Standing at the top of the Book Pavilion’s stairs, the lively Shu Ling waved toward the departing back of her new study buddy, “Don’t forget, this fairy will come find you later!”

Without turning back, Bubai raised his fisted hand into the air, his pinky finger extending and waving farewell.

Lowering his hand, Bubai’s eyes inspected the bracelet on his wrist.

This was one of the demerits of his new situation, but it wasn’t the only one.

Another downside is that the Shu Ling really seemed to have become flesh and blood, no longer visiting him in a dream.

This meant he could no longer collect memory orbs from her to improve the Shu Fairy Solar System.

“Well… on the bright side, I will no longer suffer from memory loss…”

There are always pros and cons to every situation and choice. It’s just that some are clear-cut while others remained buried until the future.

As a non-omniscient existence, Bubai could only do his best to make sure he was ready.

“Now that I have time and the funds, I should start making some preparations…”

Bubai’s mind buzzed with thoughts of survival in the desert as his strides took him toward the West District.

West District.

In a well-lit alley, Bubai came to a halt, his gaze scanning the surroundings like a hawk assessing its territory.

He nonchalantly gestured towards the couple of servants who had been lugging along the sturdy boxes with the ceramic jars and vat he had picked out. "Just leave it here.”

The servants exchanged uncertain glances, one of them speaking up, "Young master Mo, really leave it here?"

With a slight smirk playing on his lips, Bubai nodded, "Yes, you can all go back. I'll handle the rest." He patted the green embroidered pouch on his waist.

With a mixture of confusion and relief, the servants placed the purchases down as instructed.

“Thank you for doing business with He Hollow Emporium. We welcome young master Mo to come anytime!” One of them bid farewell before they silently retreated from the alley.

Once they were some distance away, their voices carried back to Bubai through his divine sense.

"Why bother us when he could have just used the storage bag from the start?" one of them muttered, a hint of annoyance evident in his tone.

"Who knows what these lofty guys think."

“Hey, I also want it to be that convenient…” Bubai couldn't help but mutter to himself.

With another routine scan of the area to ensure he was alone, Bubai set to work.

Bubai approached each box and small jar in turn, his touch causing them to vanish into thin air. Finally, Bubai paused for a moment when he looked at the last item - a bronze vat.

If he filled it with water, it would probably weigh around 400 jin – a bit more than a fifth of a ton. That was how large the vat was.

Now, Bubai had to squeeze this in… “Um, it will… fit.”

Soon, there were no trace of its presence left behind, the alley now empty save for him.

Bubai’s focus then shifted to his storage space.

Scattered within were various newly-purchased antidotes, tools for various purposes including make-up, perfumes, wigs, outfits, ropes, flasks, vials, formation supplies, hidden weapons… the list goes on.

Coupled with the just added boxes and jars, his three cubic meters storage space now seemed so small…

“Well, you can never be too prepared.”

He had money and a hidden storage space. It was only natural for him to make the most of them instead of letting them sit and gather dust.

Fortunately, the majority of his expenses could be covered by mortal currencies.

Outside of the expenditures on formation supplies, only a few spirit stones needed to be reluctantly squeezed out for the purchase of antidotes and medicinal pills.

“It’s unknown if I’ll ever use them, but better safe than sorry.”

Bubai then focused on his awakened doll, who stood amongst the new supplies cluttering the cramped space, awaiting his orders.

"Jali, organize these supplies into the storage containers and stack them neatly to make space. Oh, leave the jars empty.”

Receiving her instructions, An Jali curtsied, “As my king commands.”

Then, donning a mask of determination, she set to work.

Bubai watched her for a moment, confirming her intellect was sufficient to sort the items, before his attention shifted back to reality.

He reached once more for the green pouch at his waist, slipping it into his robe. Secretly, a flick of his fingers caused it to vanish as well.

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With a satisfied smile, Bubai straightened up, making his way out from the alley.

Stepping back into the rather empty, sunlit streets, Bubai glanced at the bracelet on his wrist. “Huh. It’s past noon... Shu Ling still hasn’t shown up. Should I go back to the Book Pavilion or wait by my tower?”

Lost in thought, Bubai instinctively made his way toward the East District.

But just when he rounded another corner, a call sliced through his comfort zone, "Brother, please slow your step!"

Huh? Random encounter number two… it couldn’t be another Jia Shizi, right?

Turning to the source of the interruption, Bubai's eyes fell upon a scrawny figure with hair resembling a bird's nest.

There was a mischievous glint in the man’s eyes as he waved eagerly, approaching with a grin stretching from ear to ear.

Though there was a sense of familiarity, the man’s face was the type that would blend in quite well with the crowd. So, Bubai couldn't quite place the face before him. "You are...?"

Stopping in front of him, the scrawny man maintained his grin as he dropped a subtle hint, "Oh, does brother not remember me? We met during the Sun’s Howling Rage."

Thanks to the reminder, the gears of memory soon clicked into place. Bubai couldn’t help but blurt out, "Oh, you're the one who was arrested for flying."

“Right, right!” The scrawny man chuckled as he waved off the comment dismissively. "Ah, just some small tricks to avoid the storm."

He raised his inner disciple token, giving it a flick as if to emphasize his point. "I'm sure brother understands," he winked.

Oh, so that’s the reason this man got himself arrested.

It didn’t take much to piece together the puzzle of the scrawny man's goal.

Even in situations where cannon fodder was required, the sect typically refrained from sending out criminals. Doing this was just like releasing wolves back into the wild.

Thus, it was a common tactic among the cunning to use imprisonment as a means of dodging unwanted obligations, such as the military conscription to the secret realm.

