Chapter 76: Clothes

As the petal gradually withered, a surging aura of life poured into Yan Xicai’s body like a tide.

Thump—thump—thump...

The life force gathered in his chest, rhythmically hammering against it. The heart that had already gone silent began to beat again, and the fatal wound on his neck healed at a visible rate, recovering most of its integrity within seconds.

Yan Xicai snapped his eyes open, as if waking from a nightmare!

"Don't kill me!!"

He shouted the words like a sleepwalker, but the only response was the howling wind and the roars of battle in the distance.

Yan Xicai sat dazed in the pool of blood for a long time before finally coming to his senses. He fumbled at his chest, eventually pulling out only a withered petal...

"This thing really works!" Seeing that he had been saved by the petal, a look of ecstatic relief appeared on Yan Xicai’s face. "It seems the old man still cares about me after all! Heaven won't let me die! I, Yan Xicai, am back!! Hahaha..."

This petal was a treasure Yan Xicai’s father, the president of the Star Chamber of Commerce, had obtained from somewhere unknown. When he gave it to Yan Xicai, he hadn't explained its use, only telling him to keep it on his person at all times and never take it off... Now, Yan Xicai finally understood the effect of the petal.

Recalling everything that had just happened, the joy in Yan Xicai’s eyes quickly faded, replaced by endless resentment and anger.

"Jian Changsheng... hehehe..."

"A lowly cripple actually dared to kill me? Once I escape, if I don't slaughter your entire family, my name isn't Yan!"

Cursing, Yan Xicai staggered up from the pool of blood. He glanced at the distant battlefield and immediately turned to head toward the entrance of the Ancient Treasury.

After all, there wasn't much time left before the Ancient Treasury closed. As long as he could find a place to hide until the end, he could wait for the enforcers to enter... By then, who would be able to hurt him?

Just as Yan Xicai took a step, he seemed to remember something and ran back to the Fire-Stealer’s corpse, searching it earnestly.

"Where's the ring... where is my ring?" Yan Xicai searched for a long time but couldn't find it, frowning in confusion.

"Are you looking for this?"

A voice drifted from behind him.

Yan Xicai’s body jolted. He turned back to see a figure in bright red theatrical robes standing in the pool of blood, casually playing with a ring, looking at him with a half-smile.

The moment he saw that face, Yan Xicai’s eyes widened in shock, as if he had seen a ghost.

"You... you..."

"How are you here? Didn't I die? Am I human or a ghost?"

Before Yan Xicai could finish, Chen Ling calmly finished the lines for him and then walked slowly toward Yan Xicai, who was left stunned in place.

The smile on Chen Ling’s face gradually faded. He looked down at Yan Xicai, and after a moment, coldly spat out two words:

"...Kneel."

A cold glint from a dagger flashed instantly. Chen Ling sliced through Yan Xicai’s Achilles tendons. The latter let out a miserable scream, dropping to his knees with a thud, curling up in the pool of blood.

"This is impossible... you were clearly dead!" Yan Xicai clutched his legs, his face deathly pale.

"If even you can die twice, why can't I?" Chen Ling said indifferently. "I told you, everyone here will die... Did you think you could be spared? Young Master Yan?"

"Chen Ling... spare me, let me live! I promise! I won't tell anyone about what happened here!"

"Actually, we don't have any deep hatred, do we? Except for what happened on the ship... I can apologize to you, really! I’ll even kowtow to you!"

"I can get you into Aurora City, you can pick any enforcer position you want! I guarantee you’ll have endless wealth and glory!"

"Also, I have many treasures at home, I can give them all to you..."

Yan Xicai begged bitterly. His means of survival were exhausted; if Chen Ling killed him again, he would truly be dead... and dead meant everything was gone.

Chen Ling calmly slipped the ruby ring onto his finger, ignoring Yan Xicai’s pleas.

He examined the ring for a moment, then suddenly interrupted Yan Xicai:

"How do you use this thing?"

Yan Xicai was stunned.

"Didn't you say you wanted to give all your treasures to me?" Chen Ling spoke again. "How do you use this?"

Hearing this, a spark of hope ignited in Yan Xicai’s eyes. Chen Ling was interested in the ring, which meant he had a chance to buy his life with treasures!

"This is a ritual artifact with quite a history. It’s said to have been obtained from a Gray Realm created during a Seventh-Stage Calamity invasion." Yan Xicai immediately explained. "As long as you let it consume mental energy, it can manipulate space on a small scale. If the user’s mental energy is below the Fourth Stage and insufficient for it to consume, you can use fresh flesh and blood instead..."

"Only the Fourth Stage can use it without a cost?"

"Yes, only the Fourth Stage can master a domain. Before having a domain, mental energy is almost zero..."

"Then how do you make it consume flesh and blood?"

"There’s a mechanism on the side of the ring. Just touch it, and then insert the needle that pops out into your body, and it can..."

Pfft—

Before Yan Xicai could finish, Chen Ling gripped his throat with one hand. The ring’s needle pierced into his skin, and it began to frantically consume Yan Xicai’s flesh and blood!

Under the ring’s consumption, Yan Xicai’s once plump and round body withered visibly, just like when Chen Ling first saw Qian Fan use the knuckle ritual artifact in the courtyard, only this ring seemed to consume much faster!

Yan Xicai was choked by Chen Ling, unable to wail, and could only stare fixedly at Chen Ling, begging him to spare him.

Finally, just before Yan Xicai was about to be drained dry, Chen Ling released his grip.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Yan Xicai collapsed to the ground, coughing violently. He looked like someone recovering from a severe illness, his body gaunt and skeletal, barely recognizable as his former self.

"So that’s how it is." Chen Ling looked at the shimmering ruby, thoughtful.

"It... it’s yours now." Yan Xicai wheezed like a broken bellows. "Chen Ling... can you let me go now?"

"Sure." Chen Ling patted his shoulder and slowly stood up from the pool of blood. "By the way, didn't you say you liked my clothes? I can't give you those... How about the ones I’m wearing?"

Yan Xicai glanced at Chen Ling’s bright red theatrical robes and shook his head frantically... At a time like this, how could he dare to act like he did on the ship?

Besides, he hadn't really liked Chen Ling’s ragged clothes on the ship; he had just wanted an excuse to cause trouble for Chen Ling.

"No... no need..."

"Well, that’s a pity."

Chen Ling turned and walked into the distance.

Seeing Chen Ling just leave like that, Yan Xicai finally let out a sigh of relief... He crawled wretchedly through the pool of blood, inching toward the entrance of the Ancient Treasury.

He could finally go home.

Just then,

a cold wind brushed against the hem of the bright red theatrical robes,

and as Chen Ling walked forward, he casually raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

"Knead."

Crack—

Yan Xicai’s body was twisted into a knot, and his already weak life force vanished instantly.

He lay gaunt in the pool of blood, staring at the sky with unfocused eyes, as if he had been draped in a bright red theatrical robe identical to Chen Ling’s on this gray-white land.