Chapter 409: Golden Trade

"You don't need to break rocks on your chest," Ning Ruyu said, a mix of amusement and exasperation in his voice. "I want you to do business."

"Do business?"

Chen Ling was taken aback. "What kind of business?"

Ning Ruyu reached into thin air and, with a subtle gesture, several discs appeared neatly arranged on the table. Titles like *Cleopatra*, *The Great Gold Robbery*, *Raiders of the Lost Ark*, *Treasure Island*, and *The Golden Branch and Jade Leaf* were visible.

As Chen Ling looked at the movie titles, all hinting at gold and luxury, his expression grew peculiar. He turned to Ning Ruyu.

"The business you're talking about, it couldn't be..."

"Gold."

"We'll prepare a cartload of gold for you," Ning Ruyu explained slowly. "You'll take it to the auction house in the Mortal Realm, sell it, and bring the money back."

Chen Ling's mouth gaped open in astonishment.

"That's possible??"

"Why not? How do you think the Twilight Society has managed to operate all this time?"

"So, the items from those movies, can they really be taken out?"

"Theoretically, no," Mo Jiao explained, seizing the moment. "These items are essentially the cultural heritage hidden within the Ancient Theatrical Trove. While they are tangibly real and food is edible, they will gradually dissipate once they leave the Trove—unless we use our authority to grant them 'authenticity.'"

"However, granting 'authenticity' incurs a karmic backlash. The severity of this backlash depends on what's brought out. Edible items are usually fine, as they won't significantly impact this era. But if we were to bring out airplanes, tanks, or even a nuclear bomb, the backlash would be immense."

"After several attempts, we found that gold is the most balanced item. It causes minimal backlash and is the easiest to convert into cash. That's why almost every year, we send someone to the Mortal Realm to sell it. It's also the primary source of income for Twilight Society members."

Understanding the underlying principle, Chen Ling breathed a slight sigh of relief. If everything from the movies could be brought out of the Ancient Theatrical Trove without consequence, the Nine Realms would have descended into chaos long ago, simply by selecting a couple of sci-fi or war films.

"The first few years were manageable, but continuously sending out large amounts of gold annually inevitably draws attention," Ning Ruyu explained, spreading his hands. "Since we always send just one person to monetize a substantial amount of gold, some people believe we possess a secret gold treasure, while others think we're an ancient family. The rumors have grown increasingly fantastical; in fact, starting two years ago, people in the Mortal Realm began calling us the 'Golden Society.' Because of this, there have been minor complications with each transaction in recent years, but we've always managed to resolve them and return safely within two or three days."

Luan Mei pondered for a moment before speaking.

"But Junior Brother's rank isn't high yet. What if, on the way..."

The young Master raised an eyebrow, glancing out the window. The short figure that had previously shrunk against the wall now furtively poked out half its head. Noticing the Master's gaze, it immediately recoiled.

He chuckled softly. "I think it's perfectly fine to let Old Six go alone," he said leisurely. "Young people need to be tempered, after all. If he gets killed or crippled, we'll simply avenge him."

Outside the wall, the Harlequin's body visibly shuddered!

The other disciples also seemed to grasp the Master's true intention, and their expressions grew subtle.

Surprisingly, Chen Ling pondered deeply for a long time, then nodded. "Alright, I'll go."

"Junior Brother, are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

During his classes in the Ancient Theatrical Trove, his expectation value, which he had painstakingly raised to 63, had dropped all the way back to 55. Watching it decrease daily had deeply bothered Chen Ling, so he naturally wouldn't miss an opportunity to increase it. Most importantly, by his calculations, it was almost time for the next era save to be initiated. He needed to accumulate enough expectation value before then, or he might die on the spot if he ever encountered the Emperor God Path again.

"Then tonight, Old Third and Old Fourth will start collecting the gold. It should be ready in about half a day."

"Old Six, get ready. You'll depart tomorrow morning."

With that, the young man yawned, unhurriedly picked up his meal bowl, and left the room, seemingly heading back to bed.

Soon after, Wen Renyou and Mo Jiao also left, heading directly towards the audio-visual section.

"Junior Brother, under no circumstances can you let your guard down," Ning Ruyu said, pacing anxiously in the room for a long time. "The gold we trade with the Mortal Realm each year is incredibly valuable, and many people covet it... You..."

After a long deliberation, Ning Ruyu took a golden mask from his robe and handed it to Chen Ling.

"Take this with you."

"What is this?"

"It's the mask your senior brothers and sisters wore during previous transactions," Ning Ruyu explained. "Initially, I just wanted to use the golden mask as a gimmick to attract the highest bidders. However, after your other senior brothers and sisters wore it a few times, it started drawing in some petty criminals who coveted the gold, and they ended up getting a good beating... In short, this mask still carries a certain level of deterrence in the main city of the Mortal Realm. You can use it for self-defense if needed."

Chen Ling took the mask, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Senior Brother, what exactly did you do with this mask?"

"Killed a few people," Ning Ruyu said, trying to recall. "They were probably... quite influential figures in the city, I think? I don't remember clearly."

Chen Ling nodded, put away the mask, and after Ning Ruyu gave a few more instructions, he finally departed.

Eventually, only Chen Ling and Luan Mei remained in the room.

"Senior Sister, aren't you going back to rest?"

Luan Mei gave him a deep look, then turned and walked out of the room. "Follow me."

Though puzzled, Chen Ling stepped forward and followed her. They walked through the cluster of houses and directly into the center of a vast grassland.

The countless stars, like silver dust scattered by the heavens, shimmered silently in the darkness, illuminating a corner of the boundless prairie.

Dressed in a black qipao, Luan Mei stood quietly beneath the constellations, appearing as if draped in a shimmering silver veil.

She slowly turned her head to face Chen Ling.

"Junior Brother, you must watch my footwork very carefully now..."

Chen Ling froze for a moment. Before he could fully grasp the situation, Luan Mei took a light step, moving with the grace of a startled swan beneath the stars, and instantly darted a great distance away! A gentle breeze brushed Chen Ling's theatrical robe as his pupils, reflecting her elegant, dancing figure, subtly contracted. In that moment, he suddenly found Luan Mei's footwork strangely familiar. It was as if, with every step she took, he could instinctively predict where her next one would land. This sensation was incredibly peculiar.

It felt as though he had seen it somewhere before.

"This is..." Chen Ling murmured to himself.

Beneath the expanse of stars, the figure in the black qipao seemed to walk on clouds, ascending step by step from the boundless grassland towards the heavens!

The Ancient Theatrical Trove's Four Fundamental Secret Arts — Cloud Step.