When Earth Awakened, I Became a Sword Saintess

Chapter 145 : A Treasure for Trapping Enemies

Volume 3: The Other Shore Prison Abyss

145: A Treasure for Trapping Enemies

On the elevated highways of Lingdu, the afternoon sun was scorching.

"At this hour... the traffic is terrible." Yuyin had the air conditioning on, but sweat still trickled down her neck. Her hand, resting lightly on the steering wheel, was damp; she disliked making the air conditioning too cold.

After receiving a call from Dai Jingni, she had immediately left the Lingdu Source Martial Academy and driven toward Dai Jingni's office in the city. However, even though Yuyin was on the verge of breaking through to the Purple Domain Realm, she was utterly helpless against the traffic jam. She even wondered if it would be faster to just run there on her own two feet.

After being stuck in traffic for nearly two hours, Yuyin finally arrived at Sister Dai's office, her back damp with sweat.

"Yuyin, I didn't expect you to rush right over. You must be exhausted from the heat. No rush, have a drink first." Sister Dai, having spent the day in an air-conditioned room, appeared languid and charming.

Yuyin was not afraid of the cold and could tolerate the heat, but the journey had still taken its toll. Fortunately, thanks to her Imperial Daughter Body Refinement and the nurturing effect of the spirit water within her body, she didn't have to worry about getting a tan.

After sitting for a short while, Yuyin asked, "Sister Dai, what exactly is this scarf you mentioned?"

"It was entrusted to our Underground Alliance by a powerful Source Martial Practitioner from northern Huaxia. It's a scarf obtained by chance from the Prison Abyss, considered a treasure. After appraisal... its grade is a bit uncertain, somewhere between a Top-Grade Mortal Artifact and a Low-Grade Law-Tier Artifact. Mainly because treasures like scarves are extremely rare."

As Dai Jingni spoke, she pressed a hidden button under her desk. A bookshelf against the wall slid to one side, revealing a secret chamber inside, which seemed to hold many precious items.

However, Dai Jingni did not enter the secret chamber. Instead, she gently pushed the automatically moved bookshelf aside a little more. Behind it was a hidden compartment, from which she took out a silk brocade box.

She performed these actions in front of Yuyin without any concealment.

"Normally, if someone with ill intentions entered and discovered the secret chamber, they would be overjoyed and steal the treasures inside. There are indeed some valuable things in there. But in reality, the true treasure is hidden behind the bookshelf, which is used to conceal the chamber and moved away by a mechanism."

Sister Dai said with a slight smile.

"Oh..." Yuyin looked at it with a sudden realization.

Sister Dai placed the box on the table and opened it. Inside lay a snow-white scarf.

Dai Jingni, wearing gloves, carefully took out the scarf. Unfolding just a quarter of it revealed a square meter of fabric. Only when fully unfolded could one see how thin it was, like a cicada's wing. Besides some shimmering threads, it had exquisite, delicate patterns that glittered under the light.

"It's truly beautiful." Yuyin was captivated by the scarf at a single glance.

"That powerful Source Martial Practitioner obtained it from the Prison Abyss; it's not an imitation from Earth. It was originally nameless, but an elderly artist was asked to give it this name: the Feathered Orchid Scarf. This is because the scarf is as light as a feather and carries a faint fragrance." Dai Jingni unfolded the scarf for Yuyin to see up close.

"It really does have the scent of green angelica and faint orchids." Yuyin felt refreshed by the fragrance, yet also a little stirred.

"Sister Dai, this scarf is certainly beautiful, but what specific magical properties does it have?" Yuyin asked.

"This scarf is extremely lightweight. When folded, it's like a handkerchief, making it very convenient to carry. When unfolded, it's quite large and can be used to cover the body before or after bathing, or even for gently wiping the skin, it's a wonderful use. Furthermore, this scarf is incredibly durable; ordinary swords cannot scratch it. If necessary, you can infuse it with Primordial Energy and throw it out. It will open like a net, and after combining with the energy to envelop an enemy, the scarf will contract tightly. It can be used to trap foes." Dai Jingni explained.

"Trap enemies?"

Yuyin couldn't help but nod. In a real fight, no matter how skilled an opponent is, once they are trapped, even if only their movements are partially restricted, their situation will take a sharp turn for the worse. Restricting an enemy's movements is a very effective method in actual combat.

On top of that, it was so beautiful. It could even be used to cover the body while bathing in the wild.

Dai Jingni held the scarf with both hands and continued, "Our Underground Alliance, this one branch of mine might not be much, but the entire alliance controls the global underground black market. Sometimes, things that cannot be obtained through legitimate channels are available here. That Source Martial Practitioner also wanted to get something from the black market, which is why they consigned it to us for sale. As soon as I saw it, I thought it might be useful to you, so I immediately held it back for you to see first. This item is just not suitable for men; otherwise, it would have been snatched up long ago, and I might not have been able to keep it hidden."

"Sister Dai, I'll take this scarf."

"Hehe... Yuyin is truly a young lady from a distinguished family; you certainly know quality." Sister Dai was also pleased that Yuyin hadn't wasted her efforts. After all, she was just the head of one branch of the Underground Alliance, so it wasn't easy for her to suppress such a treasure.

Yuyin had declared her desire, but only then did she realize a problem.

"How... how much does it cost?"

Close to a Low-Grade Law-Tier Artifact. She still had enough Academy Credits to exchange for it, but the Underground Alliance didn't accept Academy Credits, and trading Lingdu Source Martial Academy credits to the outside world was strictly forbidden.

Sister Dai sighed softly, "Well, that's a bit hard to say. How much do you have?"

