16: Chapter 16 was very rewarding.

...

"Who?! Who dares to behave so atrociously in my Treasure Pavilion?!"

Less than half a minute had passed before a series of hurried and angry roars drifted down from upstairs.

Following that, a string of heavy footsteps rang out.

Seven or eight burly men dressed in black rushed down, led by a middle-aged man wearing a brocade robe and sporting a mustache.

This person was none other than the manager of the Canglan Base branch of Treasure Pavilion—Zhao Decai.

Zhao Decai's face was gloomy, and the fire of rage in his eyes looked as if it were about to spray out.

He had operated in Canglan Base for over half a year, having connections in both the legal and criminal worlds. This was the first time someone had dared to hit someone on his turf!

"Manager! It's him!"

Seeing her backer arrive, the female clerk who had been hit immediately began to cry piteously. She pointed at Su Wu and shrieked, "This pauper tried to force his way onto the third floor without a membership! When I stopped him, not only did he call our Treasure Pavilion a black shop, but he even hit me! Manager, you must seek justice for me! Wuwuwu..."

Zhao Decai followed her finger and saw a middle-aged man dressed in grey casual wear who looked quite ordinary. He was standing with his hands behind his back, looking indifferent.

"Good, very good!"

Zhao Decai laughed out of extreme anger, a flash of ruthlessness appearing in his eyes. "In Canglan Base, no one has ever dared to touch Zhao Decai's people! Old man, I don't care who you are; if you don't leave a hand behind today, don't even think about walking out that door!"

"Get him! Cripple him!"

Zhao Decai gave a grand wave of his hand.

The seven or eight security guards behind him immediately closed in with cruel smiles.

These security guards were all experts at the Qi and Blood Realm Great Perfection. The leader was even a retired mercenary who had just made a Breakthrough into the Innate Realm.

"Idiot, keep your eyes open in your next life..."

The lead guard raised the iron rod in his hand and smashed it ruthlessly toward Su Wu's head.

However.

Su Wu didn't even lift an eyelid.

Boom!

An invisible but terrifyingly extreme field of pressure suddenly erupted with Su Wu as the center!

There was no motion, no Move.

It was merely the outward release of his Aura.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Those seven or eight aggressive guards were like flies swatted by an invisible giant hand, instantly flying backward at a speed even faster than they had come!

They slammed heavily into walls and pillars, spitting blood. One by one, they collapsed limply on the ground, unable to even scream before falling unconscious.

"What?!"

Zhao Decai, who was preparing to watch the show, had the cruel smile on his face instantly freeze.

He looked at the scene in disbelief, his legs starting to tremble uncontrollably.

Knocking back seven or eight experts in an instant? What... what kind of strength was this? A Great Grandmaster? No... even the City Lord Pan Hong, who was a Great Grandmaster, couldn't possibly do this so effortlessly, without even a ripple of Qi and blood!

"How is this possible?" Zhao Decai's voice began to tremble, his arrogant attitude from before instantly half-extinguished.

Su Wu slowly raised his head, those purple-gold eyes coldly locking onto Zhao Decai.

The next moment.

Su Wu's figure vanished into thin air.

When he reappeared, he was already standing in front of Zhao Decai, nose to nose, with a distance of less than three inches between them.

Zhao Decai's pupils shrank to the size of needlepoints; he hadn't even seen how Su Wu moved!

"You said just now that you were going to cripple one of my hands?"

Su Wu's voice was very light, yet it sounded like a demon's whisper.

Then, under the horrified gazes of everyone present, Su Wu's feet slowly left the ground.

He rose a foot off the ground, floating in the air!

Gravity seemed to fail beneath his feet. An absolute pressure belonging to a higher level of life descended upon Zhao Decai like the sky falling and the earth rending.

"Wa... Walking on air?!"

Zhao Decai let out a shriek, his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering in terror.

Although he was just a businessman, he had traveled far and wide and was quite knowledgeable.

He knew exactly what this meant!

To be able to escape gravity and traverse the void with one's Physical Body...

This was a Martial King!!

Thud!

Zhao Decai's knees went weak, and he knelt heavily on the ground. His kneecaps even cracked, but he couldn't feel the pain at all, only endless fear.

Heavens!

He had actually threatened to cripple the hand of a Martial King just now?

What was the difference between that and seeking death?

"My... My Lord! Mercy! Have mercy!"

Zhao Decai kowtowed frantically, making the floor thud loudly as blood flowed. "This lowly one failed to recognize Mt. Tai! This lowly one deserves to die! This lowly one was blinded by greed!"

As for that female clerk who had been so overbearing just now, she had already fainted from fright, her eyes rolling back in her head.

