At that sight, Li Yun’s eyes narrowed, and a cold gloom spread across his face, heavy enough to darken his expression.
Just as he was about to step forward and speak, a strong hand suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
It was Hao Shu. His face had turned grave as he shook his head at Li Yun and spoke in a low, urgent voice, "Young master, do not act rashly. Wu Shin is notoriously domineering. Anything he takes a liking to must belong to him, and he does not tolerate anyone competing with him. Anyone who dares to defy him will face brutal retaliation. It is not worth provoking Wu Shin over a few spirit medicines. Let this go."
As someone who had lived in Pill Flame City for many years, Hao Shu understood Wu Shin’s temperament all too well.
Although Wu Shin was hailed as a young genius, he possessed none of the generosity such a title implied. Instead, he was narrow minded and vicious to the extreme.
Once, a man had offended him by accident. What should have been a trivial matter turned into a nightmare. Wu Shin beat the man until he was half dead, then hung him from the city wall and left him to bake under the sun until he died.
Keeping distance from someone so cruel and vindictive was the only sensible choice.
"Heh." Li Yun let out a cold laugh when he heard this, the corner of his lips curling with disdain. "Wu Shin may be powerful, but I am not someone to be trampled on."
As his words fell, the internal energy within Li Yun stirred, and he casually shook Hao Shu’s hand off. He then stepped forward without hesitation with a calm sneer on his face.
"Young master!"
Hao Shu watched Li Yun’s retreating back and stamped his foot anxiously, feeling completely helpless. He could only curse his luck for encountering someone so reckless.
Wu Shin was not only the Young Lord of the Wu Family but also a Half Step Xiantian expert. In Pill Flame City, people feared him like a ferocious beast and avoided provoking him at all costs. Yet Li Yun, an outsider with no background here, dared to confront him head on. In Hao Shu’s eyes, this was no different from courting death.
"For the twenty low grade spirit stones you gave me earlier, I will at least buy you a decent coffin later," Hao Shu muttered with a helpless sigh. In his mind, Li Yun was already a dead man the moment he chose to challenge Wu Shin.
At that moment, the black clad attendant had already arrived at Wu Shin’s side. Holding the bundle of Origin Qi Flowers with both hands, he presented them respectfully and said, "Young Master Wu, these are the Origin Qi Flowers you requested."
"Mm." Wu Shin nodded in satisfaction and reached out, ready to take them.
Just then, a large hand shot out from the side and seized all the Origin Qi Flowers in an instant.
"Who is it!?"
The sudden turn of events stunned both the blue robed steward and Wu Shin.
The steward had never imagined that someone would dare cause trouble inside the Spirit Pill Pavilion, while Wu Shin had not expected that anyone in Pill Flame City would dare snatch something meant for him, and right in front of his eyes at that.
They quickly recovered and turned to look at the owner of that audacious hand.
It was Li Yun.
The blue robed steward’s face darkened as he barked angrily, "Young man, you are far too bold. How dare you act so recklessly inside the Spirit Pill Pavilion? Are you courting death?"
Wu Shin’s expression also turned cold as he stared at Li Yun, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. "You insolent brat, you even dare snatch something meant for me, Wu Shin. I think you are tired of living."
Anyone met with that gaze would feel a chill crawl up their spine.
Li Yun, however, remained calm. He looked at Wu Shin with a faintly mocking smile and said evenly, "Wu Shin, you should at least have some sense of propriety. Do these Origin Qi Flowers belong to you? If I remember correctly, I was the one who chose them first."
He then turned his gaze to the blue robed steward and snorted coldly, neither arrogant nor submissive. "You accuse me of acting wildly? I would say the Spirit Pill Pavilion is bullying customers because of its status. I selected these spirit medicines first and was about to pay for them, yet you suddenly decided to sell them to someone else. Does the Spirit Pill Pavilion not understand the rule of first come, first served, or do you simply think I am an unknown nobody who can be pushed around at will?"
"The spirit medicine you were the first to select?" The blue robed steward frowned slightly when he heard this. He turned to the black clad attendant beside him and asked in a stern voice, "Explain what happened."
The attendant lowered his head in fear and quickly spoke the truth. "Those Origin Qi Flowers were indeed chosen by this guest first, and he was already about to make the payment."
"This is troublesome..."
Hearing that, a bitter and helpless smile appeared on the blue robed steward’s face as a headache set in.
He very much wanted to sell the Origin Qi Flowers to Wu Shin in order to gain this young master’s favor. However, the Spirit Pill Pavilion was well known throughout Pill Flame City for its strict rules and reputation in business dealings.
If he truly sold the Origin Qi Flowers to Wu Shin today, it would be a clear violation of the Pavilion’s principles. Once the matter spread and the upper management investigated, his position would likely be in serious danger.
Yet, if he refused Wu Shin, he would undoubtedly offend a notoriously petty and vindictive young master. He was only a steward of the Spirit Pill Pavilion, and angering Wu Shin would make his life in Pill Flame City extremely difficult.
For a moment, the blue robed steward was caught in a dilemma, his gaze flickering as he searched for a way out.
Wu Shin, however, had no patience to wait. He barked coldly, "Ming Yunhe, how do you plan to handle this? Will you personally take back those Origin Qi Flowers for this young master, or should I do it myself?"
The blue robed steward forced a smile and turned to Li Yun. "This guest, you can also see that Young Master Wu has an urgent need for these Origin Qi Flowers. I wonder if you might be generous enough to give them up?"
