The atmosphere turned awkward with no one knowing what to do. Li Yangyi locked eyes with every person in the room. He asked himself if he should tell his father about this. All great families gathered at one place—either a great coincidence, or this store wasn't as simple as they had originally anticipated. Even if it was, this meeting was bound to alert the other powers residing in this city and soon turn this little place into a beacon for trouble.
Everyone in the room thought the same thing.
Well, there was one person who did not care about that. "Shou, I've come to play," Li Yinyi shouted and placed 5 spirits stones on the table. Not her brothers', they were her own. Evidently, she had been provided with some more.
Shou nodded and reached his hand out.
"My dear Li Yinyi, what is it you are buying," Wang Jing stepped forward and said, "let me get it for you."
He rested his fan on the counter and stopped Shou from collecting any money. He smiled amicably, and his eyes narrowed gently. Anyway, since he was already here, he should use the chance to talk with Li Yinyi first; politics could come later!
Li Yangyi, seeing that person face, felt his stomach belching, and his face crunched into a knot. "Get lost Wang Jing! Does my sister look so poor, she needs your handouts?"
"Not at all." He shook Wang Jing shook his head. "But is it not the mans job to please his woman?"
Li Yangyi gritted his teeth. "Who the hell are you calling your 'woman'?"
"Slip of tongue."
Li Yinyi ignored their little antics and did not think much about it. She took the money again and placed them on the counter once more.
"Li Yinyi, what are you doing," Li Yangyi screamed as he saw what his sister was about to do. He stretched his hand out and caught the 5 spirit stones before they reached Shou again.
Shou and Si: "..."
"Ah, that's my money! Since you didn't look like you'd pay any time soon, I thought I just pay myself." Li Yinyi jumped forward and grasped her brothers arms.
Li Yangyi held the money above his head, and since he was a lot taller, Li Yinyi couldn't reach it even when she jumped. "So mother really gave you some secret pocket change again. Damn it, I'm not letting you waste it on some despicable scam."
"Now, now, I cannot let these words go." Zhang Yong who had watched the scene unfold, decisively stepped forward. He looked at Shou and smirked. Since he still felt the guilt of accusing him the same way, he decided to repay the shop-owner by standing up for him. "Little Yinyi, how about this, Uncle will pay for you." He reached for his pocket and took out a handful of spirit stones. "Boss, open a core for her please."
"Calling me Shou is just fine," he said, and stared at the white-glowing gems with vigilance. He glanced at Zhang Yong and slowly reached his hand out—
Li Yinyi shook her head and cupped her palm over the stones. "Thank you Uncle, but I cannot take money from someone outside my family. That would not be the right thing to do."
Shou's eye twitched uncontrollably as his hand hovered in midair, and Si slowly lost her patience.
"I like your sense of justice. It's fine, that much money is still reasonable for me." He shoved the money to Li Yinyi.
LI Yinyi shoved it back. "It is not for me, though. I really appreciate it, but if possible, I'd like to pay it myself."
"Would you not show your Uncle some face?"
"You are always welcome to visit the Ji manor and chat with my papa. I'm sure he'd welcome you."
The spirit stones wandered between the two of them like a ping pong ball. Si, whose eyes were glued tightly to the money, turned dizzy. She furiously shouted out loud, "All right, the next person to take the money back, dies."
Wang Jing jumped in between them. "Uncle Zhang Yong, there's no need for this, I will pay for it."
"Ah, I can't take your money either."
"Don't mind it. Aren't we just like family already?" He opened his fan. "Since we already know us so well."
"Huh? Uh," the gullible Li Yinyi tilted her head, "I guess that makes sense?"
"It doesn't. It really doesn't," Li Yangyi yelled. "Do not fall for that mans or this fake shops tricks!"
"Brother stop it! You're really embarrassing me with your actions." Li Yinyi blushed and pulled at his sleeve. "How can this place possible be fake? Even Uncle Zhang Yong is here."
