Decaying World

Chapter 103

Chapter 103“Anyway, she has undergone the Call and possesses top-tier aptitude. Her lifespan will be different from that man's. He’s going to die sooner or later, regardless, so wouldn't it be better if he died at my hands and left behind a beautiful memory? Don't you agree?” Liu Xiao said this as if it were a matter of course.

“…I think we shouldn't… What if she finds out? Instead of a marriage alliance, it’ll turn into a blood feud.” Lin Hui felt he was radical enough, but he hadn't expected Liu Xiao to be even more extreme.

He had to wonder—did the Inner City's Called Ones and Extreme Martial Artists all have psychological issues? Had the side effects piled up entirely in their minds?

“Besides, I'm only an External Martial Artist. Won't my lifespan be about the same as an ordinary person's?” he added.

“How is that the same? You are mine and Big Brother's younger brother. We'll give you life-extending medicine sooner or later. You'll live at least a few decades longer than that man,” Liu Xiao said impatiently. “As for becoming enemies… if she finds out, I'll just wait until she gives birth to a kid, then beat her to death and get you a new one.”

“…She's from the Chen clan, right? Won't this cause trouble?” Lin Hui asked helplessly.

“It doesn't matter. With my status and strength, killing a genius isn't a problem. Even if she's top-notch, there are too many geniuses who never grow up. Every year, a few are eliminated and die in the competition. At most, if I get caught, I'll just get a scolding,” Liu Xiao replied nonchalantly.

“Let's not. I don't think she's my type…” Lin Hui felt this big sister was a bit unhinged and quickly changed his excuse. Although he wasn't a ‘good person,’ he hadn't reached this level of selfishness.

“Heh… Then what type do you like?” Liu Xiao glanced back at him.

“Well, she has to be good-looking—at least comparable to you, Sis. Her figure has to be good, also comparable to yours. Aptitude should be decent, just slightly worse than yours is fine;

I don't have high demands. Finally, her personality must be gentle.” Lin Hui quickly listed his criteria. “Hmm, if her background is a bit better, that would be perfect.”Liu Xiao raised a finger and pointed outside the wall.

“What do you mean?” Lin Hui blinked.

“Get lost!” Liu Xiao cursed. “Keep dreaming!”

She swatted at Lin Hui's butt, but he dodged with incredible speed, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

“That kid… his speed is getting faster and faster. I doubt anyone in the Outer City can catch him now;

he’s safe enough.” Liu Xiao felt she had done her best for this convenient brother. Since he wasn't willing, he could just stay single.

She was about to undergo the Divine Officer Tribulation and might be assigned a post deep within the Inner City. By then, she wouldn't have the chance to help him find a match.

You'll regret it then, kid!

She made a furious hand gesture and left quickly with a group of subordinates, leaving behind the guild hall (club) where the fire was burning higher and higher.

For the Outer City, the government yamen's management was extremely loose. Not only were they unlikely to discover she set the fire, but even if they did, they would likely let it slide due to her status and strength.

…

Back at headquarters, Lin Hui settled into his routine: Body Tempering, accumulating Internal Force, and sword practice. Occasionally, he refined pills to replenish his daily medication;

otherwise, he did nothing else.

As time passed, celebrations were held and concluded one after another. A large amount of various aphrodisiac treasure medicines flowed into Lin Hui's pockets—so much so that for a long time, he didn't need to spend his own money to buy any. The inventory was sufficient.

In the blink of an eye, several more months passed.

News came from the Lin Manor that his old dad was going on a business trip for a while to another large urban district. These so-called "large urban districts" were major cities like Xingdao, located extremely far away.

Lin Hui was somewhat worried and went to visit his father. He only felt relieved after confirming his father wasn't traveling alone, but with a large group of experts—including hired top-tier 6th Layer Internal Force martial artists—and taking the safe highway opened by the government.

After his father left, Lin Hui continued his cultivation while considering how to make the current Clear Wind Temple provide more assistance to his progress. Leaving such a large, established organization unutilized while he cultivated bitterly like a lone wolf would be rigid-minded.

How to fully utilize these resources and channels became his new topic of study.

“To be good at making money, one must also be good at spending it.”

In a pavilion within the Clear Wind Temple's Rear Courtyard, Wang Yueheng sat before a small stove, carefully grinding Purple Jade Tea Powder brought from the Inner City. He meticulously poured in sugar, a pinch of salt, and a small spoonful of Nine-Tailed Bird feather powder from the mist zone. After mixing, he swept it into a black crystal teapot.

“You've asked the right person.” He poured in mountain spring water and poked the charcoal beneath the teapot, then looked up at Lin Hui, who sat upright opposite him.

“Given the same amount of money, some use it only to eat, drink, and enjoy themselves, while others use it to open new channels, exchanging it for opportunities to earn even more in the future. Everyone needs money, so this nearly omnipotent resource can be exchanged for the vast majority of services. If you can't exchange for it, that just means you didn't offer enough.” Wang Yueheng spoke softly.

His impression of Lin Hui was improving, and his attitude was becoming increasingly serious. On one hand, he had discovered that Lin Hui truly had no match in the Outer City. On the other hand, he found the man to be very simple. If you treated him well, he treated you well. He was straightforward and didn't like beating around the bush. All day long, apart from practicing the sword, he was practicing the sword—oh, and Internal Force, but wasn't that basically the same thing?

He really didn't know how this guy would pass the time once he reached his limit.

