Medicine Snatching Incident

Inside Jisheng Pharmacy, the scent of medicinal herbs mingled with the stench of human sweat, creating a stifling atmosphere that made one feel uneasy.

Qin Meng caught sight of Lei Jun and felt a slight chill in his heart. Why is it this guy again?

Coincidentally, after Lei Jun stepped into the main hall, his gaze landed on Qin Meng and Wang Tieniu. His eyes turned cold, and the corners of his mouth curled into a playful arc.

"Shopkeeper."

Lei Jun walked straight to the counter and slapped a stack of banknotes onto the surface. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire hall: "My martial hall will take every single tonic for the boiling blood realm in this shop."

The crowd waiting in line stirred.

Li Tiezhu grew anxious. "We were here first. We need to buy three portions of blood-replenishing decoction."

The old shopkeeper sitting at the counter raised his eyelids, preparing to agree.

A tall, thin accountant beside Lei Jun sneered, "What are you shouting about? The martial hall has already pre-ordered in bulk from Jisheng Pharmacy. First come, first served? Do you think you're buying groceries?"

"We've been waiting for nearly half an hour!" Wang Tieniu shouted in his thick voice. "Shopkeeper, be the judge of this!"

The old shopkeeper's face showed his dilemma, his wrinkles bunching into deep furrows. He looked at Qin Meng and the others, then at Lei Jun, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Young master lei... according to our shop's rules, we must follow the order of the queue..."

"Rules?" A burly man with a face full of flab behind Lei Jun stepped forward viciously and kicked the counter. The wooden desk let out a dull thud, and the medicinal scales jumped. "My young master's word is the rule. Is the face of Leiming Martial Hall not enough for you?"

"Don't be rude," Lei Jun scolded, though there was no real reproach in his tone.

He turned to the old shopkeeper and said unhurriedly, "Shopkeeper Liu, the owner of your establishment promised that in special circumstances, the martial hall has priority. With things being unstable in town lately, all the martial halls are stocking up on medicine. Surely that counts as a special circumstance, right?"

Sweat beaded on the old shopkeeper's forehead. He glanced at the silent expressions of Qin Meng and the others, then at Lei Jun's unquestionable gaze, and his shoulders slumped.

"...Very well, I will handle it."

He turned and instructed the shop assistants to move the medicine. A moment later, the remaining twenty-some packets of herbs behind the counter were bundled up and moved entirely in front of Lei Jun. The oil-paper wrapping exuded the scent of medicine; these were all high-quality goods beneficial for martial arts practice.

"Shopkeeper, you're not even following your own rules anymore?" Li Tiezhu's voice was suppressed with anger.

Wang Tieniu was so furious his face turned red. "This is too much bullying!"

Rustling complaints came from behind. Several martial artists looked grim, but no one dared to speak loudly.

The old shopkeeper cupped his hands helplessly. "My apologies, everyone. With the town being unstable lately, our inventory is truly limited. I will definitely save some for everyone next time."

Only then did Lei Jun turn around slowly, looking at Qin Meng with a mocking smile. "Oh, what a coincidence. You two are here to buy medicine too? What a pity, today isn't your lucky day."

"You clearly did this on purpose!" Wang Tieniu clenched his fists.

"On purpose?" Lei Jun raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Buying medicine is just buying medicine; where does this talk of 'on purpose' come from? Shopkeeper Liu is conducting business according to the rules. Could it be that Jisheng Pharmacy only allows you to buy, and not my Leiming Martial Hall?"

The burly man sneered, "Want tonics? Wait for next time. Though, next time... there might not be any stock left either."

The people in the hall dared to be angry but dared not speak.

Leiming Martial Hall was powerful, and its master, Lei Ba, was at the peak of the body forging realm. Which ordinary martial artist would want to offend them lightly?

Qin Meng reached out to stop Wang Tieniu, looking at Lei Jun with a calm expression. After a moment, he spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, yet it made the entire pharmacy fall silent.

"Young Master Lei, don't be too arrogant. But you probably won't listen to that—so let me put it another way."

He paused, then said word by word: "Do you still remember... Song Jiang, Song Gongming?"

The hall fell into a sudden hush.

The arrogant smile on Lei Jun's face froze instantly. The humiliating night from a few days ago flooded his mind—disciples lying dead, Zhao Tie killed, and himself fleeing in a pathetic state...

"You... how dare you!"

Lei Jun's face turned from red to green, then pale. His knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists, his blood and qi surging, causing his robes to flutter.

Qin Meng shrugged without a hint of fear and raised his voice: "The town is buzzing with rumors, saying your martial hall is overbearing and has offended too many people. Several people died that night, even the martial instructor Zhao Tie. What a pity!"

"That's right, they died a miserable death," Wang Tieniu chimed in with a sarcastic tone.

The martial artists in the hall were stunned for a moment, then, before anyone knew who started it, someone let out a stifled "pfft" of laughter.

Immediately after, low chuckles and sneers merged into a chorus.

Those who had been waiting in line for a long time only to find the medicine sold out had been nursing their anger; seeing Leiming Martial Hall get humiliated, they were happy to watch the spectacle.

