Chapter 105: An Exorbitantly Pricey Settlement

The dishes were served once more. This time, Lin Yang did not eat; instead, he let the little glutton opposite him have her fill while he watched her consume the meal like a storm.

Once she finished, he called for the waiter. "Waiter, bill please."

However, it was not the waiter who arrived, but a female proprietor. She possessed the cultivation of a Golden Core stage cultivator.

"I didn't expect to see Fellow Daoist Shui here as well."

The proprietress walked in, noticed Shui Miao'er, and offered a greeting before turning to Lin Yang. "Fellow Daoist, the total for the two of you is 5,600 spirit stones."

The proprietress stated this figure with such nonchalance that it left Lin Yang momentarily stunned. He quickly regained his composure, however, and withdrew another storage bag from his own, placing 600 spirit stones inside.

"Proprietress, here are 5,600 spirit stones." Lin Yang handed the bag over.

The proprietress took it and scanned it with her divine sense to verify the amount. "You are quite generous, Fellow Daoist. To think that you have reached the Golden Core stage at such a young age—your future is truly promising." She spoke politely, seemingly interested in conversing further.

"Thank you for your kind words. However, I am here to accompany Fellow Daoist Shui to the Shui family estate, so I shouldn't take up any more of your time."

With that, Lin Yang stood up and signaled to Shui Miao'er that it was time to leave. She followed him immediately, walking in front with a guilty expression and her head bowed.

The two made their way toward the Shui family estate in the center of Bibo City in an awkward silence. Halfway there, Shui Miao'er could no longer hold it in.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, please, say something. This silence is making me feel quite uneasy."

"Consider it my bad luck to have been fleeced by you once. As for the rest, treat it as my treat," Lin Yang replied. He did not care much about the spirit stones; there was no point in bickering over it.

"5,000 spirit stones, and you say it so lightly. Don't try to act tough if you can't afford it," Shui Miao'er said cautiously, assuming Lin Yang was just trying to save face.

"It's fine. I am also an alchemist, and my skills in that regard are even better than my array techniques," Lin Yang said calmly, though an aura of arrogance radiated from his words.

"I see. In that case, let's hurry." Shui Miao'er sped up, heading toward the Shui family estate. They flew through the sky and arrived in less than half a quarter of an hour.

Upon reaching the center of the city, Lin Yang noticed that the buildings were all a pale blue. Each had its own unique character, yet the color scheme was uniform.

"This is our Shui family," Shui Miao'er introduced. Lin Yang, however, was quite puzzled.

"Do you not set up any defensive formations? There isn't even a perimeter wall. Doesn't that seem a bit unreasonable?" He felt it was strange that there were no defenses whatsoever; anyone could simply walk right in.

"Who would dare intrude upon the Shui family? We are the largest clan in the entire southwest. We have two Nascent Soul ancestors and over a dozen Golden Core cultivators," Shui Miao'er said with great authority. "We have stood tall in the Chaotic Star Seas for thousands of years; not many would dare cause trouble here."

She led Lin Yang toward the grandest buildings at the heart of the estate. At the entrance, she left him outside and went in alone.

Left standing there, Lin Yang felt bewildered and at a loss. With no other choice, he resignedly pulled out a stool, sat down, and watched the people passing by. Other members of the clan, seeing a stranger entering their grounds, looked on with curiosity.

After about a quarter of an hour, the doors finally opened, and Shui Miao'er emerged. Seeing the crowd watching, she looked embarrassed, blushed, and grabbed Lin Yang, pulling him inside.

The surrounding crowd erupted in whispers, leaving Lin Yang baffled and causing Shui Miao'er to blush even deeper.

He was dragged into a building that was the largest in the estate, though it seemed pitifully small compared to his own cultivation grounds. Once inside, however, he discovered that it contained a hidden dimension. The interior had been compressed using spatial array patterns, making the outside appear small while the inside was vast.

The age of these patterns was significant—likely seven or eight hundred years old. While being pulled along, Lin Yang spotted a damaged section of the array. Unable to help himself, he broke free from Shui Miao'er's grip, took out an array brush, and repaired the gap with a few swift strokes.

"That looks much better," he remarked to the stunned Shui Miao'er. "Alright, let's go."

"You just... you just fixed it?!" she exclaimed in shock.

"It’s simple enough. I can manage repairing an array pattern," Lin Yang said nonchalantly, treating the task as a trivial matter. With his peak second-tier proficiency in array formations, it was indeed quite effortless.

"Little brother, you are impressive."

A gravelly voice caught Lin Yang's attention. He turned to see an elderly man with white hair accompanied by another silver-haired elder.

"Greetings, seniors." Lin Yang instantly identified their cultivation levels: one at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul, and the other at the early stage. If they were to attack, he wouldn't even be able to escape.

"You must be the Lin Yang that Miao'er mentioned," said the female Nascent Soul cultivator. "A true talent of the younger generation. Miao'er’s parents passed away early, which unfortunately led to her developing a difficult temperament. I hope you aren't offended, little brother."

Just as she was about to continue, the old man interrupted. "Enough, it is my turn to speak." He spoke with a feigned sternness, though Lin Yang could sense his underlying anxiety—the woman was giving him a look that reminded Lin Yang of his own wife’s intimidating gaze. Still, the old man persisted.

"Your array skills are truly exceptional. These are ancient patterns from seven or eight hundred years ago, yet you handled them with such ease." The old man walked down and grasped Lin Yang’s hand, leading him to a stone table. He personally poured him a cup of tea—the same tea Lin Yang had traded for from the fat merchant earlier.

"I heard that your alchemy skills are even better than your array techniques. Is that true?" the old man asked with eager curiosity.

Lin Yang found it hard to refuse. He had already boasted about it; to back down now would be to lose face. Moreover, if he denied it, the old man would surely think he was being looked down upon.

"I suppose so. It is slightly better."

"Then show me a pill you have refined," the old man said with familiar ease.

With no other choice, Lin Yang handed him a bottle of pills suitable for Golden Core cultivation.