147: Lin Qingxue, who was constantly hitting walls

Her cold, clear voice was exceptionally distinct amidst the bustling street, carrying a faint excitement as she introduced her hometown to her Senior Brother.

Sunlight spilled onto her beautiful profile, seemingly dispelling some of the frost and revealing a hint of a young girl's radiance.

Yao Delong listened with a smile, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the novelties on the street, but more often resting on Lin Qingxue.

Xin Yuelan, following a few steps behind them, wore an expression of utter despair.

She listlessly kicked at small pebbles on the road, her eyes darting around beneath her mask as she sized up the city that was equally unfamiliar to her, calculating the possibility of making an escape.

However, whenever her pace slowed or her gaze drifted toward a dark alley, the Aura from Yao Delong ahead—seemingly casual but actually precisely locking onto her—would instantly make her abandon the thought, leaving her to resign herself to continuing as this "little tail."

Lin Qingxue led Yao Delong and Xin Yuelan to several reputable pawnshops and Materials recycling shops in the city one after another.

However, the results made her heart sink and her expression grew increasingly cold.

When those shopkeepers and clerks saw Lin Qingxue arrive, they initially showed some reverence and courtesy toward a Core Disciple of the Yin Yang Sect and the Lin Family.

But when Lin Qingxue stated her purpose and brought out those obviously valuable Magic Treasures, some bearing the mark of the Marquis of Zhenbeis Estate, the shopkeepers' expressions changed instantly.

"Oh my, Young Miss Lin, I am truly sorry! My little shop has had tight capital turnover recently, so we are temporarily not accepting large items..."

"Young Miss Lin, these... well, these are good things, but this condition... and this Qi fluctuation... sigh, they are not easy to sell! How about this, this 'Black Tortoise Shield', although it is a top-grade earth artifact, it seems... its spirituality has been damaged from being played with too much? At most... at most I can give you this much!"

A shopkeeper with a goat-beard held up three fingers, quoting a price that was not even thirty percent of the market value!

"Elder Lin, look at this Flying Sword, the embedded gems are beautiful, but the Qi is impure. It is flashy but lacks substance; it would be hard for us to sell even if we bought it... Why don't you try another shop?"

Rejections, price suppression, and all sorts of excuses for shirking responsibility emerged one after another.

How intelligent was Lin Qingxue; how could she not understand the reason behind this?

The scandal of the Lin Family's branch, Lin Chengzong's lineage, long-term "blood-sucking" from the Marquis of Zhenbeis Estate had already spread throughout Canglan City following the Heir Lingxiao leading troops to surround the estate!

The Marquis of Zhenbeis Estate was full of loyal martyrs; the Old Marquis lost an arm a hundred years ago defending against a demonic Cultivator invasion, and two of his three sons died in battle, leaving only the current Marquis of Zhenbei!

The Marquis's Estate fought bloody battles in the northern border, protecting the peace of the region, and held a lofty status in the hearts of the military and civilians of the Hegemonic Summer Dynasty.

Now that the Marquis was critically injured, the Heir had come to demand the return of the squandered resources to save his father's life, yet the Lin Family was making all sorts of excuses, which had already incited public anger!

These merchants, though prioritizing profit, were also citizens of the Hegemonic Summer Dynasty and had loyalty and righteousness in their hearts.

They could not openly oppose the Lin Family, so they could only use this method of "not accepting" or "suppressing prices" to silently express their disdain for the Lin Family and their support for the Marquis of Zhenbeis Estate.

Lin Qingxue looked at the valuable Magic Treasures in the storage ring in her hand that no one wanted, and her heart was filled with mixed feelings.

There was both shame for her Family's actions and helplessness regarding the silent protest of these merchants.

For the first time, a clear sense of frustration appeared on her cold, aloof face.

Yao Delong saw everything, gently patted her shoulder, and said warmly:

"Junior Sister, there is no need to ask these shopkeepers anymore. Let us go to the White Cloud Merchant Guild. It is the largest in scale and has a deep background; perhaps it will not be affected too much by these common sentiments."

