Hello, Welcome to Merit Supermarket (SUPERMARKET)
The victims who could be saved had all been rescued. The perpetrators and their accomplices were all detained, and the Souls of the masterminds had been torn to shreds, then burned to ashes.
Apart from a few remaining truths yet to be uncovered, the case was essentially solved.
In other words, there was nothing left for Jiang Chenyi to do.
After falling asleep for the second time, Jiang Chenyi slept for nearly three days before waking up.
As soon as he woke up, he clung to Huo Yunxi while complaining of hunger. He was so hungry that his eyes turned slightly red, and he almost bit down on the other man.
Actually, it wasn’t just “almost”, he really did bite Huo Yunxi’s neck, only realizing afterward that what was in his mouth wasn’t meat…
Feeling guilty, he licked the spot and silently continued to rest his head on the other’s back.
At this moment, Jiang Chenyi was in a state of mental confusion, so he didn’t notice how the man he had bitten tensed up, especially when he licked the spot. Huo Yunxi clenched his jaw tightly to maintain his composure.
After a long while, the man slowly exhaled and gave a helpless glance at the young man clinging to his back.
Well, thanks to this incident, he finally understood why he felt an itch in his heart whenever he saw the young man.
He supported the young man with one hand as he feared that the other might collapse from exhaustion, while holding a bowl steadily in the other as he walked back to the dining table.
After placing the young man on the chair, Jiang Chenyi instinctively raised the bowl to his mouth, ready to gulp it down, but was stopped by Huo Yunxi: "Be careful, it's hot..."
The young man looked at him dazedly. His beautiful eyes now moist, appearing pitiful with his drooping eyelids, like a young cub unable to get its food.
This was the first time Huo Yunxi had seen Jiang Chenyi like this...
His heart itched... as if brushed by a fluffy cat's tail, making his whole body feel warm.
"Let me feed you, come on, give me the bowl, be good..." Huo Yunxi restrained the young man's impatient hands and took the soup bowl from him.
Before the young man could get too hungry, he quickly blew on it to cool it down and then fed it to him.
The suitable temperature and the delicious meat made Jiang Chenyi's eyes narrow in satisfaction. Even Wu Tuan was attracted by the aroma and anxiously circling around Huo Yunxi's legs.
But the man didn't spare a glance for the black cat, which made it so angry that it jumped onto the table and meowed loudly.
Jiang Chenyi's hazy eyes fixed on the smooth and soft fur of the black cat, and with one hand, he pressed Wu Tuan down.
Wu Tuan initially wanted to struggle, but he found that Jiang Chenyi, who had lost his senses, was much stronger than before. Even as a Cat Spirit, he had no chance to resist.
So, he quickly gave up.
Then, as if remembering something, the black cat looked at Huo Yunxi in terror. If Jiang Chenyi's strength was so terrifying, what kind of monster was Huo Yunxi, who could easily take the soup bowl from the young man?
However, Huo Yunxi ignored him, which made the black cat even angrier.
After eating and drinking his fill and sleeping through the night, Jiang Chenyi finally woke up.
But just like after drinking, he couldn't remember what he had done to Huo Yunxi before, and Huo Yunxi didn't tell him either.
However, from that day on, Jiang Chenyi noticed that the man's gaze towards him had become somewhat strange.
Sometimes it seemed like he was holding back something, but at the critical moment, he always managed to restrain himself.
Jiang Chenyi had asked once, but the other seemed to have some unspeakable reason and didn't say anything, so Jiang Chenyi had to let it go.
After resting at the hot spring hotel for a week, both Director Long and Song Miao sent messages asking him to come to the police station.
"Why is Song Miao here too?" Jiang Chenyi asked his question on the way.
Huo Yunxi pinched his cheek and smiled at his confused look: "Did you forget? She's also a specially hired sketch artist at the police station, and didn't she say she was going to investigate school bullying before?"
‘Oh, right…’
Jiang Chenyi then remembered that they had split up to investigate their respective leads.
But who would have thought that from a case of a kidnapped victim, he would uncover something related to border security?
This matter had kept him busy for many days that it almost made him forget the agreement he had with Song Miao.
When they arrived at the police station, Song Miao and Director Long were already waiting for them in the office.
Seeing the two arrive, Director Long handed them a document: "These are the evidence we found, as well as their plans."
Jiang Chenyi glanced at Song Miao and noticed that her eyes were slightly swollen, as if she had been crying heavily.
The two quickly reviewed the data in their hands, then their expressions frozen in disbelief.
They never expected that so many bullying incidents in Xiaocheng were actually connected to people from Dai Country.
Not just school bullying, but the number of bullying incidents in Xiaocheng, this border city, was almost ten times that of other border cities!
And all of this was deliberately incited by certain individuals.
