Chapter 23: A Coincidental Encounter?
Chapter 23: A Coincidental Encounter?
Staring at Gu Tong, who was snoring soundly on his bed, Ling Yi decided he would leave this place tomorrow and find a clean, cheap budget hotel to stay in!
It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford a better one; the key point was he feared running into Qin Jiuyue again!
He had already left without saying goodbye. Wasn’t that obvious enough?
She actually tracked him down through Gu Tong. This woman was truly frightening!
As for Gu Tong, his character was beyond reproach, but his conduct after drinking was terrible!
Didn’t he have any sense of how much he could hold? After just a few cans of beer, he didn’t get rowdy or talk nonsense, but he would sleep wherever he dropped. Who could handle that?
Ling Yi went to the silent square. He wiped off a bench, sat down, and started to zone out.
He planned to think about returning to Zongwu Academy for the Graduation Ceremony.
Having caused such significant losses to the Academic Faction, he couldn’t guarantee it would be completely peaceful when their group went back for the ceremony.
So, if a situation arose, how should they resolve it?
Even if the Academic Faction laid low for a while, how should he face that old fox Zhao Tianping during the ceremony?
Head-on confrontation? He was no match for Zhao Tianping… but there was no shame in that.
He was so young, while his opponent was very old.
An old fellow who had almost no hope of achieving Dao Enlightenment in his lifetime, who focused all his energy on fighting with others—it was perfectly normal that Ling Yi wasn’t his match right now.
Ling Yi didn’t feel discouraged. He hoped that one day, when Zhao Tianping was at his most triumphant, he could kick him down from the clouds!
“So, I can’t keep being this lazy anymore!”
“Indeed, Grandpa, we need to hurry up and cultivate…”
Damn.
Ling Yi was startled again.
“Demoness!”
“What did you call me?”
“Demoness! Don’t think you can use your seductive voice to corrupt my will!”
“A sudden thought occurred to me.” The voice in his mind regained its aloof and proud tone, replying coolly.
Trying to trick me into asking what it is again. I hate it when people keep me in suspense.
I just won’t ask!
“I vaguely remember once leaving a Grotto Abode near the Capital of Great Qin. Inside…”
“What about inside?” This demoness was really annoying. She clearly knew he lacked cultivation resources, yet she used something like this to tempt him.
Fine, she succeeded!
“There should still be many treasures I left behind back then. Things like Magical Artifacts, Pills… um, the Pills have probably rotted by now? But there should be many Demon Beast Cores too…”
“Aren’t you supposed to have lost your memory?”
“Hearing you all frequently mention the Capital City these past few days jogged my memory, just a tiny bit.”
Great!
As long as you can remember a tiny bit at every crucial moment, my cheat won’t go offline.
“So what?” Ling Yi asked.
“So, ninety percent of the stuff inside is mine. I’ll give you ten percent for running the errand! How about that? I’m quite generous, right? After all, those are my things!”
“Not really. You’re a ghost thing without a physical form; what use do you have for those items? Also, my delivery fee is expensive. At least fifty percent.” Ling Yi bargained.
“Then there’s nothing to discuss.” The voice sneered coldly. “Apart from me, no one in this world can open that Grotto Abode! So even if you reach the entrance, without me, you still can’t get in!”
“Then we won’t discuss it. I can’t get rid of those enemies soon anyway. We can just take our time.” Ling Yi replied indifferently.
“Someone like you truly deserves to be single forever!” The voice in his mind suddenly became a bit angry. “Couldn’t you give in a little when dealing with a girl? No wonder Su Qingqing only wants to be your sister, Luo Xue only wants to be your buddy, and you avoid a beauty served right to you like it’s a snake or scorpion… you’re nothing special!”
“You count as a girl?”
“I, dammit… why wouldn’t I count?”
“A demoness who could leave a Grotto Abode near the Capital of Great Qin counts as a girl?” Ling Yi continued his soul-questioning.
“…”
His mind became completely quiet.
Another argument ended unpleasantly. He’d lost count of how many times now.
Ling Yi felt a bit wronged himself. This cheat he’d acquired… was really something hard to describe.
Several days later, Ling Yi boarded a flight back to the Capital. In two more days, it would be the Graduation Ceremony for this year’s graduates of Zongwu Academy.
Since he’d said he would go back, he had to go back.
Even if returning meant facing his mortal enemy, he couldn’t shrink back.
However, it was the peak of the tourist season in Great Qin, and there weren’t many flights from Spring City to the Capital City. Seats were a bit tight. When Ling Yi booked his ticket, only business class was available.
Looking at the price—a little over two thousand—it wasn’t too outrageous, so he gritted his teeth and bought one.
With his bank account unfrozen, the bank returned all the money previously deducted from his card. So, Ling Yi was now a minor rich guy with a small fortune of a few hundred thousand.
If he could sell the Crystal Cores, he would have two million!
Unfortunately, he really couldn’t sell those things.
Stalemate with the demoness in his head was one thing, but he had to hold tightly onto his cultivation resources.
At the airport, going through security, entering the lounge, and boarding—everything went smoothly.
Once on the plane, he found his seat, put on his eye mask, and planned to sleep all the way to the Capital City.
Just as nearly everyone had finished boarding, Ling Yi felt someone sit down beside him. This person seemed to carry a faint fragrance.
Then, the person spoke. “Oh, what a coincidence?”
Ling Yi pulled his eye mask open a slit, revealing two bright eyes. He looked at the exquisitely beautiful face of Qin Jiuyue beside him and froze.
She was like a haunting ghost!
If it weren’t for the flight attendant’s sweet voice coming over the broadcast—”Please stow your tray tables and open the window shades…”—Ling Yi really wanted to ask if he could get off the plane now.
