182 The five last.

As they walked to the interconnected store, Zhu Rui and hun Xuying could see, the people receiving the news of their encounter with Chao Cheng in first hand. They all had expected ZhiRui to fail miserably.

The enemy was a Young master from the thicker branches of the light sect. They were people who had level six Dao protectors to be in their back and call.

But Zhi Rui stood up to him the same old way. Although they were impressed by that,their talks would always go back to howChao Cheng is cool and reasonable. How he's handsome and although looks like a tyrant He's actually so softhearted as to not use his full strength. Against a challenger who didn't know his place.

Zhun Xuying frowned, Her eyes surveyed each disciple coldly.

Zhi Rui patted her shoulder and looked in her eyes. "They're all fish and prawns, they swim according to the waves created by the whale."

The deep green eyes hadn't changed expression until now. At first Zhu, Xuying thought it was just Zhi Rui keeping appearances. But now she understood. Zhi Rui truly didn't care for them.

A curiosity blossomed on her heart.

"What about Chao Cheng?" She asked without thinking.

Zhi Rui's eyes finally changed. She half closed them and let out a chuckle.

"A lost to the enemy hurts no matter what. but this is good. I thought he was just apampered Young master seeking the thrill of close combat, but he's quite the scheming fellow. He made it so that no matter how the fight ended. He'd left on top."

In their talk, they stood in the form of a tower written, 'Interconnected Store'

Zhi Rui grabbed Zhun XUying's hand and pulled her inside the door.

Then two people landed beside them. "Disciple Zhi Rui shouldn't be in such a hurry, good opportunities might pass you by."

Elder Aurelio was the speaker. but Zhi Rui glanced at him for a second, then her eyes went to Huang elder.

"I'm in a hurry." She said.She left no room for misunderstanding. 'I'm in a hurry so spill it' was clearly conveyed. it was a slap to the face for Huang. But it was even more so for Aurelio, who was completely ignored even though he was the one to initiate contact.

Elder Huang sighed. "He came with a proposal. I wanted to consult with you."

Aurelio swallowed his pride and opened his mouth with a smirk.

Zhi Rui waved her hand. "Huang, you talk,He's disgusting."

Aurelio trembled he yelled with a spit. "Leave it! I came in good faith with a proposal form one of the Young masters and yet I'm treated like this!?"He turned away, his elder robe swung with strength.

Zhi Rui titled her head. "Wich one of them?"

'Ha~ So you do have a brain, dumb whore.'

He turned around, his lips curved in disdain and a mocking face. "Regrette it now? I'll need an apology to continue this talk."

Then he noticed she wasn't talking to him but with elder Huang. His neck turned completely red.

"Bain Bengwen." Elder Huang answered. "The first offer was a medium wealth and a treasure of your choosing in exchange for your help when needed. But Elder Aurelio left some ambiguous word that sexuals favor were on the table."

Aurelio trembled like a leaf. He looked around and sighed in relief as there wasn't anyone. He looked at Elder Huang. "You fool, what a waste for me to let you in this opportunity, you could've gained something if you managed to convince Zhi Rui. you'd have a good image in Young Master Bain Bengwen's eyes."

Huang ignored him, while Zhi Rui looked pensive. "So he's a playboy posing as a scholar?" She muttered out loud.

"His image is impeccable. If you try and tarnish his reputation you'd be made a fool by the people." Aurelio said, but again he was ignored.

Zhi Rui looked at Huang. "Anything else?"

"It can wait. You're clearly in a hurry." Elder Huang said. Once he let go of his pride and decide to keep on fighting he started seeing things objectively.

Zhi Rui nodded and entered the store with Zhun Xuying. Elder Huang disappeared from the place right after. Aurelio stood alone. She looked at him once, but never directed a word to him. She wasn't even being ignored. She just erased him from her eyes.'

He clenched his teeth, tears streamed down his face.' You'll pay. SLUT! YOU'LL PAY!'

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Suddenly they were inside a reception room, made out of wood. A small bonfire in the middle with comfortable wooden sofas. around

A white-haired, scrawny old man smiled.

