The Lingyao Pavilion is the largest pharmacy in Lingjiang City, boasting the finest spirit elixirs in the entire city.

At the same time, it is the main business of the Ye family, one of the four major families.

The middle-aged manager lifted his eyelids, glanced at Chu Qingyun, and a cold sneer flashed in his eyes as he mockingly asked, "Oh, isn't this the former Young Master of the Chu Family?

Explore the extended edition on pawread dot com.

Coming to buy a Fiery Sun Pill in the dead of night... If I'm not mistaken, it's because your sickly sister has fallen ill again, right?

Doesn't the Chu Family give you a Fiery Sun Pill every month?

What are you doing here? Go ask the Chu Family!"

Chu Qingyun, worried about his sister's safety, didn't want to waste time with Manager Ye and pretended not to hear the sarcasm in his words.

"Lingyao Pavilion is open for business. I pay, you give me the medicine. Cut the crap!"

"Heh... A Low-grade Mystic Level Fiery Sun Pill costs ten thousand silver taels. Can you afford it?"

Manager Ye crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at Chu Qingyun with a cold smile on his lips.

Without a word, Chu Qingyun directly pulled out a stack of silver notes, along with a Spirit Stone.

"Here are eight thousand taels in silver notes, plus a Low-grade Spirit Stone worth two thousand taels, making exactly ten thousand taels."

Manager Ye frowned, his expression gloomy.

He had thought that since Chu Qingyun was expelled from the Chu Family, he would be penniless, intending to take the opportunity to humiliate him.

Unexpectedly, Chu Qingyun straightforwardly produced the silver notes and Spirit Stone.

In the martial arts-prevalent Kingdom Qian, Spirit Stones, like gold and silver, are widely circulated as currency.

A Low-grade Spirit Stone equals two thousand silver taels, a Mid-grade Spirit Stone equals ten thousand silver taels, and a High-grade Spirit Stone equals fifty thousand taels.

However, Manager Ye did not accept the silver notes and Spirit Stone, looking at Chu Qingyun with a mocking gaze and sneering, "Heh, even if you have ten thousand taels, it's useless.

Our Fiery Sun Pills are sold out. Come back next month!"

Chu Qingyun's face turned cold immediately, questioning in a deep voice, "Lingyao Pavilion is the largest pharmacy in Lingjiang City, and Fiery Sun Pills are just Mystic Level elixirs. How could you possibly be out of stock?

Manager Ye, are you wasting my time and deliberately mocking me?"

Manager Ye made no effort to hide his disdain, sarcastically saying, "So what if I am? The medicine is in my hands, and whether I sell it or not is up to me.

Do you think you can force me to sell?

If you were still the Young Master of the Chu Family, maybe I'd give you some face.

But now, you're a well-known waste, like a stray dog. Why should I help you?

I advise you to be sensible and hurry back to prepare for your sister's funeral!"

A cold gleam flashed in Chu Qingyun's eyes, and his anger erupted.

"Swish!"

His right hand shot out like an eagle's claw, grabbing Manager Ye's neck with lightning speed and yanking him out from behind the counter, slamming him hard onto the ground.

"Boom!"

Manager Ye was stunned by the impact, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at Chu Qingyun.

"You bastard! How dare you lay a hand on me and cause trouble in the Lingyao Pavilion?"

While shouting angrily, Manager Ye made a move to get up.

But Chu Qingyun stepped on his chest, pinning him firmly to the ground.

"What about forcing a sale? So what if I lay a hand on you?

This concerns my sister's life. If you don't hand over the Fiery Sun Pill, I'll kill you right now!"

Chu Qingyun glared down at Manager Ye, his face grim, his voice icy and full of murderous intent.

"Ugh..."

Manager Ye's face changed, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his expression turning horrified.

No matter how hard he struggled and resisted, he couldn't budge Chu Qingyun, as if he were being crushed by a mountain.

"I'm at the fourth level of the Hualing Realm. How could I be overpowered by this waste, unable to resist at all?"

This thought flashed through Manager Ye's mind, filled with doubt and shock.

Just then, several guards from the Lingyao Pavilion heard the commotion and rushed into the hall with swords drawn.

The guards surrounded Chu Qingyun, ready for a confrontation.

"Chu Qingyun, if you don't want to die, release me immediately!"

Seeing the guards arrive, Manager Ye instantly gained confidence and shouted at Chu Qingyun.

Ignoring the guards, Chu Qingyun drew a treasured sword from his back, pressing it against Manager Ye's neck.

"Hand over the Fiery Sun Pill, or die!"

Chu Qingyun's tone grew colder, his murderous aura even more intense.

No one doubted that he had the bloodthirsty courage to kill Manager Ye on the spot.

Intimidated by his killing intent, Manager Ye's fear intensified, and he hurriedly shouted to the guards, "Don't act rashly! Do you want to get me killed? Back off!"

The guards hesitated, exchanging glances before retreating to a distance.

Manager Ye, fearing for his life, dared not confront Chu Qingyun any longer and began to plead with a mournful face.

"Chu Qingyun, Young Master Chu! Please, forgive me this once!

It's not that I don't want to sell you the Fiery Sun Pill, but I'm just following orders, powerless to do otherwise!"

In the past, whenever he saw Chu Qingyun, he would only nod and bow, flattering him.

