Chapter 11: Qin Liang Steals the Elixir?

The marketplace in Sulfur City is vast, bustling with crowds and filled with a dazzling array of rare treasures. The journey from the Jiang estate to the market was steeped in the atmosphere of the common folk, which helped Qin Liang find a sense of inner peace.

As he walked, he noticed that the peddlers’ stalls rarely carried spiritual herbs, certainly none of the ones he required. With no other choice, he headed toward the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, where a vast collection of valuables was gathered; surely, he would find what he needed there.

The Myriad Treasures Pavilion was busy, with customers constantly coming and going, each experiencing their own joys or sorrows after their transactions. Walking between the shelves, Qin Liang was soon captivated by the sheer variety of spiritual herbs, his gaze lingering on them.

"Truly an impressive collection!" Qin Liang marveled inwardly, though his expression remained calm as he strolled about like any other customer.

"A First-Grade spiritual herb: the Heartless Fruit."

He spotted a fruit as transparent as crystal. Such fruits only grow in places rich with the essence of heaven and earth, and because they are seedless, they are named "Heartless Fruit." They cannot be cultivated by hand.

The price made Qin Liang wince—three hundred spirit coins for a single fruit. He felt a pang of reluctance, but he gritted his teeth, knowing it was an essential ingredient for refining the Clarity Pill. He took the Heartless Fruit and was just heading to pay when a voice suddenly rang out.

"I want that Heartless Fruit."

A young woman walked over with a haughty air. Her eyes locked onto the fruit in Qin Liang’s hand, and upon recognizing him, she sneered, "Oh? Isn’t this the Jiang family’s trash? Even you are here to buy spiritual herbs?"

"Spiritual herbs are not for the likes of a useless person who cannot cultivate. Hand it over."

She was a beautiful girl with arched brows and skin as fair as jade, yet her words were utterly abrasive. She demanded the item directly.

"My apologies, but I saw it first, and I have already picked it up," Qin Liang replied. He recognized her as Wang Jingrou, the third young lady of the Wang family, one of the three great clans of Sulfur City.

"You..." Wang Jingrou’s face darkened. "Just because you saw it first, it’s yours? A piece of trash like you dares to covet spiritual herbs? I am ordering you now: hand over the Heartless Fruit immediately, and don’t force me to take it by hand."

She had just completed her fourth spiritual refinement and looked down on anyone who had achieved less. Qin Liang had heard that Wang Jingrou was notoriously arrogant and willful; seeing her today, he found the rumors true. He had no interest in dealing with such a person and, ignoring her, moved to pay for the fruit.

"Stop right there!"

Feeling ignored, Wang Jingrou grew furious. She struck out at Qin Liang with her palm, intending to teach this ignorant boy a lesson. "No one has ever dared to refuse me. You are the first."

She put her full strength into the blow, clearly intending to kill; her disposition was quite vicious.

"You asked for this," Qin Liang said, his own expression turning cold as he countered with a punch.

*Bang!*

A muffled thud echoed out as Wang Jingrou stumbled back several steps, crashing into a shelf and looking somewhat disheveled and embarrassed.

"How is this possible? You’ve performed spiritual refinement?" Wang Jingrou was incredulous. For years, she had known Qin Liang as the useless boy of the Jiang family who could not cultivate. Why was he different now?

She quickly steadied herself and sneered, "It’s only the third stage of spiritual refinement. I was careless before. Don’t think for a moment that you are my match; trash is trash." She prepared to strike again, her palm movements sharp as a blade.

"Who is causing trouble in my Myriad Treasures Pavilion?"

A shop assistant hurried over, his expression sour. Everyone knew that private fights were forbidden in the pavilion. To see someone daring to cause a scene—clearly showing no regard for their authority—was something he, as a staff member, could not tolerate.

When the assistant saw Wang Jingrou, his eyes lit up. He recognized her and had long harbored a crush on her; his admiration was immediately written all over his face.

Wang Jingrou seized the moment, her face brightening. "Kind sir, you’ve arrived just in time." She pointed at Qin Liang and said, "I saw him trying to steal something, so I stepped in to stop him, but he attacked me!"

