Hello, Welcome to Merit Supermarket (SUPERMARKET)
It’s terrifying when someone with a temper is woken up (even if they weren’t fully asleep yet…).
"Can I really not blow this place up? I’ll just use Merit to protect the innocent victims at the bottom!"
Huo Yunxi looked at the disoriented Jiang Chenyi and, with a sigh of helplessness, pushed him back down onto the bed. He then placed the Black Umbrella over his head again. "Go back to sleep. I’ll go check what’s happening."
After all, Jiang Chenyi was a "ghost" on this cruise ship, and no one would know he was in his room.
Once Huo Yunxi put on a mask and rushed out while pretending to be panicked, Jiang Chenyi leaned against the bed, drowsy. Eventually, he succumbed to the irresistible pull of sleep and fell back onto the bed.
Meanwhile, Huo Yunxi, upon reaching the corridor, was hit by the strong smell of smoke and fire. It seemed the ship had been attacked by something.
He bent down slightly, tore off a piece of his clothing, wet it with water, and covered his nose and mouth. Amidst the panicked crowd, he quickly spotted Wen Ai.
Wen Ai’s face was filled with rage, and even when he saw Huo Yunxi, an innocent crew member, he couldn’t help but vent his anger on him. "Why are you running!"
Huo Yunxi, playing the role of a meek middle-aged man, lowered his head and trembled slightly before timidly replying, "I… I was worried about you. I… I don’t want to lose this job…"
When Wen Ai heard the first half of the sentence, his expression softened slightly, but the latter half immediately brought him back to his senses.
He glanced coldly at the chaotic scene around him and snorted, "I wonder where that person got the ship's cannon from, but they acted too late. We're almost in international waters."
As he spoke, he pulled out a red button from his pocket and pressed it in front of Huo Yunxi.
Soon after, a piercing sound echoed throughout the cruise ship.
This was the signal for everyone to head to the lower deck, where the ship's last line of defense was located!
Huo Yunxi's eyes flickered as he recalled the workshop Jiang Chenyi had mentioned with regret.
If everyone gathered on the lower deck, the Perfumer would probably take a look at the workshop, right? So this should be the best time to sneak in.
After sounding the alarm, Huo Yunxi excused himself to go back and get his weapon, but this time, Wen Ai insisted on going with him.
“Your room is at the end of the hallway anyway. Hurry up and grab it, and let's get moving!" Wen Ai grabbed Huo Yunxi's hand and pulled him along as they ran.
With someone else around, this was going to be a bit tricky...
Huo Yunxi's thoughts churned, but he inadvertently caught a glimpse of a faint tattoo on the other's wrist.
The tattoo wasn't very noticeable during the day, but perhaps due to the slightly higher temperature around them, it had become slightly visible.
And this tattoo... he had seen it on someone else before...
He averted his gaze and, upon returning to the room, Huo Yunxi discreetly glanced at the bed—it was empty. His intuition told him that Jiang Chenyi had already left.
Where had he gone?
Since Jiang Chenyi wasn't there, Huo Yunxi felt a wave of relief and quickly grabbed the firearms and ammunition provided in the room before following closely behind Wen Ai.
Jiang Chenyi, in fact, had sensed his marks rushing toward the lower deck as soon as the alarm sounded. Although he wasn't entirely sure what the alarm meant, he shared the same thought as Huo Yunxi: Would the Perfumer also head to the lower deck? If so, he would surely enter the workshop!
Then he could slip in unnoticed amidst the chaos!
To avoid the crowd, Jiang Chenyi had left Huo Yunxi's room and directly jumped from the fourth floor to the third.
The thud was drowned out by the noise of the crowd.
He used the same method to reach the first floor, where most people were crowded at the stairwell, with only a few who had acted quickly making it to the lower deck.
Jiang Chenyi hurriedly made his way to the door of the lower deck and, after the first wave of people rushed in, he casually entered with his umbrella in hand.
Once inside, he immediately saw the Perfumer, who had arrived via the elevator.
This was Jiang Chenyi's first time seeing the Perfumer.
He looked somewhat different from the Perfumer Huo Yunxi had seen earlier. Now, Jiang Chenyi saw someone who resembled a teenage high school boy, but his demeanor was filled with weariness, fatigue, and a sense of hostility—completely unlike a normal high school student.