If no one had instructed him, how would he dare to humiliate and trouble Chu Qingyun?

"Tell me, who ordered you?" Chu Qingyun demanded coldly.

"It was the eldest young master of the Chu Family, Chu Changfeng!"

Manager Ye dared not hide the truth, quickly explaining, "He has a close relationship with my family's second miss. I took his benefits and had to follow his orders.

Moreover, there really are no Fiery Sun Pills left in the Lingyao Pavilion.

Not just us, but no pharmacy in the entire Lingjiang City has any.

A few days ago, the Chu Family bought all the Fiery Sun Pills in the city..."

Hearing this, Chu Qingyun's expression grew even darker, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Chu Family, Chu Changfeng! I'll remember this grudge!"

Seeing Chu Qingyun's hatred shift, Manager Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief and cautiously asked, "Young Master Chu, I offended you tonight, and being taught a lesson by you is my own fault.

I only ask that you spare me..."

Chu Qingyun glanced at Manager Ye, suppressing his anger and killing intent, and turned to leave with the silver notes and Spirit Stone.

Several guards were eager to intercept him.

But Manager Ye, getting up to straighten his disheveled hair and hat, did not order them to act, so they dared not take action on their own.

Once Chu Qingyun left the Lingyao Pavilion, disappearing into the night, the captain of the guards couldn't help but ask, "Manager Ye, why didn't you order us to capture Chu Qingyun?"

Manager Ye snapped irritably, "Are you stupid?

I couldn't withstand even one move from Chu Qingyun, and if you acted, you'd just be throwing your lives away!

Chu Qingyun is fiercely protective, especially of his sickly sister.

If you push him too far, he'll definitely go on a killing spree and slaughter us all!"

The captain of the guards, full of confusion, asked, "But isn't he supposed to be powerless, a waste?"

"You ask me? Who the hell should I ask?"

Manager Ye cursed angrily, feeling even more frustrated and depressed.

...

Chu Qingyun returned empty-handed, both disappointed and anxious.

Worried about his sister's safety, he hurried back at a fast pace.

In just the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, he returned to the Abandoned Garden.

Seeing the gate intact, the courtyard silent, and a dim candlelight flickering through the window, he felt slightly relieved.

He pushed open the gate, quickly crossing the courtyard, heading straight for the room.

"Qingzhi, how are you?"

Opening the door, Chu Qingyun looked at Chu Qingzhi on the wooden bed, asking with concern.

Chu Qingzhi was covered with two quilts, yet she still couldn't withstand the invasion of the cold poison and had fallen into a coma again.

The quilts and the wooden bed were covered with a layer of visible frost, and the room was bone-chillingly cold.

What left Chu Qingyun astonished was a cat, black as ink, curled up on the quilt.

It was unfazed by the cold, wrapped in strands of cold air, looking extremely content and lazy.

Awakened by Chu Qingyun, it opened its ruby-like eyes, glanced at him with some resentment and a hint of anger, then jumped off the bed and escaped through the window.

"Whoosh!"

The black cat, like a shadow, disappeared over the courtyard wall in the blink of an eye.

Chu Qingyun had no time to chase it, quickly lifting the quilt to check on Chu Qingzhi.

Seeing that she had no injuries or abnormalities, only unconscious from the cold poison, he confirmed that the black cat hadn't harmed his sister.

Chu Qingyun was certain that the black cat was the same one he had seen when he first entered the Abandoned Garden.

He had thought it was strange back then, and now that feeling was even stronger.

Fortunately, the black cat hadn't shown hostility or attacked him or Chu Qingzhi.

Moreover, the black cat didn't have the unique aura of a demon beast, so it likely wasn't a cat demon.

With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Chu Qingyun stopped dwelling on the black cat.

He quickly released fire-element spiritual power to help Chu Qingzhi resist the cold poison.

Holding Chu Qingzhi's hands, red spiritual power continuously flowed from his palms into her body.

Though all the spiritual power would be consumed by the cold poison.

This was not a long-term solution, only a temporary measure.

However, the frost on the quilts and bed was visibly receding.

Chu Qingzhi's weak pulse and breath also stabilized significantly.

While releasing spiritual power, Chu Qingyun thought, "All the Fiery Sun Pills in the city are with the Chu Family. If there's no other way, I'll have to go back to the Chu Family..."

He knew very well that if he returned to the Chu Family, he would face their cold stares, ridicule, and expulsion.

Chu Changfeng would also try to humiliate him and even plot against him.

For his sister's safety and life, he could endure humiliation and risk his life.

But unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to beg the Chu Family for help.

While channeling spiritual power, he focused his mind inward, observing the mysterious vortex in his dantian, pondering.

"This vortex can store spiritual power, acting as my dantian.

But I wonder if I can use the Heaven Devouring Art to absorb the cold poison from my sister and help her out of danger?

If I successfully absorb the cold poison and can't expel it, only storing it in the vortex.

Will the vortex be affected, and will I be invaded by the cold poison?"

These thoughts crossed Chu Qingyun's mind.

Although he knew it was dangerous.

But with his sister's life at stake, he had no better option and could only take the risk.

Having made up his mind, Chu Qingyun stopped channeling spiritual power and began to perform the Heaven Devouring Art.