Chapter 39: Following
East City Market
Ever since Wen Xing disappeared at the big market, it seemed like half of the fun was gone. Most of the vendors were just like everyone else, working hard to practice and sell goods, barely making a living.
Immortality is too far away for them.
This made Lin Jiang feel like he didn't belong among them, even though he is just an ordinary person now.
"Just checking-in when I have nothing to do"
System: Life Check-in System
Host: Lin Jiang
Lifespan: 125/37500
Lin Jiang looked at the remaining lifespan balance on the system, feeling a bit numb. The thousand years of lifespan he had previously consumed seemed insignificant to him now.
"I wonder if there's any cultivation technique that can give lifespan to others. If so, I'll become prosperous."
Sometimes, Lin Jiang would think like this. There were countless cultivation techniques in the cultivation world, and if there was one that could give lifespan to others, he would become prosperous. He could become rich and be the wealthiest in the cultivation world by relying on this technique.
However, Lin Jiang had never heard of such a technique, though he had heard of some magic techniques that could absorb other people's lifespan. Unfortunately, he didn't need that kind of technique.
"Friend Lin, are you going back?"
Seeing that there wasn't much business, Lin Jiang decided to head home and greeted the vendors on both sides.
Lin Jiang replied with a simple nod and casually said hello before leaving. Lin Jiang knew that after he left, his stall would be taken over by two other people. They wouldn't pay him rent like Zhang Ruifeng did, they were just taking advantage. Lin Jiang didn't mind and ignored them.
Lin Jiang usually doesn't go straight home. Instead, he likes to take a stroll in the bustling market or other crowded places. If someone is following him, it's easy for him to shake them off. It's a habit he has developed over many years.
He had done this countless times before without noticing anyone following him. But today, Lin Jiang could feel someone's gaze constantly on his back. This feeling was very obvious, and it made Lin Jiang feel heavy-hearted. He didn't know if the mastermind from before had targeted him again or if he had unintentionally revealed his wealth and attracted someone's attention.
This made Lin Jiang even more afraid to go home. He kept wandering outside until it was dark, but he still felt the presence of someone following him.
"I can't keep not going home forever. Who could this be?"
Lin Jiang kept analyzing in his mind. He didn't know who was following him, but he couldn't stay away from home. Although Yunzhong City didn't have a curfew, cultivators also got tired and needed a place to rest.
The most important thing was that if he kept avoiding going home, it would surely alarm the person behind him. So, Lin Jiang gritted his teeth and returned home. With the protection of the courtyard walls and formations, that feeling finally disappeared.
"What's going on? Is it related to the mastermind behind Mo Lin and his gang?"
Lin Jiang questioned once again. He actually hoped that this time the person following him was connected to Mo Lin. He wasn't afraid of enemies showing up, but he was afraid of them not showing up.
"Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao haven't woken up yet."
Lin Jiang glanced at the Spirit Beast Bag and saw that Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao had been asleep for a year and still hadn't woken up, but they were both alive and getting stronger.
"As long as I stay inside the city and don't go out, those people dare not attack me freely. Don't go to the black market in the future either, it's too remote. Although there are killings inside the city, they just don't dare to do it openly."
Lin Jiang made a decision, as long as he stayed inside the city, no one would dare to openly kill him. The rules in Yunzhong City were very strict, and rules were the most precious thing in Yunzhong City.
·······
"Still here."
Several days later, in East City Market, Lin Jiang felt that surveilling gaze again, but there were too many people in the market and he couldn't tell who it was.
Lin Jiang pretended not to know and continued to sell his spiritual talismans. He had been blending in East City Market for a few years now, and he had gained some fame. Old customers would often come to buy his talismans.
"Taoist Friend Lin, won't you consider joining my team? We have thirteen members, all at the mid-stage of Qi Refining. And we have been in Yunzhong City for decades, known for our reliability."
Today, an old customer came to buy talismans again and also proposed that Lin Jiang join his team. His team consisted of thirteen elites in the Qi Refining Period, and they had a good reputation in the Qi Refining Period circle of Yunzhong City.
