33: Chapter 33 New Prey

The conversation with Xu Qingran was like a pebble thrown into a lake, stirring a ripple in Jiang Xun's heart before quickly settling.

Arguments about ideology ultimately have to be proven by facts. He left the library and headed straight for the black market outside the school.

In the battle against Monitor Zhou Yi, he had plundered the complete A-rank Thunder Colossus civilization. His divine kingdom believers were intensely merging and adapting to it, but this also consumed massive amounts of Faith Points. At the same time, he needed some special materials to prepare for the upcoming monthly assessment.

Jiang City's black market was hidden in the abandoned industrial zone on the outskirts of the city, the air always thick with a strange mixture of machine oil, dust, and unknown incense. This was a vacuum zone for rules, and the only place for low-level gods to exchange resources and seek opportunities.

Jiang Xun skillfully found Old Ghost's unassuming shop. The shop was dimly lit, with only a few glass counters emitting a faint glow.

Old Ghost was hunched over the counter, wiping a rusty badge with a soft cloth. Seeing Jiang Xun enter, his weathered face immediately twisted into a chrysanthemum-like smile.

"Little Brother Jiang Xun! Oh, I should call you Lord Jiang Xun now!" Old Ghost put down what he was holding and greeted him with a face full of awe. "The story of you displaying your divine might in the school tournament is legendary among us folks in this trade!"

He kept his posture very low. In this world, strength is the best proof of identity. A ruthless person capable of defeating an A-rank talent head-on and thwarting an evil god's conspiracy deserved his highest respect.

"Same old rules, I have a batch of goods I want to sell." Jiang Xun got straight to the point and handed over a list.

On the list were some law fragments and equipment blueprints from the Thunder Colossus civilization that he couldn't use, but which were of great value to other gods.

Old Ghost took the list, glanced at it once, and his pupils shrank sharply as he gasped.

"An A-rank civilization's creation? And it's systematic! Lord Jiang Xun, your resources are just too immense!"

The look in his eyes as he watched Jiang Xun held not just awe, but also a deeper sense of wariness. Others only knew that Jiang Xun had won, but only someone like him, who dealt with resources all year round, understood what kind of terrifying control it took to digest, organize, and liquidate the opponent's civilization achievements in such a short time.

"Name a price." Jiang Xun didn't want to waste words.

"Easy, easy! I'll definitely give you the highest market price!" Old Ghost dared not delay and immediately tapped his divine kingdom terminal to calculate. A moment later, he quoted a figure that satisfied Jiang Xun.

After the transaction was completed, Jiang Xun took out another list: "Also, help me find some things. 'Stealth Mist', 'Tracking Dust', and 'Micro Divine Power Traps'. I want the highest quality for all of them."

Old Ghost looked at the items on the list, and his heart skipped a beat. None of these were for proper divine kingdom construction; they were all tools for ambushes and foul play.

He didn't dare ask too much, just offered a fawning smile and said: "We have them, we have them all! Lord Jiang Xun, please wait a moment, I'll go get them for you. However..."

He changed the subject and tentatively said: "Lord, you are very prominent lately, but you must be careful. I heard that there are a few people in the Key Class who hate you to the bone."

Jiang Xun adjusted his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses devoid of any ripples. "Oh? Is that so?"

Seeing that he seemed unconcerned, Old Ghost lowered his voice and continued: "It's Brother Feng and his gang. Relying on their family background and talent, they are used to running rampant in Jiang City. Recently, they targeted an unlucky guy named Lin Hao, a D-rank talent. Just because he offended Li Ang in the past, they've blocked him in the wild resource zone east of the city, farming him like a wild monster, daily slaughtering his believers, robbing his resources, and not letting him return to the city."

Old Ghost sighed and shook his head. "Those arrogant geniuses just take pleasure in this. Lin Hao's divine kingdom is about to collapse, and the kid is stubborn, preferring his divine kingdom to shatter rather than beg for mercy. Sigh, if this continues, he probably won't last two days, and his life's work will be ruined. For us low-level gods, our lives are just that cheap."

Old Ghost finished speaking and secretly observed Jiang Xun's expression. Jiang Xun didn't speak. He just stood there quietly, but Old Ghost felt as if the surrounding air had turned cold.

He saw the corners of Jiang Xun's mouth slowly curl into a smile. There was no warmth in that smile, only a coldness that made even an old hand like Old Ghost feel a chill in his heart. It was the smile of a hunter eyeing its prey.

"Lin Hao..." Jiang Xun remembered the name. Back in the ordinary class, it was this boy who, when Li Ang's lackey was clamoring, retorted indignantly and ended up being humiliated in public. He didn't expect him to be forced to this point.

In Jiang Xun's mind, the clear and serious face of Xu Qingran appeared involuntarily, along with the sentence she said: "How is your plundering any different from those bullies?"

And the words he had left behind. "Watch how I do it." It was truly like someone bringing a pillow just as you were feeling sleepy.

"Old Ghost." Jiang Xun's voice was calm. "Get those things ready for me. Also, give me the most detailed topographical map of Mist Canyon."

"Mist Canyon? That place has complex terrain and is covered in fog all year round. Usually, no one goes there..." Old Ghost was stunned.

"Precisely because no one goes there, it's good for getting things done." Jiang Xun's smile grew colder. "It just so happens that my believers, who have just started merging with new powers, need a few not-so-sturdy targets to practice on."

"Brother Feng and his lot... are the perfect targets."

Old Ghost's heart gave a violent twitch, and he dared not say another word, scurrying to prepare the items. He knew a hunt targeting the arrogant geniuses was about to begin!

A moment later, Jiang Xun left the black market with a pile of expensive items. He didn't return to the school, but instead went to a deserted corner, opened his divine kingdom terminal, and found an encrypted communication channel.

He knew Lin Hao's contact information, which was registered when the "Civilization Mutual Aid Association" was established last time.

He thought for a moment, edited an anonymous message, and sent it: "Are you resigned to being destroyed like this? Do you want to resist? Do you want to return everything they've inflicted on you tenfold? At midnight tonight, go to the Mist Canyon east of the city. There, you have your only chance for revenge."

After sending it, Jiang Xun deleted all records and put away the terminal. He looked up toward the east of the city, adjusted his glasses, and a cold light reflected off the lenses. Brother Feng, and those self-righteous geniuses. Your "game" is over. My "hunt" begins now.