Led by this old servant, Li Xiu entered the mansion with A Fei, while the fat man stayed outside to wait.
This servant held quite a high position in the mansion; other servants would respectfully greet her, showing evident awe.
"Master, this is the Azan Master I mentioned, the ninth generation disciple of the Profound Dragon King..." Despite her age, the servant’s memory was surprisingly sharp as she recited the fat man’s lengthy title without missing a beat.
"Master Li Xiu, please sit." The Big Mine Master looked rather young, seeming just over forty, although his hair had quite a bit of white in it, probably making him older than he appeared.
Li Xiu had just sat down when the Big Mine Master spoke to the servant: "Servant, Ah Xiang is causing trouble again, please go and check on her."
The servant had intended to sit down, but upon hearing the Big Mine Master’s words, she quickly stood up and anxiously left.
"In deference to the servant, I will not quibble with you – return to where you came from." After the servant left, the Big Mine Master coldly said to Li Xiu.
"Since I’ve come all this way, won’t you let me see your daughter and the necklace?" Li Xiu knew he couldn’t hide the truth, so he hadn’t planned to masquerade as any kind of master; seeing the Big Mine Master was enough.
"The servant cares deeply for Ah Xiang; it’s only on her account that you can walk out unharmed. Otherwise, a swindler like you would at least have your limbs broken. Do not be ungrateful." The Big Mine Master said with a stern face.
"Do you really think I’ve come to deceive you?" Li Xiu asked.
"That just means you’re a relatively clever swindler." The Big Mine Master snorted coldly.
"Since you already know I’m a swindler, I can’t deceive you further. Let me try, you won’t lose anything, will you?" Li Xiu remained calm.
The Big Mine Master finally looked directly at Li Xiu: "What do you mean?"
"What do you consider more important: your beliefs or your daughter?" Li Xiu asked the Big Mine Master.
"Are you implying you’re a master from another sect?" The Big Mine Master frowned slightly.
"Are these things more important than your daughter’s life?" Li Xiu responded.
"Do you have confidence?" The Big Mine Master stared at Li Xiu.
"No, I need to assess the situation before determining anything." Li Xiu replied.
"What do you want?" The Big Mine Master asked.
"If I can fortunately succeed in treating your daughter, I want that necklace." Li Xiu admitted truthfully.
After hearing this, the Big Mine Master surprisingly nodded and said: "Then go ahead and take a look."
When the Big Mine Master stood up, two bodyguards immediately followed.
Li Xiu immediately recognized that these two bodyguards were true Trial Takers.
Unlike Space City, where Demon Armor is popular but lacks gemstone resources, the Southern Cross Federation has an abundance of Trial Takers.
Li Xiu followed the Big Mine Master to his daughter’s room with A Fei, where the servant was crying and trying to persuade a girl chained to the bed.
The girl’s appearance was pure, yet her expression was seductive, her eyes seemed to captivate.
"Master, please save my young lady!" The servant felt extremely distressed seeing Miss Ah Xiang not recognize her and ignoring everything she said.
"Servant, please go rest." The Big Mine Master had someone escort the servant out.
The girl on the bed gave Li Xiu a seductive smile, her rosy tongue slowly sliding across her pink lips, full of allure.
"What have you discovered?" The Big Mine Master didn’t truly believe Li Xiu but held onto a faint hope.
He had tried every imaginable method and consulted everyone possible, yet his daughter’s condition showed no improvement.
"Let me see the necklace." Li Xiu requested.
"The necklace was sealed by the Azan Master’s ritual and cannot be opened." The Big Mine Master explained.
"If the master’s seal were effective, would your daughter still be in this condition?" Li Xiu said calmly.
"Can you save her?" The Big Mine Master asked urgently.
"Perhaps I can, perhaps not. We’ll know more after I assess the situation; I can’t promise anything now." Li Xiu replied.
"So be it." After a moment of contemplation, the Big Mine Master decided to take Li Xiu to see the necklace.
Li Xiu realized he was distrusted but understood the parent’s heart; sometimes, even knowing it’s impossible, they’ll do anything for even a sliver of hope for their child.
In a solitary room, a Buddha statue stood, with a black wooden box placed in front of it.
Upon seeing the wooden box, Li Xiu’s demeanor subtly shifted.
That black wooden box resembled the one the Red Sand City Lord used to store invitation cards.
"The necklace is inside the box." The Big Mine Master hesitated again, unsure whether to open it. The Azan Master had said it should not be opened.
"Where did this box come from?" Li Xiu asked the Big Mine Master.
"When I bought the necklace, it was already in this box. Is something wrong?" The Big Mine Master felt a glimmer of hope after hearing Li Xiu inquire about the box.
Before, the Azan Master had mentioned the box itself had issues; it was meant to trap Yin Spirits.
"There’s no issue, open the box and let me see the necklace." Li Xiu said, his mind calculating, "Could this necklace be related to the Heavenly Longevity?"