Chapter 10: The Zhang Lin Couple

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As the sun dipped below the horizon, the streets of Destiny City were bathed in a golden hue. Lin Chuan walked the path back to the small courtyard in the T-junction district, clutching the day's treasure appraisal commission—a mere three taels of silver.

“Fatty, don’t you think we’re being too cautious?” Lin Chuan communicated silently with his companion.

“That bronze cauldron was clearly a damaged spirit artifact. Even in its broken state, the materials alone are valuable. If I had revealed its origin, we could have earned at least a hundred taels of gold...” Lin Chuan mused.

“Chuan’er, don’t be greedy,” Fatty’s voice echoed lazily in his mind. “You’re only at the third stage of body refinement; your cultivation is too weak. Occasionally identifying one or two valuable items is fine, but you just recognized a star core fragment three days ago, and now you’ve identified a damaged spirit artifact that even craftsmasters can’t recognize. That will only bring unnecessary trouble.”

Lin Chuan pursed his lips and ceased arguing.

Turning the final corner, he saw the small courtyard he rented. Standing in front of the gate was a familiar figure—Pan Yu.

The sweet, warm smile and fiery enthusiasm Pan Yu had shown that morning were gone, replaced by a completely different demeanor. She stood with arms crossed, expressionless at the gate, her gaze icy as she watched Lin Chuan approach.

“Miss Pan, what a coincidence...” Lin Chuan smiled, about to greet her.

“Not a coincidence. I’m waiting for you,” Pan Yu interrupted, her voice cold as ice. “Pay me for this morning’s meal.”

Lin Chuan was momentarily stunned, then understood. It seemed that after hearing his words that morning, Pan Yu had investigated him during the day, discovered he had no powerful connections, and immediately turned hostile.

“That’s fair,” Lin Chuan said calmly, pulling out the three taels of silver and handing them over. “This is today’s commission, though it’s not much...”

Pan Yu didn’t even glance at the silver. A mocking smile curled on her lips.

“You think that breakfast was worth a few copper coins? Let me tell you, it was the signature breakfast from the Drunken Immortal Tavern, which I specially ordered. Five taels of gold.”

Lin Chuan’s pupils contracted sharply.

Though he hadn’t been to the Drunken Immortal Tavern these days, he had come to understand the living standards of the lower class in Destiny City. Five taels of gold for one breakfast was clearly extortion.

“What, don’t want to pay?” Pan Yu raised an eyebrow. “Or are you planning to stiff me?”

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In his mind, Fatty snorted: “This woman changes her face faster than flipping a book.”

Lin Chuan took a deep breath and withdrew the only five taels of gold he carried from his pouch.

He currently had over a hundred taels of gold in total, but it was unwise to carry it all on him. Most of it was kept inside the Blood Spirit Ring where Fatty resided, leaving only five taels on hand for convenience.

Expressionless, he handed the gold to Pan Yu. “Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Pan.”

Pan Yu took the gold and finally showed a smile, but it was one of condescension and disdain.

“Smart of you,” she said, then turned and pushed open the gate, entering without looking back.

Lin Chuan stood frozen, watching her retreating figure, feeling annoyed.

Though he knew Pan Yu’s approach had ulterior motives and was prepared to be taken advantage of, he hadn’t expected her to reverse her attitude so quickly and make such an outrageous demand.

“Heh, if you’d listened to me and not told her those things, she wouldn’t have ripped you off, maybe even let you take what you wanted,” Fatty’s voice sounded just in time.

Lin Chuan wasn’t yet at the stage where the small head controlled the big head; he shook his head and stepped inside the courtyard.

At the stone table, Wang Tiezhu was sitting with a young couple, eating together.

Upon seeing Lin Chuan, Wang Tiezhu immediately stood and waved warmly. “Brother Lin! Come quick, just in time for the meal!”

Lin Chuan approached.

Wang Tiezhu pulled him to sit down and introduced, “These two are Brother Zhang Lin and Sister-in-law Li Yu. They moved into this courtyard several years before us.”

“Greetings, Brother Lin,” Zhang Lin, a solid-looking middle-aged man, nodded with a smile. “I heard from Tiezhu you work at the Destiny Tower? That’s a good place.”

“I’m just a fifth-ranked treasure appraiser,” Lin Chuan replied modestly.

“Even a fifth-ranked appraiser is a treasure appraiser at the Destiny Tower—that’s much better than us ordinary folks,” Li Yu spoke frankly, ladling a bowl of hot soup for Lin Chuan. “Here, try the beast bone broth I made.”

Lin Chuan thanked her and accepted the soup; the warmth eased his tense nerves slightly.

At this moment, Wang Tiezhu lowered his voice and asked, “Brother Lin, did Miss Pan also ask you for breakfast money?”

Lin Chuan nodded. “Five taels of gold.”

“What?” Wang Tiezhu’s eyes widened. “She asked me for five taels of silver!”

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Li Yu sneered. “That Pan Yu, always playing that trick.”

“How do you know about this?” Lin Chuan asked curiously.

Li Yu put down her chopsticks, a look of disdain on her face. “When Old Zhang and I first moved here, she did the same to us. Warm and hospitable at first, asking about our background. Once she found out we had no connections, she turned around and demanded money.”

“Why?” Wang Tiezhu looked puzzled. “She doesn’t seem like someone short on money.”

“Of course, she isn’t,” Zhang Lin took over. “Though she works as a courtesan at the Drunken Immortal Tavern, which is a high-end establishment in the commoner district. Tips there start at one tael of silver. What she’s doing is just trying to attach herself to the powerful.”

Li Yu nodded in agreement. “She specifically targets newcomers in the rental houses, treating them warmly at first. Once she confirms they have no background, she flips and demands money. If she meets someone with connections, she continues flattering them, hoping to build ties.”

Wang Tiezhu suddenly understood.

No wonder Pan Yu was so warm to him and Wang Tiezhu that morning—she was testing their backgrounds.

“I... I thought she was a good person...” Wang Tiezhu said dejectedly, lowering his head. “She even made me porridge this morning...”

“Tiezhu, this world is unpredictable,” Zhang Lin patted his shoulder. “Especially in a place like Destiny City, without some background, who doesn’t want to climb upward?”

Then Zhang Lin changed the subject, “Enough of the unpleasant talk, let’s eat.”

The meal was modest, consisting of simple home-style dishes. The only somewhat special dish was the beast bone broth, but since it was just bones, it didn’t cost much.

However, Zhang Lin and Li Yu were not the mercenary type like Pan Yu.

Thus, despite the humble fare, the four of them ate happily together.

During the meal, Lin Chuan learned more about Zhang Lin and Li Yu’s background.

The couple hailed from a small town. At eighteen, Zhang Lin eloped with Li Yu to the outskirts of Destiny City. After two years of saving, they gathered enough money to obtain city entry permits and officially entered Destiny City to make their way.

Their lifelong dream was to buy a small house within the city, become part of Destiny City, and raise a child who could cultivate from an early age.

Now, the couple had been in Destiny City for ten years.

Although opportunities were everywhere in Destiny City, it was still incredibly difficult for ordinary people at the bottom to rise.

Without city residency, they could only stay in the city for eighty-four days each year. After deducting the cost for next year’s entry permit, little money remained.

Their dream still lay far beyond reach.