Just then.
The curtain to the inner hall parted, and an old man with white hair and a white beard walked out, his face etched with fatigue and the hardships of life.
It was Li Jinru’s maternal grandfather, Elder Su.
In the Black Market of Hidden Emperor Castle, Chen Shouye had told his master, Li Weikun, the full story behind the disruption at Ji’an Hall.
Knowing who was pulling the strings, Li Weikun was no longer willing to tolerate it.
The reason the troublemaker’s festering sore wouldn’t heal was simply because he had been secretly and repeatedly re-infecting it.
Li Weikun had his martial hall disciples stand guard over the man around the clock.
Soon, the man’s sore healed.
After dealing with the two troublemakers, Li Weikun didn’t let Jiang Li of the Drunken Creek Pavilion off the hook either.
He went directly to Jiang Li’s door to demand an explanation. Jiang Li tried to feign ignorance, but Li Weikun had his disciples surround the Drunken Creek Pavilion.
Their already slow business came to a complete halt!
This made Jiang Li even more anxious, and he had no choice but to bow his head and apologize.
The matter was resolved, but it was as if Elder Su had aged a dozen years. He dismissed the pharmacy’s disciples and closed Ji’an Hall for a time.
Coinciding with Li Jinru’s wedding, he had been staying at the martial hall ever since.
"Father."
"Grandfather."
Li Weikun and Li Jinru quickly greeted him.
Elder Su nodded at the two and asked, "I heard Shouye say just now that his father intends for you to open a pharmacy in the county town?"
He had been resting in the inner room and had vaguely overheard their conversation.
Chen Shouye replied respectfully, "Yes, Grandfather. My father does indeed have this intention, so that Jinru and I can have a business to support ourselves."
"Opening a pharmacy... choosing a location, purchasing medicines, obtaining licenses, greasing palms... five thousand taels of silver isn’t a small amount, but it’s not a huge amount either. You can get a pharmacy open with that. But establishing a firm foothold is no easy task."
A complex light flashed in Elder Su’s cloudy old eyes.
He was silent for a moment, as if having made a decision. He let out a long sigh. "I am old. After this recent turmoil, I am disheartened and have no energy left to run Ji’an Hall."
"Jinru, I watched you grow up, and you’ve studied medicine with me for so many years. Ji’an Hall is my life’s work. It has a decent reputation in Jingshan County Town, and there are still some loyal customers. Rather than have you start from scratch, why not..."
Elder Su looked at Chen Shouye and Li Jinru, his gaze filled with hope and trust. "I will gift Ji’an Hall to you, husband and wife, to manage. I hope you will run it well and not tarnish the reputation and credibility Ji’an Hall has built over decades. Consider it... a way to ensure it has a good legacy."
The moment he said this, everyone in the room was stunned.
Li Weikun said, stunned, "Father-in-law! This... How can we accept this?"
Chen Shouye waved his hands in refusal. "Grandfather, we absolutely cannot."
But Elder Su waved his hand, his decision firm. "Say no more! My mind is made up. Your eldest uncle has joined a Sect and won’t be coming back. Your second uncle is good for nothing. Rather than let him ruin the family business, I’d rather give it to you. Shouye, Jinru, if you still consider me your grandfather, then don’t refuse. Running Ji’an Hall well will be the greatest filial piety you can show me."
Chen Shouye and Li Jinru exchanged a glance.
Li Jinru pulled Shouye into a deep bow toward Elder Su. "Thank you for your generosity, Grandfather. We will do our absolute best."
Seeing this, Li Weikun, who knew his father-in-law was stubborn and wouldn’t change his mind once it was made up, sighed and said to Chen Shouye, "Since it’s come to this, you two should accept this gift. Do not disappoint your grandfather’s expectations."
...
The next day, Chen Shouye and Li Jinru accompanied their grandfather to Ji’an Hall Pharmacy.
But now, with its doors shut tight, it seemed rather deserted.
Elder Su opened the lock and pushed the doors open with a trembling hand.
The faint, bittersweet scent of mixed medicinal herbs washed over them.
The shop’s furnishings were simple and traditional—medicine cabinets, a counter, and a small steelyard balance were all in place, but everything was covered in a thin layer of dust.
