Early morning, sunlight poured down brightly.
Today was a day to relax. At Lin Xian's suggestion, Zhu Zhuqing had agreed.
Just as he said, they would be heading into the mountains for the next two months. Once there, strolling through town like this wouldn't be possible.
"You've been in a pretty good mood lately, haven't you?"
Lin Xian squeezed her hand lightly, smiling.
"It's alright," Zhu Zhuqing replied. "A lot of pressure has been lifted. Especially after hanging that guy up and beating him… that felt great."
"Mhm. We'll only keep getting stronger."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at him quietly, then tightened her grip on his hand.
No words were needed.
They both understood.
"By the way, do you have somewhere in mind today?" she asked.
"What makes you say that?"
"You don't usually take this route. It's a bit out of the way."
"Sharp observation. We're heading to a small shop. There's something there I'm interested in."
Zhu Zhuqing grew curious.
Anything Lin Xian took an interest in was rarely ordinary.
---
Not long after, they arrived.
The shop door was open, but the interior was dim.
As they stepped inside, they could faintly sense spirit power fluctuations—unclaimed spirit tools.
This place had some substance.
Only one person was inside, lying on a wooden recliner with his eyes closed.
The counter looked worn and unremarkable.
The man's appearance was… distinctive. His chin jutted forward, his face was flat, and his nose hooked downward like a beak.
He looked like a shoehorn.
It was none other than Flender, the Dean of Shrek Academy.
Today, he looked every bit like a profiteer.
Lin Xian spotted his target immediately—
A dull, unimpressive piece of crystal.
Compared to the others, it lacked luster and looked almost defective.
"Boss, how much for this crystal?"
Flender opened his eyes and glanced at them.
"One hundred gold coins."
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened slightly.
After several days of shopping, she knew the prices in Soto City well.
This tiny crystal… for one hundred gold coins?
That was blatant overcharging.
Sensing her reaction, Lin Xian gently held her hand.
"I've placed the gold on the table. Please wrap it up."
The moment Flender heard the clink of coins, he perked up.
He quickly grabbed a box and packed the crystal, as if afraid Lin Xian might change his mind.
"Young man, I've got better crystals too. Not expensive—just two hundred… no, one hundred fifty! Interested?"
"No need," Lin Xian replied calmly. "We only have enough for one. If we want more, we'll come back."
"Of course, of course! Take care!"
---
After they left and walked some distance away, Flender suddenly stood up and did a little dance.
That crystal had been sitting there forever.
Too many impurities, no shine—no one wanted it.
Yet today, someone actually bought it!
What a lucky sale.
Even better—those two youths appearing in Soto City at this time…
Clearly, they were here for Shrek Academy.
Such young Spirit Grandmasters and Spirit Elders—
Flender nearly laughed himself to tears.
This year, Shrek would definitely be lively.
---
Meanwhile, Lin Xian and Zhu Zhuqing had already returned to their room.
"What exactly is that?" Zhu Zhuqing asked. "You've been acting mysterious. You didn't get scammed, did you?"
Lin Xian snorted.
"I've lived this long—if anyone's getting scammed, it's never me."
With that, he released his Stellar Power into the crystal.
The next moment—
Countless tiny points of light appeared inside it.
Under the influence of Stellar Power, they seemed to come alive, flickering and dancing.
Soon, the crystal disintegrated into powder.
What remained were countless golden specks.
Freed from the crystal, they stretched out within the Stellar Power—
Like golden threads, thinner than hair, each about three inches long.
"This is what I wanted," Lin Xian said. "Inject spirit power, and they extend. Stop, and they curl back."
Zhu Zhuqing frowned slightly, still confused.
"Think about it," Lin Xian continued. "What if I shoot these into someone's body… then stop supplying spirit power?"
Zhu Zhuqing imagined it—
And shivered.
They were so small, they'd be nearly impossible to find once inside.
The only way to remove them would be to cut out the flesh.
"That's… too vicious…"
"That's not even the worst part," Lin Xian said. "What if a poison master used them?"
Zhu Zhuqing sucked in a breath.
Poison delivered directly into the bloodstream…
The result would be terrifying.
"But for us, it's fine," Lin Xian added. "As long as you circulate Stellar Power, they'll respond and move toward you."
He handed them to her.
"Try it."
Zhu Zhuqing did as told.
The golden threads wriggled in her palm, as if alive.
"So," Lin Xian said with a grin, "I call them Stellar Needles. Fitting, right?"
"It is," she nodded. "They really like Stellar Power."
"And in that tiny crystal… there were over twenty thousand of them."
Zhu Zhuqing froze.
That wasn't getting scammed—
That was a massive profit.
"I knew it," she said. "You'd never lose out. The one who got scammed was him."
Lin Xian smirked.
"You know too much. What if you leak my secret? I might have to test how tight-lipped you are."
"I don't want to be tested!"
"That's not up to you."
"Hehe…"
---
A long while later—
Zhu Zhuqing leaned against him, breathing lightly.
"That laugh just now… you sounded like a real villain," she muttered. "How did you even learn that?"
Lin Xian grinned.
"Well then… let me tell you a story about Tian Can Tu Dou and a certain lucky fellow…"
(Author's Note)
Hey, My Handsome and beautiful readers.
Author here,As you know as usual there will be two chapters released daily as the regular update schedule.
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