Chapter 1246: Intentionally Causing Trouble
During this period, the Jingran Pharmacy's business had been exceptionally booming. Aside from those seeking Gu Yi for item appraisal, a considerable number of people also came to purchase Dānyào.
Although the Jingran Pharmacy was located in a remote area, its reputation had gradually spread. Coupled with the relatively low prices of its various medicines, many customers were drawn to the Jingran Pharmacy.
As the date of the Jingling Continent Yin Division martial arts competition drew nearer, some Emissaries of Death who had decided to participate in the competition arrived in the Underworld ahead of time. They weren't there for sightseeing, but to prepare for the competition, and purchasing useful Dānyào was naturally essential.
Besides these Underworld Officials, many others who came to the Underworld to witness the spectacle also needed to buy Dānyào. Though they weren't competing, the Dānyào would still be useful back in the mortal realm. Therefore, since they had made the journey to the Underworld, a shopping spree was inevitable.
It was precisely for these reasons that the Jingran Pharmacy's business boomed, far exceeding its usual activity.
Of course, it wasn't just the Jingran Pharmacy whose business was thriving; other pharmacies in the Underworld were just as busy, some even more so than the Jingran Pharmacy.
After Yang Haoran delegated authority, Gu Yi, as the manager, had more responsibilities. Upon learning that the Jingling Continent Yin Division would hold a competition at the end of the month in the Underworld to select Guardians, Gu Yi immediately hired two new clerks for the Jingran Pharmacy.
She did this because Gu Yi knew that the Underworld was about to become lively. If only she and Ban Kui were in the Jingran Pharmacy, they would surely be overwhelmed. After all, she was responsible not only for collecting payments but also for appraisals, while Ban Kui was tasked with maintaining order. This left no extra hands to greet customers.
With the addition of the two female clerks, the Jingran Pharmacy finally began to operate smoothly. Without them, Gu Yi and Ban Kui, even if they worked themselves to death, would not have been able to handle such a booming business, and might even have offended customers due to neglect.
Outside the Jingran Pharmacy, a long line of people queued up to have their items appraised. Ban Kui, with his tower-like physique, stood guard at the entrance, his primary duty being to maintain order.
Inside the Jingran Pharmacy, Gu Yi was busy appraising various items for customers, while one clerk handled payment collection and record-keeping. Whether it was for customers purchasing Dānyào or the fees for item appraisals, she managed it all, meticulously depositing every payment into the counter and clearly recording every transaction.
As for the other female clerk, she was responsible for greeting customers inside the shop, attending to both those buying Dānyào and those selling medicinal ingredients or spirit herbs.
Compared to Ban Kui, who seemed less busy maintaining order at the door, Gu Yi and the two clerks were all incredibly swamped.
However, while Ban Kui's work wasn't as hectic, it carried a certain degree of risk. If no one caused trouble, all was well, but once someone did, he, as the one maintaining order, would be the first to suffer.
After all, Ban Kui was merely a ghost, while the people who came to the Jingran Pharmacy to buy Dānyào or appraise items were either Underworld Officials from the Underworld or Underworld Officials from the mortal realm. Their status was not something Ban Kui could compare to; only a very small number of people were like him, merely errand-running ghosts.
Most customers who came to Jingran to appraise items were quite polite and did not barge in due to their status. After all, they were there to appraise items, which was entirely different from buying Dānyào. When seeking appraisal, they were beholden to someone. If they didn't follow the rules set by Jingran Pharmacy, and Gu Yi refused to appraise their items, then their trip would have been in vain.
However, not everyone understood the rules or was polite. There were a few individuals who were quite difficult, relying on their status to refuse to queue. In such situations, conflict between Ban Kui and these people was inevitable. Thus, Ban Kui's seemingly leisurely job was actually more dangerous than that of Gu Yi and the two clerks.
From the time the Jingran Pharmacy's business took off until now, Ban Kui had encountered such unruly customers several times. Although his strength and status were inferior to theirs, he never compromised due to these two points, sticking firmly to his principles. This led to several conflicts, and naturally, he ended up offending a few people.
At this moment, Ban Kui was maintaining order at the pharmacy entrance as usual. Customers streamed in and out, while he stood like a statue, motionless, though his mouth rarely stopped moving.
"For Dānyào purchases, please enter. For item appraisal, please queue."
