Chapter 40: Top Up! Top Up!

"Senior brother, are you foolish? The shop has only just finished its renovations and hasn't officially opened yet. Where would customers come from?" Zhou Yan's words struck like a blow to the head.

"Damn!" Not open for business, yet so many people blocking the entrance? There must be someone causing trouble.

With this thought, Xiao Yang hurried his pace. Just then, a voice rang out from the Wealth Pavilion.

"Where's that fat Zhao Youcai? Tell him to get out here and face me."

If there had been doubts before, now it was certain.

"Shit! Someone really is stirring up trouble," he cursed, dragging Zhou Yan toward the crowd.

But soon, the curses started.

"Stop pushing! Have some manners, will you?"

"Which bastard grabbed my ass?" A woman howled.

Xiao Yang instinctively glanced over and shuddered. He was certain the woman was lying, or perhaps someone accidentally bumped into her.

She must weigh at least three hundred pounds, round as a ball.

A loud crash of shattered porcelain echoed.

Xiao Yang's eyes nearly blazed with fury. In the past, he would have ignored it, but now—damn, this was his shop!

After trying to squeeze in and failing, he resorted to his trump card.

"Make way! I'm the owner of the Wealth Pavilion, and you’re blocking me outside!"

Instantly, a middle-aged man stepped aside, and others followed suit, opening a path.

Xiao Yang hurriedly pulled Zhou Yan inside. He hadn't even crossed the threshold when a delicate vase came flying toward him.

He quickly caught it in his arms. A glance showed the vase's recycling value was a thousand taels.

"Thank goodness," Xiao Yang breathed a sigh of relief as he cradled the intact vase.

Whoosh! Another vase flew, but this time from farther away; Xiao Yang couldn't save it. He could only watch as it shattered before his eyes.

With a crash, someone’s heart broke alongside it.

A Qi Gathering Pill—gone.

Looking into the shop, Xiao Yang spotted a human meatball hefting another vase, ready to hurl it.

He couldn’t hold back any longer.

"Let go!" he roared.

The fat man’s hands shook.

Crash! Another thousand taels down the drain.

"You’ve got a lot of nerve, coming to my shop to make trouble," Xiao Yang snarled, charging forward in three strides.

The fat man saw Xiao Yang rushing at him.

"What are you doing? I’m smashing my brother’s shop—what’s it to you?" he shouted, utterly self-righteous.

He was answered by the sole of a shoe.

Bang!

A kick landed squarely on his face. The self-proclaimed brother of Zhao Youcai was sent sprawling, rolling twice before coming to a halt.

But Xiao Yang wasn’t done. He strode over, sat atop the fat man.

Zhao Youde sensed someone atop him, groggily opened his eyes, and saw a fist growing larger.

Thud! A muffled blow.

Stars danced before his eyes.

It was only the beginning. Xiao Yang clenched both fists and pummeled left and right.

Bang bang! The blows landed with satisfying force.

"Dead fatso! Daring to smash my shop—you must not know how many eyes the King of Horses has!" Bang bang bang!

The sounds of fists meeting flesh echoed in his ears.

The crowd watching was stunned.

This sudden spectacle caught them unprepared.

"Too fierce! That’s the eldest son of the Zhao family, and he's being beaten to the ground."

"No kidding, this guy is ruthless, even dares to hit the Zhao family's eldest."

Whispers broke out.

Xiao Yang frowned slightly.

The Zhao family? He’d heard of them—a powerful clan in North Desert City with a Martial Marquis among them.

He hadn’t expected Zhao Youcai to belong to that family.

"Not a single coin less—you must compensate me," Xiao Yang growled, teeth grinding as he surveyed the wrecked shop.

He might as well renovate anew—walls, seating, everything purchased was ruined.

He’d have to buy all new furnishings, at least tens of thousands of taels.

Zhao Youde staggered to his feet, wiped blood from his face, spat a mouthful onto the ground—several teeth among it, unmistakably knocked out by Xiao Yang.

"You’re courting death! Is this how Zhao Youcai taught you to behave?" Zhao Youde glared murderously at Xiao Yang, clearly mistaking him for a shop assistant.

"Does your face not hurt?" Xiao Yang raised his brows, thinking he'd gone too easy. He prepared to give Zhao Youde another beating.

The fat man seemed not to have learned a lesson.

At Xiao Yang's words, Zhao Youde nervously retreated two steps, shouting loudly,

"Where is everyone? I’m being beaten, where the hell are you all?"

Almost at once, the crowd parted as two Martial Masters entered, bowing slightly to Zhao Youde.

"Young Master."

Zhao Youde, furious, glared at them.

"Where the hell were you two just now? I nearly got beaten to death," he said, pointing to his gap-toothed mouth.

Only then did Xiao Yang notice the missing front teeth.

"We followed your orders, went to fetch the silver notes—you're headed to the Beauty Pavilion later."

At these words, the crowd's expressions shifted.

The Beauty Pavilion was North Desert City's infamous pleasure house.

With this fat man's physique, it conjured unspeakable images.

Could any woman withstand him?

"Shut up!" Zhao Youde's face darkened, nearly driven mad by rage.

But he quickly found another outlet.

"Kid, how do you want to die?" he asked coldly, glaring at Xiao Yang and secretly plotting how to torment him.

"Fatso, you smashed my shop and think you have the right?" With two Martial Masters present, Xiao Yang had to be cautious; he wasn't sure he could handle them, especially with Zhou Yan at his side.

"Zhao Youcai truly is useless, and the people he finds are just as worthless," Zhao Youde sneered.

Xiao Yang barely reacted, but the girl behind him was incensed.

"You’re the useless one! Say another word and I'll chop you up!" Zhou Yan retorted fiercely, unwilling to hear anyone insult her senior brother.

Zhao Youde's eyes lit up.

Bright-eyed and white-toothed, radiating youthful charm—a "little beauty," he thought.

"Haha! Who’d have thought a useless brat would have a beauty by his side?" he said, wiping drool from his mouth and swallowing several times.

"I’ll give you a chance: hand over the woman, and I’ll spare your miserable life," he said to Xiao Yang, then turned his lecherous gaze to Zhou Yan.

"Little beauty, serve me well and I’ll guarantee you a life of wealth and splendor."

Finally, Xiao Yang could take no more.

"Fatso, are you looking for death?" he asked calmly.

The words made Zhao Youde tremble.

"Hmph! I think you’re the one courting death," he quickly snapped back, remembering the Martial Masters beside him.

"Heh," Xiao Yang's eyes flashed cold.

This time, murderous intent truly stirred.

Insult him, and perhaps he’d ignore it if he was in a good mood; insult Zhou Yan, and even if you were a dragon, he'd find a way to strip your skin and break your bones.

"Recharge all assets," he ordered the system.

Immediately, several notification sounds chimed in his ears.

"Ding! Recharged 630,000 taels of silver, received 630,000 premium points."

"Ding! Recycled twenty century-old ginseng roots, received 200,000 premium points."

In an instant, Xiao Yang's premium points totaled 830,000.

He later discovered his cultivation was priced clearly: each realm costs 300,000.

With enough premium points, he could upgrade instantly.

"Increase cultivation," he commanded.

In a flash, his realm began to rise.