Lin Che used Lightning Escape all the way back to Spirit Spring Town, and it was almost dawn when he arrived.
[Congratulations to Host for successfully escaping! Fleeing proficiency +100, earned title "Wind-like Handsome Devil"!]
"Scram!" Lin Che panted. "I almost lost my fucking life, and you're still babbling nonsense!"
He had just pushed open his inn room door when he saw Lao Ma sitting at the table with his legs crossed, leisurely sipping spirit tea.
"Oh, Young Friend Lin is back? How was the Phantom Cloak? Did it work well?" Lao Ma grinned, his face full of wrinkles. "That one thousand spirit stone rental fee, time to settle up?"
Lin Che's face darkened: "You have the nerve to ask for money?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Lao Ma's eyes widened with righteous indignation. "The cloak is intact, performance excellent, fair for all ages! Exactly one thousand for rent, plus another thousand for partnership fee, total two thousand spirit stones. Thank you for your patronage!"
[System Notice: Detected Lao Ma activating "price gouging" mode. Suggest Host use "physical bargaining method".]
"Physical bargaining method?" Lin Che cracked his knuckles.
Lao Ma's face changed and he waved his hands frantically: "No, no, no! Let's talk it over! How about this, I'll give you a 1% discount, pay one thousand nine hundred eighty!"
"You call that a fucking discount?"
"Young people shouldn't sweat the details!" Lao Ma said solemnly. "Alright, seeing as we're acquaintances, I'll round it down for you, one thousand eight! Can't go lower!"
Lin Che laughed from anger: "You round it down again, are you going to owe me money?"
"Aiya, Young Friend Lin has such a sense of humor!" Lao Ma chuckled. "Then one thousand five, final offer!"
The two went back and forth, haggling for half an hour, finally settling on one thousand spirit stones.
[System Roast: Host, you spent half an hour bargaining with a scammer and only saved one thousand spirit stones. Suggestion: Just rob him next time, more efficient.]
"You think I don't want to rob him?" Lin Che gritted his teeth and paid up.
Lao Ma happily stored the spirit stones in his pouch, then patted his butt and got up: "Then this old man won't disturb you further, sweet dreams..."
Saying that, he wobbled out of the room and even thoughtfully closed the door.
Lin Che lay on the bed, had just closed his eyes when he heard System alert:
[Warning! Detected abnormal fluctuation in storage pouch! Spirit stones being stolen...]
[Amount stolen: 1000 low-grade spirit stones.]
[Perpetrator: Lao Ma (repeat offender).]
Lin Che: "..."
He didn't even bother opening his eyes, just rolled over and went back to sleep.
[Host, you've been robbed, not angry?]
"Used to it." Lin Che yawned. "Being able to get rid of him with low-grade spirit stones is already a profit. That old fox, if you really piss him off, he can slap me to death with one palm."
[System silent for three seconds: ...Host, you've finally learned strategic submission.]
The next evening.
[System Notice: Side quest "Infiltrate Moonlight Pool" completed! Reward: Slaughter Points +2000, "Forgetful Curse removal clue ×1" distributed.]
[Congratulations to Host for obtaining permanent item "Phantom Cloak"!]
"Permanent?" Lin Che was stunned. "Didn't Lao Ma say it was a rental?"
[After system detection, Lao Ma has transferred cloak ownership to Host. Transfer price: Host's one thousand low-grade spirit stones.]
[Note: After stealing the spirit stones, Lao Ma carved a blood contract "Gifted to Lin Che" on the cloak. Can't take it back now even if he wanted to.]
Lin Che: "...This old fox, is he scamming me or helping me?"
[System Analysis: Both. He scammed your spirit stones, but also gave you a life-saving item. Conclusion: This is a scammer with principles.]
[Ding! Item "Forgetful Curse removal clue ×1" usage method as follows]
[Item Effect: After use, System will conduct deep deduction, providing one of three removal methods]
Method 1: Find the curse caster (Mount Emei Grand Elder) and kill, force removal (Difficulty: Extreme)
Method 2: Collect three heaven-and-earth treasures (Thousand-Year Forget-Not Grass, Nine Nether Soul-Returning Flower, Three-Life Stone Milk) to refine "Memory-Restoring Pill" (Difficulty: Medium)
Method 3: Host dual cultivates souls with target, slowly wash away seal with Lightning Source Nascent Soul power (Difficulty: Very Low, but target may not cooperate, with risk of being chased)