60: Only the dead are truly generous, the distinguished guests of the Treasure Pavilion.

Black Wind Ridge, the smoke cleared.

The battlefield, once thick with Killing Intent, had now turned into a massive open-air morgue.

"Hongyi, the left."

"Little thing, don't just focus on eating monster cores; strip all the Storage Pouches for me! That's money!"

Lin Que stood in the center of the pile of corpses, directing a ghost and a ferret to clean up the battlefield.

The caravan members stood to the side, watching the young powerhouse who had just descended like a god of slaughter. Now, he acted like a penny-pinching merchant, not even sparing the bandits' gold-inlaid teeth; their expressions were quite a sight.

"Is... is this the demeanor of an expert?"

A young guard swallowed hard, feeling his worldview shatter into pieces.

"Be careful with your words."

The white-haired old man (caravan manager), Shen Tong, glared at the guard, his eyes filled with awe:

"A peerless ruthless man who can control a Spirit Sea Realm ghost servant, raise a treasure-hunting Yao Beast, and is even a dual Cultivator of body and magic... The more eccentric such a person acts, the less you should provoke them."

He straightened his clothes and respectfully stepped forward, bowing deeply to Lin Que:

"This old man is Shen Tong, a manager of Duobao Pavilion. Thank you, Senior, for saving our lives! If Senior hadn't descended from the heavens, we would likely have been buried here today."

Lin Que casually tossed the One-Eyed Bandit Leader's Storage Pouch into his robes and turned around, his face wearing his usual harmless smile:

"It was just a small matter. Besides..."

He pointed at the corpses covering the ground:

"With several hundred people delivering business to my door, it's hard for me to refuse."

Shen Tong's mouth twitched. Only this lord could describe killing and looting in such a refined and unconventional way.

"Senior, these bandits belong to the 'Blood Wolf Gang' of Black Wind Ridge. They have accumulated much over the years and are quite wealthy. If Senior has any unwanted items, Duobao Pavilion is willing to purchase them at market price; we certainly won't let Senior lose out."

Shen Tong was a shrewd businessman; he saw at a glance that Lin Que was "stocking up" and immediately extended an olive branch.

"Oh? Fencing the goods on the spot?"

Lin Que's eyes lit up.

He was just worrying about where to dump this pile of junk weapons and low-grade Medicinal Pills, as carrying them took up too much space.

"Manager Shen is a straightforward person."

Lin Que waved his sleeve.

Clatter!

A massive pile of sabers, spears, swords, halberds, bottles, and jars instantly stacked up into a small mountain, nearly burying Shen Tong.

"Give me an estimate for these, as well as the weapons used by those three Spirit Sea Realm bandit leaders just now."

Shen Tong looked at the pile of bloody loot. Although most were mediocre Magical Artifacts, the sheer quantity was impressive. Especially the three weapons used by the Spirit Sea Realm Cultivators, among which the ghost-headed greatsword was a masterpiece among High Grade Magical Artifacts.

"Please wait a moment, Senior. This old man will count them right away."

Shen Tong called over several appraisers and began to get busy.

Lin Que teased the Little Snow Ferret on the side, seemingly indifferent, but in reality, his Divine Sense was locked onto the One-Eyed Bandit Leader's Storage Pouch.

A quick scan earlier revealed that besides tens of thousands of Low-Grade Spirit Stones, there was also a token that felt a bit like a hot potato.

The token was blood-red throughout, made of a material that was neither metal nor jade. On the front was carved a ferocious character for 'Sha' (Fiend), and on the back was an illustration of ten thousand ghosts devouring souls.

"Blood Fiend Sect..."

Lin Que had heard this name back in Southern Commandery.

If the Nine Nether Demonic Cult was a rat hiding in the gutters, then the Blood Fiend Sect was a behemoth on the surface of the Central Continent, a true giant of the Demonic Path, with even Nascent Soul Stage old monsters presiding over it.

"This One-Eyed Dragon was actually an outer Sect deacon of the Blood Fiend Sect?"

Lin Que was lost in thought. It seemed the bandits of Black Wind Ridge were merely a black glove for the Blood Fiend Sect to amass wealth.

"Senior."

Fifteen minutes later, Shen Tong walked over with a gift list and said respectfully:

"The inventory is complete. The miscellaneous items are valued at thirty thousand Spirit Stones. Additionally, to thank Senior for saving our lives, we will purchase this ghost-headed greatsword at a premium, rounding it up to a total of fifty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Fifty thousand.

For Lin Que, who had just arrived in the Central Continent, this was definitely a significant sum of starting capital. Combined with his original savings and what he gained from looting the corpses, his net worth had already surpassed one hundred thousand.

"Fair."

