After Transmigrating into a Book, I Was Entangled by a Crazy and Beautiful Villain - Chapter 8

She replied indifferently, turning her head away, her emotions unreadable. Song Linlin didn’t think much of it; since she wasn’t willing to go out, she would go alone.

“Alright, I’ll try to be back as early as possible. Once I’m out, no one should come in to disturb you again.”

Song Linlin gathered the items she needed to take out, stepped out of the room, gently closed the door for Chi Qianning, and then bounded down the stairs with cheerful steps.

The range of Chi Qianning’s hearing far exceeded that of ordinary people, so she naturally heard Song Linlin quickly departing the moment she stepped out of the room. Her gaze was fixed on the window, where she could clearly see three young girls walking side-by-side.

One of the three was very lively, looking around excitedly, seemingly full of curiosity about everything. Occasionally, she would linger in one spot for too long, prompting the other two to call her back, after which she would jog to catch up with her companions.

Finally, the three figures disappeared around the corner of the alley.

Her red eyes watched quietly through the window, only retracting her gaze after the figures vanished.

An unbidden trace of annoyance welled up in Chi Qianning. Her primal instinct simply felt that a prey that had been right at her mouth had, once again, escaped.

Meanwhile, Song Linlin was walking with Ye Tingran and Zhiyu. She had not yet personally experienced the local customs and life here. Although they were on a mission to capture a target, they would pass through a long section of the bustling market street along the way.

The urban civilian life in this world was more colorful and vibrant than Song Linlin had imagined. Although there was no high-tech equipment, commerce and handicraft were exceptionally prosperous.

Walking among the various vendors, she saw many strange and curious trinkets along the way. Yuanqing City was not a large town, but the items found here were certainly an eye-opener for Song Linlin.

Due to the possibility of cultivation, large sects and cultivating families divided territories and received tribute from their affiliated regions. The sects would send people to guard these areas, ensuring their safety and resolving local cases involving cultivators.

Their current sect training mission was to investigate over a dozen consecutive cases of missing persons that had occurred in this town within the last two months, including the massacre of an entire local family of over ten people.

Song Linlin and her companions needed to find out who was responsible for these bloody events and bring them to justice on the spot.

The three of them traveled through various streets and alleys, eventually arriving at an alley that was not too crowded, stopping outside a shop.

Ye Tingran and Zhiyu exchanged a look. The shop was currently open, and they could vaguely see the owner inside from the doorway.

Ye Tingran nodded to the other two and whispered, “Don’t rush to make a move once we go inside. Although there aren’t many people here, we need to be careful that he doesn’t have other accomplices.”

“We’ll lead him to a secluded place. If he confesses on his own, that would be the best outcome. If he doesn’t intend to cooperate, then we’ll make our move.”

“Let’s go, we’re going in.”

Having said that, Ye Tingran took the lead and stepped forward, walking into the shop with the other two.

Inside the shop, besides the manager and a few assistants, there were also a few customers.

As soon as they saw the three individuals—dressed neatly and plainly, with long swords hanging from their waists, and an extraordinary demeanor—the customers in the shop immediately backed away.

It was clear at a glance that these three were cultivators. Ordinary mortals like themselves dared not provoke cultivators; they didn’t even dare to look too closely, fearing they might accidentally incur their wrath.

The manager was a man who looked to be in his twenties. Despite his young age, he owned a fairly large herbal shop that sold medicinal herbs and simple-effect elixirs. These elixirs were nothing to people like Song Linlin, who had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and had little effect on them.

However, for the common folk who hadn’t even reached the threshold of Qi Condensation, they were precious “luxuries.” For a man so young to own such a shop, it was unlikely that he lacked powerful backing.

Previously, Ye Tingran hadn’t bothered to investigate this man’s background much, but now, upon careful reflection, she felt that something about him was not right.

The manager’s name was Mu Tong. Seeing Ye Tingran approach, he immediately stood up from behind the counter and greeted them with a cheerful smile, “Isn’t this Miss Ye and Miss Zhiyu? Please, come in quickly, forgive me for not welcoming you sooner.”

He looked at the unfamiliar Song Linlin and asked, “Uh… and who might this be?”

“My junior sister,” Ye Tingran responded simply.

“Oh, oh, alright.”

Since her name wasn’t explicitly stated, Mu Tong was smart enough not to press the matter. He looked at the three of them and continued, “Your presence truly honors this humble shop! Might I ask what brings the three of you here today?”

Zhiyu stepped forward. She was wearing an elegant, light-blue robe with light makeup, and her gentle, serene temperament made her resemble a blossoming blue lotus by a lake. With her usual gentle tone, she spoke unhurriedly:

“Manager Mu, I happened to hear that you have a few stalks of Phantasmal Grass here. Is that true?”

Phantasmal Grass is a good material for refining elixirs. Its yield is not high, so its price is naturally not cheap, and this herbal shop happened to have some.

