Upside Down Grocery Shop - Chapter 38

Lin Xiu’s expression grew darker and darker. The indifference he had displayed earlier was long gone. Just moments ago, he was looking at Su Ran like a monkey; now, he had become the monkey himself.

“Sure enough, you did attack Bai Yi, but you underestimated my white mist. That mist isn’t just morning fog—it doesn’t just obscure vision, preventing you from seeing what’s happening inside. It also clings to your flying sword.”

“So, actually, at that time, you didn’t kill Bai Yi,” Su Ran sneered.

“What?” Lin Xiu was stunned. “That’s impossible.”

“Oh, so you’re admitting to your crimes now?”

Lin Xiu fell silent.

“It’s simple. I used the white mist to create a refracted shadow behind Bai Yi. You thought you landed a fatal blow, but in reality, you only injured her, not killed her,” Su Ran smiled with a provocative look in his eyes. “Am I right, Bai Yi?”

“Correct.” Bai Yi appeared beside Li Xiaotong, her gaze toward Lin Xiu full of fury.

Bai Yi wasn’t dead! Now Li Xiaotong understood why Bai Yi’s flying sword had saved her earlier.

Seeing that Bai Yi was indeed alive, Lin Xiu’s hatred boiled to the point of exploding. “I clearly saw you disintegrate!”

Su Ran chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. “That was also one of my tricks.”

“Illusions, petty tricks.”

“Petty or not, if it fools you, it’s a big trick.”

Lin Xiu’s fingers twitched, and a flying sword appeared in his palm.

Li Xiaotong and the others immediately panicked and hid behind Su Ran.

“Hey, at least let me finish talking,” Su Ran said lazily.

“Go ahead.”

“Alright,” Su Ran didn’t seem the least bit concerned about the flying sword in Lin Xiu’s hand.

“I had Xiaotong keep Bai Yi close, not just for company but to have Bai Yi protect her. When I returned to the shop, I noticed traces of my white mist on you, and some of your wounds had reopened. Clearly, you’d been active. That’s when I started suspecting you.”

“Once I started suspecting, everything I couldn’t figure out before began making sense.”

Lin Xiu smiled coldly. “Not bad, Su Ran. I underestimated you.”

“You’re just too ruthless. You don’t even value human life. I bet you even planned to kill Li Chuan, who knew nothing, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” Lin Xiu admitted everything without hesitation.

“Li Chuan senior didn’t know anything, and you still wanted to kill him!”

Li Xiaotong shouted angrily. Lin Xiu had reached a level of madness beyond comprehension.

“Blame him for getting too close to you. I needed to ensure nothing went wrong. If there was even the slightest doubt, I couldn’t let it slide.”

“You’re not just a murderer; you’re a lunatic!”

Li Xiaotong cursed him, furious at herself for not seeing through this wolf in sheep’s clothing earlier.

“I am a lunatic. And let me tell you, today, all of you will die!”

Lin Xiu glared at Su Ran, his grin sinister. “Su Ran, that includes you.”

“Alright, alright, we get it. We’re all going to die. No need to repeat yourself; it’s getting boring.”

Su Ran’s nonchalant attitude made Lin Xiu’s death threat seem like a joke.

“But before we die, shouldn’t I finish the story? It’s frustrating to leave it hanging like this.”

Lin Xiu smirked. “Fine, go ahead.”

“Later, Wang Xiaoqin must have realized your ruthlessness and knew you wouldn’t spare her. So, in desperation, she gave her flying sword to Zhao Feifei, claiming it was a craft from her hometown.”

Zhao Feifei sighed softly, still feeling wronged for being dragged into this deadly vortex.

“Poor Wang Xiaoqin, so young.”

“She’s not pitiful at all. Do you know why she gave you the sword? It was to make you a target for Lin Xiu. She wanted to use your status to cause a stir, making Lin Xiu less blatant in his actions, buying her time to escape.”

Zhao Feifei felt resentment in her heart. She had treated Wang Xiaoqin well in the company.

“Wang Xiaoqin is dead, so Little Bean Sprout is the last sword, right?”

“Yes. Other than the ones you and Li Xiaotong are holding, she’s the last. Once my task is complete, anyone connected will have to die. Sun Li, Zhao Feifei—anyone I suspect must die. I imagine I’m included too?”

“Of course. As the one who knows the most, you have to be the last to go.”

“Fortunately, I had Xiaotong wash off the marks you left on her, which allowed us to find Sun Li and Little Bean Sprout in time. Otherwise, who knows how many more people would have died.”

“Hahaha!” Lin Xiu laughed wildly. “Su Ran, do you think you’ve won just because you figured it all out? Ridiculous. Tell me, even if you know everything I’ve done, do you know why I did it?”

Little Bean Sprout and Bai Yi were about to speak, but Su Ran stopped them.

“Lin Xiu, I told you you wouldn’t shed tears until you saw the coffin, but you refused to believe me.”

“You’re hunting down sword spirits, not because they betrayed you, but because Shushan harbors ill intentions toward the mortal realm. The sword spirits discovered this and, unwilling to let innocent lives suffer, fled Shushan to seek help in the mortal realm.”

Lin Xiu stared at Su Ran as if looking at a monster. “You! How do you know this?”

