"Young Master, if the City Lord didn't deceive us, then the pharmacy shopkeeper did. How do you plan to deal with this man?" Jade (Emerald Immortal Empress) asked.
"Anyone who dares deceive us deserves only death. Does he even know who he's trying to trick? And he took our Magic Stones on top of it. You handle this—I'll wait for you outside the city with Lynn!" Evan Chu said.
Jade immediately returned to the city, while Evan quickly found Lynn outside the city. By now, Lynn could already gather demonic qi around herself—unless someone was extremely powerful, they wouldn't be able to see through her disguise.
"Evan, where did Jade go? Why isn't she with you?" Lynn asked.
Evan recalled his Water Golden Body and laughed, "She has something important to handle—she deliberately gave us some free time. You know, it's been a while since we've gotten intimate... Should we find a place to enjoy ourselves?"
"Quit messing around—this isn't the place for that. If you want to get intimate, wait until we're back in the Immortal Realm. I'll battle you for a whole day and night then. We're here in the Demonic Realm for a mission, and time is short," Lynn rolled her eyes at Evan.
This guy was never serious—he could spout heart-stopping lines at any moment. Even though she secretly longed for it, Lynn knew what was urgent and important. Maybe he was just joking around.
"I'm just teasing you. Jade will be back soon—if she saw us being intimate, she'd be so embarrassed. Once she's back, we'll head for the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons," Evan said.
"You already know where the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons is? Any clues about Soul Mushrooms?" Lynn asked.
"We have leads on both. Jade and I turned the City Lord's Mansion upside down—most of their experts are dead now. We got the info straight from the City Lord. Soul Mushrooms are directly tied to the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons—in fact, that's where you can actually find them," Evan said seriously.
"Really? That's fantastic! Looks like our luck is finally turning!" Lynn exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Jade had already returned alone to the pharmacy. The shopkeeper was startled to see her by herself, but quickly his expression shifted to a sly smile.
Jade's beauty was enough to make anyone drool. During her fierce battle with the City Lord's elder, her veil had been lost, and now her stunning face was fully exposed before the shopkeeper.
When Jade saw the filthy, lecherous look in the shopkeeper's eyes, her killing intent spiked—she was itching to cut him down on the spot.
The shopkeeper, however, was plotting to subdue Jade and enjoy her at his leisure. He knew she was far too powerful to handle directly, so trickery was his only chance.
"Miss, do you need any help? If you have any troubles, just let me know—if I know the answer, I'll tell you!" the shopkeeper said, his eyes burning with a disgusting hunger that made Jade want to vomit.
"No help needed. I'm only here for one thing," Jade replied coldly.
"One thing? Are you looking for some spirit herbs? I've got plenty—take a look!" the shopkeeper said, inwardly ecstatic. He possessed a particularly domineering pill: just one whiff would send any woman into a faint.
He quickly produced a red porcelain bottle from his storage ring, poured out a pill to show Jade, but she didn't even glance at it.
"I'm here for one thing only: your life. You dared to deceive me and my young master, and you even tried to use a suspicious pill on me. I know all about the Bewitching Spirit Pill—it's only effective on women, and just a whiff is enough to knock someone out. The pill in your hand is exactly that, isn't it?" Jade said icily.
The pill in the shopkeeper's hand really was a Bewitching Spirit Pill. He hadn't expected Jade to see through his scheme so easily, and his face darkened. "So you're pretty clever, huh? You know about the Bewitching Spirit Pill, but you don't know everything. Just taking it out is enough to affect you—even if you don't sniff it, you'll still be caught."
Feeling smug, he continued, "Are you starting to feel short of breath? Don't worry, I won't kill you. After I've had my fun with your body, you won't be so fierce anymore."
Faced with such filth, Jade was utterly disgusted. "You really deserve to die—how dare you set your sights on me! Die!"
As she finished speaking, Jade lashed out with a palm strike, smashing the shopkeeper into the pharmacy wall and blasting a giant hole through it.
It was a blow fueled by pure rage. The shopkeeper's organs and demonic infant shattered on impact—he died instantly, eyes wide in disbelief. Even in his final moment, he couldn't comprehend how Jade was still so overwhelmingly powerful after he'd used the Bewitching Spirit Pill.
Jade glanced at the corpse and muttered, "Trash like that deserves to die. But this Bewitching Spirit Pill really is potent—I'm already feeling dizzy. I need to get out of here fast."
She immediately left the pharmacy and teleported outside the city gate, quickly finding Evan. He was alarmed to see her pale face and sweaty forehead.
"Jade, what's wrong? You look really weak—what happened?" Evan asked anxiously.
"I got tricked by that shopkeeper. He had a powerful Demonic Realm drug—a Bewitching Spirit Pill. Now my head's spinning and I just want to sleep," Jade answered, her voice strained.
Lynn immediately supported Jade. "Don't blame yourself—there's so much in the Demonic Realm we don't know. Why don't you find a safe place to rest and meet us at the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons once you've recovered? We can't afford to waste any more time."
Jade looked at Evan and Lynn. "Maybe that's the only way. You two go ahead—I'll catch up as soon as I can."
"Jade, you should come with us. I won't feel safe leaving you alone here. Once we reach the Abyss, you can find a secure spot to rest, and Lynn will stay with you while I scout inside. By the time I'm done, you'll be back to full strength," Evan insisted.
Lynn and Jade exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement. Evan's Light Transformation was the best way to scout the Abyss, and with the situation so urgent, they couldn't afford any delays.
Lynn supported Jade, and together with Evan, the three shot through the skies toward the Demonic Realm's notorious forbidden zone—the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons. Their hearts burned with hope: to save their crippled comrades and to rescue Selena's imprisoned soul.
(End of Chapter)