The assistant’s face darkened at the thought of someone daring to strike his goddess. "How dare you! You have the audacity to steal from our pavilion and attack our customers? Watch as I cripple you." He threw a punch, eager to show off his strength in front of his idol.

"Don't you want to hear what I have to say?" Qin Liang asked coldly. The assistant was being completely unreasonable, attacking without even asking for the truth.

"The herb is in your hand; still trying to argue?"

The assistant’s fist flew toward him, but just as it was about to make contact, it missed completely.

"You push too far!" Qin Liang scoffed and sent him flying with a single punch. The assistant crashed into a shelf, sending goods scattering across the floor and drawing the attention of many onlookers. The assistant, who was only at the second stage of spiritual refinement, was no match for him.

"You..." The assistant coughed up blood, his face pale. Being humiliated in front of his goddess left him both terrified and enraged.

Wang Jingrou was also taken aback; Qin Liang was incredibly bold to strike a member of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. "Qin Liang, you have gone lawless!" she shouted.

"You bastard, you're looking for death!" The assistant scrambled back to his feet and attacked again. Qin Liang had held back earlier, so the assistant wasn't severely injured and thought his defeat was merely due to his own carelessness.

The wind whistled as the fist flew, rustling Qin Liang’s hair, yet once again, it failed to make contact.

"Daring to be rude to a customer? Have you lost your mind?" A dignified, black-bearded old man in fine robes appeared before Qin Liang and effortlessly caught the assistant’s punch.

"Manager Luo?" The assistant’s heart skipped a beat. "Listen to my explanation..."

"Get out and explain yourself elsewhere!" A burst of power surged from Manager Luo, violently sending the assistant flying out of the pavilion. He landed heavily on the street, and the crowd of onlookers quickly scattered to make way.

"From this moment on, don't show your face here again," Manager Luo commanded.

The assistant looked as if he had been struck by lightning, his face filled with grievance and despair. He couldn't understand why he was being treated this way for merely punishing a thief. Why wouldn't Manager Luo listen to him?

Qin Liang merely toyed with the Heartless Fruit, watching the scene with cold, detached eyes.

"It’s Manager Luo. He’s stepped in; it looks like Qin Liang is in trouble now."

"I heard Manager Luo is at the ninth stage of spiritual refinement. His strength is unfathomable—not someone to be trifled with!" The onlookers whispered among themselves.

Wang Jingrou gloated, sneering at Qin Liang as if she could already see him being beaten out of the pavilion. "Manager Luo, I saw Qin Liang trying to steal..."

Before she could finish, Luo Qian said coldly, "Young Lady Wang, your noble feet have stepped onto humble ground. I’d hate for you to get them dirty. My Myriad Treasures Pavilion is too small to accommodate you. I will not be entertaining you further; please see yourself out."

"You..." Wang Jingrou froze.

Seeing that she was lingering, Luo Qian added, "Must I force the old man to make your actions public before you are willing to leave?"

At these words, Wang Jingrou panicked. Both she and Qin Liang realized that Manager Luo had been watching from the shadows the entire time. While the Wang family was powerful in Sulfur City, they were not yet in a position to provoke the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

"Hmph, Qin Liang, consider yourself lucky today." Wang Jingrou left with that parting shot. It was the first time she had ever suffered such a defeat, and she certainly would not let it end there.

"My sincerest apologies, Young Master Qin, for the unpleasant scene," Manager Luo said, offering a polite, professional smile.

"It is of no consequence." Qin Liang waved his hand. Seeing the goods scattered across the floor, he took out a piece of paper—the prescription for the Clarity Pill—and asked, "May I trouble you to take a look? Does your esteemed pavilion have these spiritual herbs?"

Even if he might not have enough spirit coins, he could at least inquire.

Luo Qian took the paper and glanced at it, his brows rising slightly. "May I ask, Young Master Qin, is this a pill prescription?"

"Is there a problem?" Qin Liang frowned. It was just a prescription; he didn't understand why the man was so surprised.