Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

Zhao Dong continued deeper into the pill market, where the crowds began to thin. The shops here had likely sprung up to serve the market, but in these less-trafficked inner areas, many of their doors were tightly shut.

However, just as Zhao Dong was about to turn back, a dilapidated little shop caught his eye.

Weeds grew wild at the shop's entrance. An old, crooked signboard hung from the door frame, surprisingly bearing not a single word. Looking inside, a Red Iron Elixir Furnace stood in the center of the shop with an old rocking chair beside it. Dust covered the surrounding shelves and the numerous pill bottles lining them.

Zhao Dong walked slowly to the door and peered inside for a closer look. Although the shop was run-down, a pleasant, faint scent of pills wafted out. Within this scent, a subtle and unusual fragrance made his eyes light up.

This smell is a bit strange...

Zhao Dong furrowed his brow, then tentatively called out, "Is anyone there?"

His voice echoed in the shop, but for a long time, there was no reply.

This owner is really carefree. How can he leave a rundown shop with the doors wide open? Isn't he afraid of thieves?

After a moment's thought, he stepped inside. The shop was extremely quiet. Despite the decrepit environment, the faint scent of pills made him feel incredibly relaxed.

Zhao Dong walked by the old shelves, quietly examining the dazzling array of pills.

This shop is no simple place. Despite its condition, these pills are all high-quality. If they were sold outside, they would definitely fetch a good price. It's such a pity to let them gather dust here, Zhao Dong sighed.

After taking a few more steps inside, a pale blue pill resting in a wooden box drew his gaze.

"Oh? Is this a Spirit Gathering Pill?" Delighted, Zhao Dong reached for it. This type of pill could accelerate the absorption of Spiritual Energy and was quite rare.

"Who said you could touch that?" a faintly ethereal voice suddenly spoke from behind him.

Startled, Zhao Dong whirled around. An old, deathly-pale face appeared, making him jump.

Zhao Dong considered himself quite powerful. As a Cultivator with a potent Divine Sense, it was nearly impossible for anyone to get close to him unnoticed. Yet this man had appeared behind him without being detected at all. If he hadn't spoken, Zhao Dong wouldn't even know how he had died if his throat were slit.

"Who are you?" Zhao Dong eyed the person before him warily.

The person was an old man in his seventies with a wizened face. His white hair was matted in clumps from lack of washing. His clothes were just as ragged. It would be more accurate to call them a patchwork of rags than actual clothing. He looked exactly like a beggar, a perfect match for the dilapidated shop.

The old man's face was cold. He didn't answer Zhao Dong's question, instead asking in return, "Who are you?"

Only then did Zhao Dong realize that he was the intruder. Embarrassed, he said, "I came to the pill market to buy pills. This shop seemed a bit special, so I came in for a look."

The old man raised an eyebrow. "Special? This is just a rundown shop. What's so special about it?"

With a wary expression, Zhao Dong said, "This place may seem decrepit, but the quality of the pills is excellent. I thought perhaps a master was living here in seclusion."

"A master?" A strange smile suddenly appeared on the old man's cold face.

Then, he suddenly flipped through the air in a bizarre arc, landing steadily on the rocking chair beside the Pill Furnace. He nonchalantly picked up a nearby smoking pipe and took a satisfying puff, then abruptly stood up, pointed to his own head, and said with a mischievous chuckle, "I'm the owner of this shop."

After speaking, he quickly lay back down, crossed his legs, and began swaying in the rocking chair with his eyes squinted. The smug smile on his lips was hard to conceal, as if he was waiting for praise.

Zhao Dong was genuinely surprised. Despite the old man's disheveled appearance, he had never imagined this man was the owner of the shabby shop.

Could this old man be an Alchemy expert?!

Zhao Dong's brow furrowed slightly.

But isn't his personality a bit too strange? He's clearly a master, so he shouldn't be short on money. Why would he allow himself and his shop to become so rundown?

Therefore, Zhao Dong stepped forward and asked, "Old Sir, your strength is extraordinary, and the pills in this shop are priceless. But your shop..." He gestured around awkwardly. "Why is it so dilapidated?"

The old man's brow twitched. He seemed displeased at not receiving any praise. His expression became neutral again, and he continued rocking in his chair without a word.

Seeing the old man ignore him, Zhao Dong grew displeased.

How can this old coot be so rude?!

He unleashed his Divine Sense, probing toward the old man, intending to gauge his depth.

However, when his Divine Sense reached the old man, it vanished without a trace, like a stone tossed into the ocean. The old man was lying right in front of him, yet it was as if he had disappeared from the world, leaving Zhao Dong completely unable to sense his presence.

He's not simple! This old man is definitely not simple!

After waiting a moment longer and seeing the old man was still unwilling to acknowledge him, Zhao Dong had no choice but to leave.

However, just as he reached the doorway, he suddenly thought of something. He turned back and asked again, "Old Sir, just now, within the fragrance of the pills in this shop, I seemed to smell another faint, strange aroma. Did you smell it?"

WHOOSH!

The old man's eyes snapped open instantly.

He leaped up and ran over to Zhao Dong, circling him incessantly. He alternated between standing and sitting, pressed himself tightly against Zhao Dong, dropped to the floor, and, in his most exaggerated move, even jumped onto a table to look down at him.

The sight of his bulging eyes and wildly waving hands finally reminded Zhao Dong of a very similar character.

The Old Naughty Boy! Isn't this old man just a real-life version of the Old Naughty Boy?!

After scrutinizing him to no avail, the old man suddenly sprang in front of Zhao Dong again. He stood on tiptoe, pressing his chest against Zhao Dong's and staring at him with one eye wide open and the other squinted. Zhao Dong was forced to take a few steps back.

Finally, the old man dropped his strange expression and asked, his brow furrowed in surprise, "How were you able to smell that unusual fragrance?"

Zhao Dong replied calmly, "I just can. How am I supposed to know why?"

He wasn't lying.

It was like someone asking how you can see. What are you supposed to say, that you have eyes? Should he just say it's because he has a nose?

Hearing this, the old man's surprise deepened. He strode forward and, without another word, grabbed Zhao Dong's wrist.