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Seeing that Lin Chen seemed to be deep in thought, Xuan Su found a nearby seat and sat down, wisely refraining from disturbing him.

After about the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, Lin Chen finally came back to his senses. A faint smile rested on his fair, jade-like face. He glanced at Xuan Su, whose gaze kept wandering over him, and pondered for a moment.

"I wonder what compensation the Wan Jin Merchant Guild requires. The information you mentioned is very useful to me. Thank you."

As soon as Lin Chen finished speaking, Xuan Su refuted him with a smile. She showed no hint of coyness, leaving Lin Chen somewhat speechless.

Lin Chen could more or less guess the thoughts of the charming woman before him. She merely wanted to probe his background and identity, make him owe the Wan Jin Merchant Guild a favor, and draw him to their side.

"Even so, if you had not mentioned this matter, I would have had no way of knowing."

"However, since you see it that way, I shall not say anything further. I'll take my leave."

Lin Chen shook his head, rose from his seat, and gave Xuan Su a faint smile before turning toward the door. Clearly, he had no intention of speaking with her any further.

Xuan Su had already made it very clear that the Wan Jin Merchant Guild did not possess the spiritual medicines he needed. Naturally, there was no reason for him to remain in Flame City.

Before Lin Chen could leave the room, however, a soft call came from behind him.

"Please wait, Young Master..."

Xuan Su considered herself reasonably beautiful and somewhat attractive to men. In the past, every man who met her had deliberately tried to please and ingratiate himself with her. Yet this man before her...

Under that invisible comparison, a faint sense of disappointment lingered in Xuan Su's heart, and the composed elegance on her charming, fair face was gone.

"Is there anything else, Miss? Could it be that you regret not asking for compensation?"

Lin Chen turned sideways and looked back at Xuan Su, speaking indifferently.

"Nothing..."

Hearing the impatience in Lin Chen's words, Xuan Su froze. The words that had reached her lips died away, turning into two exceedingly simple words.

"What you wish to know is nothing more than where I come from and what my name is. Am I right?"

Although Lin Chen was somewhat impatient, he did not leave rudely. Instead, he casually asked her.

"That is indeed the case."

"Your every action has made Xuan Su quite curious, Young Master. That is why I wished to befriend you. Neither Xuan Su nor the Wan Jin Merchant Guild bears any ill intent."

Xuan Su's gaze flickered away, and she did not look directly at Lin Chen as she softly explained.

"You will naturally learn the answer in the future. After all, I will still have need of the Wan Jin Merchant Guild for some time to come."

Qingyang Town, within a courtyard of Ironwood Manor.

"Old Master Zhentian, how has the mining of the Yang Yuan Stone Vein been going these past few days? Has anything unusual occurred?"

After returning to Qingyang Town from Flame City, Lin Chen did not return to the Lin Family Back Mountain. Instead, he went straight to Ironwood Manor and asked about the progress of the Yang Yuan Stone Vein's excavation over the past few days.

"Over these past few days, as the manpower prepared by our Lin Family has gradually entered Ironwood Manor to mine the Yang Yuan Stone Vein, we have extracted quite a few Yang Yuan Stones. However, we have not encountered the abnormality in the vein that Young Master Lin Chen mentioned." Lin Zhentian thought for a moment before answering.

"It seems that without half a year, the Lin Family's manpower will find it difficult to excavate deep into the vein and locate the place where the Fire Ancestor Demonic Flower lies."

Remembering when the Fire Ancestor Demonic Flower had appeared in the original world, Lin Chen abruptly shook his head and immediately gave up on the idea of using it to awaken Little Marten's demonic spirit.

Half a year was simply far too long for him.

With half a year, he could fully establish his foundation, break through to the Lesser Core Formation Realm, and perhaps even go further.

But the prerequisite was awakening Little Marten's demonic spirit first. The Stone Talisman had not yet appeared at this point in the original world, and he could not predict what consequences a rash attempt might bring.

At present, he possessed only the most basic understanding of the Stone Talisman in his hand. Its ability of foresight could not be used. If this had been six years later, he certainly would have had no such misgivings.

"Now that it has come to this, it seems I can only ask that old man Lin Mu for help."

In that brief instant, Lin Chen made his decision. In the Great Yan Dynasty, he was not some rootless drifter. He could be considered a young master with someone to rely on. Solving these problems himself would waste time, but asking someone else to act would not.

Although it had been less than two months since he left the Lin Clan, he was not some stubborn fool. Before Lin Mu, an elder he deeply respected, wasting his precious cultivation time over some meaningless pride was not only unwise, but rather laughable.

He could accept the many cultivation resources Lin Mu gave him, so he could naturally ask Lin Mu for help with a clear conscience. Lin Mu was not an outsider to him.

Besides, in the near future, he would certainly have a chance to repay Lin Mu. At the very least, he could ensure that Lin Mu would no longer have to worry over a Nirvana Pill and could undergo Nirvana rebirth without the slightest pressure.

Seeing Lin Chen's brows tightly furrowed as he sank into thought for some unknown reason, Lin Zhentian did not say anything more. He merely stood respectfully to one side and waited.

To Lin Zhentian, Lin Chen was entirely worthy of such treatment.

Not only had Lin Chen saved his son, Lin Xiao, but he had also greatly enhanced the Lin Family's strength. In merely a few days, the Lin Family had undergone earth-shaking changes.

The Yang Yuan Stones mined from the Yang Yuan Stone Vein these past few days were enough to exchange for a thousand Yang Yuan Pills. In the past, the Lin Family would not have dared to hope for such cultivation resources, much less imagined them.

Although this could not compare to the once-and-for-all solution of the One Hundred Thousand Yang Yuan Pills Lin Chen had given the Lei Family, this Yang Yuan Stone Vein had the advantage of lasting for a long time. Judging solely from the current extent of mining, its future value would definitely exceed One Hundred Thousand Yang Yuan Pills.

"Old Master Zhentian, there is something I need to trouble you with."

"What instructions does Young Master Lin Chen have? Please speak freely."

Lin Chen's sudden words made Lin Zhentian stiffen. He replied instinctively.

Lin Zhentian was not someone who failed to repay kindness. Moreover, he had placed the Lin Family of Qingyang Town's hope of returning to the Lin Clan upon Lin Chen. Therefore, whenever Lin Chen had a request, Lin Zhentian was naturally more than willing to help.

"It is nothing major. I only need you to make a trip to the Lin Clan and pass along a few words of mine to that old man Lin Mu."