55: Chapter 55 Because I spent money

The black dust that Wang Kun had disintegrated into had not yet completely dispersed in the bleak battlefield wind. Below the city walls, the Yin Soldiers were silently and efficiently cleaning up the last of the resistance, like cleaners from the netherworld, wiping away all filth and defiance.

Upon the city walls, there was a sense of excitement from surviving a disaster and a fanatical worship of Lin Chen (and the blood-colored phantom image beside him). Su Qingyu began to methodically direct personnel to repair minor damages to the city walls and take stock of the spoils of war. Zhang Hao followed closely behind Lin Chen, his face piled with a fawning smile, his mouth incessantly chanting flatteries like "Master's divine might" and "General Bai Qi's dominance."

Amidst this atmosphere of victory, a Yin Soldier Centurion guarding the Fortress gates stepped forward with silent strides. He quickly arrived before Lin Chen, knelt on one knee, and transmitted a message through his soul fire:

"My Lord, a human youth has been discovered outside the Fortress. He calls himself Lin Tian and claims to be your younger brother, requesting entry for refuge. He appears in a wretched state, with scars left from fighting Bizarre Monsters. His energy fluctuations are weak, and his emotional state is highly agitated."

Its report was cold and objective, devoid of any emotional coloring.

"Younger brother?"

Before Lin Chen could speak, Zhang Hao let out a strange cry from the side, winking and grimacing. "Master, you sure have a lot of relatives, huh? We just sent off a 'good sister,' and now here comes a 'biological brother'? Could this be another actor popping out from some corner?" He rubbed his hands together with a look that said, "I get it, I totally get it."

Su Qingyu also stopped her work, frowning slightly as she looked at Lin Chen, her eyes filled with inquiry and a trace of undetectable worry. The precedent set by Qin Weiwei was still fresh in her mind.

Lin Chen's face showed no expression of surprise, as if he had long expected this development. He waved his hand, signaling the Yin Soldier Centurion to rise, and said in a flat tone, "Bring him up."

"Yes."

Not long after, a youth ascended the city wall under the "escort" of two Yin Soldiers.

The youth appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a thin frame, a pale face, and parched lips. He wore tattered sportswear stained with filth and blackened blood. One of his arms was crudely bandaged with torn strips of cloth, with faint traces of blood still seeping through. As soon as he reached the wall, his eyes—which seemed exceptionally large due to his thinness—anxiously scanned the surroundings before finally locking onto the extraordinary Lin Chen, who was surrounded by the crowd.

In an instant, the youth's eyes reddened, and tears gushed out like a dam breaking.

"Brother—!!"

He let out a heart-wrenching cry, saturated with endless grievance, fear, and the excitement of finally finding someone to rely on, as he stumbled forward to throw himself at Lin Chen.

That appearance of sincere emotion and naturally flowing excitement was many times more realistic than Qin Weiwei's had been. Even Zhang Hao, who was prepared to watch a show, subconsciously pulled back his mocking expression and looked at Lin Chen with some uncertainty.

Su Qingyu was also slightly moved; this youth's performance was simply too real.

However, just as the youth was about to reach Lin Chen, the phantom image of bai qi standing beside Lin Chen like a background prop seemed to glance at him casually with those blood-red eyes.

There was no murderous intent, no overwhelming pressure.

But that single, flat glance acted like an invisible ice wall for the youth named Lin Tian. His momentum abruptly stalled, his footsteps faltered, and he stopped a few paces away from Lin Chen. A flash of extreme, almost uncapturable alarm crossed his face, only to be immediately covered by even more surging tears.

"Brother! I finally found you! Dad... before Dad died, he told me that I still had a brother named Lin Chen who was very powerful, and told me to find you no matter what..." Lin Tian sobbed uncontrollably, his thin shoulders shaking violently. "Outside... it's all monsters outside... I was so scared... I almost died... Brother, please take me in. I'll listen to everything you say, I'll work for you like an ox or a horse..."

He cried with sincere feeling, his words were logically clear, and his emotions were full. Combined with his wretched state and injuries, it was extremely deceptive.

