Ice Silk Soft Armor

Seeing Fairy Caiyi take the initiative to secure a treasure for him, Qin Fei was deeply puzzled.

He certainly didn't believe he was some chosen child of destiny, with everyone treating him well for no reason.

But under the circumstances, he could only bury his doubts in his heart.

The Lin Household's ancestor was also a little surprised by Caiyi's actions, but he still gave a hearty laugh and said:

"I've been stingy. How about this? Man'er, take young friend Qin to the Lineage treasury and get him a suit of Ice Silk Soft Armor as a token of my thanks."

"That's more like it. We have matters to discuss anyway. Qin Fei, go with her."

Fairy Caiyi also looked satisfied.

Seeing this, Qin Fei could only bow respectfully.

"Thank you, seniors. I'll take my leave."

Before he left, Fairy Caiyi's voice suddenly drifted into his ear through voice transmission:

"I already know about the chamber of commerce. You helped me earn quite a few Spirit Stones. Once this matter is over, come find me at the chamber of commerce. I have something to discuss with you."

Qin Fei paused for a moment, then gave an inconspicuous nod and walked out of the main hall.

Though Fairy Caiyi's words revealed little, it seemed she really did have something to discuss with him.

She had secured him a suit of armor for no apparent reason. A gift tied the recipient's hands, and now it seemed that might not be a good thing.

Weighed down by his thoughts, Qin Fei followed Lin Man without encountering any obstacles along the way.

Only after they had gone far from the main hall did Lin Man suddenly stop.

She bowed solemnly and said with some embarrassment:

"Brother Qin, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you those things at the lantern festival."

Qin Fei's face remained expressionless. He didn't want to become too entangled with Lin Man.

But when he remembered that his attacker had been a Lu Household cultivator, something stirred in his heart.

"It's in the past, so let's leave it at that."

"But I do have a question I'd like to ask you, fellow Daoist. I hope you can answer it."

Lin Man was taken aback, then nodded.

"Please ask, Brother Qin."

"I was attacked today, and the attacker was from the Household you were to marry into. How much do you know about them? In your opinion, fellow Daoist, will they attack again?"

Qin Fei made no attempt to be polite. What worried him most now was that the Lu Household would return to the puppet scrapyard to look for the key.

Although he had already handed over the Heavenly Mystery Key, the Lu Household didn't know that. When he thought about it, it was very likely to happen.

At the mention of the Lu Household, Lin Man's expression soured.

"I don't know much about the Lu Household either. I only know they're somewhat weaker than my Lin Household."

"But my husband in name is a madman who won't stop until he gets what he wants. I don't know whether he planned this attack, but if he did, you'd better be careful, Brother Qin."

Qin Fei frowned, a trace of gravity appearing on his face.

But after thinking it over, he realized there didn't seem to be much he could do. He could only improve his strength as quickly as possible, so he could protect himself when danger came.

"Thank you for clearing that up, fellow Daoist Lin. Let's go to the Lineage treasury first."

Sensing Qin Fei's distance, Lin Man felt a little dejected, but she still nodded.

The two continued on their way and came to a heavily guarded building, where a group of guards suddenly appeared.

"This is a restricted area of the Lineage. Please show your token."

Lin Man wasn't surprised. She casually tossed them a bronze-colored token, and only then did the guards let them through.

"These are the Lin Household's Shadow Guards. They recognize tokens, not people. Even if the other elders came in person, they wouldn't be let through without the patriarch's token."

As Lin Man explained, she led Qin Fei into the Lineage treasury.

The moment the doors opened, a dazzling radiance shone out, so bright they could barely open their eyes.

A dazzling array of treasures filled the wooden shelves, while all manner of rare and precious objects lay piled haphazardly on the floor.

No wonder Rogue Cultivators all wanted to become disciples of sects or Aristocratic Clans. Even a little of what these powers let slip was more than many people could obtain in a lifetime.

Lin Man was accustomed to seeing these things. She went straight to a jade box and picked it up.

