Generous Spoils of War

Ji Xun decided to return to the Silver Star Mysterious Materials Shop to exchange the Golden Breathing Method. Although it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, it was the optimal choice after careful consideration.

He had obtained some spoils of war after killing that fortune teller, which gave him the money to buy the breathing method he couldn't afford earlier.

Furthermore, there was no better opportunity than now.

His identity had already been exposed by the recent commotion.

It wouldn't be long before everyone in the Black Market on Dark Rain Street knew he was the person connected to the disappearance of the Anomaly 407 Containment Facility.

The disappearance of a high-yield Alternate Dimension meant something significant, and everyone knew it.

If he were to return to buy that incomplete Golden Breathing Method again, the shop owner would surely guess it was him.

Even if Cao Yu hadn't specified what the treasure was, it was inevitable that someone would harbor ill intentions with such a valuable item in his possession.

Ji Xun planned to resolve the issue all at once while the name "Dong Qi" was still useful.

As he expected, the shop owner was remarkably bold.

And it was highly likely because the owner guessed he had some connection to "Dong Qi." The transaction to exchange spoils for the breathing method was straightforward and quickly concluded.

As for unexpected events?

Ji Xun had considered them.

But he trusted his intuition and judgment more.

This burning, fiery confidence surpassed all subjective consciousness.

It made him fearless!

Ji Xun didn't dare to linger, and clutching the breathing method, he decisively vanished into the darkness.

Dark Rain Street was already in chaos at this moment.

Upon hearing that their long-sought target had appeared in the Black Market, the Blackwater Mercenary Group had several nearby districts rapidly dispatching reinforcements.

Not only mercenaries but also various hidden operatives deployed by the Governor's Mansion of the Cao Family were activated.

Such a large-scale operation naturally couldn't be kept secret from well-informed intelligence merchants.

Various factions in the city, unaware of the situation, mistakenly believed there would be a major shootout in the Black Market and sent people to investigate.

For a time, Sinless City was rife with undercurrents, with armed personnel swarming towards the alleyways and the roar of motorcycles shaking the streets.

Seeing this display, the various factions believed something catastrophic was about to happen.

More and more factions began to gather.

Almost no one fully understood what was happening, but everyone was converging.

This was because everyone was assembling their forces.

It wasn't until that old woman was shot dead in the street that everyone finally realized that the Card Master Apprentice hadn't been caught; instead, he had become even more brazen and returned to silence witnesses!

The Blackwater Mercenary Group and the Cao Family's hidden operatives went on a frantic search.

Now, everyone knew the situation was serious.

However, the Cao Family Governor's status held little sway in the lower city. Far from receiving any assistance, their grand operation was met with obstruction at every turn.

While the majority still didn't understand what was happening, the people of Sinless City were united in their xenophobia: what the Governor wanted, they would prevent.

The more anxious he became, the more they would obstruct him.

In an instant, the entire Sinless City was in an uproar.

The various factions of Sinless City seemed determined to root out the Governor's Mansion's operatives in the lower city. Now that they had exposed themselves, they wouldn't hold back.

From minor skirmishes to large-scale battles, the conflict escalated.

Meanwhile, Ji Xun, the instigator, had long since left the scene.

Not long after, at a crossroads in the Red Fan district, several kilometers away from Dark Rain Street.

At the train station, Ji Xun blended in with a crowd of off-duty mechanical workers, waiting for the intercity train.

He had just taken a swig of the potion he obtained, and a cool sensation shot straight to his head, instantly making the entire world seem clearer.

"Phew, this potion is really something. That old woman was quite wealthy; she carried these things around in rows."

Ji Xun savored the peculiar mental pleasure as the potion took effect, watching the mental power consumed by wearing the Clown Mask steadily replenish, and felt a surge of emotion.

On the silver tag attached to the empty vial in his hand, it read "Produced by Heidre First Alchemical Factory."

The tag alone was worth a hundred yuan or so, indicating the potion was a valuable commodity.

[High-Efficiency Mental Power Recovery Potion]

Details: Upon consumption, restores 0.1 mental power per minute, maintaining a clear mind for three hours.

This was the spoils of war from killing that old woman just now.

Ji Xun still had a whole row of these potions, nearly twenty vials.

These were good things that couldn't be bought.

It also resolved an urgent need.

Actually, Ji Xun had considered before that he had done everything he could on the physical level to counter tracking, but mysterious type spellcasting was hard to guard against.

Although he had the Clown Mask, which could exempt him from a large degree of mysterious spellcasting.

But a problem arose.

