Chapter Sixty: The Cunning Zhang Xinyi

Angel spoke coldly, “Then I’ll double it again.”

The beautiful girl was unimpressed and continued, “Boss, whatever she offers, I’ll double it.”

The old man with the gold tooth’s eyes gleamed—both of them were wealthy. Especially the beautiful girl; her offer was even more generous.

Angel arched her brows, about to say something, but Lin Yi tugged gently at her wrist.

“Why do you want this ring? It doesn’t seem special,” Lin Yi asked.

“I just feel that it’s nice, so I want to buy it,” the beautiful girl replied, though a hint of disdain flickered in her eyes.

Clearly, she had also noticed the ring’s peculiarity and looked down on Lin Yi’s ‘ignorance.’

Worried that a delay might change things, the beautiful girl urged the old man again, “Hey, hurry up. I’m pressed for time.”

“Miss, the original price of this ring was eighty thousand. Now, with the quadrupled offer, it’s three hundred and twenty thousand,” the old man reminded her with a smile.

“Here,” the beautiful girl said generously.

Three hundred and twenty thousand was nothing; even thirty-two million might not buy a real magical artifact. She hadn’t expected to find one here, so she wouldn’t miss the opportunity.

“Haha, good! Then, Miss, please swipe your card.”

The old man brought out the card machine and placed it in front of the beautiful girl.

A gleam of joy flashed in the beautiful girl’s eyes as she pulled out a black card to pay.

But in the next moment, someone grabbed her wrist.

“What are you doing!” she shrieked, glaring at Lin Yi with annoyance.

The handsome man by her side darkened his expression, his gaze cold as he looked at Lin Yi.

“I never said I was giving up on the ring. Why are you so eager to pay?” Lin Yi said with a half-smile.

“Let go of me.”

The beautiful girl pulled her hand back forcefully, looking at Lin Yi with disdain. “Ha! I am Zhang Xinyi of the Zhang family from Shan Province. I have a black card in hand. How do you think you can compete with me?”

The old man was startled upon hearing her identity.

The Zhang family was a prestigious clan in Shan Province, and Zhang Xinyi was the old master’s favorite granddaughter. In Shan Province, she was famous for her capriciousness and willfulness, but with the Zhang family behind her, who dared to object?

No wonder such a young girl carried a black card.

Now, the old man didn’t care about money; he fawned, “Miss Zhang, if you want the ring, just take it.”

Zhang Xinyi gave Lin Yi a triumphant glance and snapped at the old man, “Just swipe the card as I said. Do I look like someone who can’t afford it?”

“No, Miss Zhang, I didn’t mean that,” the old man said, waving his hands repeatedly.

These days, most people try not to spend money, but Zhang Xinyi was the opposite.

“So what are you waiting for? Hurry and swipe the card,” she said coldly.

The old man took the black card and was about to process the payment.

Just then, a stone struck his wrist—thrown by Lin Yi.

“Ouch!”

The old man’s hand shook, and he instinctively dropped the black card and the card machine.

Zhang Xinyi’s gaze turned icy. “You brat, what exactly are you up to, interrupting me again and again?”

Lin Yi shook his head. “I already said, I’m not giving up on the ring.”

The ring was originally his, and since so many years had passed and someone else picked it up, it was only right for him to buy it back.

Moreover, the ring wasn’t ordinary—it was an auxiliary magical artifact, capable of automatically searching for spiritual items within a mile.

However, the ring had a flaw: it absorbed the wearer’s internal energy or true essence.

Of course, this flaw meant nothing to Lin Yi.

With the ring, his search for the spiritual marrow liquid in the stone cave would be much more efficient.

Zhang Xinyi sneered, “So you really want to oppose me, Zhang Xinyi?”

“I simply want the ring,” Lin Yi replied, not interested in arguing with a spoiled girl.

“Fine. Lingyun, teach him a lesson,” Zhang Xinyi said, patting the shoulder of the handsome man beside her.

“Yes, Second Miss,” Lingyun nodded, his eyes looking down at Lin Yi with a gaze that seemed to disregard everything.

He had grown up in the Zhang family and was Zhang Xinyi’s personal bodyguard. At thirteen, he reached the level of Dark Force; at fourteen, he was already at Transforming Force; at eighteen, he stepped into the Innate Realm, and now he was at the seventh level of Innate.

Among the younger generation in Shan Province, only a handful could catch his attention—and Lin Yi was not one of them.

The old man with the gold tooth, seeing a fight brewing, hurriedly retreated—his old bones couldn’t withstand even a minor scuffle.

“Come on, I’ll let you make three moves,” Lingyun said, standing with his hands behind his back, exuding extraordinary poise.

Compared to Lin Yi, who seemed utterly ordinary and drew no attention.

Angel smiled inwardly—Lingyun was truly arrogant. Mr. Lin was more formidable than a grandmaster, and yet a mere Innate was offering him three moves.

