Hello, Welcome to Merit Supermarket (SUPERMARKET)
Jiang Chenyi wasn't annoyed by being stopped.
He followed the direction of the inner voice and sensed that it wasn't far from the elevator.
"I feel someone needs me. If you're worried, why not accompany me?"
The owner of the inner voice was filled with regret, and since this floor was for VIP wards, Jiang Chenyi grew even more curious about who it could be.
Living here meant the person likely wasn't short on money, yet their thoughts were consumed by beans?
Jiang Chenyi's eyes flickered slightly as he tried to walk over for a look, only to be stopped again by the assistant: "I'm sorry, but this area is restricted."
Though the assistant's tone was polite, his attitude was firm.
Jiang Chenyi looked into his eyes and detected deep sorrow hidden within.
He lowered his head in thought.
Normally, he would have turned and left by now, not stubbornly pressing further. Huo Yunxi, who was watching him, also seemed puzzled as he clearly noticed his unusual behavior.
But Jiang Chenyi had a strong intuition—if he walked away now, he would deeply regret it!
With that in mind, he decided to stay, thick-skinned as it might seem.
Huo Yunxi, standing behind him, also grew curious and wondered who could possibly captivate the young man so much!
The assistant was almost amused by their audacity.
Where did these two come from? They were clearly being refused, yet they still wanted to go in!
The only thing he was grateful for was that they hadn't forcibly pushed past him...
But in the blink of an eye, the assistant realized there was only one man left in front of him!
Wait, where did the other one go???
The assistant's heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
He rushed to the ward entrance and was relieved to find no one else there.
Those sitting outside the ward frowned at his panicked expression: "What's going on?"
The assistant was about to say it was nothing when a deep voice suddenly came from behind: "He's in the late stages of cancer."
The assistant was so startled by Jiang Chenyi's unexpected remark that his legs nearly gave out.
He turned around sharply, only to find the tall man, who had been missing moments ago, now standing there!
Wait, where had he been hiding???
The assistant was momentarily thrown into a state of mental disarray by Huo Yunxi, and rendered speechless for a moment. However, upon seeing these two inexplicably appearing young men, the others present began to show expressions of dissatisfaction.
"Excuse me, this is..."
"I know, it's the VIP ward. I also know that the person lying inside is in a critical condition." Jiang Chenyi said as he walked in.
As he gradually approached, the color of his eyes grew lighter. By the time he reached the door of the ward, his eyes had turned a pale gold.
At the same time, he saw the person lying in the ward.
A dense golden aura of Merit almost enveloped the entire ward, but the Aura of Death emanating from the person was also extremely severe. Jiang Chenyi instantly understood why so many people were waiting outside the ward—they were all awaiting the final news.
"Who are you? Get out of here!" His unauthorized approach to the ward provoked anger from everyone.
However, just as they were about to push him out into the hallway, Huo Yunxi gently blocked their outstretched hands.
"Hey!"
"Do you want to save him?" Jiang Chenyi suddenly spoke, which caused them to halt their actions.
The young man's eyes were still fixed on the elderly man in the ward. The family members and others inside noticed the commotion outside and quickly came out. "What's going on? What's all this noise?"
Jiang Chenyi immediately recognized who the family members were. Pushing past the others' obstruction, he stood directly in front of a family member. "Do you want to save him?"
The family member was momentarily stunned. But before they could react, Jiang Chenyi's shoulder was grabbed by another person. "Kid! Where did you come from?"
In the next second, the man's wrist was seized by Huo Yunxi. "Let go of your hand!"
The man glared, but upon seeing Huo Yunxi, he was momentarily taken aback.
"You..."
This face, why does it look so familiar!
Taking advantage of the man's momentary distraction, Jiang Chenyi continued to press, "Do you want to save him?"
To ensure the family member understood who he was referring to, Jiang Chenyi glanced at the elderly man on the bed.
To be honest, he also found the elderly man somewhat familiar, as if he had seen him in some news or book before.
