Chapter 7115
The Greedy Shopkeeper
Chapter 7115 The Greedy Shopkeeper
As night deepened, Tang Zhen tidied up the courtyard briefly, then sat cross-legged in a corner of the house and began to meditate.
He is currently at the demigod level, stuck at the critical juncture of life and death, with all his vast divine power sealed deep within his dantian, not daring to leak even a fraction of it out.
Firstly, for the sake of cultivation, and secondly, to avoid trouble, as that otherworldly evil god would never let it go and could come after them at any time.
After a short period of practice, he gradually entered a state of improvement.
Two hours later, the cultivation ended, and Tang Zhen stood up.
At this moment, he was no different from an ordinary mortal, except that he had a calm demeanor and a more profound gaze.
The request from the fallen god's remains resurfaced in Tang Zhen's mind.
Escorting Lin Xiaoman back onto the path of divinity is no easy task; there is still much to be done.
The next morning, in the shantytown area.
Lin Xiaoman and her father, Lin Dashan, carefully carried the spirit stone that Tang Zhen had given them the day before, anxiously preparing to find a suitable merchant to sell it.
Nuchuan has many cultivators, and ordinary people also come into contact with them on a daily basis. Through this exposure, they naturally gain some understanding of spirit stones.
However, it was only a rumor; seeing the father and son in person was a first for them, yet they recognized each other immediately.
That's why they were so excited. After all, spirit stones are really valuable, and generally only cultivators possess them. Wealthy people who own them treat them like treasures, making them into accessories and necklaces to wear in order to receive nourishment from spiritual energy.
After searching for a long time, I finally chose a pawnshop.
The father and son were dressed in worn clothes and looked reserved. As soon as they stepped into the shop, they attracted a wave of disdainful glances.
The thin-faced shopkeeper behind the counter glanced at you with his triangular eyes and asked indifferently, "You two, do you want to buy something or pawn something?"
Lin Dashan rubbed his hands together and said in a simple and honest manner, "Shopkeeper, we...we have a spirit stone and would like you to take a look and see how much it is worth."
As he spoke, he shakily opened the cloth bag.
A lustrous, smooth, and spiritually restrained spirit stone lay quietly inside, still exuding an extraordinary clarity even though it was wrapped in tattered cloth.
The shopkeeper's eyes narrowed suddenly.
Having dealt with rare and precious items for many years, he recognized at a glance that this was a high-quality spirit stone. The price was neither high nor low, but it was definitely not something that ordinary poor people could afford.
Could it be that I got incredibly lucky and found a spirit stone left behind by a celestial master?
Looking at the father and son in front of him, dressed in shabby clothes and looking restrained and nervous, the shopkeeper had several thoughts flash through his mind, but they were eventually replaced by a strong sense of greed.
Under the watchful eyes of the father and son, the shopkeeper picked up the spirit stone, but his face immediately contorted with disdain. He sneered, "What kind of junk is this? You dare to bring it here? It's just a pretty stone. How could it possibly be a spirit stone? It's not something you deserve."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaoman immediately said anxiously, "You're wrong! That uncle said these are spirit stones that can be exchanged for money!"
"Which uncle?" the shopkeeper sneered. "I think you've been scammed. Either take it or get out of here, don't get in the way."
Lin Dashan wanted to argue, but the shopkeeper gave him a look, and two burly waiters immediately stepped forward to shove him.
The father and son were already thin and weak, and they couldn't withstand such treatment. They staggered back a few steps.
Upon seeing this, Lin Xiaoman immediately shouted loudly and rushed forward desperately, trying to snatch the snacks back.
But he was too weak to be a match for the strong man, and was easily pushed to the ground.
The stubborn boy stood up, ignoring the scrapes on his body, gritted his teeth, and charged forward again, his eyes fierce, like a mad wolf cub.
"What are you doing? Making such a racket!"
Just then, a few people walked in from outside.
The leader, a man with a fierce face and a long knife at his waist, was none other than Zhou Hu, the notorious leader of the Black Snake Gang in Nuchuan City.
