"Gold-tier member? So am I," Lin Tian replied with a raised brow, unable to hold back. Initially, seeing the guards' overreaction, he had wondered what kind of important figure was inside. To his surprise, it was nothing more than a gold-tier member. Was a gold-tier member really that impressive?
Back in Yunze Township, Tu Xiaoyao had once given him a gold card representing the gold-tier membership of the Longcheng Chamber of Commerce. However, Lin Tian had little interaction with the Longcheng Chamber and was unaware of the significance of this gold card.
"You must be joking," one of the guards sneered at him, almost bursting into laughter. The idea that Lin Tian claimed to possess a gold-tier card from the Longcheng Chamber was utterly laughable.
The Longcheng Chamber's gold card was not just a symbol of status. It was an investment. There were fewer than a hundred people across the entire Xuanwu Domain who could hold a gold card from the Longcheng Chamber. Each of them was a person of extraordinary status—either a family patriarch of a prestigious lineage, a renowned alchemist, or a master formationist.
For someone of Lin Tian's age to possess such a card was unheard of in the history of the Longcheng Chamber. That's why, when they heard Lin Tian's words, the guards could only think they had heard the greatest joke ever.
"Do you know what the gold card of the Longcheng Chamber represents? If you can produce a gold card, I'll write my name backwards from now on," one of the guards scoffed.
"Tian Shui, how can you say such things? If this boy really does have the Longcheng Chamber's gold card, you'd have to call yourself Shui Tianchi from now on," the other guard teased with a laugh.
"The real question is, can this kid even produce the gold card?" Tian Shui smirked as he looked Lin Tian up and down, convinced this was all an illusion.
But just as the words left his mouth, a golden card suddenly appeared in Lin Tian's hand. The moment the guards saw the card, their expressions froze. The mocking glint in their eyes vanished, replaced by fear and disbelief.
Clearly, they never expected Lin Tian to actually hold the gold card of the Longcheng Chamber.
"So, may I enter now?" Lin Tian glanced at the two guards with a cold expression. Their previous attitude had irritated him beyond measure.
"Please, sir," the two guards bowed and respectfully gestured for him to enter.
With a dismissive snort, Lin Tian turned on his heel and walked into the Longcheng Chamber without looking back.
"Who are you?" A voice as clear as a canary's song suddenly rang in his ears. Turning his head, Lin Tian saw a young woman in a red robe, her brows furrowed with an angry expression. She seemed to be scolding him, as though his sudden arrival had disturbed her.
"And who are you?" Lin Tian raised an eyebrow, looking at her in confusion.
"You don't even know who I am?" The woman in red laughed at his response.
"Should I?" Lin Tian asked, genuinely puzzled. Was this woman someone famous?
"I am Feng Linwan, the daughter of the City Lord of Maple Leaf City," she announced, as if it were self-evident.
"Oh." Lin Tian responded indifferently, clearly unimpressed. To him, the daughter of the city lord was nothing noteworthy.
"Oh, that's all you have to say?" Feng Linwan's expression turned furious at his lack of reaction. She had just revealed her identity, yet Lin Tian's response was less than enthusiastic. Wasn't he supposed to be awestruck, even bowing and addressing her respectfully as 'miss'?
"Otherwise, should I kneel on the ground?" Lin Tian shot back with a sneer. This girl's self-importance was quite absurd.
"You... I am the City Lord's daughter!" Feng Linwan could barely contain her fury.
"I know that," Lin Tian replied, blinking innocently.
"This is your attitude toward me?" Feng Linwan's anger flared. Without warning, she whipped out a long whip and prepared to strike.
The moment Lin Tian saw the spiritual weapon in her hand, his eyes gleamed. Although he had gained some understanding of spiritual weapons after joining the Weapon Peak and even dabbled in forging them, this was his first time encountering a real spiritual weapon.
"Kid, what are you staring at?" Feng Linwan sneered, noticing his gaze. Without hesitation, she swung the red whip toward him.
Lin Tian's face changed, and he quickly used his spiritual energy to dodge, narrowly avoiding the blow. At the same time, he formed a spiritual seal with his hand and sent it flying.
"Do you really think you can trap me with just an array?" Feng Linwan's lips curled into a cold smile as she saw the spiritual seal coming toward her. The red glow on her whip flared up, unleashing a wave of energy that rivaled the first stage of Foundation Establishment.
As the daughter of the City Lord of Maple Leaf City, Feng Linwan was only fourteen years old, but the spiritual whip in her hand was already at the level of the first stage of Foundation Establishment. This was why she felt so unrestrained and confident in her strength.
However, just as she swung her whip at Lin Tian's array, she suddenly felt an overwhelming force rebound toward her. Her body was flung backward, crashing heavily onto the ground. Her eyes were filled with disbelief.
The two guards outside, noticing the commotion inside, could only stand helplessly. They dared not intervene. After all, both Lin Tian and Feng Linwan were gold-tier members. Even if they caused a ruckus, the guards couldn't stop them.
"How could you bully a girl?" Feng Linwan, realizing she was no match for Lin Tian, collapsed onto the ground, crying loudly like a deeply wronged child.
"What, are you playing dirty now? Do you really think I won't make a move just because you're crying?" Lin Tian regarded her with cold indifference. After receiving a modern education in the twenty-first century, he deeply understood the concept of gender equality.
Earlier, Feng Linwan had used her spiritual weapon without hesitation to attack him. Now, just because she was sitting on the ground crying, Lin Tian had no intention of letting her off easily.