He frantically searched his memory for a corresponding face. After a while, his eyes widened in realization.
He remembered who this person was!
No wonder the person's aura of Merit was so dense!
This was Liang Yuanan, the Father of Soybeans!
One of the heroes of the nation's food security!
"No wonder... why would I regret leaving..." Not only would he regret it, but he would regret it so much that he would slap himself!
But soon, Jiang Chenyi calmed down, because this hero, who had fought for the country all his life, was now suffering from cancer and was in a critical, near-death condition.
Liang Yuanan's family members didn't quite understand Jiang Chenyi's meaning and just wanted to drive him out.
But Jiang Chenyi's next words made everyone stop in their tracks. "I can save him. It's just late-stage cancer. I can handle it."
Everyone wore expressions of disbelief. Even Huo Yunxi hadn't expected Jiang Chenyi to say such a thing.
Before the others could regain their composure, Huo Yunxi grabbed Jiang Chenyi's shoulder. "Do you know what you're saying?"
Jiang Chenyi nodded with utmost calm. "Of course I do."
He met Huo Yunxi's worried eyes and explained, "Terminal illnesses are indeed troublesome, but they don't necessarily mean certain death. The Supermarket can trade anything, as long as you can pay the price."
Others might not be able to afford such a price, but the person before him could!
Huo Yunxi's demeanor didn't relax with Jiang Chenyi's explanation; in fact, he grew even more concerned.
Because it wasn't just the trader present here.
If Jiang Chenyi really managed to save the person inside in front of so many people, would others come looking for him afterward?
Or perhaps... threats?
"What do you mean by that? Explain it clearly!" The man who had pressed Jiang Chenyi's shoulder now stood before the family members with his authority seemingly greater than theirs.
Jiang Chenyi didn't care whom he explained it to: "I can rid him of all his pain and illness, but the cost will be his Merit and the prayers of tens of thousands of people."
Votive Power!
Huo Yunxi suddenly remembered what Jiang Chenyi had once said—the highest level of trade required not only Merit but also Votive Power!
The man took a step forward, pressing closer: "Are you a Celestial Master?"
Jiang Chenyi raised his eyes to meet the man's gaze and once again mentioned Gu Sheng's name: "You can have Elder Gu Sheng come over. As long as he's here, you'll know if I'm lying. Coincidentally, he's in the capital right now."
After saying this, he reminded them again: "But you need to hurry. Elder Liang... doesn't have much time left."
At these words, a wave of sorrow washed over everyone present.
But no matter how sad they were, they couldn't just blindly trust someone's words.
The man immediately made a call, and after being transferred once, he reached the association's Supervisor, Gu Sheng.
He didn't mention the young man's existence right away but instead directly asked Gu Sheng to come to the oncology hospital while emphasizing that Liang Yuanan was critically ill.
Upon hearing it was about Liang Yuanan, Gu Sheng didn't hesitate for a moment. He hung up the phone and rushed over immediately.
While waiting for Gu Sheng, Jiang Chenyi and Huo Yunxi were kept under watch and temporarily barred from entering the ward.
However, while sitting on the chairs outside, the man kept staring at Huo Yunxi with his gaze probing and nostalgic, to the point where Huo Yunxi felt somewhat overwhelmed.
Jiang Chenyi grew increasingly uneasy.
Earlier, when Grandma He had looked at Huo Yunxi, her gaze had also been somewhat peculiar, though she hadn't brought it up again.
And now, here was another one!
It seemed as though they all felt Huo Yunxi's face was somehow familiar...
Thinking this, Jiang Chenyi grabbed Huo Yunxi's arm and pulled him behind himself: "What are you looking at?"
The others, hearing Jiang Chenyi's address to the man, turned their attention to him.
The man didn't seem too concerned about the form of address. Noticing the scrutiny in Jiang Chenyi's eyes, he pondered for a moment before asking in return, "Your friend... what's his surname? Where is he from?"
