FVN Chapter 21 Mysterious Old Man
Chapter 21 Mysterious Old Man
Wen Ran's mind raced like lightning. No matter how he analyzed the situation, it didn't make sense. Killing a cultivator far beyond his strength was nearly impossible. Unless I had some sort of poison... But to acquire something like that in under five days? His jaw tightened as frustration bubbled inside him. Does this so-called system want me dead before I've even had a chance to grow? It's ridiculous...
He followed Fang Jinyao through the bustling crowd, his thoughts heavy despite her slightly cheerful demeanor. Yet, another question nagged at him. Why didn't anyone try to save her when she screamed for help? With the caliber of cultivators in that palace, the attackers should've been stopped the moment they hopped the fence.
His brow furrowed, his mind spinning. Lost in thought, he almost collided with an old woman crossing his path. He quickly stepped aside, barely dodging her. Muttering a low apology, he straightened—only to realize something alarming. Fang Jinyao was gone.
"Great..." he muttered, glancing around in irritation. But as he thought about it, the situation wasn't entirely bad. This might actually be perfect. Having some time alone will let me figure out how to survive this insane system quest.
Still, there was one glaring problem. These clothes. As he glanced down at his gray servant robes, a bitter truth settled over him. To the people here, a servant without their master was nothing more than a stray—a lowly slave unworthy of respect.
Wen Ran cursed inwardly. It will have to do for now... His mind was racing as he wandered among the stalls, glancing around to make sure Fang Jinyao was nowhere in sight. If she finds me, everything will fall apart.
The town's market was bustling with merchants. Stalls lined the streets, offering a myriad of goods—artifacts, weapons, and armor were on full display. Yet what truly caught Wen Ran's attention were the vendors selling pills and elixirs.@@@@
His trained eyes darted from one stall to the next, scanning the wares with precision. Most of the cultivation-aiding pills on display were either low-quality trash or outright scams, their appearances carefully crafted to deceive the untrained eye. Filthy merchants, Wen Ran thought bitterly, though he couldn't blame them entirely. Kindness doesn't fill bellies in this world.
Stall after stall, disappointment etched itself onto his face. Just as he was about to give up, something unusual caught his eye. An old man sat cross-legged on the ground, his back hunched, barely supporting his disproportionately large nose. His long gray hair obscured much of his face, but even with his age and frailty, there was something oddly imposing about his tall frame.
In front of the old man was a simple cloth laid out with a few pills and elixirs resting on it. At first glance, they seemed unremarkable—low quality, even. But Wen Ran's heart skipped a beat the moment his gaze locked onto them. Treasures... how is this possible? Pills like these shouldn't even exist in this realm. Any one of them could spark a war in my old world.
He approached cautiously, his movements deliberate. The old man didn't acknowledge him, his head bowed as if in disinterest—or perhaps apathy, having grown accustomed to being ignored. Wen Ran knelt before the cloth, now the sole customer, but the activity caught the attention of the nearby crowd.
But what happened next silenced them completely.
"This bag contains ten thousand. I want everything," Wen Ran said, his tone firm as he held out the spiritual pouch he'd taken from the male cultivator he killed.
The old man finally showed a glimmer of interest. His eyes, sharp and ancient, locked onto Wen Ran's, as if trying to pierce through to his very soul.
"Senior," Wen Ran began, his voice steady, "I don't want to be rude, but this isn't how you conduct business." His words carried a subtle challenge, and he kept his thoughts and emotions tightly guarded, preventing the old man from gleaning anything further.
For the first time, a faint smile crossed the old man's face. "Good junior," he said with a chuckle, "you're quite something, you know that."
"I'll take you up on your offer, but there will be no refunds," the old man added, his laughter fading into a warning. "You should know that."
"No problem. I've never even seen you in the first place," Wen Ran shot back smoothly.
The old man's expression flickered with a hint of shock before turning into amused curiosity. What an interesting young man... Just who is he? The thought lingered as he nodded and took the pouch from Wen Ran's hand. Scanning the contents quickly, the old man confirmed the crystals were genuine before leaning back and closing his eyes, his business concluded.
Wen Ran smirked, his heart racing with excitement. His practiced eyes had already appraised the value of the items he'd purchased—they were worth millions of spirit crystals, maybe even more. Luck is finally shining on me, he thought, relishing his victory.
But his moment of triumph was short-lived.
"Hey, you lowly servant," a haughty voice rang out from the crowd. The words carried an air of arrogance that grated on Wen Ran's nerves. "I'm very curious about the contents of what you just purchased. How about you pass it to me as an offering?"