"Why are you crying? I never said I was going to kill you!"
At a loss for words, Lin En picked at his ear, then took paper, a pen, and an ink pad from his Storage Soul Tool.
"Here, write an IOU. Pay the rest later!"
Zhu Zhuqing: "..."
Looking at the paper and pen held out before her, Zhu Zhuqing fell into a long silence.
This man was utterly shameless. Had he fallen headfirst into a money pit?
But with circumstances forcing her hand, Zhu Zhuqing could only grit her teeth, write an IOU, and stamp her fingerprint on it.
"Now that feels better!"
Lin En smiled faintly and casually put it into his Storage Soul Tool. "Come here and give me a hand."
He leaped down to the ground and strode quickly toward the heap of fallen figures in black.
Although the assassins had already become a pile of ice-cold chunks of flesh, Lin En reached out without the slightest concern and began feeling through them.
"A Storage Soul Tool. Good stuff. I'll take it!"
Lin En wiped away the blood, then tossed it to Zhu Zhuqing beside him with a smile.
Just like that, one searched the corpses while the other scooped up the loot.
In the blink of an eye, they had swept the battlefield clean. Valuable or worthless, everything went into their pockets, with nothing wasted.
Following beside him, Zhu Zhuqing was dumbfounded!
He even wanted broken bracers. Just how desperate for money was this guy?
"Um... are you really short on money?"
After hesitating a few times, Zhu Zhuqing finally asked.
Lin En paused, then shrugged.
"Actually, not that short?"
"Then why are you... so viciously penny-pinching? You even take broken weapons?"
Lin En sighed softly. "I've been poor enough to fear it. I don't dare waste a single penny."
"This is all money. Look at the quality. Fix it up and sell it to a mercenary company, and that's another profit."
Lin En flashed a brilliant smile, not finding it embarrassing in the least.
Zhu Zhuqing opened her mouth, but no words came out, and she swallowed them back down.
Half an hour later.
Beneath a Triangular Rock Wall outside Star Dou Forest, a campfire suddenly flared to life.
Lin En set up a grill and began preparing dinner.
The food was meat from Soul Beasts Lin En had hunted over the past few days. He set it over the fire to roast, and fat sizzled out.
As the aroma wafted into her nose, Zhu Zhuqing ran her pink tongue over her lips, and saliva trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Throughout her flight, she had eaten nothing but dry rations and flatbread along the way, without a single decent meal.
Now, smelling that rich fragrance, her taste buds betrayed her, making her mouth water.
It smells so good. I really want some...
"Want some?"
Noticing Zhu Zhuqing's ravenous, wolflike gaze, Lin En even deliberately held the roast meat in front of her for her to smell.
"Mm... yes."
Unable to hold back any longer, Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly reached for it, unable to hide the drool at her lips.
"Wild Street Food Stall. Ten thousand Gold Soul Coins a meal. Affordable prices, no cheating the young or old. You deserve it."
Lin En drew his hand back and gave her a brilliant smile.
"I'll pay! I'll write an IOU! Hurry!"
Faced with delicious food, Zhu Zhuqing could no longer restrain herself, and her words came out in a rush.
Lin En smiled faintly and handed her the paper and pen again.
Once the IOU was drawn up, Lin En handed Zhu Zhuqing the roast meat he was holding. Inspecting it by the firelight, he said:
"Don't say I'm treating you unfairly. All this meat is from thousand-year Soul Beasts. In the city, they'd charge you eight hundred or a thousand Gold Soul Coins at the very least."
"Here with me, you can eat it whenever you like."
"Mm-hmm..."
Not a single word Lin En said reached Zhu Zhuqing. At that moment, she devoured the food as though possessed by a ravenous beast.
When you were hungry enough, even shit tasted good!
After eating and drinking her fill, Zhu Zhuqing leaned back against the rock wall in contentment.
The naturally formed rock wall became the perfect shelter for the two of them, keeping out both wind and rain.
Zhu Zhuqing had thoroughly enjoyed the meal, and Lin En had eaten his fill with equal delight!
As expected of a young lady from a wealthy clan-so lavish, so rich. Lin En was green with envy!
"Um... I haven't asked your name yet."
Rubbing her round, bulging belly, Zhu Zhuqing turned toward Lin En and asked.
Zhu Zhuqing was extremely curious about Lin En, who looked twelve or thirteen, about the same age as her.
"My name is Lin En. You may not have heard my name yet, but you'll know it soon enough!"
A smile curled at the corners of Lin En's mouth as he looked at her with a slightly meaningful gaze.
Being stared at so directly made Zhu Zhuqing feel uncomfortable all over.
Why did this man sound so cryptic when he spoke?
Zhu Zhuqing thought silently to herself.
Yet she never imagined that what he had said today would become reality before long.
"All right, get some rest. After tonight, we'll be square."
Lin En glanced at the sky. The moon hung at its zenith, and stars filled the night like rain.
He leaned lazily against the rock wall, one leg stretched out and the other bent, with his arms pillowed behind his head.
Sageross stood guard nearby, protecting him.
"Wait, um... could you take me to Suotuo City?"
Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly spoke, a faint ripple appearing in her eyes.
"Hm?"
Lin En turned his head and opened one eye to look at her, then sat up with a smile curling at his lips.
"Of course, but..."
"I know. More money. I'll pay more. As long as you take me to Suotuo City, I'll give you another hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins."
Zhu Zhuqing spoke with a smile. At some point, an almost imperceptible trace of amusement had appeared on her icy face.
"Haha, no problem, no problem! It's just taking you to Suotuo City. Leave it to me!"
Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's words, Lin En immediately broke into a brilliant smile.
With extra money, there were no problems at all. Even if there were, they would be his problems.
"Thank you. Although you're always acting like a money-grubber, I can feel that you're a good person!"
Zhu Zhuqing gazed at him and spoke in a warm tone.
"Hey, don't go handing out good-guy cards so casually!"
Lin En plucked a blade of Blue Silver Grass and held it between his lips, linked his hands behind his head, and rolled his eyes at her in exasperation.
"I never said I was a good person. I just follow my feelings!"
"I'd rather be an honest scoundrel than a hypocritical gentleman. At least I stand straight and sit upright, free of all restraints and beyond the reach of the law!"
"Drink the strongest liquor and chase the most beautiful women. That's my creed in life."
"Besides, even if you hand me a good-guy card, I won't lower the price. A discount is impossible. Not in this lifetime!"
"Pfft-"
Lin En's words thoroughly amused Zhu Zhuqing.
Only after a moment did she look at him and say with a thoughtful expression:
"You're really interesting. A hypocritical gentleman, an honest scoundrel... I like that line."
Lin En rolled his eyes, turned over, and ignored her.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at him, then at the sky.
The campfire crackled, its tongues of flame like snakes' flickering tongues, poking their heads into the night and licking at the embers of darkness.
The moonlight was silver, and the fragrance of night filled the air, as though weaving a soft net that enveloped every part of the scenery.
Leaning against the rock wall, Zhu Zhuqing tipped her head back to gaze at the sky, her expression relaxing at once.
She suddenly felt that this was a lovely night.
Before you continue