Chapter 349

Chapter 349: Rich and Willful

Wang Jie studied Nian Wei. “You really hate Madam Miao, don’t you?”

He’d asked her once before why she pushed so hard for him to strike Madam Miao. Her answer had been simple: close by, little backlash.

This was the second time he asked.

And again, she gave the same answer.

Wang Jie didn’t press further. Whether she had personal motives or not, he had already decided.

If nothing else, the thought of it made him sick.

“You’re certain you want to move against Madam Miao?” Nian Wei asked.

“Certain.”

“Then listen,” Nian Wei said. “Our intelligence suggests Madam Miao’s ties to other powers are shallow. Wiping her out shouldn’t cause much trouble.

“But Madam Miao’s Old Ancestor once cultivated among the Heaven-Insect People. He was expelled because of this method, but we don’t know whether anyone within the Heaven-Insect People still watches him.”

She paused. “Information involving the Heaven-Insect People isn’t easy to investigate.”

Wang Jie let out a short, humorless laugh. “You didn’t mention that earlier.”

“It’s only a guess,” Nian Wei said. “It isn’t in the Star Vault Vista’s intelligence analysis files.”

Wang Jie looked back at the dossier. “Madam Miao’s Old Ancestor is called Miao Sha?”

“Yes.”

“Peak Hundred-Star Realm,” Wang Jie murmured. “And there’s another Hundred-Star Realm in her clan—Miao Mei.”

He glanced up. “Those two are beyond me. You said I could hire an assassin. You have a channel?”

“I do,” Nian Wei said. “But there’s another channel that may suit you better—especially if you plan to remain in the Third Zen long-term.”

“What channel?”

Wang Jie didn’t plan to stay. The Zen Token didn’t limit time; he could remain forever, become a proper Third Zen disciple, or leave whenever he wanted.

He had no great attachment to the Third Zen. Once the Wandering-Star Tournament ended, he intended to go.

Nian Wei said, “Post a mission to the Third Zen disciples.”

Wang Jie’s eyes brightened.

Of course.

He’d posted sect missions before. In Frost Splendor Sect, Luo Yan had run errands for him the same way. Sect missions weren’t limited to gathering herbs or fetching items—there were plenty of external missions as well: escorting, hunting, assassinating.

If the sect approved it, it could be done.

And the Third Zen wasn’t lacking in experts. Even among its disciples, there were Hundred-Star Realm powerhouses.

If Third Zen disciples wiped out Madam Miao, then even if she had some backing, no one would dare come seeking revenge on Zen Mountain.

“With your identity, you can post the mission anonymously,” Nian Wei said. “Even if someone wants to avenge Madam Miao, they won’t be able to trace it back to you.

“And posting missions earns contribution within the Third Zen. It’s not much, but it adds up.”

She added, “The downside is the price. Compared to hiring outside assassins, it’s inflated—nearly double.”

Wang Jie waved it off. “That’s fine. We’re hiring Third Zen experts.”

“But will the Third Zen approve this mission?”

Nian Wei’s lips curved into a rare smile. “In the Mission Hall, we have someone.”

Wang Jie smiled back. “Then do it.”

With Nian Wei guiding him, the process was simple.

The cost, however, was staggering.

Nian Wei recommended fifteen hundred million starstone for Miao Sha, one billion starstone for Miao Mei, and thirty million starstone for each of Madam Miao’s remaining fifteen Roaming-Star Realm cultivators—two billion, nine hundred and fifty million starstone in total.

“If you hired outside assassins, someone would take the job for fifteen hundred million starstone,” Nian Wei said. “But posting in the Third Zen is naturally more expensive.”

Wang Jie stared at the number and didn’t speak.

Nian Wei mistook his silence for hesitation. Three billion starstone was more than most people could ever produce.

But Wang Jie wasn’t thinking about money.

He was thinking about how easily a number could purchase a fate.

Madam Miao undoubtedly possessed far more wealth than three billion starstone. Yet three billion was enough to buy the lives of her entire clan.

In the cultivation world or the mortal world, it was the same.

Assassins killed, and a number settled it.

The victim’s wealth could surpass that number by many times, yet their life still had a price.

He remembered the strange planet he’d sold to the Star Vault Vista. It had been worth three billion, three hundred million—enough to purchase Madam Miao’s extinction.

Before resources, life was cheap.

“I know it’s expensive,” Nian Wei said, trying again. “If you hire outside assassins instead, you could cut the cost nearly in half.”

Wang Jie shook his head. “No. Round it up. Three billion.”

He looked at her. “Consider it me spending three billion to buy a lockforce Star-Devourer.”

Nian Wei gave a faint smile. “If you could buy one directly, it would cost far more. A lockforce Star-Devourer starts at ten billion.”

Then she posted the mission. “It won’t take long for this to appear in the Third Zen Mission Hall.”

She sobered. “One more thing. You must arrive at Madam Miao first. I’ll tell you where the lockforce Star-Devourer is inside her territory.

“Once Madam Miao is wiped out, you must hand the lockforce Star-Devourer over to the Star Vault Vista immediately—before any other power can move in. Only then does it count.”

“And if someone else claims the Star-Devourer and hands it to their sect,” Wang Jie said, already understanding, “the Star Vault Vista will abandon it.”

“Exactly.”

Wang Jie nodded. Then, remembering the earlier interruption, he added, “I want information on Su Qing.”

