After Mo Cheng collapsed, Xie Ruolan materialized behind him. With a flick of her slender jade hand, Mo Cheng's storage bag flew into her grasp.
She sifted through the bag, pocketing a few specific items before tossing the rest to Lin Haoming. "Sell the leftovers."
Lin caught the bag, finally understanding exactly where his shop's inventory came from.
Murder and arson bring the golden belt. The saying held true. Even after Xie Ruolan took her pick, the remaining items were worth nearly two hundred spirit stones. Including what she took, the total haul for a single kill was likely around seven or eight hundred—and that was just for a 9th-level disciple. A Great Perfection cultivator would surely yield even more.
"You're quite clever, kid. You know even fellow disciples can't be trusted. Well done," Xie Ruolan said, offering a rare word of praise.
Lin Haoming was less than pleased. "Senior Sister, you must have seen him hiding long ago. If I hadn't been careful and let his sneak attack land, wouldn't I have died for nothing?"
"If something like that could kill you, what value would you have left?" Xie Ruolan shot him a look of utter disdain.
Lin looked at her and realized that if he had died, she would have simply killed Mo Cheng, taken both their bags, and—if she was feeling particularly charitable—tossed a fireball to cremate him.
He quickly realized she wasn't that charitable. He watched as the beautiful woman pulled out a gourd to suck in Mo Cheng's soul, then placed a vivid, blood-red stone on the corpse. With a specialized hand seal, the body withered at a visible rate as the stone drained every ounce of flesh and blood essence.
Lin truly saw her ruthlessness now. She didn't just steal their gear; she harvested the soul and the body. This was truly squeezing out every last drop of value.
---
The Second Encounter
Xie Ruolan eventually burned the remains and vanished back into the shadows, leaving Lin to resume his role as bait.
Perhaps his luck had run out. For hours, he found neither enemies nor Crimson Sun Ginseng. However, toward evening, he heard the sounds of battle a few miles away. He suppressed his aura and crept toward the noise.
He soon spotted one of the three inner disciples they had met at the Teleportation Hall. The man was locked in a desperate struggle against a Heavenly Sword Mountain disciple in white robes who was simultaneously controlling five flying swords.
Though both were at the Great Perfection level, the fellow Blood Refining Sect disciple was clearly outmatched. The five swords were a matched set of high-grade magic tools. Despite the massive drain on spiritual power such a set required, the swordsman seemed unconcerned, relentlessly hacking at his opponent's shield.
Lin crept behind the swordsman, readying his flying scissors. But the moment he prepared to strike, the Heavenly Sword disciple flicked a hand behind him. A talisman flared, and a fire snake roared toward Lin.
Lin activated his Silver Steel Shield and a mid-grade Vajra Talisman. Even so, the impact staggered him, and his golden shield light flickered violently.
"I knew you were there," the swordsman sneered. He pointed at his array, sending two of the five swords whistling toward Lin.
Lin hurriedly summoned his Tortoise Shell Shield to protect himself, but the power of the strikes quickly depleted his Vajra Talisman. Handling two was his limit; handling more would be his death.
"Senior Brother, don't fear! Senior Sister Xie is here!" Lin roared.
The trapped disciple's spirit surged at the name. Simultaneously, Lin's Merit Bead vibrated intensely—the man's gratitude for a lifesaving shout was substantial.
But the shout also drew the swordsman's full attention. He sent a third sword toward Lin.
Lin was about to trigger his Stone Armor Talisman when the swordsman's face suddenly paled. He recalled all five swords and threw out a talisman that summoned hundreds of thick ice spikes toward a seemingly empty patch of forest.
The air shimmered, and a graceful figure draped in a cloak appeared. It was Xie Ruolan.
"Senior Sister Xie, you really came!" the disciple cried out in joy.
Xie Ruolan looked furious. She glared at Lin Haoming. "What the hell are you shouting for? If you hadn't opened your mouth, I would have finished him already!"
"Senior Sister, if you hadn't appeared, I would have been sliced in half!" Lin protested.
The Heavenly Sword disciple looked at Xie Ruolan and was momentarily stunned by her beauty. "You're quite the demoness. If you leave your sect to be my concubine, I can grant you a life of wealth and status!"
Xie Ruolan sneered. "With just you?"
She tossed her cloak aside and slapped her storage bag. A small, jet-black banner appeared in her hand. She threw it into the air, where it expanded to several yards high. A massive wave of Yin energy erupted, accompanied by the bone-chilling wails of a thousand ghosts.