"This is the Ice Silk Soft Armor. Try it on."

Qin Fei opened the jade box, revealing a suit of ice-crystal soft armor, thin as a cicada's wing and like a sheet of paper.

He couldn't feel any weight at all when he held it in his hand.

When he put it on, a rush of coolness went straight to his head, leaving him refreshed and clear-minded. It also fit his body perfectly, without the slightest sense of restriction.

"Fine armor!"

Qin Fei looked pleased. With the Lu Household watching him, he was just in need of something to protect himself.

With this armor, he believed he would be much safer.

But the moment he remembered he still didn't know Fairy Caiyi's purpose, his joy vanished like smoke.

"This armor was made from heavenly silkworm silk. Water and fire can't penetrate it, and blades and spears can't pierce it. I have a suit myself. The fact that my eldest uncle was willing to give it to you is proof enough of his sincerity."

Qin Fei nodded and said absently:

"Please thank Patriarch Lin for me. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

"Wait, Brother Qin!"

Lin Man hurriedly stopped him, then felt that her gesture had been a bit too much and drew back her arm.

"I have another piece of good news to tell you."

"My wedding has been postponed!"

Qin Fei gave her a thoughtful look, a guess forming in his mind.

"Was it because of what happened today?"

"That's right. My eldest uncle disapproves of the Lu Household's actions and intends to contend with them. If I married into their Household, I'm afraid I'd become a hostage. The marriage alliance exists in name only now."

Qin Fei frowned slightly and rested a hand on his chin, lost in thought.

How could a marriage alliance be treated like child's play?

It seemed a clash between the two Households was now unavoidable.

Shangyu Market had only just enjoyed a stretch of peaceful days. The two Foundation Establishment Lineages had joined forces against the barbarians, and everything had seemed to be taking a turn for the better.

Yet a single secret realm had stripped away these people's masks and revealed their true faces.

How laughable.

Qin Fei pronounced a death sentence on Shangyu Market's prospects, and a sense of urgency rose in his heart.

At this moment of crisis, every puppet he had carried had been smashed to pieces. Less than one part in a hundred of his strength remained, and he needed to hurry and refine more.

At that thought, Qin Fei cupped his hands and said:

"Congratulations on regaining your freedom, fellow Daoist Lin. I have important business to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

With that, he headed straight down the mountain without waiting for her to respond.

In truth, Qin Fei was a perceptive man. How could he not understand Lin Man's feelings?

But he still kept her at arm's length, deliberately maintaining his distance.

It wasn't because he lacked human feeling, but because he knew he still had a long way to go on the path of the Dao.

On that point, he could allow no one to stand in his way.

After returning home, Qin Fei painfully took stock of his losses.

In today's battle, one Flame Martial Envoy at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer and eight Flame Martial Guards at the Qi Refining Third Layer had been destroyed.

As for the Second-Generation Puppet Soldiers at the Second Layer of Qi Refinement, as many as fifty or sixty had been destroyed.

The puppets in his Storage Bag had been almost completely wiped out. By a rough calculation, restoring his strength to its peak would cost at least two hundred Spirit Stones.

That was almost everything he owned now.

Mass-producing troops was a thrill at the time, but replenishing them was agony.

Although he had obtained the Ice Silk Soft Armor, which was worth far more than those Spirit Stones, he had to keep it for his own use and couldn't spend it as money.

Qin Fei shook his head helplessly, inwardly lamenting that he had no affinity with money in this life.

In his previous life, he had bought a house when prices were at their highest. Its value had fallen by nearly half, yet he was still paying off the loan at the original price.

In this life, he had chosen the money-burning profession of a puppet master. Refining cost money, repairs cost money, and when his puppets were destroyed, that cost money too.

Qin Fei couldn't help recalling a line from a song, which seemed to fit his mood perfectly:

"They all say money's a bastard, but it sure is good-looking."

The ironic thing was,

the song was called "Living."