As he spoke, he deliberately stressed the words "Young Master Wu," clearly hinting at Wu Shin’s identity and hoping Li Yun would understand the implication.
Li Yun, however, acted as if he had not grasped the meaning at all. His expression remained cold and steady as he replied without hesitation, "Impossible."
"What a stubborn fool. He actually dares to offend Wu Shin. Forget it, let him seek his own death."
Seeing how unyielding Li Yun was, the blue robed steward cursed inwardly in frustration. His eyes flickered as he finally made up his mind.
Between pleasing Young Master Wu Shin and protecting his own position, the latter was clearly far more important.
After steadying his resolve, the blue robed steward turned to Wu Shin and spoke with forced calm. "Young Master Wu, I truly apologize, but these spirit medicines were indeed selected first by this guest. Why not take a look at other spirit medicines instead? Today, all of Young Master Wu’s purchases at the Spirit Pill Pavilion will receive an eighty percent discount. How does that sound?"
"What did you say?" Wu Shin’s eyes widened instantly.
Sweat soaked the blue robed steward’s back under Wu Shin’s cold stare, yet he could only grit his teeth and continue. "Young Master Wu, please do not make things difficult for this humble one. You are well aware of the rules of the Spirit Pill Pavilion. I am merely a small steward and cannot go against them."
"Hmph, useless trash. If you cannot make such a simple decision, then call out your young miss. I will speak with her directly," Wu Shin said with a cold snort.
"Hehe, what could have happened to make Young Master Wu so irritated?"
At that moment, a clear and gentle laugh suddenly rang out.
The moment the voice sounded, it seemed to draw everyone’s attention as all eyes turned toward its source.
They saw a woman slowly descending the staircase from the second floor of the Spirit Pill Pavilion, her steps light and graceful like a lotus in bloom. She was tall and slender, dressed in a flowing white gown, her skin as smooth as jade and her features exquisitely beautiful. Whether it was due to her cultivation or her natural bearing, a faint chill radiated from her body, instinctively keeping others at a respectful distance.
At first glance, she resembled a peerless ice lotus standing atop a snowy peak, meant to be admired from afar and never approached lightly.
"Greetings, Young Miss."
The moment the woman appeared, all the attendants of the Spirit Pill Pavilion bowed deeply in unison.
The white dressed woman gave a slight nod in response. Her clear eyes swept the scene once before she spoke calmly, "Steward Ming, explain what happened."
"Yes."
The blue robed steward quickly nodded and stepped forward, respectfully recounting the entire situation.
"I understand."
The woman in white nodded gently and then turned her gaze toward Wu Shin. A faint smile appeared on her lips, as pure and cold as a snow lotus in bloom, captivating everyone present. She spoke calmly, "Young Master Wu, you are well aware of the rules of the Spirit Pill Pavilion. Please be understanding regarding today’s matter. I offer you my apologies here."
Wu Shin’s expression immediately darkened. It was obvious that the woman was not giving him any face, and he snorted with visible displeasure.
"Miss Wan, I really need these Origin Qi flowers. I request you to let me buy them." Wu Shin said his tone a bit polite.
The woman’s expression wavered slightly, and a trace of hesitation surfaced on her delicate face.
The rules and reputation of the Spirit Pill Pavilion were important, but that competition was equally crucial, if not more so.
Yet she was equally unwilling to damage the pavilion’s long established principles. After a brief moment of contemplation, she said, "The Origin Qi Flowers are currently in this guest’s possession, and the spirit stones have already been paid. Those Origin Qi Flowers now belong to this guest. If Young Master Wu truly needs them, then please negotiate directly with him. The Spirit Pill Pavilion will not interfere in this matter."
Hearing this, Li Yun pressed his lips together.
It was clear that the woman in white was shifting the responsibility onto him, allowing the Spirit Pill Pavilion to remain neutral.
Although Li Yun felt a trace of displeasure, he did not voice it. After all, the Spirit Pill Pavilion had already fulfilled its obligation by selling him the Origin Qi Flowers. Expecting them to step in and confront Wu Shin on his behalf would have been unrealistic.
"Very well. I will give Miss Wan some face and stop troubling the Spirit Pill Pavilion."
Wu Shin understood that he could not push things too far. Even forcing the woman in white to yield this much had not been easy. He nodded, then turned his gaze toward Li Yun and said coldly, "Boy, hand over the Origin Qi Flowers in your possession to this Young Lord. You spent three hundred low grade spirit stones to buy them. Here are one thousand low grade spirit stones. Take them."
As he spoke, Wu Shin casually tossed the pouch of spirit stones toward Li Yun, as though he were throwing alms to a beggar.
"When did I ever say I was selling them to you?" Li Yun replied, rolling his eyes in open disdain. This man truly thought far too highly of himself.
"So you refuse to give this Young Lord face?" Wu Shin’s expression darkened, his voice turning icy. "In Pill Flame City, no one has ever dared to deny me face. Anyone who has tried no longer exists. You would do well to think carefully. If you continue to be ungrateful, you may not leave Pill Flame City alive today."
He paused, his gaze sharp and threatening. "This is your final chance. Are you handing over the Origin Qi Flowers or not?"
"Heh."
Li Yun let out a soft laugh. He lifted his head and looked directly at Wu Shin, a cold, mocking smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"I will give you two word: Fuck off!"

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