Wearing the mask continuously consumed mental power, making it impossible for him to wear it at all times.

This was the reason he was discovered in the Black Market before.

So Ji Xun thought of buying potions to see if they could compensate for the mental power consumption.

However, he had already asked at various potion shops before, and potions related to mental power were very rare.

Firstly, they were difficult to produce, and the materials were rare, making it nearly impossible for small workshops to create them. Secondly, the demand was low, and potions had a limited shelf life. Almost no one outside of major alchemical factories would produce these unprofitable potions.

So, even though Sinless City sold all sorts of contraband, no one engaged in unprofitable business.

Not only were they scarce, but their prices were also extremely expensive.

He didn't expect to get a whole row of them now.

Actually, Ji Xun didn't know that not all Mystic Type practitioners were this wealthy.

It was because the Fourth Young Master Cao, in order to find that Epic Source Card from Anomaly 407 as quickly as possible, had mobilized the Governor's Mansion's inventory and provided sufficient potion support to the Mystic Type trackers.

It also benefited Ji Xun.

As the saying goes, hard work can lead to wealth.

But to get rich quick, you still need a shortcut.

Now, with these [High-Efficiency Mental Power Recovery Potions], Ji Xun also had a guarantee of safety.

After taking them, they could almost offset the continuous decrease in mental power caused by wearing the Clown Mask.

In other words, while the potions were effective, it would be extremely difficult to pinpoint him using some mysterious means.

And there was another point.

Although Ji Xun didn't know much about this world yet, he was clear that Spell Card Masters who were proficient in divination were extremely rare.

And the cost of using divination was also very high.

Just like the old woman Ji Xun saw before, her aged appearance was clearly abnormal.

Ji Xun didn't think that the Governor's Cao Family had many such talented individuals.

Killing one meant one less.

This was also the most important reason why he wanted to go back and silence them before, even at the risk.

Furthermore, relics with divination effects were probably not easy to find.

Ji Xun also discovered a treasure among the spoils.

[Relic: Golden Fortune-Telling Poker]

Details: Level II Mystic Type relic. Consumes lifespan to perform divination on targets within range. The user must be proficient in prophecy-related abilities. The more vague the clue for the divination target, the greater the backlash.

Seeing these shiny golden poker cards, Ji Xun immediately realized that this was the treasure the old woman had used to divine his location before.

They were called ancient relics because such items were almost impossible to replicate in modern times.

All relics came from ancient ruins and Alternate Dimensions.

And "Level II relics" of the Mystic Type were even rarer.

They were rare and could not be sought after.

Even with the Cao Family's vast resources, they likely didn't have many.

These were treasures that couldn't be bought on the market.

Of course, the last big surprise was the jet-black ring Ji Xun held in his hand at this moment.

This was the legendary Spatial Storage Ring.

Unlike a Containment Card, a storage ring was like a pocket-like secondary space that could hold various miscellaneous items. A Containment Card, on the other hand, was a spatial ability similar to dimensional reduction that was still not understood, with significant limitations.

Before, Ji Xun had heard hunters brag about these magical spatial rings that could store items.

Storage rings were standard equipment for nobles and Spell Card Masters. A ring with only a cubic meter of space could sell for over a hundred thousand, and this one was even more valuable.

With a concentration of his consciousness, it felt like reaching into a hidden pocket, with a space of about 1/3 cubic meter.

With this ring, it would be more discreet and convenient to carry various equipment in the future.

Besides the previous mental potions and the Gold Card relic, the ring also contained stacks of green banknotes worth over a hundred thousand, some gold and silver coins, scrolls, and emergency potions, among other miscellaneous items.

But most of them were exchanged for that Golden Breathing Method.

Ji Xun didn't carefully calculate whether it was worth three million, nor did he feel it was a loss.

Those things were hot potatoes, and it was better to get rid of them quickly.

Overall, this trip to the Black Market was incredibly fruitful.

Not only did he find a suitable breathing method and resolve a major hidden danger, but he also struck it rich.

Before long, the steam train let out a "whoosh" as it pulled into the station.

Ji Xun collected his thoughts and squeezed onto the train, blending in with the crowd.

A little over an hour later, Ji Xun, reeking of alcohol, returned to the Corpse Collector's dormitory at 117 East City Street.

Today, their entire fifth team was on leave. Captain Dong Jiu and two other veteran members had gone to Downing Street and hadn't returned yet.

Corpse Collectors not only had high salaries but also good accommodation. Because there were few people and the building was large, each of them had their own private room.

But before Ji Xun could even go upstairs, he immediately sensed something was off.

A stranger had been to the dormitory.

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