Chapter 54

"Shen Lang, why is it you... How did you recognize me?"

Shui Qingwu was slightly taken aback, her face turning a bit rosy, though it was not noticeable due to the veil she wore. In the morning, when she noticed Shen Lang was not in class, she was still angry at his previous attitude. However, looking at the empty desk, she felt an inexplicable emptiness in her heart. She asked Lin Feng and the other two, only to find out that Shen Lang had left the Tayan Academy in the evening.

On a whim, she returned to Tianfeng City and went shopping with Cai Yin and Lang Buqun. As they wandered, they somehow ended up in the northwest of Tianfeng City, which was the Shen family's territory...

She never expected to actually run into Shen Lang, and for him to recognize her at first glance.

"Hey, who are you? How dare you touch my lady's shoulder? Do you want to die? Get lost!" Cai Yin slapped Shen Lang's chest, pushing him back a couple of steps.

Lang Buqun was even more aggressive. It was a rare opportunity for his rival, Deng Jianchen, to be half-paralyzed in bed after taking a giant potion to fight the demon corpse. Now, he was the only one by Qingwu's side...

Where did this wild kid come from, to be so intimate with Qingwu?

Damn it, I haven't touched Qingwu for so long, and you come in and pat her shoulder?

Are you going to hug and kiss her next?

Even I can't stand this!

He poked Shen Lang's chest twice, glaring fiercely. "Kid, who are you? What a big mouth, daring to take advantage of Qingwu? Are you tired of living? Extend your hand, I'm going to cut off two of your fingers as punishment!"

"Alright, he's my classmate from Tayan Academy, Shen Lang. Don't scare him." Shui Qingwu defused the situation, asking curiously, "You said you needed to talk to me about something? What is it?"

Shen Lang rubbed the spot where Lang Buqun had poked him, hesitantly saying, "It's a big deal, but I'm a bit embarrassed to say it. I'm afraid I might lose a friend if I do."

"What is it? Stop being so mysterious." Shui Qingwu was slightly taken aback, scolding him playfully.

Though separated by a light veil, her stunning beauty still made Shen Lang momentarily dazed.

Cai Yin and Lang Buqun looked Shen Lang up and down, their eyes full of hostility.

"Actually, it's nothing much. I just wanted to ask if you could lend me some spirit stones." Shen Lang said with a smile.

Shui Qingwu was stunned. In all her life, she had never encountered a man asking her for spirit stones.

She didn't say anything, but Cai Yin and Lang Buqun were different. They jumped up as if their butts were on fire.

Heaven, there really are such shameless men who ask women for money on the street!

And now, one is right in front of us!

The world is indeed vast and full of surprises, you can meet all sorts of people!

"Damn, a grown man asking a woman for spirit stones? Have you no shame? Who do you think you are? Do you know who my lady is? I, Cai Yin, have never met such a shameless and reckless man. How can you say such things? Are you even a man?"

Cai Yin ranted like a machine gun, making Shen Lang's eyes widen in surprise.

"Indeed, damn it, I, Lang Buqun, have never seen such a shameless person. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed there was someone more shameless than Deng Jianchen. Qingwu, don't worry about this, leave it to me. I'll make him regret being alive!"

Lang Buqun drew his sword and began to point it at Shen Lang's chest, seemingly considering where to stab.

Deng Jianchen was truly a victim of collateral damage. If he knew Lang Buqun was badmouthing him in front of Shui Qingwu, he might have immediately gotten up to fight to the death with Lang Buqun.

"Alright, stop it." Shui Qingwu extended her hand to stop the two who were on the verge of going berserk.

No matter what, these two were at the third level of the Qi Wu realm, and it was a bit excessive for them to gang up on one person.

She asked calmly, "How much?"

"The more, the better." Shen Lang answered straightforwardly.

This time, Shui Qingwu was also stunned...

"The more, the better? You might as well rob someone... Miss, where did this shameless guy come from? I feel like tearing him apart... I haven't been this angry in a long time, I can't take it!"

"Dissecting him isn't enough... He needs to be torn apart by five horses!" Lang Buqun chimed in.

"I only have six hundred spirit stones. I need to keep some for myself, so I'll give you three hundred..." Shui Qingwu actually took out the spirit stones, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Miss, no, you can't be fooled by this scammer! Look at him, if you give him three hundred spirit stones, he might never pay you back in his life..." Cai Yin was anxious.

Shen Lang interjected, "Right, right, giving spirit stones so easily, you'll be easily scammed! You're too soft-hearted."