"I don't believe it, I don't believe it! There's no way this bandits den is—" He suddenly stopped talking, because he felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Zhang Yong glared at him fiercely. He swallowed his words down. 'Fine then. I give up. You guys win! For my sisters sake, I will reluctantly agree. It's not my money anyway.'
Wang Jing stepped forward. "Uncle Zhang Yong. Is this fine?"
"Well, since you already promised, I won't stop you."
"Great." He strode to Shou, and with a haughty, yet elegant expression, said, "Owner, I want to buy everything you have!" He then placed his purse on the table.
"We only have one thing."
"Only one thing? All right, give me all you have from that one thing then. How much is it? 50 gold coins?" He opened the purse and revealed numerous jewels and coins. Buried deep, there were also innumerable spirit stones.
If Si had a mouth, she'd be drooling. "That fellow's rich!" She could already picture all this money in her arms and fell into happy laughter.
"The price is on the wall behind me."
Wang Jing casually looked up, but what he saw caused his eyes to widen greatly. "What! Does it say fifteen spirit stones? Is this some sick joke?" He hastily closed his bag and shied away. Spirit stones? This ordinary shop really took spirit stones? When he previously saw the others taking them out, he thought they were only bragging!
Si watched the money disappear. Seeing the glimmer fading, she almost cried. "Okay that's it! I can't take this anymore! He's dead!"
"Troublemakers detected," the systems voice said, "preparing punishment."
"Hahaha," Li Yangyi laughed at the silly expression of his. "Come on! I thought you'll pay. So what's the hold up now?" He held his belly and slumped over. "Let me tell you this! I didn't come as a patron, I came to bust a swindler!"
Wang Jings face changed to beet-red, then incomparably dark. "Audacious. How dare you scam me! Do you know who I am?" Someone dared to mess with him in this city? They even dared to embarrass him in front of Li Yinyi? The more he thought about it, the madder he got. "You kid got some guts. I can end you in three seconds."
"You're really sounding like a small-fry villain right now." Shou said, though he didn't hear everything, as Si's threats and slurs drowned everything else out.
"Cut the crap!" He threw his fan on the ground, and it shattered into pieces. He unleashed his Spiritual Qi, creating an invisible pressure.
"Ah, it's over," Li Yangyi said with a sneer, "Though he is a Casanova, his cultivation strength is the real deal, in comparison, the owner's only mortal. He's gonna die graveless."
Shou while cupping his ears stood up with a sullen face.
"What?" Wang Jings brows shot up. "I see, that's not enough, let me use my full power. Prepare to die!"
Si shouted similarly. "You bastard! I know, I will skin you alive. Watch me as I obliterate you."
"You brat! How dare you!" Zhang Yong prepared to intervene.
"Everyone, shut up," Shou silently muttered.
He walked to Wang Jing and suddenly stretched his hand out. He let his palm fall to towards the boys face. A simple move, if it could even be called one. Li Yangyi and Zhang Yong watched in confusion. Li Yinyis eyes glimmered. Wang Jing sneered—he pulled his arm up to block the palm, not even bothering to use Qi to protect himself.
However, as he felt it connecting, his expression turned grave. He didn't have time to be astonished, as he felt the palm pushing his arm with no resistance. Wang Jing tried to resist, but it was like fighting against gravity itself, like a heavy stone in a pond, nearing his face.
The palm gently touched his cheek, and he felt a powerful force pushing against him. Wang Jing flew into the air, drawing a beautiful arc, while spinning uncontrollably. A loud thud resounded when he crashed into the ground. Shivering, his eyes turned white.
Every single one who saw the scene was left dumbfounded. All their infighting stopped, like it had never happened.
Shou humphed. "You people rely too much on realms. Dealing with small-fries is no big challenge for me."
Si was stunned mute.
After a long time, she screamed, "[orz] What the fuck is the point in staying mortal then? [cries in sorrow] [blankly stares at sky]."