“Are you following me?”
Ling Yi looked at Qin Jiuyue with a face full of panic.
“Yes, so what?” Qin Jiuyue glared at him with annoyance. “Not only you can go to the Capital City. Did everyone on this plane follow you?”
With a quick motion, Ling Yi pulled his eye mask down completely, leaned back in his seat, and said, “It’s an illusion, all an illusion!”
Qin Jiuyue was almost amused by his reaction. “Hey, I mean, you’re a grown man. Do you have to be so petty? Besides, I didn’t want that kind of thing to happen either…”
With his eye mask on, Ling Yi whispered, “I’m not blaming you for anything. I just want to stay away from you. You’re too good-looking, and I’m also quite good-looking. If we walk together, I’m afraid people will misunderstand.”
Qin Jiuyue was taken aback for a moment, then couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “I didn’t expect you to be so good with words.”
“You’re the first to praise me like that. Others always say I’m too fond of telling the truth.” Ling Yi said.
“I like hearing the truth.” Qin Jiuyue replied.
Soon, the plane began to accelerate, take off, and after a period of climbing, finally leveled off.
Ling Yi, who had dozed off for a while, took off his eye mask. He glanced at Qin Jiuyue, who was also asleep beside him, then asked a flight attendant for a cup of water.
Qin Jiuyue woke up too. Looking at Ling Yi, she asked, “What are you going to the Capital City for?”
“To attend the Graduation Ceremony and collect my diploma.” There was no need to hide this, so Ling Yi answered directly.
“Won’t you feel awkward going back?” Qin Jiuyue asked.
Ling Yi gave her a strange look. “Shouldn’t the others be the ones feeling awkward?”
Qin Jiuyue thought for a moment and smiled. “You’re right.”
Then, she looked at Ling Yi and said, “I heard you used to be able to hunt two to three-star Demon Beast Cores frequently?”
Ling Yi nodded. “Yeah, before, I could.”
Qin Jiuyue smiled. “Not anymore now?”
Ling Yi said naturally, “I’m crippled now. The whole country knows.”
Qin Jiuyue suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled softly. She glanced left and right; other passengers were either sleeping with headphones on or sitting far away.
She leaned closer to Ling Yi and whispered in his ear, “Yesterday, the moment you instantly saved Huang Qian and snatched the weapon from Wei Bo Lin’s hand… it didn’t look like someone with sealed Acupoints.”
Ling Yi’s expression remained unchanged. “You’ve just never seen how powerful a true top-tier first-rank martial artist can be.”
Qin Jiuyue said with a smile, “However, I’ve already had someone completely destroy the surveillance footage from last night. Completely destroyed, mind you. The hard drives were smashed to pieces right before my eyes. Even a top hacker couldn’t recover them. Then, I asked the few people who noticed something odd to keep it a secret for me. They all thought I had my eye on you, so they were happy to do me this favor. So, you can rest assured; this matter won’t get out.”
Ling Yi nodded. “Okay, thanks for that.”
Qin Jiuyue shook her head. “No need to thank me. It happened because of me in the first place, otherwise, it wouldn’t have occurred.”
She looked at Ling Yi. “I think we might have opportunities to cooperate in the future.”
Ling Yi glanced at her. “I don’t sell Crystal Cores.”
Qin Jiuyue smiled. “You can also buy from me! I’ll give you a discount!”
Ling Yi said, “I have no money.”
“That’s okay. You can buy on credit.”
Ling Yi looked at Qin Jiuyue. “You’re not actually plotting something against me, are you?”
Qin Jiuyue scoffed. “In my eyes, you’re just a younger brother. What could I possibly plot against you? I just want to be friends.”
Ling Yi remained unmoved, looking at her.
“Alright, I admit, I do have intentions toward you,” Qin Jiuyue said with a smile, “but definitely not the kind you think. Investing in a limitless genius, from any calculation, is never a loss. I’m not like some of those short-sighted politicians at your academy…”
The voice in Ling Yi’s mind suddenly said, “She just lusts after your body!”
Ling Yi: “…”
The voice added, “This woman isn’t as likable as Su Qingqing and Luo Xue! I don’t like her!”
Damn, what does your liking have to do with me?
Ignoring it, Ling Yi looked at Qin Jiuyue and said, “If that’s the case, then I think we can still be friends.”
A look of brilliant delight blossomed on Qin Jiuyue’s exquisite face, but then a thought struck her—something didn’t seem quite right?
Wasn’t becoming friends with Qin Jiuyue something many people dreamed of? Why did it feel like she was the one begging him?
During their conversation, Ling Yi learned that Qin Jiuyue had come to the Capital City this time to attend an auction. In her words, this kind of auction was like gambling on raw jade: there were both “open materials” with fixed prices and “hidden materials” that tested one’s judgment.
The so-called open materials were things like Demon Beast Cores and cut Spirit Stone raw stones. There was no chance of a bargain with these; they were all clearly priced.
Usually, many would be accumulated and sold in bulk. Those who could afford the prices were mostly large corporations.
The hidden materials were uncut Spirit Stone raw stones. Just like judging uncut jade, it was extremely difficult to determine with the naked eye whether a raw stone contained a Spirit Stone inside and, if so, its quality.
Although the world had only been experiencing spiritual revival for not many years, Spirit Stones had existed for billions of years. All their spiritual energy was deeply contained within, not even a hint escaping the surface of the raw stone.
After listening to Qin Jiuyue’s explanation, Ling Yi immediately lost interest.
This kind of thing relied too much on luck.
Who knew the voice in his mind would become excited and say to Ling Yi, “Master, how about we make a deal?”