Upside Down Grocery Shop - Chapter 13

A new grizzly bear suddenly appeared… Should she tell Su Ran about this? Xiao Ling felt increasingly uneasy, remembering it was a grizzly that killed Zhang Tingting. After the black bear showed up, her focus had been solely on the bear, overlooking the differences between the grizzly and black bears. This sudden reappearance of a grizzly… Could it be the same one that killed Zhang Tingting?

No way!

After thinking it over, Xiao Ling decided it would be safer to inform Su Ran of this new concern. Su Ran and Fang Yuan were already going to confront the bear, but if they ended up facing not one but two bears, it could be deadly!

Just as Xiao Ling was about to get up, a golden rain began falling inside the performance hall. Reflected in the lights, it sparkled brilliantly, a dazzling, dreamlike scene at first glance.

Gasps rippled through the crowd—this kind of opening act was something they’d never seen before.

Xiao Ling watched the golden rain, suddenly feeling dizzy. She couldn’t tell if it was the blinding lights or if there was something wrong with the rain itself. “Not good!” She quickly covered her mouth and nose, but it was too late. Her body went limp, her breath became ragged, and a wild, even bloodthirsty impulse surged within her.

With her last bit of clarity, Xiao Ling looked around in disbelief. The crowd had turned restless and aggressive, like beasts that had been provoked, with some people even growling like animals. The children were the worst, losing all sense of self and turning into monsters.

Xiao Ling found she could no longer control herself; her reason and awareness were slipping away fast. At that moment, a beautiful woman appeared in front of her. “Officer Xiao, we meet again!”

A familiar face, a familiar voice.

“The most expensive things in the world are free,” the woman sneered. “Did you enjoy that ticket I gave you last time?”

“So it was you,” Xiao Ling murmured weakly. “What did you do?”

“A mere mortal like you wouldn’t understand even if I told you. It would be a waste of breath.”

Xiao Ling lost consciousness completely. As she fell, her vision went dark.

Meanwhile, Su Ran stood in front of the cage containing the little bear that everyone had ridiculed as a “tiny pup.” People laughed, saying the circus must be dirt poor to have a little black dog pretending to be a bear just to make money.

It wasn’t hard to see why. The bear was small, clumsy, and timid—kids didn’t even believe it was a bear. But Su Ran believed otherwise.

The little black bear shrank into the corner of the cage, looking up at Su Ran with a pitiful expression.

Su Ran smirked. “No need to put on that act in front of me. Your bear paws were delicious, by the way. Took me three days to finish them,” he said, knocking on the cage as he looked at the bear. “Am I right?”

The little black bear looked at him, then slowly stood up, all traces of meekness gone. The next moment, it did something shocking: it spoke human words. “Su Ran, as the owner of Upside Down Grocery Shop, you’re really breaking the rules.”

“Well, well,” Su Ran chuckled. “Pretty impressive, being able to speak like a human. Good, saves us some trouble. I don’t need you lecturing me on rules. I just want to know one thing: will you turn yourself in, or should I take you down?”

The black bear laughed, its body rapidly transforming from a “tiny pup” into an enormous, terrifying bear with razor-sharp claws and teeth. “You think you can take me down?!”

With a powerful burst, the cage shattered, and the black bear lunged at Su Ran, its jaws open wide, aiming for his neck.

Su Ran sneered, raising his hand to stop the bear.

But his expression shifted suddenly when he realized his powers had no effect on it. “Hm? Strange!”

The next instant, the bear was upon him. Su Ran swung his arm, a long blade appearing in his hand as he slashed at the bear’s head.

If the strike landed, the bear’s head would likely be severed.

The blade struck solidly, but it was like hitting metal. The bear was unharmed, not even a hair out of place, while Su Ran’s hand was jolted in pain, his blade clattering to the ground. The bear seized Su Ran’s arm in its jaws and flung him across the room.

Su Ran staggered up, eyeing the bear as a strange golden light shimmered through its fur. “Human soul?”

The bear sneered, pacing back and forth. “Su Ran, you broke the rules first. Even if I devour you, no one can do anything about it!”

Su Ran dusted himself off, glancing around. “Talk big all you want. I’m right here. Go ahead and try it if you’ve got the guts.” He taunted the bear with a smirk.

The bear paced, refusing to rush forward. “Su Ran, I know you’re the owner of Upside Down Grocery Shop and you’ve got your privileges. But really, are a few mortals worth making me your enemy?”

Su Ran stood firm, his eyes gleaming. “You’re right; we usually stay out of each other’s business. I’m not one to meddle without reason. But you crossed the line—killing someone’s wife and child wasn’t enough; you wanted to wipe out an entire family. Such cruelty cannot go unpunished!”

The bear huffed coldly. “Su Ran, don’t push your luck. Are you really not afraid that those down below will punish you for meddling in mortal affairs?”

“Don’t try to scare me with that bunch. I don’t fear them,” Su Ran scoffed. “And besides, I’m not stirring up trouble for no reason. You were the one who stole my Upside Down Grocery Shop’s candle in the first place. I came to claim it, but you refused. So here I am, and I dare anyone to say a word against me.”

The bear growled, “The candle was something I took from someone else. What does that have to do with you? Once it’s left Upside Down Grocery Shop, it’s no longer your concern—that’s the rule!”

“Oh, really?” Su Ran smirked. “You say you took it from someone else? Where’s your proof? Or can you bring that person forward to vouch for you?”

“You! You’re playing dirty!”

“Hah, if there’s no proof, then I’ll say you stole from my shop. I’m here to retrieve my property, perfectly reasonable. Who dares say otherwise?”

The bear roared in fury. “Enough talk, I’ll devour you!”

The bear charged with the force of a thunderbolt, like an unstoppable tank, but Su Ran stood unflinching. As the bear lunged, a golden light glinted in Su Ran’s palm, ready to strike.

Seeing the glow, the bear didn’t slow down at all, showing no fear.

“Something’s wrong!” Su Ran’s face changed as he realized, but it was already too late.

A massive grizzly bear suddenly appeared, lunging at Su Ran’s head.

Had he not dodged in time, his head would’ve been bitten clean off. The grizzly only managed to sink its teeth into his shoulder, thrashing him around like a rag doll.

“Do you really think I’m an easy target?” Su Ran, nearly dizzy from the shaking, cried out, “Take this!”

The grizzly let out a miserable howl as Su Ran jabbed its eye, causing it to release him with a painful roar.