The Strength of a Clerk
Bu Shiyi smiled awkwardly, then called Bu Lige and Jiang Shengjun over.
Both were in the heat of battle when interrupted and were naturally annoyed. However, their frustration evaporated the moment they saw Old Bai.
They were well aware of who Old Bai was.
"We greet you, Mr. Bai," Bu Lige and Jiang Shengjun said respectfully, though curiosity flickered in their eyes.
Why was Mr. Bai visiting the boss's shop?
Bu Lige suddenly recalled something—Old Bai had indeed been here before. Wasn't it he who had purchased the Coke that Emperor gifted to Bu Lige?
Old Bai nodded in acknowledgment.
Bu Shiyi and Gu Yunxi introduced themselves, making it clear they were all patrons of the shop—a bond that naturally encouraged familiarity.
Meanwhile, Yao Ziyan exited her game and joined them.
The moment she saw Old Bai, her gaze sharpened slightly.
Old Bai, a cultivator at the Pathseeker level, was no ordinary individual. Yet, under Yao Ziyan's scrutiny, he froze.
It felt as if he were being targeted by a ferocious, otherworldly force. His entire body tensed instinctively.
The realization struck him like a thunderclap: the seemingly ordinary girl working beside Luo Chuan was an overwhelming powerhouse! Her strength was so immense that resistance felt futile.
Stepping forward, Yao Ziyan nodded politely and introduced herself, a faint smile gracing her stunning face. "I'm Yao Ziyan, a clerk at Origin Mall."
Bowing his head quickly, Old Bai replied, "I greet you, Senior! Please, just call me Bai Hong."
He already understood that Yao Ziyan's power far surpassed his own. If his Pathseeker cultivation was akin to a river, Yao Ziyan's might was an ocean—vast, unfathomable, and utterly incomparable.
The gap between the Pathseeker and Eminence levels was as unbridgeable as a chasm.
Shock rippled through Old Bai.
A clerk with this level of strength?
What did this say about the boss himself? He dared not speculate further.
And yet, a nagging question lingered in his mind.
Why would someone as powerful as Yao Ziyan willingly work as a shop clerk?
Perhaps this was simply Luo Chuan's way—an enigmatic habit of someone truly beyond comprehension.
Old Bai suddenly recalled Ji Tianhao from the day before.
To have provoked such a terrifyingly powerful entity... Ji Tianhao was courting death!
---
Meanwhile, Gu Yunxi and Jiang Wanshang exchanged bewildered glances.
They couldn't believe their ears.
Did Old Bai just address Yao Ziyan as Senior?
Was this some sort of auditory illusion?
Yao Ziyan was merely a clerk—how could she be stronger than Old Bai, an Pathseeker-level cultivator?
Bu Lige, Bu Shiyi, and Jiang Shengjun, who were aware of Yao Ziyan's identity as part of the ancient Royal Demon Beast lineage, were equally stunned. They hadn't realized her strength reached such terrifying heights.
If even Old Bai had to treat her with deference, the gap between them and her was truly immense.
For a moment, the group grew cautious around Yao Ziyan.
Sensing the awkward tension, Yao Ziyan laughed softly. "I'm just a clerk in the boss's shop."
She glanced at Luo Chuan, seated behind the counter.
Unsurprisingly, he remained unmoved, as composed as ever.
---
The conversation soon shifted.
"Mr. Bai, did you come here for something specific?" Bu Shiyi asked curiously.
Old Bai nodded. "I'm here to deliver the compensation His Majesty promised to the boss."
"Compensation?" Gu Yunxi and Jiang Wanshang were perplexed.
Why would the Heavenly Star Emperor need to compensate the boss?
Those in the know, however, weren't surprised.
The events at Wind Immortal Tower the previous evening were still fresh in their minds.
After hearing about it from Bu Lige, Bu Shiyi had shared the tale at the Southern Protector Marquis Estate. Ji Wuhui's promise of fifty thousand spirit crystals as reparations had been mentioned then.
No one had expected Old Bai to deliver the compensation so soon.