Lin Que nodded and took the Spirit Stone card (a voucher for Spirit Stone exchange common in the Central Continent) handed over by Shen Tong, feeling a bit more favorable toward this sensible old man.

"By the way, Senior."

Shen Tong hesitated, his gaze sweeping over an inconspicuous black Ore in the pile of junk, a hint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes:

"This Ore... looks a bit unfamiliar. I wonder where Senior obtained it? If Senior doesn't mind, this old man is willing to pay five hundred Spirit Stones to buy it as a novelty."

Lin Que followed his gaze.

It was a fist-sized black stone with a pitted surface, which he had fished out from a corner of the One-Eyed Dragon's Storage Pouch.

"This one?"

Lin Que looked at Shen Tong with a half-smile, and the myriad treasures pearl on his wrist grew slightly warm.

"[Detected special spiritual item: Ink Soul Gold.]"

"[Rank: Tier 3 High Grade.]"

"[Characteristics: Able to absorb Divine Soul attacks, it is an excellent auxiliary material for refining Divine Soul defense Magic Treasures. Has a camouflaging rock layer on the exterior.]"

"[True value: At least eight thousand Spirit Stones.]"

""Five hundred Spirit Stones?""

Lin Que picked up the black stone, tossed it in his hand, and looked at Shen Tong's slightly nervous eyes, suddenly laughing:

"Manager Shen, businessmen value integrity. This is clearly Ink Soul Gold. Although it's wrapped in a layer of rock skin, its weight and feel cannot deceive an expert."

"Five hundred? You're taking advantage of my supposed ignorance."

Shen Tong's expression changed instantly.

He had originally thought this young man was only powerful in combat and might not be proficient in treasure appraisal, hoping to get a bargain. He didn't expect the other party to call out the treasure's origin at a glance!

Ink Soul Gold! That was a treasure with a price but no market!

"Se... Senior, please forgive me!"

Shen Tong broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly cupped his hands in apology:

"This old man was blind! Truly blind! I didn't expect Senior to also be a master of treasure appraisal! For this Ink Soul Gold... Duobao Pavilion is willing to offer ten thousand Spirit Stones!"

The surrounding caravan guards and appraisers were dumbfounded.

A broken stone, from five hundred to ten thousand?

And this ruthless man who kills without blinking actually knows about treasure appraisal?

Lin Que wasn't truly angry and casually tossed the stone to Shen Tong:

"Ten thousand it is. Don't play these tricks next time; I have a bit of a temper, and my hand might slip easily."

As he spoke, he intentionally or unintentionally touched the starfall mo dao on his back.

"Yes, yes, yes! This old man understands!" Shen Tong wiped his sweat, his assessment of Lin Que rising another level.

Skilled in both civil and martial arts, with deep schemes—not to be trifled with!

"Senior, this place is still half a day's journey from Luoyun City, a major border town of the Central Continent."

Shen Tong put away the Ink Soul Gold and carefully invited:

"In three days, it will be the triennial 'Tianhe Auction' in Luoyun City. At that time, prodigies from various Sects across the Central Continent will gather here, and there will be countless rare treasures."

"If Senior is interested, why not travel with my caravan? Once we reach Luoyun City, this old man can arrange a VIP seat for Senior."

Lin Que raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

"An auction?"

He now had over a hundred thousand Spirit Stones in hand and had just arrived in the Central Continent; he indeed needed a channel to purchase some high-level cultivation resources, especially Medicinal Pills and Cultivation Techniques suitable for the Spirit Sea Realm.

Moreover, traveling under the banner of Duobao Pavilion would save him a lot of trouble with inspections.

"An auction, huh..."

Lin Que glanced at Shen Tong and nodded:

"Coincidentally, I also want to see if the prodigies of the Central Continent are all like these bandits of Black Wind Ridge..."

A playful arc curled at the corner of his mouth:

"...so unable to take a hit."

Shen Tong trembled inwardly at those words and could only offer a forced smile.

"Unable to take a hit?"

Those were Middle Stage Spirit Sea Realm bandits! Only a lord like you would dare say such a thing.

"Senior, please! The best carriage has already been prepared!"

Lin Que didn't stand on ceremony; he put away Hongyi, held the Little Snow Ferret, and strode onto the caravan's most luxurious carriage.

As the caravan slowly set off and drove out of Black Wind Ridge.

Through the carriage window, Lin Que watched the gradually opening plains ahead and the majestic outline of the city looming in the mist.

"Central Continent, Luoyun City."

"The new hunting ground has arrived."

Lin Que touched the Blood Fiend Token in his robes, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

He wondered if the prodigies of the Central Continent could bring more surprises to his myriad treasures pearl and Secret Canon of Self-Sacrifice.