Nian Wei thought briefly. “Zen Mountain inner sect disciple, Su Qing?”

Wang Jie nodded.

Nian Wei pulled up the information and sent it over without delay.

Then she said, almost as an afterthought, “Oh—Eldest Miss ran into something on the way. She won’t be coming for now.”

Wang Jie’s expression turned strange. “She was really coming earlier?”

Nian Wei nodded.

Wang Jie stood. “All right. I want to buy a few things. Where should I go?”

“Our Star Vault Auction House is holding an auction in two hours,” Nian Wei said. “If you’re interested, you can take a look.”

“Fine.”

As Wang Jie left, Nian Wei watched his back and slowly clenched her fist.

Madam Miao.

She had waited too long for this day.

—

Less than half an hour later, the mission to wipe out Madam Miao appeared in the Third Zen Mission Hall.

It caused an immediate stir.

The Third Zen had plenty of missions, including ones targeting Hundred-Star Realm experts. There were even missions to eradicate entire factions, with prices soaring into the tens of billions.

The mission against Madam Miao caused a shock for one simple reason:

She was close.

Many disciples had assumed Madam Miao had ties to the Third Zen. Now they saw the mission posted openly, and their greed flared.

“So Madam Miao has nothing to do with our sect? If I’d known, I would’ve dealt with her long ago.”

“Her cultivation method is vile. I’ve wanted to wipe her out for ages.”

“Team up,” someone said. “Miao Sha is Peak Hundred-Star Realm. His combat power is close to a million. That’s not an easy kill.”

“Agreed. Even if we’re Hundred-Star Realm ourselves, we can’t guarantee we can take him alone.”

“Then we form a group.”

“Junior Sister Yue Jian,” someone called, “are you in?”

“Thank you, Senior Brother,” Yue Jian replied.

—

The Star Vault Auction House was the largest auction house in Outer Zen.

Wang Jie sat in a private room, listening to the bids below while checking the Mission Hall’s acceptance list.

Plenty of people had taken the job—most of them targeting the Roaming-Star Realm cultivators. Thirty million starstone per kill was more than enough to tempt a crowd.

Only a handful accepted missions targeting the Hundred-Star Realm.

One of them was even a Zen Lake elder.

Wang Jie’s gaze paused on a name.

Yue Jian.

Could it be her?

The Eldest Senior Sister of the Black-White Heaven Command Hub on the ying yang battlefield—the woman who’d managed their intelligence and held their position there through pure analysis.

A woman who had later betrayed them.

At skyport, she’d turned on Black-White Heaven, ambushed Yun Que, and nearly gotten Wang Jie killed along with him.

Could it really be the same person?

It was possible.

Back then, Yue Jian had been Peak Roaming-Star Realm, already close to Six-Path Roamer combat strength. Breaking into Hundred-Star Realm now wasn’t out of the question.

And if it was her…

In Black-White Heaven, there was a long-standing mission: kill Yue Jian.

Wang Jie hadn’t expected to stumble onto her here.

Mission acceptance didn’t require his approval—but as the one who posted the job, he could see who had taken it.

Interesting.

A commotion below pulled his attention.

The next item was Extreme Cold Essence.

The auctioneer announced loudly, “Extreme Cold Essence is extremely rare. It strengthens tendons and bones, and its effect is even better than the icy plasma of a polar earthworm.

“The only drawback is the cold qi it drives into the body. It’s… unpleasant.”

He smiled. “But surely none of you cultivators fear a little discomfort.

“Starting bid: ten million starstone!”

Bids jumped rapidly. The price climbed to twenty million in moments.

The Third Zen really did have plenty of rich people.

Wang Jie joined in. If he used the Undying Body method to force it down, it might be even more effective—and it was perfect for strengthening bone and tendon.

“Thirty million,” he said.

A hush rippled through the hall. Ten million added in one go. Savage.

“Thirty-one million!” someone countered.

Wang Jie didn’t even blink. “Forty-one million.”

The bidder came back. “Forty-two million!”

Wang Jie raised it again—another ten million, as casual as breathing.

The other side fell silent.

In the end, Wang Jie won Extreme Cold Essence for fifty million starstone.

The price was far beyond its true value. The auctioneer looked ecstatic. Down below, people cursed loudly enough for insults to drift up even through the soundproofing.

Wang Jie didn’t care.

He glanced again at the mission list. Many people hid their identities when taking missions. He could see some basic information, but anything they concealed stayed concealed.

Whatever.

As long as Madam Miao died, the rest didn’t matter.

His three billion starstone was already sitting in the Mission Hall, waiting for confirmation of kills.

Another item caught his attention.

Memory-Devouring Spider Nest.

A formation scroll.

The auctioneer explained, “Memory-Devouring Spider Nest is a powerful killing formation. It uses the silk of a memory-devouring mother spider as seal-chen stone. Once a target is trapped, the silk can dissolve their destructive force—and it can also record their movements, forming memory assimilation that reshapes starforce into more efficient killing power.”

“In theory, if the enemy can’t break the formation immediately, they will die inside it.”

“And this scroll contains enough starforce to forcibly kill a Hundred-Star Realm expert.”

That was exactly what Wang Jie needed.

Bidding began at one hundred million and climbed quickly to three hundred million.

At four hundred million, the hall went quiet.

At five hundred million, only one bidder still fought him.

It was that person again.