Hearing Chen Erbao, the shop owner shot upright. He stood up, pleasantly surprised, and snatched the bank card from the counter. Fearing Chen Erbao might have second thoughts, he pulled out the card reader, entered the amount, and with a BEEP, charged the three hundred thousand.
He pulled a black cloth from under the counter, wrapped up the longsword and its Sword Scabbard, and thrust it into Chen Erbao's hands with a beaming smile. "Sold!"
The entire process took less than a minute!
Chen Erbao walked out of the shop holding the heavy longsword, an inexplicable sense of melancholy in his heart.
'I have no idea if I came out ahead or took a loss...'
He was a bit bummed out, but when he remembered the Sword Scabbard's strange ability to absorb Spiritual Power, he felt the thrill of opening a mystery box.
The street was no place to inspect it, so he planned to return to the Vienna Hotel around noon and study it carefully...
After quickly walking down the rest of the street and finding no other Spirit-Containing Objects, Chen Erbao turned to leave.
Just then, a white-haired old man blocked his path.
The old man's face was like withered wood and his back was stooped, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.
Chen Erbao frowned and tried to walk around him, but the old man shifted his feet to follow, making it clear he intended to stop him.
Looking at the old man's attire, Chen Erbao couldn't help but sigh in resignation.
"Sir, is there a reason you're blocking my way?"
The old man wore an old-fashioned long gown, a tattered backpack slung over his shoulder, and a money pouch hanging from his waist. He held a long staff with a banner hanging from the top, on which a couplet was written:
To judge yin and yang, to determine life and death with a single word!
To divine heaven's secrets, to foretell fortune and disaster without error!
'A fortune teller!'
'This old man is incredibly arrogant, daring to claim he can determine life and death and divine the secrets of heaven!'
'Chen Erbao didn't know what these 'secrets of heaven' were, but he knew one thing for sure: no one could possibly read *his* fate!'
Hearing Chen Erbao's question, the old man's wrinkled face scrunched into a brilliant smile. He looked Chen Erbao up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on the black cloth in Chen Erbao's hand before he looked up and chuckled.
"Young man, I'm an itinerant fortune teller. I saw your impressive brow and your indistinct aura, which piqued my interest. I'd like to read your fortune, if I may?"
Chen Erbao frowned. "I'm in a hurry. Maybe next time."
He tried to sidestep the man and leave.
But with a mere sway of his body, the old man was blocking his path again. "Young man, do you think this old man's couplet is just empty boasts? Let me tell you, I've traveled far and wide for many years, and I'm honest with everyone, young or old. If you don't believe me, you can ask around..."
Before he could finish, Chen Erbao executed Misty Step, flashing past the old man and continuing on his way.
Seeing Chen Erbao's determination to leave, the old man could only give a helpless smile. His gaze once again lingered on the black cloth in Chen Erbao's hand for a moment. Then he chuckled and muttered to himself, "If fate wills it, we will meet again... And I doubt you'll refuse me next time!"
...
Chen Erbao didn't give the little interlude a second thought. He drove straight back to the Vienna Hotel, arriving just in time for lunch.
Lin Rui was already downstairs waiting for him.
When she saw Chen Erbao's car pull up, she opened the door, slid into the passenger seat, and said with a pout, "Brother Er Bao, you left without even telling me..."
Seeing that she seemed a little angry, Chen Erbao chuckled and said soothingly, "I saw you were exhausted, and I had to go to the Antique Street to look for something, so I didn't wake you... You were worn out last night, huh?"
At the mention of last night, Lin Rui's face instantly flushed red. "Brother Er Bao... Don't talk about that!" she said shyly.
'She was still a little sore down there. When she woke up this morning, it even seemed a bit red and swollen!'
'It was all Chen Erbao's fault. He'd gotten a bit carried away during their first dual cultivation session yesterday!'
Chen Erbao gave an awkward smile, took Lin Rui by her fair wrist, and extended his Divine Sense into her body to check her condition.
"Xiaorui, you're already at the Peak of Qi Refining First Layer!"
He exclaimed in surprise. He hadn't expected Lin Rui's Cultivation to advance so quickly!
Lin Rui let out a dazed "Huh?" "Really? I had no idea... Does that mean I'm super strong now!"
Seeing her clueless expression, Chen Erbao was left speechless and frustrated. "How did you advance so fast! We only dual cultivated once, and you've already broken through two minor stages!"
But Lin Rui had no concept of what any of that meant. She just grinned foolishly and said, "When I become a great expert, I can help you with your work, Brother Er Bao! Then you won't have to work so hard!"
Hearing this, Chen Erbao nodded. "True. We'll see when you get stronger!"
The two walked along the flat stone path to the restaurant, where Ivic had thoughtfully prepared their lunch.
After lunch, Chen Erbao took Lin Rui out on the town again.
Today, they planned to check out some of the entertainment venues within Binhai City.
They decided to skip the sights in the suburbs, as the round trip would take too much time.
They drove away from the hotel, with Lin Rui chattering excitedly as she scrolled through her phone looking for travel guides.
"Brother Er Bao, I heard there's a really intense escape room in the city. Let's go check it out!"
"Oh, and also! I've always wanted to go to the museum in the southern district, but I've never had anyone to go with..."
"..."
The car was driving steadily along the beltway, its speed moderate and the ride smooth.
'Only now did he remember that he'd forgotten to examine the longsword he'd spent three hundred thousand on!'
'Oh well, I'll look at it tonight.'
He thought to himself. Listening to Lin Rui chatter endlessly beside him, his mood immediately relaxed.
But soon, his brow furrowed as he glanced at the rearview mirror.
In the mirror was a black Honda.
'If I'm not mistaken, that car has been following us since we got on the highway...'
After his experience being tailed by assassins on Changbai Mountain, Chen Erbao now had a habit of subconsciously checking his rearview mirror.
'Could it be people from the Wang Family?'
'I only just dealt with them yesterday, and they're already coming for revenge?'
A sense of caution rose in Chen Erbao. He said to Lin Rui in a low voice, "Hold on tight!"
He floored the gas pedal, and the big Land Rover provided by the Vienna Hotel let out a ROAR as it shot forward.
In just thirty seconds, Chen Erbao had already overtaken a dozen cars, and the Honda had vanished from the rearview mirror.
'Guess they were just heading the same way.'
Chen Erbao breathed an inward sigh of relief. But in the next instant, his pupils contracted sharply!
The Honda had caught up again!
'Looks like they really are after me!'
'I passed so many cars just now. There's no way they could have caught up under normal circumstances, not unless they were specifically targeting me!'
'They're definitely after me!'
'The Wang Family? Or some other enemy?'
Chen Erbao let out a cold smirk, glanced at his GPS, and then floored the accelerator again, shooting forward.
The Honda's performance was average, so it was naturally no match for his Land Rover and was quickly left in the dust.
Finding the nearest exit, Chen Erbao quickly veered off the highway and into the city.
After exiting the highway, he found himself in an industrial area. The surroundings were sparsely populated, with pitifully few other vehicles.
Chen Erbao found a spot by the side of the road with some cover and slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a stop.
Lin Rui was bewildered. "Brother Er Bao, what's happening?"
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