I'm Softhearted by Nature

Patrol Prefecture.

"Shopkeeper Wang, you're far too courteous."

Looking at the generous gifts before him, Lin Chang'an greeted the man with a broad smile and invited him to sit. Shopkeeper Wang, meanwhile, took in the sight within the main hall.

The once-majestic Patrol Prefecture had now become a place for listening to tunes among pleasure houses. Shopkeeper Wang immediately felt contempt in his heart, though he kept a smiling face.

"I had wished to pay you a visit several times before, but I never expected Alchemist Lin to be in seclusion refining pills all this while."

With a flattering smile, Shopkeeper Wang was also making it clear that it was not because he lacked manners; Lin Chang'an had simply been refining pills the entire time, or he would have come long ago.

Hearing this, Lin Chang'an slapped his forehead and revealed an expression of sudden realization. "Look at my memory. I nearly forgot the important matter."

However, in the next moment, Lin Chang'an looked at the gifts before him, his face showing difficulty. "Shopkeeper Wang, I know you had dealings with the sect before, but the problem is that this shop was registered with the Patrol Prefecture under the names of the Liu sisters."

"You see, I can't break the rules either, can I? These are rules jointly established by all the factions!"

He even stressed his final sentence. Seeing Lin Chang'an's troubled expression, the flesh on Shopkeeper Wang's face twitched. He had heard rumors before, but this man was really damn greedy!

Shopkeeper Wang clasped his hands with a fawning smile. "Alchemist Lin, you may not know this, but back when the Liu family was powerful, they insisted that this shop be used as part of the dowry when I married my elder sister. Who would have thought that after my elder sister passed away, the shop would end up in the hands of those two wild girls?"

At this point, Shopkeeper Wang revealed a sly grin. "Alchemist Lin, you may not know this either. Those two wild girls were born after the Liu Family Head's younger sister went outside and secretly coupled with some unknown man. They don't even know who their real father is."

He was clearly saying that the Liu family was too busy saving its own skin now, and two mere wild girls were of no consequence.

Yet Lin Chang'an merely lifted his tea cup without revealing anything. Seeing this, pain flashed through Shopkeeper Wang's eyes as he took out a storage pouch.

"Alchemist Lin!"

Looking at the heavy pouch of Spirit Stones pushed into his hands, Lin Chang'an knew at once from its weight that it contained a little over a hundred Spirit Stones. He immediately set down his tea cup, and a troubled expression appeared on his face.

"This wouldn't be appropriate, would it? After all, Steward Liu and I once worked together, and her cultivation isn't weak either!"

He was clearly tempted, but that troubled look obviously meant it was still not enough. Shopkeeper Wang cursed inwardly at his greed.

"Alchemist Lin, when something happened to the Liu family some time ago, that Liu girl suffered injuries outside that damaged her foundation. The heavens must truly have opened their eyes for her to be able to maintain her current cultivation! Besides, those two wild girls are rather pretty. This was originally my elder sister's, yet who knows what methods the Liu family used to kill her!"

Another pouch of Spirit Stones appeared in his hand. Lin Chang'an immediately slammed his palm heavily onto the table and shouted furiously, "Outrageous!"

The sudden outburst gave Shopkeeper Wang a fright. But Lin Chang'an continued with a face full of anger, "Shopkeeper Wang, don't you think these people are going too far? They actually dared to impersonate the Liu family's eldest daughter and forcibly occupy the shop!"

Shopkeeper Wang froze, but he instantly caught on. He immediately put on an angry expression as well, nodding and flattering him. "Steward Lin is righteous indeed! Those two wild girls who appeared from who knows where actually dared to impersonate members of the Liu family, even claiming that their mother had left it to them."

"This was clearly my elder sister's dowry. Since when did it become the property of two wild girls?" Shopkeeper Wang spoke with righteous indignation, but when he turned and saw that Lin Chang'an was making thunderous noise while dropping only tiny raindrops, not even lifting his backside from the seat, his face turned green.

"Steward Lin, you must seek justice for me!"

Tears glimmered in the corners of Shopkeeper Wang's eyes as he spoke sorrowfully. This time, he was completely sincere—his heart was aching itself to death. Trembling, he took out another pouch of Spirit Stones and placed it in Lin Chang'an's hand.

The first time had been a hundred Spirit Stones, the second time another hundred, and this third time was yet another hundred! More than three hundred Spirit Stones in total!

