Hearing this, even Ding Fei, who was just an outsider to the situation, could tell this was going to be a huge problem.
The man didn't even have to use force. A single sentence was enough to put Chen Che in an impossible position, forcing him to give up the goods on credit. Refusing was out of the question. After all, for the weak to refuse the strong was, in itself, a transgression.
However, once you let them take it on credit, would you really dare go to Jinyun Valley to collect the debt if they refused to pay?
"Put it on my tab!"
With Zhao Ping's backing, Zhao Ang felt even more emboldened. He couldn't be bothered to waste any more words on Chen Che and simply snatched a bottle of Pills.
Seeing this, Zhao Ping shot Chen Che a cold glance before turning to leave.
"Cousin, are you also going to explore the ancient tomb?"
"Of course! Who wouldn't be tempted?"
Zhao Ang hurried to follow, an obsequious smile on his face.
"Good. If you get any leads, let me know. We'll go together."
The pair chatted as they walked away, completely ignoring everyone around them, their figures gradually receding into the distance.
At this, the surrounding crowd looked at Chen Che with pity. That bottle of Pills was like a meat bun thrown at a dog—gone for good. Everyone knew Zhao Ang had taken countless items on "credit," and no one had ever managed to get anything back from him.
"That Zhao Ang..."
"Shh! Keep your voice down. We can't afford to offend him. You'll bring disaster on yourself if you're not careful."
...
Ding Fei slowly shook his head.
He turned to see Chen Che sitting silently before his stall and sighed to himself. 'If it were me, I definitely wouldn't be able to just swallow this insult.'
'But what could I do?'
'Just Zhao Ang alone is difficult enough to handle, let alone with an Official Disciple from Jinyun Valley like Zhao Ping thrown into the mix!'
No matter how much resentment and dissatisfaction you felt, you had no choice but to suppress it. Still, he didn't forget to try and console Chen Che.
"Senior, don't dwell on such frustrating things. We Cultivators face countless helpless moments, times when our hands are tied. But that's just life. Nothing is ever smooth sailing. The hardships of today are just paving the way for a better rise tomorrow..."
Chen Che was watching the two distant figures, his expression unreadable. Hearing Ding Fei's words, he couldn't help but chuckle. "I didn't realize you had so many little pep talks, and you deliver them so smoothly!"
"As long as I can help you resolve your troubles, Senior."
Ding Fei was acutely aware of one thing: Chen Che might not be able to handle Zhao Ang, but he could most certainly handle him.
"Senior, there's always a turn of fortune in this world. You may be at a low point right now, but believe me, it's only temporary. Cheer up, look ahead, and everything will get better. Er... Senior, you..."
Just as he was about to continue, he noticed Chen Che had already stood up. "Watch my stall for a bit. I have some urgent business to take care of..."
"Huh? What urgent business?"
Before Ding Fei could even react, Chen Che had already left the stall.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the crowd.
"Er..."
'Maybe nature calls!' Ding Fei thought to himself, seeing how rushed Chen Che was.
...
After leaving the stall, Chen Che immediately melted into the crowd.
Zhao Ang had a large, burly frame and a bushy beard like a lion's mane, which made him easy to spot in the crowd.
After parting ways with Zhao Ping, he went on to grab things from several other stalls. Far from refusing, the owners simply forced smiles until he was a safe distance away, only then did they start cursing.
"That goddamn animal!"
"I hope his whole family dies!"
Of course, they only dared to curse him behind his back.
Someone had cursed him out loud once. After Zhao Ang heard it, that person was never seen again.
Chen Che tailed him from a distance, silently observing the scene.
Perhaps it was because he was relying on his connections, or his own strength, or maybe he was just used to rampaging without consequence. Whatever the reason, he was completely oblivious to being followed and walked straight into a deserted alley.
"You worthless mutt!"
Recalling how the stall owner had almost refused him, Zhao Ang couldn't help but curse. 'I can't believe my name doesn't even work anymore. Once things quiet down, I'll come back and have some fun with you.'
Muttering to himself, he unfastened his belt.
He was the type who would seek revenge for the smallest of grievances.
To be honest, if Zhao Ping hadn't suddenly shown up, he would have slapped that clueless kid right then and there to teach him a lesson.
Just as he was about to relieve himself, his pupils contracted sharply.
"Who's there?"
Without the slightest hesitation, he clenched his fist and punched toward the source of the whistling wind. His combat instincts were razor-sharp. The punch was incredibly fierce, like a raging lion lunging at its prey.
In fact, the phantom image of a lion even appeared faintly within the True Essence Fist Wind.
"You?"
As he turned to throw the punch, he saw his attacker clearly and recognized Chen Che. "You dare ambush me?"
Shock and anger gave way to a flicker of mockery in Zhao Ang's eyes. His Qi and Blood were surging, and he had learned several Martial Techniques. He was completely confident in this punch; even another Fifth-Layer Cultivator would struggle to block it.
But, the moment their fists collided, his expression changed. He felt as if his opponent's fist was a falling star, its momentum terrifyingly immense.
CRACK!
With a sharp crack, Zhao Ang's right arm snapped. He spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying like a scarecrow, rolling several times across the ground before coming to a stop. The searing pain in his arm made Zhao Ang finally realize the gravity of his situation. This alley was remote, with few passersby. He immediately began to beg for his life.
"Brother, I was wrong."
"I liked you better when you were arrogant and unruly."
"Brother, please don't joke..."
Zhao Ang never imagined that this stall owner, who looked like such an easy target, was actually this powerful!
'What was that punch just now?'
Though he was screaming internally to tear Chen Che to shreds, he could only suppress his terror. When you lived by the sword, knowing when to bend was the most important skill. He said at once, "It was my fault. I shouldn't have taken your Pills."
"It's good that you know your mistake."
A flash of sword light. A head flew into the air. Blood spurted half a meter high, spattering across the ground.
...
「The Market.」
"Body Nourishing Pills, twenty taels of Spiritual Sand each."
Ding Fei quoted the price to a potential customer, who gave an embarrassed smile and patted his pockets, clearly short on funds. Ding Fei didn't press the matter and politely saw the man off before he started looking around again, searching for any sign of Chen Che.
He glanced at the sky and couldn't help but wonder, 'What's taking him so long? Did he fall into a latrine pit or something?'
'Or maybe...'
For some reason, he suddenly recalled the day of Chen Che's battle in the forest. A shiver ran down his spine as a terrible suspicion formed in his mind.
'Impossible!'
'That Zhao Ang is at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, and his cousin is a disciple of Jinyun Valley. No one would dare touch him.'
Just as his imagination was running wild, he saw Chen Che walking back with a faint smile.
"Senior, you're finally back!"
Ding Fei heaved a huge sigh of relief.
"Getting anxious?"
"No, not at all!"
Ding Fei said quickly, "I just saw that you hadn't returned for so long, Senior, and I was a little worried..."
"Worried about what?"
Chen Che seemed completely unconcerned. He sat back down at his stall, glanced at Ding Fei's apprehensive expression, and chuckled. "Worried I went to look for trouble?"
"Yes!"
Seeing that he had been found out, Ding Fei gave a nervous laugh.
"Senior, you can't afford to offend Zhao Ang. Like they say, 'patience is a virtue, discretion is the better part of—'"
Just then, a shrill, terrified scream echoed through the Market.
"Zhao Ang is dead!"
In an instant, the entire Market fell silent.
Chen Che turned his head, a slight smile playing on his lips as he looked at Ding Fei. "You were saying something about taking a step back?"
The rest of Ding Fei's words caught in his throat, utterly unable to escape.