Dare Say You Won't Sell, and I'll Kill You

A slight curve tugged at Jiang Yunzhou's lips as he stepped into the dimly lit shop.

His gaze quickly swept over the dust-covered clutter on the shelves before settling on several unremarkable chunks of ore.

"Boss, how much are these stones?" Jiang Yunzhou's voice broke the silence in the shop.

Only then did Hulande lazily open one eye. He glanced in the direction Jiang Yunzhou was pointing and said indifferently, "Oh? You want all of them?"

Jiang Yunzhou nodded.

He knew nothing about ores and had no idea which specific one it was, but that did not matter. Taking them all was the safest choice. Better to take the wrong ones than let the right one slip away!

"I'll pack them all up for one hundred gold coins." Hulande did not even raise his eyelids as he named the price.

Jiang Yunzhou frowned slightly. If he agreed too readily, would this guy raise the price again later?

Sure enough, this guy really was a crooked merchant. His obsession with Gold Soul Coins was practically on par with Jiang Yunzhou's own!

A few lousy rocks, and he dared ask for a hundred gold coins?

How was that any different from daylight robbery? No, this was robbery!

"Too expensive. Lower the price," Jiang Yunzhou said flatly.

"Can't lower it."

Hulande remained as lazy as ever. He even turned over and faced away from him. "Buy them or don't."

Jiang Yunzhou laughed. Hulande should have been a level seventy-eight Soul Saint right now, but Jiang Yunzhou was not afraid of him. So what if he was a Soul Douluo?

Humor you? Not a chance!

Without another word, he strode over, grabbed the chunks of ore, and casually slapped them onto an old wooden table beside him.

Smack!

Five stones and five gleaming gold coins were neatly arranged on the table.

"I think they're worth this much."

Jiang Yunzhou picked up the ore, turned, and walked out in one smooth motion without the slightest hesitation.

"Friend!"

Hulande sprang up from his recliner, a trace of chill entering his voice.

The pressure of a Soul Saint surged toward Jiang Yunzhou. "Isn't this a little inappropriate?"

He had expected Jiang Yunzhou to turn pale with fright, but what he saw was nothing like that.

Jiang Yunzhou stopped, slowly turned around, and showed not the slightest fear. Instead, a teasing smile appeared on his face. "Crooked merchant, are you sure you won't let me leave?"

"I think these rocks are worth five gold coins. Maybe you're even making a profit."

"Everyone dies eventually—some deaths weigh heavier than mountains, while others are utterly inexplicable."

He toyed with the ore in his hand and continued, "Dare say you won't sell, and I'll kill you."

"Hah!"

Hulande was so angry that he laughed. Had he run into some edgy teenager?

Did someone really think he was just an ordinary person?

With a mocking expression, he gradually increased his pressure, intending to force this ignorant brat to his knees.

"You've got quite the mouth, kid—"

Before he could finish, Hulande's voice abruptly cut off!

A pressure far more terrifying than his own descended directly upon him.

It instantly suppressed him completely.

"Urgh!"

Hulande let out a muffled groan. He found it difficult to breathe, his heart pounded wildly, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

Never had the shadow of death felt so clear.

He stared at Jiang Yunzhou in absolute horror, his eyes filled with disbelief.

The level of this pressure far surpassed his own, even exceeding that of a Soul Saint. He could not resist it at all.

"Five gold coins. Can you sell them for that?" Jiang Yunzhou's voice remained calm.

Hulande was a shrewd man. After that brief exchange, he had already recognized the gap between them.

The other party was not bluffing. He truly had the power to kill him.

A wise man submitted to circumstances. Money was naturally less important than his life!

"Sell! I'll sell! Five gold coins, and they're yours!"

Hulande nodded desperately, afraid that the other party would change his mind if he delayed even a second.

Besides, these lousy rocks had barely cost him anything when he acquired them. He would still make a profit at ten gold coins.

Jiang Yunzhou grinned when he heard that. Trying to scam gold coins out of me? Not a chance.

If he had not been certain that one of the ores contained Plate Crystal, he would not have paid even five gold coins.

He withdrew the pressure he had released, and his harmless smile returned.

"Why are you so nervous? Don't worry, I'm not a good person."

"If you're doing business, then do it properly. If you'd done this from the start, everyone would have saved themselves the trouble. I didn't expect you to be such a reasonable boss..."

He kept talking to himself without even looking at Hulande's expression.

He weighed the ore in his hand, then turned and leisurely walked out of the shop.

Only after Jiang Yunzhou's figure had completely vanished around the street corner did Hulande collapse onto his recliner.

He panted heavily and repeatedly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

He had felt that icy killing intent with absolute clarity just now.

He was certain that if he had been even a little more stubborn...

He might already have become a corpse.

With that kind of strength, no one in this place could do anything to him.

This was far too much bullying. What did he mean, Hulande was easy to talk to?

It was stifling—absolutely stifling.

But he really could not beat him. Even his aura had been overwhelmed by the other party's by a huge margin.

"A Titled Douluo? Impossible, right? How could someone that young..."

Though still shaken, he reached out to collect the ten gold coins on the table. At that moment, only gold coins could bring him any comfort.

But just as his fingers touched the tabletop—

Crack, crack, crack—

The seemingly intact old wooden table suddenly shattered without warning, turning into a pile of finely splintered wood with perfectly smooth cuts!

The gold coins clattered as they rolled amid the wood chips.

Hulande's heart skipped a beat, and his scalp went numb. He had clearly been frightened badly.

He jerked his hand back, his heart nearly leaping out of his throat!

Cold sweat soaked through his clothes again.

Too terrifying. It was truly too terrifying.

"When... when did he make his move?"

He had not even seen the other party make a single unnecessary movement!

"When did Suotuo City get such a terrifying fiend?"

Still reeling in shock, Hulande looked again at the pile of wood chips and scattered gold coins. He immediately felt that this was no place to linger.

"Can't afford to provoke him, can't afford to provoke him. I can't stay here. I need to leave now!"

He no longer cared about anything else. In a panic, he swept the gold coins into his pocket, locked the shop door, and dashed toward Shrek Academy without looking back.

All he wanted now was to get as far away from that terrifying young man as possible!

Hotel Suite

Jiang Yunzhou wandered around outside for half the day and even sampled a few local snacks, so time passed quickly enough.

On his way back, he deliberately packed up several snacks that looked fairly decent.

When he pushed open the door to the suite, he saw Zhu Zhuqing sitting alone in the shadows by the window, staring blankly outside. She showed no reaction at all, not even when he came in.

The lingering light of the setting sun outlined her slender yet stubborn silhouette, lending her a shattered loneliness.

Looks like this girl has been hurt badly.

"Disciple, it's time to eat."

Jiang Yunzhou set the food boxes on the table, being generous for once...

"Here. This meal... your master is treating you."