Oh? So he really does recognize him?
Huo Yunxi suddenly felt nervous with his Adam's apple bobbing as he couldn't help but ask, "You know me, don't you?"
Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked for his surname instead of his name.
Jiang Chenyi corrected his assumption: "It's not that he knows you, but rather that he knows a family with some facial features similar to yours. Being here suggests a high status, so... that family must be quite prominent, right?"
The man smiled as he saw them deduce so much information, and he didn’t deny it. "Yes, I don’t recognize his face, but I know a family whose facial contours are identical to your companion’s."
"So, can you tell me your surname and where you’re from?"
Huo Yunxi’s breathing became slightly hurried. "Huo, as in 'Achievements painted in the Qilin Pavilion, only Huo Piaoyao remains'."
The man was momentarily stunned, and then his eyes lit up with an intense brilliance, as if he had discovered a treasure. He rushed over and grabbed Huo Yunxi’s arm before urgently asking, "How old are you? Are you over 35?"
Jiang Chenyi pressed down on the man’s hand and once again stepped in front of Huo Yunxi with his gaze sharp as he stared at the man. "What do you mean by that?"
What if he’s over 35? What if he’s not?
The man’s chest heaved violently. After a brief moment of excitement, a deep sorrow washed over him. "Don’t ask that yet! Just tell me, are you over 35? If not, how old are you now?"
After he asked this question, the two young men in front of him fell silent.
Their attitude didn’t seem like they were answering a simple question about age. It felt more like they were responding to something deeply private.
Huo Yunxi kept his mouth shut with his eyes turning to Jiang Chenyi, as if handing over the right to answer.
The man didn’t understand what this meant, and a trace of confusion appeared in his eyes.
After a long pause, he heard the young man sigh deeply before explaining with a hint of helplessness, "He doesn’t have an age anymore."
This answer left everyone utterly perplexed.
What does it mean to not have an age?
The next second, the young man raised his wrist to reveal a red string tied around it. Only then did everyone notice that a silver bell was threaded onto the string.
He tapped the bell, and the man behind him instantly transformed into a streak of silver light before returning to the bell.
A few seconds later, the silver light emerged from the bell again and reformed into the man’s human appearance.
"Because he died a hundred years ago. He’s not human anymore—he’s a Spirit."
The room fell into complete silence. Everyone’s minds went blank and unsure of what to think or say.
When Gu Sheng hurried over, what he saw was a crowd of dazed people.
The only two who remained clear-headed were Jiang Chenyi and Huo Yunxi, whom he had just parted with. But why did they both look so helpless?
What had happened here?
He approached Jiang Chenyi and quietly asked what was going on.
Jiang Chenyi didn’t hold back at all. He spread his hands and, with a mix of laughter and exasperation, recounted everything that had just happened.
After hearing it, Gu Sheng gave him a strange look. "You… were way too direct."
Spirits—even Celestial Masters don’t all know or have seen them, let alone ordinary people.
His voice brought many people back to their senses, but the man still looked dazed. However, compared to the others, a trace of grief appeared in his eyes.
"Minister Pei, are you okay?" Gu Sheng reached out and gently patted the man’s back.
Soon, the man also regained his composure.
He slowly turned to look at the bewildered Huo Yunxi, took a deep breath, and his voice still trembled slightly. "Can… can you tell me your name?"
Huo Yunxi lowered his gaze, and his voice echoed once more in the corridor. "Huo Yunxi."
As soon as the words were spoken, the man instantly covered his face, muttering softly, "So it's really... really you."
With Gu Sheng present and the shocking scene just witnessed as evidence, the man immediately understood who this tall young man was.
No wonder he bore such a striking resemblance to the current members of the Huo family.
Wait, no—it was the other way around. No wonder he had thought of the Huo family upon seeing the young man, because... the young man was the ancestor of the Huo family from a century ago!
