Chapter 1247: Going Too Far
Although the Youth's words were directed at Gu Yi, who was appraising an item at the counter, his voice was exceptionally loud, as if he feared no one else would hear him.
As soon as he spoke, everyone paused and turned to look at the Youth. The once-bustling Jingran Pharmacy instantly fell silent.
It was no surprise that everyone reacted this way, for the vast majority of people who came to Jingran Pharmacy were there to purchase Danyao. Even if they weren't here for Danyao today, it didn't mean they held no interest in the Jingran Pharmacy's wares. Thus, the Youth's pronouncement struck a significant chord with everyone present.
Jingran Pharmacy operated by selling various medications, but for these medications to purportedly be counterfeit? How could anyone present simply pretend they hadn't heard such a claim?
Gu Yi, who was appraising an item for a customer, instantly blanched upon hearing the Youth's words. She set down the item she was examining and frowned as she looked at the Youth.
With just one glance, Gu Yi recognized the Youth. With her heaven-defying memory, how could she not? On that day, when he had caused a commotion here, both she and Ban Kui remembered him vividly. If even Ban Kui still recalled the man, how could she possibly forget?
Concurrently, Ban Kui, who was maintaining order at the entrance, also overheard the Youth's pronouncements. His face grim, he entered the shop without a word.
“Esteemed sir, all the medications sold at our Jingran Pharmacy—be they Danyao, medicinal liquids, or medicinal powders—are crafted entirely by the hands of a Spirit Medicine master. The quality of our remedies is absolutely guaranteed; we have never peddled any counterfeit drugs. ”
The Youth was clearly intent on causing trouble for Jingran Pharmacy today, rendering any words spoken to him useless. Yet, the patrons present were different; they were uninformed. Should she, the manager, fail to offer an explanation, it was inevitable that some might believe his claims.
While it was improbable that all patrons would credit the Youth's words, it was unavoidable that some would. Should anyone genuinely swallow his baseless claims and then disseminate them within their circles after leaving Jingran Pharmacy, it would undoubtedly inflict immeasurable negative repercussions upon the establishment. Gu Yi keenly understood the stakes, which was precisely why she spoke out without delay.
“Esteemed sir, I must apologize, but you are not welcome at Jingran Pharmacy. Please leave. ”
As Gu Yi's words faded, Ban Kui, too, arrived before the Youth at that instant, and with a grim countenance, issued an order for his expulsion.
The Youth remained unmoving. From his reaction, it was evident he had no intention of departing. He cast a glance at the approaching Ban Kui, a look of disdain crossing his face.
Though Ban Kui was tall and burly, in the Youth's eyes, he was merely a ghostly entity. Even if Ban Kui surpassed many of the spectral beings who had only recently arrived in the Underworld, to the Youth, Ban Kui was no more than a slightly larger ant. How could he possibly deign to notice an ant?
After a mere glance at Ban Kui, the Youth redirected his gaze back to Gu Yi behind the counter.
Crack!
His folding fan snapped open, and the Youth suavely fanned himself a few times.
“Heh, heh. You claim your Jingran Pharmacy peddles no fake remedies? Then why this haste to usher me out? Are you perhaps afraid I'll speak too much and bring undue negative attention to your Jingran Pharmacy? ”
The Youth spoke with a sneer, his tone and expression brimming with provocation.
Perceiving that the Youth not only refused to leave but persisted in spouting nonsense, Ban Kui ceased his attempts to expel him. Instead, with a grim face, he directly reached out and seized the Youth's arm. From his demeanor, it was clear he was prepared to use forceful means to bodily remove the Youth from Jingran Pharmacy.
The Youth's eyes glinted with cold light at the sight. Without any perceptible movement, a wave of power erupted from his body, not only repelling Ban Kui's arm but also sending Ban Kui's body staggering back several paces.
“Heh, heh. Is your Jingran Pharmacy feeling guilty and resorting to brute force? Bound by the rules of the Underworld, I cannot easily lay hands on such low-grade trash as yourselves. But if you disregard propriety and actively attack me, I am well within my rights to teach you a lesson. And even. . . ”
Here, the Youth's gaze returned to Ban Kui, his voice trailing off. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by an icy expression, and his eyes brimmed with undisguised killing intent.
“Heh, heh. Even send your souls to Soul Transformation. ”
The Youth added this menacing remark to Ban Kui, the threat in his words unmistakable. Judging by his demeanor, should Ban Kui dare to strike him again, he would certainly resort to killing him.
Ban Kui felt the intense killing intent radiating from the Youth, and he understood the veiled threat in his words. However, his will was unyielding; he showed not a hint of fear, nor any thought of retreat. His expression remained utterly unchanged as he advanced towards the Youth with a grim face, as if he would not rest until he had expelled the Youth from Jingran Pharmacy.
