Chapter 24: The Contracted Medicine Furnace

She parted her lips, just about to call out her offer, when a hand suddenly reached out from the side.

Immediately following this, a brash and overbearing voice rang out: "I want everything you have here!" This haughty tone instantly drew the attention of everyone nearby.

"Ouyang Chenxi! Master, it's that insufferable cousin of yours! Why does she always show up to stir up trouble?" Xiao Ling identified the familiar voice at once.

As it turned out, Ouyang Chenxi was also dressed in a long black robe, making her appear no different from any other passerby. Yet, her unique voice was so distinctive that Xiao Ling had recognized her instantly.

By contrast, Ouyang Xiaoyue seemed hesitant after hearing Xiao Ling’s warning. She frowned slightly, as if searching her memory. After a long moment, she gave a subtle nod, as if she finally remembered who it was.

Faced with this sudden intrusion, the stall owner first glanced at Ouyang Xiaoyue before turning his gaze back to Ouyang Chenxi, saying slowly, "My apologies, milady. This alchemy furnace is no ordinary item; it is destined only for those with a karmic connection. As for the other items, if you are truly interested in purchasing them, we might be able to come to an arrangement..."

"What karmic connection? I—I am buying everything in your stall today! Look, ten low-grade spirit stones—is that not enough?" Seeing the stall owner disregard her, Ouyang Chenxi’s pretty face flushed with anger.

She reached into the storage pouch at her waist, grabbed a handful of spirit stones that glimmered with a faint purple light, and threw them forcefully in front of the stall owner. In truth, Ouyang Chenxi had no intention of targeting Ouyang Xiaoyue; she had no idea that the woman standing nearby was actually her cousin. She was only so desperate to clear out the stall because she had made a wager with someone.

However, the stall owner could no longer maintain his lazy, indifferent demeanor. The moment Ouyang Chenxi arrived, his languid air vanished, replaced by an icy, piercing chill. His voice turned grim: "Madam, please mind yourself. This ghost market has its rules. No one is permitted to force a sale here!"

Unfortunately, Ouyang Chenxi did not seem to notice that the stall owner was on the verge of losing his temper. After all, she was a young lady of the prestigious Ouyang family! To her, buying a few pieces of junk was as easy as flipping a hand. When she heard the stall owner speak this way, she naturally assumed he was merely dissatisfied with the amount of spirit stones she had offered.

"For this pile of junk, ten low-grade spirit stones are more than enough!"

Ouyang Xiaoyue did not participate in their heated argument. Her gaze remained fixed on the rusted alchemy furnace, as if it held some mysterious allure. She slowly reached out a slender, fair hand, intending to pick it up.

However, just as her fingertips were about to touch the seemingly unremarkable furnace, a sharp, lightning-fast blast of spiritual energy struck! It was so sudden that there was no time to react. With a sharp "swish," the energy sliced across the back of Ouyang Xiaoyue’s hand, leaving a deep, bleeding gash.

Bright red blood welled up instantly, trickling down her hand, drip by drip, until it fell onto the rusted surface of the furnace. The moment the blood touched the metal, something unexpected happened—the dull, dark furnace suddenly erupted in a dazzling purple glow!

This strange sight caught everyone's attention. Even the arguing stall owner and Ouyang Chenxi glanced over, the former secretly startled—could this furnace truly hold some unknown secret? Before he could ponder it, a cold, hostile voice cut through the air: "What are you touching my things for!"

The crowd turned to look and saw Ouyang Chenxi standing not far away, her face twisted in rage as she glared at Ouyang Xiaoyue. It was clear that the blast of energy had come from her.

At that moment, one of Ouyang Chenxi’s attendants leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Master, why don't we just finish her off to avoid any further trouble?"