Gu Sheng glanced at Huo Yunxi and Jiang Chenyi, then at the man whose mental state was clearly unstable, and asked with confusion, "Excuse me, Minister Pei, did you call me here just to verify this matter?"
His words were like a wake-up call!
The man suddenly remembered that he still had urgent matters to attend to!
"No! Of course not!" He quickly regained his composure and explained Jiang Chenyi's intention to treat Liang Yuanan.
"He said he has confidence, but... I won't hide it from you, Old Master Liang is critically ill. Even Dr. He said that the old man only has a couple of days left..."
Dr. He was the best doctor in the hospital. If he said there wasn't much time left, it was practically time to go home and enjoy whatever time remained.
But now, a young man had appeared and claimed he could save a terminally ill cancer patient... How was that any different from bringing someone back from the dead?
Jiang Chenyi gave the man a surprised look and retorted seriously, "How is this bringing someone back from the dead?"
The person isn't dead yet! They're just on the brink!
The man was momentarily speechless and almost forgetting what he was about to say.
When he finally remembered, Jiang Chenyi cut him off, "You've seen it for yourselves. So now, can I go in? Time waits for no one."
If it were slower, it would truly be a matter of bringing the dead back to life.
But if it were really about bringing the dead back to life... Jiang Chenyi wouldn't make that deal.
The Supermarket could, but unless absolutely necessary, it's best not to trade in matters of life and death.
After personally confirming that he was no ordinary person, the previously indifferent crowd became extremely enthusiastic.
Especially the family members of Old Master Liang—who wouldn't want the old man to live a few more years?
He was the true pillar of the family!
After receiving confirmation, Jiang Chenyi was allowed into the hospital room, accompanied by Huo Yunxi and Gu Sheng.
Looking at the gradually weakening breaths of the people's hero, Jiang Chenyi felt a deep sense of unease.
The reason he proposed this deal wasn't solely for the Merit on the other person, but more so because of the other's regrets.
How was the recently researched soybean yield? Could it resist the diseases that other soybeans might have... Even on the brink of death, this old man's thoughts were still on matters of food, on the survival of ordinary people.
Everyone watched as Jiang Chenyi fell into deep thought by the old man's bedside. After a long while, the young man spoke, "What he can trade is only the elimination of his illness."
In other words, he could make the cancer in Old Master Liang disappear.
After he finished speaking and before anyone could cheer, he poured cold water on their hopes, "However, I can't guarantee how long the old man will live."
With the cancer gone, he could only ensure that the old man wouldn't die in the next couple of days.
But as for how long he would live, whether he would live healthily, or if the cancer would return... these were things he couldn't guarantee.
Sure enough, after he said this, a family member became anxious, "Why! Why can't you directly extend Grandpa's lifespan?"
Jiang Chenyi noticed the term of address and glanced back at the person.
They looked quite young, probably even younger than himself.
The young man glared at Jiang Chenyi with a look of defiance and his enthusiasm for him significantly diminished.
Jiang Chenyi was not at all surprised by their change in attitude and explained, "First, alleviating pain and extending life are two different things. Even if I were to prolong the old man's life now, the torment of cancer would not disappear."
He extended two fingers, "Second, are you sure you can afford the cost of extending his life?"
His pale golden eyes coldly surveyed everyone before him.
Under the gaze of such eyes, many felt as if they had been struck by a sudden realization as they immediately snapped out of their delusions.
In the myths of China, there are many stories about extending life through external means, but the endings of these stories are never good.
Emperors sought immortality, only to be deceived into ingesting so-called Elixirs then suffering from elixir poisoning and ending up insane in their old age.
The wealthy sought immortality, only to lose everything and die in the wilderness.
Even if one or two individuals happened to encounter so-called immortals and gained eternal life, they either became corrupted or watched helplessly as their family members aged and died before eventually going mad and ending up alone.