The old man stroked the smooth edge of the counter, his eyes filled with endless emotion and reluctance. He murmured, "My old friends... from now on, I’m leaving you in their hands..."
He turned and solemnly placed a heavy ring of keys into Chen Shouye’s hands.
After Elder Su left, Chen Shouye and Li Jinru stood in the middle of the slightly empty shop and looked at each other.
"Husband, when do we start?"
Li Jinru asked softly.
"After the new year."
Chen Shouye glanced around the pharmacy.
The shop needed to be cleaned, the herbs needed to be inventoried, and they also needed to discuss restocking with the Bai Family.
They had a great many things to do.
...
「Jingshan County Suburbs.」
「Ten-Mile Pavilion.」
"Who are you? Where’s Li Guangmao?"
A Guest of the Jiang Family, at Qi Realm Perfection, warily sized up Chen Shouheng.
A short while ago, he had received a letter and a Token from Li Guangmao, who was also a Jiang Family Guest, saying he wanted to discuss pulling off a big score. He had set out immediately.
But when he arrived, Li Guangmao was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a strange man.
This put him on high alert.
"Brother Zhang, Brother Li asked me to wait here." Chen Shouheng was polite, asking with feigned surprise, "Brother Li also invited a few others. Didn’t you come with them, Brother Zhang?"
"Who else did he invite? Why wasn’t I told?" The Guest frowned.
Chen Shouheng chuckled. "So, you came alone, Brother Zhang?"
"Of course." The Guest was quite arrogant.
He glanced around, and before he could even turn his head back, he saw the man standing not far away suddenly lunge forward like a tiger bursting from its cage.
The wind from the fist howled as it aimed for his vitals.
The Guest was horrified and hastily tried to draw his blade to block.
But the punch was ferociously powerful and incredibly fast. He couldn’t react in time before the fist struck the side of his shoulder.
’Spirit Realm!’
The Guest was both shocked and furious.
’Son of a bitch! Since when do Spirit Realm Powerhouses have to stoop to ambushing us Qi Realm cultivators?’
’Have you no shame?’
’Is there no justice in the world?’
The thoughts had barely crossed his mind before his vision went black. He collapsed to the ground without so much as a grunt, losing consciousness.
Chen Shouheng stood with his fist withdrawn. He could now control his power with such precision that he could knock these Qi Realm Guests unconscious without killing them.
"Damn it, he’s a poor bastard!"
Shu Qi popped up from the side like a gopher and expertly searched the body.
Finding only a few dozen taels of silver on the man, he couldn’t help but spit. "Spirit Realm cultivators are the rich ones. When are we gonna go after another one of them!"
He pulled out a rope and skillfully tied up the unconscious Guest, then stuffed a rag in his mouth.
Chen Shouheng looked at the sky. "Same as always, Master Shu. I’ll have to trouble you to make a trip and deliver him to Zhuoyan Collection."
"Don’t you worry! Master Shu is a pro at this!"
Shu Qi was in a good mood. He shouldered the captive, and with a few leaps and bounds, reached a hidden carriage. He tossed the man into the compartment, spurred the horse, and disappeared down the main road.
This was the seventh Qi Realm cultivator they had "invited" away in the past ten days.
Their operation was growing more proficient, and their coordination was becoming more seamless.
"Seems the Jiang Family hasn’t reacted yet? Or maybe... they just don’t care if these people live or die?"
Zhao Deming muttered softly as he watched Shu Qi disappear.
"The slower they react, the better for us," Chen Shouheng said, his gaze hardening.
Not long ago, he, Master Shu, and Zhao Deming had delivered a Spirit Realm cultivator for that Zhang Chengzong to devour.
Having gotten a taste for absorbing living people, Zhang Chengzong was now like a bottomless black hole, greedily devouring this living sustenance.
His Cultivation was skyrocketing at a jaw-dropping rate.
Even though the conversion efficiency wasn’t high, nourished by so many experts, Zhang Chengzong had already broken through to the Spirit Realm.
His entire person exuded a sinister and demonic aura.
If he didn’t know that the man hadn’t learned any martial arts, Chen Shouheng would suspect that Zhang Chengzong might just lash out and kill him one day!
’I have to report this to Father!’
Chen Shouheng thought to himself.