Rogue One: An Untamed Story

Chap 23: The Bad Man Wins, and the Good Guy Loses

Liu Yang's Pov:

This wasn't just a white lie. It was so much more than just a lie. It was a scam.

Liu Yang's heart quickens and she moves to check the other protection charms and things. Her eyes widened when she realises that nearly half of what was being sold were fake.

And not just fake. They were specifically altered to attract spirits, not repel them. They could even potentially attract bigger and meaner spirits. She wasn't sure if he had intended it, but what Mister Liu was doing could mean big trouble for the village.

She quietly stops a few customers from buying any more things. She spies at Mister Liu out of the corner of her eye, and when he wasn't looking, she stuffs all the fake things under the table.

"What do you think you're doing!? You'll crumple the papers up and get them dirty!" Mister Liu shouts, marching right towards her. Liu Yang startles and her hands turn to fists under the table.

"This isn't right! What you're doing could endanger the customers' lives!" Liu Yang hadn't bothered to lower her voice, so what she said attracted the attention of a few of her customers.

Mister Liu narrows his eyes at her. He pulls her away from the shop until they both stand a good distance away from it.

He, having some common sense, drops his voice to a whisper, "You don't know what you're talking about, girl. Those things you shoved under the table were given to me by a fine gentlemen*. Out of the generousity of his heart, he taught me how to make these charms so that others can receive protection."

What he said might have sounded sincere, but his eyes told a different story. He had seen the talismans and charms, and he had known they were altered. Yet, he carries on selling them to unsuspecting customers.

Liu Yang's jaw clenches from anger and she says through gritted teeth, "I will give you this one chance: stop what you're doing now and tell the people the truth."

Mister Liu tuts loudly and crosses his arm in defiance, "And you'll them the truth if I don't?" Liu Yang nods. He barks a laugh.

"Tell them then! But who do you think they'll believe? Me--a successful and friendly businessman--or you, a woman. A nobody."

"You might have knives on you, but that's nothing compared to a real cultivator's sword."

Liu Yang's entire body stiffens and if she were in a cartoon, there would be fumes billowing out of her ears. She pushes up her sleeves, "Oh, I'll show you what a nobody can do--"

"Boss! How much do these cost?"

"Hey boss, could I get a discount for this?"

"Boss, what would you recommend I buy for my son?"

There is a smug grin on Mister Liu's face and it takes everything out of Liu Yang to not punch the look off of his face right there and then. "If you'll excuse me, I must attend to my customers."

Liu Yang growls frustratedly and punches a wall once Mister Liu was out of earshot. She goes back to his shop and glares at him from a far. Her eyes follow the movements of his customers and an idea comes to her. She will not let this injustice continue.

While Mister Liu continues selling things and attracting more people to come, Liu Yang would chase away any customer that got too close. She would drive them away either by telling them that Mister Liu was scamming them or by brandishing her daggers, and letting that scare them away.

However, even with so many people driven away, Mister Liu had gotten five times richer by sunset. And though some people had demanded their money back before discarding their purchased items, a majority remained oblivious.

The evil deed has still been done. There is no justice.

Liu Yang doesn't even have the authority to shut down Mister Liu's shop entirely. She glares at the back of his head.

Who do you think they'll believe?

Me--a successful and friendly businessman--or you, a woman.

A nobody.

Liu Yang bites back a growl and ties her qiankun pouch to her belt and then takes her satchel bag. She turns to leave, furious and the anger boiling her skin, when she sees one of Mister Liu's money pouches on the table.

Because there was actually more than one table, not to mention two shelves, Mister Liu was quite far from where Liu Yang was.

The lonely bag sits there. Anyone could steal it. The sea of customers were all flooded to where the businessman was. No one would notice if she just--

Faster than a non-cultivator could blink, Liu Yang swipes the bag from the table and throws it into her bag. Then, she dashes, the dark sense of satisfaction making a smirk split her face.
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A/N: Try to guess who our 'fine gentleman' is. Hint: This is all happening a little before the Yi City Arc, where a certain delinquent is still alive.