Duoluin had already seen
Even if Leylin spent it all, it would still be within his approved limit, so Duoluin naturally acted the part of a wealthy patron.
"Understood! My Lord!"
The clerk here clearly knew Duoluin. After accepting a blood-red crystal card that Duoluin handed over, he smiled and said to Leylin, "My Lord! Because Lord Duoluin has used his authority, all the items on the screen this time will be available to you at a ten percent discount…"
"Good!"
Leylin nodded. "First, give me three portions of the Illusory Void Flower!"
This flower was a required material for compounding many ancient potions. Leylin had once thought it had gone extinct on the South Coast, so finding it here was an unexpected and pleasant surprise.
"Mm! Fifty merit points per portion!"
The clerk took Leylin's merit card and swiped it on a device that looked like a card reader.
*Ding!* A crisp chime sounded from the medal.
Immediately after, the number on the screen behind him changed, dropping from 563 to 428.
Once the merit points were confirmed to have been deducted, the clerk quickly handed three crystal spheres, each about the size of a fist, to Leylin. Inside each clear, translucent crystal, a small white flower with an ethereal appearance was clearly visible.
This small flower was very beautiful. Through the semi-transparent petals and stem, one could almost faintly make out the veins within the blossom. At the same time, from the bright yellow core of the flower, several pale yellow stamens weakly protruded.
The entire flower, set against its crystal seal, looked even more elusive and dreamlike.
"The Illusory Void Flower…"
Leylin took the three crystal spheres, murmuring to himself.
"Once this rare botanical material is exposed to air, it will quickly dissipate. Therefore, we used a crystal solidification formula for preservation. The unsealing formula is…"
The clerk then quickly instructed Leylin on several important steps.
Leylin nodded, committing them firmly to memory. At the same time, he stored the materials away and pointed to a line on the screen.
"I've long admired Master Tevin's apothecary notes, so I'll take those…"
Following Leylin's finger, Doluin saw a small line on the exchange screen outside: "Master Tevin's Apothecary Notes — Condition: Partially Damaged, Unique Copy. Exchange Price: 100 Contribution Points…"
His face stiffened. It looked like this Leylin was about to blow through all his contribution points in one go.
Still, he had already reconciled himself to the idea of losing some money to avoid trouble. He hadn't used much of his monthly allowance anyway, so even if Leylin spent everything this time, he could still cover it. At worst, he'd just have to tighten his belt for the rest of the month. So he didn't object.
After spending another 90 contribution points and receiving a black-covered notebook with a somewhat tattered exterior from the window, Leylin's smile grew even wider.
"Also, hand me that ancient apothecary formula, and this…"
Without the slightest pretense of politeness, Leylin pointed out a great number of rare materials and advanced academic knowledge. Some of these were things he had searched for exhaustively without success, while others were advanced knowledge from other White
Within a few minutes, the number on Leylin's contribution card was draining at a frightening rate, until it hit zero.
Such extravagant spending was something even the clerk, who had worked here for a long time, rarely witnessed.
Doluin's heart ached unbearably. This Leylin had nearly drained his entire monthly allowance. But now he forced a sigh of relief: "Ha ha… Leylin, with spending like that, you've probably set a new record here…"
But immediately after, his expression froze.
Leylin wore a brilliant smile as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an identity token, handing it to the clerk inside.
"I noticed the rules state that anyone short on contribution points can exchange
In that instant, Doluin felt that Leylin's smile looked like the grin of a demon, and he himself seemed to have fallen into a bottomless abyss…
A short while later, Leylin emerged from the exchange center with a satisfied smile on his face, while Doluin departed with a cold face and in great haste.
Leylin's spending at the exchange center had far exceeded his monthly allowance. The remaining ten-percent shortfall would have to be covered out of Doluin's own pocket! It would have been strange if his expression had been anything but wretched!
However, in the end, he seemed to hold back out of some concern and didn't outright turn hostile.
"Yet another poor soul bound by the rules!" Leylin gazed after Doluin's retreating figure, a flash of light passing through his eyes.
Official Wizards all had extremely long lifespans, and therefore, on many occasions, they would compromise with peers of the same level, all for the sake of peaceful coexistence in the future.
Doluin and Leylin were part of the same organization, so they would inevitably run into each other every day.
And since Doluin had wronged Leylin first, even if Leylin had gone a bit overboard this time, Doluin had no choice but to swallow his pride.
However, this shift in dynamics meant that Doluin went from being the aggressor to playing the victim. If any conflict with Leylin arose in the future, public opinion would certainly lean a little more in his favor.
