Grizzly sat in the car, on high alert, glancing back every so often. He drove very steadily, never daring to go too fast for fear of jostling the passengers.
In the back seat, Evan Lin sat with his eyes gently closed, radiating calm.
Soon, Grizzly pulled up at a crossroads, where Sam "Second Brother" Su, dressed in custom designer brands, was already waiting.
Beside him stood last night's Daoist, his face mottled with bruises and looking rather disheveled.
Evan's slap last night had been restrained; otherwise, that single blow would have been enough to kill the Daoist outright.
As soon as the car stopped, Evan stepped out and glanced at the Daoist.
The Daoist shot Evan a look, lifted his chin, and put on a show of arrogance, acting as if last night's events were already forgotten.
Seeing Evan get out of the car, Sam Su immediately hurried over, his face full of fawning smiles. "Originally, I planned to personally invite Master Lin in a few days, but I just got word—the underground appraisal fair in Chunyang County started early, so I had Grizzly contact you right away."
"Also, I've heard there might be some real magic artifacts this time. The Daoist didn't impress last night, but he's still a renowned expert from Mount Wutai, supposedly skilled at identifying magic items. So he'll be joining us—hope Master Lin won't mind."
The image of Evan slapping the Daoist flying last night was still fresh in Sam Su's mind. He worried Evan might dislike the Daoist, and after all, it's not uncommon for two tigers to clash on the same mountain.
"No problem."
Evan shook his head, clearly indifferent. In his eyes, that Daoist ranked below even a grasshopper—if he wanted to tag along, so be it.
Hearing this, Sam Su finally relaxed and smiled. "By the way, Master, how should I address you from now on? Would 'Master Lin' be alright?"
"That's fine."
Evan replied simply.
When Grizzly introduced Evan to Sam Su, he only said Evan was a top student from Capitalview First High named Lin. As for the rest, Grizzly didn't know much, so he kept quiet.
"Let's get going then. Chunyang County isn't in our city—it's in Zhide City. I've already bought high-speed rail tickets, so we'll head to the station now and transfer once."
Sam Su called for the Daoist to get in, then made sure to sit in the back with Evan. Grizzly took the wheel as their driver.
Along the way, Sam Su tried several times to start a conversation with Evan, but seeing Evan resting with his eyes closed, he held back all his thoughts and said nothing.
At the high-speed rail station, they picked up their tickets and boarded the train. The business-class seats were comfortable enough.
The drive took three hours, and they arrived in Zhide City.
Zhide City sits northwest of the Jinnan area, a bit remote. Its economy lagged far behind Capitalview's.
After getting off the train, they found a business van waiting outside.
"Second Master, you've arrived!"
As Evan and the group exited the station, someone immediately came up, beaming at Sam Su. After greeting him, the man deliberately glanced at the people following Sam Su.
His gaze first swept over Grizzly, then Evan, both with little interest. Only when he looked at the Daoist did his expression turn more respectful.
"Alright, lead the way."
Sam Su nodded coolly, putting on the airs of a wealthy young master. The man said nothing more, opened the van door, and got into the driver's seat.
"Master Lin, please, after you."
Sam Su motioned for Evan to get in.
The van quickly started up. All around, similar business vehicles were shuttling back and forth, clearly picking up other guests.
"The appraisal fair in Chunyang County is a small, exclusive event. Most people who come here have some background. But whether we can spot any treasures and win them in the auction—it all depends on you, Master Lin, and this Daoist."
Sam Su looked earnest, but when it came to appraising treasures, he clearly favored the Daoist.
After Evan left last night, the Daoist explained to Sam Su that Evan's methods were just like Buddhist scripture techniques. In other words, it didn't mean Evan was stronger—just that his style happened to counter the Yin Gate in the Triangular House.
The Daoist also claimed Evan only managed to suppress the Yin Gate so easily thanks to the formation he'd set up earlier. Without that Taiji diagram, Evan would never have succeeded.
Sam Su half-believed this. After all, what he saw last night was a Buddhist symbol, and on the surface, the Daoist from Mount Wutai fit people's image of a true master far better.
"No need to worry, Second Young Master Su. I've traveled all over and seen plenty of magic items. Yesterday I was just under the weather, so my skills slipped. As for this young friend—he looks pretty young, maybe a promising lay disciple of Buddhism, but when it comes to insight, he's still got a ways to go!"
The Daoist spoke carelessly, and when he saw Evan ignoring him, he couldn't help feeling a bit annoyed.
But he didn't dare push his luck. That slap from Evan last night was no joke—even after a night's sleep, his cheek still throbbed, and his words came out with a whistle.
Grizzly kept quiet the whole time, knowing that anything he said now would be wrong.
"Second Master, the Lin family sent people this time too. And the Mu family—they're really eyeing any magic artifacts that might show up."
The driver spoke up as he drove.
At the mention of the Lin family, Sam Su's expression changed and his face darkened.
A few years ago, the Su and Lin families fell out. The Lin family pushed for a marriage contract, wanting Molly Su to marry into their clan, but Victor Su always refused. That's why things between the two families got complicated.
As Molly's second uncle, Sam Su used to think marrying her into the Lin family was a good idea. At least that way, the families would get closer, and if Victor Su ever passed away, the Su clan might not collapse. But now...
But after Old Man Su's trip to Haizhou, his health improved dramatically—he was full of energy and looked ready to run the family for another decade or two. That made Sam Su reconsider.
"Mu family? Which Mu family?"
While Sam Su was lost in thought, Evan—who'd been silent—suddenly spoke up and asked.
"The Mu family is the Mu family—dominant east of Jinnan, big in the auto business. Most importantly, they've got ties to the Southriver Sword Sect."
Grizzly explained to Evan.
The driver's lips curled in a sneer when he heard that.
These days, who hasn't heard of the Mu family?
If Sam Su brought someone who doesn't even know the Mu family, their horizons must be pretty narrow.