Fabricating rumors, slandering others, and stirring up malice and hostility in people's hearts—these tactics were so effective that even adults might not be able to withstand them, let alone children.
"The three Celestial Masters, Wei Yuanshou and his team, have already gone to the border areas to investigate what exactly has been tampered with to make ordinary people's hostility so intense."
This outcome was not only unexpected for Jiang Chenyi but also difficult for Director Long to predict.
She had been assigned here because the higher-ups believed that the frequent cases of fights and brawls in Xiaocheng required a more severe approach to suppress them.
Who would have thought that the poor social atmosphere in Xiaocheng was actually the result of someone secretly causing trouble!
Just thinking about the evidence made Director Long furious!
"As for methods to intensify hostility... that's something only the Celestial Masters can answer. I'm not very familiar with it."
However, Jiang Chenyi wasn't entirely helpless. He could still do some "cleaning" work.
No matter what method was used to amplify hostility, it essentially magnified the evil in people's hearts. In that case, as long as they could clear their minds a bit, even if there was evil in their hearts, it wouldn't easily surface.
"How should we do that? Mr. Jiang, if you need any help, just say the word. Everyone in the bureau will follow your arrangements."
Actually, this wasn't particularly difficult to handle. All it took was a gust of wind.
"Wind?"
Jiang Chenyi nodded: "It's like when you're in a fit of anger, and a cold breeze blows over you. Even if it doesn't completely dissipate the anger, it can at least make you a bit more clear-headed, preventing you from acting impulsively and making mistakes."
Song Miao frowned slightly, feeling puzzled: "Can't we just erase this hostility directly?"
"Even if it's gone this time, won't it come back again? Anger, malice in people's hearts—these are all part of human nature. You can't expect to erase normal human emotions."
Even those who possess abundant Merit occasionally harbor malice in their hearts.
But Merit isn't calculated based on one's heart; otherwise, everyone would carry Karmic Sin: "Judgment is based on actions, not thoughts. If we judged by thoughts, there would be no saints. Neither the law nor morality can govern what's in people's hearts."
Director Long agreed with this statement. It's normal for people to have negative emotions; it would be strange if they didn't.
"Isn't the task of intensifying hostility being handled by the Celestial Masters? Then I'll temporarily put a safety lock on Xiaocheng." Jiang Chenyi continued.
As long as the hostility isn't further intensified, the people here will gradually return to their previous state.
"This is also the most cost-effective solution. If we were to directly erase the excess hostility in one go... the entire police force would be drained, and it still wouldn't be enough!"
In Xiaocheng, there are millions of people. To eliminate the hostility of everyone, it would require at least tens of millions of Merit and a minimum of six figures in Votive Power.
However, if it's just a breeze to slightly calm people down, the amount of Merit needed wouldn't be as much.
At the very least, the latter is something the public security bureau can afford.
After Jiang Chenyi provided the solution, both Director Long and Song Miao breathed a sigh of relief.
But in the young man's view, they relaxed too quickly.
"This breeze can only ensure that people calm down a bit, but these bullying incidents still need to be resolved gradually. Some people, with their hostility amplified, might just curse a few times, but others might resort to killing. So, the police station still needs to use tougher measures to suppress them for a while before things gradually improve."
Director Long nodded, understanding Jiang Chenyi's point.
Song Miao still hadn't changed her mind. Even if there were other forces behind the school bullying, the rapid development of such bullying seemed as if all the evil in the children's hearts had been unleashed.
"There's something I need to tell you. Didn't you help a child deal with a bully before?"
‘Wang Wenxiao, the child, I wonder if Jiang Chenyi still remembers him.’
Upon hearing that, the young man's expression immediately turned serious: "Is someone causing trouble for this child?"
Song Miao's lips curled into a look of disgust: "Yes, an adult even brought a child to act, but accidentally ran into Qingqing, who ended up dealing with them instead."
After dealing with them, the man actually tried to frame her daughter!
"Frame?" The young man's eyebrows raised, and his eyes gradually turned fierce.
Song Miao waved her hand: "Don't worry, the child knows how to protect herself. Not only did the man fail to frame her, but he also ended up in detention."
This put Jiang Chenyi at ease.
"During this time, the children at home have been observing and found that their own schools have bullying, violent fights, or collective isolation... Sigh, I feel that if we don't stop this, such incidents will only increase." As Song Miao spoke of these matters, she kept recalling the previous juvenile murder case.
Don't underestimate children because of their age; some have as much evil in their hearts as adults.
Usually, it might just be bullying, but if not stopped, they will taste the twisted pleasure of violence and then escalate.
Director Long listened carefully to Song Miao's words. After she finished, she looked up seriously at Song Miao: "I will also seriously consider this matter."
After saying that, she glanced at Jiang Chenyi and said, "If you agree with her opinion, you can inform Old man Gu Sheng. He also has such authority."
Gu Sheng is the only representative with the title of Celestial Master.