Little Bean Sprout and Bai Yi were also astonished. How could Su Ran know all this?

“I also know that when the sword spirits fled, the men of Shushan slaughtered them. The male sword spirits fought to the death to allow the women and children to escape. Am I right?”

“Impossible!”

Lin Xiu completely lost it, Su Ran’s words igniting a spark that sent him into hysteria.

This knowledge should have been exclusive to the escaped sword spirits and Shushan!

“Justice may be late, but it always arrives,” Su Ran shouted. “Chubby boy!”

Li Xiaotong was startled. Chubby boy?

A chubby figure emerged from the shop, sticking out his tongue at Lin Xiu.

“You!” Lin Xiu recognized him and was taken aback. “You’re a sword spirit too!”

“That’s right!” Chubby boy said smugly. “Surprised? Not only am I a sword spirit, but I was the first one to find Su Ran’s shop. Shocked, aren’t you?”

Finally, everything clicked. This explained how Su Ran knew everything.

“Good… GOOD!”

Lin Xiu roared, “I admit defeat in this matter, but Su Ran, you’re all still going to die today!”

Dozens of flying swords materialized around him, their aura terrifying. Even Chubby boy hid behind Su Ran.

Su Ran, however, remained calm and unfazed.

“You’re really dense. I already suspected you, so do you think I wouldn’t prepare for this day?”

Lin Xiu’s expression shifted to one of fear.

“Boom!” Su Ran chuckled.

Lin Xiu exploded, his flying swords scattering. He collapsed, coughing blood, incapacitated.

“You… you…” Lin Xiu tried to speak, pointing at Su Ran.

“You forgot about the Duanlong Stone,” Su Ran said, shaking his head in amusement.

Lin Xiu spat blood and passed out.

Su Ran laughed. “Alright, all done. Time to pack up.”

Li Xiaotong frowned. “Su Ran, I have a question.”

“What? Your brain actually works sometimes?”

“If Shushan is targeting sword spirits, Lin Xiu can’t be the only one. So what now?”

“Don’t worry. Someone else will handle it.”

Somewhere in Jiangnan.

“Su Ran has uncovered everything. It’s our turn now.”

“Didn’t expect Su Ran to have some skill.”

“Skill? I think he just got lucky.”

“Right, in the end, we still have to clean up his mess.”

“Spread the word. Full-scale eradication of Shushan operatives in the mortal realm. Resistance means death!”

“Understood!”

Shushan.

A man clad in black armor stood at Shushan’s gates, an army behind him.

“Di Ye, what’s the matter?”

“Shushan has disrupted the mortal realm and slaughtered innocent lives. From today onward, the gates of Shushan are sealed!”

“Arrogant! Do you think Shushan is someone you can mess with?”

“Anyone who resists will be killed!”

“Kill!” The army’s roar shook the heavens.

Silence fell over Shushan.

Di Ye looked at the mountain. “Su Ran, if you make me clean up after you again, I’ll tear down your shop.”

Many days later, Bai Yi, Little Bean Sprout, Xiao Pangzi, and the other sword spirits that had been found were taken to a mysterious location. Nobody knew where—not even Su Ran.

The murder case that had caused such a stir was finally solved. The criminal Lin Xiu, in collusion with accomplice Wang Xiaoqin, had cruelly killed two students for money. Their methods were heinous.

Wang Xiaoqin was killed by Lin Xiu due to a dispute over dividing the spoils. While escaping, Lin Xiu accidentally triggered the explosives he had on him, leaving himself permanently disabled.

In the end, Lin Xiu was sentenced to death!

A few days ago, the glass exterior of the Hongwei Building shattered entirely. It was determined to be caused by a natural gas pipeline explosion.

Once again, safety awareness was brought to greater public attention.

Zhao Feifei sipped her coffee as she gazed out the window.

“General Manager, the police have left. Regarding Wang Xiaoqin’s case, we’re in the clear.”

Zhao Feifei nodded. “By the way, who exactly was this Wang Xiaoqin?”

The secretary looked at Zhao Feifei, momentarily unsure how to respond.

“Forget it. Be smarter next time. We don’t want people with such poor character in the future.”

“Understood.”

At the university.

“Xiaotong, summer break is coming up. Where do you plan to go?”

“I don’t have any plans. I’ll just head home first.”

“I thought you and Qian Qian had already decided to visit Qingdao?”

“Hey, stop bringing that up. Xiaotong, we’re heading out now.”

“Okay,” Li Xiaotong said as she put away her earphones. “Qian Qian? Who’s that?”

Walking upstairs, she noticed a dorm room that had been sealed off. Shaking her head, she chuckled wryly. “A newly renovated dorm building with issues already? That’s just disappointing.”

Sun Li was out walking her puppy. It was a golden retriever that hadn’t fully grown yet.

“Your dog is adorable. What’s its name?”

“Oh, Little Bean Sprout.”

“What a funny name!”

Sun Li glanced across the street at the Upside Down Grocery Shop. “People these days will name their shops anything just to attract business. Upside Down? I’ll name mine Left and Right!”

Su Ran was still lounging at the entrance of his shop, cracking sunflower seeds, ogling pretty women, and living his leisurely life.