The young man seemed to realize he had spoken out of turn and quickly tried to make amends, "No, no, I didn’t mean that Grandpa must live to a hundred, but…"
Jiang Chenyi raised his hand to cut him off, "Extending life by one year or ten years is the same—both require a heavy price. Otherwise, everyone would become a hundred-year-old monster."
Treating illnesses is a conventional transaction.
Curing terminal diseases, though it requires Votive Power, is a far cry from the cost of extending life!
At this, the Liang family felt deeply resentful.
The man rubbed his temples and, seeing the other family members silent, took the initiative to speak, "Then, what would be the cost for treating the illness?"
His words made the hearts of the Liang family members tighten as they nervously looked at Jiang Chenyi.
Would it be a large sum of money? Or would it require something from a child with a blood relation to the old man?
Jiang Chenyi closed his eyes and continued to listen to the old man's inner voice—["Beans… my beans…"]
The inner voice had grown weaker, but that wasn’t the most pressing matter. The most urgent task was to change the old man’s inner voice.
If all he wanted was the latest data on the beans, the outcome the old man would receive would likely not be the complete eradication of his illness.
He looked at the man and asked a question, "Who is the person the old man trusts and loves the most? I need their help."
First, the inner voice needed to be altered, and only then could he proceed with his work.
But upon hearing that the old man’s most beloved person was needed, the expressions of the family members turned strange, and a hint of fear flickered in their eyes.
Jiang Chenyi didn’t know what they were imagining, but the man and Gu Sheng immediately recognized their bloody thoughts with their eyes flashing with regret and mockery.
How pitiful that the old man, who had contributed so much to the country, had such weak descendants! Jiang Chenyi hadn’t even said anything yet, and these people were already retreating!
As they hesitated, Huo Yunxi approached Jiang Chenyi and whispered, "How much longer can he hold on?"
Jiang Chenyi's expression was grave as he slowly shook his head. "It's hard to say... The voice of the heart is growing weaker and weaker. Once it completely disappears, there will be no way to turn things around."
Huo Yunxi stared at the old man for a moment, then suddenly came up with an idea. "Speaking of which, could he become like me?"
If that were possible...
Jiang Chenyi immediately rejected the notion. "Of course not."
To be honest, he still hadn't figured out why Huo Yunxi had turned into a Spirit after death. Since he hadn't even understood that, how could he possibly turn someone into a Spirit?
Moreover...
Jiang Chenyi grinned, but the smile was somewhat menacing. "Turning a person into a Spirit—I remember a Shopkeeper once thought of doing that. And then, he died. He was killed by the backlash."
Such transactions were forbidden, and the price was even more terrifying than extending someone's life.
And regardless of whether the transaction succeeded or not, the Shopkeeper who presided over it would inevitably die!
The Supermarket would not hesitate to abandon the current Shopkeeper, even if they hadn't yet had the chance to train their successor.
Not only was turning a person into a Spirit forbidden, but even extending life—if the transaction presided over by the Shopkeeper brought about irreversible consequences, the first to suffer would not be the beneficiary, but the Shopkeeper, followed by the person involved in the transaction.
"During my training as a successor, Dad repeatedly warned me: 'The Supermarket can bring us as much honor as we are willing to take responsibility for'."
The Supermarket was both their support, aiding them on the path to wealth and prosperity, and at the same time, a noose tightly bound around their necks.
Jiang Chenyi couldn't understand those Shopkeepers who had suffered backlash, and he despised what they had done.
During one of his training sessions, he had witnessed a Shopkeeper who, in order to extend someone's life, sacrificed an entire city's population. So, Jiang Chenyi torn that Shopkeeper's soul apart with his bare hands.
This was the answer he had given to Yu Min during a game of truth—tearing that humanoid thing into pieces like paper while being unmoved by their pleas or bribes.
He was well aware of the bloody consequences of forbidden transactions. Liang Yuanan was indeed a hero, and he deeply admired the old man.
But, what couldn't be done simply couldn't be done.
Taboos were taboos!
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