A Bountiful Haul

After five hours of being put through the wringer by God's Taboo Game and narrowly escaping death several times, everyone was utterly exhausted. Little Girl especially had fallen asleep on Hua Yueyu, fast asleep.

"What should we do with her?"

Hua Yueyu sighed.

Little Girl's mother had been terribly unlucky. If only she'd held on a little longer, she could have made it out alive.

"Take her to the Police Station?"

Lin Baici had thought about taking Little Girl home, but how could he explain what had happened to her mother?

"When we get to the city, I'll get out and take her home."

Sima Mu stroked Little Girl's head and thanked Lin Baici. "I didn't contribute at all in the God Ruins. I only survived because I followed you, so let me take care of this. Otherwise, I wouldn't feel right about it."

"Sounds good!"

Lin Baici didn't refuse. Sima Mu wasn't a kidnapper, so there was no need to be wary of him.

"Want to add me on WeChat? I'll treat you to a big meal in a few days."

Sima Mu took out his phone. He planned to keep in touch with Lin Baici.

Someone like him had boundless potential. It couldn't hurt to build a good relationship now.

"Your phone still works?"

Hua Yueyu was surprised.

All three of her phones, her DSLR, and her GoPro Action Camera were wrecked.

"Oh, I forgot!"

Sima Mu smiled awkwardly. "Then I'll give you my number?"

"Tell me. I'll remember it."

Lin Baici was going to university in Haijing, so he'd definitely have to change his number then.

"1379026768."

After Sima Mu recited it, he saw that Lin Baici made no move to write it down. He was a little doubtful. Could you really remember it?

"Don't worry. I won't forget it for the rest of my life!"

Lin Baici smiled. When he heard the number, he'd activated Divine Grace of Eidetic Memory. He'd remember it perfectly for at least ten years.

"We had to sacrifice all our belongings to that Buddha Statue with the Alms Box!"

Jin Yingzhen explained for Lin Baici.

She didn't want Sima Mu to think Lin Baici was being disrespectful. After all, Sima Mu had given him his number, and he'd only heard it once. Anyone would think he wasn't taking it seriously.

"An Alms Box? A Buddha Statue?"

Hua Yueyu was startled. "You went through another God's Taboo Game?"

"Yeah!"

Even now, Jin Yingzhen was still shaken. If Baici oppa hadn't come through for her, her head would've been smashed in, and she'd have become a headless corpse.

"Impressive!"

Sima Mu gave him a thumbs-up, filled with admiration.

I thought you were already strong, but you still managed to exceed my expectations.

Even for a God Hunter, taking part in a God's Taboo Game was a brush with death.

The driver glanced at them in the rearview mirror.

"Did I just pick up a bunch of lunatics?"

To avoid causing public panic and unrest, the authorities never reported anything about the God Ruins. Ordinary citizens knew next to nothing about them.

An hour and twenty minutes later, the taxi reached the city.

Sima Mu carried Little Girl out of the car and said goodbye to Lin Baici and the others.

"Let's keep in touch!"

After the taxi drove away, Sima Mu found a Mobile Service Hall, bought a phone with his card, and got a replacement SIM card for his number.

Then he made a call.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

The phone rang nine times before someone answered.

"Uncle Jiu, I ran into a God Ruins while visiting my family's graves!"

Sima Mu sat down at a Barbecue Stall by the roadside. "Ma'am, two jin of skewers and ten bottles of beer! Uncle Jiu, I met a newcomer with incredible potential!"

The Hilton Hotel stood in the city center. Together with the nearby Provincial TV Tower, it was one of Guangqing City's landmarks.

At night, the lights on the tower came on in a blaze of color, giving the city a lively, neon-lit atmosphere.

As soon as the taxi pulled up in front of the hotel, a doorman came over to open the door.

"Pay the driver. Put it on my bill!"

Jin Yingzhen instructed the doorman.

"Tsk, is she really the daughter of a Korean chaebol?"

Hua Yueyu wondered to herself. The way Jin Yingzhen acted made it clear she was used to being waited on and giving people orders.

Once they entered the hotel lobby, the three receptionists at the front desk bowed in unison from across the room.

"Good evening, Miss Jin!"

"Book two more luxury suites, buy two of the latest iPhones and one Samsung phone, and get three SIM cards!"

Jin Yingzhen gave the orders casually. She didn't need to pinch pennies over such small expenses.

"Oh, his ID was lost. Can he still check in?"

Jin Yingzhen meant Lin Baici.

"Of course!"

The receptionist smiled warmly.

The woman in front of her was a lifetime member of the Hilton Hotel. The general manager had instructed them to take excellent care of her and meet all her needs.

Of course, being a lifetime member wasn't a big deal. What mattered was that she seemed to be the daughter of a major chaebol family in Korea.

Now that was something.

Who was this guy, though?

The receptionist's gaze flicked quickly toward Lin Baici.

He was so tall!

And with that face, he certainly had what it took to live off a woman.

"The rooms here must be expensive, right?"

Lin Baici frowned. He couldn't afford to pay for them.

"Oppa, that's not something you need to worry about!"

Jin Yingzhen beamed at him.

The receptionist stared, dumbfounded.

Something wasn't right here.

Why did it seem like this Korean heiress was chasing after this Big Male Student?

"I'll pay for my share!"

Hua Yueyu didn't want to take such a huge favor, either.

