Deep inside the cave.
Over a dozen women were locked in iron cages.
Their clothes were tattered, and their expressions were filled with extreme terror; seeing Lin Qing enter, they began to tremble even more violently.
“…” One didn’t even need to think to know these were women kidnapped by the Mountain Bandits.
Looking at their mental state, they had likely endured no small amount of torture.
Clang!
Lin Qing casually tore open the iron cages.
“Don’t be afraid.” He said in as gentle a voice as possible, “The Mountain Bandits have been killed by me.
You are free.” This was physical freedom.
As for psychological freedom…
that wasn’t something he should be considering.
“…” The women were stunned, looking at each other in disbelief.
“Is…
is it true?
They’re all dead?
We’re free?” Someone asked in a small voice.
“It’s true.” “The bodies of One-Eyed Dragon and his subordinates are right outside.
You can go home now.” Lin Qing gestured that they could go out and witness it for themselves.
“Sob…” The women wept—these were tears of joy.
“Thank you…
thank you, benefactor…
thank you…” They knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.
Lin Qing waved his hand.
“There’s no need to thank me.
Do you know where the bandits’ valuables are hidden?” “We know!
We know!” A woman hurriedly pointed the way.
“It’s…
it’s in the innermost stone chamber!” Following the directions, Lin Qing found the stone chamber.
He violently broke down the door of the chamber and saw it was filled with boxes.
He opened them one by one.
Inside were gold coins, silver coins, jewelry…
and all sorts of miscellaneous stolen goods.
But Lin Qing’s gaze was drawn to a piece of Ore in the corner.
The Ore was dark all over, with silver patterns slowly flowing across its surface.
“This is…” Lin Qing’s eyes lit up.
He stepped forward quickly and picked up the Ore to examine it closely.
“Deep Silver Ore!” He knew of this metal from Sun Moon Lin Qing’s knowledge of spirit tools.
Deep Silver, a rare metal.
Its texture was hard and its spirit power conductivity was excellent; it was a high-quality material for making high-level spirit tools!
A piece of Deep Silver this large would have immeasurable value ten thousand years in the future!
“Good stuff.” Lin Qing put the Deep Silver Ore into his Storage Ring.
He also took some gold coins, leaving the other useless things untouched.
He then returned to the women.
“I’ve taken some of the valuables as payment.
You can divide the rest among yourselves.” The women hurriedly waved their hands.
“Benefactor, this…
how can this be?
These should have belonged to you.” “Hurry up and divide them so you can go home.
It’s not safe here.” The other things weren’t of much use to him anyway.
The women looked at each other and finally nodded.
“Thank you, benefactor…” They kowtowed again.
Then they began to divide the valuables.
Having experienced so many terrible things, they were not greedy; each took a little and left.
Compared to wealth, they wanted to escape this devil’s den as quickly as possible.
Seeing this, Lin Qing also turned and walked out of the cave, disappearing into the night.
…
By the time he returned to Emperor Soul Village, it was almost dawn.
Lin Qing quietly returned to Aunt Li’s house without disturbing anyone.
He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
Aside from the time he assassinated Viscount Priest with a bomb, this was the first time he had killed someone with his own hands.
His heart was calm, without any feelings of discomfort.
Perhaps because killing a purely evil man like One-Eyed Dragon left him with no mental burden.
Instead, he only felt a sense of relief.
With the Mountain Bandits dealt with, one of the hidden threats to Emperor Soul Village was eliminated.
Second Girl had also agreed to go to Soto City with him.
Everything was moving in a positive direction.
“Next, it’s time to start the new plan.” Lin Qing murmured to himself.
…
The carriage slowly drove into the south gate of Soto City.
Second Girl leaned against the carriage window, her eyes wide as she stared unblinkingly at the scenery outside.
The streets were more than ten times wider than the dirt roads of Emperor Soul Village, paved neatly with bluestone slabs.
Shops lined both sides in neat rows, their signs colorful and diverse—silk shops, weapon smithies, Spirit Beast material shops, repair workshops…
“Candied haws for sale~” A vendor selling candied haws wove through the crowd carrying a straw pole, his cry long and loud.
“Sister, this new rouge is really good.” Several noble Young Misses wearing gorgeous long dresses walked out of a jewelry store, chatting and laughing, their skirts swaying.
Further away, the towering spires of the Spirit Master Tower could be seen, gleaming with a metallic luster under the sunlight.
“It’s…
it’s so big…” Second Girl’s voice was full of involuntary awe.
The furthest place she had ever been in her life was the market in the neighboring village.
Compared to Soto City, Emperor Soul Village and the market were like dirt pits in the barren mountains.
“We’ll be living here for a long time from now on.” Lin Qing said with a smile.
“Is it really okay?” Second Girl turned her head, her eyes shining.
“Mm.
I’ve rented a small courtyard in the south of the city.
You settle in first, and once I’ve handled the shop matters, you can come to the store to help.” “I will definitely learn well!” Second Girl nodded vigorously, a smile blooming on her face.
As long as she was with Xiao Qing, anywhere was fine.
The carriage continued forward, passing through two bustling streets.
