Leaving the Star Dou Great Forest was much smoother than entering. With his strength increased to level 23, his Martial Soul Evolution, his Second Soul Skill became powerful, and he was more familiar with the forest environment, Lin Yan only took a little over half the time it took to get there to cross the mixed zone and the outer zone and return to the edge of the human world.
As he stepped onto the familiar cobblestone streets of Nuoding City, weary yet full of energy, a feeling of being in another world welled up within him.
Although he had only been away for about a month, he had experienced being hunted down, fighting to the death in the Star Dou Great Forest Forest, enduring the pain of absorbing Soul Ring at its limit, and experiencing the extreme cold of the icy pool. All of this formed a stark contrast with the bustling, vibrant human city before him.
Without lingering, Lin Yan went straight back to the Hundred Herbs Shop located in the city.
The shop was still open, but as he approached, he keenly sensed an unusual atmosphere. The flow of people seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally avoiding the shop entrance, and the shop assistants, Uncle Zhang and Brother Li, standing behind the counter, no longer had their usual warm smiles; their brows were shrouded in a faint layer of worry and weariness.
" Uncle Zhang, Brother Li, I'm back." Lin Yan stepped into the shop, her voice calm.
"Young Master? You're back!" Uncle Zhang and Brother Li were taken aback at first, then their faces lit up with surprise and joy as they quickly came out from behind the counter. However, beneath that surprise, they could not hide a hint of relief mixed with grievance and eagerness.
"It's good to be back, it's good to be back!" Uncle Zhang looked Lin Yan up and down, and seemed relieved to see that he was alright. "Young Master, while you were away, things... well, some things happened at the shop."
Brother Li, being more impatient, chimed in, his tone indignant. "Yes, young master! You don't know, a few days ago a group of people suddenly came, claiming to be from some ' Medicinal Herbs Guild,' saying that our Hundred Herbs Shop was selling counterfeit medicine and disrupting market order, demanding that we close down immediately for rectification! They even brought city guards with them, acting all aggressive!"
Lin Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he understood. Nothing had happened for so long, but now a problem had arisen. This was definitely not due to ordinary business competition; it was clearly aimed at Hundred Herbs Shop, or rather, at him Lin Yan.
It was probably done by that effeminate man in Fasinuo City.
"And then?" Lin Yan's tone remained calm, but those who knew him well could hear the coldness beneath that calm.
"We were terrified, and arguing with them was useless," Uncle Zhang said, still shaken. "They were about to shut down the shop when, at the crucial moment, Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo arrived!"
" Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo?" Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat.
"Yes!" Brother Li nodded vigorously, his face showing gratitude. " Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo immediately reprimanded those people, saying that our Hundred Herbs Shop is a partner of the Spirit Hall and is protected by the Spirit Hall. When those guild members and city guards saw the Spirit Hall intervene, they immediately cowered and slunk away."
Uncle Zhang added, "Although the shop was saved, business has been significantly affected by this commotion. Many regular customers are afraid of getting into trouble and are hesitant to come back. Moreover, I've heard privately that the so-called ' Medicinal Herbs Guild ' is actually a newly established group of herbal medicine merchants, a temporary arrangement. It's clearly a game targeting them!"
Lin Yan listened quietly, already sketching out the outline of the matter in his mind.
It was that effeminate man who found out about Lin Yan's situation, but Lin Yan was connected to the Spirit Hall, so they didn't dare to openly target him and instead created this mess!
" Uncle Zhang, Brother Li, thank you for your hard work these past few days." Lin Yan looked at his two loyal employees and said sincerely, "You've done a great job, protecting the shop. Leave the rest to me."
His calmness and composure inspired Uncle Zhang and Brother Li, instantly easing their anxiety and giving them a sense of security.
After calming the two men down, Lin Yan didn't rest for a moment and went straight out, heading towards the Nuoding City Spirit Hall Branch in the city center.
The Spirit Hall remained as solemn and magnificent as ever. After being informed, Lin Yan quickly met Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo in the familiar quiet room.
"Oh? Mr. Lin, you're back?" Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo smiled warmly when he saw Lin Yan, but when his gaze fell on Lin Yan, he said, "You went to the auction this time, why were you gone for so long? I thought something had happened to you. Did you gain anything?"
Lin Yan bowed respectfully. "It's alright, I was delayed a bit on the way, but it's still okay. I bought some good things, I'm going to use them to do some experiments, maybe I can develop some new medicines! The first reason I came here is to express my special gratitude to Grandmaster for his help to Hundred Herbs Shop the other day. If it weren't for Grandmaster's timely intervention, my hard-earned shop would probably be gone."
Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo waved his hand dismissively and laughed, "It's nothing. Since our Spirit Hall has decided to cooperate with you, we will naturally protect you. Some nobody in Nuoding City wouldn't dare to openly challenge the prestige of our Spirit Hall. However, you should also be careful; it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark."
"I understand. I will remember this kindness." Lin Yan Lin Yan thanked him again solemnly, then changed the subject, " Grandmaster, besides thanking you, I also wanted to discuss our cooperation in opening a store. After this incident, I feel we need to finalize the cooperation as soon as possible to better cope with the challenges ahead."
Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo nodded approvingly. "Hmm, it's good that you thought of that. Tell me your thoughts."
Lin Yan, having already prepared his response, calmly said, "I believe that since we already have the prescription, the new shop can be opened quickly. After all, the Spirit Hall Spirit Hall has the space and funds, and can quickly gather the medicinal resources we need. While preparing the shop, I can also provide unified training to the Spirit Hall staff on how to prepare the medicine. Once the staff are trained, the shop can be expanded rapidly. With the Spirit Hall's reputation, I believe we will see profits very soon."
The reason Lin Yan was in such a hurry was that Lin Yan was currently out of money. The cost of building resources would only increase over time, and without money, things would become extremely difficult.
Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo pondered for a moment, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
"Alright!" Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo's smile returned. "In that case, I'll contact the Spirit Hall and report your ideas. In the meantime, take care of the follow-up matters of the Hundred Herbs Shop. Once we're ready, the new shop can open immediately!"
"Yes! Thank you, Grandmaster!" Lin Yan felt reassured. With the Spirit Hall as his backing, the evil spirits in Nuoding City would have to think twice before trying to harm him.
Leaving the Spirit Hall, the afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the streets of Nuoding City. Lin Yan glanced back at the majestic buildings, his heart filled with anticipation for the future.