Hearing this, Yuyin sensed that things were not simple.

It must be very, very expensive...

"My meager Spirit Marbles are definitely not enough." Yuyin said softly. She was too embarrassed to even mention the one million in cash she had.

But Yuyin had come prepared.

She opened her bag and took out several items that would be coveted on the open market: a Mutton-Fat Crystal, Verdant Source Water, and a few other things. These were all gifts given to her by Mr. Du and Zhang Henglong at the celebration banquet after last year's Source Martial College Entrance Exam. Her strength had improved too quickly, so she no longer had use for them.

"Sister Dai, look at these things, plus all my Spirit Marbles. How... how much more would I need?" Yuyin looked at Dai Jingni and changed her wording at the end.

Dai Jingni looked at Yuyin with a hint of affection, then casually glanced over those little trinkets and smiled helplessly, "Yuyin, not to be harsh, but these things would be considered high-grade on the general market. However, to trade for this scarf, they wouldn't even cover a corner of it."

"Huh?" Yuyin's face flushed slightly. The one million in cash she had left was even less worth mentioning. As for using Academy Credits to trade for items to sell externally, that was strictly forbidden by the school rules.

In this way, Yuyin was truly in a difficult position.

"Yuyin, if you really want it, just take the scarf for now. As for the money, I'll help you figure it out." Dai Jingni said.

"How could I do that?" Judging by Sister Dai's expression, this wouldn't be an easy matter for her either. Now that Yuyin had her strength, it wasn't as if she absolutely had to have this scarf. How could she let Sister Dai cover such a huge sum for her?

Yuyin thought for a moment, then took out the last item from her bag.

"What about this?"

A seemingly plain clay doll emanated a very strange aura.

"This..." Dai Jingni folded the scarf and set it aside, then leaned over. Ignoring how her chest pressed against the desk, she examined it closely, then released a wisp of Primordial Energy to perceive it. Her eyes lit up, "Although I can't be certain immediately, this is indeed a rare and valuable item."

Yuyin's heart also stirred slightly. Sister Dai actually had Primordial Energy cultivation? It seemed it wasn't a low level either...

"This thing, although it emits an evil fluctuation that is terrifying, is precisely the kind of cursed item that many powerful experts in the black market would pay a high price to acquire for cultivation or research." Dai Jingni said with some excitement.

This clay doll was, of course, the strange object used last year by a subordinate of the Ghost King, the leader of the evil spirits, when his spirit possessed a middle-aged man to monitor Yuyin.

"This thing was used to monitor me. What use do I have for it? Sell it." Yuyin thought to herself. This doll looked perverted, and Yuyin didn't like it at all.

"Yuyin, this will do." Dai Jingni nodded in satisfaction. "You'll need this scarf soon, so take it first. I'll put this doll up for sale in the black market. This kind of thing can't be rushed if you want a good price. I estimate it will be about enough. We can settle the difference later."

"Sister Dai, is that really okay?"

"Hehe, with this treasure as collateral, plus your fame, Xia Yuyin, the Underground Alliance still recognizes your credit." Dai Jingni smiled.

"That's wonderful. Thank you, Sister Dai." Yuyin said warmly.

"Then, how will you thank me?" Dai Jingni looked at Yuyin with a hint of flirtation.

"Huh?" Yuyin of course knew it wasn't about treating her to a meal and felt a bit embarrassed.

"Hehe, just kidding. I won't take the opportunity to bully you." Dai Jingni smiled faintly, gently lifted the back of Yuyin's hand, and gave it a kiss.

"Sister Dai..." Yuyin knew Sister Dai was just joking and teasing her on purpose. Still, she felt quite grateful; at least Dai Jingni always thought of her first.

"By the way, these little trinkets of yours, if you don't need them, you can leave them with me. I'll find a chance to help you sell them." Dai Jingni pointed to the small gifts Yuyin had brought from Mr. Du and Zhang Henglong.

"Mm, okay." Yuyin nodded. The two powerful experts of Lingdu had given her these things to be used, after all. As for Zhang Henglong and Mr. Du, Yuyin would always remember their help back then.

After bidding farewell to Sister Dai, Yuyin drove back to the Lingdu Source Martial Academy with the Feathered Orchid Scarf. These past few days, although the holiday was about to begin, Little Yuan and the others had heavy cultivation tasks and returned late every night. Yingluo was also often busy with her projects until late.

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On July 5th, the first official day of the Lingdu Source Martial Academy's summer break, it was also the day a preparatory meeting was held for the Source Martial Practitioner students about to embark on their first trial in the Prison Abyss.

The weather was hot, and the cicadas had been chirping incessantly since early morning on the tree-lined paths of the campus.

Yuyin, dressed in a black, tight-fitting short skirt, had woken up early and arrived at the multi-functional hall where the meeting was to be held. The white walls of the hall were covered in ivy.

"Yuyin." It sounded like Senior Sister Liu Xing's voice.

Yuyin turned to look but almost didn't recognize her. Standing behind her was a beautiful woman with long, casually draped hair, wearing an ancient-style, cyan-green long dress.

"Liu... Senior Sister Liu Xing?" Yuyin called out, a little uncertain.

"What is it? Of course, it's me." Liu Xing looked at her with a hint of reproach.

"Why are you wearing an ancient costume?" Yuyin asked.

"Well, we'll have to wear them over there anyway, right? I'm just getting used to it in advance. How is it? Does it look good? It cost this young lady 60 Academy Credits to exchange for." Liu Xing spread her long sleeves and gently struck a pose in front of Yuyin, like a willow tree by the lake.