When the Perfumer turned around, Jiang Chenyi noticed a layer of grayish film covering his eyes.
The Perfumer showed no expression upon seeing the crowd and simply said coldly, "Stay here. We'll soon be on another ship."
After a night of sailing, they were now near the Sea Boundary Line.
The Black-robed man wanted them to sink beyond the Sea Boundary Line, so that the Huacheng Countryside would be unable to intervene.
However, what the other party absolutely did not expect was that he had already contacted another organization and specifically reinforced the lower levels. Even if the entire cruise ship were to be blown apart by artillery, it would not affect the lower levels.
Moreover, it would not hinder the cruise ship from continuing its voyage.
After saying this, the Perfumer headed towards the workshop.
Someone wanted to follow him but was stopped by the bodyguards.
Taking advantage of their being held back, Jiang Chenyi quietly bypassed these people and silently followed the Perfumer.
Then he watched as the other party underwent genetic testing and iris verification, and performed a series of complex operations before finally opening the door to the workshop.
As the door slowly opened, Jiang Chenyi's nose caught a whiff of a foul yet sweet scent.
The young man frowned deeply; this intense and peculiar smell made him nauseous!
What kind of process could possibly blend these two completely different scents together?
He quickly walked in.
Just as he stepped into the workshop and before he could be shocked by what he saw, he noticed that the door behind him instantly closed.
Had he been even a moment slower, he would have been crushed by this thick steel door!
This was to prevent anyone from following him, wasn't it? Jiang Chenyi sneered inwardly, then turned his attention back to the scene before him.
This workshop was larger than any laboratory he had seen before, and the equipment inside was far more complex.
But what first caught Jiang Chenyi's eye was a massive glass jar in the center.
Inside was a completely naked man.
He wasn't dead because he was breathing, conscious, and even able to open his eyes and look at him... Huh???
Jiang Chenyi stared in shock at the man, who seemed to sense his presence and smiled faintly in his direction.
But when the Perfumer glanced over, the man closed his eyes again, pretending he had never woken up.
Jiang Chenyi felt a chill run down his spine. Just at this critical moment, a piece of paper slowly drifted down from the air.
If Jiang Chenyi hadn’t been quick enough to catch it, the Perfumer would have surely noticed it!
On the paper was a commission from the Supermarket: 【Kill me.】
This was the man’s request… but Jiang Chenyi couldn’t hear a single thought from him.
This was the first time Jiang Chenyi had encountered someone who was conscious yet had no inner voice.
In this workshop, the only thoughts he could hear were the Perfumer’s internal curses.
Back in the laboratory, he could still hear the faint cries for help from the vegetative victims, but the man in the glass jar seemed completely numb, devoid of any thoughts.
If this man’s heart was truly dead… what did that glance he gave earlier mean?
Moreover… the man’s Merit was incredibly dense, enough to move the Supermarket to make a deal.
No inner voice, yet a commission from the Supermarket… Jiang Chenyi felt there was something strange about this man!
Carefully avoiding the giant glass jar, Jiang Chenyi surveyed the entire workshop.
He noticed that the liquids produced in the other laboratories were all transported here, where most of them merged with the liquid in the glass jar before being distilled…
Jiang Chenyi finally understood where that foul stench was coming from…
“This is truly insane…” The more Jiang Chenyi thought about it, the more nauseous he felt.
He walked over and placed a specially reserved abacus bead on the Perfumer’s body, but in the next second, the bead cracked with countless fissures.
Pop!
The Perfumer, who was busy organizing data, was startled by the faint sound of an explosion and jumped to the side.
But when he looked in the direction of the sound, he saw nothing.
No, it couldn’t be nothing.
Jiang Chenyi looked at the ruined bead in his hand, his expression growing serious.
This was truly a first.
Although a single bead’s power couldn’t compare to the entire abacus, it was still a weapon dismantled from a Merit Magical Artifact. For the bead to be destroyed… it seemed the Perfumer was more than just a man with a few lives to spare.
“Supermarket, deal.”
The Perfumer, now greatly frightened, frantically pulled out a necklace from his neck. It was a jade pendant carved with lotus patterns, clearly meant for protection.
But the jade had almost entirely lost its original green hue.
