Chapter 29: The Mystery Hidden in the Shield

Seeing the chill hidden in Yun Lan’s eyes, Lou Mu Yan knew that he was very dissatisfied with Zeng Rou and Gu Yan Ran’s provocation. Even if he couldn’t use this shield, but he didn’t blame her—that was enough for her to act.

“Cousin, show me the shield.”

Yun Lan nodded and handed the small shield over to Lou Mu Yan. In order to not burden her, he added: “Let everything flow with fate, there’s no need to mind.”

Lou Mu Yan smiled silently as she took the small shield in her hands. The Mental Energy she released earlier was still attached to the small shield and was confronting the Soul of the Vicious Beast.

Yun Luo and the others stared at Lou Mu Yan to see what tricks she could play. Even Shopkeeper Lu didn’t leave immediately after swiping the crystal card, and instead waited with curiosity in his eyes.

Noticing the power of the Vicious Beast’s Soul weakening slowly under her suppression, a sharp glint flashed in her eyes. She raised her left hand and began to draw with two fingers above the shield and traces of Spiritual Energy flowed with her movements like moving clouds and flowing water1, constructing a talisman that flashed with a white fluorescent light hovering in the air.

“Suppress!”

As Lou Mu Yan’s voice fell, the talisman drawn with Spiritual Energy instantly dashed down and entered the small shield in her hand.

“Drawing talismans in the void!” Shopkeeper Lu couldn’t help but exclaim with his eyes wide open. Then he realised he lost his composure, coughed to cover it up, but the shock that filled his heart hardly lessened.

Drawing talismans in the void was something that could only be performed by Sword King experts that had slightly touched upon the laws of Heaven and earth, so when it was performed by Lou Mu Yan who was only at the Great Sword Master Stage, he couldn’t help but lose himself.

Hearing Shopkeeper Lu’s exclamation, apart from Gu Yan Ran and Zeng Rou who didn’t know about drawing talismans in the void, the rest looked at Lou Mu Yan in utter shock.

Lou Mu Yan wasn’t distracted because of Shopkeeper Lu’s loss of composure. She continued to chant a few more sentences and characters that contained Spiritual Energy exited her mouth, but this, no one saw.

After a while, the small shield in her hand suddenly shone brightly, and then a dazzling yellow light burst out.

When the blinding light dissipated, the small shield flew out of her hand and hovered in mid-air in the private room, then enlarged itself from the size of a palm, eventually stopping when it reached half the size of a person.

“Cousin, try again.” Lou Mu Yan waved, and the yellow shield obediently returned to her hand, returning to the size of her palm.

Yun Lan forced the shock in his eyes down and took the shield. Then he channelled some Elemental Energy into it and discovered that he could actually connect with the shield. His lips curled up, threw it up gently, and with a thought, the shield immediately flashed a layer of bright light and enlarged.

“Spirit Treasure!” Yun Luo exclaimed.

Shopkeeper Lu looked at the shield that Yun Lan controlled at will and narrowed his eyes, then laughed out loudly: “Congratulations to the Third Prince. This shield was previously identified as a Peak-Quality Spirit Tool, and if one could control it, then it could potentially increase a quality, but who knew that this shield would skip Peerless-Quality and advance straight into a Low-Quality Spirit Treasure. It’s value is hundred times your bid.”

“It was indeed a bargain.” Yun Lan’s face also showed a rare look of delight. He also didn’t think that this small shield would be a Spirit Treasure.

In the entire Yan’zhou Country, those who had Spirit Treasures could be counted on ten fingers, and they were all high-stage experts. Why wouldn’t he be happy to be fated to obtain something like this.

Lou Mu Yan returned to her seat without any ripples in her eyes, as if this was a trivial matter and that she had long known this would be the result.

When she released her Mental Energy to suppress the beast’s Soul earlier, she discovered that this shield was a Spirit Treasure.

Magic Tools were divided into Spirit Tools, Spirit Treasures, Saint Tool, Saint Treasure, Deity Tool and Deity Treasure.

Each level was also divided into Low-Quality, Middle-Quality, High-Quality, Peak-Quality and Peerless Quality.

When Yun Lan saw Lou Mu Yan sitting calmly in her seat sipping her tea, he could only sigh—this cousin of his was more composed and graceful than any of the others present.

He cast a grateful look and Lou Mu Yan returned it with a smile.

“Lou Mu Yan, how did you know that there was something suspicious about this shield?” Xiao Zi Ang discovered that Lou Mu Yan had kept him on the edge of his seat so many times today, but he didn’t feel good if he didn’t ask questions.

