Can a Scholar Be Called a Villain - Book 2: Chapter 11: Array Disruptor

This auction primarily catered to the participants of the upcoming ‘Great Nanyue Wan Guo Tournament’ to be held the following day. As a result, most of the attendees were the young men and women preparing to compete in the tournament.

It was evident that their financial resources paled in comparison to the formidable Abhijñā realm cultivators.

News of the valuable items on the auction stage spread rapidly, prompting more Abhijñā realm cultivators from the city to hasten to the scene. Their avid gaze was riveted on the two ‘Black Lion King Essence Pills’ prominently displayed.

An extravagantly dressed plump man slowly soared over, his excitement evident as he fixed his gaze on the ‘Black Lion King Essence Pill’. For someone who didn’t particularly fancy cultivation, these items were exceptionally appealing.

He shot a resentful look at the managers and grumbled, “Old man Hui, you folks are truly ungracious. How could you keep such extraordinary items to yourselves?”

Hui Lao You, the elderly man in the grey cloak, appeared rather helpless as he stared at the pig-like man before him. He replied, “Prince Nan, we didn’t identify this item. We, too, were almost on the brink of losing such an item!”

With a hearty laugh, the plump man materialized into a private room, swiftly taking a seat beside Nan Nan Nan, a prodigy with awakened physical arts Abhijñā.

Prince Nan, the younger brother of the king and Nan Nan Nan’s uncle, listened to his account of the situation and burst into laughter.

Old man Hui, considering something, turned his attention to Xiao Dong’s empty seat, realizing that he had left some time ago. He then shifted his gaze to Murong Lin, who was calmly sipping his tea and watching the proceedings, seemingly unruffled.

Murong Lin, dressed in green and projecting an air of gentleness, caused old man Hui to furrow his brows. He muttered, “Never mind; I’ll show my gratitude with some gifts later.”

Modesty and humility didn’t particularly sit well with him.

The auction continued with the fifth ‘Black Lion King Essence Pill’ successfully acquired by Prince Nan, while the sixth piece fetched the highest price from a skilled pill-refining expert.

As the auction progressed, numerous Abhijñā and Virtuality realm experts attended the event primarily intended for young disciples. The crowd buzzed with conversation as the next few lower Barren grade items swiftly found buyers.

Zhou Xuan Tong managed to acquire a thunder-attributed spiritual item as he had hoped and, with his younger brother by his side, remarked as they walked away, “Let’s return and focus on cultivation!”

Meanwhile, two figures observed the events in the auction from a distance. One of them let out a sigh and commented, “I didn’t expect Brother Nie to be so generous, instantly revealing the truth about the ‘Black Lion King Essence Pill.’”

“You’re right.”

These figures were none other than Wang Chuang and Bai Xiao Mo, who had disguised themselves.

As they watched Murong Lin being escorted away by a servant, a tinge of envy crept into their eyes. This time, Murong Lin had assisted the Abhijñā realm cultivators in obtaining the items they desired, which was seen as a kind gesture.

Murong Lin followed the servant until he reached the elderly man in the gray cloak. The elderly man stroked his beard and slowly broke into a smile, saying, “I extend my gratitude to this junior. I am Hui Tian Chou, an outer deacon of the ‘Moon Prayer Pagoda.’”

Murong Lin maintained his composure as he cupped his hands and replied, “Nie Wu Sheng greets Deacon Hui.”

Deacon Hui was already aware of Nie Wu Sheng’s identity and history within Yan. He nodded slightly and continued, “Us old men have decided to reward you with a lower Barren grade spiritual item as compensation for your assistance during this auction. Is there anything specific you desire?”

Murong Lin stood before him, his response immediate, “This humble one wishes for an Array Disruptor.”

The Array Disruptor was a lower Barren grade spiritual item specialized in breaking arrays. However, it didn’t destroy arrays but rather created an opening for the user to enter.