"Actually, you too..." Director Long half-closed her eyes, seemingly pondering something, but Jiang Chenyi immediately understood her implication and refused outright.
"No, don't involve me in such matters."
Faced with the young man's outright refusal, Director Long shrugged and didn't continue.
After the group had discussed the matters, Huo Yunxi tried to pull Jiang Chenyi away, but was intercepted by Song Miao on the way.
"Mr. Jiang, we've already found those people. Do you have time to go over now?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Huo Yunxi frown and glare at her, clearly disapproving of her words.
"He exhausted his strength again a few days ago, and his body has only just started to recover a little!" Huo Yunxi practically spat out these words through gritted teeth.
Song Miao's face immediately flushed with embarrassment, and she quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't know he was injured again."
Jiang Chenyi, both amused and exasperated, held Huo Yunxi back, "Alright, alright, it's not a big deal. It's just a transaction."
At worst, he’d just sleep for another day… ha!
Huo Yunxi took a deep breath, pulled the young man aside, and said through clenched teeth, "Do you want to keep falling into a coma like this?"
His spiritual energy had only just begun to recover a little, and now he was planning to exhaust it all over again?
Jiang Chenyi sighed softly, grabbed the man's arm, and leaned in close to whisper, "When a child is bullied, how could most parents not feel heartbroken? You just heard it yourself—even after it escalated to the police station, some people still refuse to repent and continue to act out."
So, these victims that Song Miao brought back—haven’t they been bullied more than once?
"Let’s just try to understand them, alright?"
The young man looked up at the man, his shimmering eyes deeply stirring something in Huo Yunxi's heart.
Huo Yunxi instinctively closed his eyes and turned his head away, avoiding the young man's gaze. After a long pause, he let out a deep sigh, his tone filled with resignation, "Fine, do as you wish then."
However, despite saying this, Huo Yunxi couldn't help but continuously "ping" the Supermarket in his mind when he saw Jiang Chenyi discussing with Song Miao: [Is there any way to reduce his consumption?]
Supermarket: [Do you think I don't want to?]
[Whether you want to or not, hurry up and think of a way. Aren't you supposed to be the all-powerful trader?]
Supermarket: [?]
Supermarket: [Are you provoking me? You brat! Who said I don't have a way? The problem is, it's impossible to do!]
Huo Yunxi paused in his steps while still maintaining a calm expression as he continued to "chirp" at the Supermarket in his mind: [How do you know it's impossible if you don't say it? If you have the ability, just say it first!]
Supermarket: [How about you two kiss?]
That one sentence nearly made Huo Yunxi trip and fall flat on the ground.
[Are you insane?]
Supermarket: [I'm not joking. The owner before the last one did exactly that. Strictly speaking, it was Xiao Yi's grandfather and his partner. His partner was somewhat similar to you, but he was a demon, not a Spirit. A kiss to transfer demonic power could lighten his burden.]
At this moment, Jiang Chenyi, who was walking ahead, noticed Huo Yunxi falling and quickly ran over to help him up, while also cautiously scanning the surroundings.
He thought Huo Yunxi had been attacked, which caused him to fall, but in reality…
"Cough... I'm fine... cough cough!" Huo Yunxi's face was now completely red, and he avoided eye contact with the young man. He didn't even dare to look at Jiang Chenyi at this moment.
Even though he didn't have a physical body, he could still feel his heart pounding violently.
Thump, thump—it felt like it was about to jump out of his chest.
"Really? Are you sure you're okay? Did someone attack you?" Jiang Chenyi's series of questions only made Huo Yunxi more nervous.
"No... really, I'm fine! I swear!"
However, the next second, his face was cupped by the young man's hands, and the two of them were now staring at each other up close.
He... he felt a little dizzy…
This was the first time Huo Yunxi had ever felt the emotion of shyness and embarrassment.
It was rare... but this situation was really awkward!
"No, really, I'm fine... don't get so close to me!" Jiang Chenyi was forcefully pushed away by Huo Yunxi, so he stood there with his hands raised while looking utterly confused.
Looking at his hands and then at the man who was now several meters away, Jiang Chenyi suddenly felt a surge of irritation.
‘Why did he push me away? And with such force!’
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Jiang Chenyi shot a cold glance at Huo Yunxi, then immediately turned around and left with Song Miao.
Huo Yunxi naturally saw the displeased look in the young man's eyes, and his heart sank. He wanted to go over and explain, but he didn't know where to start.
After a while, he grumbled to the Supermarket: [It's all your fault!]
Supermarket: [?]
Supermarket: [How is it my fault? I was just telling the truth. Your Spiritual Power can indeed be transferred that way! It's you who can't accept it. How is that my fault?]
Huo Yunxi felt a throbbing pain in his forehead. He rubbed his temples and took a deep breath: [Is there really no other way? Transferring power doesn't have to involve kissing, right?]
