Ian Song put away the gun and looked at the red-haired woman. "Since we've chosen to cooperate, I think we should be open with each other. Don't you agree?"
"We really do need to exchange some information. Since you brought it up, you can go first—let me see how sincere you are," the red-haired woman said slyly.
"Alright." Ian nodded, then calmly took out the Ancient Bronze Ring, the bronze sword, and the jade pendant he had acquired. "As far as I know, Tony Zhang sold five items in total. These are three of them."
When Ian laid out the three items, a glint of greed flashed in the red-haired woman's eyes. She deliberately put on a curious look and asked, almost pleading, "Can I take a look?"
"Go ahead." Ian generously handed the three items over.
"Thanks."
After taking the three items, the red-haired woman examined them carefully. Ian noticed that she paid particular attention to the Formation Runes etched onto the magic artifacts.
"Does she actually recognize magic artifacts?" Ian wondered, growing a bit suspicious.
After a while, Ian asked, "Did you notice anything?"
"Nope, they look pretty ordinary to me!" The red-haired woman casually handed the three items back to Ian, but a trace of reluctance flickered in her eyes.
"Really? I actually think these three items are rather special." Ian Song picked up the three artifacts, speaking with a hint of meaning.
"Let's hear it." The red-haired woman seemed quite interested.
"These three items all have a strange pattern on their surface. At first glance, the patterns look unremarkable, but I can sense there's some special meaning hidden within them. That's why I suspect there's a big secret concealed in these markings. If I can fully decipher them, I'm sure there will be unexpected benefits."
Ian said, half-seriously and half-bluffing.
"You're that sure? What if the patterns were just added by the craftsman to make these things look nicer?" The red-haired woman questioned skeptically.
"Impossible." Ian Song shook his head. "These patterns may look simple and random, but they follow a unique set of rules and rhythm. As martial artists, the higher our cultivation, the clearer our minds become. With my brain, I could handle even complex scientific research, but these patterns still leave me feeling completely stumped."
The red-haired woman was startled inside, but kept a calm face. "Maybe," she replied.
Suddenly, Ian changed the topic, staring at the red-haired woman. "Alright, I've told you everything I know. Now it's your turn to share what you know, isn't it?"
"Well..." The red-haired woman hesitated. "This is an order from my sect leader. I hope you can understand—I can't tell you."
Hearing this, Ian's eyes turned cold. He reached out and gripped the red-haired woman's pale neck, his voice icy. "Are you playing me for a fool? I gave you all that intel, and you say nothing in return. Don't think I won't kill you!"