Even a grandmaster wouldn’t dare say such a thing.

Lin Yi shook his head. “This is pointless.”

Zhang Xinyi mocked him, “Are you afraid?”

Lin Yi did not reply, which made Zhang Xinyi even more convinced.

Her eyes shifted, and she grinned slyly, “How about this? If you win, I’ll give up the ring. But if we win, you have to be my little assistant for a month—do whatever I say, without a word of complaint.”

Lin Yi thought for a moment and agreed, “Alright.”

Lingyun glanced at Lin Yi with indifference. “Come. My offer stands—three moves.”

“Are you sure?” Lin Yi smiled.

“I’m sure.”

As soon as Lingyun finished speaking, he realized Lin Yi had vanished.

Where was he?

The next moment, a hand gripped his neck—just a bit more force would snap it.

Lingyun felt no fear, only excitement flashing in his eyes.

He twisted sharply, escaping Lin Yi’s grip.

He immediately threw a fierce punch at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi smiled lightly and extended a single finger, causing Lingyun to feel as though his fist had struck a mountain.

“Hiss!”

Lingyun sucked in a breath, shocked at Lin Yi’s strength.

He leapt backward, putting three meters between them.

Zhang Xinyi only possessed Dark Force, and the speed of Lin Yi and Lingyun’s movements was so quick she hadn’t even registered what was happening. She shouted, “Lingyun, hurry up!”

Lingyun had no words; Lin Yi’s strength was clearly much greater—at least eighth level Innate, possibly even half a step from Grandmaster.

Lin Yi asked, “Do you want to continue?”

Lingyun’s gaze remained fierce. “Of course.”

He rushed at Lin Yi again, his footwork shifting rapidly, dizzying to watch.

“Eight-Step Ladder.”

Lingyun kicked ferociously at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi sidestepped, easily evading the attack.

However, Lingyun’s foot pivoted in mid-air, executing a sudden return kick aimed at Lin Yi’s head.

The Eight-Step Ladder allowed the user to convert force through internal energy, borrowing force up to eight times.

Lin Yi dodged lightly again.

Lingyun’s heart leapt—each kick of the Eight-Step Ladder increased in power. If he could unleash the eighth, he could smash even a boulder.

Whoosh.

He kicked again, but Lin Yi caught his ankle with a single palm.

“Enough. The game ends here,” Lin Yi declared, and with a sudden force of his arm, Lingyun’s vision blurred.

Bang.

Lingyun was sent flying three meters, landing right beside Zhang Xinyi.

Zhang Xinyi hurried over to help him up. “Hey, Lingyun, are you alright?”

“Second Miss, I’m sorry to disappoint you. His strength is overwhelming—I’m no match,” Lingyun said.

Lin Yi stepped forward. “Now I can take the ring, right?”

Zhang Xinyi frowned and snorted. “This isn’t over. Take the ring, but I was about to pay three hundred and twenty thousand. You’ll have to pay for it yourself.”

Angel protested, “Didn’t you say you’d give it to us?”

A sly gleam flashed in Zhang Xinyi’s eyes. “I said I’d give up, but the final decision is up to the boss.”

With that, Zhang Xinyi left with Lingyun.

Angel was a bit dejected—she hadn’t expected to be outmaneuvered by that girl.

Despite spending more to buy the ring, Lin Yi was still satisfied.

“Mr. Lin, what’s special about this ring?” Angel asked curiously.

Given Lin Yi’s discerning eye, the ring couldn’t be ordinary.

“It’s a magical artifact,” Lin Yi replied simply.

He had used some rare materials in its forging—materials that were now hard to find on Earth.

Angel was amazed. She hadn’t expected the plain-looking ring to be a magical artifact.

Lin Yi added, “Actually, Zhang Xinyi also realized it was a magical artifact.”

“No way. She’s that sharp?” Angel preferred to think Zhang Xinyi found it by accident.

“It’s true,” Lin Yi smiled.

“I know some things about Zhang Xinyi’s character—she won’t give up so easily,” Angel said.

Lin Yi chuckled, “It doesn’t matter. Once something is in my hands, no one can take it away.”

Angel believed him. Last time, the Tong family tried to snatch the Golden Core from Lin Yi, but ended up destroyed.

“Mr. Lin, just ahead is the Hall of Universal Medicine. They have many rare herbs,” Angel pointed out.

“Let’s go take a look.”

Soon, the two walked over to the Hall of Universal Medicine.

The hall had three floors, each about three hundred square meters, decorated in an antique style with a distinctly Eastern flair.

As Lin Yi and Angel entered, a beautiful woman in a red cheongsam came over.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” she asked with a bright smile, dimples adorning her cheeks.

As the largest herbal shop in the underground market, all the saleswomen here were exceptionally beautiful—each could easily be the belle of her university.

Even on just the first floor, there were six such beauties, a testament to the hall’s strength.