even more certain now—the old man wasn't seeking his help just for his array skills. Still, since Old Crook wouldn't tell the truth, there was nothing Joe Di could do.
"So what exactly is Senior planning?" Right now, Joe Di had no choice but to cooperate and try to get some benefit out of it.
Old Crook thumped his chest. "You handle the tough job of setting up the Deathtrap Array, and leave everything else to me. Whether it's Golden Core cultivators or Qi Family Soul Ancestors, I'll hold them off for you."
Joe Di grew increasingly uneasy. Old Crook seemed a bit too generous. He'd only take one item, yet was willing to do all the dirty work, leaving the profits to Joe Di and Geng Ji.
This definitely wasn't right, but Joe Di couldn't figure out exactly what was off, so he could only shake his head. "That's still not enough..."
"Kid, don't push your luck. I'm making a big sacrifice here for the sake of helping a junior." Old Crook grew annoyed when he saw Joe Di shake his head.
Joe Di cupped his fists and said, "Senior, although we're the ones taking action, the Qi Trading House will definitely hunt me down in the future. As for you, they might not even know... So I hope you can do me one more favor. I've heard the Skyveil is opening..."
"You want a spot to enter the Skyveil?" Old Crook's eyes widened.
Joe Di nodded. "Yes, and not just one spot—two. Senior, you should understand. If the Qi Trading House suspects me, they'll hunt me everywhere. Only by hiding inside the Skyveil will I have a chance to survive."
Old Crook gritted his teeth. "Fine. I'll get you two spots to enter the Skyveil."
Joe Di reached out his hand. "There must be a credential to enter the Skyveil. Senior, please give me the pass."
"Entry to Skyveil requires competition among the major sects. Where would I get a pass right now?" Old Crook frowned.
"Really?" Joe Di was clearly skeptical of Old Crook.
With a helpless gesture, Old Crook produced two jade tokens engraved with a waterfall. "Here, take these. Just make sure you get the job done."
Something was wrong—definitely wrong. Joe Di was now certain his suspicions were correct.