Sun Zhao's lips trembled, and for a moment, it looked like he might take the deal. But the venomous thoughts he tried to hide seeped through as he glared at Lin Fang.
It was subtle, the way his eyes flickered with malice, but Lin Fang didn't miss it.
"Never mind," Lin Fang said, shaking his head with a sigh. "You really didn't learn your lesson, did you? I can see it in your eyes. You're already plotting your revenge. Not just against me, but against the girl too, even though she was nothing but a victim."
Sun Zhao flinched, his expression giving him away completely.
"Why do people like you make this so difficult?" Lin Fang muttered. "I was trying to give you a way out. I really was. But I'm not dumb enough to let someone like you walk away and stab me in the back later."
Before Sun Zhao could respond, Lin Fang's hand shot forward, the air around his palm vibrating as he activated the Stone Palm Secret Art.
The strike landed squarely on Sun Zhao's chest with a resounding thud, the force rippling through his body.
His eyes widened in shock before going dull, his lifeless form slumping to the ground.
Lin Fang pulled back his hand, exhaling slowly as the glow of his qi dissipated.
"Guess that's that," he said softly, standing upright. His eyes shifted toward the old man, still slumped unconscious against the tree.
Lin Fang tilted his head, considering his options. "Now, what to do with you," he murmured, his tone carrying a mix of curiosity and exasperation.
As much as he disliked unnecessary killing, the old man was still a problem. A loyal dog to the Sun Family, someone who might very well come after him later if given the chance.
Lin Fang walked over, crouching down beside the old man. For a moment, he simply watched him, his thoughts wandering.
"Maybe I should remove all his senses and leave, but then again, I don't know what kind of methods they have in this world. They might be able to restore his senses," Lin Fang said to himself. "Or… do I take care of him now and save myself the trouble later?"
His lips curved into a faint smirk as he stood, rolling his shoulders.
"Hmmm..." he muttered, his eyes flickering between the unconscious man and the direction of the girl's hiding spot.
…
Lin Fang crouched beside the two dead bodies, his expression neutral as he patted them down. His search yielded nothing but two small rings on their fingers.
He held the rings up to the fading sunlight, inspecting them with mild curiosity.
"Could these be the legendary storage rings?" Lin Fang muttered to himself, turning them over in his fingers. "The ones people use to store all their treasures? Or… is this just wishful thinking?"
Without wasting time, he let his qi flow into one of the rings. There was a brief resistance, like trying to push through a stubborn lock, but within seconds, his qi broke through, leaving his mark inside.
"So it's true," he murmured, his lips curling into a satisfied smirk. "Looks like their qi marks didn't stand a chance. Makes sense—dead men don't hold onto things very well."
With the previous owners out of the picture, the storage rings were now his to use and his alone. Unless someone had some rare and absurd method to bypass his mark, these treasures were locked tight.
With his curiosity burning, Lin Fang directed his focus to Sun Zhao's ring first. As his consciousness dipped inside, he was greeted by a sight that made him pause.
"Baby Oil?" he muttered, his brow twitching. "And not just one bottle—an entire collection? Really, Sun Zhao? Did you think you'd open a shop?"
Suppressing a grimace, Lin Fang quickly discarded the questionable items from the ring.
"Let's pretend I never saw that," he said, shaking his head. "Moving on."
Thankfully, Sun Zhao's collection wasn't entirely a disappointment. His grin widened as he discovered a staggering 1,000 spirit stones neatly stacked inside.
"Jackpot," Lin Fang said, practically beaming. "Turns out all that arrogance came with some actual wealth."
The rest of the contents were a mix of items—a sword, a few trinkets, and other odds and ends he decided to examine later. He didn't want to linger near the bodies any longer than necessary.
"Who knows what kind of abilities cultivators in this world have?" Lin Fang muttered to himself as he stood, pocketing the rings. "For all I know, someone could be tracking them right now. Better safe than sorry."
With that thought, he left the area. As he made his way to the girl's hiding spot behind the rock.
But when he arrived, the area was empty.
"She ran off," Lin Fang said with a wry smile, shaking his head. "Well, can't blame her. I'd probably do the same in her shoes."
Still, her absence left him mildly annoyed.
"I wanted to ask her about the nearest native area," he muttered, letting out a resigned sigh. "But I guess I'll figure it out the hard way. Lucky me."
With no other option, Lin Fang picked a direction at random and started walking. The sun dipped lower in the sky, orange and yellow clouds filling the horizon.
He glanced over his shoulder briefly, ensuring the bodies were far out of sight.
"Better to get as far away as possible before nightfall," he thought, his expression turning serious for a moment. "Who knows what kind of creatures—or people—might show up once it's dark?"
As he moved forward, his mind wandered back to the rings, particularly Sun Zhao's little stash.
"Honestly," he muttered to himself, a faint chuckle escaping his lips, "if anyone ever writes about this, let's leave the lubrication part out. Some things are better forgotten."
And with that, Lin Fang disappeared into the fading light.