He found me!
This thought made Bai Zhi's hairs stand on end.
She had corrected countless villains, but never had one given her such immense pressure.
She was like an ant, thinking she was well hidden, unaware that her every move had long fallen into human eyes.
Run?
The moment this thought arose, she crushed it.
Running would be equivalent to a complete surrender.
Bai Zhi would never flee without a fight!
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the turbulent waves in her heart, pushed open the car door, and paid the fare.
She pulled her hat brim lower again, blended into the crowd, and walked into this Antique Street, full of hustle and bustle.
She told herself that the smile just now must have been an illusion.
Yes, he just looked back casually; it was impossible for him to have noticed her!
...The Antique Street in the Demon City was bustling with people, a mix of all sorts.
Xiao Fan arrived the earliest; he weaved through the crowded streets, his eyes surprisingly bright.
Indeed, his guess was correct!
The Antique Street, in his eyes, was no longer an ordinary street but a fertile mining field waiting to be harvested!
Those authentic antiques displayed in exquisitely decorated shops, protected by glass covers, would more or less drop attribute orbs.
["Ming Dynasty Blue and White Porcelain Vase" dropped attribute: Ancient Charm +2, do you want to pick it up?]
["Tang Dynasty Sancai Horse" dropped attribute: Historical Heritage +1, do you want to pick it up?]
"Pick up! Pick up!"
Xiao Fan silently chanted in his mind, absorbing these orbs one by one.
Streams of cool energy flowed into his brain, making him feel that his insight and temperament were subtly changing.
However, the merchants themselves knew that these genuine items that dropped attributes were real, and their prices were astronomical; he simply couldn't afford them.
Relying on this to find a hidden gem was nothing short of a pipe dream.
Not far behind him, Lu Cheng also leisurely walked into the market.
He watched Xiao Fan, like a diligent little bee, hovering at the entrances of various shops, absorbing those faint attribute orbs, the smile on his lips growing wider.
[Ding! Hundredfold Return has been triggered!]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Appraisal Ability +2000!]
This feeling was like watching his own leeks diligently absorbing nutrients, while he, in the end, effortlessly harvested the fruits.
How interesting.
Xiao Fan finished browsing the high-end shops; although he had some gains, there was more unwillingness in his heart.
These scattered attributes simply couldn't make him reach the heavens in one step!
What he wanted was an astonishing hidden gem that could make him soar!
He turned his gaze to the other side of the street, to those messy-looking stalls set up on the ground.
That was where the true mix of people was, and where one's discerning eye was truly tested!
He walked and looked, his heart growing more excited; he knew that with patience, he would definitely find that astonishing hidden gem that belonged to him!
Finally, at an inconspicuous corner stall, Xiao Fan's footsteps suddenly stopped.
His eyes were fixed on a small bronze tripod that looked dusty, covered in dirt, and even had a missing corner.
In his vision, that small tripod, which to others was no different from scrap metal, was emitting an unprecedented, dazzling golden light that only he could see!
That light was even a hundred times more brilliant than all the genuine items combined before!
["Ancient Alchemy Cauldron" dropped attribute: Ancient Aura +100!]
["Ancient Alchemy Cauldron" dropped attribute: Alchemy Experience +50!]
["Ancient Alchemy Cauldron" dropped attribute: Fragment of Medicine King's Remnant Soul +1!]
Boom!
Xiao Fan's heart almost leaped out of his throat!
Ancient!
Alchemy!
Medicine King's Remnant Soul!
Any one of these words was enough to change an ordinary person's destiny!
He forcibly suppressed the ecstasy in his heart, his breathing becoming rapid.
He remembered the standard procedures for protagonists finding hidden gems in the novels he had read.
Don't ask directly!
Make a feint!
Play hard to get!
He took a deep breath and began what he considered an Oscar-worthy performance.
He first picked up a broken bowl nearby, pretending to haggle with the stall owner, then put the bowl down with a feigned look of disdain.
Finally, as if inadvertently, he kicked the small bronze tripod with his toe.
"Boss, this broken thing of yours, it's so heavy, even scrap metal dealers might not want it."
He said in an utterly contemptuous tone, "Why don't you just give it to me? I'll take it home and use it as a dog bowl."
The stall owner was a greasy fat man, yawning idly.
He glanced at Xiao Fan, then at the small tripod, and waved his hand impatiently.
"Go away, go away. If you can't afford it, don't touch it randomly."
"This is a family heirloom! Not a penny less than a thousand yuan!"
A thousand yuan!
Xiao Fan was ecstatic, but his face still maintained that disdainful expression.
Just as he was overjoyed and about to pull out the money.
A lazy, yet seemingly magical voice, came from behind him.
"Boss, this small tripod looks quite unique; I'll buy it."
This voice!
Xiao Fan turned his head sharply, seeing the face he would never forget in this lifetime, the face he utterly detested!
Lu Cheng!
How could he be here?!
Lu Cheng didn't even look at Xiao Fan, as if he were just an annoying speck of dust.
His gaze casually fell on the small tripod, as if he genuinely just found its shape unique.
And not far away, behind another stall, Bai Zhi watched this scene clearly.
Her heart tightened.
That young man picking up attributes must be the Son of Destiny in this world, right?
This villainous Lu Cheng, he came to intercept him?
He really isn't a good person!
Bai Zhi clenched her fists, her sense of justice burning fiercely.
Lu Cheng didn't give the stall owner or Xiao Fan any chance to react; he directly pulled out a thick wad of red banknotes from his wallet and casually tossed them onto the stall.
"Here's ten thousand; keep the change."
Seeing the ten thousand yuan, the stall owner's eyes instantly widened; he no longer cared about who was first, and the impatience on his face instantly turned into the most fawning smile.
He fumbled to pick up the money, bowing and scraping as he respectfully handed the small bronze tripod to Lu Cheng.
"Oh, thank you, boss! Thank you, big boss!"
"Please take care! Please come again!"
Xiao Fan was completely stunned.
He watched helplessly as his heaven-sent opportunity, his hope of changing his destiny, was thus casually snatched away by Lu Cheng!
He didn't even have a chance to make an offer!
A towering rage and humiliation, like a volcanic eruption, instantly overwhelmed all his reason!
[Ding! You have suffered a dimensionality reduction attack from a villain!]
[Warning! Your behavior has been judged as "clumsy acting" in the eyes of the onlookers!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a new title: "Self-Deluded"!]
[Title effect: When you engage in self-satisfied behavior, the comedic effect is increased by 200%!]
A series of blood-red system prompts made Xiao Fan's brain buzz.
He stared intently at Lu Cheng, his eyes bloodshot from congestion, his body trembling violently from extreme anger.
"You...!"