Ban Kui would not say these words when customers exited the Jingran Pharmacy, but when customers entered, he would utter them to remind them.
Because of this, he repeated the same sentence countless times a day, yet he never grew tired or impatient, diligently performing his duties.
Three figures approached from the front: one in the lead, two behind. The person in front was a young man who looked to be in his twenties, dressed in black, toying with a folding fan in his hand. Behind him were two beautiful young women, both with their heads slightly bowed, cautiously following the man. It seemed they were the young man's servants.
Ever since the mix-up last time, when Ban Kui had mistakenly blocked Yang Haoran, the boss, from entering the shop, Ban Kui had changed his approach to maintaining order at the entrance. He would now glance at everyone approaching the Jingran Pharmacy, regardless of gender, size, or age, to prevent a repeat of that blunder.
So, as the three approached the Jingran Pharmacy, Ban Kui immediately fixed his gaze upon them.
Ban Kui paid no mind to the two young women behind the man; his attention was drawn entirely to the man in front.
Ban Kui had an impression of this young man with the folding fan, for he belonged to the type of difficult customer. The last time the young man came to appraise items, he refused to queue and was stopped by Ban Kui, leading to a dispute. It was only when Gu Yi contacted Jiang Dashi, and Jiang Dashi intervened to mediate, that the matter was resolved.
Precisely because of this, Ban Kui had a deep impression of the young man with the folding fan. Seeing him approach their Jingran Pharmacy again today, Ban Kui instinctively frowned.
However, he did not bar the young man from entering because of their previous dispute. After all, when you open a business, every visitor is a customer. Even if there had been prior conflicts for some reason, one could not simply block customers from entering. If such a thing were to spread, it would undoubtedly have negative repercussions for their Jingran Pharmacy.
Though Ban Kui did not block the young man, he also did not forget to remind him.
"For Dānyào purchases, please enter. For item appraisal, please queue."
The young man did not even glance at Ban Kui. Perhaps, in the young man's eyes, a ghost like Ban Kui was no different from his two servants, perhaps even inferior to the two women behind him. So, he completely ignored Ban Kui and strode directly into the Jingran Pharmacy.
Ban Kui did not stop him, but he also did not completely let his guard down regarding the young man. If circumstances allowed, he would have liked to follow the young man into the pharmacy to prevent him from doing anything that violated the Jingran Pharmacy's rules.
However, circumstances did not allow it. If he were to follow the young man into the Jingran Pharmacy, there would be no one left outside to maintain order. With business so good, and many people coming and going, if no one maintained order outside, it might not descend into complete chaos, but it certainly wouldn't be as orderly as it was now.
So, Ban Kui did not leave his post without authorization. He could only continue to maintain order at the entrance while keeping a close eye on the young man's every move. If the young man did not follow the rules, then as the person responsible for maintaining order at the Jingran Pharmacy, he would naturally step forward immediately. Even if his status was inferior and his strength was lacking, he would not hesitate to stop him, for it was his duty.
After entering the Jingran Pharmacy, the young man did not head towards Gu Yi's counter but began to wander around the shop.
Seeing this, Ban Kui inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. What he worried about most was the young man going directly to Gu Yi and demanding an appraisal. If the young man really did that, he would certainly enter the shop to stop him, and a conflict would very likely erupt again.
It wasn't that Ban Kui was afraid of trouble, nor was he afraid of confronting the young man, but he was afraid of affecting the Jingran Pharmacy's business. Once a conflict between the two sides broke out, it was a hundred percent certainty that the Jingran Pharmacy's business would be affected. In a situation where business was so good, if it were to be affected by the young man, it would be a considerable loss for their Jingran Pharmacy. As a member of the Jingran Pharmacy, he naturally did not want to see such a thing happen.
The young man not heading towards Gu Yi suggested that he was likely not here to appraise items today, but to purchase Dānyào. It was this thought that allowed Ban Kui to breathe a sigh of relief.
However, what enraged him was that no sooner had he exhaled a breath of relief than his worst fear came true a short while later: the young man indeed caused trouble in their Jingran Pharmacy.
"Heh heh, this Jingran Pharmacy's business is really getting better and better. I never imagined that selling fake medicine could gain such a widespread reputation; it truly astonishes me. I just wonder how long this fake medicine can continue to be sold in the Underworld."
After circling the Jingran Pharmacy, the young man approached the counter, toying with a porcelain bottle in his hand, and spoke with a smile.
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