For an herbal shop, this kind of material would definitely be stored in the backroom to prevent cultivators from snatching it if it were left out.

This information was something Zhiyu had learned by chance, and not many people actually knew about it.

Mu Tong nodded. “That is not false. I do indeed have some Phantasmal Grass here.”

“That is excellent. Manager Mu, could you sell me one stalk of Phantasmal Grass? I only discovered this morning while refining an elixir that I was missing one.”

“And in this Yuanqing City, only your herbal shop, Manager Mu, carries this material.”

Zhiyu spoke with a smile on her face, making those around her feel as comfortable as a spring breeze. The shop assistant nearby heard this and instinctively started to turn to fetch a stalk of Phantasmal Grass from the storeroom, only to realize the manager hadn’t spoken yet, so he stepped back.

Standing behind Zhiyu, Song Linlin couldn’t help but inwardly applaud her. The Phantasmal Grass would definitely be in the storeroom, and by luring Mu Tong there, they could avoid the crowds outside and create an ideal environment for their move, couldn’t they?

Mu Tong, after hearing the request, did not agree immediately. He usually kept those few stalks of Phantasmal Grass hidden in the storeroom like treasures. If anyone else had asked, he would have directly said he didn’t have it.

But looking at Zhiyu, he genuinely felt uncomfortable refusing. Finally, clenching his jaw, he turned and instructed the assistant next to him, “You, go fetch one stalk of Phantasmal Grass for Miss Zhiyu.”

“Miss Zhiyu, please wait a moment. Of course, selling you one stalk is no problem,” Mu Tong turned back to reply.

Just as the assistant was about to leave to fetch the herb, Zhiyu called out to stop him: “Wait.”

As both men looked at her with confusion, Zhiyu explained, “Manager Mu, you know that some elixirs have requirements for the age and quality of the ingredients. So, would it be too much trouble for you to take us to the storeroom to have a look and select a stalk of Phantasmal Grass?”

Since Mu Tong had already decided to sell her one, he naturally opened his mouth to agree. “Of course, this…”

As the words left his mouth, he suddenly sensed a hint of unease. Why did three people need to go together just to look at a stalk of Phantasmal Grass?

Moreover, the three of them clearly came from a sect. In this small Yuanqing City, Phantasmal Grass was certainly a rarity, but for a sect, they had many more exotic materials.

With a little effort to accumulate more contribution points, they could naturally exchange them for this Phantasmal Grass.

Mu Tong’s words immediately stopped. He subtly took a step back and said with a smile, “I trust Miss Zhiyu’s character. It would be fine to let Xiao Wu take you there.”

Xiao Wu was the one who was about to fetch the material. Hearing the manager say this, he was quite flattered. Usually, assistants like them rarely even got the chance to go near Phantasmal Grass.

Zhiyu’s expression didn’t change, but Song Linlin’s heart sank. She secretly glanced over at Ye Tingran.

This fellow didn’t take the bait. What should they do now?

Could it be that they had to openly and inexplicably make a move while there were still ordinary people in the shop?

Ye Tingran noticed Song Linlin looking at her from the corner of her eye. Though she maintained a calm and unchanged expression on the surface, the position of her palm had quietly shifted, ready to draw her sword at any moment.

Zhiyu did not insist on Mu Tong taking her. Since he had already refused, persisting would look too suspicious.

He might even try to run away the next second.

She gave a slight smile. “Since Manager Mu trusts my character, I will go alone with Xiao Wu here to the storeroom to make a selection.”

This was a clever way of putting it: “Since you trust me, a cultivator, to go with a mortal to fetch rare materials, I will also trust you by going into your storeroom alone.”

In reality, this was to leave Ye Tingran and Song Linlin behind to watch Mu Tong and prevent him from escaping.

As Zhiyu and Xiao Wu walked towards the back of the herbal shop, Mu Tong looked at the two remaining people and felt the atmosphere become subtle and strained. He certainly had the idea of escaping, but Ye Tingran’s gaze was fixed on him, clearly observing his every move.

He could only force a smile at Ye Tingran. “Miss Ye, please have a seat. You two can sit and wait for Miss Zhiyu to return.”

There was no conversation between the three. Ye Tingran and Song Linlin sat quietly, while Mu Tong stood not far from them. On the surface, it was calm, but in reality, each had their own ulterior motives.

After quite a while, Zhiyu finally emerged from the back of the herbal shop. Beside her, Xiao Wu held a wooden box containing a stalk of Phantasmal Grass.

Seeing Zhiyu come out, Mu Tong finally relaxed a little. Now, he just wanted the three of them to pay and leave quickly.

Looking at the box, Song Linlin had a sudden flash of inspiration and thought of a way to make things look less forced.

She approached Zhiyu and smiled, “Senior Sister Zhiyu, may I take a look at this stalk of Phantasmal Grass?”