With just one glance, Jiang Chenyi determined that this jade was definitely not the Perfumer’s own possession.
It seemed more like he had stolen it from a Celestial Master with profound Merit—a Life-Protecting Magical Artifact… Huh???
Jiang Chenyi’s eyes widened, and he instinctively looked at the man in the glass jar—profound Merit, Life-Protecting Magical Artifact… it all seemed to match up.
‘What a pity, such a fine artifact had been ruined.’
Jiang Chenyi paid no further attention to the nearly shattered artifact.
He looped the black cord from the Supermarket’s deal around the Perfumer’s neck.
As soon as the rope touched the Perfumer's skin, it transformed into a thin black line before tightly coiling around his neck.
The Perfumer suddenly felt a chill on his neck and reached up to touch it, but he still couldn't feel anything.
However, he didn't think it was an illusion and quickly put on his life-saving gear.
In his view, once he wore the Magical Artifact, all the strange sensations disappeared, as if the artifact had taken effect.
In reality, Jiang Chenyi had already completed all the preparations.
Not only was there a mark, but the Hallucinatory Mist that had been used on the researcher reappeared. While the Perfumer was trapped in the illusion, Jiang Chenyi copied all the evidence.
With just the evidence here, it was enough to condemn the Perfumer to death multiple times over.
After securing the evidence, Jiang Chenyi turned around and saw the person in the jar open their eyes again, with their hollow and lifeless gaze fixed directly on him.
At first, Jiang Chenyi didn't notice, but as he approached the glass jar, he suddenly realized that the eyes in the person's sockets weren't real.
They were a pair of artificial eyes, which explained why they looked so lifeless.
He was now almost certain that the jade Magical Artifact was undoubtedly the man before him.
The man slowly raised his head and gently tapped his chest—[Kill me, thank you.]
His inner voice finally resonated.
It was a very gentle, very soft voice.
Jiang Chenyi suddenly felt the urge to cry.
Just from that inner voice, he seemed to sense the profound stillness of death emanating from the man.
He was too tired, too pained.
Jiang Chenyi reached out and pressed his hand against the glass jar.
The man lowered his gaze and, after a long pause, slowly placed his palm against the glass as well.
Jiang Chenyi set down the Black Umbrella, fully exposing himself to the man.
"Can you hold on a little longer? Just a little bit more. Soon, after I deal with everyone, I'll send you on your way."
The man remained silent for a while, then suddenly extended a finger and pressed it against the jar.
Jiang Chenyi, sensing something, leaned in and gently rested his forehead against the glass.
Through the glass barrier, Jiang Chenyi's ears seemed to be flooded with numerous "inner voices"—voices the man had once heard, now all pouring into Jiang Chenyi's mind.
The agonized wails, the triumphant laughter of the perpetrators, and their unabashed discussions all rushed in.
After absorbing it all, Jiang Chenyi immediately collapsed to the ground with his face as pale as the man in the jar.
He felt dizzy and nauseous, but his last shred of rationality forced him to pick up the Black Umbrella beside him. He leaned against the jar before curling up like an unseen black mushroom.
Fortunately, he had protected himself.
Because the effects of the mist didn't last long, and soon the Perfumer awoke from the illusion.
He glanced around, confirming that nothing was amiss, then opened the door and left.
After he left, the man in the jar sank to the bottom with a look of concern on his face.
It was unclear how much time had passed before Jiang Chenyi finally regained consciousness.
He leaned against the jar and slowly stood up. Upon realizing the Perfumer had left, he also opened the door and stumbled out of the workshop.
The lower level was now crowded with people with everyone clamoring loudly.
Jiang Chenyi silently made his way to a corner, stowed away his Black Umbrella, and blended into the crowd, pretending to be a crew member. He then stealthily moved from the crowd to the position of the door.
Opening the umbrella, he headed towards the highest deck of the cruise ship.
Along the way, the smell of gunpowder was everywhere, mixed with a strong scent of blood.
Someone who couldn't dodge in time was hit by debris, lying on the ground in agony and wailing.
The young man glanced down and saw that it was a marked person. Instantly, he withdrew his hand that had been about to help.
‘Wait for death, bye-bye!’
Jiang Chenyi arrived at the relatively intact top deck, though the walls here had been destroyed by the artillery shells.