Feeling the weighty pouch of Spirit Stones in his hand and seeing Shopkeeper Wang looking as though he was about to cry from having flesh carved off him, Lin Chang'an knew he had bled enough. His expression suddenly changed, and he slammed the table angrily before rising and shouting outside, "Li Han! Qi Feng!"

"Brother Lin!"

Li Han and Qi Feng, who had long been waiting outside, immediately shouted and entered. Before Shopkeeper Wang, Lin Chang'an slapped the table with an angry face and roared, "The two of you, go bring the Liu Yanran sisters here!"

Qi Feng and Li Han were both somewhat bewildered. Go arrest Steward Liu? They were no match for her.

"What are you standing around for? Does she dare rebel or something?"

"Yes!"

Li Han and Qi Feng exchanged glances, clasped their hands, and departed.

Seeing this, Shopkeeper Wang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Though it pained him to have lost so much, at least the matter could now be settled, and he could get rid of those two wild girls as well.

At that moment, Shopkeeper Wang consoled himself. He had spent so many Spirit Stones, so he could just treat half of them as the cost of hiring someone to get rid of those two wild girls.

"Thank you, Steward Lin, for seeking justice for our Wang Family!"

With tears in his eyes, Shopkeeper Wang spoke excitedly. Anyone unaware of the situation would have thought he had suffered some enormous grievance and had finally found someone to redress it.

"Rest assured, Shopkeeper Wang. For the sake of restoring peace and stability to the Market, I, Lin, will not shrink from my duty!"

Lin Chang'an spoke these high-sounding words as he thumped his chest loudly. It would have sounded even better without the bulging pouches of Spirit Stones on the table.

The instant Shopkeeper Wang left the Patrol Prefecture with gratitude, a flash of resentment surfaced in his eyes, and hatred surged through his heart. Just wait. Once the Beast Taming Zhou Family destroys your Great Sword Sect someday, I'll make you repay everything from today a hundredfold.

Shopkeeper Wang had barely left when Zhang Qing arrived. When he saw Lin Chang'an sitting in the main hall, narrowing his eyes and smiling at the Spirit Stones in his hands, he immediately raised a thumb.

"Brilliant! Junior Brother Lin, that was a brilliant move. You first carved a piece off the Wang Family, yet you even made them lower their guard."

As Zhang Qing entered, he could not help but sneer at the mention of the Wang Family. "The Wang Family eats our sect's food while still eyeing someone else's pot. They deserve death! Sure enough, birds of a feather flock together—they're exactly the same breed as Wang Youyun."

"Still, Steward Liu is rather pitiful. The Liu family had only just fallen from power when someone plotted against her and damaged her foundation. Tsk, tsk."

Speaking of Steward Liu, Zhang Qing rarely shook his head and sighed. "Black Thread Poison erodes the heart meridians, takes root in the blood and channels, and devours flesh, blood, and spiritual power. To detoxify it, one must have an Advanced Detoxification Pill or Spirit Cleansing Powder. Otherwise, she will not live beyond ten years."

Listening to Zhang Qing speak of this, Lin Chang'an could not help but be stunned. It seemed there was more to Steward Liu being plotted against than he had thought, but it had little to do with him.

"Senior Brother Zhang!"

Lin Chang'an smiled and pushed one pouch of Spirit Stones toward him. Yet Zhang Qing unusually kept his eyes clear and pretended not to see it. Instead, he sighed. "Junior Brother, although Steward Liu is at odds with the Liu family, it would be best to stop at the proper point for now."

Zhang Qing's meaning was simple: they had taken the benefits, so they should act against the Wang Family. Steward Liu posed no threat anyway, so there was no need to provoke the Liu family into displeasure over this.

Though Zhang Qing saw the Spirit Stones before him and felt the ache in his heart, when he thought of the temptation of the Breakthrough Pill, he knew it was all worth it.

Seeing that Zhang Qing had not accepted the Spirit Stones, Lin Chang'an smiled and asked, "Did I ever say I was going to make a move against Steward Liu?"

"Then you...?"

Seeing Zhang Qing's confusion, Lin Chang'an revealed a meaningful smile. "Senior Brother Zhang, the Wang Family has connections with the Beast Taming Zhou Family, but we have no evidence. Going too far would not be good either. Besides, I'm softhearted by nature. I can't bear to see the suffering of the world."

Hearing those familiar words, Zhang Qing felt a bad premonition rise in his heart—a bad premonition for the Wang Family.