Of course, not everyone can exploit this method. After all, getting into prison was relatively straightforward, but getting out was another matter.

So, this man’s background was far from simple.

Crossing his arms, Bubai regarded the scrawny man with a mixture of curiosity and caution. "So, is there a problem?"

The scrawny man shook his head, his grin never faltering. "No, no problem at all! It's just rare to encounter a like-minded fellow, that's all. I simply wanted to introduce myself... make a friend."

With that, the scrawny man raised a hand to comb back his messy hair, his demeanor friendly yet tinged with an underlying sense of mischief. "Qian as in wealth, Ge as in song. I’m the eighth of my family, so you can call me Bage."

Qian Bage then stared at Bubai in silence.

Bubai regarded him with a cautious nod, “Bubai. Mo Bubai.”

“Haha, so it’s Brother Bai! A handsome name, matching your outstanding stature!” Qian Bage flattered, the loud words rolling over like a wave. "Well met, well met, indeed!"

Following his flattery, Bage rubbed his hand together with anticipation. "Brother Bai, now that we've exchanged pleasantries, how about we discuss some serious business? For a good brother like you, I happen to have a good deal that may-"

"Not interested," Bubai stated bluntly, already turning to walk away.

A good deal after meeting for the first time? It doesn’t sound sketchy at all!

"Wait, wait, wait!" Qian Bage hurriedly blocked his path. "Maybe you'll reconsider after you take a look..."

After slyly looking left and right, Qian Bage leaned in closer to Bubai, his movements shrouding the pouch he held.

With a flick of his wrist, Qian Bage opened his storage pouch, and Bubai’s eyes involuntarily peeked into it.

His eyes immediately widened in disbelief.

Merlin’s ducking beard! So much spirit stones! Did his family open a spirit stone mine or something?!

Wait, Qian family…

Now that he thought about it, that was one of the medium-rank clans under the Mo faction!

Though they didn’t own a spirit stone mine, their clan had been the main supplier of most of the bugs in the sect for generations. Unsurprisingly, they were a wealthy family.

However, he didn’t understand the extents of their wealth until now. Never did he expect that even an inner disciple of a medium-rank clan would be so rich!

Bubai’s gaze lingered on the hill of spirit stones, feeling each stone beckoning at him!

Imagine his growth if he had all those spirit stones at his fingertips! His mind was already racing with possibilities!

Alas, just as quickly as it had been revealed, the pouch was closed and retracted, reminding him that these spirit stones weren’t his.

Bubai's fiery gaze followed the pouch, eventually locking onto its owner with newfound intensity.

Playfully shaking the pouch in his hand, Qian Bage's sly laughter cut through the tension like a knife. "Hoh, that expression. Could it be that Brother Mo wants to rob me?"

Still need to ask? Flaunting his wealth like this is just asking for trouble! Either he is an idiot or…

“If brother has the confidence… you can try, but…” Qian Bage leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “You and I both know the risks in this path. There’s really no need to tear our faces over small profits, especially since there are better compromises that can be worked out.”

Backing off, Qian Bage teasingly waved his storage pouch before Bubai's eyes, "Think about it. You know I can afford to pay handsomely. If you're willing to make this friend, I can guarantee long-term payment… Well, as long as you can get the job done. How, brother? What do you say?"

Bubai’s eyes flashed for a brief moment before he tore his gaze away from the tempting pouch, “Apologies, my vision is too narrow and it’s hard to control.”

“Hahaha!” Qian Bage's laughter rang out once more, a mischievous glint dancing in his eyes, "Ah, brother, I understand. I totally understand and won’t blame you.”

A smile slowly crept onto Bubai’s face, “So, what do I need to do?”

"Straight to the point, I like it! "Qian Bage grinned, "It's not a difficult task. I simply need you, my good brother, to deliver a gift to someone."

So simple? Bubai arched an eyebrow in skepticism. "Can't you do it yourself?"

Qian Bage's expression soured with frustration. "You see, the thing is, my target resides in a location that doesn’t really... welcome me. They're quick to cry murder and violence whenever I come near. Frankly, it's an overreaction, but alas, there's little I can do about it. However..."

“That’s something we could work with. I can exploit this to lure the tiger away from the mountain,” Qian Bage grinned. "And that's where you come in, brother.”

Oh, so this guy in charge of drawing aggro while he plays the stealth archer, but…

Sneaking in might actually be riskier than being the one luring. After all, the initiative lay in the hands of the one outside, who could choose to abandon and escape at any given moment.

If that happens, he’ll be a turtle trapped in an urn!

"Is it possible for me to lead them away instead?"

Qian Bage rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I have connections that can help me avoid prison. So, there's less risk in revealing my identity. And besides, it's my handsome face they don't like, not yours, brother.”

Bubai took another glance at the man’s face. Yep, it definitely didn’t lose out to his own… in ugliness. No wonder it garnered dislike...

“Er, don’t mind the small details, brother...” Qian Bage leaned in closer, his voice low and persuasive. "Anyways, trust me, brother, this is the best arrangement for the both of us."

Qian Bage shook the pouch once more for emphasis. "Rest assured, it's a fair deal. I'll ensure that it’s worth your while. Once the delivery is successfully made, you'll receive five spirit stones in payment."

Five spirit stones? Such a generous compensation?! But...

The high price was probably reflected in the risk. It seems this man’s target was not a simple character.

However, this offer really tugged at his heartstrings!

After mulling over Qian Bage’s words, Bubai finally decided to take a look at the situation, "Where to?"

Qian Bage's face took on a mysterious grin, his voice barely above a whisper, "Saintess Garden."