Watching Ban Kui stride towards him, the Youth narrowed his eyes, and the cold sneer on his face deepened.
He certainly wasn't afraid of Ban Kui. The words he had just uttered were indeed a threat to Ban Kui, but they were also the stark truth. If Ban Kui dared to attack him again, he would genuinely send Ban Kui to Soul Transformation.
Ban Kui's previous action, strictly speaking, wasn't an attack on the Youth, for he hadn't unleashed any power; he had merely reached out, intending to grab the Youth's arm. This differed fundamentally from a true assault.
Precisely because of this, the Youth did not resort to killing Ban Kui; he merely repelled him. After all, Ban Kui's prior actions didn't warrant lethal force. Had he insisted, and Jingran Pharmacy stirred up a fuss, it might not have caused him immense loss, but it would certainly have landed him in some trouble.
However, should Ban Kui foolishly attempt to touch him again now, then regardless of Ban Kui's intent to attack, the Youth could scarcely be faulted for sending him to Soul Transformation. After all, he had already issued a clear warning. If Ban Kui chose to disregard it, he would be inviting his own demise.
As Ban Kui drew closer, the killing intent in the Youth's heart intensified. At this moment, not only was the Youth's gaze locked onto Ban Kui, but all the other patrons present likewise had their eyes fixed on Ban Kui. They all watched, eager to see if Ban Kui truly dared to disregard the Youth's threat and attack him again.
These patrons were almost universally spectators, watching the unfolding drama. After all, they bore no relation to Jingran Pharmacy and were neither kin nor acquaintance to Ban Kui, thus naturally, they felt no concern, much less worry.
After Ban Kui arrived before the Youth, he wasted no words, directly extending his hand to seize the Youth's arm. The Youth, meanwhile, sneered inwardly. He had already made up his mind: the instant Ban Kui's hand made contact with his body, he would immediately strike to send Ban Kui to Soul Transformation!
As Ban Kui's hand was poised to touch the Youth, Gu Yi suddenly spoke.
“Stop! ”
Ban Kui's movement abruptly halted, as if a pause button had been pressed, freezing him mid-air. At that moment, his palm and the Youth's arm were separated by mere centimeters.
Though Gu Yi was not old and her strength was far inferior to Ban Kui's, she was the manager appointed by Yang Haoran. If Yang Haoran were present, Ban Kui would obey only his commands. In Yang Haoran's absence, he would heed but one person's orders, and that person was naturally Gu Yi.
Had Gu Yi not intervened, Ban Kui would never have halted. Though he knew his strength was no match for the Youth's, he would never have recoiled for that reason. What he was tasked to do, he would undoubtedly accomplish, even if it meant certain death; he would never hesitate.
Since Gu Yi had spoken, he naturally would not proceed. Even if his heart rebelled, he would not defy Gu Yi's command.
Seeing that Ban Kui had actually stopped, a strong sense of disappointment immediately arose in the Youth's heart. But then he seemed to recall something, and the cold sneer on his face intensified by a few degrees.
Gu Yi had not yet had the chance to urge Ban Kui to calm down, nor had Ban Kui withdrawn his outstretched arm, when the Youth, a cold sneer on his face, suddenly leaned gently towards Ban Kui. Ban Kui's fingertips instantly brushed against the Youth's arm.
“Heh, heh. You actually dared to strike? Then you can't blame me! ”
The Youth let out a cold laugh. He struck with lightning speed; Ban Kui had no time to react whatsoever before his chest was met by the Youth's palm.
Thud!
With a muffled thud, Ban Kui's body was sent flying, his burly frame directly shattering the Jingran Pharmacy's main door. Wood splinters flew. Nearby patrons either dodged or instinctively deployed their power to shield themselves, thus remaining unharmed. Ban Kui, however, was different from these patrons; he took the Youth's blow squarely and sustained considerable damage.
Ban Kui's body crashed heavily onto the ground outside Jingran Pharmacy. He uttered no sound of pain, immediately struggling back to his feet.
At this moment, a clearly visible, sunken palm print marred Ban Kui's chest. Cracks even radiated from the print, yet no blood flowed.
The reason for this phenomenon was that Ban Kui's body was not a flesh-and-blood corporeal form like that of a living person, but a custom-made skin. Thus, even with Ban Kui's entire chest sunken in and exhibiting cracks, no blood emerged.
However, the absence of flowing blood did not imply Ban Kui was unharmed in that moment. Beneath his skin lay his Spirit Body, and having taken the Youth's palm head-on, his Spirit Body, though not dissipated, was severely wounded.