Murong Lin was well aware that the Array Disruptor was a valuable asset for his venture into the Heaven Martial hidden realm.

Deacon Hui, on the other hand, appeared to hesitate for a moment. He spoke slowly, “While the ‘Array Disrupter’ is indeed a valuable item, it requires a user with proficiency in arrays to operate. Are you certain that this is the item you desire?”

Deacon Hui was not particularly skilled in arrays himself, and the lower Barren grade ‘Array Disruptor’ had come into his possession by chance. He didn’t anticipate that this young man would express an interest in an item he happened to possess.

Murong Lin nodded and offered a faint smile, “I am well aware of the Array Disruptor’s usage requirements, and I understand it is a valuable item. Therefore, I am willing to sweeten the deal by including the ‘Linzi Elixir’ in the trade.”

The Linzi Elixir could extend one’s lifespan by fifty years, making it particularly suitable for someone of Deacon Hui’s advanced age. This elixir had been obtained by Murong Lin in the Heaven Martial City and was something he had no intention of using personally.

Deacon Hui’s face lit up with joy as he handed over the Array Disruptor. “Very well, I will consider this as an old man taking advantage of you.”

With a gentle smile, Murong Lin produced a transparent bottle containing the Linzi Elixir and passed it to Deacon Hui, taking the Array Disruptor in return. He then used his spiritual powers to refine the item.

Murong Lin glanced at Deacon Hui, who had already verified the authenticity of the Linzi Elixir by now. He expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you for this exchange. I hope you have a safe journey through this tournament. The Moon Prayer Pagoda welcomes you at any time.”

Murong Lin returned his smile and replied, “I will.”

He had already made up his mind to enter one of the three evil sects, and the Moon Prayer Pagoda was among his options.

As he left the building, he spotted Di Wu Huo approaching him from the opposite direction. She was now clad in a pink long dress, with lighter makeup compared to her previous heavy makeup.

Upon spotting Murong Lin, she offered a smile and extended her right hand, saying, “Hello, my name is Di Wu Huo.”

Murong Lin, with an unusual expression, also reached out his right hand to shake hers, “I am Nie Wu Sheng.”

Upon the contact, he became even more certain about Di Wu Huo’s unique spiritual physique. The distinct sensation of her bones indicated that she was different from ordinary humans.

These species that resembled humans yet differed in such subtle ways were naturally the ones humans feared most.

Sensing that something was amiss, Di Wu Huo quickly withdrew her arm with a somewhat pale expression. She replaced her previous smile with a self-deprecating one and said, “I apologize, did I startle you?”

Murong Lin’s expression remained unchanged, and he even tilted the corners of his lips upward, “What’s frightening about this? It’s not as if you belong to the spectre race.” He pulled Di Wu Huo’s hand closer.

Di Wu Huo’s complexion instantly reddened, and she spoke with an incredibly soft voice, “But most people find it repulsive. Those who were once unaware of my true identity would look down on me when they discovered the truth.”

“You shouldn’t concern yourself too much with others’ opinions in life, believing in yourself is enough. In my eyes, you are incredibly beautiful, although a bit too slender. You should eat more in the future.”

With those words, he lightly tapped Di Wu Huo’s shoulder with his fan and departed, leaving behind a warm smile.

Di Wu Huo watched Murong Lin walk away, her heart tinged with a hint of excitement. The way he looked at her was distinct from the others. It wasn’t filled with admiration, greed, envy, or desire. Instead, it carried a subtle emotion.

It was an emotion she had never encountered before.

“Could this be… love?” she pondered as she touched her own face, her fingers brushing over the bony structure beneath the thin layer of skin. There was no blood, no flesh in between.

Meanwhile, Murong Lin was engrossed in his own thoughts. “I need to win her heart to acquire her Bone Heart. That means I have to secure her body, ptui, I meant her feelings first?”

Translator’s note:

Sorry, I was really sick these couple of days.

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