Lin Qingxue nodded helplessly; for now, she could only pin her hopes on the White Cloud Merchant Guild in the west of the city, which had a massive background and formidable strength.

Xin Yuelan followed behind, a trace of cunning flashing in her eyes beneath the mask.

She was looking for another opportunity to leave a secret signal for the Heavenly Demon Sect or to create some chaos and slip away.

But Yao Delong, while seemingly walking side-by-side with Lin Qingxue and chatting happily, was actually keeping his Aura vaguely locked onto her, leaving her unable to find even a sliver of an opening.

This bastard, he does not even forget to watch me while on a date! Xin Yuelan was so angry that she gritted her teeth!

The three quickly arrived at the west of the city.

A magnificent, grand pavilion with carved beams and painted pillars stood before their eyes, and a gilded plaque with dragon-flying-phoenix-dancing calligraphy hung on the lintel—"White Cloud Merchant Guild".

Cultivators were constantly entering and leaving, their Auras varying in strength, demonstrating the prosperity of this place.

As soon as the three stepped into the spacious, bright, and luxuriously decorated hall of the Merchant Guild, they instantly attracted the attention of most people.

There was no other reason; the appearance and temperament of the three were simply too outstanding!

Lin Qingxue was peerlessly beautiful, her temperament like ice and snow, and her Golden Core Perfection cultivation gave her an inherent chill that kept strangers at a distance, yet her peerless beauty made people unable to help but cast glances at her.

Yao Delong was even more like a walking warm sun!

He possessed a Pure Yang Creation Golden Core, his Qi was extremely Yang and rigid, vast and immense, naturally radiating a warm Aura that was refreshing and made people want to draw close.

However, when his gaze swept over, the deep and terrifying pressure like an abyss that he inadvertently revealed would instantly crush those thoughts of wanting to approach, rejecting people from thousands of miles away.

This contradictory temperament made him like a magnet, firmly attracting everyone's gaze.

Even Xin Yuelan, who was wearing a fox demon mask and dressed in mysterious black clothing, with her exquisite figure and the dangerous Aura hidden within her laziness, also sparked people's imagination.

"Look! It is Lin Qingxue! That Prodigy of the Lin Family who was granted Elder privileges!"

"Hiss... as expected, her reputation is well-deserved! This temperament, this cultivation... no wonder she could stir the Lin Family's Old Ancestor!"

"Tsk tsk, born from a branch Family, yet becoming a Family Elder at such a young age; those people from the main branch must be jealous of this talent, right?"

"Hush! Keep your voice down! Isn't she Lin Chengzong's daughter? That branch of the Lin Family offended the Marquis of Zhenbeis Estate to death!"

"Who says not! It was such a good marriage connection to climb up to the Marquis of Zhenbeis Estate, yet it was ruined by that Lin Chengzong and his younger daughter!"

"Pity the Marquis of Zhenbeis Estate, thinking they had found good in-laws, only to find they were people who would kick someone when they were down! When the Marquis of Zhenbeis Estate fell into trouble, instead of offering help in their time of need, they kicked them when they were down! Truly..."

"Watch your words! Watch your words! Young Miss Lin is still here! However... sigh, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse; the Old Marquis is still alive, and the Lin Family dares to act like this; it is truly... hateful!"

The surrounding whispers were like fine needles, constantly piercing into Lin Qingxue's ears.

Her face turned slightly pale, and she bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth.

Although these discussions were harsh, every word was true, leaving her with no way to argue, and the sense of shame stemming from her Family grew heavier in her heart.

Yao Delong frowned slightly and let out a cold snort.

An invisible, terrifying Aura like a mountain instantly spread out, precisely covering those few corners where people were talking the loudest!

Those few Cultivators immediately felt their breathing stifle, as if their throats were being strangled by an invisible giant hand; their faces turned deathly pale, cold sweat poured down, and they dared not make another sound.

The entire hall instantly quieted down quite a bit.