Coincidentally, this also solved the problem of not knowing how to get inside.
He quickly walked in and pulled out a box from under the Perfumer's bed.
It was a jewelry box.
Upon opening it, he saw that all the jade jewelry inside was adorned with lotus patterns.
These were all items the Perfumer had snatched from that person.
He held the box in his arms and had just stepped outside when he saw a larger ship vaguely appearing in the distance—the Donor Ship that the Perfumer had been longing for.
At that moment, they had just crossed the Sea Boundary Line.
Immediately, several more artillery shells landed on the cruise ship, this time completely destroying the mid to high-rise structures.
At the moment the shells landed, Jiang Chenyi immediately jumped down from the fifth floor.
Fortunately, he had an umbrella to cushion his fall, or else he would have definitely broken his legs.
Even so, Jiang Chenyi could still hear a cracking sound in his legs as he landed.
‘Hmm, probably a fracture.’
Before everything collapsed, he ran back to the lower deck.
The intense pain in his leg and forehead made him break out in a cold sweat all over, and his face looked even paler than before.
Enduring the pain, he quietly tried to find a corner to squat down and rest.
Just as he was groping through the crowd, a hand reached out from behind him, covering his mouth and pulling him out.
Jiang Chenyi instinctively wanted to resist, but in an instant, he felt the familiar aura from the hand and immediately relaxed all his strength.
Sure enough, it was Huo Yunxi who was pulling him.
Huo Yunxi had originally been worried that Jiang Chenyi would be discovered by Wen Ai, but he hadn't expected the man to end up in such a sorry state.
"What happened to you…" he whispered but stopped mid-sentence when he saw the unnatural twist in Jiang Chenyi's leg before instantly understanding everything.
"How did you get like this!"
Jiang Chenyi waved his hand; now was not the time to talk about it.
"The upper decks have all been destroyed. This ship should be nearing the base soon. When it does, you go up and investigate, and I'll stay here."
With a fractured leg, it naturally wasn't convenient for him to move around.
Plus, there were bound to be Celestial Masters on the other ship, and no one could guarantee that his umbrella wouldn't be seen through.
Thinking of this, Jiang Chenyi grabbed Huo Yunxi's hand. His face was pale and pitiful, but his eyes were as sharp as blades.
"I need you to do something for me!"
"Coincidentally, I also have something to tell you."
……..
By the time this battered ship approached the other cruise ship, two hours had passed.
The Perfumer had been eagerly waiting on the top deck. Upon seeing him, the other ship indeed lowered a grappling hook, firmly grasping the remains of the wrecked ship.
After finally being transported to the upper deck, someone patted him on the shoulder twice. "Bro, how did you end up in such a mess?"
The Perfumer spat with his face filled with malice as he began to recount the story of the Black-robed man.
He spoke with great enthusiasm, but failed to notice the subtle expressions on the faces of the Celestial Masters nearby.
At this moment, Huo Yunxi also arrived on the cruise ship. Perhaps because they had just experienced a calamity, Wen Ai didn’t rush to assign them tasks and instead instructed them to rest.
After saying this, he hurriedly left, not even realizing that someone was missing.
This, coincidentally, gave Huo Yunxi the time he needed to act.
Now, he was the only one on the cruise ship. Jiang Chenyi remained in the workshop, while Ah Yao was responsible for protecting him.
Thinking of the task Jiang Chenyi had assigned him, Huo Yunxi quickened his pace.
The Black Umbrella was now in his hand. As he avoided the surrounding crowd, he placed the items Jiang Chenyi had given him throughout the new cruise ship.
They were new abacus beads, crafted by Jiang Chenyi from another Merit Magical Artifact.
However, unlike the previous one, these abacus beads were engraved with lotus patterns.
As he walked, golden abacus beads were scattered in various corners of the entire first floor.
After finishing the setup, Huo Yunxi glanced back.
The wealthy merchants, having recovered from their fright, decided to throw an even grander party, celebrating together with the people on the new cruise ship.
Apart from the merchants, the crew and mercenaries also let their guard down, seemingly convinced that they were safe once they reached international waters.
Huo Yunxi sensed that there was something shady on this ship, but he didn’t have much time left.
