Nuoding City, Buying Whale Glue

"If I recall correctly, there are still three months until the new semester at Nuoding Academy. Should I stay in the village to grind for rewards, or head to Nuoding City to take care of business?"

Lin Chen sat on his stool, lost in thought.

The "business" in question was, naturally, purchasing Whale Glue to enhance his physical constitution.

The limit for a Spirit Master's first four spirit rings is tied solely to physical strength, and Whale Glue happens to be a treasure capable of boosting that very thing.

However, the true utility of Whale Glue wasn't discovered until the second era.

Right now, it is still regarded merely as an aphrodisiac.

Spirit Masters have no use for such things, and ordinary people cannot withstand its potent effects, which means there is no market for high-grade Whale Glue.

Where there is no trade, there is no harm.

Who would bother stocking goods that have no market and are difficult to sell?

If Lin Chen wants high-grade Whale Glue, he will likely need to place a pre-order.

Waiting three months would certainly be too late.

Going to Nuoding City now to place an order gives him plenty of time.

"Forget it, I can grind for rewards anywhere."

"If I keep targeting Tang San, it won't be good if I end up draining him dry."

"I'll let him catch his breath for a while."

After a moment of deliberation, Lin Chen decided to head to Nuoding City early.

The age of his first spirit ring is the priority right now.

"Little Chen!"

Hearing the voice, Lin Chen looked up to see Old Jack walking over at a leisurely pace.

"Grandpa Jack."

Lin Chen hurried to his feet, walked to the fence gate, and opened it.

Old Jack patted Lin Chen on the head. "Grandpa came over to tell you that registration for the new semester at Nuoding Academy doesn't start for another three months, so don't be in such a rush."

"Grandpa, I plan on heading to Nuoding City early to see if I can earn some living expenses."

Lin Chen took the opportunity to say.

Old Jack chuckled. "Child, earning money isn't as simple as you imagine. You're only six years old; no one is going to hire you for work."

"Grandpa, I'm not your average child."

Lin Chen grinned, summoned his Sky Thunder Whip, and lashed out at a fallen peach tree.

"Crack!"

As the explosive sound rang out, the part of the tree struck by the whip instantly shattered.

Old Jack's eyes went wide.

His spirit had only just awakened, yet he already possessed such formidable strength?

"Grandpa Jack, don't worry. I'll take good care of myself. Besides, Master Su Yuntao is still in Nuoding City; if I run into any trouble, I'll go find him."

Seeing that Old Jack still wanted to protest, Lin Chen quickly gave him some peace of mind.

At the mention of this, Old Jack couldn't help but recall what Su Yuntao had said to Lin Chen when he left.

"Alright then, I'll take you to Nuoding City first thing tomorrow morning."

"Grandpa Jack, don't go through the trouble for me. I can go by myself."

Lin Chen politely declined.

Although Old Jack was still in good health, he was getting on in years, and making the round trip would be quite exhausting.

Old Jack glanced at the peach tree and realized that perhaps it really wasn't necessary.

"Very well, just make sure you stay safe."

As he spoke, Old Jack took out the work-study student certificate belonging to Lin Chen from his pocket.

Lin Chen took the certificate from his hands. "I will, I'll be careful."

With that, he took out his key and handed it to Old Jack.

"Grandpa Jack, once I leave, even if I return in the future, it will only be for short visits. If there's anything in the house you can use, please feel free to take it."

Old Jack understood the implication and took the key.

"Let's go, Grandpa will walk you to the edge of the village."

Old Jack walked Lin Chen to the village entrance, offering endless words of advice along the way.

"Grandpa Jack, you should head back now. I'm off."

Lin Chen waved his hand and walked toward Nuoding City without looking back.

"Child, stay safe on the road!"

"I understand, Grandpa Old Jack."

Old Jack stood at the village entrance until Lin Chen had completely vanished from sight, then shook his head and turned back toward the village.

Nuoding City was not far from Holy Soul Village, only about fifteen or sixteen kilometers away.

In just over three hours, Lin Chen had arrived.

"Uncle, please wait!"

Just as Lin Chen entered the city, he called out to a sturdy middle-aged man.

The man stopped and asked, "Little kid, is something the matter?"

[Disaster-bringing successful, obtained 132 Gold Soul Coins.]

Lin Chen stared at the man's forehead. "I see a dark aura between your brows, Uncle. You may face some bad luck in the coming days. You should keep a close eye on your wallet and be mindful of your surroundings."

Since it was only a minor disaster, the bad luck would at most result in losing some money or taking a tumble, so Lin Chen didn't feel much of a psychological burden.

"Where did this brat come from? Go play somewhere else."

The man felt annoyed and suppressed the urge to give him a beating.

"Hey, I was just trying to be helpful..."

"Get lost, get lost, get lost!"

Before Lin Chen could finish, the man cut him off.

The man turned and walked away immediately after speaking.

"What a damn nuisance!"

The man cursed under his breath as he walked, failing to notice a raised stone slab on the ground. He tripped and went sprawling toward the pavement.

Under normal circumstances, he would have just stumbled.

But it seemed his luck was quite something; the bad luck erupted instantly.

"Thud!"

The man hit the ground hard, his mind going completely blank.

Who am I? Where am I? What was I doing?

He looked back at the raised stone slab, feeling utterly miserable.

"Is that kid really that uncanny?"

"Or could it be that his Martial Soul allows him to see through people's fortunes?"

The man stood up abruptly.

But after scanning the area, he couldn't find any trace of the child.

"Damn it, I missed an opportunity."

The man was on the verge of tears, deeply regretting that he hadn't asked a few more questions.

Lin Chen walked along, continuing to play the part of a charlatan.

However, he still had his bottom line: he would not target the elderly or children.

The elderly and children might not be able to handle a fall.

Of course, if he encountered those who didn't act their age or unruly brats, he would show no mercy—he might even go harder on them.

"Sigh, my luck is poor today."

Seeing that he had only gained another hundred or so Gold Soul Coins, Lin Chen couldn't help but sigh.

The system rewards were random, regardless of whether the target was a Child of Destiny or an ordinary person.

Whether it was Tang San or a commoner, the rewards were mostly Gold Soul Coins; special rewards depended on luck.

And Lin Chen's luck today was clearly not great.

As he walked, Lin Chen suddenly spotted an adult store.

Without much hesitation, he walked straight inside.

"Boss, do you have any Whale Glue for sale?"

The boss sitting behind the counter looked up, his mouth twitching at the sight of Lin Chen.

Was this kid maturing a bit too early?

And how old was he, anyway? Did he already need Whale Glue for assistance?

It really was a case of some having too much while others had nothing at all.

Seeing the strange look in the boss's eyes, Lin Chen immediately realized he had been misunderstood.

"No, Boss, can't I be buying it for someone else?"

"Ah? Oh, right."

"Ahem... well, yes, we have it. How many years of age are you looking for?"

The boss's expression was slightly awkward.