"What exactly happened?" Shopkeeper Zhu demanded in a deep voice.
Seeing how bad things were, Shopkeeper Zhu couldn't hold back his anger—and didn't want to.
This was practically the central area of Flying Horse Market. Xu Mingyuan had only been here for a little over two months and barely knew anyone. Who would come to his house in the middle of the night to set it on fire?
Even if someone really had a grudge against him, wouldn't it be better to just kill him outright?
Shopkeeper Zhu was sure Xu Mingyuan had done it himself. Maybe he'd ruined a lot of medicinal ingredients while trying to make pills and couldn't explain the loss.
Or maybe this kid had secretly sold the pills he'd made, then set the fire to destroy the evidence?!
Xu Mingyuan lowered his eyes to avoid meeting Shopkeeper Zhu's gaze. Years of working nine to nine, six days a week, had given him plenty of experience dealing with angry bosses.
Avoiding eye contact conveyed a humble attitude and could effectively prevent a conflict from escalating.
"I don't know who came by and threw a Flame Bomb. It nearly scared me to death."
Xu Mingyuan looked completely innocent, with just a hint of fright. His expression was spot-on.
The roaring flames lit up the courtyard. Shopkeeper Zhu could clearly see the subtle expressions on Xu Mingyuan's face, but he didn't notice anything amiss.
That made Shopkeeper Zhu doubt his own judgment. Had he accused the kid unfairly?
After all, Xu Mingyuan was only in his early twenties. He'd spent all his time learning alchemy and had little experience of the world. If he were guilty, he wouldn't be acting so naturally.
The pills Xu Mingyuan supplied were all excellent quality and had earned plenty of praise. Clearly, he had a real talent for alchemy.
With a gifted person like that, he really couldn't afford to be too heavy-handed.
Shopkeeper Zhu wasn't sure what to think anymore. In the light of the flames, he took another careful look at Xu Mingyuan.
The blaze was fierce but unsteady, its leaping flames constantly shifting. Xu Mingyuan's face flickered in and out of the light, seeming almost unreal.
Xu Mingyuan was calm. He had destroyed the evidence, but he would cover the losses. There was nothing to be afraid of.
He said loudly, "Brother Zhu, whoever did this, I'll pay for the damage."
Shopkeeper Zhu shook his head, looking puzzled. "No, something's not right..."
Xu Mingyuan was startled. How had Shopkeeper Zhu figured out that something was wrong?
He knew that the more he said, the more likely he was to slip up. Until he understood what Shopkeeper Zhu meant, he didn't dare make up some explanation.
He put on a confused look and glanced at Shopkeeper Zhu.
Shopkeeper Zhu had cast the Qi Observation Technique on himself. Spiritual light shone in his small eyes, and when he looked at Xu Mingyuan again, he could tell something was wrong.
He took two steps back, suddenly looking nervous. "Xiao Gao, have you run into anything unusual lately?"
Xu Mingyuan was baffled. Was Shopkeeper Zhu actually scared?
He thought for a moment, then said, "Nothing unusual. It's just that last night I thought I saw a shadow flash past. Maybe that was the one who set the fire!"
Shopkeeper Zhu's expression grew even more grave. "Xiao Gao, your glabella looks dark. I'm afraid you've encountered an Evil Spirit and been tainted by evil qi. This is very bad!"
"What?!"
Xu Mingyuan was both startled and suspicious. Had Shopkeeper Zhu really seen something, or was he trying to scare him?
He hurriedly asked, "What should I do?"
"Every field has its specialists. Go find Zhou Ye, the owner of Spirit Talisman Hall. His Lesser Yang Talisman is extremely powerful, and he specializes in dispelling evil qi."
Shopkeeper Zhu emphasized, "If evil qi enters your body and isn't dealt with properly, it'll eat away at your body and mind and attract Evil Spirits. Then your life will be in danger. This is no joke."
Hearing Shopkeeper Zhu make it sound so serious, Xu Mingyuan grew a little scared too. He couldn't help thinking of the fleeting shadow from before. Could he really have run into something sinister?
Xu Mingyuan said hesitantly, "What about the house?"
He wanted to take advantage of the moment to play for sympathy. Perhaps Shopkeeper Zhu would soften and let him pay a little less.
At the mention of the house, Shopkeeper Zhu's expression grew even sterner. "You still owe me five hundred White Dew Pills, worth fifty Spirit Stones. I won't charge you for the other ingredients.
"I'll deduct four Spirit Stones a month from your wages. You'll have the fifty paid off in a year and a half."
Xu Mingyuan was speechless. He earned five Spirit Stones a month, and Shopkeeper Zhu was taking four of them. Was he supposed to live on air?
Shopkeeper Zhu really was a model capitalist. Personal feelings were personal feelings, money was money, and the two would never mix.
Wait, why would it take a year and a half to pay it off?
"Brother Zhu, did you calculate that wrong?"
Shopkeeper Zhu looked troubled. "The medicinal-ingredient business has high costs and low profits. We earn every Spirit Stone through hard work. I don't have enough Spirit Stones to keep things running as it is, and now I've got fifty tied up in you. If you're paying it off over such a long time, of course I have to charge interest..."
That was a perfectly reasonable explanation. Xu Mingyuan almost wanted to give Shopkeeper Zhu a thumbs-up. No wonder the man was a boss. No wonder he made money!
"I didn't think it through. It's my fault." Xu Mingyuan didn't argue; he'd just have to pay a few more Spirit Stones.
He'd secretly sold Shopkeeper Zhu's pills, and the man hadn't made him pay back ten times as much. He had no right to complain.
