"You want to take that book?" The old man muttered seeing him look at the details.
He looked back at the book, not sure what to say. A 30% increase sounded good, but did he even need it? He had qi infusion, after all.
But wouldn't refusing be suspicious? He had already shared a lot of his power details with this old man. He had gained information too. But was he exposing his strong points and seal points?
Lost in thought, he realized he shouldn't have spilled everything out like that. He needed to be more careful.
"Yes, of course, who wouldn't want something that increases their power?" He said with a fake excited face.
"Hmm, everyone has that one. It's one of the rarest cultivation books, and on top of that, it works automatically. Sure, partner, it's all yours," the old man muttered with a smile.
He nodded, then quickly backed away. He realized he had backed away multiple times already because of this creepy old man.
"What do you mean, 'partner'? I'm not your partner!" He exclaimed, still keeping his distance.
The old man's smile didn't waver. "Why not? I'll bring you more corpses and weapons and protect you. You just have to identify the skill books, and we'll be rich."
"But I don't want to be protected by you! I want to grow stronger myself!" He shouted, determined not to stay with this old man.
"Don't be so hasty, young child. I will offer you this in exchange. It will take me a couple of years to break through, and I'm currently in shut-in cultivation. This is my soul clone. How about this? I will find you three years from now after I've broken through. You will process corpses for me again, and in return, I will help clear up some of the dark forces surrounding this place. Deal?" The old man offered, his expression serious.
He was taken aback but soon realized the old man's act of playfulness was just a facade. This was his true personality, and he was being serious.
"What are these 'dark forces' you mentioned?" He asked cautiously.
The old man made an odd face and his eyes glowed briefly. "Ah, forgive me. Forget what I said. You're too young to know about these details. The dark forces are like monsters, stronger than the big shots in your place. I thought I might as well deal with them while you help me process the corpses."
He became lost in thought, contemplating the implications. The old man recognized these dark forces as strong, and the name alone sounded intimidating.
The old man didn't say anything and continued to look at him, expressionless.
"Will they put me in danger?" He finally asked, considering his own safety.
"Yes, they will, and it will be very soon," the old man replied calmly.
"I'll only get a part of it?" He sought clarification on his role in this.
The old man chuckled. "Haha, if it were those old fossils, they would have already made you a money-making slave. Thankfully, you met me. So, what do you want, brat?"
"Spirit stones!" He quickly responded, realizing that they were crucial for his growth.
The old man shook his head. "I don't have any, as I don't need them. But I think you won't have to worry about money if you sell those weapons. You'll get plenty."
He nodded, recognizing the potential wealth in the pile of shining weapons.
The old man then proposed, "How about this? When I return, I'll bring you some Elf tears. I bet you don't know what those are. They can enhance your physique. In exchange, after I come back, you have to continuously process at least three to four thousand corpses."
The deal wasn't bad, but he worried about what might happen in three years. He might already have reached a zenith realm by then and wouldn't need the Elf tears. But what if he couldn't reach that level in this period?
After a while, he made up his mind and reached out his hand. "Okay, old man, deal."
The old man also extended his hand for a handshake, and they sealed their agreement.
But as they shook hands, he noticed something strange. The old man's hand didn't match the appearance of his rough exterior. It felt warm and soft, an odd contrast.
He didn't show any emotion as he knew the old man was serious, but it felt peculiar.
"Okay, that's it, I've already wasted five hours here. I'm going, but take this." A black ring appeared in front of the old man, and it sucked in all the weapons, scrolls, bloodline bottles, the blue badge, and the book from his hand. Then, the old man tossed him the ring.
"I also gifted you something there. I hid it. It might come in handy. Farewell, brat."
He thanked the old man, feeling a sense of gratitude despite his strangeness. "May I know your name?"
The old man muttered, "Azalea Lushton from Lunar Eclipse. We will meet again." His body began to become transparent.
He thanked the old man and did a bowing gesture, even if the old man was a bit creepy he had helped him.
Realizing that Azalea sounded like a girl's name, he quickly looked at him. The old man chuckled seeing his face,
"Hehe I never told you that I'm a old man, Let's meet again,"
He was dumbfounded! Could it mean what he thought? He was about to shout out his thoughts, but before he could, his vision went blank. Soon, it recovered, but the open field and the mountains had disappeared. He found himself back in the trial room, the room where he had found the necklace.
[ To be continued...