Chapter 32: Looting

Seeing the red thread again, it was just as magnificent and shocking as before.

But Chen Lin's state of mind was now different.

On one hand, he knew the origin of the red thread, and on the other, he had a way to leave, so he was no longer quite so terrified.

However, even with Yu Yuehai's promise, whether the departure process would go smoothly remained an unknown. After all, it was relying on a Foundation Establishment expert, not that he himself was one.

Besides the need to be careful about being targeted by the eerie entities again after severing the red thread, the wilderness was not a peaceful place; there were various demon beasts and unpredictable dangers.

When the other party encountered danger themselves, it would be impossible for them to risk their life to protect him.

Therefore, he still needed to prepare some means of self-defense.

Time was tight, and it was impossible to increase his cultivation level, so he planned to refine more Thunderbolt Beads.

With the storage bag, the problem of carrying the Thunderbolt Beads was solved. These things were ineffective in small quantities, but once used in large amounts, they were highly lethal to low-level demon beasts and Qi Refining cultivators.

Crucially, the raw materials were cheap, and he could afford them.

Not knowing which day he would have to leave, Chen Lin no longer delayed and headed straight for the inner city market early the next morning.

Then, he learned some shocking news.

Just last night, several shops in the market had been ruthlessly looted, and the number of stolen treasures was countless!

The market was currently in a state of chaos, and the city guards of the five great families were questioning shopkeepers one by one.

Seeing this scene, Chen Lin suddenly thought of what Yu Yuehai had said yesterday. Could it be that the other party's so-called "not leaving empty-handed" was achieved through this method?

A rough count revealed that six shops had been looted, two of which were high-end establishments.

This was a very fast way to make money!

"What, are you tempted? Do you also want to scavenge a bit before you leave?"

At that moment, a voice sounded beside him, startling Chen Lin instantly.

"It's Fellow Daoist Ye. Why are you here? Have you returned to the Water Moon Pavilion?"

Seeing it was Ye Jingyun, Chen Lin immediately cupped his hands in greeting.

Seeing that no one was around, he reached into his robes to fumble around, preparing to take the items from the storage bag to hand over to her.

Unexpectedly, she gave him a look and then walked toward a secluded spot.

"How did it go? Was it successful?"

Only after walking out of the market did Ye Jingyun stop, looking at Chen Lin with a nervous yet expectant expression.

"I have fulfilled my mission."

Chen Lin took out the talisman and handed it to her.

Then, he took out several other items one by one, handing them over reluctantly.

In truth, he had considered deceiving her by saying he had failed, but after much thought, he decided against it.

Firstly, he feared she might have special methods to interrogate him; secondly, he always felt that this woman and Yu Yuehai did not seem as close as they appeared.

If his guess was correct, she might perhaps become an asset for him to break free from Yu Yuehai in the future.

Of course, these were all mere speculations with no basis, but as long as there was a sliver of possibility, it was worth the gamble.

"Not bad, you actually managed to refine it. Fellow Daoist Chen's luck is indeed extraordinary!"

Ye Jingyun took the talisman to inspect it and was instantly overjoyed.

However, she did not examine it closely; instead, she took all the items, put them into her storage bag, and stared at Chen Lin for a moment before saying, "Remember well, Yu Yuehai must not know about this. Do not ask why; you only need to know that this is beneficial to both of us."

After saying this, she added a warning: "The city might be very chaotic in the next few days. You should stay home and not come out. Although Yu Yuehai asked me to follow you secretly, I also have some matters to attend to."

"Ah, okay, alright."

Chen Lin hurriedly agreed.

At the same time, the doubt in his heart was resolved. It turned out that Yu Yuehai hadn't simply left him unattended, but had assigned her to watch over him.

If he had truly gone to seek refuge with the five great families, he would likely have suffered another lesson.

But as one doubt was resolved, an even larger one arose.

Why was she telling him this? What was her purpose?

This time, she hadn't even called Yu Yuehai "Senior Brother," but had addressed him directly by name. Was it an accidental slip, or was she intentionally expressing something to him?

Watching Ye Jingyun's disappearing figure, Chen Lin's gaze grew deep.

...

Since he had been warned, Chen Lin did not continue wandering. After hurriedly buying some supplies, he prepared to return.

Resources were currently extremely scarce; there were no good items to buy, and he no longer had the capacity to purchase much.

He still had some Strength Talismans and Fireball Talismans, but their value was too low to fetch many spirit stones.

Enlightenment Pills could be refined at any time, but if he brought them out to sell, he would surely be regarded as a fraud due to their appearance.

As for the Primordial Pills, he only had three left; he intended to keep them for his own use rather than selling them to avoid trouble.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, what a coincidence!"

As he was walking, a familiar figure suddenly blocked his path.

"It's you?"

Chen Lin was surprised; he hadn't expected to run into her again.

Thin and looking malnourished, it was none other than Xu Ruolan.

He didn't believe this was a chance encounter and said expressionlessly, "What business does Fellow Daoist Xu have with me again? Let me state beforehand, once pills are sold, there are no returns."

Xu Ruolan's face darkened, but she immediately forced a smile and said, "You worry too much. I came to find you because I wish to conduct another transaction with you."

Chen Lin stared at her and asked, "What transaction?"

Although this woman's cultivation was not high, she possessed many treasures, and since he had gained the upper hand in the previous two transactions, he couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

"Pills, of course."

Xu Ruolan glanced around, and seeing no one, continued, "I used those two pills of yours yesterday, but I am still a bit short of a breakthrough. Therefore, I want to exchange for another one from you."

Neither of the two resulted in a breakthrough?

Chen Lin grimaced; her aptitude was even worse than his!

After a moment of hesitation, he nodded. "I do indeed have one more pill, but it is the last one. I originally intended to keep it for myself, but since you are in urgent need, it wouldn't be impossible to sell it to you."

"But as you know, given what happened in the market today, it will be difficult to purchase pills in the future, and the price will not be very low."

He set the terms strictly beforehand to prevent her from playing the victim to gain sympathy.

Just as Xu Ruolan was about to speak, her demeanor suddenly changed. She raised her chin arrogantly and gave a cold, sideways sneer, "What kind of status does this Fairy have? Even the scraps falling from my fingertips would be enough for you to use for half a lifetime. Do you think I would take advantage of you?"

Chen Lin's eyes flickered.

During their last encounter, she had never shown any "symptoms." He had thought she might have some special method to shield herself from the control of the red thread, but now it seemed he had overthought it.

"Very well, then let me see what treasures you will use to trade with me. But let me be clear: I have no need for spirit stones. I only accept bartering."

Resources in the city were currently extremely scarce; even with spirit stones, one couldn't buy good things. Moreover, compared to spirit stones, what he truly coveted were the treasures on her person.