"Don't go back and forth over something so trivial!"

Jin Yingzhen didn't care at all. Spending tens of thousands of yuan was as ordinary for her as buying a bottle of Mineral Water.

In just two minutes, the receptionist had booked the rooms and completed their check-in. She handed the key cards to Lin Baici and Hua Yueyu, then led the way toward the elevator.

"Mind your step, everyone!"

The lobby floor was clean and level. No one was likely to trip, but the receptionist still reminded them courteously.

When they reached the elevator, she opened the doors and held them while Jin Yingzhen and the others went in. Only then did she step inside, close the doors, and press their floor.

"Oh my goodness, what service! They're practically treating the guests like royalty!"

Hua Yueyu marveled. Was this what it was like to be rich?

This global five-star hotel chain was incredibly luxurious. The receptionist was also very beautiful, wearing a light-blue skirt suit, black stockings, and little leather shoes. Her trained posture and graceful gait made her look lovely as she walked.

Hua Yueyu couldn't help sneaking a few more glances at her, then stole a look at Lin Baici. He was looking straight ahead, not taking the opportunity to feast his eyes on the receptionist's backside.

Mm!

He was a good man!

Hua Yueyu felt she'd discovered another one of Lin Baici's virtues.

"If you need anything, you can call the front desk!"

After opening the rooms for them, the receptionist tactfully left, giving the guests plenty of privacy.

[A girl you can win over with cash for just three thousand yuan a night. Want to give it a try?]

God of Gluttony was commenting on the receptionist.

"Let's shower first. We can talk later!"

Jin Yingzhen looked at Lin Baici. "Oppa, shall I run you a bath?"

"No need!"

Lin Baici quickly declined.

Jin Yingzhen was too enthusiastic. It made him uncomfortable.

Lin Baici walked into the luxury suite, his feet sinking into the soft carpet. It felt wonderful. He took off his dirty clothes and spotted a landline on the desk, so he quickly called his mother to let her know he was safe.

He hadn't gone straight home because he was filthy and had a few minor scrapes. If he went home like this, his mother would pepper him with questions.

The call connected.

Lin Baici said he was staying over at his childhood friend Li Wei's house, and his mother readily believed the excuse.

After hanging up with his mother, Lin Baici immediately called Li Wei and told him not to let anything slip.

"Where are you out partying? You're not even coming home at night now!"

Li Wei's voice boomed through the phone.

"Internet cafe!"

Lin Baici didn't say he was at a hotel. His childhood friend wouldn't have believed him anyway.

"Listen, Old Bai, summer vacation's almost over, and we'll be college students soon. If you're going to stay out all night, it should be because you're getting a hotel room with a woman. What's the point of going to an internet cafe?"

Li Wei earnestly tried to talk him around. "That's so lame!"

"Apologize to everyone who stays up all night at internet cafes!"

Lin Baici thought, I guess this counts as getting a hotel room with a woman, doesn't it?

And there were two of them!

Both gorgeous.

"Old Bai, seriously, I'm thinking of heading to Haijing in the next couple of days to get a summer job and save some money. Once we're in college, I don't want to be so broke I can't even buy a girl milk tea. That'd be embarrassing. Want to come with me?"

Li Wei wanted to go with Lin Baici so they could look out for each other.

"I... might wait a bit longer."

Lin Baici came from a single-parent family. His mother was the only one working to support them, so they didn't have much money. Li Wei had both parents, but his father had been injured in a construction accident years ago and was now disabled, so Li Wei had very little spending money.

If it had been yesterday, Lin Baici would've agreed without a second thought. But after going through the Longchan Temple Divine Ruins, his outlook had changed.

How much could he make from a part-time job?

He was now a God Hunter with three Divine Graces.

He needed to figure out how to cash in on them.

And, to be honest, Lin Baici wanted to be a content creator and make money by filming videos.

"Fair enough!"

Li Wei didn't push him. "You can keep partying for another half a month. Just watch me, Li Wei, make a fortune! When I do, I'll cover all your dating expenses for the next four years!"

"Get lost!"

Lin Baici laughed as he cursed him.

After ending the call, Lin Baici went into the bathroom, which looked extravagantly decorated.

When hot water poured from the showerhead and washed over him, he couldn't help letting out a long sigh. The exhaustion of the day seemed to vanish.

[For a newcomer's debut, you came away with a pretty good haul!]

God of Gluttony was quite pleased. [You've earned the right to treat yourself!]

"What exactly are you?"

Lin Baici was curious. "A Divine Grace?"

God of Gluttony didn't answer.

"Fine. Keep your secrets!"

Lin Baici felt that God of Gluttony meant him no harm, so he decided to take stock of what he'd gained.

Three Divine Graces:

Eidetic Memory, Sanskrit Chants and Buddhist Sounds, Floating Life Night Rain, and Wild Buddha Blows Out the Lamp.

How could he turn them into money?

Lin Baici wanted to earn enough to buy the latest phones, computers, and action cameras. He also wanted to feel more confident when pursuing girls.

As for the God's Taboo Objects, he had the Pine Torch, Herbal Cushion, Black Altar Bowl, and the incredibly powerful Bodhi Messenger Kasaya.

Those God's Taboo Objects had to be worth a lot. Surely he could make at least a million yuan by selling just one?

The only problem was that he didn't know anyone who dealt in them. If he tried to sell one on his own, would the relevant authorities arrest him?