Lin Xiaotian’s face broke into a brilliant smile. "Aren't you surprised?"
"Don't you feel a sense of shock?"
"You had your chance, but you blew it!"
As he spoke, he casually placed a finger on the knife and slowly pushed it aside.
The man in the black robe exerted all his strength, only to find that it was no match for Lin Xiaotian's two fingers. His gaze met Lin Xiaotian's eyes.
Their eyes locked, and he immediately saw the mockery dancing in Lin Xiaotian's gaze.
At that moment, he felt a distinct sensation.
He was like a mouse, baring its teeth and claws before a cat.
With a slight exertion of force, Lin Xiaotian effortlessly snatched the knife away.
"This is my wife's car, and I can't have it getting dirty. How about we take this outside and settle it properly?"
The man in the black robe shivered involuntarily. He even wondered if he had fallen into an illusion just moments ago.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't cut Lin Xiaotian. His skin felt as if the knife was slicing through steel, such was its resilience, leaving his mind in a daze.
Upon hearing Lin Xiaotian's words, he shook his head violently. "What a joke! If I follow you out of the car, won't you just stab me to death?"
Lin Xiaotian couldn't help but chuckle. "Old man, you're quite self-aware."
"But how could someone as clever as you be so foolish?"
"How desperate must you be to attack me, and to try and snatch my treasures? After living so long, have you let all your wisdom go to the dogs?"
"You've been following me since I arrived here, haven't you?"
"Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to get into the car and wait for me in such a short amount of time."
"Tell me, who sent you? Or who tricked this fool into coming here?"
A flicker of anger flashed in the man in the black robe's eyes. He gritted his teeth and said, "I'm not a fool. I underestimated you."
"If I had known you were such a powerful master, no amount of reward would have enticed me to appear before you. After all, what's the point of immense riches if you can't enjoy them with your life?"
"I made a mistake. Can you give me a chance?"
Lin Xiaotian's smile widened. "You're backing down awfully fast, aren't you?"
"This isn't backing down, it's being pragmatic!" the man in the black robe corrected.
Lin Xiaotian's laughter grew more pronounced. "My good fellow, are you trying to amuse me?"
"You were ready to strike a fatal blow just moments ago, to slit my throat. And now you want to tell jokes and get away with it?"
"Let me tell you, if you don't give me a satisfactory explanation today, I'll leave a few of your parts behind when you're done. Whether it's your head or your legs that I leave, it will depend on your performance."
The man in the black robe's voice trembled slightly.
His eyes were filled with fear.
At this moment, Lin Xiaotian's aura erupted like a volcanic explosion, surging and powerful.
The ambient temperature dropped by dozens of degrees instantly, and mist began to form on the car windows.
His current strength, when enraged, seemed to allow his spiritual energy to commune with heaven and earth, and the surrounding environment would change with his fury.
Now, with his killing intent sharp and palpable, the air around them seemed to congeal.
The man in the black robe trembled all over.
Soon, he felt the oppressive killing intent recede. Lin Xiaotian's face had returned to its brilliant smile.
"Please, give me a chance. I truly don't want to die. I can offer a treasure in exchange for my life."
"These treasures would be of great use to you, but to me, they are merely fine collectibles."
"You can definitely sell this treasure for an astronomical price."
Lin Xiaotian raised an eyebrow. "You're quite greedy, aren't you? At your age, you still want to come here and snatch treasures. It seems you do have quite a few good things hidden away. I might just give you a chance."
"Let's go. Lead the way. You can't possibly be carrying them on you."
"If you don't produce at least three treasures, you'll forfeit your life."
A look of deep helplessness flashed in the man in the black robe's eyes. He pointed the way, his voice trembling slightly. "No one sent me. I simply wanted to find a way to steal the precious items from your place. But later, I discovered your security was exceptionally tight. Even with all my efforts, I couldn't steal even half an item from you."
"So, I had to resort to other methods. Your treasures are just too alluring."
"Now that I've fallen into your hands, it's my own fault. I'll use my treasures to buy my life. It's a fair trade. I hope you'll keep your word."
Lin Xiaotian smiled and nodded. "Of course. I believe in sustainable development."
"After all, if you want to cause trouble again next time, you'll surely be able to bring me more treasures. Otherwise, you'll lose your life."
The man in the black robe said nothing. His mouth twitched uncontrollably.
What a joke! Having witnessed this monstrous talent, how could he dare to return?
If he managed to escape with his life this time, he would flee as far as possible and never look back.
He wouldn't even want to set foot in this city again.
Lin Xiaotian drove with a smile, following the direction the old man indicated, and soon arrived at an abandoned junkyard.
He glanced at the traces around the entrance, and the smile on his lips grew more pronounced. "Old man, don't tell me this is your hideout."
"Looking at the surrounding signs, it seems no one has been here for at least a few days?"
"And you don't find this place smelly?"
The man in the black robe got out of the car, eyeing Lin Xiaotian warily. He had thought Lin Xiaotian hadn't made a move in the car because he didn't want his blood to stain it. Now, it seemed Lin Xiaotian had no such reservations.
He took a few deep breaths before speaking. "The more desolate a place is, the safer it is for me. After all, I've done a lot of stealing, and all of it of precious treasures."
"But I have one treasure here that I haven't had a chance to sell yet. This single treasure is worth more than the three you mentioned, and its value is immeasurable."
Lin Xiaotian couldn't help but laugh. "I'm quite curious to see what kind of treasure you can produce. I even have a piece of the Imperial Seal myself."
"Is what you're offering more valuable than the Imperial Seal?"
As he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on the old man.
A hint of smugness flickered in the man in the black robe's eyes, but it quickly turned to heartache.
Today, he had truly shot himself in the foot.