Chapter Twenty-Nine: Nothing More Than a Merchant (Part One)

Qin Jing’s heart was far from calm. After all, he was watching as Puppet Number One was about to take a life. Though he had dropped out of school only a year ago and had mentally prepared himself for the resurgence of spiritual energy, now that a supernatural battle was unfolding before his very eyes, he still felt a wave of discomfort.

However, if he failed to intimidate the opposition, the one who would end up dead might very well be himself.

With this realization, Qin Jing swiftly steadied himself and spoke in a detached tone, “My name is Qin Jing. I am a legitimate, law-abiding merchant. I purchase all manner of mundane items, even old banknotes and discarded luxury goods. Of course, you can also obtain extraordinary items from me, such as magic stones.”

From the very first glance at Heather Lina, she had already appeared on Qin Jing’s list of potential clients. Her primary desire was clear: a magic stone.

Heather’s lips twitched slightly. With such a powerful subordinate, he still claimed to be an ordinary merchant? Who would believe that?

As if reading her thoughts, Qin Jing looked her straight in the eye and said, “Of course, to you, I am not merely a merchant.”

As he spoke, Qin Jing raised his right hand. Suddenly, a brilliant light appeared, and in the center of his palm lay a gem radiating boundless, mysterious brilliance.

“The Witch’s Stone!”

Heather drew in a sharp breath. Even when she had witnessed so many of her followers felled by a single punch, she had not been this shocked.

“The Witch’s Stone? The name certainly fits, but I prefer to call it the Tio Gem. It is the Tio family’s most treasured heirloom.”

As Qin Jing spoke, a streak of blackness suddenly appeared within the Tio Gem. The next instant, Heather let out a muffled cry of pain. Qin Jing saw flames ignite on Heather’s body—flames that, in a flash, condensed into the shape of a phoenix from Western mythology, as though trying to break free from her very being.

With a thud, Heather fell to her knees. Her face was contorted in terror and agony, her delicate features twisted with dread.

“So this is how the Tio Gem is used,” Qin Jing mused. He had learned from Zheng Qiuyin long ago that the Phoenix Society mainly wielded the power of witches, and even the Zheng sisters themselves were witches. At the time, Qin Jing had already thought of the Tio Gem, though he had no idea how to wield it. Even now, he wasn’t sure, but with a ninth-level alchemical puppet at his side, he could boldly bring out the gem and experiment with its use—just as he was doing now.

“I didn’t expect… you are actually a lord of the Tio family!” Heather’s expression grew complicated. Enduring the pain of her life-linked magical puppet being torn from her, she forced herself up, knelt before Qin Jing, and bowed her head. “I am willing to submit to your will. Please quell the wrath of thunder.”

Qin Jing raised an eyebrow. Even he hadn’t expected things to resolve so smoothly—the suppression of the mythic world over Earth was far greater than he had imagined.

With a slight flick of his hand, the Tio Gem vanished from his palm, tucked away into his storage space. Watching Heather’s complexion quickly improve, Qin Jing said directly, “I am not a member of the Tio family. I’ve already told you, I’m just an ordinary merchant from Earth.”

Heather gave a bitter smile. At a time like this, he still refused to reveal his true identity?

But she dared not protest, still kneeling as she replied sincerely, “Yes, I will keep your secret.”

Qin Jing shook his head and said coolly, “That’s up to you. All you need to know is that I’m a merchant dealing in reclaimed goods. If you have any respect or fear for me, you’re welcome to give me more business in the future. Now, you may leave—and you’d better hurry to save your subordinates; they’re on the brink of death.”

Could Heather be recruited? Naturally, Qin Jing could have subdued her—just the suppression from the Tio Gem showed as much. But he didn’t see the need. With three alchemical puppets, he wasn’t lacking in reliable muscle. What truly mattered was earning g-points. Clearly, sending Heather back to the Phoenix Society was the best move. If she was smart, she’d take his lead and might even bring him some major deals herself.

Heather, however, was filled with doubt. Could Qin Jing truly be just a merchant? A supernatural merchant?

She took a deep breath and replied respectfully, “No matter the origin of your Tio Gem, to me, you are the true master. If you wish to be a merchant, then tomorrow I will bring my subordinates to purchase supplies.”

At this point, an idea struck her, and she ventured tentatively, “You mentioned earlier that you have magic stones. Are they for sale?”

Qin Jing regarded her with a faint, ambiguous smile and answered naturally, “Of course. Provided you have enough items for me to reclaim. Old banknotes, for example—I only accept old banknotes.”

Heather was stunned. “You mean, I can buy magic stones simply by spending money?”

Indeed, the exchange rate of magic stones to g-points was one to ten. The rate for old banknotes to g-points was ten thousand to one. In other words, in terms of GDP, the rate for magic stones to old banknotes was one to a hundred thousand.

Qin Jing nodded without hesitation, thinking to himself, “Of course. Each magic stone has a starting price of one million in old banknotes.”

“One million? That little?” Heather blurted out. For a supernatural organization like the Phoenix Society, their financial reserves were counted in the billions. Though she couldn’t mobilize all their funds for magic stones, coming up with tens of millions was nothing—she could buy dozens of magic stones at once!

For a moment, Heather’s heart raced, and she nearly struck a deal with Qin Jing on the spot.

But just then, Qin Jing turned and glanced toward Second Alley, saying, “Those people inside—are you planning to take them with you?”

Times had changed. These days, there were some valuable things in his shop, so whenever he left, the shop’s labyrinthine security system would automatically activate. Now, a signal from the lock told him someone had entered its coverage.

Heather’s expression shifted, and she immediately replied with deference, “My apologies, Mr. Qin. The one who entered your shop is Wang Keng. He’s the one who provided the information claiming you possess beauty elixirs and their formulas. Before I arrived, he had already sneaked inside. I’ll go apprehend him and bring him before you…”

Qin Jing waved her off with a smile. “No need. He’s already been dealt with. If you’re curious, come have a look.”

With that, Qin Jing turned and walked into Second Alley, ignoring Heather entirely.

Dealt with? Could there still be hidden experts in the shop? Just who is this Mr. Qin? Could he really be scion of a great clan from the mythic world?

Heather watched Qin Jing with a complicated expression. In less than half an hour, it felt as if her entire life had been turned upside down. Not long ago, she had been the leader of the powerful Phoenix Society. Now, she was little more than a servant to a mysterious man—one who didn’t even want her service.

What made Heather want to weep most of all was that this transformation was entirely “willing” on her part. For once Qin Jing turned hostile, a mere thought would be enough to strip her of her witch’s magical puppet—the very source of all her power. After tasting the might of a supernatural being, who would ever wish to return to being ordinary?