Two loyal disciples of the Drifting Sword Sect, already thinking about how to benefit the sect.
And themselves.
Naturally.
On the other hand, Old Tiger Zhao had been… magnetized the moment that kid Bai Chen twisted off the stopper of the pill bottle.
It wasn’t the sound or the sight that got him.
It was the scent.
His nose suddenly gave a mighty twitch.
His eyes blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then his body reacted.
Not in the same way it did when he saw the holy swirl of Soft Serve Vanilla Ice Cream, no.
But it was enough to make his gut hum and his fingers twitch in longing.
He didn’t know what kind of pill it was.
Didn’t care.
All he knew was that it smelled good, it smelled expensive, and it smelled like it could probably do wonders for his body.
For a split second, he genuinely considered snatching the pill bottle straight from the Ji Yunzhi’s hand.
Just a quick flick of the wrist, a gentle snatch, and an “oops my bad” afterward.
But then his gaze shifted slightly to the side.
And landed on Hao.
Ah.
Right.
That kid, or rather the store owner, was still standing right there, less than five steps away.
Old Tiger Zhao let out a long breath through his nose.
Nope.
The kid controlled the holy machine that dispensed one ice cream a day.
Losing that privilege?
Now that was a line he would never cross.
He’d just keep sniffing from afar like a gentleman.
The second Ji Yunzhi stopped moving –
All three of them felt it.
Not from sight, but from the subtle change in air, in spiritual flow, in that strange tightness that sometimes filled the chest when something major was happening nearby.
That kid was entering enlightenment.
Lin Yijun tilted his head.
Xiao Lianfeng’s brows rose.
Old Tiger Zhao’s hand paused mid-scratch on his belly.
It wasn’t like the instant noodle enlightenment. That one made sense. Mystical ingredients, ancient formulas, sealed packaging.
But this?
This was from a compliment?
So… the storekeeper’s words could cause enlightenment too?
What kind of ridiculous cultivation path was this?
Path of Verbal Dao? Enlightenment Through Praise?
Just as the absurdity of it all was setting in –
“Esteemed one!”
A loud voice tore through the reverent silence.
Everyone turned.
Dou Xinshi had popped into the scene, one arm hugging a cup of Chicken-Flavored Instant Noodles, the other tightly gripping a Beef-Flavored one.
“I’d like to purchase these two.” he said solemnly.
Hao stared for half a breath.
…This crazy kid really knew how to make an entrance, huh.
Still, on the outside, he just gave a light nod and casually walked back to the counter.
Business as usual.
Internally though, Hao couldn’t help but be a little thrown off. Dou Xinshi didn’t even glance at Ji Yunzhi.
Not a flicker of concern. Not even a “hey is that guy okay?”
Well, it wasn’t that hard to figure out. Dou Xinshi really didn’t give a damn.
First, he didn’t know who Ji Yunzhi was.
So in his mind? Just some new customer. Not important. Certainly not in the way of his divine noodle acquisition.
Second?
Well, Dou Xinshi had already side-eyed Ji Yunzhi earlier when the man requested Hao to inspect something without even kneeling.
He didn’t even lower his head!
No bow! No reverence! Not even a respectful three-step kowtow!
How rude was that?
At one point, Dou Xinshi had even considered squaring up and teaching this disrespectful bald guy a lesson in etiquette – just a light one, of course.
But then he caught a glimpse of Ji Yunzhi’s lean muscle lines, that slightly-too-glowy golden gaze, and that perfectly shaved dome radiating menace.
Dou Xinshi instinctively looked down at his own arms.
…Maybe not today.
Maybe in the future.
Preferably with backup.
Also, a man with that kind of audacity clearly didn’t deserve his attention!
More importantly, Dou Xinshi had been too busy mentally preparing himself to try the Spicy version of the noodles to even hear Hao’s compliment earlier.
So, in his devoted little brain, Ji Yunzhi wasn’t a genius pill cultivator undergoing enlightenment.
He was just some guy who didn’t know how to properly address the Esteemed One.
Not worth thinking about.
After Hao scanned the products, Dou Xinshi paid with both hands respectfully offering the crystals.
He gave a firm nod to the Esteemed One, then shuffled toward the far corner.
But just before he turned his back fully, he looked at Ji Yunzhi once more.
That look wasn’t hostile.
It was… amused?
His lips twitched upward, as if holding back a laugh, and in that wild little mind of his, he had already decided the truth.
Heh. That’s what happens when you disrespect the Esteemed One.
Instant karma.
First the bald guy acted all casual, didn’t even kneel or bow or show the barest courtesy.
Next thing you know – bam.
Frozen like a statue.
He probably got struck by divine punishment or something. Could happen to anyone.
…Well, anyone rude.
Satisfied, Dou Xinshi hugged his cups of instant noodles.
Time passed.
And eventually, Ji Yunzhi moved again.
His golden eyes flashed open, gleaming once more like polished glass catching the sun.
There was something different in his expression.
A calm depth, and a quiet fire. The storm in his mind had finally passed and left something behind!
Ji Yunzhi walked over, stopped in front of the counter, then cupped his hands and bowed low.
“I, Bai Chen, owe the storekeeper a debt for today’s enlightenment.”
No, he didn’t ascend to the next cultivation realm.
But in terms of his alchemy… he’d broken through.
The concepts that had been half-formed in his mind suddenly clicked into place. The techniques he had been fumbling to perfect now felt clearer, more precise.
For an alchemist like Ji Yunzhi, that kind of clarity was worth far more than crystals or reputation.
Hao was about to hand the Cola-Inspired Pill back, but Ji Yunzhi quickly shook his head.
“No need. Storekeeper, please have it.”
Hao raised a brow, but Ji Yunzhi wasn’t finished.
“Also – this.” he added, handing out the bottle with the rest of the batch.
“I know it’s not much, storekeeper.” Ji Yunzhi said, sounding as if gratitude was a foreign language to him.
“But it’d mean the world to me if you were the one who had the first proper batch of pills I’ve ever made that I can actually be proud of.”