Is There a Problem with This Hand-Off?

Early morning, at the entrance to the Great Sword Sect's valley.

Beneath the pale white mist, busy figures could already be seen within the golden Spirit Fields.

The youths arrived at the valley entrance, each of them gazing hopefully as the formation slowly opened a gap the size of a city gate.

"uncle, cousin, why didn't you let Chang'an know you were leaving?"

Lin Chang'an's uncle and cousin awkwardly pretended not to know him, while Lin Chang'an approached with a broad smile and an intimate manner, as though he were complaining that they had left without a word and were being far too distant.

"Ahem, Chang'an, your aptitude is the best. Uncle only did this for your own good."

His uncle shamelessly wore an expression that said he had done it all for Chang'an's sake. The kindly smile beneath his head of gray-white hair was now full of hypocrisy.

Lin Chang'an stepped forward with a grateful expression and clasped his uncle's hands. "Your nephew deeply appreciates uncle's kindness. After all, we're family. Uncle and cousin are both trash with Low-grade Spirit Roots, while I'm treated as an honored guest here."

His cousin Lin Changqing stared at him with reddened, jealous eyes, as if asking why Lin Chang'an had such good aptitude and talent in alchemy—why their treatment could differ as widely as heaven and earth.

"Enough. It's time to go."

As the cultivator guarding the formation called out, Lin Changqing revealed an excited expression. "Father, we can finally leave this place."

But Uncle turned back toward him with a melancholy look. "Chang'an, Uncle knows you hate us, but the Great Sword Sect is truly quite good. Only here can your aptitude be brought into play."

Good heavens, it was as if he ought to thank the father and son who had sold him off.

"Take care, Uncle."

Lin Chang'an waved farewell to his uncle and cousin with the same fake smile. For some reason, seeing that smile on his nephew's face gave Uncle a bad premonition.

"Move, quickly."

Uncle spoke to his son in a low voice, but Lin Changqing said jealously, "Father, what are you afraid of? So what if Lin Chang'an's talent is good? Could he possibly escape?"

"Shut up! Hurry!"

Under his father's anxious gaze, the two hurried outside the formation. Many people behind them watched the scene with envy.

"They're leaving. Sigh, when will we ever get to leave?"

"Endure it. They only got this chance because they sold their own nephew. He was an alchemist with a Spirit Root almost High-grade. Who told us we didn't have that fate?"

Whenever people were released, the Great Sword Sect did not stop others from seeing them off or watching.

"Father, we... we've finally come out!"

The instant they stepped out of the formation, father and son embraced and shed two streams of excited tears. But then, a shadow suddenly blocked the light.

"Lord Zhang Qing, the sect allowed us to leave."

When they saw that the newcomer was Zhang Qing, a Great Sword Sect cultivator, father and son immediately looked uneasy and spoke with trembling voices.

Zhang Qing smiled at the sight. "Of course. The sect has let you leave. You're free. I came to find Alchemist Lin."

Zhang Qing turned toward Lin Chang'an at the valley entrance, waving as he called with a laugh, "Alchemist Lin, the people you were looking for have arrived."

A smile bloomed across Lin Chang'an's face in the distance. "Senior Brother Zhang, many thanks."

Yet the people at the valley entrance cried out in alarm as Lin Chang'an's uncle and cousin, who had just walked out, were seized on the spot.

"Everyone." Zhang Qing approached with a solemn expression and looked over the crowd. "Our Great Sword Sect follows rules. This has nothing to do with us. These are people Alchemist Lin asked me to invite."

Before everyone's eyes, Lin Chang'an's lips curled into a smile as he shouted toward the figures outside the formation, "What price do these two fetch?"

A rough-looking cultivator glanced at the two people now in his hands and dismissively waved a hand. "One's an old man, and the other is already in his twenties. Both are in early Qi Condensation with Low-grade Spirit Roots. If I buy them back, they can only dig mines and serve as breeding stock. They aren't worth much."

Though he said that, he casually tossed over a pouch of Spirit Stones. "For the Great Sword Sect's sake, twenty Spirit Stones for these two."

Uncle, with his gray-white hair, blankly looked back and forth—at the Great Sword Sect, then at the restraints on his body. Even he, normally seasoned and composed, was stunned. "Your hand-off is quite seamless."

Lin Changqing's head buzzed as though struck by thunder. He muttered in disbelief, "We... were sold?"

At the valley entrance, Lin Chang'an casually weighed the Spirit Stone pouch in his hand, then took out five stones and tossed them to Zhang Qing.

"Alchemist Lin, you're far too generous."

Lin Chang'an narrowed his eyes and smiled. "My uncle and cousin sold me, so is there a problem with me selling them off in turn?"

Zhang Qing tucked the five Spirit Stones into his robe and immediately put on a righteous expression, patting his chest as he said, "Alchemist Lin is one of us. That father and son have nothing to do with the sect anymore. I merely acted at Alchemist Lin's request."

"As for what he wants people for, that is Alchemist Lin's family matter. How could there possibly be a problem?"

Having said that, Zhang Qing smiled at the others. "Do you think there's a problem?"

The crowd looked at one another. It really did seem there was no problem.

You could sell me, so why couldn't I sell you in turn?

Still, Lin Chang'an's methods truly left people at a loss for words. Seeing the smile at the corner of his lips as he held the Spirit Stone pouch, many secretly warned themselves that this was a ruthless man and not someone they could offend carelessly.

"This..." Li Han's eyes widened amid the crowd, and he could not help clicking his tongue.

He had been sold out by his uncle and cousin, then immediately sold the two of them off in return. That move was far too slick, completely beyond expectations. Even the people involved were still dumbfounded.

Let alone them—even Zhang Qing and the other disciples raised in the Great Sword Sect, who had seen every kind of scheme, stared wide-eyed in amazement. This had truly broadened their horizons.

Quite a few people also came to their senses, suddenly understanding that this was what Lin Chang'an had discussed with Elder Lu last night.

That personality of finding every possible way to repay a grudge—impressive!

Everyone was secretly alarmed and warned themselves not to offend such a person lightly. He repaid every grievance. What a true petty villain.

Lin Chang'an looked at the dark circles around Li Han's eyes and shook his head. One could imagine what he had gone through that night to leave even a Martial Grandmaster in such a state.

"Here in Miaowa Kingdom, the Great Sword Sect can already be considered a conscientious sect. It uses both favor and pressure on those with decent aptitude, mainly tempting them with benefits. If it were one of the smaller factions here instead, even your ashes would be ground into cinnabar for drawing talismans."

Yet beneath Lin Chang'an's smiling face, he secretly muttered to himself, The Great Sword Sect has a conscience?

Who knew how many corpses had been laid beneath the Great Sword Sect as it stood today? And the preferential treatment they received was built upon their talent and skills.

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