"Your shop is suspected of selling pills with poison, so it is to be sealed."
Several guards from the City Lord’s Mansion walked into the shop and, without another word, announced it directly.
"What proof do you have?" Steward Fu stepped forward to argue.
"Someone reported it. Whatever the case, the shop will be closed first," the guard said coldly. "Once the investigation is clear, there will be a conclusion."
The guard pointed at the pills in the shop and said, "We need to take all of these back for examination. I hope you don’t interfere, otherwise, we’ll have no choice but to take you in as well."
"Miss," Steward Fu looked at Fan Luoyu, who was coming down from the second floor, his voice anxious. "They’re going to shut down our shop."
"They really move quickly," Fan Luoyu laughed lightly. "Let them close it. I’ll be waiting."
"Before the matter is clarified, you can only remain in Immortal City and are not allowed to leave," the guard reminded, looking at Fan Luoyu. "We will have people monitoring you."
Just as the guards were about to take away all the pills, a loud "boom" sounded.
The half-closed doors of Hundred Pill Hall were kicked open with a single strike.
Three young men and women walked in from outside.
Xu Zimo looked up and saw that in the middle was Ji Ruobing.
On her left was a short-haired girl who looked very sharp and capable.
On her right was a youth in a silver robe, looking somewhat roguish.
"Get lost," the youth said arrogantly to the guards in the shop.
"Who are you?" the leader of the guards frowned, looking at the youth.
With a "smack," the youth directly swung his hand and slapped him.
The guard was stunned on the spot by the slap.
"Let your City Lord come speak to me," the youth said, tossing over a token.
The guard glanced at the token, and his eyes widened instantly.
A core disciple of the Immortal Extinction Sacred Ground.
He swallowed hard.
There weren’t many core disciples in the sect, but every single one was a true prodigy.
To become one at such a young age was extraordinary.
Even the City Lord would need to show respect.
"My apologies," the guard quickly said.
"Still not leaving? Do you want me to send you out myself?" the youth raised his brows.
"Go," the leader of the guards waved his hand, and all the guards fled in a panic, not even bothering to take the pills.
"Miss Fan, we meet again," Ji Ruobing turned her head toward Fan Luoyu with a smile.
"Miss Ji, you…" Fan Luoyu was somewhat stunned.
But then something clicked in her mind.
"Ji Ruobing, the Saintess of the Immortal Extinction Sacred Ground is also called Ji Ruobing, isn’t she?"
When they introduced themselves before, Ji Ruobing hadn’t hidden her name.
Now that she had appeared again, Fan Luoyu finally realized it.
"That’s right, I am the Saintess of the Immortal Extinction Sacred Ground," Ji Ruobing smiled. "You don’t need to be too surprised. You should even thank me for your care along the way."
After speaking, Ji Ruobing pointed at the two beside her with a smile.
"Let me introduce them. They’re my friends in the sect, Xian Ying and Zhihang."
"Hello," Fan Luoyu greeted somewhat dazedly.
The change in events had been so abrupt that she hadn’t even fully processed it.
"So you’re Xu Zimo?" the youth named Zhihang stepped forward, looking Xu Zimo up and down. "How come you’re blind? You’re the one who beat Senior Sister Ji?"
"Just luck," Xu Zimo replied.
"You must have cheated somehow," Zhihang said. "You don’t look like a master at all."
"Zhihang, stop causing trouble," Ji Ruobing scolded him. Then she smiled and said, "Let’s talk inside.
Don’t worry, with me here, they won’t be able to touch your shop."
"Many thanks, Miss Ji," Fan Luoyu said politely.
"No need to thank me. Setting aside that you once helped me," Ji Ruobing said,
"Lu Changen is that man’s subordinate. Anything against him benefits me."
"Then does Miss Ji have any good plan?" Fan Luoyu asked.
"No plan is needed," Ji Ruobing smiled. "Just one word, wait. I think they’re more anxious than us. That Lu Changen is a madman, reckless in his actions. In desperation, he may do something outrageous, and once he does, there will be flaws. At that time, we’ll have the upper hand."
"Then should I keep Hundred Pill Hall operating as usual?" Fan Luoyu asked.
"Don’t worry, I’ll deal with the City Lord’s Mansion," Ji Ruobing nodded.
…
Fan Luoyu and Steward Fu busied themselves with the shop.
Meanwhile, Zhihang still seemed unconvinced.
He looked at Xu Zimo and whispered, "Will you fight me?
Don’t worry, I just want to test your strength. Even if I beat you, I won’t tell Senior Sister."
"When you can defeat Ji Ruobing, then come find me," Xu Zimo waved him off.
Fan Luoyu prepared several guest rooms in the shop for Ji Ruobing and her companions.
The shop resumed business.
After that day, the City Lord’s Mansion also seemed to calm down, no longer meddling in Hundred Pill Hall’s affairs.
Though the supply of pills was limited, it was enough to last for a while.
Hundred Pill Hall stood on one of Immortal City’s main streets, right at the busiest center.
On a morning seven days later.
The street felt a little different.
The once bustling avenue was eerily empty, the surrounding shops all shut tight.
Autumn wind blew in from the corner, carrying fallen leaves that swirled through the air before drifting down.
A sword-wielding youth walked slowly forward, step by step.
Sword intent circled around him.
Even those inside Hundred Pill Hall could feel the suffocating killing aura in the air.
"Seems someone formidable has arrived," Ji Ruobing said with a smile, setting down her teacup inside the shop.
"This aura, it should be him," Xian Ying frowned.
"I knew he couldn’t resist," Ji Ruobing replied. "Come, let’s go greet our old friend."
Xu Zimo stood by a third-floor window, splashing his face with cool water.
He wiped away the droplets and tied a fresh black cloth over his eyes.
…
The sword-bearing youth stopped quietly in front of Hundred Pill Hall.
With a light swing of his sword, though no visible power could be seen, an invisible sword light erupted.
With a loud boom, the building before him split in half and collapsed.
"Lu Changhen," Ji Ruobing’s voice came from the side. "What business brings you here?"
The sword-bearing youth slowly turned, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on Ji Ruobing.