Daylight broke.
Steward Luo arrived at the inn, his back hunched.
Yu Qing and Chen Xiangzhu followed close behind, the latter having deliberately brought Yan Jin along.
"I’ve brought the Crimson Heart Pills for you."
The old Steward surreptitiously glanced at Lin Shu again but still couldn’t detect anything unusual. Suppressing his thoughts, he asked, "Do you want to exchange all your points for Elixirs, or save some to trade for a Magical Artifact later?"
’No matter what tricks this man has hidden up his sleeve, the aura of his Lower Grade Inner Technique and Spirit Liquid Foundation Establishment can’t be faked. His upper limit is fixed right there.’
"I’ll take ten vials for now."
Lin Shu handed back the ledger detailing the various Magical Artifacts. "As for the remaining two hundred and fifty points, I’d like to exchange them for a set of Communication Mother-Child Stones."
This item was the cheapest thing in the ledger, but it couldn’t be considered a true Magical Artifact.
The Mother Stone was valued at one hundred points, and each Child Stone was fifty points. The former could transmit messages, while the latter, in addition to receiving them, could also be crushed to alert the Mother Stone.
Their effective range wasn’t large, only covering the area from the Earth City to the surrounding Signal Towers.
Few people ever exchanged points for these things.
After all, the holder of a Child Stone couldn’t use the artifact to send messages; most of the time, they were crushed to call for help.
But how could a dignified Immortal Descendant possibly risk their own life, traveling to the Border Region to save a few disciples?
"Heh, how thoughtful of you."
Steward Luo said with drooping eyelids, a semblance of a compliment.
’This kid might be sharp and have some decent strength, but that Immortal Descendant is his greatest burden. He gets some merit points and instead of saving them to improve his own strength, he wastes them on something like this. Besides Demons, who in Yongzhou Pass would dare attack an Immortal Descendant? And if they really did encounter a Demon, who’s to say the Little Immortal Family would even have a chance to crush the Child Stone? Even if he managed to rush over, all he would do is throw away his own life, changing nothing.’
"As it happens, I have a few on me. I’ll give them to you now."
With a light wave of his wide sleeve, Steward Luo made four white stones appear on the counter.
One of them was much larger than the others—clearly the Mother Stone.
He looked up and, noticing the young man made no move to take them, asked in confusion, "Is something wrong?"
"These are used."
Lin Shu said with a serious expression, "If you want me to take used Magical Artifacts off your hands, I’ll need at least one extra Child Stone for my trouble."
The hunched-back old man’s face twitched, and he instinctively wanted to snap at him.
But after glancing at the young man’s calm expression, he felt inexplicably unnerved. After a moment’s hesitation, he waved his sleeve and placed another Child Stone on the table.
’Go on, take them! The day will come when I make you spit it all back out!’
Only then did Lin Shu collect all the Mother-Child Stones, as if he had just gotten a taste of success.
His gaze then fell upon the Jade Ring on the old man’s thumb. "Steward, that Storage Ring looks quite new."
’He had seen this item in the ledger as well. A Storage Bag cost a thousand points, while a Storage Ring cost two thousand five hundred.’
"What about it?" Steward Luo asked, taken aback.
"Where’s the old one?" Lin Shu licked his somewhat dry lips.
"The old one? I threw the fucking thing away!"
Steward Luo almost laughed out of sheer anger. ’It doesn’t even matter if this kid has actually noticed anything suspicious. Even if he has, he has no proof, and yet here he is, trying to extort me!’
The old man suddenly spun around and, despite his hunchback, rushed out of the inn with surprising speed.
’I have to find a way to get this kid sent off on a mission as soon as possible. Just looking at him is infuriating.’
"Huh?"
Yu Sheng, who wasn’t even as tall as the counter, clung to the table leg and looked up with a curious expression.
The two of them were connected by Essence Blood; they had no need for these Mother-Child Stones.
Not far away,
Chen Xiangzhu’s ambition burned even hotter.
Unlike Steward Luo with his sharp, humorless sarcasm, she, as an Immortal Descendant, had a different perspective.
’If this young man can be so loyal to a deformed child with an Innate Defect, then if I can get him under my command and promise him benefits, won’t he be just as loyal to me?’
"Have you memorized everything I told you earlier?"
"My good disciple, as long as you can recruit him, I’ll grant you a vial of Crimson Heart Pills."
Chen Xiangzhu whispered, turning to the side.
Yan Jin stood behind her, her expression complicated.
’She wasn’t good at socializing, was new to this place, and had been the last to hear the news. As expected of Daoist Brother Lin. His first move was to slay four Foundation Establishment Cultivators. He established a firm foothold in Yongzhou Pass with lightning speed, once again becoming a hot commodity. A true Celestial Pride is dazzling as ever, even in a larger world!’
"Don’t forget, he’s a Yu Family Disciple. Even if he were to change his Master, it’s not for a bunch of eight-legged busybodies like you to get involved."
Yu Qing walked up to the counter and took the ten vials of Crimson Heart Pills.
Although he also wanted to recruit Lin Shu, he had lost face yesterday and was in no position to bring it up now.
’I have nothing good to offer at the moment,’ he thought. ’I’ll have to wait until my disciples gather enough merit points for a Magical Artifact. Only then can I hope to attract him. In the meantime, I can observe him a while longer and see what his true capabilities are.’
"Ignore him. Go on, now. Do exactly as I told you, don’t leave out a single word!"
Chen Xiangzhu raised an eyebrow, a hint of displeasure in her eyes.
Yan Jin swallowed hard.
’She didn’t think for a second that Daoist Brother Lin had the kind of personality to willingly submit to another, much less abandon his original Master for some petty favors. Besides, aside from some Illusory and Vague promises, her Master hadn’t prepared any substantive benefits. The "benefit" she was offering... was Yan Jin herself.’
"Hah."
’I don’t think Daoist Brother Lin would even be interested in me,’ she thought, ’but the thought of having to say all this in public makes me feel as though my dignity is being crushed and trampled underfoot.’
"Come over here for a moment."

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