Ling Tian Sword God
Chapter 41 - 40 Fourth Prince_1

Chapter 41: Chapter 40 Fourth Prince_1

On the wide thoroughfare, Ling Chen and Xiao Muyu rode atop glossy black steeds. Xu Ruoyan, also on a swift horse, quickly caught up.

Ling Chen was somewhat surprised to see Xu Ruoyan. He hadn’t expected this young lady to be so patient and actually follow them. "I thought you weren’t coming."

"I was worried it might be inconvenient for a man and a woman to travel alone. Besides, I also wanted to buy a few things, so I decided to come with you," Xu Ruoyan said lightly, deliberately looking away.

Hearing this, Ling Chen nearly fell off his horse. He managed a dry laugh after a moment and said, "Muyu and I have known each other since childhood; you’re worrying too much. But since you’re here, let’s go together."

Ling Chen couldn’t very well send her back at this point. Besides, she was a proud woman. If he offended her now, she might actually fly into a rage, he feared.

The three of them spurred their horses on, galloping towards Wucheng.

「...」

The marketplace of Wucheng, protected by the Black Market, was extremely prosperous; one could buy all sorts of unusual things here.

Dozens of streets bustled with carriages and teemed with people. Among them was a street specializing in various antiques and treasures, a place warriors often frequented.

Ling Chen and his two companions arrived at this street. With two beautiful women present, the three of them were quite conspicuous on this street, often drawing gazes that lingered on the two ladies.

The marketplace offered a vast and varied selection of goods, but truly valuable items were few. Ling Chen selected some daily-use elixirs and some hidden weapons for self-defense, then proceeded deeper into the market.

The further one ventured into the market, the higher the grade of goods sold; higher-grade items were all found in the depths of this market.

Of the two women, Xiao Muyu also bought some spare ammunition. Xu Ruoyan, on the other hand, mostly just looked around, craning her neck, frequently captivated by various strange and curious trinkets.

Following Ling Chen, the three slowly made their way into the depths of the market. The items sold in the deeper parts were generally much more precious than those outside. Therefore, the warriors who could afford to shop here possessed a fair amount of power in Wind Country.

The market stalls here were much more formal than those they had seen earlier. Each establishment looked opulent, not places ordinary people could enter.

「Treasure Pavilion.」

The trio chose an extraordinarily large shop and walked in.

"This place is indeed different from the others. Perhaps I’ll find what I’m looking for here."

Ling Chen scanned his surroundings. The items sold here were out of the ordinary; perhaps he could find some unexpected treasures.

Having obtained the Heavenly Mansion General’s treasure, he was now, one might say, rolling in money and had no financial pressures at all.

"Ling Chen, your cultivation has reached the peak of the Eighth Level. You probably need some spiritual materials or elixirs to break through your realm now, right?" Xiao Muyu remarked, suddenly turning her head.

"Correct."

Ling Chen nodded. She was right; he indeed needed some rare spiritual materials or elixirs to break through his current realm.

"Sir, with your Eighth Level cultivation, there are many treasures that can aid your practice. Over there, for example, we have a Zhu Fruit for sale. I believe it will satisfy you."

A nearby maid, who seemed to have overheard their conversation, immediately chimed in with a smile.

"They’re actually selling Zhu Fruits?"

Hearing this, Ling Chen was also surprised. Zhu Fruits were the kind of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that one encounters by chance, not by seeking. They were especially effective for warriors.

Ling Chen only knew that the Divine Intent Sect’s treasury definitely contained Zhu Fruits. He hadn’t expected a shop in this Black Market to openly sell them with a clearly marked price.

Led by the maid, Ling Chen arrived at a counter. Inside, there was indeed a bright red, round fruit emitting a tempting fragrance.

This single fruit was priced at 30,000 taels of gold.

"I’ll take this Zhu Fruit."

Ling Chen turned to the maid, "Do you have more Zhu Fruits here? I want them all."

"I’m sorry, Young Hero. You should know what Zhu Fruits are. These items are stocked irregularly. This particular Zhu Fruit is here because there hasn’t been an auction recently, so it was placed here for sale," the maid said apologetically.

"Then, do you have Void Spirit Pills for sale here?" Ling Chen raised his head and asked.

"No."

The maid shook her head. "Things like Void Spirit Pills only appear at large-scale auctions. We wouldn’t have them here."

"Alright. I don’t have any other inquiries."

Ling Chen waved his hand. He hadn’t really expected to buy Void Spirit Pills here. After all, on the Tianyuan Continent, money wasn’t omnipotent; one also needed opportunities.

"A single Zhu Fruit costs 30,000 taels of gold. I didn’t realize you were so rich," Xu Ruoyan said, walking over and looking at Ling Chen with some surprise.

Thirty thousand taels of gold was not a small sum. For young people like them, most of their money still came from their parents; how could they possess so much gold?

Ling Chen did not answer directly. After all, he couldn’t possibly tell Xu Ruoyan that he was worth millions of taels of gold, enough wealth to rival a kingdom. "Gold is, after all, just gold—ultimately an external possession. Only when converted into resources can its value be realized."

"This gourd of Yun Ling Pills is just what I need, but this price is a bit too expensive." Xiao Muyu looked at the Yun Ling Pills before her, hesitated for a long time, and finally shook her head.

"How much are you short?" Ling Chen had seen the price tag for the Yun Ling Pills: 10,000 taels of gold. For his former self, this was indeed a heavenly price. Even Xiao Muyu would find it difficult to produce so much money at once.

