A magical journey of a sharp-tongued woman and a goofy man

Golden light swirled around the edge of the portal, flickering like breath.

Ye Shuli stood before this door leading to the unknown, her heart beating a little fast.

An ancient aura surrounded her, as if urging her to quickly begin a new chapter.

But Ye Shuli isn't the kind of person who gets led by the atmosphere.

She took a deep breath and thought to herself, "Adventure is exciting, but improving my strength is the key!"

To break through to the peak of the Spirit Realm, one must find sufficient resources.

Ye Shuli recalled hearing about the spirit crystal trading market before, which supposedly had many good things there.

She acted immediately, turning around and leaving decisively without any hesitation.

The Spirit Crystal Trading Market was bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, just like a vegetable market.

Ye Shuli glanced at them briefly; the various colors and shapes of spirit crystals were dazzling and overwhelming.

But she soon discovered that many high-quality spirit crystal stalls had "sold out" signs.

Upon inquiring, they learned that these rare spirit crystals were monopolized by a mysterious organization.

Ye Shuli walked up to a stall that looked reasonably reliable. The stall owner was a greasy middle-aged man named Chen the Vendor.

"Boss, do you have any high-grade spirit crystals?" Ye Shuli asked directly.

The merchant Chen glanced at Ye Shuli and immediately recognized her as the recently popular figure. His expression changed instantly: "So it's Miss Ye. Those high-grade spirit crystals you wanted, our shop doesn't have any. They've all... they've all been reserved by others." He spoke haltingly, his eyes flickering, clearly lacking confidence.

"Reservations? I bet they've all been controlled by that mysterious organization, haven't they?" Ye Shuli wasn't buying it; her tone was laced with sarcasm.

Upon hearing this, Chen, the merchant, turned pale with fright and hurriedly waved his hands, saying, "Miss Ye, please don't talk nonsense. I... I run a small business, how could I dare to offend those big shots!" As he spoke, he cautiously observed his surroundings, afraid of being targeted by someone.

Upon witnessing this scene, the surrounding vendors quickly distanced themselves, as if avoiding a plague, fearing they would be drawn into the conflict.

The atmosphere in the market suddenly became tense.

Ye Shuli looked at Chen the merchant's cowardly appearance and sneered inwardly.

She crossed her arms and said in an icy tone, "So, you're not planning to sell it to me?"

The vendor wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and stammered, "No...it's not that I don't want to sell, it's just that I really don't have any!"

Ye Shuli raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that so? I do have a way..."

Ye Shuli's lips curled into a sly smile: "Mr. Chen, doing business is all about mutual benefit. Look at the current situation, the market for high-grade spirit crystals is monopolized. Even if you hoard them, you won't be able to sell them. Why don't we cooperate?"

The merchant Chen was taken aback, his eyes darting around as he wondered what this little girl was up to.

Ye Shuli continued, "I need some high-grade spirit crystals, and you need a safe sales channel. I can help you sell these spirit crystals, and the price will definitely be much higher than if you secretly sold them to those mysterious organizations. How about it, consider it?"

The surrounding vendors all pricked up their ears, listening curiously like weasels in a melon patch.

This Miss Ye is truly outrageous; how dare she set her sights on a mysterious organization?

The merchant Chen was very apprehensive. This business sounded good, but the risks were too great!

He hesitated, his expression shifting like a palette of colors.

Ye Shuli saw his concerns and added fuel to the fire: "Boss Chen, I know what you're worried about. But as you've seen, even if you don't sell to me, those mysterious organizations won't let you go. Rather than waiting to die, you might as well take a gamble and turn your bicycle into a motorcycle!"

Upon hearing this, Chen, the merchant, felt that Ye Shuli's words made some sense.

High-grade spirit crystals are currently in short supply on the market, and the goods he has stockpiled are like a hot potato.

Rather than waiting to be stolen by a mysterious organization, it's better to sell it to Ye Shuli and make a profit.

He gritted his teeth and hardened his heart: "Fine! Miss Ye, I'll trust you this once! I'll do as you say!"

The surrounding vendors gasped in shock. This Mr. Chen was incredibly audacious!

Ye Shuli nodded in satisfaction and purchased a batch of high-grade spirit crystals from Chen the merchant.

Looking at the spirit crystal in her hand that was emitting a soft glow, she was secretly delighted, thinking that breaking through to the Spirit Master level was just around the corner!

Just then, a cold voice suddenly rang out: "Oh, isn't this Miss Ye? What's up, shopping here?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man dressed in black with a sinister face slowly walking towards them.

He was followed by several fierce-looking thugs who were clearly not good people.

This person is none other than Boss Qin, the leader of the mysterious organization.

Qin Laoda thought Ye Shuli would be scared off by the resource monopoly, but he didn't expect her to actually buy spirit crystals from Chen Shangfan, which made him furious.