[If you're not even willing to kiss, forget about the next step…] The Supermarket's cold, mechanical voice was eerie, instantly making Huo Yunxi think of some unspeakable things.
[What are you hesitating about? Just treat it like CPR! It's all about saving someone!] The more the Supermarket spoke, the more convinced it became of its own logic.
[Or is it... because you have ulterior motives towards him, so your thoughts are so filthy?]
This was the second time Huo Yunxi stumbled.
But this time, Jiang Chenyi merely glanced at him before continuing forward, seemingly unconcerned about whatever situation he was in.
【How did you know!】 Huo Yunxi was unusually flustered and angry.
【Heh】 The Supermarket spoke in a faint voice, its tone laced with a hint of amusement: 【I’ve seen so many Shopkeepers fall in love, I can tell at a glance that your thoughts have changed!】
Huo Yunxi scratched his head awkwardly. He had only just begun to harbor a small thought, and yet the Supermarket had already seen through him.
But...
He tentatively asked: 【You... you’re not a Spirit too, are you?】
At first, he had thought the Supermarket was just an inanimate object, but later its voice sounded like an intelligent robot, and now it seemed no different from himself.
【What else? In the past, people called me a Monster, but now they say I’m a Spirit. It’s all the same in the end.】
Otherwise, how could an inanimate Supermarket choose its next Shopkeeper from among countless worlds?
‘So that’s how it was…’
With this matter diverting Huo Yunxi’s attention, his emotions gradually calmed down.
However... as he looked at the back of the young man in front of him, his heart burned with a restless desire.
He wanted to use this as an excuse to test the waters, but he also didn’t want Jiang Chenyi to truly suffer to that extent. These two conflicting thoughts kept wrestling in his mind.
By the time they reached their destination, Huo Yunxi still hadn’t made up his mind.
Song Miao had gathered all those people in her own coffee shop. When she appeared, everyone inside stood up with their eyes filled with anticipation and curiosity.
When this woman had approached them, she had used the pretext of revenge: 「Only by teaching them a harsh lesson will your children no longer be harassed by them repeatedly.」
Some of them were tempted, while others were too afraid to agree.
Those who had gathered here were all determined to go all out—they had spoken to the Teacher, communicated with the school, and even reported the matter to the police, but some children still wouldn’t relent. Even after the offenders were expelled from school, they would still block their children on the streets.
Even when faced with adults, they refused to back down.
Jiang Chenyi’s gaze swept over them, and the young man blinked as his pupils gradually became lighter and brighter.
“These few don’t need to participate.” He suddenly pointed at a few individuals.
The people he pointed at immediately paled, not understanding why this young man had singled them out.
“What do you mean by that?” One of them, who had a short temper, rushed forward upon hearing Jiang Chenyi’s blunt words.
However, halfway through his charge, he saw a tall man standing behind the young man with his sharp, wolf-like eyes fixed intently on him.
The man was instantly intimidated and backed off, though he continued to mutter about why he was being singled out.
“Because you’re a domestic abuser. This person’s child is not only bullied by other kids but also abused by their own father.”
The man, upon hearing Jiang Chenyi expose his secret, was so frightened that he immediately fled.
Huo Yunxi wanted to stop him, but Jiang Chenyi intervened: “Let him go. He’ll turn himself in sooner or later.”
As soon as these words were spoken, Huo Yunxi and Song Miao knew that he had already made his move, while the others were left in deep confusion.
As for the other individuals, although they were not guilty of domestic violence, they were not exactly loving parents either.
Given this, they were also unable to engage in any transactions.
After closing the door of the café, Song Miao was the first to speak, explaining her actions and thoughts.
"This time, it's not just about revenge. I want to leave a lifelong shadow in the hearts of those bullies, forcing them to never dare to do it again."
Some people don't know pain because they've never been taught a lesson. Since the law is not comprehensive, let's use other methods.
Song Miao was well aware that what she was doing was treading on the thin line of the law. If the police found out, she would definitely be severely criticized or even reprimanded.
But Song Miao had thought it through clearly. Even if she lost her job, she would not regret doing this.
"What we need to do next is not to encourage everyone to break the law, but to hope that you will make a wish."
"Make a wish with the strongest desire. What do you hope will happen to those who bully your children?"
At first glance, Song Miao's words sounded very much like a scam.
But these parents were almost at their wits' end. Whether it was seeking help from the police or praying to the gods, they had already tried everything.
Driven by their hatred, they obediently followed Song Miao's instructions.
In an instant, Jiang Chenyi heard the deafening thoughts in his ears!
All the parents present wished that those bullies would suffer injuries ten times worse than their own children, not just physical but also psychological!
Some even wished that those juvenile perpetrators would die early and be reborn!
If they can't be decent human beings in this life, let them start over in the next!
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