Top-tier Unruly Master

It was unclear whether it was a coincidence or if all the villas in Huaqiang District were similarly designed, but the one Mei Li rented closely resembled the villa previously occupied by Ding Fan and Zhou Ruoran.

Zhou Ruoran was quite satisfied with living here. Initially, Ding Fan was the only one who helped Zhou Ruoran tidy up the room, but later, Zhou Ruoran couldn't sit still either, and the two busied themselves together, resembling a loving couple.

"I'll go get something to eat," Zhou Ruoran said, given the time was already late. It was necessary for her to eat on time due to her frail health.

Zhou Ruoran nodded in agreement.

After Ding Fan had helped Zhou Ruoran pacify the Gu Insect within her body, he went out to buy groceries.

Ding Fan was familiar with the local market as he used to shop there while living in the area.

The market hadn't changed much since then, and it was bustling with activity during the peak of rush hour.

Just as Ding Fan reached the entrance of the market, a surge of Spiritual Energy hit him.

Ding Fan was momentarily stunned, then he used his Divine Sense to scan the area and quickly spotted a flower stall at the entrance of the market. That's when he also clearly saw the plant emanating Spiritual Energy—the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass.

Ding Fan remembered that he once bought a pot of Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass right at this market entrance. At that time, he didn't have much money and had gotten the plant on credit.

When Ding Fan looked up at the flower seller, he was taken aback.

It turned out that the flower stall was still managed by the same woman who sold flowers back then.

Previously, the flower seller had been brought to a garage by a thug named Mouse and was almost harmed, but Ding Fan had intervened and saved her.

However, after he saved her, she kicked him under the bed without a word, causing him to suffer some internal injuries.

Time had passed, and Ding Fan hadn't expected that the flower seller was still here.

Ding Fan stood at a distance, observing the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass with his Divine Sense. To his surprise, the grass was placed beside the flower seller's hand, and it was blooming with three delicate white flowers.

On Earth, cultivation resources were extremely limited. Although the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass was not a top-tier treasure, it was still considered a Spirit Grass. The flower seller repeatedly selling the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass made Ding Fan wonder if she had a method to cultivate the plant.

Coming back to Dancheng this time, Ding Fan had an important task—to check the soil in the villa's flowerbed in Dancheng. He had failed to successfully cultivate the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass in both Dongcheng and Honggang City, so he wanted to find out what the problem was.

Seeing the flower seller offering the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass for sale, he was tempted to ask about it.

However, Ding Fan hesitated as he remembered the last time he met the flower seller and her hatred for him.

At that moment, a middle-aged man, much shorter than the average person, slowly approached the flower stall.

"How much for the pot of flowers beside you?" the short middle-aged man asked, pointing at the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass beside Zhen Xiang, the flower seller.

Ding Fan heard the man and couldn't help but take a look at the short figure.

Although many Spirit Grasses were beneficial for Martial Artists, the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass was essentially useless to them. Otherwise, Zhen Xiang wouldn't have sold it for only five yuan previously.

Ordinary Martial Artists wouldn't pay attention to the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass, but the short middle-aged man had come specifically for that plant. Ding Fan noticed that the man had a fierce look on his face—he was not a lover of flowers. Thus, Ding Fan was certain that the short middle-aged man knew the use of the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass.

Ding Fan probed the short middle-aged man with his Divine Sense and was puzzled to find that the man was merely a Human Level Martial Artist of around fifth or sixth Grade...

What did he want with that pot of Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass?

While Ding Fan was lost in thought, Zhen Xiang glanced at the short middle-aged man and shook her head, saying, "I'm not selling this flower."

Ding Fan was startled by her words; as a flower seller dependent on selling flowers for a living, why wouldn't she sell when there was a buyer?

Ding Fan was bewildered, and so was the short middle-aged man. However, the man quickly pulled out a stack of banknotes from his pocket.

Given the thickness of the stack, it seemed likely to be around five thousand yuan.

"Sell me this flower, and this money is yours," he said.

Zhen Xiang saw the man take out the money, yet she still shook her head."This flower is for a friend of mine. I'm not selling it."

Slap...

The short middle-aged man didn't bother to argue with Zhen Xiang anymore—he took out another stack of notes and threw them in front of Zhen Xiang.

This stack appeared to be about two thousand yuan in cash.

