Chapter 77: Miss, Would You Like Some Water?

Because Chen Yao had just been caught by Zhou Jian, she ended up at the very back. When she turned her head, a ghastly pale face appeared before her—its long tongue nearly hanging below its belly, features grotesquely ugly, the face riddled with lumps so dense that anyone with a fear of clusters would faint at a glance.

Even more terrifying, that horrifying face, seeing Chen Yao turn around, grinned and added, "Miss, do you want some water?"

“Aah!”

With a scream, Chen Yao immediately shut her eyes and, without thinking, unleashed an unprecedented surge of sword energy.

"Uh, girl, isn't that reaction a bit much?"

All the sword energy, flying toward the newcomer, was blocked by an invisible force. The visitor spoke in a resigned tone—it was Qin Jing.

Qin Jing had infiltrated the South District teaching building. Upon realizing those ghosts were "polluted" students, he decided not to force his way in. Instead, he instructed Alchemy No. 1 to deploy an illusion—an ability much like a large-scale illusion domain. Within this illusion, everyone who saw Qin Jing would perceive him as one of the "polluted students."

He slipped into the teaching building with ease, but just as he reached the third floor, Alchemy No. 1 warned him of a powerful presence—a third-level extraordinary. Qin Jing's abilities couldn't detect this person, so he was about to order Alchemy No. 1 to attack when the Inspection Squad burst in from the West District teaching building. Zhou Jian appeared, and Qin Jing confirmed he was the third-level extraordinary.

He watched everything unfold, knowing these three belonged to the Inspection Council. His first thought was: What’s the most profitable business in the world? Naturally, arms dealing during times of war.

So, he deliberately appeared behind the trio.

"Yao, stop! He's human!"

At that moment, Chen Nan saw Qin Jing's true face. He stopped Chen Yao, looked at Qin Jing warily, and asked, "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"You're quite cautious. But I believe what you need most now is recovery. How about it—want a bottle?"

As Qin Jing spoke, he produced a 300ml bottle of mineral water. The bottle looked ordinary, but inside was spring water from the mythic world. Not only was it a daily drink for extraordinary individuals, it was also a vital ingredient for making recovery potions. Drinking it directly could restore thirty percent of a potion's effects.

"This is—!"

The Inspection Captain, being third-level extraordinary, could naturally discern its value. He strode forward, staring at the "mineral water," and exclaimed, "Spring water?"

Qin Jing nodded. "So, will you buy it?"

"Is it really just 998? Then I'll buy it." The Captain didn’t hesitate. The three had just been through a fierce battle, now left weakened and in dire need of restorative items.

Qin Jing grinned, "I'm not cheating you—it’s sold by the cap. One cap is 998. Pretty reasonable, right?"

In the shop, spring water cost ten thousand for 100g. A 300ml bottle would have at least fifty caps, which would amount to about fifty thousand per bottle. Qin Jing felt he was being quite fair. After all, these were Inspection Council members, clearly fighting against criminal forces, and he couldn’t fleece them too harshly.

Chen Yao rubbed her eyes. She had turned quickly enough to see the "ghostly" appearance, but in an instant it had turned into a "handsome man." The stark contrast, combined with Qin Jing's stylish attire today, left a deep impression on her.

But before she could recover, she heard Qin Jing's price, and blurted out, "A capful of water costs a thousand?"

Chen Nan quickly tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "That’s spring water—you can’t usually buy it. The Inspection Council only has a small reserve. It’s the basic ingredient for recovery potions and pills. You know those, right? When your brother reached level three, the Council rewarded me with one. That pill saved my life."

Chen Yao gasped. She had just advanced to extraordinary level two—not exactly a rookie, but still inexperienced. Hearing this water could save lives, she instinctively realized its value.

But could something so precious really be bought with money? A doubt instantly rose in Chen Yao’s heart.

The Captain shared her suspicion. The middle-aged man looked at Qin Jing with utmost caution and said tentatively, "May I ask your name, sir? I am Lin En, leader of the Cold Sea Inspection Council."

If the stranger harbored ill intentions, he hoped the Council’s reputation would deter him. If he meant well, he should declare himself.

Qin Jing, unfazed by such subtle probing, replied calmly, "Qin Jing—a recycler from Cold Sea."

"Qin Jing?" Lin En muttered inwardly. He’d never heard of the name.

"So, are you buying or not? I’ve got other business."

Qin Jing grew impatient. He rarely sold "at a loss," and these people were taking too long.

Lin En forced a bitter smile and was about to speak when suddenly his expression changed. He sensed the classroom behind him trembling, something terrifying emerging from within.

"I’ll buy it! I’ll take the whole bottle—ten thousand!"

Lin En gritted his teeth, grabbed the bottle, and gulped it down. He was severely weakened and urgently needed a restorative. If he didn’t buy the spring water, he might die here.

The spring water spread through his body, pure spiritual energy radiating to every limb. Lin En felt his strength return—at least thirty percent restored! He quickly handed the bottle to Chen Nan and Chen Yao, then turned toward the classroom door where a horde of "ghosts" had appeared.

These were true ghosts, unlike the "polluted students" from before. They looked human, but their aura was chilling.

"What on earth happened here? Why are there ghosts everywhere?" Chen Yao groaned, but strode forward to fight alongside the Captain.

Qin Jing shook his head, ignoring the three. He didn’t bother "collecting payment," and strode ahead; if his senses were right, the corpse was on the third floor!

Alchemy No. 1’s illusion activated again. In the eyes of those ghosts, Qin Jing became one of their own.

"Miss, would you like some perfume? Genuine Chanel, imported."

Walking, Qin Jing glanced at his phone. Whenever he spotted a "polluted" item, he’d approach and strike up conversation. Since entering the South District teaching building, he’d collected several polluted items this way; the bronze chest in his recycling space now held nine items.

This time, he approached a long-haired "beauty." The only drawback was the strong stench of decay. Qin Jing held his breath as he spoke.