While saying this, Song Linlin had already taken the wooden box from Xiao Wu’s hand. The box was not made of ordinary wood; it was designed to preserve the medicinal properties and prevent the spiritual energy in the herb from dissipating too quickly.

“Of course,” Zhiyu did not refuse.

Song Linlin opened the box and looked at the plant inside. Having inherited the original owner’s memories, she could tell at a glance that this was a stalk of Phantasmal Grass with decent quality.

“Ladies, since you have the Phantasmal Grass now, shouldn’t we proceed with the payment?” Mu Tong clearly did not want to remain with the three of them any longer and just wanted Zhiyu to pay quickly and leave.

Just as Zhiyu was about to speak, Song Linlin pulled her back. “Hey! Wait, Senior Sister Zhiyu!”

Everyone nearby turned to look at Song Linlin. Both Zhiyu and Ye Tingran were confused, not understanding what she was thinking.

Mu Tong frowned and asked with confusion, “Miss, what is the matter?”

“Manager Mu…” Song Linlin deliberately raised her voice, making sure everyone in the shop could hear her. “I’m afraid your Phantasmal Grass isn’t fake, is it? This is clearly a stalk of Phlegmatic Grass!”

The moment these words were uttered, they instantly drew the attention of everyone in the shop. Even the ordinary people who had been too afraid to look over turned their heads to secretly watch.

Phantasmal Grass and Phlegmatic Grass differ by only one character, but their prices are vastly different. The former is a rare ingredient, while the latter can be found on practically any mountain with a bit of luck, belonging to the most common batch of herbs.

Moreover, the two herbs look very similar, and there were precedents of unscrupulous vendors disguising Phlegmatic Grass as Phantasmal Grass for sale.

Mu Tong’s herbal shop was well-known in Yuanqing City. The accusation of selling fake medicinal materials naturally shocked everyone else.

Whispers began to spread around, causing Mu Tong’s face to darken. He sternly said, “Miss, you cannot speak carelessly! I, Mu Tong, have been running this herbal shop in Yuanqing City for three years, and I have never once sold fake medicine.”

“Is that so?” Song Linlin was uncompromising and continued loudly, “That’s only because other herbs are harder to fake! Your skill is only good enough to fool someone who doesn’t understand herbs, like Miss Zhiyu!”

She crossed her arms, tilted her chin slightly, and let out a light scoff, looking utterly confident. “Do you know who I am?”

“You… could it be…”

Mu Tong’s momentum immediately faltered after being countered by her question. His mind raced as he analyzed the current situation:

This person looked to be only in her teens, clearly a rookie. Her appearance was incomparable to the other two beside her, and she didn’t seem like a particularly formidable person.

On the contrary, Zhiyu looked like a young lady from a wealthy, established family, and Ye Tingran gave the impression of someone destined for great things—the words ‘Heaven’s Chosen Daughter’ were practically written on her face!

And this one…

Mu Tong scrutinized her repeatedly, losing a number of brain cells in the process, yet still couldn’t detect anything extraordinary about her.

However, that confident expression truly did not look feigned.

After a long pause, he finally couldn’t help but ask, “Who are you?”

“Hmph!” Song Linlin scoffed, looking like she was there to pick a fight. “Listen closely! I am a 189th-generation inner disciple of the Medicine King Valley, a student of Venerable Chen Xin. I could compose poetry and prose at the age of three, identify all medicinal herbs by eight, and personally refine a Fourth-Grade Elixir by fourteen.”

“You ask who I am? Listen up! I don’t change my name or my surname. I am Zhang San of the Medicine King Valley!”

Ye Tingran: …

Zhiyu: …

Mu Tong: ???

This statement caused an uproar in the room, and the spectators’ discussions grew louder.

“Wow, that sounds incredible!”

“Isn’t the Medicine King Valley that famous sect specializing in alchemy?”

“This Zhang San is so young and looks unremarkable, yet I never expected her to have such power!”

“Terrifying!”

Song Linlin sneered twice and approached Mu Tong. Holding the box of Phantasmal Grass, she demanded, “What else do you have to say? This is clearly a stalk of Phlegmatic Grass!”

She positioned herself subtly, with half her body just blocking the line of sight between Mu Tong and the other people. Before he could react, Song Linlin grabbed his wrist, then cried out and threw herself to the side.

“Ah!”

Song Linlin lay on the ground. Her sudden move exposed Mu Tong, who was left standing in a posture with his palm raised.

“Cough, cough…” Song Linlin coughed weakly twice and yelled loudly from the ground, “Oh, my heavens! This person was exposed for selling fake medicine and, in a fit of rage, actually tried to attack me!”

Ye Tingran immediately understood her intent and snorted coldly. “Shameless rogue! Not only do you sell fake medicine, but you also dare to attack Zhang San! Today, I shall act on heaven’s behalf and take you down!”

Her long sword was drawn, and the scene instantly descended into complete chaos.