Upside Down Grocery Shop - Chapter 36

Sun Li saw the little girl walk out and wanted to scream, but not a sound came out.

Su Ran looked at the little girl. This sword spirit was different from the others. Though outwardly indistinguishable, her aura was clearly non-human. Even ordinary people would notice something unusual after spending some time with her.

“I’m Su Ran. I want you to come with me,” Su Ran said.

The little girl looked scared. “I can come with you, but you have to let my mom go first.”

Mom?

Su Ran waved his hand, and Sun Li found she could move again. She immediately stood in front of the little girl, spreading her arms. “If you want to take her, you’ll have to kill me first!”

It seemed a bond had already formed between them.

Su Ran sighed and sat on the couch. “Do you really think you can protect her?”

“I can!” Sun Li said without hesitation.

“My ass!” Su Ran didn’t hold back. “Someone is hunting her down, along with everyone connected to her. You can’t even stop me, so how will you keep her safe?”

Sun Li didn’t respond but didn’t back down either.

Deep down, she knew Su Ran was right. She couldn’t protect her. But so what? She was Little Bean Sprout’s mom, after all.

“Sit down. Let’s talk,” Su Ran said.

Little Bean Sprout smiled at Sun Li. “It’s okay.”

They all sat down, and Su Ran got straight to the point. “Why did you sword spirits escape from Shushan?”

Sun Li didn’t understand the question but stayed quiet.

Little Bean Sprout hesitated before speaking. “Su Ran, do you believe we’re innocent? Those people who died—it wasn’t us who killed them.”

“I know.”

“You know?” Little Bean Sprout was confused. “Then why are you chasing us?”

“First of all, I’m not chasing you; I’m looking for you. With your kind of sword spirits, who can’t even take care of yourselves, let alone survive in a city, there’s no way you’re behind those killings. If I didn’t find you first, you’d all be dead by now.”

Little Bean Sprout smiled wryly. “You’re right. We really couldn’t survive after we came out. We had no choice but to find people to host us. That’s how Mom picked me up.”

Sun Li smiled and patted Little Bean Sprout’s head. She genuinely wanted a well-behaved daughter like her.

“But do you realize that because of this, everyone you’ve chosen is now in life-threatening danger? Many people have already died because of it.”

Little Bean Sprout fell silent.

Li Xiaotong, listening quietly, thought of Qianqian. She must have been the same way.

“We’re sorry. We really didn’t want this to happen, but we have to finish something,” Little Bean Sprout said softly.

“What is it?”

Suddenly, a sword flew through the window, aiming straight at Little Bean Sprout.

Sun Li and Li Xiaotong hadn’t even reacted yet.

Su Ran waved his hand, freezing the flying sword in midair. Then he shoved Little Bean Sprout and Sun Li down onto the couch. In the next moment, another sword came shooting in.

Su Ran’s long blade appeared in his hand, deflecting the sword.

The sword spun around and targeted Li Xiaotong instead.

Li Xiaotong was terrified. As the sword came toward her, she froze, unable to dodge.

A silver light flashed. Bai Yi’s flying sword appeared and knocked the attacking sword away.

Su Ran’s reinforced gauntlet grabbed the sword mid-air, stopping it from struggling.

He positioned himself in front of Sun Li and Little Bean Sprout, waiting cautiously. After a long silence, he said, “Come out. It’s safe now.”

Sun Li cautiously emerged first, confirming the danger was gone, before letting Little Bean Sprout out.

“Now you see. If I hadn’t arrived in time, both you and Little Bean Sprout would be dead,” Su Ran said grimly.

Sun Li didn’t say a word.

“Su Ran, I’ll go with you. Please protect my mom,” Little Bean Sprout begged.

“Little Bean Sprout, I’m sorry. Mom doesn’t have the power to protect you.”

“Mom loves me the most. Why are you apologizing?”

Sun Li smiled bitterly.

Li Xiaotong looked at the Bai Yi flying sword in her hand. If it hadn’t been for it, she’d be dead. But wasn’t Bai Yi dead? How could her sword still save her?

“Su Ran, this sword?”

“We’ll talk later.”

“Sun Li, Little Bean Sprout, this place is no longer safe. Xiaotong, take them to my Upside Down Grocery Shop. Remember, no matter what happens, don’t come out.” Su Ran seemed urgent, as if something serious was about to happen.

“What about you?”

“I have something important to do,” Su Ran said, looking at Little Bean Sprout. “You’re a sword spirit. You’ll have to protect your mom now.”

“Got it.”

Su Ran left. This was the first time he’d left Li Xiaotong behind.

Li Xiaotong felt uneasy and a little scared. Without Su Ran, she didn’t even know which foot to step forward with.

“Let’s go to the Upside Down Grocery Shop,” she said.

Jixiang Media Company.

Zhao Feifei stayed in her office, just as Su Ran had instructed. She didn’t know what was about to happen but felt uneasy.

Thinking about Su Ran, Zhao Feifei smiled and looked at her hand. It was empty, but it still seemed to hold the warmth of his touch.

“Could I really be falling for a man I’ve only met once?”

She stood in front of a mirror, looking at herself. “Actually, I’m not bad.” Although she was thirty, her charm was no less than that of twenty-year-old girls.

Suddenly, her expression changed dramatically. In the mirror, behind her, stood a person.

“You are?!”

Before Zhao Feifei could scream, the person attacked, a flying sword aiming for her life.

Zhao Feifei instinctively shut her eyes in terror. A light barrier appeared, blocking the sword.

“Damn it!”

The attacker growled like a furious ghost. The sword spun around for another attack.

Terrified, Zhao Feifei remembered Su Ran’s words: If there’s danger, jump!

Even though this was the 26th floor and jumping meant certain death, faced with this danger, Zhao Feifei chose to trust Su Ran.

She smashed through the glass and plummeted.

Su Ran appeared just in time, running down the side of the building and catching Zhao Feifei. He glanced up at the figure in the broken window.

“You’re still this stubborn!”

Su Ran yelled, the maneuver looking cool but leaving his back aching.

The figure in black at the window said nothing, leaping down to chase Su Ran.

This time, they didn’t run. Instead, they seemed intent on killing Su Ran.

Holding Zhao Feifei, Su Ran rapidly descended. With her in his arms, he couldn’t fight back. For now, ensuring her safety was the priority.

But the black-clad pursuer didn’t relent, their speed creating gusts of wind as their flying swords shot out like bullets.

“I’ve had enough of this! You think I’m some pushover?”

Fed up, Su Ran growled. Hugging Zhao Feifei tighter, he covered her ears.

Then he unleashed a thunderous roar.

The sound waves shattered every window on the building’s exterior, and the black-clad figure was blown away.

By the time he recovered, Su Ran and Zhao Feifei were nowhere to be seen.

Zhao Feifei was shaken by the day’s events but looked at Su Ran as if he was glowing.

“Su Ran, you came to save me,” she said softly.

“Can we not be so calm? We’re literally fleeing for our lives right now,” Su Ran replied.

“As long as you’re here, I’m not afraid,” she said, holding on to him a little tighter.

Su Ran glanced at her. “You’re crushing on me, aren’t you?”

Zhao Feifei’s face turned red. What a clueless jerk! He didn’t understand anything.