Even blind box hunters don't choose their partners? I got Su Daji from my blind box!

Zhang Jiaming held the dark, light, and still warm object in his hands, as if he hadn't heard Xia Chaoyue's words.

Xia Chaoyue's gaze had evolved from looking at trash to looking at a pervert.

Even the red-clad ghost beside her pinched its nose in disgust and floated back three meters, afraid of getting tainted by some unclean karma.

Lin Xiao, however, remained as calm as an old monk in meditation.

But deep within his narrowed eyes, a golden stream of data was frantically scrolling across the screen.

[Item: Dragon Binding Rope (Disguise Form - Black Stockings)]

[Rank: Red Myth (Incomplete/Upgradable)]

[Attribute: An ancient immortal's supreme treasure for binding mounts. It moves at will; reciting the incantation transforms it into an invisible rope, ignoring physical defenses, and possessing the binding characteristic of "causality" (the more one struggles, the tighter it becomes, until it pierces the soul).]

[Hidden note: The fat man didn't recognize its value; he only saw it as a tough rag.]

[Actual return rate: 10000% (a huge profit)]

Lin Xiao's heart skipped a beat.

Holy crap?

A red myth?!

This fatso actually has some goods!

Moreover, it's a top-tier control-type item with strong causality!

Lin Xiao was overjoyed and wished he could present the fat man with a banner that read "The Money-Giving Boy" and set off two strings of firecrackers on the spot.

However, he appeared to be frowning and even took a half step back.

He pinched his nose with two fingers, as if he could smell a biological weapon leak.

"this one?"

Lin Xiao's voice was as cold as ice, full of disdain.

"You're saying this is a priceless treasure? I'd even find it too slippery to use for polishing shoes."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiaming broke out in a cold sweat.

He panicked, he really panicked.

The pink mist behind him was almost touching his buttocks, and the fear of being drained dry made him completely lose his mind.

"Brother! Eldest brother! Godfather!!"

Zhang Jiaming cried out.

"These are no ordinary socks! They... they're incredibly durable! I once used them to strangle a level three iron corpse, and they didn't even break a thread!"

"Moreover, it's warm in winter and cool in summer, feels great to the touch, and can even protect against poison when worn on the head... Although the smell is a bit pungent, it's truly a lifesaver!!"

Xia Chaoyue couldn't listen anymore, and her lips twitched uncontrollably.

"You're wearing it on your head? Zhang Jiaming, you really are a pervert."

"I did that to save my life!!"

Zhang Jiaming was filled with grief and indignation, and retorted in a broken voice.

Lin Xiao sighed, a helpless expression on his face.

He stretched out two fingers and barely managed to pinch one corner of the black silk.

"Alright."

Lin Xiao shook his head and said earnestly.

"For the sake of us being Chinese, if I don't go to hell, who will? I'll take care of this junk for you, now you can leave."

The tone was more like accepting a bag of unrecyclable wet garbage than accepting a piece of mythical equipment.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Brother!!"

Zhang Jiaming felt like he had been granted a pardon and shoved the black stockings into Lin Xiao's hand, afraid that he would change his mind.

The two exchanged a glance, sparks flying.

Zhang Jiaming's eyes were filled with tears.

This guy is a good friend. He traded me trash for my life. What a steal!

Lin Xiao's eyes were filled with a smile.

This fat guy is a good friend; he traded a myth for a chance to escape—a huge win!

"The green hills remain unchanged, the clear waters flow on forever! Brotherly loyalty, I will remember it!!"

Zhang Jiaming cupped his hands in greeting, pointed to the increasingly thick pink mist behind him, and uttered a sentence.

"Those female ghosts are pretty fierce, bro, take care of your kidneys!"

Before he could finish speaking...

The fat man slipped away, his tattered Taoist robe billowing in the wind.

He transformed into a blur, disappearing into the nearby alley with a speed that defied the laws of physics.

In the blink of an eye, the person was gone.

All that remained was Lin Xiao, clutching the clump of black silk in his hand, bewildered in the eerie wind.

"..."

Xia Chaoyue held the long sword, looking at Lin Xiao with a complicated expression.

That look contained three parts contempt, three parts incomprehension, and four parts "I misjudged you."

"You did this for?"

Xia Chaoyue pointed to what Lin Xiao was holding, her tone icy.

"A pair of used stockings, and you're taking on this kind of trouble? Lin Xiao, I never knew you had this kind of taste?"

Lin Xiao calmly flipped his hand over and put away the black stockings.

"You don't understand."

Lin Xiao clapped his hands and said in a serious tone.

"This is art. Besides, we are all compatriots from China, and helping each other is a traditional virtue."

"Oh."

Xia Chaoyue sneered, "You'd be that kind?"

How am I being unkind?

Lin Xiao glanced at her sideways. "Who was it that begged me to help them clear the dungeon in the first place? Didn't I come without a second thought?"

"I'm the one who lured you in!" Xia Chaoyue glared.

"So you know it's kidnapping?"

Lin Xiao rolled his eyes at her, then opened his palm and waved it in front of Xia Chaoyue.

