The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum vanished without a trace from Lin Feng's hands, and Chrysanthemum Douluo instantly froze like a statue.
He stood rigidly in place, his eyes wide with disbelief, as if he'd been struck by lightning.
"Y-you... confiscated it?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice was so faint it was almost inaudible, and his face turned as pale as paper.
The next second, the reality of the Immortal Herb's disappearance finally shattered his psychological defenses.
"AAAAAAAA!"
A heart-rending scream burst from Chrysanthemum Douluo's mouth. It was so mournful that Hu Liena and the others couldn't help shuddering.
"My Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum! My Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice had gone hoarse, thick with sobs.
His legs gave out, and he fell straight to his knees, his eyes instantly reddening.
"Senior! Senior, please show mercy!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo wept so pitifully that snot and tears smeared his whole face.
Where was the dignity of a Titled Douluo?
He looked just like a spoiled child whose beloved toy had been taken away.
"I was wrong! I really know I was wrong!"
"I shouldn't have tried to eat without paying! I shouldn't have ignored your warning! And I especially shouldn't have wasted your delicious food!"
"Please! Please give me back the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum!"
Hu Liena stared blankly at the scene, unable to react for a long time.
Yan and Xie Yue exchanged looks, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.
"Elder Ju has... completely lost it?"
"Obviously! Wouldn't you lose it too?"
Xie Yue replied quietly, "That's an Immortal Herb capable of helping a Titled Douluo break through! Who could bear to watch such a huge opportunity slip away right before their eyes?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo was still wailing:
"Senior, I promise! I swear! I swear on my life that I'll never make this mistake again!"
"Please forgive me just this once!"
"I'm willing to compensate you! I can pay more! I'll pay double! No, even ten times as much!"
As he spoke, Chrysanthemum Douluo climbed to his feet again and reached with trembling hands for his Storage Soul Tool.
Seeing Chrysanthemum Douluo in such a wretched state, Lin Feng felt much of his displeasure fade away.
That'd teach him to try to eat without paying!
That'd teach him to ignore a warning!
Now he regretted it, didn't he?
But on the surface, Lin Feng maintained his usual indifferent air.
He leisurely waved his hand.
"Don't waste your time."
"My rules are simple. Anyone who breaks them doesn't deserve a reward."
"No matter how much you offer, it won't help."
Hearing that, the last glimmer of hope in Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes went out completely.
He slumped to the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling as if he'd lost his soul.
Just as Chrysanthemum Douluo sat there in despair, a cheeky voice came from beside him.
"Elder Ju, if only you'd known this would happen, why didn't you think of that before?"
Yan's big face was full of I-told-you-so. "We told you from the start not to act rashly. You should've just eaten and entered the draw like the rest of us. You'd have gotten the Immortal Herb ages ago."
Those words stabbed straight into Chrysanthemum Douluo's heart like a steel needle.
"Right! Why didn't I listen to them?" Chrysanthemum Douluo suddenly realized, and in remorse, he slapped himself across the face.
Smack!
The crisp sound rang especially loudly through the quiet shop.
"How could I be so stupid? So stupid!" Chrysanthemum Douluo cursed himself as he kept slapping his face, turning his beautiful features bright red.
Hu Liena and Xie Yue watched with twitching eyelids. This Titled Douluo, usually so high and mighty, now looked like a fool so full of regret he wanted to bang his head against a wall.
"If I'd just come in and eaten obediently from the start, none of this would've happened!"
The more Chrysanthemum Douluo thought about it, the more he regretted it. He wished he could travel back an hour and give himself a huge slap.
"Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum... My Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum..."
Just then, Lin Feng spoke again, his tone still so indifferent it made everyone uneasy.
"Yue Guan."
Hearing Lin Feng call his name, Chrysanthemum Douluo jolted and hurriedly looked up.
"S-Senior, what else do you require?"
Lin Feng leisurely settled back into his rocking chair and stretched languidly.
"Given your behavior today, I've decided to put you on the Observation List."
Chrysanthemum Douluo stared at Lin Feng, his mind struggling to keep up.
"Senior, what's the Observation List?"
Lin Feng half-closed his eyes, his voice languid. "Just what it sounds like: a list of people under close observation."
"Your behavior today was terrible. So terrible I didn't even want to deal with you."
"But since this is your first offense, I'll reluctantly give you a chance."
Hearing this, a spark of hope instantly flared in Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes.
"Senior! You mean..."
Lin Feng yawned and continued unhurriedly, "The observation period is three months."
"If you make the same mistake again during those three months..."
He paused, his gaze suddenly turning dangerous.
"You'll be blacklisted and banned from the shop forever."
The words struck like a bolt from a clear sky, leaving Chrysanthemum Douluo stunned.
Banned from the shop forever?
Wouldn't that mean he'd never have another chance to get an Immortal Herb?
"Senior! I promise! I swear!" Chrysanthemum Douluo was so worked up he nearly dropped to his knees again. "I absolutely won't make this mistake again!"
"I swear on my Martial Soul! I swear on my life!"
Yan pursed his lips nearby. "Elder Ju, you just swore all that a moment ago."
Chrysanthemum Douluo instantly bristled. "You brat! You're still running your mouth?"
"If you three little troublemakers hadn't dragged me here to test the place, would I have ended up in this mess?"
Hu Liena muttered, "You were the one who ignored our advice..."
"What did you say?!"
"N-nothing..."
Seeing that they were about to start arguing in his shop, Lin Feng cleared his throat.
In an instant, the entire shop fell silent; you could've heard a pin drop.
Seeing them quiet down, Lin Feng nodded in satisfaction.
He glanced up at the clock on the wall and spoke lazily.
"All right, we're done for the day."
Lin Feng yawned, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the shop.
"Go on home. Come back tomorrow after you've eaten."
Hearing this, Chrysanthemum Douluo felt uneasy all over.
He'd just been put on the Observation List. He didn't know if he'd still be allowed to come in and eat over the next three months.
"Senior, then tomorrow, can I..."
"Come tomorrow if you want to. If you don't, then don't."
Lin Feng glanced at him indifferently, his tone full of disdain.
"Besides, my shop won't miss a customer who doesn't listen."
Chrysanthemum Douluo breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly nodded and bowed.
"Yes, yes, Senior is right! Please rest well, Senior!"
By the time Yan and Xie Yue helped Chrysanthemum Douluo out the door, moonlight had spilled over the entire street.
"Elder Ju, are you all right?" Hu Liena asked with concern.
"All right? What a joke!" Chrysanthemum Douluo looked ready to cry. "I've never been so stuffed in my life!"
Just then, Chrysanthemum Douluo suddenly remembered something and whirled around.
"Wait!" He hurriedly shook off Yan and Xie Yue's support and staggered back. "We haven't asked that Senior's name yet!"
But the moment Chrysanthemum Douluo turned back, they happened to see Lin Feng casually wave his hand inside the shop, and the door closed by itself.
Even more astonishingly, a sentence rang clearly in their ears.
"My name is Lin Feng. I'm just an ordinary restaurant owner."