His face was grim as he approached Ye Shuli step by step, his tone chilling: "Ye Shuli, you've got some nerve, daring to touch my things!"

The surrounding vendors were so frightened that they dared not breathe and kept their distance, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.

A suffocating, terrifying atmosphere filled the air.

A murderous glint flashed in Qin's eyes as he coldly said, "Looks like you're going to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit..."

At Qin Laoda's command, several black-clad thugs behind him pounced on Ye Shuli like hungry wolves.

These guys all exude a fierce aura; they're clearly ruthless characters.

"Holy crap, is this for real?!" Jiang Ye, hiding in the shadows, couldn't help but swear. His palms were sweaty, and he wished he could rush out immediately to protect his little fairy.

These thugs were incredibly fast, their moves were fierce, and they created gusts of wind, making the onlookers around them jump with fear.

Ye Shuli moved nimbly, dodging left and right like a cunning fox, weaving through the gaps in the attacks.

"With skills like that, it's a shame he's not in the movies!" Jiang Ye watched with great interest, muttering his comments, "Left, left! Yes, yes, beautiful!"

Although Ye Shuli dodged several attacks, she was clearly at a disadvantage, as the other side had a large number of people.

The onlookers were all worried for her; this young girl was probably doomed.

At this critical moment, Ye Shuli's eyes sharpened, and a plan came to mind.

She changed her pace and deliberately ran towards the area where goods were piled up in the market.

"Huh? What is she trying to do?" Jiang Ye was also a little puzzled. This place was extremely messy and it would be easy to get trapped.

Ye Shuli dodged an attack with a swift movement and then kicked over a basket full of fruit.

Various fruits rolled all over the ground, the scene was comparable to a car accident.

One of the thugs who was at the front couldn't dodge in time and stepped on a rotten watermelon. With a "plop," he fell flat on his face.

"Pfft, hahaha!" Jiang Ye couldn't help but burst out laughing. The scene was too hilarious; it was as if the King of Comedy had possessed him!

The surrounding crowd was amused by this sudden turn of events, and the tense atmosphere was instantly broken.

Taking the opportunity to create some distance, Ye Shuli winked at Jiang Ye, her eyes full of cunning.

Jiang Ye understood immediately and threw a small stone, hitting another thug's pressure point and rendering him unable to move.

Boss Qin's face turned ashen. These good-for-nothings had actually been tricked by a little girl!

"Useless trash! All of you, get up here!" Old Qin roared.

"Li'er, be careful!" Jiang Ye warned, his tone tinged with worry.

Ye Shuli smiled sweetly, gave him a reassuring look, and then...

He pulled out a handful of chili powder.

"Chili powder attack! I'll blind your dog eyes!" Ye Shuli shouted, throwing the chili powder in her hand.

The pungent red powder instantly spread, filling the air with a spicy smell.

Caught off guard, the black-clad thugs were all hit, covering their eyes, tears streaming down their faces, coughing incessantly, their fighting ability instantly dropping by 80%.

"Ha! My secret technique, how does it taste?" Ye Shuli raised her eyebrows smugly. This was a self-defense artifact she brought from the modern world, and she didn't expect it to be so useful in another world.

Jiang Ye watched in stunned silence. This move was absolutely amazing!

He couldn't help but give Ye Shuli a thumbs up: "Li'er, you're such a treasure!"

Taking advantage of the chaos, Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye quickly fled the scene, leaving Boss Qin and a group of "blind men" bewildered in the wind.

Although she had temporarily escaped Qin Laoda's pursuit, Ye Shuli knew very well that this was only a temporary measure.

Boss Qin will not give up easily, and their situation remains dangerous.

Back at her residence, Ye Shuli looked at the pitiful amount of spirit crystals in her hand and felt a sense of powerlessness welling up inside her.

This amount of spirit crystals is simply a drop in the ocean for someone trying to break through to the Spirit Master level.

"Sigh, this path of cultivation is even harder than the college entrance exam!" Ye Shuli couldn't help but complain.

The threat from the mysterious organization was like a mountain, suffocating her.

Everything around seemed to be shrouded in shadow, and even the air became heavy.

Just then, a carrier pigeon flew in and landed on Ye Shuli's windowsill.

She opened the letter, which read: I know other ways to obtain spirit crystals. Come to Sunset Valley for a chat as soon as possible.

The signature was an unfamiliar name – “Ghost Hand”.

"Ghost Hand?" Ye Shuli frowned. She felt like she had heard the name somewhere before, but she couldn't remember where.

Jiang Ye leaned closer for a look, his expression changing slightly: "Li'er, this person doesn't have a good reputation. It's said he's a morally ambiguous character. You'd better be careful."

Ye Shuli hesitated for a moment, undecided. Should she go to Sunset Valley or not?

"Fortune favors the bold..." Ye Shuli murmured to herself.