Looting

Seeing the red threads again was as spectacular and shocking as ever.

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

On one hand, he knew the origin of the red threads, and on the other, he had a way to leave, so he wasn't as terrified.

However, even with Yu Yuehai's promise, whether the departure process would be smooth was still an unknown. After all, he was relying on a Foundation Establishment expert, not because he himself was a Foundation Establishment expert.

Besides needing to be careful about being targeted by the anomaly again after cutting the red threads, the wilderness wasn't peaceful either, with all sorts of Demon Beasts and unpredictable dangers.

When the other party encountered danger themselves, they wouldn't risk their lives to protect him.

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

Time was pressing, and improving his cultivation was impossible, so he decided to refine more Thunderclap Beads.

With the Storage Bag, the problem of carrying Thunderclap Beads was solved. These things weren't effective in small quantities, but if used in large numbers, they were very lethal to low-level Demon Beasts and Qi Refining cultivators.

The key was that the raw materials were cheap, and he could afford them.

Not knowing when he would leave, Chen Lin no longer delayed and headed straight to the inner city market the very next morning.

Then, he received shocking news.

Just last night, several shops in the market were ransacked, and countless treasures were stolen!

The market was in chaos, with the city guards of the Five Great Families interrogating people shop by shop.

Seeing this scene, Chen Lin suddenly thought of what Yu Yuehai had said yesterday. Could this be the method the other party used to "not leave empty-handed"?

He roughly counted, and indeed, six shops had been robbed, two of which were high-end establishments.

This was such a fast way to make money!

"What, are you tempted? Do you want to do some looting before you leave too?"

Just then, a voice sounded from beside him, startling Chen Lin.

"It's Fellow Daoist Ye, what are you doing here? Have you returned to the Water Moon Pavilion?"

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

Seeing that no one was around, he reached into his robes and fumbled around, preparing to take out the items in the Storage Bag and hand them over.

Unexpectedly, the other party gave him a look and then walked towards a secluded area.

"How was it, did you succeed?"

Only after they had walked out of the market did Ye Jingyun stop and look at Chen Lin with a tense and expectant expression.

"I did not fail my mission."

Chen Lin took out the talismans and handed them over to her.

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

Actually, he had considered deceiving her by saying he hadn't succeeded, but after much thought, he didn't.

Firstly, he was afraid that she might have some special means to interrogate him. Secondly, he always felt that the relationship between this woman and Yu Yuehai was not as close as it seemed.

If his guess was correct, perhaps she could become an aid in his escape from Yu Yuehai in the future.

Of course, this was all speculation with no basis, but as long as there was a sliver of a possibility, it was worth a shot.

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

Ye Jingyun took the talismans and looked at them, her face full of surprise.

However, she didn't examine them closely. After taking all the items, she put them into her Storage Bag, then stared at Chen Lin for a moment and said, "Remember, you absolutely cannot let Yu Yuehai know about this. Don't ask why, just know that it's beneficial for both of us."

After saying that, the other party warned him again, "The city might be very chaotic in the next few days, so you should just stay home honestly and don't come out. Although Yu Yuehai asked me to keep an eye on you, I also have some things to attend to."

"Ah, okay, okay."

Chen Lin quickly agreed.

At the same time, his doubts were resolved. So, Yu Yuehai hadn't abandoned him but had entrusted this woman to keep an eye on him.

If he had really gone to seek refuge with the Five Great Families, he would probably have faced another lesson.

But as one doubt was resolved, another, even bigger one, arose.

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

This time, she didn't even call Yu Yuehai "Senior Brother" but addressed him by his name. Was it an unintentional slip or a deliberate attempt to convey something to him?

Watching Ye Jingyun's disappearing figure, Chen Lin's eyes became deep.

Since he had been warned, Chen Lin didn't linger. After hastily buying some things, he prepared to return.

Supplies were extremely scarce now, and it was impossible to buy good items. Moreover, he no longer had the purchasing power.

He still had some Great Strength Talismans and Fireball Talismans, but their value was too low to sell for many Spirit Stones.

As for the Enlightenment Pill, he could refine it anytime, but its appearance would surely make people think he was a swindler if he tried to sell it.

As for the First Origin Pills, he only had three left, which he intended to keep for himself and not sell, 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, not expecting to meet her again.

She was thin, looking malnourished, and it was Xu Ruolan.

He didn't believe this was a chance encounter and said expressionlessly, "Fellow Daoist Xu, what do you need from me this time? Let me be clear beforehand, once pills are sold, there are no refunds."

Xu Ruolan's face darkened, but she immediately forced a smile and said, "Fellow Daoist, you worry too much. I'm here because I want to trade with you again."

Chen Lin stared at her for a moment and asked, "What kind of trade?"

Although this woman's cultivation wasn't high, she had quite a few treasures on her. Moreover, he had profited from their previous two trades, so he couldn't help but feel a little expectant.

"It's still pills, of course."

Xu Ruolan glanced around, and seeing no one else, continued, "I used the two pills from Fellow Daoist yesterday, but I'm still a little short of breaking through. So, I want to exchange for another one from you."

Neither of the two pills helped her break through?

Chen Lin grinned. Her aptitude was worse than his!

After a moment of thought, he nodded. "I do have pills here, but it's the last one. I was originally keeping it for myself. Since Fellow Daoist is in urgent need, it's not impossible to sell it to you."

"But you also know that with what happened in the market today, it will be very difficult to buy pills in the future. The price won't be low."

He laid down the ground rules first, to prevent her from playing the victim to gain sympathy.

Just as Xu Ruolan was about to speak, her demeanor suddenly changed. She haughtily lifted her chin and sneered, "What is my status? A little bit from my fingertips is enough for you to live half your life. Do you think I would take advantage of you!"

Chen Lin's eyes flickered.

During their last encounter, she hadn't shown any 'symptoms', and he had thought she had some special method to block the control of the red line. Now, it seemed he had overthought it.

"Very well, then let me see what treasures you'll use to trade with me. But let's be clear, I don't need Spirit Stones. I only accept bartering."

Resources in the city were extremely scarce now. Even with Spirit Stones, one couldn't buy good items. Furthermore, compared to Spirit Stones, he craved the treasures on her person even more.