Shopkeeper Lu rubbed the jadeite thumb ring he wore and said with a mysterious smile: “This old man is also very curious about how Young Miss Lou could control this shield at will. Can Young Miss Lou satisfy out curiosity?” Then he added, “Of course, if it is inconvenient, then Young Miss Lou could regard it as if this old man did not ask.”

Lou Mu Yan took a sip of tea and looked down at it. The tea water was golden, rich, and clear, and a rich tea fragrance lingered around her nose.

Then she raised her eyes and asked instead, “Shopkeeper Lu, does the Ming Alliance of Merchants sell this season’s High-Quality Spiritual Tea?”

“Naturally we do. If Young Miss Lou wants to buy, then this old man can apply for some.” Shopkeeper Lu halted, then followed her words. It was only a little bit of Spiritual Tea, he could still make the decision.

“Lou Mu Yan, you ignored me again.” Xiao Zi Ang tugged at Lou Mu Yan’s sleeve, annoyed. Only when he realised her eyebrows wrinkled together lightly did he immediately let go.

Lou Mu Yan realised that Xiao Zi Ang’s character was really the simpler one amongst the few black-bellied men here. She rolled her eyes at him, then answered: “Truth is, there’s a Soul of a Vicious Beast sealed inside this defensive shield. If you couldn’t suppress it, then you naturally wouldn’t be able to control this Spirit Treasure.”

“So that’s how it is.” Shopkeeper Lu nodded thoughtfully. Although he was curious about how Lou Mu Yan knew about the Beast Soul sealed within the shield, but that involved another person’s secrets, so he resisted asking.

“Then how do you know that there’s a Vicious Beast’s Soul in the shield?” Yun Luo discovered that he had completely misunderstood Lou Mu Yan—how was she a good-for-nothing trash, she could even draw talismans in the void, she sure hid her talents well, “Did you use the talisman you drew in the void to suppress the Beast Soul?”

“Regarding how I knew there was a Vicious Beast’s Soul in the shield, forgive me for being unable to tell.” Lou Mu Yan raised her eyebrows with a smile—she wouldn’t reveal her exceptional Mental Energy, “As for the Spirit Talisman, of course it was used to suppress the Beast Soul.”

“Humph, pretending to be mysterious.” Zeng Rou clenched her hands—how could this trash really discover the secret of this shield? Impossible—it must be like a blind cat finding a dead mouse2. She unconsciously snorted out loud when she thought that. 

A sliver of jealousy flashed in Gu Yan Ran’s eyes. She originally planned to see Lou Mu Yan make a fool of herself, but who knew the trash suddenly became so powerful. She felt a little uneasy about the Academy annual competition coming up soon. Seeing Zeng Rou come out to teach Lou Mu Yan a lesson, the corners of her lips rose.

“Impudent, who allowed you to interrupt?” Zeng Rou, a big-breasted woman with no brains, was exceptionally annoying. After Yun Lan’s reproach, he ordered the guards behind him, “Throw her out.”

“Yes!” The two guards were also very disgusted with Zeng Rou’s behaviour. Young Miss Lou helped their master obtain a Spirit Treasure, yet this woman dared to ridicule. She was truly courting death. The two immediately stepped up and dragged her out.

It was then that Zeng Rou realised she had lost her composure. This was mainly due to being so used to acting arrogant in front of Lou Mu Yan that she reflexively scoffed at her. She didn’t expect to have caused trouble today.

“Third Prince, I didn’t mean it, can you please forgive me.” When Zeng Rou was dragged to the door, she exerted her strength in an attempt to get rid of the restraints of the two guards and turned her head to beg Yun Lan coquettishly. 

If she was really thrown out of here today, not only would she lose face, but the Zeng Clan would also completely lose face, and by the time she returned, she’d be in trouble.

Yun Lan waved his hand impatiently and signalled to the guards to hurry up. Shopkeeper Lu also instructed the attendants next to him: “In the future, this Young Miss of the Zeng clan is not allowed to enter any shops of the Ming Alliance of Merchants for trade, nor is she allowed to participate in auctions.”

“Yes!”

“No, I don’t want that.” Zeng Rou panicked when she heard the words of Shopkeeper Lu. Suddenly remembering someone, she immediately yelled out to Chi Yi Xuan, “Cousin, cousin, save me.”

1idiom describing her movements were very natural and smooth.

2idiom meaning she got lucky.