Sun Zhicheng

The voice from outside belonged to Meng Xiaoran.

Hearing it, Meng Haoran hurriedly withdrew from his cultivation state and opened the door, only to see the anxious look on Meng Xiaoran's face.

"Xiaoran, what happened? Did something happen at the pavilion?"

Yesterday, after Meng Haoran had cast the Daoist Magic known as the "Minor Cloud Rain Art," he had taken the Thunderfire Tiger to the Xinghua Meng Pavilion in Qingyang County.

Having rested for the night, he had only just entered cultivation when he heard Meng Xiaoran calling out.

Meng Xiaoran jogged all the way over, arriving before Meng Haoran and gasping heavily several times before replying, "Someone's here to smash up the place!"

While Meng Haoran had been living a routine life between two points, Meng Xiaoran had also broken through to the Third Layer of Qi Refining under his guidance, earning the chance to go to the Xinghua Meng Pavilion in Qingyang County for experience.

Meng Haoran asked, "Smash up the place? Who is it?"

Meng Xiaoran's face was slightly flushed as he replied, "Some Rogue Cultivator customers from yesterday. Yesterday afternoon, they bought several talismans from the front pavilion. Only one night has passed, yet for some unknown reason, they've come back to the front pavilion, clamoring for a refund!"

Meng Haoran nodded slightly. As he pulled Meng Xiaoran toward the front pavilion, he asked, "Other than them, are there any other outsiders there?"

The reason Meng Haoran asked was because he feared that someone from another merchant pavilion was secretly stirring up trouble!

"Probably not. Other than those Rogue Cultivators, everyone outside is just a bunch of passersby watching the show!" Meng Xiaoran replied.

Meng Haoran's expression darkened. "I understand."

At present, the clan member managing this Xinghua Meng Pavilion was Meng Luohai, but because the clan had matters to deal with yesterday, he had returned to Xinghua Village.

Now, all the Meng Family members at the Xinghua Meng Pavilion were younger cultivators at the Third or Fourth Layer of Qi Refining.

Among them, Meng Haoran had the highest cultivation, and during this period, he had also become highly favored by the Meng Family's senior members.

Thus, the moment Meng Xiaoran saw that something had happened at the front pavilion, he immediately came to seek Meng Haoran's help.

The moment Meng Haoran walked from the rear courtyard to the front pavilion, he heard an extremely noisy chorus of shouts.

"Don't feed us meaningless nonsense! We came here today to return the goods and get back our own Spirit Stones!"

"If you won't return our Spirit Stones, we'll go to the county office and ask the county magistrate to uphold justice for us!"

"Hehe! Once the county office sends people over, your merchant pavilion probably won't be able to stay in business!"

After first getting a clear look at those Rogue Cultivators, Meng Haoran said to Meng Xiaoran, "Xiaoran, ride a Flying Star Horse and leave through the back door. Hurry back to Xinghua Village and tell the elders at home that something has happened at the pavilion!"

Knowing the gravity of the matter, Meng Xiaoran nodded slightly and turned to leave.

Then Meng Haoran stepped forward several paces and entered the front pavilion. Cupping his hands with a smile, he said, "Fellow Daoists, what has made things so unpleasant?"

Upon hearing this, those Rogue Cultivators thought the master of the Xinghua Meng Pavilion had arrived. Just as they were preparing to discuss matters with him, they suddenly saw that the newcomer was merely a youth, and their confidence immediately swelled.

The leader barked, "Where did this greenhorn come from? Does your Meng Family have no one left?"

The moment those words came out, not only did the Rogue Cultivators beside him laugh aloud, even the crowd gathered outside the pavilion burst into laughter.

Meng Haoran was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then smiled. "Could it be that this fellow Daoist suffers from an eye disease?"

The man flew into a rage. "Kid! What do you mean by that?"

Meng Haoran countered, "There are more than ten people from my Xinghua Meng Pavilion standing before you, yet you say the Meng Family has no one left. If that is not an eye disease, then what is it?"

The instant he said this, the crowd outside erupted into laughter again.

Seeing this, the embarrassment felt by the clan members behind Meng Haoran eased considerably.

"I don't care! I came to your Xinghua Meng Pavilion today to get my Spirit Stones refunded!"

The man continued loudly, "If you refuse to return my Spirit Stones, I'm not afraid either. We'll wait right here for the county office to send someone over. Then I'd like to see whose methods are tougher!"

The moment Meng Haoran heard that tone, he knew this matter would not end easily!

"May I ask how this fellow Daoist is addressed?" Meng Haoran asked.

The man replied, "My surname is Sun. Sun Zhicheng."

Meng Haoran cupped his hands. "A fine name! Where there is a will, there is a way! Fellow Daoist Sun's name is truly excellent!"

Sun Zhicheng had not expected the youngster before him to be so patient, suddenly placing a flattering cap upon his head.

"Don't talk to me about such irrelevant nonsense. I'll ask you one thing: can you return our Spirit Stones today or not?" Sun Zhicheng demanded, staring into Meng Haoran's eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Sun, I just made a brief inquiry and learned that yesterday, you purchased five talismans from our Xinghua Meng Pavilion. Since you bought talismans, you must be a cultivator as well."

Meng Haoran replied, "As a cultivator, you should understand this principle: in mortal shops, the goods you buy may still be returned or exchanged. But in cultivation merchant pavilions, whether at our Xinghua Meng Pavilion or other pavilions in Qingyang County Town, there is no grounds for returns or exchanges."

Sun Zhicheng paused slightly, then asked coldly, "What kind of principle is that? I've never heard of it!"

Meng Haoran continued explaining, "Any cultivation item sold by a cultivation merchant pavilion may not be returned or exchanged once it has left the pavilion. This is the common understanding of all merchant pavilions. Fellow Daoist Sun, as a cultivator, could it be that you do not even know this basic common sense?"

After saying that, Meng Haoran raised his index finger and pointed toward the most conspicuous spot in the front pavilion.

Following the direction of his finger, Sun Zhicheng discovered a rectangular wooden plaque hanging there, with a line of large golden words carved upon it.

"Once sold and taken out of the pavilion, no returns or exchanges!"

At this, Sun Zhicheng was instantly struck dumb, unable to think of how to respond for a time.

By sentiment, when Sun Zhicheng had purchased those talismans, he had already clearly checked that they were intact before taking them away.

By reason, the conditions of sale had been hanging right there in the Xinghua Meng Pavilion; Sun Zhicheng himself simply had not noticed them.

Thinking of this, Sun Zhicheng began to feel like retreating.

Just then, a cough suddenly rang out from among the many onlookers outside.

After hearing that cough, Sun Zhicheng suddenly raised his voice. "It is not that I wish to return the Meng Family's talismans. It is simply that, as mere Rogue Cultivators, we have not accumulated many Spirit Stones, so naturally those Spirit Stones must be spent on the blade's edge, kid!"

Meng Haoran had originally thought that Sun Zhicheng would leave of his own accord after hearing what he said.

He had never expected a single cough from within the crowd to make Sun Zhicheng renew his intention to return the goods.

When Meng Haoran looked toward the onlookers, the crowd was a dark, densely packed mass. Naturally, he could not tell who had made that coughing sound.

He could only turn to Sun Zhicheng and ask, "Fellow Daoist Sun, what do you mean by that?"