Fat Luo rushed out of the room, leaving Lican waiting patiently as he continued savoring his fruit.
As he ate, Lican thought about what he had just obtained. He now had most of the materials he needed to practice rune inscription. However, he would need even more materials, because once he mastered the inscriptions, he planned to venture deeper into the wilderness and hone himself through battle.
He needed to become stronger.
He was still being pursued, and he hadn't even reached one-tenth of the strength his father's friend possessed back home. But where could he go?
He had no home.
No family.
No one waiting for him.
I'm just a wandering orphan.
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
When Fat Luo and Dilah called him a young master, it sounded strange to him. They assumed he belonged to some powerful family simply because of his bearing and the things he possessed.
But they didn't know the truth.
He didn't even have a home.
If he wanted revenge, he could seek refuge with someone more powerful. But what did he have to offer them?
And more importantly, he didn't trust anyone.
As his thoughts spiraled, the aura around Lican became increasingly heavy. His fingers slowly curled into fists, his knuckles tightening until his nails nearly pierced his palms.
His age-mates were probably at home right now, playing around or getting into trouble.
While he...
He was alone in this world, with nothing but his own strength to rely on.
Calming himself down, Lican relaxed his body and took a deep breath.
That was when the door opened.
A hearty laugh sounded from outside.
"I have gotten your stuff!"
Fat Luo rushed into the room, his belly jiggling with every step. He hurried over before patting his universal pouch and pulling out the equipment and materials.
Lican picked up the beautifully carved dark brush and inspected it closely. Small, miniature runes had been carved into its surface, resembling veins that traveled upward as if guiding a river or stream, tracing a path toward the tip. A small crystal was embedded into the end of the brush.
So this is a spirit stone.
As if reading Lican's thoughts, Fat Luo immediately explained.
"That's just a fragment of a spirit stone—the lowest of the lowest. But no worries! I got you the best of the lowest!"
He said it proudly, as though he had obtained something incredibly precious.
"Ah! I also got you five thousand talisman papers."
Lican turned toward the stack of papers.
They were rectangular and neatly arranged, their surfaces tougher than ordinary paper. He already had a rough idea of how they would be used.
"And this!"
Fat Luo lifted a stone bowl along with another stone shaped like a pestle.
"Arcane Stone, mortal-grade!"
He announced it as though he were introducing a priceless treasure.
Fat Luo gestured dramatically toward the two pieces.
"This is the ultimate material crusher! Even low-level spirit stones can't escape its power. Once it hits something, everything beneath it goes plop!"
His eyes widened as he emphasized the last part, a proud smile spreading across his face.
"When I say everything, I mean everything!"
He carefully placed the Arcane Stone down.
Lican simply shook his head and waited for Fat Luo to continue. If he said anything now, Fat Luo would probably spend the next hour defending the authenticity and quality of his goods.
Fat Luo moved on to the clothes.
He pulled out a set of robes and pants, then proudly patted his chest.
"I personally selected the finest and most comfortable clothes for Young Master!"
He grinned as he began showing Lican everything he had chosen.
Lican glanced over them.
He already knew he would only wear these clothes when he came out of the wilderness. With the kind of battles he expected to face, these clothes would probably be torn to pieces within a few days.
He nodded and stored the clothes together with the other materials before standing up.
"Aren't you going to try them on to see if they fit?" Fat Luo asked, standing up as well.
"No need. My balance," Lican said, holding out his hand.
"Ah, I totally forgot!"
Fat Luo quickly began rummaging through his universal pouch.
Lican rolled his eyes.
Why wouldn't he forget?
"There it is!"
Fat Luo finally pulled out a small leather pouch filled with coins and handed it to Lican.
Lican stored it away without counting the contents before turning toward the door.
Fat Luo hurriedly followed him, continuing to talk along the way.
When they reached the entrance, Lican spotted Dilah. She immediately avoided his gaze.
Lican simply shook his head before continuing on.
"We'll be expecting you again, Young Master!" Fat Luo's voice came from behind him.
Lican merely nodded and kept walking.
Fat Luo watched him leave.
"What a weird kid..."
A smile slowly spread across his lips.
He hummed to himself before turning around and walking back into the pavilion, a hearty laugh echoing behind him.
"Hey, kid!"
Lican, who had been walking for about five minutes, had already used some of his remaining change to purchase a few other materials.
He turned and saw three men walking toward him, grins spread across their faces. Lican ignored them and continued walking. They smelled like trouble, and he was a peaceful person, after all.
At least, that was what he told himself.
He shrugged and kept walking.
Shrill!
Suddenly, he sensed something rushing toward him at extreme speed.
Lican sidestepped, moving almost as quickly as the incoming attack. He twisted his body and turned to face his attacker as he drifted backward, creating some distance between them.
The bulky man saw that his attack had failed to catch Lican off guard. His eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Nice one. You got lucky, kid." He sneered.
"If you throw that fist at me again, you won't have it anymore," Lican said expressionlessly, raising his head and staring directly into the man's eyes.
The scene suddenly became quiet.
Then—
"Hahahaha!"
Laughter erupted from behind the bulky man.
The other two men slapped their thighs, laughing loudly as they wiped imaginary tears from the corners of their eyes.
They didn't notice their companion's face.
He stood completely still, his body tense as he struggled to break free from Lican's gaze.
The man's face reddened. The embarrassment he had felt from being intimidated by a kid quickly turned into anger.
"Give us that pouch on your waist, and I'll let you die in perfect shape," he said, pointing at the pouch hanging from Lican's waist.
His friends, who had stopped laughing, sneered as they looked at Lican as if he were already dead.
Lican simply produced his chain and jade hairpin, wrapping the chain slowly around his hand.
"It seems battles always find me. Why can't I have one peaceful moment?"
Lican shook his head slowly. He didn't even look at the trio as he tightened the chain around his hand, his expression completely relaxed.
"How do you want it?"
Boom!
Lican shot forward.
His arm swung, and the chain tore through the air, heading straight for the man's skull.
The man's eyes widened at the unexpected attack.
Clack!
He hurriedly raised his hand to block.
The chain wrapped around his arm like a snake, its sharp links digging into his flesh and drawing blood.
The man's face instantly paled.