"You're a reasonable man, brother."
Shopkeeper Zhu was quite pleased with Xu Mingyuan's compliant attitude. After thinking for a moment, he added, "The house needs to be repaired. Find somewhere else to stay for a few days."
"Tonight, you—"
Shopkeeper Zhu had been about to take Xu Mingyuan back to the medicine shop, but then he changed his mind. The kid had evil qi on him; he couldn't bring him back there.
"Hurry and go find Zhou Ye. Get that evil qi dealt with."
With that, Shopkeeper Zhu waved repeatedly, urging Xu Mingyuan to leave at once.
Xu Mingyuan didn't dare dawdle. Shopkeeper Zhu might be greedy, but he was usually reliable. If he was so unwilling to have Xu Mingyuan around, then the evil qi clearly wasn't a trivial matter.
Xu Mingyuan bundled up his belongings, slung them over his back, and left.
Fortunately, the moon was bright, which gave Xu Mingyuan a little more peace of mind.
Following Shopkeeper Zhu's directions, Xu Mingyuan found Spirit Talisman Hall on the edge of the main street in Flying Horse Market.
Spirit Talisman Hall, as the name suggested, sold talismans.
The shop was small, with a dark-red lantern hanging by the door. On closer inspection, the lantern was covered in talismanic markings.
Xu Mingyuan didn't know much about talismans. He studied it for a moment but couldn't tell what the markings meant. Probably something for warding off evil and foul influences.
He marveled to himself, No wonder they sell talismans. They've got money to burn!
The doors to Spirit Talisman Hall were shut, so Xu Mingyuan had no choice but to knock loudly.
After a while, an old, dry voice came from inside. "We're closed. Come back tomorrow if you need something."
Xu Mingyuan hurriedly called out, "I have an urgent matter and need to see Mr. Zhou."
Afraid the other person would turn him away, he quickly added, "I'm Xu Mingyuan, a disciple of Lianyun Sect's Xu Mingyuan. Shopkeeper Zhu from the medicine shop sent me over. Please make an exception."
Flying Horse Market had been established by Lianyun Sect. The sect controlled all the major businesses in the market, from magic artifacts and pills to talismans.
Zhou Ye was naturally a member of Lianyun Sect too.
Lianyun Sect was a large sect, but Xu Mingyuan was still fairly well-known as one of its skilled alchemists.
Shopkeeper Zhu of the medicine shop was also an important figure in Flying Horse Market.
Xu Mingyuan had brought up both of them, figuring Zhou Ye would do him a favor. He'd met Zhou Ye once before, though he didn't know if the man remembered him.
Sure enough, there was a commotion inside, and the door soon opened.
An old man in a green robe came out and rudely held up the lantern to illuminate Xu Mingyuan's face. "It's you. What do you want at this hour?"
The old man in green recognized Xu Mingyuan. He was about to reprimand him, but before he could finish speaking, he noticed something was wrong. "Your glabella's dark, and evil qi is clinging to you. You're an unlucky one, kid!"
Xu Mingyuan had still been half-skeptical, but now that even the old man in green said so, he was truly starting to panic.
"Mr. Zhou, is it serious? Can I still be saved?!"
The old man in green gave Xu Mingyuan a once-over, then drawled, "Whether you can be saved depends on how many Spirit Stones you have..."
Although he'd met Xu Mingyuan and had a little acquaintance with Xu Mingyuan's master, Xu Mingyuan, he wasn't about to help for free.
Xu Mingyuan felt like sighing. These cultivators were even more miserly than small-time merchants! But this was a matter of life and death, so he couldn't afford to get temperamental.
"Spirit Stones won't be a problem."
Xu Mingyuan said respectfully, "Please save me first, Mr. Zhou."
"Fine."
The old man in green held out his hand. "Ten Spirit Stones."
Xu Mingyuan actually felt relieved. Including the dozen or so Spirit Stones Old Wang had given him, he had a total of fifteen. He could easily afford it!
Zhou Ye took the ten Spirit Stones, and his expression softened a little. "Come in."
Beyond the entrance was a main room, brightly lit by two oil lamps.
A landscape-painted screen stood in the middle. In front of it was a square table with some tea things on it, clearly for receiving guests.
Several long tables stood against the walls on both sides, holding talismans, Daoist books, and other items.
As Xu Mingyuan looked around the room, a woman in blue came out from behind the screen. "Dad, who's here so late?"
The woman in blue looked to be in her early twenties. Her arched brows and bright eyes gave her a charming, lively look.
Her hair was pinned up high, with a golden phoenix hairpin slanting through it. A red gemstone dangled from the pin, swaying gently as she walked and shining beautifully in the lamplight, making her skin seem as fair as snow.
The deep-blue Daoist robe rippled with a watery sheen, lending the woman an even more otherworldly, refined air.
Xu Mingyuan was slightly startled. The woman was wearing a magical robe, which was why her whole body shimmered with spiritual light. What a rich woman!
The woman in blue hadn't expected anyone else to be in the room. She froze when she saw Xu Mingyuan, then blinked and studied him closely. Delight appeared on her face.
Zhou Ye had his back to her and couldn't see her expression. He replied casually, "Xu Mingyuan's disciple. He's been tainted by evil qi, so I'm taking a look at him."
Then he added, "Ling'er, go back to your room. Don't stay here and catch the evil qi. It wouldn't be good for you."
"Dad, I'll head back first, then."
As the woman in blue left, she gave Xu Mingyuan a lingering look, her eyes full of delight and eagerness.
Xu Mingyuan felt a little itchy inside. What did that look mean? Could this woman have some history with him too?!