"It's a pleasure to have you here again lady Zhi Rui. I organized it the way you used last time. Is there anything you'd like to change?"

Zhun Xuying stood dumbfounded.' So this is the interconnected store?' But she couldn't understand why they were so attentive to luxuries when they are selling to their own people.

As if seeing that question on her forehead. Zhi Rui answered.

"It doesn't matter where, commerce is commerce, the intention is to sell for the most profitable price."

"Lady Zhi Rui is sharp as always." The thin old man said.

Zhi Rui went and sat on the sofaShe told Zhun Xuying to ask for anything she's a want and looked back to the old man.

"Zheng. I want to see level four cores. Mainly wind-related and ethereal-related. but if anything neutral is worth me looking, feel free to add."

Zheng stopped in place. lady Zhi Rui. "Its been merely fourth months or so since your last visit." He looked questioningly.

Zhi Rui smiled at him.

He sighed deeply. "I'm really getting old, to think I'de see such talents in my age, what a blessing. Girl, per protocol this old man needs to pass this information to the upper ranks. But if you give me an incentive, I can forward you to a specific Elder of your choosing to be your guide."

Zh Rui chukled and gulped down a cup of spring liquor.

"Zheng! you've been this store's manager for how long? at least a three centuries?

"You know, yet you still treat an elder like this.." He Muttered and shook his head.

"So you've been conning talents through three centuries..."

Elder Zheng tilted his head. "Why do you think so?"

Zhi Rui laughed at his good acting skills.

"It's the sect leader responsibility to report a talent, not yours. But I'm sure you get ahefty reward from one of the elders if you do. then you asked me for an incentive, to do what you'd do regardless.

Elder's Zhengs eyes twitched for a second. He sighed. "Well let's just go on with normal business then."

But Zhi Rui smiled and threw a pouch in front of him. "But I'll do it through you. with a hefty reward, Just give the information on the elders, but not the common knowledge." Her eyes stared intensely and she spoke slowly.

"I want to make aconscious decision." Her words sounded clear and elder Zheng smiled. "That's easy to do, but you'll get leverage on me with that. if somehow you let spill that I sold their dirty side as well, those people will cook me alive."

Zhi Rui put the hand on her chest and made an oath. Thunders rang out. and elder Zheng laughed. "It's always pleasurable to make business with intelligent people"

He pulled out two jade slips and it floated to Zhun saying and Zhi Rui.

"These Jade slips contain cores available only to powerful clans and Disciples with high merits."

Then he took a third and started ingraining knowledge inside.

Zhi Rui closed her eyes and eyes and sorted through the long list. as she expected, with the soon to be open underworld gate, some rare cores only available there are being displayed like cow meat.

After sorting through the long list, few remained as suitable.Zhi Rui analyzed her own refined cores.

The first one was the Ying tree's ethereal materialization. Her mobility rose to infinite levels with it. Then comes the second core, the core of a ghost, the ability she got was to induce panic. Useful against enemies on the same level, but might fail against superior levels. The last is the parasitic ability.

Then Zhi Rui remembered her very first core, before everything, the illusory moth.She opened her eyes wide but a voice stopped her.

[Girl,Think of the Method you're mastering. you already chose three ethereal related abilities. your astral body is formed from ethereal energy and your consciousness, you okay in that bu your shell is completely reliant on that barbarian method. Think about it well..]

"...." Taking the advice and thinking of her future,Zhi Rui selected five core to select one from.

-Spiritual dove. It bends the space to appear in another location within ten meters.

-The tree of truth.To attract pray it induces a belief that its fruit is good and harmless, to scare predators it induces the feeling of irrational dread. Its inducement is gentle, not aggressive.

- The instinct turtle. It always seems to find a harmless place to live, these turtles are rarely preyed on. it has an innate instinct against future danger.

-Jester fox. it creates replicas of itself, with sound and smells it controls each replicamost often used to trick the predator or pray

-The puppet octopus. A creature that divides its conscience in two.it births another body out of his own in The young second self is used as bait for preys and distraction for predators.