He knew that some old men and women in the New Martial Alliance, upon reaching the limit of External Martial Arts, became as indulgent as they had been hardworking. Singing and dancing every night, living in a drunken stupor, abandoning all ethics and morals—doing whatever they wanted. It was simply excessive.

“Then what if I want to exchange it for cultivation progress?” Lin Hui asked seriously. “Besides buying resources and collecting martial arts insights, what other uses are there?”

“Resources and insights are useful, but what about sparring? Assistance from other systems? External tools and equipment? Even natural treasures. Believe me, if you really want to spend money, that little bit you have isn't enough.” Wang Yueheng laughed.

“…Brother Wang has channels?” Lin Hui raised his eyebrows.

“Of course, otherwise I wouldn't have brought this up.” Wang Yueheng continued, “Although your Liu family and my Wang family don't get along, you and I calculate our own accounts. My Wang family is second to none regarding pills and elixirs in the nearby Outer Ring. If you want, I can provide you with a large amount of Spirit-Enriching Reishi. Of course, the price must be right.”

“A large amount? How much!?” Lin Hui was delighted and asked hurriedly.

“Uh, not immediately. After all, I need to collect and transfer stock from various places. Besides, Spirit-Enriching Reishi isn't actually the best. I suggest you choose the Nine-Heart Jade Lotus, which has the same function but is much more potent.”

“Nine-Heart Jade Lotus?”

“Correct. This is a high-tier pill refined by my clan's alchemy grandmasters, designed specifically for martial artists below the Circulation Realm. It counts as a strategic drug. Taken year-round, it can gradually imbue Internal Force with an icy nature, carrying a bone-piercing chill that erodes opponents when you strike. Of course, the price isn't low. But with Brother Lin's current income, taking it shouldn't be a big problem.” Wang Yueheng was obviously in sales mode now.

“Uh… can you sell the pill formula?” Lin Hui didn't like eating finished products;

he felt more assured refining them himself.

“That's impossible. But other pill formulas can be sold. Which ones do you need? Aphrodisiacs?”

“Yeah, anything that boosts energy works.”

“For pill formulas with efficacy above the level of Spirit-Enriching Reishi, I have two types here: Spirit Emperor Pill and Gathering Cloud Pill. If you want them, I'll give you an internal price of 20% off—two million per formula. But the success rate is relatively low, so you should be aware of that.” Wang Yueheng sighed helplessly when his sales pitch failed.

“Apart from this, are there other ways to spend money to improve myself?” Lin Hui continued to ask for advice.

“There's also fully utilizing the many disciples of your Clear Wind Temple. Give them money and send them on external assignments!” Wang Yueheng raised an eyebrow. “What are the top ten elites doing staying in the sect all day? Send martial artists at the Body Tempering limit out for actual combat. It improves their experience and increases the sect's profits and reputation. Most importantly, there are plenty of good things in the mist zone. You send them to explore so you don't have to take risks yourself. After mapping out the general situation, you go personally to pluck the fruit—isn't that perfect?”

“You can do that?” Lin Hui looked astonished.

“Of course. You make an agreement with them: if they obtain treasures or medicinal herbs and are willing to turn them over to the sect, you give them a certain amount of contribution points, opportunities for guidance, or even teach them the top secret arts and martial arts you created yourself. Isn't this exactly when you use the foundation you've accumulated?” Wang Yueheng said, frustrated that iron wouldn't become steel.

Seeing Lin Hui's blank face turn into sudden realization, he was about to continue speaking when his heart shook.

This guy… had he really been cultivating alone like a lone wolf this whole time? To reach such intensity just by self-cultivation… damn it… what a freak!!

His heart felt uneasy, and his gaze toward Lin Hui became a bit eerie.

“Then Brother Wang has some understanding of the surrounding mist zone situation, right?” Lin Hui hesitated for a moment, then asked.

“Naturally. Can't you establish an exploration team yourself? Just explore outward slowly. Don't rush too fast, and it won't be a big problem. Many nearby areas have been handled by experts from the Inner City, so no high-threat monsters will appear for a short while.” Wang Yueheng nodded. “Mist zone monsters can be captured and brought in to sell for materials or as live specimens;

they have many uses. The prices are quite good, especially for live ones. Many perverts in the Inner City like watching gladiator fights or torture killings, so they need quite a few.”

“…Then, what about ruins?” Lin Hui asked again.

“Ruins… near our Outer City here, there are two ruin zones. Inside, there are naturally sealed, mist-free zone caves connected to an underground tunnel network. It's very complex, and there are quite a few Mist God altars hidden within. It's best not to enter rashly.” Wang Yueheng warned.

He was now deeply bound to Lin Hui. A large chunk of Clear Wind Temple's monthly profits went to him personally. If something went wrong here, the impact would be huge. So, he was terrified Lin Hui would impulsively cause trouble.

“In that kind of place, no matter how fast you are, it's useless. Once the underground tunnels are sealed, not even a ghost can get out. You'll die without a doubt.”

“Mist God? What is that?” Lin Hui heard another new term and immediately pressed for answers.

Wang Yueheng poured a cup of tea for him and himself, then put down the teapot.

“That's a general term. Actually, we don't know what they are either. It's just that in the beginning, after we discovered ruins in the mist zone, we found those giant deity statues inside. Mm, or rather, we guessed they were deities. After all, no one recognized the written symbols around the statues. So for convenience, we collectively call them Mist Gods.”

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