The middle-aged woman saw him shake his head and said, “What? You don’t want it? As if you could afford it anyway, it costs tens of thousands.”

David Bolton smiled and said, “This isn’t right!” What he wanted to see was the Fire Source Stone, not some Heavenly Pearl.

The middle-aged woman immediately got angry: “Kid, what nonsense are you spouting? Everything in my shop is genuine. If you can’t afford it, don’t talk rubbish here!”

In an instant, her anger level shot up to five hundred. To run into something so infuriating first thing in the morning—how could that not be maddening?

David Bolton hadn’t planned to argue with her, but seeing her anger level spike, he couldn’t help but feel secretly pleased. Right now, he was focused on collecting as much True Fire as possible, so how could he let this opportunity slip by? He further provoked the woman: “There’s not a single real item in your shop, everything is fake.”

For shopkeepers here, the biggest taboo was being accused of selling fakes—let alone being told everything was fake. The middle-aged woman was furious, her brows arched sharply, and she stormed out from behind the counter in a flash.

Her anger level had already soared to 3000, and even more frightening, as her emotions fluctuated, David Bolton could see her combat power.

No way—this heavily made-up middle-aged woman actually had a combat power of 99.

David Bolton never expected that he’d provoked a real expert. This wasn’t school, and the woman in front of him wasn’t a teacher—she wouldn’t hold back. If she made a move, he’d probably just get beaten up.

If he got thrashed by an old lady, that would be way too embarrassing. David Bolton immediately turned to make a quick escape.

But the woman was still furious—how could she let him go so easily? She reached out and grabbed David Bolton by the collar. “You brat, explain yourself…”

David Bolton tried to run for the door, but the woman yanked him back by the collar. Their forces opposed each other, and with a ripping sound, David Bolton’s old shirt was torn to shreds, exposing his flabby, pale flesh.

David Bolton might look clumsy, but he was quick-witted. He didn’t care about his shirt at all and dashed out of the shop at the fastest speed he’d managed since descending to the mortal world.

Even so, he still couldn’t escape the woman’s clutches. She moved even faster, blocking his path ahead.

In the past, David Bolton could have easily dodged, but now, while his mind could react, his body was sluggish. Using his momentum, he barreled toward the woman like a bulldozer. Worried he might hurt her, he shouted, “Move! Move…”

Before he could finish, the woman lifted her right foot, and the sole of her flip-flop landed squarely on David Bolton’s greasy belly.

David Bolton’s forward charge came to an abrupt halt, and the woman’s gaze was drawn to the Fire Source Stone on his chest. She struck like lightning.

By the time David Bolton realized her intent, it was too late to protect his chest. He felt a tightness around his neck as the red string snapped, and the Fire Source Stone he wore close to his body was snatched away by the woman.

This Fire Source Stone was David Bolton’s hope for collecting Samadhi True Fire, and it was the only treasure he currently possessed.

David Bolton roared and lunged like a hungry tiger, trying to snatch the stone back, but the woman spun away gracefully, easily dodging his counterattack.

Off balance, David Bolton stumbled into a flower stand, unable to stop himself in time, knocking it over and sending flowerpots crashing to the floor.

The woman had intended to catch the falling flowerpot, but suddenly changed her mind, pulling her hand back halfway and letting the pot smash to pieces on the ground.

David Bolton shouted angrily, “Give it back!”

The woman snorted, “You’re in trouble now. You broke my antique flowerpot. That pot was a one-of-a-kind Ming Dynasty official kiln porcelain.”

David Bolton immediately realized he’d been set up. Sure, he’d been the one to cause the accident, but she’d laid the trap—next, she’d definitely demand compensation. People can be so devious!

David Bolton took a deep breath and looked up at the business license hanging on the wall: Sole Proprietor Lily Brooks, with a photo that matched the woman before him.

David Bolton said carelessly, “Who are you trying to fool? That flowerpot sells for ten bucks outside—two for a discount, three for an even bigger discount. Don’t think you can trick me just because I’m young and inexperienced.”

Lily Brooks looked David Bolton up and down, curling her lip. “Oh, you’re young? I couldn’t tell. Did you get too many hyaluronic acid injections in your face? Wait, no, it must be silicone, right? Otherwise, how could your head be so big?”

David Bolton’s current appearance did make him look a bit prematurely mature, but the woman’s words were truly sharp and mean.

Eager to get his Fire Source Stone back, David Bolton decided to back down a little, plastering a smile on his face: “Heh heh, heh heh heh, Aunt Brooks…”

“Stop right there! Who are you calling auntie? Don’t try to get chummy with me!”

Calling her “auntie” not only failed to help, it made Lily Brooks even angrier. This kid was sly—she’d called him old-looking, and he immediately called her “auntie.” Wasn’t that saying she was even older?

David Bolton’s mind worked quickly. He coughed and said, “Sister Brooks, please calm down. Harmony brings wealth. I’ll pay for the broken flowerpot, and I promise to buy you one exactly the same—how about two?”

Lily Brooks cursed the chubby kid for being slippery, changing his tune so fast, but her eyes were still fixed on the Heavenly Pearl in her hand.