Master Yan

Seeing the Gray-robed Elder's move, Lin Dong instinctively wanted to dodge, but he was horrified to discover that he couldn't move at all.

Not just Lin Dong—even Lin Changqiang, standing nearby, felt a flicker of concern. If he hadn't read the original story and known that this old man was decent and upright, he wouldn't have been so at ease.

The elder's finger stopped at Lin Dong's brow. The next moment, he clearly sensed the unusually active Spiritual Power within the latter's mind, and a rare smile of delight appeared on his stern face.

"Young one, are you interested in becoming a Talisman Master? I could take you on as my Elite Disciple." The Gray-robed Elder's tone was calm, but it left the Red-clad Girl and the Brocade-robed Man beside him utterly stunned.

"Talisman Master?"

Lin Dong was taken aback. Though the respect others showed the elder marked him as a big shot in Flame City, Lin Dong was always wary of strangers, especially when benefits came knocking out of the blue.

He subtly rubbed his palm, where his most important secret lay hidden. He had no confidence that he could keep it concealed from a true expert.

Lin Changqiang knew what Lin Dong was thinking and also knew that no one in the entire Great Yan Dynasty could see through the Ancestral Stone, but he chose not to intervene.

"Thank you for your kind offer, sir, but I'm still weak in cultivation. If I split my focus to study the Talisman path, I'm afraid I'd bite off more than I can chew. Please forgive me."

Lin Dong looked at the elder apologetically, but his words made everyone around them exchange incredulous glances. Didn't this kid know how many people in Flame City would kill to become the elder's disciple but couldn't find a way in?

The elder was visibly taken aback, then chuckled warmly. "The path of a Talisman Master isn't just about inscribing Runes on objects. A truly powerful Talisman Master can overturn rivers and seas with a mere gesture."

Unfortunately, the more enthusiastic the elder grew, the more reluctant Lin Dong became to agree. If he had no secrets, he'd be happy to latch onto such a big shot, but he couldn't be sure whether this man could detect his Stone Talisman...

After weighing his words, Lin Dong finally declined tactfully. "Sir, could you allow me to return home first and discuss it with my family before making a decision?"

"Very well, then. Do as you say. When you've made up your mind, bring this to the Wanjin Chamber of Commerce and look for me. Also, since we've met by fate, take this as a gift—it might give you a better understanding of the Talisman path."

The elder seemed a bit helpless but didn't press further. He pulled out a Talisman Token and a dry, worn Booklet from his bosom and handed them to Lin Dong.

"Thank you, sir." Lin Dong carefully took the items and stuffed them into his newly bought Cosmic Bag. Seeing this, Lin Changqiang's heart burned with excitement.

"Now then, let's talk about the damages." The elder's expression turned cold as he fixed a sharp gaze on the Red-clad Girl's side. On the way here, his Spiritual Power had already detected that they had struck first. "The Curio Building's losses today will be covered by the party that started the fight—your Liu Family. Any objections?"

Hearing this, the girl snapped back to reality and nodded with a face full of dark lines. "In response to Master Yan's words, we will deliver the compensation as soon as possible."

While they were talking, Lin Dong and Lin Changqiang slipped through the crowd and quickly exited the Curio Building, then hurried back along the same route to the inn where the Lin Family was staying.

Back at the inn, Lin Dong finally let out a sigh of relief and glared at Lin Changqiang. "You could have just taught that guard a lesson. Why did you have to make such a scene? Thank goodness that elder was reasonable, or we might have been held there too."

"Who says you're not my good big brother?" Lin Changqiang gazed at Lin Dong with exaggerated affection, speaking clearly and deliberately. "I thought, if I hadn't been there, and the Curio Building didn't have that rule, wouldn't you have been beaten half to death? How could I stand for that?"

Watching Lin Changqiang's indignant expression, Lin Dong was deeply moved, even though he knew the guy was laying it on thick on purpose.

Just as Lin Dong was at a loss for words, Lin Zhentian and the others, who had gone out earlier, finally returned to the inn.

"Dad, how did it go?" Seeing Lin Xiao and the others come back, Lin Dong quickly changed the subject.

"Not bad. Yang Yuan Stones aren't hard to sell, and the price was fair. Three hundred stones got us thirty-two Yang Yuan Pills." Lin Xiao patted Lin Dong's shoulder with a smile, and Lin Zhentian beside him was beaming too.

Only Lin Changqiang's heart was bleeding. Three hundred Yang Yuan Stones! If Lin Dong refined them all with the Ancestral Stone, they could turn into a hundred Yang Yuan Pills! Of course, he knew that wasn't realistic—Lin Dong was too cautious to expose his special ability so easily.

As they talked, the door was pushed open again. They turned to see Lin Mang walking in with a dark expression.

"How did the Ironwood sale go?" Seeing Lin Mang's face, Lin Zhentian frowned, sensing trouble.

"Damn it, the price of Ironwood was forced down by thirty percent! I had to bust my ass to find out—it's that Lei Family bunch using their connections to screw us over!" Lin Mang's nostrils flared with anger, his breathing like a bellows.

Hearing this, Lin Zhentian and Lin Xiao's faces darkened. It seemed the Lei Family was dead set on making trouble for them.

"No matter. Let's not bother with the Ironwood issue for now. The priority is selling the Yang Yuan Stones. We'll settle the rest with them later!" Lin Zhentian took a deep breath and held back his anger. As long as the mine deal went through, the Ironwood was just a small matter.

"Mm." Lin Xiao and Lin Mang nodded, their expressions easing slightly.

"Since everything's done, we should head back. We've pulled too many people here; we can't stay away too long."

No one objected to that, so they quickly assembled the convoy and set off from Flame City.

Meanwhile, in a room somewhere in Flame City, two figures sat facing each other. One of them was Lei Pi of the Lei Family.

"Many thanks for your help this time, Steward Hua An." Lei Pi smiled ingratiatingly as he poured tea for the oily-faced Middle-Aged Man before him.

"Heh, it's nothing, nothing~" The fat man waved dismissively, then stroked his beard and gave Lei Pi a mysterious look. "But you know, according to my servants' tracking, the Lin Family actually went to two places this trip. Selling Ironwood was just one of them~"

"Oh?" Lei Pi was startled. Seeing the man's meaningful smile, he caught on and promptly took out five Yang Yuan Stones, handing them over. "Much obliged, Steward Hua."

Seeing Lei Pi's quick understanding, the man cheerfully pocketed the stones and said with satisfaction, "The Lin Family split into two groups. The obvious one handled the Ironwood sale, while the other secretly took a batch of Yang Yuan Stones to the Wanjin Chamber of Commerce!"

"A big batch of Yang Yuan Stones?" Lei Pi's face immediately turned ugly.