Zhang Hao scratched his head and muttered softly, "Uh... this... seems pretty real, doesn't it?"

Su Qingyu also looked at Lin Chen, waiting for his decision.

Lin Chen listened quietly, his face still devoid of expression, showing neither emotion nor suspicion. It wasn't until Lin Tian finished his tearful plea and looked at him with those watery, expectant, and dependent eyes that he let out a soft "Oh."

Then, under the gaze of everyone (including Lin Tian), he slowly raised his wrist. There was no flashy equipment on his wrist, only a flickering virtual panel made of ghostly light—the sub-interface of the nether domain asset system.

His fingers tapped randomly on it a few times, as if he were querying something.

At the same time, in a volume that only Su Qingyu and Zhang Hao beside him could vaguely hear, he whispered to himself with a hint of playfulness:

"Last time I checked on Qin Weiwei, it cost one hundred thousand nether talismans."

"Let me see, checking this 'biological brother' this time..."

He tapped lightly on a certain option.

The ghostly light on the virtual panel flashed, and a prompt box popped up.

Lin Chen looked at the numbers on the prompt box, his brow twitching imperceptibly. Then, a meaningful, cold curve hooked at the corner of his mouth.

He looked up, his gaze falling back onto Lin Tian, who appeared somewhat uneasy due to his silence and strange actions. His tone carried an inscrutable flatness:

"Interesting."

"To query your identity information..."

He paused, clearly spitting out the second half of the sentence:

"The system actually wants to charge me one million nether talismans."

"Exactly ten times more expensive than that 'good sister' Qin Weiwei."

These words weren't loud, but they were like a thunderclap exploding atop the city wall!

Zhang Hao's eyes bulged as he sucked in a breath of cold air. Su Qingyu's pupils constricted, and her gaze toward Lin Tian was instantly filled with vigilance and chilliness!

The query fee had surged tenfold! What did this mean?

It meant that the seemingly weak, helpless, and sincere "brother" before them had karmic ties, hidden dangers, or an inherent "value" and "confidentiality level" that far exceeded Qin Weiwei's! It might even far exceed Wang Kun, who had just been insta-killed!

The tears on Lin Tian's face froze instantly, and his pitiful expression solidified. A minute, almost undetectable trace of panic flashed deep within his eyes. Although he quickly squeezed out a wronged expression again, that moment of losing composure did not escape the eyes of Su Qingyu and Zhang Hao, who were staring intently at him.

"Brother... what, what are you saying? What nether talismans... I, I don't understand..." Lin Tian's voice carried a sob as he tried to muddle through.

Lin Chen, however, no longer watched his performance.

He directly ignored Lin Tian, turned to Su Qingyu and Zhang Hao, and instructed in a matter-of-fact tone:

"Su Qingyu, arrange a place for him to stay. Put him in... the Observation Zone on the outermost edge of the Inner Fortress. Without my permission, he is not allowed to come within half a step of the core area."

"Zhang Hao," he looked at Zhang Hao, who had an "I understand" expression, "find two 'clever' brothers to 'take good care' of this brother of mine. Have someone who knows how to apply bandages handle his injuries; don't let him die."

"Understood! Master, don't you worry!" Zhang Hao patted his chest, a sinister grin appearing on his face. "I guarantee I'll 'take care' of him thoroughly!" He emphasized the words "take care."

Lin Tian's face turned slightly pale, and he still wanted to say something: "Brother, I..."

Lin Chen had already turned around, his back to him, his gaze cast toward the distant horizon still shrouded in blood-color. He left only a cold sentence drifting in the wind:

"Good acting, better than Qin Weiwei."

"A pity..."

"The master behind you doesn't seem to understand my spending habits very well."

"With me, there is no truth that money cannot buy."

"One million? Small change."

He waved his hand slightly, signaling the Yin Soldiers to take away Lin Tian, who still wanted to speak.

A new drama of "recognizing a relative," seemingly warm but actually surging with undercurrents, temporarily came to a close under Lin Chen's casual yet absolute financial confidence.

Everyone knew that this "brother" was definitely not simple.

And Lin Chen was clearly prepared to "play along with him." ^_^