"Now that we've laid everything bare, and I only helped this fatso after taking a bribe, you should at least do something in return, right?"

Xia Chaoyue was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"A kickback."

Lin Xiao retorted confidently, "Even though there's a blind box reward for passing the level, you should still compensate me for the favor you did me by asking for my help, right?"

Xia Chaoyue looked at Lin Xiao's outstretched hand, then at the pocket where he had just put away his black stockings, and her brain began to work at lightning speed.

The logical chain is closed instantly.

He had just taken the fat man's black stockings and looked very satisfied.

Now he's asking me for favors.

He's a pervert.

So... he wants mine...?!

A sudden boom in my mind

Xia Chaoyue's cool and stunningly beautiful face instantly turned as red as a ripe tomato.

Shame, anger, and shock intertwined in her eyes.

"Lin Xiao! You...you're shameless!!"

Xia Chaoyue gritted her teeth, her voice trembling.

She subconsciously took a half step back, her long legs pressed together, and the hilt of the knife in her hand creaked as she gripped it.

Lin Xiao was completely bewildered.

I just want some Qi and Blood Pills or resources, how is that shameless?

Is it illegal to ask for unpaid wages these days?

"Okay...okay then!"

Just as Lin Xiao was about to explain, Xia Chaoyue seemed to have made an extremely difficult decision.

She took a deep breath, glared fiercely at Lin Xiao, and growled in a low voice.

"Once we get out... I'll get you two! Two I've worn myself! Is that alright?! You pervert!!"

After saying that, she suddenly turned her head, her ears turning so red they were almost bleeding.

Lin Xiao: "???"

No, are you sick in the head?

What would I need that thing for? To make tea?

In this strange cross-server chat atmosphere between the two.

In the distance, the swirling pink mist finally engulfed the entire street.

"Hehehe..."

A sickeningly sweet laugh came from the depths of the mist.

Her voice was sweet and seductive, with a captivating charm that made one's blood boil, and the air was filled with the smell of cheap cosmetics mixed with the stench of decay.

"What a wonderful fragrance of yang energy..."

"It's a man... a fresh man..."

Accompanied by this sound, a voluptuous female ghost, dressed in extremely revealing clothing, slowly floated out from the mist.

She wore a semi-transparent pink gauze dress, her skin was pale but had a blush like peach blossoms, and her eyes were languid.

She was holding a round fan in her hand, gently covering half of her face.

"this one?"

Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow.

He thought it was some kind of three-headed, six-armed monster that could scare the fat man like that.

Isn't this just a typical succubus ghost?

"Red dress, it's yours now."

Lin Xiao yawned and casually gave instructions.

"You could probably take on ten of these guys, right?"

The red-clad ghost was hiding behind Lin Xiao, trembling, even its red veil was shaking.

Upon hearing Lin Xiao's words, it not only didn't rush forward, but instead shook its head vigorously.

"Your Majesty...something's wrong!"

The voice of the red-clad ghost was filled with unprecedented terror; its throat was hoarse.

"It's not one...it's not one!!"

Before he could finish speaking...

The pink mist suddenly began to churn violently.

It was like opening a floodgate, or like stirring up a hornet's nest.

"Hehehe!"

"Hahaha!"

"A man! I want a man!!"

The second, the third, the tenth... the hundredth!

Countless pink figures surged out of the mist like a tidal wave bursting its banks!

Some of them wore ancient-style bellybands, some wore modern black stockings, and some simply wore a few pieces of rags.

They are not floating.

They were running wildly!

There were thousands of pairs of green eyes staring intently at Lin Xiao.

It was like a pack of wolves that had been starving for five hundred years suddenly spotting a walking piece of pork belly.

"Boom!"

The ground began to tremble violently.

This is hardly a parade of a hundred ghosts.

This is clearly a battle to protect kidneys!!

"Holy crap?!"

Lin Xiao's expression finally changed.

He stared at the overwhelming, densely packed army of grotesque ghosts, who were even starting to stack themselves on top of each other and charge forward, and his scalp tingled instantly.

This is hardly a blessing in disguise.

This is clearly a saturation attack targeting kidneys!!

"Your Majesty! This is the Ecstasy of the Love Blossom!!"

The red-clad ghost screamed.

"This is a collection of vengeful spirits from thousands of people who died in brothels and pubs! They don't eat meat, they only absorb yang energy!"

"If you get caught, even an elephant will be sucked dry in a second!!"

As Lin Xiao watched the surging pink wave, he felt a phantom pain in his lower back.

He turned around abruptly, looking in the direction Zhang Jiaming had fled, his teeth clenched in fury.

"You fat bastard!! You fucking screwed me over!!!"

"Is this something a pair of black stockings can solve?!"

"We need to pay more!! We absolutely need to pay more!!"

"..."

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This month is Chinese New Year, a time of universal celebration, so I've decided to update three times a day this month! Come cheer for this author!

Also, it's almost Chinese New Year, so how about I get a red envelope (five-star book review) as a token of my appreciation? (innocent smile)