Chapter Sixty-One: The Murder in the Market District

The box brought by the octopus contained several items. Picking up one, golden letters unfurled.

“Hahaha, did you miss me? I can’t stay out for too long, otherwise the octopus will sense me.

Ankle Bandages—Spirit Imbuement Ability: Ghostly Sprint. Does it feel familiar? For a brief period, it can double your speed (limited to those below Third Tier Evolution), with a cooldown of ten minutes.”

Fang Tang raised an eyebrow and continued to pick up the shoelaces.

“Shoelaces—Spirit Imbuement Ability: Slip, Slip, Slip. When you wear them, it’s as if you’re walking on ice, allowing you to slide across the ground. But they’re temperamental; sometimes you’ll slip even when walking normally.”

Fang Tang decisively abandoned them and took up the last item.

“Height-Boosting Insoles—Spirit Imbuement Ability: Jump. They won’t make you faster, but they enhance your jumping ability. Pity you already have mechanical claw arms, so these are basically useless.”

“Is this all you’ve got?” Fang Tang rubbed his brow and looked at the octopus.

The octopus spread its tentacles and replied, “Dear customer, these are the only items that can boost your speed.”

Fang Tang nodded and picked up the ankle bandages. “I’ll take these. How much?”

“Ohoho, you have a keen eye, dear customer, for choosing the best spirit-imbued item. These cost 1,500 credit points.”

“That’s a bit steep,” Fang Tang replied. “I don’t even know what their ability is.”

“They double your speed. Still think that’s expensive?” the octopus retorted.

Fang Tang considered for a moment. “Make it cheaper. I’ll take them for one thousand credits.”

“Dear customer, you have a Gold Credit Card. That entitles you to a ten percent discount.”

“…So even regulars don’t get special treatment.” Seeing the octopus wouldn’t budge, Fang Tang pulled out nine elemental stones and tossed them over.

After donning the ankle bandages, Fang Tang opened the newspaper.

The items Xie Ling needed had arrived.

Xie Ling messaged: “Boss, I need the blueprint for a detection radar. Can you ask for it?”

Fang Tang looked up at the octopus. “Do you have the blueprint for a radar?”

“Ohoho, wait a moment, dear customer. I’ll fetch it for you.” The octopus floated away again, and Fang Tang breathed a sigh of relief.

“Good. There shouldn’t be any more problems now.”

With the Lightness Ring in hand and Ghostly Sprint active, his speed would be formidable. And he still had four Clone Compasses. These devices were impossible to distinguish from the real thing with the naked eye.

His arsenal, combined with the mechanical claw arms and the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow blade, made his combat power considerable. Not to mention the Level Five Frost Rifle, a true killing weapon.

The octopus quickly returned, stretching out a tentacle to hand Fang Tang the blueprint.

“Dear customer, the blueprint costs 2,300 credit points.”

Fang Tang fell silent, curious about what Xie Ling had gained from this blueprint. He handed over fourteen elemental stones, leaving only a few credits, which he deposited into his card, not intending to spend them.

He checked the time on his wrist.

Thirty-seven minutes remained.

Plenty of time.

With nothing more to buy, Fang Tang exited the shop and wandered aimlessly around the market. He found that not only blueprints were for sale, but also many items referred to by vendors as spirit-imbued goods.

A casual glance revealed that only a small portion of these items were truly spirit-imbued, and most offered useless abilities.

With just a cursory scan, Fang Tang lost interest in the market. The underground shops might be pricey, but their efficiency was unmatched! The goods were complete, unlike the market, which was flooded with worthless junk designed solely to swindle buyers.

He strolled leisurely along the street, then ducked into a narrow alley. It was a dead end, blocked by the cavern’s wall.

Just as Fang Tang realized he’d taken a wrong turn and was about to leave, he spotted three men standing at the mouth of the alley.

“Hey kid, you must be loaded, daring to shop in the underground store. Bet you bought some good stuff, right? Why not show us what you got?”

Fang Tang raised an eyebrow, calmly observing the trio. His eyes told him everything he needed to know.

All three were Second Tier Evolvers, the strongest being the one in the middle wielding a blade—Seventh Stage Second Tier, Sequence 623: Iron Armament, Sequence 677: Twenty-Meter Perception.

“I just went in for a cup of tea. Would you believe that?”

With the Calm Mind effect in place, Fang Tang felt no anxiety—if anything, he was a little sleepy.

“Ha, you think we’d believe that?” sneered the young man at the front. “Kid, hand over your stuff if you know what’s good for you. Maybe we’ll let you live. Otherwise…”

Fang Tang interrupted, “Otherwise, you won’t be so polite, right? How cliché. If this were a TV show, you’d be dead in three seconds flat.”

The youth spat, “Damn it, this kid’s mocking us!”

“Boss, let me teach this arrogant brat a lesson.”

The third youth leapt forward, fists swinging as he charged Fang Tang.

Fang Tang sighed and drew the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow with a resonant clang.

With the Lightness Ring and Ghostly Sprint, his movements became swift as a phantom, feet barely touching the ground as he darted five or six meters in an instant.

Thanks to months of speed training, Fang Tang was thoroughly adept at rapid movement.

Passing the youth, his blade traced a perfect arc, slicing across the man’s neck in a single motion.

The blade remained clean, sliding smoothly back into its sheath—a gesture full of style.

With a rush, a round ball was launched by a fountain of blood, resembling a crimson geyser.

The geyser lasted two seconds before faltering, and the youth’s body collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.

“Who’s next?” Fang Tang yawned, inwardly marveling at the Calm Mind’s excessive effect.

A scene that ought to stir his blood left him utterly unmoved.

The remaining two, seeing Fang Tang dispatch their companion with ease, grew visibly tense.

They were Second Tier Evolvers, after all, not without their tricks.

The leader among them took a deep breath, his shadowed gaze fixed intently on Fang Tang.

“I’ll make you pay for Sanzi’s death.”

With those words, both men rushed Fang Tang, flanking him from either side to prevent any escape.

But they overlooked the mechanical claw arms on Fang Tang’s back.

Four mechanical claws, agile as serpents, wrapped around them.

Fang Tang glanced sideways at the pair, speaking coolly, “If you lack skill, at least have some awareness. You didn’t even notice these massive claw arms behind me? What a waste of life.”

With that, he raised his blade and ended their criminal existence.

The simple battle in the shadowed alley caused no disturbance in the cavern—not even the faintest ripple.

After looting their supplies, Fang Tang strolled out as if nothing had happened, continuing his leisurely tour of the market.

Long after Fang Tang had left, a figure descended from above, inspecting the injuries on the corpses.

“A clean, decisive stroke. The other two were bound by great force, looks like mechanical claw arms. Who dares kill in the market?”

The figure muttered, glanced at the alley’s entrance, bent his legs, and vanished into thin air.