Many looked at Lei Jun with playful eyes, and the name "Song Jiang" was mentioned repeatedly.

The faces of the men from Leiming Martial Hall turned livid.

A burly man with bulging muscles roared, "What are you laughing at? Shut your mouths, all of you!"

The laughter didn't stop; it grew even louder. Some people coughed deliberately, unable to hide the corners of their mouths curling up.

Lei Jun stared fixedly at Qin Meng, the killing intent in his eyes turning into something tangible. But in the end, he didn't dare to make a move—the momentum Qin Meng had displayed that day was still fresh in his memory. Besides, those from the frontier fortresses were all ruthless characters who lived by the blade...

"...Very well." Lei Jun squeezed the two words through his teeth, flicked his sleeves violently, and barked, "Let's go!"

The group from Leiming Martial Hall grabbed their medicinal herbs and squeezed out of the pharmacy, looking crestfallen. The jeers behind them felt like slaps to the face, and the disciples kept their heads down, walking with hurried steps.

Qin Meng watched their retreating backs, his gaze gradually turning cold. Failing to kill this wretch that night was, after all, a hidden danger. He would have to find an opportunity...

"Mengzi, the medicine is gone. What do we do now?" Li Tiezhu asked in a low voice.

Qin Meng withdrew his gaze and said indifferently, "No rush. Let's go to Kexianju restaurant to deliver the goods first. Fill our bellies, and as for the herbs... I have my own ways."

He touched the cold bronze vip token in his pocket, a plan already forming in his mind.

If Lei Jun dared to act arrogant at Jisheng Pharmacy, he would likely have to shrink away in a place like Duobao Pavilion.

The three of them walked out of Jisheng Pharmacy.

The sun was already high, and the streets were bustling with people.

Li Tiezhu and Wang Tieniu each dragged a sled piled high with game. They followed Qin Meng through two streets until they reached the backyard of Kexianju Restaurant.

Shopkeeper Hu came out to greet them, his eyes lighting up the moment he saw the half-carcass of the spotted deer.

"Good goods, truly good goods." Shopkeeper Hu inspected them personally, grinning from ear to ear. "Brother Qin, your hunting skills are becoming increasingly refined. This venison is fresh; the price is easy to negotiate."

Once the transaction was complete, the silver was in hand.

Shopkeeper Hu was a warm host; not only did he have the kitchen prepare a meal, but he also ordered his staff to heat water and even took the initiative to provide several sets of clean clothes.

"You gentlemen have been traveling through dust and wind; wash up before you eat."

Qin Meng did not decline Fatty Hu's kindness. Relying on his self-healing talent, his injuries had recovered seven or eight tenths, and he looked full of vigor once again.

Warm water poured over his body, washing away the fatigue and bloodstains. He changed into the new coarse cloth clothes bought by the staff. Once Qin Meng was dressed and groomed, he sank his consciousness into his panel.

[Name: Qin Meng]

[Realm: mortal body]

[Innate Talent: divine valor]

[Talents: wild instinct-high tier (13%), environmental integration-mid tier (24%), iron back-mid tier (9%), thick skin and fleshy-mid tier (28%), self-healing-mid tier (11%), water control-low tier (1%), blood shadow-low tier (1%)]

[Core Cultivation Method: none]

[Martial Skills: black dragon eighteen hands-minor success, evil-slaying blade-breaking saber-mastery, chain arrow-minor success, berserker spear technique-minor success]

I'm just missing a cultivation method, but that will come soon. Qin Meng's gaze was burning.

After washing up and changing into new clothes, Li Tiezhu and Wang Tieniu, who looked like brand-new men, enjoyed a hearty meal before dragging the remaining game toward the East District.

In this town of two or three-story wooden and brick buildings, the seven-story pagoda structure of Duobao Pavilion stood out like a crane in a flock of chickens. With its flying eaves, bucket arches, and vermilion-painted beams and pillars, the people coming and going were mostly dressed in fine clothes, a stark contrast to the commoner atmosphere of the West District.

Qin Meng had been here once before, and having been tempered by the cities of his past life, his expression remained unchanged.

Li Tiezhu and the others looked up, dumbfounded, clicking their tongues in wonder. They usually spent their time practicing martial arts within the fort and had never traveled far; how could they have ever seen such a sight?

The interior of the building was spacious, and the plaque above the pharmacy hall bore the gilded characters "Medicine God Pavilion," which looked incredibly imposing.

However, cultivation resources were precious, and Medicine God Pavilion had its own rules for sales. There were many martial artists queuing up, and the line to buy medicine stretched from the counter all the way to the door.

Qin Meng swept his gaze across the crowd. Aside from the martial artists from nearby fortresses, there were even disciples wearing the uniforms of Leiming Martial Hall, all of them standing in line obediently.

Whether it was a coincidence or not, shortly after they arrived, another commotion broke out at the entrance.

Lei Jun arrived surrounded by a crowd, his brocade martial attire standing out conspicuously among the people. They also spotted Qin Meng and his group standing near the entrance.

The gazes of both sides met, and at that moment, the air seemed to freeze.