Feng Lin looked at him wordlessly, his eyes scanning every detail of the young man fleeing. Liang, behind him, seemed worried, but showed no sign of it.

  Zhou Han waited, trembling, his gaze fixed on Feng Lin. "Please..." he whispered, his breath short. "I... I can offer you money, please..."

  As he waited for a response, the sound of enemy footsteps drew nearer dangerously. The pressure on his shoulders was becoming unbearable.

  Feng Lin squinted slightly, allowing a heavy silence to settle. He could see the sweat beading on Zhou Han's forehead, his body trembling under the tension.

  "Money?" Feng Lin repeated, his tone amused. "And what makes you think you really have any?"

  Zhou Han swallowed hard.

  "I... I stole something! A treasure... from the corpse of a venerable during the Zhao clan's attack!"

  Liang, who had been silent until then, flinched and clenched his fists.

  "You looted the dead while your own clan was being slaughtered?" he spat, anger in his voice.

  After all, he had been taken in by the Feng clan. Seeing someone betray a clan, no matter which one, drove him mad.

  Zhou Han took a step back, terrified by the intensity of Liang's gaze.

  "I saw an opportunity... I had no choice! But I'll give it to you if you save me!"

  Feng Lin let out a sardonic smile.

  "A choice, huh?"

  He took a slow step towards Zhou Han, savoring the fear in his eyes.

  "If I were to save you, you would at least have to prove you’re worth it..."

  Zhou Han opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Feng Lin crossed his arms, a falsely thoughtful look on his face.

  "Let’s have some fun."

  Zhou Han paled even more.

  "W-what do you mean?"

  Feng Lin leaned slightly toward him, his smile widening.

  "If you want your life, show me that you deserve it. Do something interesting. Otherwise..."

  He let his sentence hang, but the intention was clear.

  Zhou Han trembled all over. He understood at that moment that his survival depended entirely on Feng Lin's whim... and the latter was already enjoying seeing him suffer.

  Feng Lin crossed his arms, his piercing gaze fixed on Zhou Han.

  "So a treasure from a venerable, huh? Show me."

  Zhou Han paled.

  "H-here? But..."

  He looked around in panic. The sound of the pursuers' footsteps was getting dangerously close. He had no time to lose... but could he really trust Feng Lin?

  "Do you want my help, yes or no?" Feng Lin asked in an indifferent tone. "If you’re still hesitating, I suppose what you're carrying has no value."

  Zhou Han gritted his teeth. He knew he had no other choice. Trembling, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an orange spatial ring, finely decorated with the Zhao clan’s symbols.

  Feng Lin grabbed it without ceremony and infused his qi into it, sending his mind inside.

  His gaze sharpened slightly.

  The ring contained far more loot than he expected.

  A large quantity of low-tier spiritual herbs of mortal level, some common, others a little rarer, but all of them useful for alchemy and medicine.

  A few medium-tier spiritual herbs, also mortal level. Valuable enough for cultivators of the Meridian Opening stage, they could be used in pills to improve qi circulation or strengthen the body.

  One high-tier spiritual herb (mortal level). It was carefully preserved in a jade box, a sign of its great value. Even a high-level alchemist would find such an ingredient hard to obtain.

  Several youth recovery pills and body-strengthening pills. Probably refined by a mid-level alchemist, they were of decent quality.

  A superior mortal-level dagger. Thin and well-balanced, it was marked with inscriptions slightly enhancing its penetration.

  A few jade fragments containing handwritten notes. Teachings and experiences from an alchemist or cultivator of the Zhao clan, potentially useful.

  A pouch filled with spiritual coins. Enough to finance some interesting purchases.

  Feng Lin analyzed the contents in an instant, his expression remaining impassive.

  It wasn’t an invaluable treasure, but there was clearly enough here to make something of it.

  He twirled the ring between his fingers before looking up at Zhou Han, a mocking smile forming on his lips.

  "Hm. So, this is it."

  His tone was neutral, almost dismissive.

  Zhou Han swallowed, feeling a chill run down his spine. Feng Lin was playing with him... and he still didn’t know whether he planned to help him or simply strip him clean.

  As Feng Lin toyed with the ring between his fingers, a noise suddenly sounded behind them.

  Heavy footsteps struck the ground, hurried but confident.

  Zhou Han jumped, his face growing even paler. He turned just in time to see a figure emerge from the shadows.

  A man with hardened features, dressed in the Zhao clan’s colors, stopped dead at the corner of the alley. His dark gaze quickly scanned the scene before stopping on Zhou Han, then on Feng Lin and Liang.

  His eyes narrowed.

  "You have accomplices!"

  His voice rumbled with anger and suspicion. A surge of his aura immediately manifested, pressing heavily on the atmosphere.

  Zhou Han instinctively stepped back, searching for an escape, but he was cornered. Liang, on the other hand, discreetly clenched his fists, fear beading on his forehead.

  The surge of aura flooded the alley, exerting an overwhelming pressure on Feng Lin and the others. The enemy was in the early stage of the third step of the Body Refining stage.

  Feng Lin remained impassive, but internally, he quickly assessed the situation. When he had faced the thief in the Feng clan’s alchemy hall, he was at the peak of the first stage, while his opponent was only at the early second stage. Thanks to his experience and combat power, he had been able to dominate him with relative ease.

  But now, he had just reached the second stage, and his opponent was already at the third. The gap between Body Refining stages was widening, making each level difference more significant.

  A direct confrontation would be dangerous. Feng Lin didn’t yet have combat techniques suited to his current level, his old techniques being too complex for a mere mortal. He would have to find another way to gain the upper hand...