It's not that damage to the skin necessarily injures the ghostly entity within; that, too, depends on the circumstance. After all, ghostly entities are impervious to purely physical attacks. Were it merely a physical assault, even if the skin were torn to shreds, the ghostly entity inside would remain unharmed.
But the Youth's palm that struck Ban Kui was no mere physical attack; it was imbued with a considerable amount of the Youth's own power, and was specifically aimed at Ban Kui's Spirit Body, not just his skin. Thus, that single palm strike inflicted immense damage upon Ban Kui's Spirit Body.
“Ban Kui! ! ! ”
Gu Yi's expression changed drastically. At that moment, she completely disregarded the patrons waiting for her to appraise items at the counter. Witnessing Ban Kui sent flying by the Youth's palm, she immediately darted from behind the counter and rushed towards Ban Kui's location.
The other two shop assistants also followed suit, their faces a mix of worry and dread.
After all, their strength was limited, and having only recently arrived in the Underworld, they were still largely unfamiliar with it. Their hearts were already gripped by fear of this foreign environment. Now, with such an incident unfolding within their own shop, it was impossible for them not to feel afraid.
However, ever since they had come to Jingran Pharmacy, Gu Yi, their manager, had consistently treated them with kindness. Though Ban Kui was taciturn and had spoken few words to them, he had never once bullied either of them. Thus, they held no grievances toward Ban Kui. Now, seeing him sent flying, as members of Jingran Pharmacy, they too felt a surge of concern.
Gu Yi's current strength was far beyond what it had been when she first entered the Underworld, making her movements swift. Just as Ban Kui struggled back to his feet, Gu Yi appeared before him.
“Ban Kui, are you alright? ! ”
Gu Yi quickly asked, her face etched with worry.
“I'm fine. ”
Ban Kui shook his head, his face grim, responding to Gu Yi. Yet, from his weak tone and faint power fluctuations, he appeared anything but fine.
Gu Yi knew that Ban Kui was gravely injured at that moment, for she could clearly sense his soul had become unstable!
“Should I fight? ”
Ban Kui completely disregarded the injuries to his Spirit Body. His gaze fixed on the main entrance of Jingran Pharmacy, he then spoke to Gu Yi in a deep voice.
“Don't be impulsive. I'll contact Jiang Dashi to come and handle this immediately! ”
Gu Yi quickly said. She had known Ban Kui for quite some time, and thus thoroughly understood his personality. She knew that Ban Kui's words now weren't merely for the sake of saving face; if she so much as nodded, Ban Kui would undoubtedly charge forward to fight the Youth to the death.
If Ban Kui possessed sufficient strength, Gu Yi wouldn't object to him giving the Youth a thorough beating. Though Gu Yi was young and a woman, when truly provoked, her ferocity was undeniable—her own death served as ample proof of that.
The reason she wasn't unleashing her ferocity now was that she hadn't been pushed to that extreme; she still retained her reason. She knew Ban Kui's strength paled in comparison to the Youth's. If she agreed to Ban Kui fighting the Youth to the death, it would undoubtedly be Ban Kui who suffered Soul Transformation, not the Youth.
Furthermore, judging by Ban Kui's current state, Gu Yi estimated that with just one more strike, Ban Kui would vanish completely from this world. They had all died once before. Before one could regain a corporeal body, once their soul was scattered, it meant a permanent farewell to this world.
Gu Yi understood the grave implications; she did not wish to witness Ban Kui suffer Soul Transformation, least of all under her own gaze. That was why she spoke out to stop him.
Ban Kui was deeply displeased. In that moment, his greatest desire was to engage the Youth in a proper brawl, even if it meant sacrificing his own life. But Gu Yi had forbidden it, so he gritted his teeth and endured.
Seeing that Ban Kui did not act on his impulse, Gu Yi breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
Concurrently, the Youth, waving his folding fan, elegantly strolled out of the shop, deliberately stepping on and crushing several wooden planks.
“Heh, heh. It seems Yang Haoran treats his Jingran Pharmacy employees rather well. To endure a direct palm strike from me and not suffer Soul Transformation is somewhat commendable. However, this is not a reason for you to live today. You disregarded propriety and attacked me twice despite my warnings. If I don't send you to Soul Transformation today, how could I save face? If other ghostly entities were to emulate you in the future, wouldn't our Underworld descend into chaos? ”
The Youth looked at the enraged Ban Kui and spoke with a cold sneer, his tone neither hurried nor slow. As he spoke, he noticed Gu Yi dialing a number. He knew Gu Yi was calling for reinforcements, so as his words faded, he waved his folding fan, and Gu Yi's phone instantly exploded.
Gu Yi had just dialed the number and hadn't had time to utter a single word when her phone exploded. This instantly made Gu Yi's delicate face turn exceptionally grim!
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