With this in mind, he didn’t hesitate to leave the massive cruise ship and returning to Jiang Chenyi’s side via the rope.
At this moment, Jiang Chenyi was sitting weakly against a glass jar. Although Ah Yao had immobilized his leg with a splint, the pain was still unbearable.
Seeing Jiang Chenyi in such a state, Ah Yao felt deeply troubled.
He hadn’t done much while following Huo Yunxi; it was Jiang Chenyi who had been observing the terrain all along.
And now, he was severely injured…
"It’s not your fault. I got hurt because I needed to retrieve something."
If it weren’t for that box of jade, he wouldn’t have gone to the Perfumer’s room.
When under attack, the Perfumer would surely transfer all his valuables to this location.
Ah Yao glanced at the cold sweat on Jiang Chenyi’s forehead and then at the jar behind him…
Inside, a person had their hands pressed against the glass, seemingly worried about the young man.
Ah Yao looked at the person a few more times, and the figure seemed to sense his gaze as they suddenly turned around.
Ah Yao was startled by the fake eyes of the person and his hair standing on end
"He’s a good person, don’t worry."
Jiang Chenyi didn’t need to turn around to know what Ah Yao was concerned about. Rather than worrying about that, it would be better to worry about Huo Yunxi.
He wondered if Huo Yunxi had managed to place all the abacus beads properly.
Speaking of the devil, the door to the workshop opened, and Huo Yunxi returned safely.
"All the beads have been set up. What do we do now?" Huo Yunxi was actually quite curious about what those beads could do, but seeing Jiang Chenyi's weakened state, he didn't feel it was the right time to ask.
Jiang Chenyi smiled, wiped the sweat from his face, and let out a long breath.
"I originally planned to gather evidence slowly, but a kind soul has told me everything I wanted to know."
When he mentioned the "kind soul" both Huo Yunxi and Ah Yao glanced at the person in the jar.
The man was still staring at Jiang Chenyi with a look of concern, completely ignoring their gazes.
After some thought, Huo Yunxi finally asked about the lotus patterns on the abacus beads.
"What are those lotus patterns? I didn’t see them on your Golden Abacus before."
Jiang Chenyi opened the box beside him and handed it to Huo Yunxi.
Both of them saw a piece of jade engraved with identical lotus patterns.
"These are his belongings, and also the magical artifacts that the Perfumer stole."
Jiang Chenyi took out the commission paper.
As someone who had also issued commissions before, Huo Yunxi immediately recognized it as a transaction between the man in the jar and the supermarket.
"He wants to die, but I want him to see the downfall of all the wicked before I let him go." Even in death, he should die after those people.
Without avenging all his enemies, would he really leave without any regrets?
Jiang Chenyi looked at the paper and slowly revealed his plan to them.
"Originally, I planned to hand over all the evidence and the criminals on both ships to the authorities. After all, the people on the other ship are no good either."
When he stood on the top deck and looked out, the other ship was also shrouded in a layer of Karmic Sin.
But after seeing this man, he slightly changed his mind.
As he spoke, the young man asked them with interest, "Do you know what the most crucial element in the Perfumer's perfume is?"
Ah Yao shook his head in confusion. Not only did he not understand this question, but he was also completely lost by Jiang Chenyi's earlier words.
Huo Yunxi, however, reacted quickly.
After seeing the glass jar in the middle of the workshop, he guessed that the true catalyst in the perfume was actually this man.
"Correct, he is the final ingredient."
"But using a person as a catalyst means that if you enjoy their lifespan, youth, and Merit, you must also bear the karma tied to them."
Jiang Chenyi's eyes glimmered with faint golden light in the dim workshop.
Not just his eyes, but golden patterns began to appear faintly on his body, extending from his neck down to his hands and then up to the sides of his face.
In Huo Yunxi's eyes, the man in the jar placed his hands on Jiang Chenyi's back, and the last bit of Merit from the man was transferred through the glass jar to Jiang Chenyi.
"Those are not abacus beads; they are karma."
The lotus patterns are this man's symbol, so through the beads scattered everywhere, they can detect all those who have been tainted by the lotus aura.
"Wait! Are you saying those beads will capture anyone who has used the perfume, right?"
Jiang Chenyi's lips curled into a smile. "As expected of Mr. Bell, your reaction is quick!"
