“This… is very dangerous!”
“Once discovered… the consequences would be unimaginable!”
But… looking at the hint of “sincere” difficulty in his deep eyes, and thinking of his timely assistance just now… Su Li’s heart… wavered slightly.
“The official channel… requires registration at the Hunter’s Guild, inputting biological information and ability characteristics, and binding an identity chip.”
Su Li’s voice was even lower, almost only audible to the two of them.
“But… in Shenjing Area… nothing is… absolute.”
A complex light flickered in her amethyst-like eyes, as if she was weighing something.
Finally, she bit her lower lip lightly, as if having made up her mind.
“In ‘Gray Rat Alley’… there’s a place… called ‘Old Ghost’s General Store’.”
Su Li’s voice was like a mosquito’s buzz.
“There… perhaps… you can buy… the ‘identity’ you need.”
“Gray Rat Alley? Old Ghost’s General Store?”
A glint, barely perceptible, flashed in Ling Chen’s deep black eyes! The curve of his lips deepened, carrying a hint of… playful… smile.
“Sounds like… an interesting place. Thank you for the guidance, Miss Su.”
He raised his glass and gestured to Su Li.
“This drink… is to your singing… and… your… kindness.”
Su Li looked at his gentle smile, her heart slightly eased, and she also picked up the lemonade that had been brought to her by a waiter at some point, taking a small sip.
In her amethyst-like eyes, the vigilance gradually gave way to a… faint… curiosity and… a hint of… indescribable… closeness.
“Mr. Ling… how long do you plan to stay in Shenjing Area?”
Su Li asked softly.
“It depends.”
Ling Chen put down his glass, his deep black eyes looking towards the noisy crowd deeper in the bar, his gaze seemingly distant.
“Perhaps… I’ll stay for a while. After all… this place… is very interesting.”
He withdrew his gaze and looked back at Su Li, a charming curve on his lips.
“Especially… being able to hear Miss Su’s singing.”
Su Li’s cheeks flushed again, and she lowered her head slightly. “You… flatter me.”
As the two conversed seemingly casually, deep within Ling Chen’s profound black eyes, the Soul Jade Physique’s cold will operated at high speed, analyzing every piece of information Su Li revealed and evaluating her value.
Gray Rat Alley… Old Ghost’s General Store… Black Market Identity…
A… secret passage… leading to… the underground world of Shenjing Area… was… slowly… opening.
And Su Li… this key… seemed… even more… useful… than expected.
Location: Shenjing Area Underground City, C3 Layer, Gray Rat Alley
When they left the 【Undercurrent】 bar, the night (simulated) was already deep.
Ling Chen politely declined Su Li’s kind offer to lead the way, only asking her to draw an extremely simple map.
He took Tang Yinmeng, blending into the still bustling crowd in the plaza like the most ordinary tourists.
Gray Rat Alley, located beneath the Dawn Plaza on B1 layer, required taking an old, creaking freight elevator down two floors.
In stark contrast to the brightly lit, orderly B1 layer, the C3 layer was dimly lit, the air murky, permeated with a damp, moldy smell, engine oil, and… a faint… scent of cheap synthetic food.
The streets were narrow and crowded, flanked by low, dilapidated alloy shacks and shops converted from discarded shipping containers.
Most of the signs were crooked, flashing with dazzlingly cheap neon lights.
Most pedestrians were hurried, dressed in worn clothes, their eyes wary and numb.
This was the bottom layer of the Shenjing Area Underground City, a corner where sunlight (simulated) struggled to reach, a… relatively… blurred… gray area where rules… were… ambiguous.
Following the map Su Li drew, Ling Chen led Tang Yinmeng through the maze-like alleys.
Tang Yinmeng followed closely behind Ling Chen, her molten-gold pupils warily scanning the dark corners and the malicious gazes around them.
She felt this place was even more dangerous than Ling Hui’s ruins! At least the ghouls in the ruins… were overt enemies! But here… it was… a quagmire… of human hearts!
Finally, at the end of an alley filled with discarded mechanical parts and reeking of engine oil, they found the place.
A wooden sign, almost covered in grease, hung crookedly on a rusty alloy rolling shutter door.
On the wooden sign, several blurry words were written in red paint— “Old Ghost’s Sundries.”
Squatting at the entrance was a disheveled teenager in greasy overalls, his face smudged with oil.
He held a cheap cigarette in his mouth, his eyes warily assessing Ling Chen and Tang Yinmeng as they approached.
“Buying something?” the teenager exhaled a smoke ring, his voice hoarse.
“Looking for Old Ghost.”
Ling Chen’s voice was calm, his deep black eyes like cold stars in the dim light.
“To buy some… special ‘goods’.”
The teenager narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Ling Chen up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on his well-tailored dark gray overcoat and Tang Yinmeng’s obviously ill-fitting off-white cashmere dress, a hint of barely perceptible greed and… apprehension… flashing in his eyes.
He extinguished his cigarette butt, stood up, and walked to an inconspicuous communicator next to the rolling shutter door, pressing a few buttons.
A moment later, the rolling shutter door emitted a harsh “creak” and slowly rose, revealing a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.
“Go in.”
The teenager stepped aside, gesturing with his eyes.
Ling Chen didn’t hesitate at all, bending down and entering first. Tang Yinmeng gritted her teeth and followed closely behind.
The rolling shutter door fell shut behind them with a “creak”! Cutting off the outside light and noise!
Inside… was an… extremely… cramped! Cluttered!
Space… reeking of strong engine oil, metal, and… cheap tobacco!
Various discarded mechanical parts, electronic components, broken weapons, and even… some unknown objects… emitting faint energy fluctuations… were piled high! Leaving only a narrow passage, just wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways!
