Playing His Trump Card
Seeing Big Black's anxious look, Shen Jingchuan chuckled and nodded.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Little Black and Treading Snow, the two horses harnessed to the carriage beside him. They were also craning their necks and looking over with pleading eyes. He couldn't help but sigh.
"Okay, then take three."
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and he glanced at Little Black and Treading Snow, then took the opportunity to advise:
"Fellow Daoist, although your two Whirlwind Horses are slightly inferior to this one, the success rate of using Mid-Grade Ancestral Reversion Pill is still quite high. Why not take one more? In case one of them fails, it's safe to give it one as a replacement."
Shen Jingchuan chuckled inwardly at the shopkeeper's shrewd business acumen. He was already feeling the pinch from spending three pills, but then he thought, "I have the ability to upgrade pill grades. One high-grade pill will definitely work; any more would be a waste." So he shook his head.
"No need, three pills are enough." He poured the pills back into the jade bottle and handed it back. "Let's go in and pay the bill."
The shopkeeper quickly stepped aside to lead the way. Once inside, Shen Jingchuan, fearing that lingering would arouse Xiao Mingshu's suspicion, didn't haggle or beat around the bush, and stated directly:
"Shopkeeper, I don't have enough Spirit Stones on me."
He then took out six High-Grade Qi Gathering Pills from his Storage Ring and placed them on the table:
"Will you take this?"
The shopkeeper glanced down and saw that the pill was glistening and full, with its Spiritual Qi contained within—it was High-Grade Qi Gathering Pill. He couldn't help but look up at Shen Jingchuan again, and his smile immediately warmed up.
"Take it! Of course we'll take it! Top-grade pills are in high demand; there's no reason not to."
Shen Jingchuan said bluntly:
"The three Ancestral Reversion Pill cost a total of 1,800 Spirit Stones. I'll give you these six High-Grade Qi Gathering Pills at market price for 4,800 Spirit Stones. You just need to pay me back 3,000 Spirit Stones. I won't haggle with you."
The shopkeeper quickly calculated in his mind that he could make a profit by buying and selling these High-Grade Qi Gathering Pills; it would be profitable both ways. He immediately agreed.
"Alright! Let's do it as you say, fellow Daoist!"
He deftly counted out three thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and also handed over a brand-new Storage Bag, showing his sincere desire to befriend him, and his attitude became much more respectful.
Shen Jingchuan packed his things, turned around and left the medicine shop, heading towards the market exit with Xiao Mingshu.
The group left Spirit Creek Market and walked along the official road. Xiao Mingshu, sitting on the carriage shaft, suddenly used telepathy to speak to Shen Jingchuan:
"As soon as we left the inn, I sensed three presences watching us. They disappeared when we went into the shop to buy things. I reckon they went around to ambush us. We need to be careful on the way. There's only one road out of here; it'll be safe once we get past the canyon entrance. This section is the most dangerous."
Shen Jingchuan nodded slightly.
After speaking, Xiao Mingshu lifted the curtain and entered the carriage. Huan'er sat in front and drove, while Shen Jingchuan rode Big Black alongside the carriage.
Continuing onward, they soon emerged from the canyon. Beyond the thin mist, the mountains and fields of the mortal world were faintly visible. After walking another five miles, the surrounding forests grew denser, and Xiao Mingshu's voice came again through telepathic transmission:
"Attention, there is a repair operation!"
Before she finished speaking, she had already sprung out of the carriage, her magic sword drawn from its sheath.
Shen Jingchuan looked closely and saw two masked men rushing straight toward the carriage on the official road ahead. From the woods behind him, another dark figure was rapidly approaching.
"Huan'er, you and Young Master Shen deal with the one behind them, I'll handle the two in front!"
Before Xiao Mingshu could finish speaking, she had already darted out, her magic sword flashing coldly as she engaged the two people in front of her in battle.
The dark figure behind them drew closer and closer, and judging from its shape, it was a female cultivator—none other than Su Wan from the Splendid Embroidery Pavilion.
Shen Jingchuan used his Peering into Truth Instruction to scan the area and his heart skipped a beat—it was actually the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. Huan'er stood beside the carriage, using her Qi Gazing Technique, and felt that the other party's aura was profound, far superior to her own. Her expression immediately hardened, she drew her magic sword from her waist, and became fully focused and on guard.
Shen Jingchuan reached down and took the tiger-head gold-inlaid spear from the horse's back. The spear's quality had been enhanced by the spatial manipulation, making it solid and sharp.
He had just gripped the gun when he suddenly paused—he was a cultivator now, so why was he still thinking of using mortal weapons?
With a thought, he channeled his Spiritual Power through the Geng Metal Instruction, and a golden light flashed at his fingertips. A condensed golden arrow shot out from the air, heading straight for the masked female cultivator.
Su Wan initially thought that the two opponents were just minor figures at the Qi Refining Third Layer, whom she could easily defeat. However, she suddenly saw a golden sword shoot towards her, its power clearly exceeding the level of the Qi Refining Third Layer. She was surprised for a moment, then raised her hand and summoned a small round shield, which blocked the golden sword with a "clang".
She paused only for a moment before continuing her charge forward, her Qi Refining Sixth Layer level making the two of them breathless.
Seeing that the golden sword hadn't posed a real threat, Shen Jingchuan thought, "Damn it, thank goodness I was prepared," and immediately pulled out his trump card.
He hung up his tiger-head gilded spear, and with a flick of his wrist, Maxim in his hand. He hung the canvas strap around his neck, the ammunition belt already loaded.
He held the gun with one hand and smoothed the ammunition belt with the other, pointing the dark muzzle at Su Wan who was rushing towards him.
At this point, the two were only about ten meters apart, almost face-to-face.
Su Wan rushed forward and suddenly saw the other person pull out a thick, dark tube with a small eye at the front pointing directly at her. A strong sense of danger welled up in her heart, and she instinctively tried to dodge to the side.
Just then, Shen Jingchuan directly grabbed the fire.
"Da da--"
A series of rapid explosions suddenly resounded through the forest.
Upon seeing this, Su Wan was startled and immediately held the small round black Mystic Iron shield in her hand to her chest and abdomen. Her Spiritual Power surged and churned, and a thick, white Spiritual Qi shield instantly expanded, firmly enveloping her body. The shield and the double-layered defense were perfectly sealed together.
She was certain that her Spiritual Power at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer was enough to stop ordinary Technique Method attacks.
A dense hail of bullets whistled through the air, slamming into the Spiritual Qi barrier.
A series of crisp, ear-piercing explosions rang out. The tough Spiritual Qi shield was like thin ice hitting a heavy hammer, instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and then shattered and disintegrated in the blink of an eye.
Without the outer barrier to cushion the impact, the remaining projectiles all blasted into the small round shield in her hand. The hard Mystic Iron shield surface dented and cracked continuously, and the cracks spread rapidly along the shield body.
The small round shield could only protect the head, face, and a small area of the chest, leaving the limbs, waist, and abdomen completely exposed.
The moment her protective Spiritual Qi shattered, several bullets pierced through the gap and stabbed into her soft abdomen.
Su Wan felt a sudden numbness in her lower abdomen, followed by a burning pain that spread along her meridians. The Spiritual Power flowing through her body suddenly became disordered and scattered, and she could no longer replenish the Spiritual Power to activate her defensive Law Artifact.