Big Brother Takes Medicine

In the dim private room, a bean-sized flame flickered in the night breeze. The shadows of Zhu Hong'an and Gao Xian swayed along with the light, carrying an indescribable, eerie quality.

Zhu Hong'an, slightly tipsy, paid no mind to this; he did not believe Gao Xian posed any threat whatsoever.

An alchemist at the second level of Qi Refining—what could he possibly use to threaten him?

His own eighth level of Qi Refining was no sham; whether in terms of mana or physical strength, he could crush a practitioner in the early stages of Qi Refining in every aspect.

Besides, given Gao Xian's cowardly and timid nature, even if he were handed a sword, he wouldn't dare to resist!

Zhu Hong'an was confident he had Gao Xian in the palm of his hand. If the man didn't sign the contract today, he would make him realize the consequences!

"Shopkeeper Zhu, don't be so agitated. I'll sign it, won't I..." Gao Xian's face was full of helplessness, clearly admitting defeat.

This pleased Zhu Hong'an greatly. "You're a sensible one!"

He added, "All the spirit stones you earned from selling pills these past few months must be handed over. The share that Zhou Ye and Huang Ying took will be deducted from your monthly stipend."

Just as Zhu Hong'an was speaking with satisfaction, he noticed Gao Xian looking at him with a strange expression—one that seemed to carry a sense of relief, mixed with a hint of pity and sympathy.

What is this brat thinking?

Zhu Hong'an felt something was wrong, but before he could figure it out, he saw a spark of golden light suddenly rise in Gao Xian's bright eyes.

The golden light was brilliant and intense, carrying an indescribable sharpness and a fierce, unstoppable momentum.

It was as if—as if a peerless divine spear had thrust forward with lethal intent.

Zhu Hong'an was struck with terror. Although he was somewhat intoxicated, he immediately realized something was wrong: "This is a spell!"

Gao Xian didn't even form seals or chant incantations—he cast a spell instantly! How is this possible!

Before Zhu Hong'an could comprehend it, a sharp pain erupted in the center of his forehead, as if a red-hot iron spear had pierced through his brain from front to back.

This intense agony instantly drowned out Zhu Hong'an's consciousness and stripped him of all control over his body, leaving him only able to let out an instinctive, agonizing scream.

Gao Xian was not surprised; he had long since practiced the True Yang Spear with Zhu Qiniang to test its power.

Even with Zhu Qiniang's formidable physique, she had been left seeing stars after being struck by a Grandmaster-level True Yang Spear. According to her estimation, Zhu Hong'an would absolutely be unable to withstand such a blow.

Taking advantage of the moment Shopkeeper Zhu lost consciousness, Gao Xian grabbed the chubby man by the back of his neck.

The Grandmaster-level Lightning Dragon Hand allowed him to exert complete control over Zhu Hong'an's spine, ensuring the man's body went limp and was unable to offer any resistance.

Even for a practitioner in the late stages of Qi Refining, once their body was fully controlled, they couldn't pull off any tricks.

To prevent any accidents, Gao Xian's left hand produced the Soul-Bewildering Powder, which he smeared entirely into Zhu Hong'an's nose.

He sighed inwardly: Big Brother, time to take your medicine!

He had no desire to play the role of the wealthy master, but Zhu Hong'an insisted on acting like the ill-fated Big Brother!

Gao Xian's series of movements were exceptionally fast and fluid; even if Zhu Hong'an had been sober, he would have found it difficult to dodge, let alone now, when he could only submit to Gao Xian's manipulation.

The effect of the Soul-Bewildering Powder was immediate, and the screaming Zhu Hong'an fell into a coma at once.

Gao Xian let go, and Zhu Hong'an's fat body slowly slumped to the floor.

The sudden turn of events left Yang An, standing behind them, at a loss. By the time he reacted, Zhu Hong'an had already been reduced to a dead pig waiting to be slaughtered.

Yang An was at the fourth level of Qi Refining, a proper mid-stage practitioner. He had previously looked down on Gao Xian, who was only at the second level.

Seeing Gao Xian easily subdue Zhu Hong'an, Yang An finally realized how terrifying Gao Xian truly was.

Yang An was clever in small ways, but at critical moments, his mind tended to seize up.

He stammered at Gao Xian, "You, you're insane..."

Gao Xian glanced at Yang An. He didn't know the man and wasn't sure how to deal with him, so he looked toward Zhu Qiniang.

"Just a mongrel dog following Old Zhu."

Zhu Qiniang held Yang An in low regard. As she spoke, she reached his side in a single step.

Yang An's face was filled with fear. He hurriedly pulled a magic talisman from his sleeve, but before he could activate it, Zhu Qiniang grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air.

With his blood flow cut off, Yang An's face quickly turned a deep purple-red. He kicked his legs wildly, but soon lost his strength, his eyes rolling back as he passed out.

Under the hand of Zhu Qiniang, who was at the ninth level of Qi Refining, Yang An had no power to resist.

Watching Yang An on the verge of death, Gao Xian thought for a moment and said, "Qiniang, don't kill him yet. If the evil spirit doesn't show up, we'll have to let Yang An do the work."

Zhu Qiniang was puzzled. "Is all this trouble necessary?"

"It is."