At the end of the passage, in an extremely dim corner! Stood a… greasy… metal workbench!
Behind the workbench! Sat a… figure!
He was hunched over! Wearing a black leather apron stained with oil! His hair was sparse and gray! His face was covered with deep wrinkles and… several hideous scars!
One eye… was a cloudy gray-white! Clearly blind!
The other eye… however… sparkled with… a sharp! Cold! Light… like a hawk’s! Full of vigilance and… calculation!
In his hand… he was holding an… extremely precise… electronic magnifying glass!
Carefully… examining… a… miniature chip… glowing with a faint blue light… on the workbench!
Hearing footsteps, his single eye… slowly lifted!
His sharp, knife-like gaze… instantly… locked onto… Ling Chen!
“New face?” His voice was hoarse and grating, like sandpaper rubbing. “Who sent you?”
“Su Li.”
Ling Chen’s voice was calm and unruffled, his deep black eyes calmly meeting that sharp single eye.
“She said… you here… can buy… ‘identity’.”
“Su Li?”
A subtle… ripple… flashed in Old Ghost’s single eye. He put down the magnifying glass, and that sharp single eye, like a searchlight, swept back and forth over Ling Chen and Tang Yinmeng!
As if to… thoroughly… see through them… from inside out!
“Hmph…” Old Ghost let out an ambiguous cold snort.
“That little girl… has guts.”
His single eye stared intently at Ling Chen.
“‘Identity’? What level? Clean? Or… with a ‘story’?”
“Clean ones, one for an ability user, one for a normal person.”
Ling Chen was concise.
“The ability user’s one needs to pass the Hunter’s Guild basic certification, Energy Condensation Stage, ability… Domain type, Muddy Marsh Restraint.”
“Muddy Marsh Restraint?”
Old Ghost’s single eye narrowed slightly, his sharp gaze lingering on Ling Chen for a moment, as if evaluating something.
“The normal person’s one is fine, but an ability user, Domain type… isn’t cheap, especially… a clean one.”
“Name your price.”
Ling Chen’s voice remained calm, his deep black eyes showing no ripples.
Old Ghost’s single eye gleamed, and he extended his withered, hawk-claw-like fingers, tapping a few times on the greasy workbench, as if calculating something.
“Three… pure… Energy Condensation Stage cores.” He stated a number, his single eye fixed on Ling Chen, observing his reaction. “Or… equivalent… contribution points.”
Three Energy Condensation Stage cores! This was almost a normal Energy Condensation Stage ability user’s year’s savings! Black! Truly black!
But Ling Chen… didn’t even frown.
He slowly raised his right hand. Palm facing up.
Buzz!
An extremely restrained, yet incredibly heavy and viscous invisible force field instantly spread out! Enveloping a one-meter radius around him! Slightly lifting the small scattered parts on the workbench! Suspending them in the air!
It was precisely his previously demonstrated “Muddy Marsh Domain”!
“Genuine.”
Ling Chen’s voice was deep and magnetic, with a hint of playful smile. “Is it worth the price?”
Old Ghost’s single eye suddenly constricted! A hint of… shock and… greed… flashed in his sharp pupil! He stared intently at the invisible force field in Ling Chen’s palm! Feeling the heavy, viscous power of restraint!
“Good! What a Muddy Marsh Domain!” Old Ghost’s voice was hoarse with excitement! “Deal!”
He suddenly pulled open an extremely hidden drawer beneath the workbench! Inside… were… rows of… identity chips… glowing with a faint blue light! And… matching… disguised documents!
His withered fingers moved like lightning as he selected from them! Soon! He took out a… seemingly… very ordinary… unmarked… black chip! And… an… equally ordinary… plastic card!
At the same time, he looked at Tang Yinmeng and only pulled out an ordinary plastic card.
“People in Shenjing Area don’t pay much attention to ordinary people. Usually, they just need to carry a temporary ID card, it’s not very technical, so it’s on me.”
“The chip is implanted under the skin! Binds biological information! The card is the public identity! Name… Lin Chen! Identity… Wandering Ability User! Entered Shenjing Area three days ago through the C7 District entrance security check! Ability registration… Muddy Marsh Domain (Energy Condensation Stage Lv.1)!”
Old Ghost spoke extremely fast, as if reciting!
“Hunter’s Guild basic certification is absolutely no problem! As long as you don’t provoke the Xuan Niao Guard’s deep scan!”
He pushed the chip and card towards Ling Chen! His single eye gleamed with greed!
“The cores!”
Ling Chen’s deep black eyes swept over the chip and card. The Soul Jade Physique’s cold will instantly scanned the chip’s internal structure! Confirming no tracking or backdoor programs!
He flipped his wrist! In his palm… appeared out of thin air… three… perfectly round… Energy Condensation Stage cores… emitting a pure blue light! With what seemed like liquid energy flowing inside!
They were precisely the spoils of war he had… casually collected… from the ruins of the Panshi Fortress battlefield!
“Pleasure doing business.”
Ling Chen’s lips curved into an elegant arc, and he gently placed the cores on the greasy workbench.
Old Ghost’s single eye instantly burst with fervent light! He snatched the cores! Like a hungry wolf pouncing on prey! After careful inspection, a satisfied, slightly sinister smile appeared on his face!
“Excellent!”
He pushed the chip and card towards Ling Chen!
“The implanter is over there! Do it yourself! Turn left when you leave! No need to see you out!”
Ling Chen picked up the chip and card, a faint, imperceptible cold light flashing in his deep black eyes. He turned, taking Tang Yinmeng, and walked without looking back towards an… old implanter… in the corner.
Identity… obtained!
Lin Chen… a Muddy Marsh Domain ability user… a… “wanderer”… who had just settled… in the Shenjing Area Underground City.