Chapter 44: Spatial Grid

Chen Fei said nothing, merely watching the two men.

"Take a look at this portrait and see if you can spot anything unusual."

Seeing Chen Fei's wary expression, Xing Wenxiang said with a smile, "We suspect this person used a disguise technique. We would appreciate your help."

Maintaining an expressionless face, Chen Fei put on his deerhide gloves before accepting the portrait.

The craftsmanship of the portrait was exceptional, bearing a striking resemblance to the appearance Chen Fei had used when he disguised himself before. This also demonstrated how deeply the Linghan Army had been impacted by that incident.

"It is difficult to spot anything unusual based solely on a portrait."

Chen Fei glanced at it a few times before looking up at the two men. He was telling the truth; a portrait was, after all, a secondary creation, reconstructed by an artist based on the verbal descriptions provided by the Linghan Army.

Even if there were discrepancies, it would be difficult for an artist to capture them.

Therefore, to truly determine if someone had used a disguise, one had to see them in person. Just as Xing Wenxiang had recognized at a glance that Chen Fei's current appearance was disguised.

"Is that so? That is a pity, then."

Xing Wenxiang glanced at Linghan Jun. In truth, Xing Wenxiang knew that one could not discern much from a portrait alone, and Linghan Jun only suspected the use of a disguise.

If anyone else had made such a request, Xing Wenxiang would have refused immediately, as it was impossible to fulfill. But because it was Linghan Jun, he could not refuse; he could only visit the Black Market from time to time to observe.

Coming to Chen Fei now was simply to allow Linghan Jun to observe him from a close distance to see if the man in front of him was a suspect, nothing more.

"Friend, do you usually use a saber?"

Linghan Jun glanced at Chen Fei's long saber. Based on the saber techniques he had just witnessed, they were quite mediocre. Of course, it was common for rogue cultivators to have ordinary moves, so it wasn't particularly strange.

"What are you trying to ask?"

Chen Fei looked at Linghan Jun warily, refusing to answer the question directly.

"Nothing much. I just saw you defeat five people with a single move just now, and it made my blood boil. Would you care to exchange a few moves?" Linghan Jun said, his eyes fixed on Chen Fei.

"I am but a humble student; I wouldn't dare show off my meager skills!"

Chen Fei shook his head and took a step back. There was no way he would fight; this saber of his was merely a tool to mask his identity.

Naturally, to complement this saber, Chen Fei had specifically learned a basic saber technique and practiced it until it reached the Great Perfection stage.

"Is that so? What a shame."

Seeing Chen Fei's posture of being ready to flee at any moment, the corners of Linghan Jun's mouth twitched, but he did not press further.

A moment later, Chen Fei's figure blurred, and he vanished from the spot.

To eliminate Linghan Jun's suspicions, Chen Fei made a deliberate effort to display his movement technique with extreme agility and fluidity.

That night, all Linghan Jun had seen were the man's appearance and his movement technique; he hadn't even seen his sword moves. If that was the case, then Chen Fei would be completely dissociated from his past self.

Furthermore, because of the three movement technique manuals he had obtained from the Zhang family, Chen Fei's current lightness skill was actually entirely different from before, so he had no need to worry about being linked to his previous identity.

"How was it?"

Seeing Linghan Jun lost in thought, Xing Wenxiang couldn't help but ask with a smile.

"It shouldn't be him." Linghan Jun thought for a moment and shook his head.

"No matter. I will go with you to visit several experts in the county in the coming days. If we still find nothing, then that person has likely left Pingyin County."

Linghan Jun nodded slightly but said nothing more.

***

Chen Fei circled around a few times before returning to his rented courtyard.

Chen Fei frowned slightly; he hadn't expected Linghan Jun to be so persistent. Fortunately, he had made many preparations for selling medicinal pills.

Returning to his room, Chen Fei took off the bundle from his back. Looking at the bright white silver inside, a smile involuntarily spread across his face.

Over five hundred taels. At this rate of earning, the fifty thousand taels for the *Town Dragon Elephant* would only take a few months. However, Chen Fei could not stay in Pingyin County for that long, but with his alchemy skills, he could earn money just as quickly in other cities.

"Store!"

With a thought, the silver on the table vanished instantly. The balance displayed on his panel surged, immediately exceeding the five-thousand-tael mark.

Chen Fei admired his savings for a while. Just as he was about to close the panel, he suddenly noticed an exclamation mark notification in the upper right corner.

Chen Fei's heart stirred; this was the first time he had seen such a change on the panel. Upon clicking the exclamation mark, a message appeared in his mind.

"A spatial slot?"

After digesting the information, Chen Fei was momentarily stunned.

The panel informed him that because his stored value had exceeded five thousand taels, he could now spend five thousand taels of silver to exchange for one spatial slot. This slot was one cubic meter in size and could be used to store items.

"This panel actually has such a capability."

After a moment of hesitation, Chen Fei chose to exchange for it.

He had no major expenses coming up, and the fifty thousand taels for the *Town Dragon Elephant* was still far from enough. As for the simplification of other techniques, his current earning speed would be more than sufficient.

More importantly, a spatial slot could store items. If it worked as he expected, it would be incredibly convenient—far more valuable than five thousand taels could ever be.

The stored value on the panel instantly dropped to a few dozen taels. Simultaneously, within Chen Fei's perception, a spatial compartment appeared before his eyes.

An excited expression appeared on Chen Fei's face as he began to study this spatial slot.

Half an hour later, the research concluded, and the surprise on Chen Fei's face had vanished. Frowning slightly, he rubbed his chin repeatedly.

The spatial slot could indeed hold things, but it could only hold *one* item.

Once a longbow was placed inside, arrows could not be put in. One would have to take the bow out before placing something else.

"It really is just a spatial slot; no wonder it only costs five thousand taels."

Chen Fei scratched his head. This slot was a cubic meter, but if it could only hold one item at a time, its utility would be severely limited.

"Is this telling me to save money and keep buying slots?"

Chen Fei paced the room, constantly thinking about the panel's description of the spatial slot. After a moment, his footsteps paused, and he walked into the kitchen.

Looking at a large bag of rice before him, he focused his mind. In the next instant, the rice vanished and appeared inside the spatial slot.

Chen Fei's expression shifted, a hint of joy in his eyes. He focused again, and the rice reappeared in the kitchen. He stepped forward and opened the bag, revealing the yellowish grains of rice inside.

He tried the same mental command on the entire bag of rice, but the bag remained unmoved; the attempt failed.

"So, as long as it's wrapped up, it counts as one item?"

Not wanting to delay, Chen Fei gathered all the pots, bowls, and utensils in the kitchen into a sack and tied it tight. In the next instant, the entire sack appeared inside the spatial slot.

"So that's how it works!"

Chen Fei finally couldn't help but laugh. However, taking the entire bag in and out was still somewhat inconvenient. After thinking for a moment, his eyes brightened.

***

Early the next morning, after receiving the medicinal herbs sent by the Zhao family, Chen Fei headed out.

Compared to its former bustle, Pingyin County now seemed somewhat lifeless. Many people walked with hurried steps, rushing home immediately after finishing their business, not daring to linger on the streets.

Furthermore, the streets were mostly filled with men; Chen Fei had seen almost no women.

Thinking of the atrocities committed by the rebels, Chen Fei let out a soft sigh.

(End of Chapter)