Chapter 305

Lin Xun’s eyes widened, struggling to accept the logic: “Those who died in the desert sacrificed their lives to defeat the demons. What they’re doing… isn’t it just grave robbing?”

No one responded, because it was true.

The fallen cultivators had sacrificed themselves one after another, but instead of being remembered by the world, their personal belongings became treasures for others to fight over.

It was truly disheartening.

“You don’t have to be sad,” Wen Hemian, noticing Lin Xun’s downcast expression, comforted him gently.

“Not all people are like that. Many stills have kindness in their hearts.”

“Senior brother, you’re still the same.”

Tian Xianzi laughed aloud, patting the little white dragon on the shoulder.

“Your uncle master is right, but it’s also true that ‘human hearts can be worse than demons.’ In your future travels, you’d best keep a few more tricks up your sleeve.”

He paused, his smile fading halfway as his tone lowered, “The grave robbing is already bad enough, isn’t it? But you would never have imagined, back during the war, there were even more revolting things that happened.”

Lin Xun quietly listened, slightly parting his lips as Tian Xianzi continued.

“Take one event that happened right here in the Tianhe Desert as an example.”

Tian Xianzi spoke with patience: “A group of cultivators had just entered the desert and, being unfamiliar with the terrain, specifically hired a few local townspeople as guides. Unexpectedly, those townspeople had been lured by the demon clan. For a handful of jewels, they led the cultivators straight into an ambush.”

“That was the lives of more than a dozen cultivators, yet for those townspeople, their lives were worth far less than the riches they hoped to gain.”

By this point, Tian Xianzi’s smile had vanished completely, leaving only a deep and somber darkness in his eyes.

“You were born in the Dragon Palace, raised in comfort, and rarely had the chance to see things like this. Never forget that people can be treacherous, especially in these barren lands.”

He hadn’t finished speaking when a dark shadow suddenly passed by in front of them.

A little girl collided hard with Lin Xun’s side, muttered a quick ‘sorry’, and then darted away as swiftly as she had appeared, leaving no trace behind.

Tian Xianzi and the naive little dragon exchanged bewildered looks.

Tian Xianzi spoke first: “Do you know what just happened?”

Lin Xun blinked, confused.

“Umm… was that one of those fateful, unexpected encounters between the male and female leads you read about in storybooks?”

Tian Xianzi: …

With a ghostly expression, Tian Xianzi enunciated each word: “Your. Money. Pouch. Is. Gone.”

=====

One, two, three, four…

Hidden in the shadows, the girl held the now empty pouch of sharkskin silk, counting with a deep frown.

That group had looked quite impressive, and the money bag they carried was lavish.

They had to be high-level disciples from some prestigious sect.

But why were they so… broke?

This bag of stones wouldn’t even buy a new pouch to hold them.

She was so focused on counting that she didn’t hear the voice slowly approaching from behind: “Oh, you’re counting already?”

“Hmm.”

She nodded instinctively but then realized something was wrong and turned around in panic, only to see a familiar face.

It was the same young man who had been talking with the owner of the money pouch.

He smiled as he bent over, hands behind his back, and, as their eyes met, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips: “After stealing someone’s money, you’re supposed to run far away. Hiding after just two corners, aren’t you just waiting to get caught?”

He said nothing more, but the quiet pressure he exuded was undeniable, though it seemed restrained.

Even so, it was enough to make her chest tighten in fear.

Tian Xianzi glanced back and pulled Lin Xun forward.

“This… young lady,” Lin Xun was suddenly dragged into the confrontation.

Though he had thought about escaping or staying silent, as soon as he laid eyes on the stolen money pouch, his heart sank.

Every spirit stone she took was like watching a melon in his yard withered, and his heart was cut by the knife bit by bit.

It was as if the girl was holding not a purse, but his life.

Faced with a choice between his life and his social phobia, Lin Xun chose life: “Th-this is my money pouch. Could you, um… give it back to me?”

The girl silently stared at him.

For a brief moment, she wondered if something was wrong with his brain.

He was the victim, so why was he speaking to her, the thief, so politely?

In fact, he was treating her far better than many of the people in this town had.

“Why be so polite!”

He Zhizhou stepped forward, initially intending to act fierce, but after seeing the girl’s thin, haggard face, his tone softened immediately: “Miss, stealing isn’t good. If you return the money, we won’t hold it against you.”

After he finished speaking, he thought she would obediently return the pouch.

Unexpectedly, the girl let out a cold laugh: “Judging by your looks, you must be cultivators headed for Tianhe, right?”

Her tone was harsh, clearly thinking they were just another group of tomb raiders.

Lin Xun detested such unscrupulous acts, so how could he stand being misunderstood?

Just as he was about to explain, she flashed a bold, carefree grin: “From the looks of it, your cultivation should be pretty good, why don’t you take me with you? I’ve been in and out of Tianhe for many years, and in terms of seniority, no one in the whole town knows it better than me.”

This girl, so young, was actually an experienced grave robber.

The little dragon, having experienced a rollercoaster of emotions, felt as if fate was playing a cruel joke on him.

He opened his mouth, too stunned to speak.

“My name is Lu Wanxing. Ask around the Pingchuan, everyone knows who I am.”

As if to prove her worth, she pulled out a storage bag and, with a flash of golden light, a sword appeared in her hand.

“See this? I found this in the desert. It’s worth a fortune—and I’ve got even more treasures. If you take me with you, it’ll be well worth it.”

Although Wen Hemian remembered much about Tianhe, years had passed, and the desert was treacherous and unpredictable.

Having a guide would certainly make their journey easier.

But it shouldn’t be this unknown girl.

Moreover, from her words, it was clear she had been stealing from cultivators for years.

As fellow cultivators, they couldn’t condone such behavior.

Wen Hemian gazed at the sword and softly remarked: “This sword is brimming with spiritual energy. Even after being buried for years, it still shines faintly. Its owner must have been extraordinary.”

Tian Xianzi furrowed his brows and glanced at him: “I actually find the sword’s energy somewhat familiar.”

“Good eye!” Lu Wanxing squinted with a smile.

“I’ve been in the desert since I was little. I know every corner of it, every shift in the weather, every demonic beast that roams here. If anyone understands this place best, it’s me. You might want to reconsider.”

Ning Ning asked curiously: “There are plenty of cultivators who come and go from here. Why did you choose us?”

“I’ve been through both the outer and middle rings of Tianhe. There’s nothing interesting there.”

Still clutching the money pouch, her eyes gleamed: “You seem to have a high level of cultivation. You will definitely not be satisfied with just the outskirts of the desert, right? If I follow you, I will definitely find more good things.”

This girl sure knew how to read people and negotiate.

“Senior brother.”

Tian Xianzi turned to Wen Hemian, “what should we do?”