"Taoist Friend Chen, forget it. I'm used to being a free spirit all on my own."
Lin Jiang shook his head and refused. Taoist Friend Chen had invited him several times, even talking about his team's matters multiple times, but Lin Jiang still declined.
He was not worried about how these people thought of him. A group of Qi Refining Period cultivators meant nothing to him, especially since they had a good reputation. His concern was that their actions might bring danger.
Taoist Friend Chen's team was similar to other independent cultivators in Yunzhong City. They didn't have a stable income and did various things like being bodyguards, searching for treasures, or hunting beasts in the mountains.
All of these things were extremely dangerous, even for elite Qi Refining Period cultivators like Taoist Friend Chen and his team. In fact, many people had died in the past few years, and Lin Jiang knew about two of them.
Lin Jiang had plenty of opportunities to make money. His biggest advantage was having time. Even if he only made a few spirit stones a year, he could surpass the wealth of most Qi Refining Period cultivators by relying on time. That's why Lin Jiang never took risks. As long as he could survive, that was enough.
"That would be a shame. If you joined us, our team would become much stronger. Being an independent cultivator is not easy. We need to stick together in order to have a chance to build our foundation."
Taoist Friend Chen said being an independent cultivator was difficult. They earned a little money but invested it all in cultivation and daily expenses. It was very difficult to save tens of thousands of spirit stones.
So they decided to join together and gather everyone's strength, so they can build foundations one by one. Unfortunately, Lin Jiang didn't agree.
"Sorry."
"It's okay, our fate hasn't arrived yet."
Taoist Friend Chen said, "I understand why Lin Jiang refused. There aren't many people in the late stage of Qi Refining with the ability to be a first-grade premium Talisman Maker. Those who have this ability can easily make money, so there's no need for them to be like us, living by the sword."
Taoist Friend Chen left with the spiritual talisman, and Lin Jiang closed down his stall and left as well. Taoist Friend Chen was his big customer, almost every time he came, he would buy all of Lin Jiang's inventory for the next few days.
Ignoring the person monitoring from behind, Lin Jiang returned home alone. As usual, he glanced at the Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao in his Spirit Beast Bag, and then went inside to cultivate.
Now Lin Jiang's cultivation speed is much faster than before, as he has invested more. The Spirit Gathering Formation and top-quality dan pills have cost him a lot of money, but they are definitely useful. Otherwise, Lin Jiang feels that it would take him another three to five decades to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining.
Outside Lin Jiang's house, a person watched for an hour and eventually left. They had already figured out Lin Jiang's daily routine and knew that he rarely went out once he returned home.
He went to a certain mansion and said to a middle-aged man, "Master, Jiang Lin has returned home again."
"Still no intentions of leaving the city?"
"No, after my observation, this person has a very introverted personality, doesn't socialize much, and rarely goes out. I secretly inquired and found out that this person has been in Yunzhong City for many years, and it's always been like this."
"Yes, that's the part about this person that I can't figure out at all."
"Master, does Jiang Lin really have valuable treasures on him?"
"Hehe."
The middle-aged man smiled. As far as he knew, Jiang Lin had quite a lot of wealth on him. He had been renting a house in South City for almost twenty years, paying an annual rent of four thousand spirit stones. It was not something an ordinary person could afford, let alone his other expenses. Even if he was the legitimate son of a big family, it would only be like this.
"Master..."
"Keep watching, we've been waiting for so many years, this period of time doesn't make a difference. Once we capture this target, you and I won't have to worry about our twenty years of cultivation."
"Yes, master."
The young man immediately and happily agreed. They had done this kind of thing many times before. His master had a special status and knew many wealthy people in Yunzhong City, and they would target these wealthy people.
Of course, they wouldn't just randomly target anyone. They had to investigate thoroughly, especially those who were rich but had no background or power. Those were the fat lambs in their eyes. Eating one of these fat lambs would bring them terrifying profits, more than what they would normally earn in several years.
And this time, their target was an extremely large fat lamb in their eyes. Eating just one of them would mean not having to worry about practicing for twenty years.