Su Wu floated in mid-air, looking down at this shivering ant from above.

"This membership system—did you set it?"

"No, no, no! It wasn't!" Zhao Decai was so scared he was incoherent. "It was... it was this lowly one who set it privately! I thought Canglan Base was remote, far from the central authority, and wanted to amass some wealth... My Lord, I was wrong! I was truly wrong! I'll abolish it right now! Immediately!"

Su Wu reached out a hand and, like picking up a chick, gripped Zhao Decai's throat from a distance and lifted him up.

"Urgh... urgh..."

Zhao Decai's feet kicked wildly, his face turning the color of pig liver. The feeling of suffocation made him feel the call of the Grim Reaper.

"Amassing wealth by coming after me."

Su Wu looked at him coldly. "If this were my temper from when I was younger, you would already be a corpse."

"However, I'm here today to buy things for my son. I don't want to see blood; it's bad luck."

Thud.

Su Wu tossed him aside like trash into a corner.

"You are spared the death penalty, but you cannot escape punishment."

Su Wu landed back on the ground, patted his hands, and said calmly, "I'm going to shop at Treasure Pavilion today. You decide what to do."

Zhao Decai, having escaped death, gasped for breath. Hearing this, how could he dare to hesitate for even a second?

He scrambled to Su Wu's feet, fawning like a lapdog:

"My Lord! Your presence in this small shop is a blessing from my ancestors! Don't worry about payment; whatever you like, just take it! It's all free! All free!"

"Oh? Free?" Su Wu raised an eyebrow. "That's what you said. I didn't force you."

"No forcing! Absolutely no forcing! This is my humble tribute to you!" Zhao Decai shook his head like a rattle, fearing this Martial King would turn him into meat paste if he were unhappy.

"Fine then, since you are so sincere."

A 'kind' smile curled at the corners of Su Wu's mouth.

"Lead the way to the third floor. Bring out your best Qi and Blood Potions, Body Tempering Pills, and whatever Heaven And Earth Treasures you have."

...

Ten minutes later.

On the third floor of Treasure Pavilion, the shelves that were once full of dazzling items were now bare, cleaner than if a dog had licked them.

Zhao Decai looked at the empty warehouse, his heart bleeding, yet he still had to keep a smile on his face. "My Lord, this... this is all of the shop's inventory. Three vials of B-grade 'Dragon Blood Grass Extract' and ten bottles of 'Purple Gold Body Tempering Pills'."

These things combined were worth over 200 million federal credits! It was the profit of this branch for three years!

But compared to his life, what did this bit of money matter?

Su Wu looked at the small mountain of resources before him and nodded in satisfaction.

These things would be enough to feed that kid Su Yu's Chaos Body for a while.

"Not bad."

Su Wu was about to find a bag to pack them when his gaze suddenly fell upon an ancient silver ring on Zhao Decai's left index finger.

Su Wu's eyes lit up.

A space ring!

In this world, although storage equipment existed, because space crystals were extremely rare, they were expensive and often unavailable regardless of price. Even a one-cubic-meter space ring could be traded for a villa in District A!

He hadn't expected this minor manager to be hiding such a good thing.

Sensing Su Wu's predatory gaze, Zhao Decai's whole body stiffened, and he subconsciously pulled his hand back.

"Um... I see that ring of yours is quite unique." Su Wu said with a smile.

Zhao Decai was about to cry.

This was his life-saving asset that he had spent half his life's savings on, using connections to buy from the black market!

But did he dare not give it?

Looking at Su Wu's half-smiling expression, Zhao Decai bit back his tears, tremblingly took off the ring, and offered it with both hands:

"My Lord... if you like it, this storage ring... shall also be offered to you as a tribute!"

Su Wu took the ring without ceremony. With a sweep of his Divine Thought, he found that although the space inside wasn't large—only about one cubic meter—it was enough to hold these potions and pills.

"At least you're sensible."

Su Wu swept all the resources on the ground into the ring in one go, then put the ring on his finger, feeling in high spirits.

"Alright, as for today's matter, I don't want a third person to know my identity."

Su Wu patted Zhao Decai's greasy face and left a warning.

"I understand! This lowly one understands! My Lord is just an ordinary customer passing through!" Zhao Decai nodded frantically.

Su Wu turned and strode out of Treasure Pavilion.

The sunlight fell upon him. Feeling the space ring on his finger and thinking of his "gold-swallowing beast" of a son waiting to be fed at home, Su Wu felt that he was truly being a very competent father.

Behind him, Treasure Pavilion was a mess. Zhao Decai slumped on the ground, looking at his ransacked shop. Unable to cry, he could only give the unconscious female clerk a vicious kick.

"You spendthrift woman! You almost got me killed!"