Chapter 252: Lin An Has Anomalies Again (Please Subscribe)

"Overseer Ding, you must be joking, right? How could a manager in the Garden take a fancy to a plain, unremarkable woman like me? Besides, the scope of the previous recruitment didn't include someone like me who is already a married woman!"

Lan Dieqiao thought to herself that it was as expected, and as this was emphasized, she subconsciously reached out to turn the small silver ring on her right wrist.

That was the token of love Wei Ming had given her.

Ding Hong's expression changed immediately, and the aura of a peak Qi Refining stage cultivator surged slightly, exerting pressure on Lan Dieqiao, who was still only at the early Qi Refining stage.

"You stinking wench! With your withered, fallen state and your solitary, helpless situation, the fact that it's even your turn now is a massive blessing. Don't be ungrateful and throw an egg against a rock!"

"You... what do you want to do? If you do, I will end my life right here!"

Lan Dieqiao endured her discomfort, and amidst her anxiety and unease, she took out a small knife she had prepared just in case.

Seeing this, Ding Hong's expression changed instantly, and she moved back half a step before speaking: "Oh my, you have quite a fiery temper; I hadn't noticed that before! However, you must know that with cultivation in your body, and with medicinal pills and spiritual herbs, it isn't that easy to die even if you want to!"

"Then I will slash my face to ruin! This knife is coated with the poison of disfigurement grass. If you are truly willing to pay the price, then come on!"

"You stinking little wench, truly ungrateful!"

Ding Hong was somewhat exasperated, feeling that the person opposite her was disregarding her good intentions.

But as things stood, she couldn't really send up someone with a ruined face and provoke the manager's anger, yet if she had to pay the cost herself to heal her face, she would feel pained and reluctant.

Tsk, anyway, there was still some time to spare; it seemed she could only plan slowly.

Thinking this, Ding Hong's expression shifted, she stepped back once more, and her tone softened, carrying a sigh.

"Although you, girl, seem unappreciative, fine, I understand that you have someone in your heart. But you must know, you don't even know what your sweetheart looks like now. If he is still alive, perhaps he has found a new love. And here, it is the managers who have the final say; water from afar cannot quench a thirst nearby!"

If they are truly pushed to the limit, they might just force themselves upon you; what could you do then?

Her words were soft yet firm, revealing the blunt truth, but she did not explicitly threaten force again, merely waving her hand in annoyance as she left.

After the other person's figure completely disappeared, Lan Dieqiao was momentarily dazed, not knowing what to do now.

The arm cannot twist the thigh; in the current situation, it seemed there was no other way to preserve her purity than to die...

The night was thick and dark.

A crescent moon hung in the sky.

Du En landed quietly on a grassland outside Lin'an City, not far from a similar shanty area.

"Hmm?"

His divine sense swept over it roughly, and he immediately felt the situation was somewhat strange.

"Why are there so many more men than women to this extent?"

Having just arrived and already seeing something unusual, Du En recalled the matter of Chiwu and could not help but secretly heighten his vigilance, refreshing and raising his Ice Breath Art before proceeding to investigate the suspicious points.

Normally, men are indeed more resistant to exploitation than women.

However, since they have already begun cultivating immortality, the innate gap between men and women is greatly compensated for. Furthermore, when dealing with males, those overseers always subconsciously increase the intensity; for instance, if they have a whip in their hands, they will lash out with force.

Therefore, in small cities of immortal sects, under normal bottom-tier environments, the ratio of men to women can basically be maintained at five to five, and there shouldn't be such a significant difference.

Yet here in Lin'an City, the ratio of men to women had actually reached nine to one!

"The situation is clearly not right..."

Thinking of Wei Ming's plea, Du En acted quickly, moving quietly through the shanty area outside the city.

As a result, he did not find Lan Dieqiao.

It wasn't that he recognized her; when he previously had Meng Changqing confirm whether the person he was looking for was dead or alive, the feedback he received only indicated that Lan Dieqiao was alive at the time, without much extra information.

Unlike the case with Zhen Yu, which involved the Hub City Inspection Guard and required additional explanation.

So this time, his search for the person relied mainly on the token of love Wei Ming had mentioned before.

However, none of the women in the shanty area outside the city possessed that silver bracelet, and he did not find a trace of it even in places where things could be buried, such as underground, inside houses, or in the surrounding woods and grasslands.

Either it was lost, or it was spent, or perhaps it was melted down and destroyed...

Du En's thoughts stirred, and he looked toward the direction of the boundary.

Excluding various normal situations and locking onto the abnormal, much rarer possibilities, perhaps he could find the person by going over there?

Thus, he quickly took action.

Facts proved that Lan Dieqiao was not as abnormal as he had anticipated.

When Du En found her, she was just near a cold pool close to a tributary of the river, not too far from the normal grazing area, pacing back and forth, near and far, appearing hesitant and indecisive, her left hand constantly touching the silver bracelet on her right wrist.

"Are you... intending to take your own life?"

"Yes, but I suddenly realized that when I am alone, I seem to be a little afraid of dying..."

Because Du En's inquiry was so natural and calm, as if it were a matter of course, Lan Dieqiao answered subconsciously.

Then, she realized what had happened and was startled, jumping up so high she almost actually jumped into the cold pool.

Fortunately, she did not fall in; she retreated back in mid-air, just like a time rewind.

It only looked like that; in reality, it was Du En controlling the spiritual Qi within a certain area, as if an invisible giant hand had brought her back.

For him, this natural method brought about by his cultivation level was basically useless in fierce battles or major wars, and could only be of some use in specific environments.

And when used on opponents he could crush, it was not as straightforward or effective as other methods, so in the end, he used it most frequently in such ordinary situations to replace mana manipulation, which could be considered a way to reduce some negligible consumption.

Lan Dieqiao did not know the "chicken rib" status of this method in Du En's eyes. At this moment, coming back to her senses, she felt she had encountered a high-level master and even thought he was the Foundation Establishment manager from the Garden, causing her face to turn pale and her expression to become miserable.

And with an outsider present, she found that she didn't seem to be afraid of dying anymore.

It was just a pity that this point had already become meaningless.

"Are you Lan Dieqiao?"

"..."

Silence was confirmation.

Looking at the increasingly desperate female cultivator before him, Du En had no ripples in his heart and simply stated plainly: "Wei Ming begged me to come find you to convey some words to you."

"... Ah?"

Lan Dieqiao was still immersed in her own despair and only reacted after a long while.

Seeing her react, Du En did not mind her current state of mind, simply reciting those words from Wei Ming back then in a calm, perfunctory manner.

It was dry, completely lacking the emotions of Master Wei...

Still feeling a bit dizzy, Lan Dieqiao subconsciously had this thought, but immediately realized it, becoming cautious and breaking out in a cold sweat, terrified that Du En might notice her thoughts.

(End of chapter)