Chapter 390 - 6: Are You Trying to Bribe Me With Money!?

—Find the enemy, charge in, and force a fight.

If the enemy refused to fight, he’d flatten their headquarters. If they did fight, he’d flatten them and their headquarters together.

It might sound simple and brutal, but this was Su Zhou’s modus operandi in the Otherworld.

’Just stirring up trouble? Making too big of a scene? So what? His power was immense, and he was here to witness the ultimate techniques of the local masters anyway. Why would he be afraid of blowing things up? He was only afraid things *wouldn’t* blow up!’

What’s more, the moment Su Zhou had arrived in this Otherworld, he’d been ambushed by bandits hired by these people. Then, as soon as he entered the city, he saw them committing evil deeds again. Frankly, if he could tolerate that without taking action, he wouldn’t be Su Zhou.

’This must be fate telling me to wipe them out. Things don’t just happen this coincidentally.’

Initially, Su Zhou had been a little cautious, wary of running into a potential Commander Tier powerhouse in this Otherworld. But after trading wine for stories in a tavern and gathering plenty of local intelligence, he understood. While powerhouses certainly existed in this world, there was basically no one a full Tier above him—at least not around Naisel City. That being the case, nothing stood in the way of him dishing out some justice.

However, wanting to wipe out this vile organization didn’t mean he had to help their enemies get revenge. For one, Su Zhou had no desire to be a tool for someone else’s quest to reclaim their family legacy. For another, he certainly didn’t want to be dragging along any dead weight while he was fighting.

So, when faced with the gray-eyed boy before him—who was probably the last heir to the Naisel family and no older than fourteen—Su Zhou spoke in a tone that was half-benevolent, half-warning. "I’m only going there to kill some people and blow off some steam. I won’t be dealing with any specific enemies for you, unless they just happen to get in my way..."

"I understand!"

But the gray-eyed boy nodded quickly, seemingly understanding Su Zhou’s concerns. Then, he decisively pulled a handful of Magic Gemstones from his robes and, with an unstoppable motion, stuffed them directly into Su Zhou’s hand. To avoid any misunderstanding, he widened his eyes and declared solemnly, "This isn’t a reward or a hiring fee. It’s simply my gratitude to you, sir, for being willing to stand up for the common people and uphold Order! I must say, you truly are a man of justice!"

The boy’s voice was clear and his tone sincere. Even though they couldn’t understand each other’s languages, the communication between their Souls perfectly conveyed his feelings.

’...Hmm, this flattery feels pretty good. Keep it coming.’

Accepting the Gemstones, Su Zhou couldn’t help but nod internally at the boy’s sincere flattery, which came through clearly in their Soul-to-Soul link. His stern expression softened slightly. "Like I said, I’m just going to kill some people. I’m not accepting employment from anyone..."

In this world, Magic Gemstones were a hard currency, much like gold. Whether used to store Magic Power, hold spells, or even as blank crystals, they were excellent spellcasting components. Each Gemstone was worth at least ten gold, with some fetching several dozen. Su Zhou didn’t appraise them, but the handful the boy had produced was worth at least a few hundred gold. That was a generous sum even for hiring an Elite Tier powerhouse—and what’s more, the boy had said it was merely a token of his gratitude.

However, these Gemstones weren’t particularly meaningful to Su Zhou. After all, he had his own Divine Techniques. With the Celestial Human Cycle, he had no need for Gemstones to store Magic Power.

Meanwhile, seeing that Su Zhou seemed indifferent to the Magic Gemstones but clearly enjoyed the flattery, the boy’s mind raced. ’It seems this Wilderness Wanderer isn’t very interested in money. That makes sense. Wilderness Wanderers don’t usually have much use for it. They’re probably more interested in various kinds of knowledge... Of course, there might also be the type who are particularly vain. The one before me seems to be just that, doesn’t he?’

’If that’s the case, then I don’t mind laying on the flattery a bit thicker. It doesn’t cost anything, after all.’ Then, he tried another approach. "Also, sir, I was wondering if you might be interested in some privately collected Magic Books?"

As he spoke, the gray-eyed boy, as if by magic, produced several thick books and handed them to Su Zhou.

The books were written in some kind of special Runes, and each page seemed to be made from the hide of a special Magical Beast, containing a considerable amount of Magic Power. Each Magic Book was a treasure among treasures.

Each Magic Book represented the legacy of a minor system of power, enough for an ordinary person to slowly cultivate into a Transcendent by following its methods. Even when used simply as Magic Equipment, they were among the most versatile of their kind.

"Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly accept these!" Su Zhou said, hastily refusing. Unlike the people of this world, he wasn’t lacking for legacies. Back in Zhengguo, if he wanted any Immortal God Technique, all he had to do was apply for it. Why would he need to go around collecting them in an Otherworld?

Although there was wisdom to be gained from studying other systems—the Magic of this world could certainly nourish his own system of power—but...

Alright, forget the "but." The way Su Zhou’s face was already breaking into a smile as he put the Magic Books into his pack, one by one, all while verbally protesting that he couldn’t possibly accept them, proved that he was, in fact, very interested.

These Magic Books were indeed a great treasure. They represented the Extraordinary System of this Otherworld, and even if he brought them back to Earth, they would be incredibly valuable as research material.

After accepting the Magic Books, Su Zhou looked up again, properly sizing up the still-smiling, gray-eyed boy. He had to admit, though the kid was young, he was remarkably savvy. He might have been a bit naive, but once he made up his mind, he wasn’t stingy in the slightest.