Gao Xian said sternly, "There must be a reasonable explanation for Shopkeeper Zhu's death. Whether others believe it or not, we must at least be able to provide an account to the sect."

"Fine." Zhu Qiniang casually dropped Yang An.

Gao Xian went over to apply more Soul-Bewildering Powder to Yang An, helping him have a good sleep.

"Now, we wait for our old friend to arrive," Gao Xian said.

Zhu Qiniang walked over to Shopkeeper Zhu and asked casually, "How long will your medicine last?"

"With that much of a dose, two hours at least." Gao Xian wasn't entirely sure, so he stuffed the entire small bottle of Soul-Bewildering Powder into Shopkeeper Zhu's pocket.

Having been struck by his True Yang Spear, paralyzed by the Lightning Dragon Hand, and dosed with the Soul-Bewildering Powder, Shopkeeper Zhu would not be able to resist, regardless of his higher Qi Refining level.

Besides, with both of them watching, it would be useless even if Shopkeeper Zhu woke up halfway through.

Zhu Qiniang nodded, "That's good."

She unfastened Zhu Hong'an's blue dharma robe, revealing a cyan-green vest underneath.

Zhu Qiniang stripped off the vest and handed it to Gao Xian, "Azure Wood Armor, Old Zhu's most valuable treasure."

Gao Xian took the Azure Wood Armor; it felt light, soft, and supple in his hands, the material somewhat resembling leather.

The Azure Wood Armor featured wavy patterns like the bark of a tree, looking quite beautiful.

"What is this made of?" Gao Xian asked curiously.

"Refined from the bark of a ten-thousand-year-old Azure Wood tree, it is exceptionally tough. It is the best of the high-grade first-tier items, worth eight hundred spirit stones. It can trigger the Wood Shield three times a day. It also comes with the Azure Wood Dew Spell, which can heal various injuries."

Zhu Qiniang said, "It's fortunate that your True Yang Spear is powerful; it didn't give him any chance."

Although Zhu Hong'an wasn't particularly skilled at combat, he had the Azure Wood Armor and plenty of dharma talismans; if they had actually fought, it would have been difficult for Zhu Qiniang to finish him off quickly.

"Put it on; this is a good item that can save your life. Under normal circumstances, the Azure Wood Qi can also nourish your body and blood, which is of great benefit," Zhu Qiniang said.

Gao Xian liked the Azure Wood Armor very much, primarily because the price was very appealing.

If something really happened, selling it would fetch a large sum of spirit stones.

However, considering efficiency, wearing the Azure Wood Armor wouldn't be of much use to him. Since he and Zhu Qiniang were working together, it wouldn't be right for him to keep the armor all to himself.

Gao Xian thought for a moment and said, "I mainly focus on alchemy and don't get into fights. It's more suitable for you to have the Azure Wood Armor."

Zhu Qiniang shook her head, "I have no use for the Azure Wood Armor."

She suddenly said with a meaningful tone, "We killed Old Zhu together; from now on, we share both blessings and misfortunes. No need to be polite with me."

Gao Xian also smiled, "Alright, then I won't be polite."

He immediately swapped out his Black Scale Inner Armor and put on the Azure Wood Armor.

The Black Scale Inner Armor he had obtained from Old Wang was of decent quality, but it couldn't compare to the Azure Wood Armor. The difference was too vast!

Gao Xian communicated with the Azure Wood Armor using his divine sense and could clearly feel some resistance.

Well, it was like using someone else's phone—all sorts of unfamiliarity and discomfort.

Zhu Qiniang reminded him, "The Azure Wood Armor has a bit of Old Zhu's divine sense imprint; just use the True Yang Spear to blast it away."

Following Zhu Qiniang's guidance, Gao Xian triggered the True Yang Spear and thrust it deep into the Azure Wood Armor; he could clearly feel a condensed force of spirit dissipating.

When Gao Xian used his divine sense to control the Azure Wood Armor again, it was as smooth as water, with no more obstacles.

For a Qi Refining cultivator, the Azure Wood Armor was the top-tier dharma artifact they could control.

The Azure Wood Armor came with two spells, the Wood Shield and the Azure Wood Dew Spell; Gao Xian had never come into contact with these two spells before, and he needed time to adapt and integrate them.

While Gao Xian was studying the Azure Wood Armor, Zhu Qiniang stripped off Zhu Hong'an's dharma robe, as well as the storage bag, dharma artifacts, and dharma talismans on his body.

As the wealthiest merchant in Flying Horse Market, Zhu Hong'an's net worth was truly substantial.

Zhu Qiniang placed the dharma artifacts, talismans, and storage bag to the side, standing under the eaves while staring at this man who was her husband in name only.

She didn't know if the evil spirit would come, and she didn't have much confidence in Gao Xian's plan.

Regardless, Zhu Hong'an had to die tonight!

Zhu Hong'an, who had been in a deep sleep for a long time, saw his breathing gradually become steady and rhythmic. His eyelids twitched; he was on the verge of waking up.

Zhu Qiniang looked at Gao Xian. Gao Xian was also a bit surprised—Shopkeeper Zhu was waking up after only an hour? One really couldn't underestimate a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

Just as Gao Xian was about to give Zhu Hong'an some more Soul-Bewildering Powder, he suddenly sensed that familiar Yin energy.

Gao Xian felt a surge of joy in his heart, "Good friend, you've finally arrived!"