"About two thousand taels," Xiao Muyu hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"I have two thousand taels here; it should be enough to cover the urgent need."

Ling Chen took out a gold ticket for 2,000 taels and gave it to Xiao Muyu.

"Thank you. I’ll pay you back after a while," Xiao Muyu said, her pretty face showing a hint of gratitude.

"No need," Ling Chen said, shaking his head. He wasn’t a stingy person. Xiao Muyu had helped him before, and this was a small favor he could easily return.

Seeing this, Xu Ruoyan’s eyes flickered. She then walked to a clean counter, paused gracefully, and extended her fair, delicate wrist to pick up a light-blue necklace. The necklace’s material was extraordinary, seemingly mixed with some ice essence, giving it a cool touch that instantly won Xu Ruoyan’s favor.

"Ling Chen, this necklace is quite pretty," Xu Ruoyan said, turning to Ling Chen. Her words undoubtedly carried a subtle hint.

"Just a showy, useless thing," Ling Chen replied indifferently, merely glancing at it before looking away.

"You!" Xu Ruoyan was a bit angry and tossed the necklace back. This guy truly doesn’t understand a woman’s heart at all!But the next moment, her feelings became somewhat conflicted. She had never proactively asked anyone to buy her anything; why on earth did she have this sudden whim now?

"Beauty, I’ll buy this necklace for you!"

Xu Ruoyan’s delicate brows knitted slightly as she looked towards the voice. She saw a group of people surging over. In the midst of the crowd, like stars around the moon, a lavishly dressed young man was being escorted.

The young man was about twenty years old and quite handsome, though his complexion was rather pale. His eyes, blazing with fervor, were fixed on the slender, beautiful young woman not far away, his gaze filled with undisguised admiration.

"Who are you?" Xu Ruoyan frowned; she had never seen this person before.

"I am Ying Wuqing, the Fourth Prince of the Wind Country. May I ask for the young lady’s esteemed name?" Stared at by the young woman’s clear, captivating eyes, the handsome young man, who usually navigated circles of beauties with ease, found his breathing quickening slightly, his usual eloquence seemingly failing him at this moment.

"So, it is the Fourth Prince. If there’s nothing else, please step aside. I still have matters to attend to." Looking at the young man’s somewhat reddened face, Xu Ruoyan finally spoke. The young woman’s every frown and smile exuded a suffocatingly captivating aura, causing a somewhat morbid expression to instantly surface on Ying Wuqing’s pale face.

"Hehe, young lady, consider this necklace a meeting gift." Ying Wuqing took out the necklace, priced at 10,000 taels of gold. This gesture caused some passersby to exclaim in surprise; anyone could see that by giving such an expensive gift to a stranger, this Fourth Prince likely had ulterior motives.

"Thank you for Your Excellency’s kind intentions, but I no longer want this item. You should give it to someone else," Xu Ruoyan said indifferently. Now, even if Ling Chen changed his mind and wanted to give her this necklace, she wouldn’t want it anymore, let alone from this Ying Wuqing.

"In that case, I, this Prince, won’t impose. I happen to be free right now. If the young lady is interested, why don’t we stroll around together?" Taking a deep breath, Ying Wuqing’s smile became brilliant and gentle. This kind of smile, combined with his status and appearance, had successfully helped him win the hearts of beauties several times in the past.

"Sorry, not interested." Xu Ruoyan’s reply was direct. She had seen plenty of people like him. He reeked of wine and women, which was unpleasant.

The Fourth Prince, Ying Wuqing, was about to get closer to Xu Ruoyan to say more when a figure blocked his path—it was Ling Chen. "She already said she’s not interested. Does Your Excellency not understand plain language?"

"And who are you?" With Ling Chen stepping in, Ying Wuqing’s expression darkened. Someone actually dared to meddle in his affairs.

"Who am I?" Ling Chen gave a cold sneer, then took the necklace from the counter, moved close to Xu Ruoyan, and personally fastened it around her neck.

"What are you doing..." Maintaining that posture, a blush appeared on Xu Ruoyan’s pretty face. After Ling Chen put the necklace on her, she quickly took two steps back, creating some distance.

However, her voice was like a mosquito’s buzz; apart from Ling Chen, no one else heard clearly what she said.

"Now you should know who I am to her, Your Excellency," Ling Chen said, his expression indifferent.

"Haha, in that case, it seems I, this Prince, have been impolite." Ying Wuqing looked somewhat embarrassed. "Consider this necklace an apology to you all. I, this Prince, will pay for it."

"No need." Ling Chen turned his head, giving Xu Ruoyan a slight smile. "I was always going to give this necklace to my fiancée. There’s no need for Your Excellency to trouble yourself."

Hearing the word ’fiancée,’ a flame of jealousy ignited in Ying Wuqing’s chest. However, he maintained a smile on the surface, forcibly suppressing the anger in his heart. Then, with a wave of his hand, he led his subordinates away, pushing through the crowd.

"Fourth Highness, are we just going to back down like this? This doesn’t seem like your style," one of the attendants couldn’t help asking after Ying Wuqing and his group had walked some distance.

"Back down? When have I, this Prince, ever backed down?" A cold glint flashed in Ying Wuqing’s eyes. "Investigate! Find out the origins of these people, especially that kid in white. I want to see what background these three have to dare disrespect me like this!"

His face was incredibly gloomy. If he found out Ling Chen was someone insignificant, the latter would be doomed. As for those two women, he was determined to have them. Nothing Ying Wuqing set his sights on had ever escaped his grasp.