If Leylin intended to remain within the Light Wizard faction forever, then throwing away his reputation for such petty gains would naturally be an extremely unwise move.
But he wasn't a purely Light Wizard! The undercover mission handed down by the Thousand Leaf Hand had already placed him squarely on the opposing side of the entire Light Wizard forces.
Worse still, Leylin couldn't resist their demands either. After all, behind them stood a formidable rank-two Dark Wizard! One who also had countless ties to the entire Dark Wizard faction.
As a result, Leylin figured that even if he managed to extricate himself in the end, he would never be able to continue lingering within the Four Seasons Garden.
In the future, even if he crossed paths with Doluin again, they would most likely be mortal enemies! If that was the case, then squeezing out a little less now would be something only a fool would do!
As for Doluin's position as deputy leader of the Defense Squad, Leylin merely sighed about it briefly before filing it away at the back of his mind.
Right now, he had arrived at the central building of the Four Seasons Garden within the Ganges Secret Realm, where security was far more stringent, waiting to be received and to accept his new appointment.
In an office where every piece of furniture was composed entirely of living green plants, Leylin once again met Leonore, the leader of the Four Seasons Garden.
"Lord Leonore!" Leylin bowed respectfully, and the Spiritual Power compression technique he had obtained from the old witch was operating at full capacity.
Beneath Leonore's gold-rimmed glasses, a pair of keen, intelligent eyes studied Leylin intently, occasionally flickering with hints of puzzlement.
"Wizard Leylin! The outstanding contributions you made in Sector Thirteen — the entire Elder Council has taken note!"
Perhaps after observing him for quite some time without detecting anything amiss, Leonore finally spoke in a soft voice.
"We unanimously agree that the position of Guard Wizard is a waste of your talents. You deserve a role that is better suited to your strengths..."
Leylin wore a respectful expression on the surface, but inwardly he was rolling his eyes. A more suitable position? It was still just whatever the Elders above decided, wasn't it?
Still, however he felt inside, Leylin didn't dare let even a trace of his true emotions show on his face.
Instead, a faint flush of color rose to his cheeks, and he lifted his head slightly. "I thank the Elder Council for their trust. I will absolutely work hard to fulfill my new duties..."
"Excellent!" Leonore nodded and scribbled a few strokes on an appointment document lying on the desk.
"Leylin Farrell! I hereby announce your promotion to Deputy Leader of the Hunting Squad, under the jurisdiction of Xishan! Go to his quarters to receive your formal appointment!"
"The Hunting Squad! Xishan!"
Leylin's mind instantly flashed back to that three-eyed Wizard. It seemed his entanglement with this Wizard Xishan was far from over.
"What's the matter? Do you have any objections?" Leonore eyed Leylin with undisguised interest, as though trying to read something in his expression.
A faint and subtle ripple of spiritual fluctuations lingered around Leylin, probing his true emotions.
Unfortunately, under the Chip's scanning, this wisp of Spiritual Power had nowhere to hide.
"No! I'm just a bit surprised! After all, I've only ever worked as an Apothecary and a garrison Wizard — I really don't know much about the Hunting Squad's work..."
Leylin spoke evenly, burying every trace of expression deep within his heart.
"That's no problem at all — Xishan will teach you properly!"
A trace of amusement lingered on Leonore's face, as though he truly knew nothing of what had transpired between Xishan and Leylin.
"Of course! I'll be sure to consult with Lord Xishan!"
Leylin paused for a moment, then finally stepped forward and accepted the new appointment document.
After Leylin left, Leonore tapped the floor with his cane.
Thud! Thud!
The dull knocking echoed throughout the entire office. Then, the bookcase beside the office cracked open.
Countless plant vines parted to either side, revealing a pitch-black, yawning passage.
A Wizard clad in a black robe trimmed with blood-red lace emerged from the tunnel.
Remarkably, a third vertical eye had grown in the middle of this Wizard's forehead!
"Xishan! This young fellow will be reporting to you from now on — do keep a close watch on him!" Leonore said to Xishan.
"Of course!" Xishan nodded, his lips splitting into a bloodthirsty grin.
"I'm quite interested in how he managed to reach this level in such a short time!"
Xishan's expression turned somewhat grave. "It seems the inheritance he obtained back then was probably no simple thing..."
Leonore shook his head.
"I took a careful look just now. Lei Lin's elemental transformation progress is only around 50%. Combined with his record of exchanging contribution points for energy particle crystals, it's likely he forced his advancement with those. The reason he's been able to achieve these feats is probably because he obtained some powerful Magical Items or secret techniques from that ruins back then..."