Everyone was stunned again. Something was off with this guy, why was he stealing lines?

And while saying this, he was smiling and taking the spirit stones from Shui Qingwu's hand.

"This scoundrel... That should have been my line!" Lang Buqun was speechless.

"A man becomes invincible when he is shameless. What a shameless and despicable person!" Cai Yin was in awe.

Shen Lang took the spirit stones, waved goodbye, and walked forward, saying, "You definitely aren't your father's biological child. If I had such a beautiful daughter who is so kind and easily scammed, I would keep all male animals at least ten paces away, or they would face my sword. How could I let her run around outside alone? Remember, never do this again!"

"Who else could do such a thing besides you..." Cai Yin and Lang Buqun were almost speechless.

At this moment, Shen Lang, who hadn't walked far, started singing proudly, "You're always too soft, too soft, taking on all the problems yourself. Borrowing money is easy, paying it back is hard. Remember, don't get scammed again..."

Leaving Shui Qingwu and the other two standing in the wind, disoriented.

After a while, Cai Yin tilted her head and said, "Miss, that scoundrel's words sound strange and infuriating, but... it seems like he's indirectly complimenting your beauty?"

Shui Qingwu stared blankly at Shen Lang's retreating back, speechless for a long time.

After a while, she said, "Let's go..."

Saying this, Shui Qingwu followed the direction Shen Lang had gone.

Cai Yin was surprised, "Miss, we weren't going this way before, why are we following that scoundrel? I want to kill him just looking at him..."

"Who... Who is following him? This street isn't his!" Shui Qingwu's body trembled, a bit flustered, and then she suddenly turned around, her tone a bit firmer, "Cai Yin, don't keep calling him a scoundrel. You can't really judge someone's character by just one or two incidents."

"Okay..." Cai Yin reluctantly responded, calling to the still dazed Lang Buqun and following behind.

...

The Treasure Gathering Pavilion was located on Fengyi Street, a very low-key neutral force.

They had never participated in any of the conflicts in Tianfeng City and maintained good relations with all the forces within the city.

No force would provoke the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, as everyone knew it was a unique entity among the various forces on the Starry Continent.

Though its rank might not be very high, its influence spanned half of the Starry Continent, and it even maintained cooperative relationships with many legendary top-tier forces.

It was a force that had opened shops and auction houses across half the continent, making it the largest business.

Therefore, it was a transcendent existence in many places.

Shen Lang hurried to Fengyi Street without stopping to wander, heading straight for the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

The long street was lined with various shops, except for a few taverns. There were shops specializing in weapons and magical artifacts, those selling elixirs and spirit herbs, and even those selling spirit beasts, bustling with people.

Outside these shops, a few attendants were loudly calling out to passersby.

"Take a look, absolutely genuine first-grade Ice Charm, essential for home and travel! Special promotion today!"

"Second-grade Qi Recovery Pill, only three left, low price sale, don't miss it!"

"Selling Phoenix Mountain map, up to the Sunset Mountain, guaranteed credibility, detailed and accurate."

"Selling three drops of Bone Marrow Cleansing Liquid, excellent for cleansing the bone marrow, no amateurs please!"

Shen Lang walked through the bustling street into the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, and immediately a woman in light green attire walked out from behind a counter, approaching him slowly.

"I need to sell a bottle of potion, take me to your manager." Shen Lang said straightforwardly.

"Sir, this is your first time at our Treasure Gathering Pavilion, right?" The woman in green looked at Shen Lang and asked with a smile.

Shen Lang glanced at the woman in green, who had bright eyes and a charming appearance, and smiled, "Yes, it's my first time. If we cooperate well, I hope to have a long-term relationship with the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. I am an alchemist, please lead the way."

"May I ask, what level of alchemist are you, sir? I apologize, but this is a routine procedure. If you are willing, we will register it. If not, that's fine too..."

"Unranked." Shen Lang's answer was direct.

He was telling the truth. Even though War Emperor was another part of his soul, another life, the current Shen Lang had not been evaluated by the Alchemist Guild and had no credentials.

It's better not to say anything, or if you do, you can't say it casually. You need to provide proof from the Alchemist Guild, otherwise, you'll be treated as a fraud.

"..."

The woman in green was speechless. It was one thing for the young man to be so confident, but to end with a proud smile and say "unranked"?

If you're unranked, what are you proud of?

Unranked, and you're so arrogant about wanting a long-term relationship with the Treasure Gathering Pavilion?