Seeing the short middle-aged man throwing money like that, Ding Fan was certain that the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass was of great importance to the Martial Artist.

Even though Ding Fan didn't understand what use the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass could have for a Martial Artist, he refrained from acting rashly.

At this time, the market was crowded, and the middle-aged man's display of wealth instantly attracted a crowd of onlookers.

"Fuck, buying a pot of flowers for twenty thousand... that's like having money with nowhere to spend it."

"What do you know, that short guy must have taken a fancy to the girl selling the flowers. Otherwise, who in their right mind would spend so much money on a pot of flowers..."

"I think so too..."

For a while, the surrounding people were buzzing with discussion.

However, the woman selling the flowers seemed as if she hadn't heard anything, just bowing her head and fiddling with other plants.

"Isn't this money enough?" At this moment, the short middle-aged man frowned and asked Zhen Xiang.

"I've already said it, this pot of flowers is reserved for my friend. Even if you offer a hundred thousand, I absolutely won't sell these flowers to you."

Upon hearing Zhen Xiang's words, the crowd became noisy once again.

"Child, are you foolish? What friend is worth being so serious about? Just make it up to your friend tomorrow. That's twenty thousand yuan we're talking about. How many flowers would you have to sell to make that kind of money?" An elder in the crowd commented kindly to Zhen Xiang.

By now, Zhen Xiang had stopped speaking; her expression alone told everyone that she would absolutely not sell the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass to anyone.

Even Ding Fan found it strange at this point. Selling flowers was originally for making money, yet the woman wouldn't sell even when the short middle-aged man had offered twenty thousand.

"Ungrateful wretch!" At this moment, the short middle-aged man suddenly lifted his foot.

In an instant, the woman's flower stand was flipped over by the man. Since no one expected the short middle-aged man to act on his words so suddenly, the onlooking crowd let out a series of gasps.

The short middle-aged man took advantage of the commotion to brandish his right hand, and at that moment a golden thread shot directly into the body of the woman selling flowers.

Upon witnessing this scene, Ding Fan's expression immediately tensed.

In that lightning-fast moment, others may not have seen what had happened, but Ding Fan saw it clearly: the golden thread flung by the short middle-aged man was unmistakably a Gu insect.

The aura of the Gu insect was very similar to the one on Zhou Ruoran's body. Ding Fan could now be sure that the man in front of him, if not the same person who had placed the Gu on Zhou Ruoran, was definitely connected to the incident.

"You..." Zhen Xiang felt her breath suddenly halt, and then she knelt on the ground in agony.

Soon after, Zhen Xiang felt as if her body was crawling with ants, the pain was as if she was being bitten by thousands of them.

"Help... help me..." In pain, Zhen Xiang knelt on the ground, her face turning ghostly pale.

The people around were stunned, not having seen what had happened before Zhen Xiang fell to the ground screaming. Everyone was left in a fog of confusion.

Without further ado, the short middle-aged man strode over to Zhen Xiang, reaching out and taking the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass.

Seeing the short man take the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass, Zhen Xiang, enduring the pain, said, "Don't... don't touch my flower..."

"I've bought this flower!"

After saying that, the short middle-aged man threw another ten thousand yuan in front of Zhen Xiang, totaling thirty thousand this time.

Then, paying no further attention to the kneeling and suffering Zhen Xiang, the short middle-aged man turned and walked away.

"Give me back my flower... my flower..."

Zhen Xiang had wanted to stand up and retrieve her Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass, but by now her body was in too much pain to even think about moving; she even found breathing difficult.

"Could this girl be having a heart attack..."

"Should we call an ambulance..."

Onlookers, seeing Zhen Xiang in such a state, wondered if she was suffering from a heart attack.

At that moment, Zhen Xiang's breathing became harder and harder, her face turning purple as she struggled. After hesitating, she lay on the ground on her side, curling up...

Zhen Xiang's breathing grew increasingly labored; she desperately tried to inhale more air, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't breathe.

Eventually, Zhen Xiang's eyes could hardly open, her mind a blank. In her eyes passed a deep despair. She knew she was not going to make it...

But just then, a wonderfully warm current entered her through the philtrum, and with the flow of that warmth, Zhen Xiang's breathing eased considerably.

Zhen Xiang felt someone holding her, and she slowly opened her eyes. When she saw the person before her, her body trembled involuntarily.

"It's you... Ding Fan!"