Ah Yao was completely stunned.
He was neither a Spirit nor a Celestial Master, so naturally, he couldn’t understand Jiang Chenyi's words.
Huo Yunxi patiently explained to him, "Because the perfume contains the essence of that person, and the beads are engraved with lotus patterns, it's like letting a dog sniff a piece of clothing with a scent. So, the beads can filter out humans with the same essence from a crowd, just like a dog would."
Using a dog as an analogy, Ah Yao instantly understood!
"But what happens after sensing it?" Ah Yao still wasn't entirely clear.
"What comes next? Naturally, it's a nightmare."
He wouldn't personally kill anyone; killing is the lowest form of revenge.
"He will die, but his karma will forever entangle those people, never ending! Hehehehe!" Jiang Chenyi found the thought amusing.
This time, his revenge wasn't just about triggering Karmic Sin; karma is the deepest and most painful punishment that clings to a person.
"In the future, no matter what they gain, they will soon lose it. They took things from others, so everything they have will also be taken away."
What they cherish and what they don't—everything will vanish.
"In the end, all they'll have left is their own defeated bodies, unable to even protect their own Souls." Jiang Chenyi raised an eyebrow.
He was clearly looking forward to this scene!
Not only would they have to live a lifetime of torment from karma and karmic sin, but they would also have to watch everything that belonged to them disappear.
For the wealthy merchants and Celestial Masters on the ship, this was undoubtedly the most painful experience.
Those who have nothing feel little about loss; only those who have everything fear losing it!
Ah Yao couldn't sense much pain from Jiang Chenyi's words because he was a good police officer who adhered to his duties. He wouldn't understand the despair of those consumed by greed when they found themselves with nothing.
"Just wait, soon, their feast will begin."
Huo Yunxi sat beside Jiang Chenyi, letting him lean on her shoulder to rest for a while.
"No, before that, there's one more thing to settle."
He beckoned to Ah Yao, signaling him to make a deal.
"I hear your voice. You want to take these people back, don't you?"
Faced with the deal proposed by Jiang Chenyi, Ah Yao agreed without hesitation.
Huo Yunxi looked at Jiang Chenyi with concern.
He was already injured, and opening a portal out of thin air would surely take a toll on his spirit.
"It's fine. The sooner we resolve this, the sooner we can rest."
This deal still required the help of other police officers.
Perhaps out of concern for Jiang Chenyi, after making the deal with Ah Yao, there was no need for Jiang Chenyi to personally transmit it.
The agreement regarding the lending of Merit appeared before the team leader and the Captain.
When they saw the agreement, Jiang Chenyi called the team leader again, this time with an even more concise message.
Just one word: "Sign!"
The Captain's eye twitches violently. In his previous interactions with Jiang Chenyi, he had never seen him so sparing with words!
Little did he know, Jiang Chenyi was on the verge of passing out!
Out of trust in Jiang Chenyi, everyone who received the agreement quickly signed their names.
As soon as the names were written, the agreement took effect immediately!
[Finally, there's some income...]
Hearing the Supermarket's sigh, Jiang Chenyi smiled sheepishly.
The Merit from the deal with the person behind him had already been exchanged for that abacus bead... meaning even if he died, Jiang Chenyi and the Supermarket wouldn't earn a single point of Merit.
In fact, they even lost some!
Fortunately, there was still the deal with the police!
What appeared in Ah Yao's hands now was a flag.
After hearing the introduction of the flag, Ah Yao's eyes lit up instantly.
"It can summon a strong wind! Isn't this like controlling the weather?"
However, his excitement quickly faded when he saw the calm gazes of the two people in front of him.
"I-I-I'll get to it right away!" He felt a sudden tension, as if he were facing the team leader.
With that, he rushed outside and began waving the flag vigorously over the endless sea.
Soon, a gust of wind suddenly appeared on the sea while growing stronger and stronger!
Meanwhile, the Perfumer was muttering to himself on the cruise ship when the strong wind blew, causing the entire ship to sway violently. Everyone on board fell over!
The captain, responsible for navigating the ship, watched in horror as the ship was gradually blown off course.
It was as if a giant hand had grabbed the bow of the ship, forcing it to change direction from southeast to northwest.
That was the direction of China!
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