Just as they were one street away from their destination— “Ouch!” A short, fat figure suddenly darted out from the roadside and blocked the carriage.
The driver hurriedly pulled the reins tight.
“Whoa—!” The horse raised its front hooves, neighing as it came to a stop.
Lin Qing frowned and lifted the carriage curtain, only to see a freckled youth of twelve or thirteen standing in the middle of the road, grinning as he looked into the carriage.
He was round and fat, with very small eyes that squinted into almost a slit.
At that moment, those small eyes were staring fixedly at Second Girl, who was observing the street through the window.
His gaze was murky yet filled with an unsettling greed.
“This sister is truly quite pretty.” The freckled youth licked his lips, his voice greasy.
He leaned forward, almost pressing himself against the carriage window.
“This young master is called Ma Hongjun, a Spirit Master.
My Spirit is the Evil Fire Phoenix!” Saying this, he puffed out his chest, his face full of pride.
He even deliberately released a trace of spirit power fluctuation, and a faint yellow light flickered beneath his feet.
“How about it?
Do you want to be this young master’s girlfriend?” Ma Hongjun chuckled.
“Follow me and I guarantee you’ll be living the high life!” “…” Second Girl’s expression instantly turned cold.
She shrank back into Lin Qing’s arms and said in a cool voice, “I don’t know you, and I don’t want to know you.
Please move aside.” “Oh, quite a temper?” Ma Hongjun squinted his eyes.
“This young master just happens to like them with temper!” He turned his gaze to Lin Qing inside the carriage, his tone becoming impatient.
“Kid, who are you?” “If you know what’s good for you, get lost quickly.
Don’t interfere with me and this sister developing our feelings.” Lin Qing raised an eyebrow.
Evil Fire Phoenix Ma Hongjun.
One of the Shrek Seven Devils, one of the Three Scoundrels of Shrek, famous in the original story for being lecherous and wretched.
Because his Spirit mutation carried an evil fire attribute.
He didn’t expect to actually run into him today.
“Ma Hongjun, is it?” Lin Qing spoke calmly.
“I suggest you move aside now, otherwise some unpleasant things might happen.” “Heh?” Ma Hongjun laughed out loud, his face full of disdain.
“Unpleasant things?
Just with you?
This young master is a Spirit Master, do you know that?
Not something a mere commoner can afford to provoke.” He looked Lin Qing, who was about the same age as himself, up and down with a gaze full of contempt.
“A little brat who hasn’t even grown his hair out yet dares to threaten me?” “I’m telling you, I am a noble Rank 18 Spirit Master!” As Ma Hongjun spoke, he possessed his Spirit.
It was called the Evil Fire Phoenix, but it looked like a grass chicken.
A yellow spirit ring faintly emerged beneath his feet.
Seeing this, the surrounding pedestrians stepped back several paces.
When Spirit Masters fought, ordinary people didn’t dare get involved.
“So?” Lin Qing remained calm.
“So if you know what’s good for you—” Ma Hongjun’s words stopped abruptly.
Because a slit quietly opened between Lin Qing’s brows, and a silver vertical pupil slowly opened.
The hidden, transparent first spirit ring flashed slightly.
An invisible mental wave swept over Ma Hongjun silently.
The next second— In Ma Hongjun’s perception, the World changed.
The figure on the carriage before him suddenly twisted and elongated, turning into a tall figure wearing a black robe whose face could not be seen clearly.
The black-robed person held a bloody boning knife in his hand, with blood still dripping from the tip.
“You…
who are you?!” Ma Hongjun backed away half a step in fright, his voice trembling.
“Me?” The black-robed person spoke, his voice as raspy as metal scraping.
“Jie jie jie, I am the one who has come to help you find release~” “Find…
find release?
What do you mean?” “It means…” The black-robed person slowly raised the knife.
“You are too lecherous and are even tortured by lust.
Since that’s the case, I will help you find release.
I’m going to castrate you~ Jie jie jie!” “Cas…
castrate me?
You’re looking for death!” Ma Hongjun’s expression changed in shock and anger.
He immediately wanted to release his Spirit Ability to burn this boastful fellow to death.
“First Spirit Ability: Phoenix Fire Wire!” He shouted aloud, but there was no reaction.
“How can this be?
Where did my Spirit Ability go?” Ma Hongjun soon realized something was wrong; no matter how hard he tried, the Spirit Ability wouldn’t release.
Seeing the black-robed person still approaching, he suddenly panicked.
“No…
no!
I was wrong!
I was really wrong!” He wanted to run.
But his legs felt like they were filled with lead and he couldn’t move, only able to watch helplessly as that knife drew closer and closer.
The chill of the blade was already against his skin.
“Ah—!!!” A piercing scream resounded through the street.
Ma Hongjun’s legs gave way, and he fell to his knees with a thud.
A large area of his crotch quickly became wet, and a pungent smell of urine spread.
“Don’t castrate me…
I don’t want to be a eunuch…
I was wrong…
I won’t dare do it again…” He curled up on the ground holding his head, his whole body trembling violently.
With snot and tears flowing, he was in a pathetic state.
(End of Chapter) You know where to find more chapters…
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