As soon as he entered, his gaze fell on a spirit stone on the counter, and he paused in his steps.
The greedy look in their eyes made the shopkeeper secretly groan.
He knew very well that once Zhou Hu saw this spirit stone, the other party would definitely want to get his hands on it.
Originally intending to take it all for himself, he was unexpectedly interrupted. This turn of events made the shopkeeper both angry and annoyed, but he dared not defy Zhou Hu. As a result, he looked at the father and son with increasingly hostile eyes.
Damn poor bastard, if he had cooperated honestly, how could this spirit stone have been taken away by someone else!
"Wait a minute."
Zhou Hu rushed to the shopkeeper, snatched the spirit stone into his hand, and with a quick squeeze of his fingers, a flash of greed appeared in his eyes.
"Old man, I'll take this stone."
Lin Dashan gritted his teeth: "These are our things..."
"Yours?" Zhou Hu sneered, kicking Lin Dashan in the chest. "In Nuchuan City, what I set my sights on is mine. Here's ten copper coins, get lost." Lin Xiaoman's eyes were bloodshot as she lunged forward to protect her father, but Zhou Hu's men grabbed her by the collar and slammed her to the ground.
"Dare to oppose the Black Snake Gang? You're tired of living!"
Just as the fists and feet were about to land.
A detached figure slowly appeared at the entrance of the jewelry store.
Tang Zhen was standing there at some point, dressed in plain clothes, with his hands behind his back, saying nothing.
He wasn't angry, he wasn't anxious, and even his eyes didn't show much emotion; he simply watched the scene before him calmly.
But it was this tranquility that made the bustling Jewelry Store inexplicably quiet.
Zhou Hu frowned: "Who do you think you are? You dare to watch me do things?"
Tang Zhen did not answer.
He simply stepped forward, each step as light as a feather, yet so heavy it tightened one's heart.
He bent down and gently helped Lin Xiaoman up, then helped Lin Dashan up as well.
From beginning to end, he only said two words:
"Step back."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.
Zhou Hu felt a surge of anger from being stared at, and raised his hand to slap Tang Zhen across the face: "You're asking for it!"
Tang Zhen didn't even lift his eyelids.
He simply turned to the side, avoiding the slap, and lightly raised his wrist, seemingly casually tapping the other person's elbow joint with his fingertips.
"Snap—"
A soft sound.
Zhou Hu's entire arm was bent at an odd angle, with bone fragments even piercing through the flesh.
"what--!"
A piercing scream echoed throughout the entire jewelry store.
Tang Zhen remained expressionless, and with a backhand snap, twist, and push, he...
Zhou Hu's massive body flew backward like a broken sack, crashing heavily into the corner of the wall and instantly losing consciousness.
The rest of his men were terrified and none of them dared to step forward.
Tang Zhen's gaze fell on the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper's legs went weak, and he knelt down on the ground, trembling all over: "M-my lord, spare my life! I was blind and ignorant!"
Tang Zhen spoke calmly, his tone utterly indifferent:
"Pay the silver according to the price."
These five simple words are more effective than any scolding.
The shopkeeper scrambled forward, pulling out a thick stack of silver notes and offering them with both hands, not daring to raise his head: "It's...it's all here! Not a single penny less!"
Tang Zhen took the silver note and casually handed it to Lin Dashan, who was already staring in disbelief behind him.
He didn't look at anyone again, nor did he say a single unnecessary word. He turned and walked away.
He paused slightly at the doorway and spoke to the father and son.
"With money, buy a good house, preferably near Gusong Street, because that's where I live."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure disappeared into the crowd on the street.
He resolved the conflict without using any divine power whatsoever.
Even if there were cultivators present who witnessed the entire process, they would not consider Tang Zhen to be a cultivator, but rather as a martial artist.
Lin Xiaoman stood there, staring blankly at the receding figure.
He didn't know who the other person was, where they came from, or why they were helping him.
But for the first time, an incredibly clear thought arose in his mind:
One day, he will also become such a wise person, so that he and his family will no longer be bullied.