" Do you believe I will blacklist you from this place?" Qing Baili was exasperated, making Long Ming grin. A string of pink flowed from her to his dantian, making him satisfied.
Long Ming pondered, " You know what? I really don’t have anything else to give. Put it on my tab."
" Very well, I hope you don’t disappoint Lady Deng." Qing Baili grinned as Long Ming left. As he disappeared, Qing Baili bit her lips, ’ More and more people are inquiring about him now. Even today, the Essence Hypnosis Incence didn’t work on him.’
Long Ming came out of the pavilion as he looked at the street. He looked at the sky and decided to visit another part of the city.
’ The luck is looking good today. Let’s travel around a bit.’
But not long after, Long Ming heard an explosion from far.
" Damn it! It’s that old bastard!"
" Capture him! This time, throw him into the deepest dungeon!"
Long Ming was strolling down the street when a loud explosion echoed from ahead. Dust and broken wood flew into the air as screams rang out. Without hesitation, he quickened his steps and headed straight toward the commotion.
’ Wow, who would miss a free spectacle?’
In the middle of a ruined treasure shop, an old man was rampaging like a mad bull. His hair was messy and gray, clothes torn and dirty, but the most eye-catching thing was his left arm. It was like shortened by half, completely dry like skeleton wearing a skin. And the arm was pitch black, giving a sense of weirdness.
The old man smashed another display case with his good arm, sending spirit weapons and artifacts flying everywhere.
"Trash! All of it is trash!" he roared.
Passersby gathered at a safe distance, whispering among themselves.
"That crazy old man again..."
"Yeah, he shows up every few months. Does odd jobs here and there, but when his madness flares up, he starts destroying any shop that sells or forges treasures."
" I heard that this old man was once a blacksmith."
" How the fuck he even gets out of the jail?"
"He looks pitiful, but no one dares to get close. They say even guards avoid him unless necessary."
Inside the shop, the merchant was red-faced with fury. "You old bastard! You’re destroying my livelihood! Guards! Guards! Catch this madman!"
The old man spat on the ground. "Livelihood? With this pile of shit you call treasures? Even if I cut your neck with one of these, you wouldn’t die! Complete garbage!"
The merchant trembled with rage. "You! Someone drag this lunatic away!"
A few city guards finally arrived, weapons drawn. But before they could move, Long Ming stepped forward calmly.
"Hold on," he called out. " Fellow Daoists, stay put."
Long Ming’s presence was domineering. The moment he stepped out of the crowd, everyone’s eyes were on him.
’ Mm, Mid twenties rugged look with my Desolate Immortal Aura is certainly different than my young self.’ Long Ming smirked inwardly.
The merchant was angry, " Who the hell are you? Are you the partner of this lunatic? You both want to destroy my shop?!"
" Whoa whoa, Fellow Daoist, listen to me." Long Ming explained, " How about this? I will compensate you for your lose. Double the amount. How about we drop this matter?"
The merchant looked at Long Ming skeptically. "Double? You think you can just-"
Long Ming casually tossed over a small pouch. The merchant caught it and opened it. His eyes widened when he saw a hundred mid-grade spirit stones inside.
"This... this is more than enough!" The merchant’s anger vanished instantly. He waved at the guards. "Never mind! It’s settled!"
The old man turned toward Long Ming, eyes narrowed. "I don’t need your help, brat."
Long Ming simply smiled and took out a gourd of wine from his spatial ring. He uncorked it and the rich aroma immediately spread in the air.
"The headache must be bad, right? Do you want some?" he offered.
The old man’s nose twitched. He hesitated for a second before snatching the gourd and taking a big gulp. His expression changed instantly. He took another sip, then another, eyes growing brighter with every swallow.
Finally, he wiped his mouth and turned to the merchant. "Sorry for the mess, brother. I’ll help you clean up later."
The merchant, still stunned by the sudden payment, could only nod dumbly.
What the fuck with this old man? One minute was going crazy and now, he is acting sober?
" Whoa? That old man actually apologized?" the crowd was surprised too.
The old man turned back to Long Ming, curiosity burning in his eyes. "Where did you get this wine, boy? It’s not ordinary at all."
Long Ming chuckled. "Just one of my old brews. Nothing special."
Out of few of his remaining treasures, the Heavenly Urn of Frozen Flame is one of them. The remaining amount of Four Seasons Wine was miniscule, but exceptionally strong. So what Long Ming did...was what a businessman would do.
Yes, he diluted the wine into increase the quantity.
The old man took another sip, clearly reluctant to return the gourd. After a long moment, he sighed. "Thanks for the drink. I’ll be on my way."
He turned to leave, but Long Ming’s voice stopped him.
"Are you really happy with just the wine?" Long Ming asked with a grin. "Or do you want me to cure that arm of yours?"
The old man froze mid-step. Slowly, he turned around. His eyes sharpened dangerously, and for a brief moment, a terrifying killing intent surged out. The air around them grew heavy.
But the killing intent vanished as quickly as it appeared. The old man stared at Long Ming with a complicated expression.
"You... can cure it?" His voice was low, almost hoarse.
Long Ming shrugged casually. "I can try. Whether it works or not depends on you."
The old man stood there silently for a long time, his shriveled left arm twitching slightly. Finally, he took another sip from the gourd and let out a bitter laugh.
"Fine. Lead the way, brat."