Chapter 1243: Grocery Store

As Chen Ling pondered, the red paper wrapped around the doctor tightened further. The doctor's face turned crimson as he struggled to breathe, seemingly on the verge of suffocating.

After a moment of hesitation, Chen Ling decided not to increase the pressure.

With a flick, Chen Ling flung the red paper, forcefully slamming the doctor against the wall like a piece of trash. The doctor let out a muffled groan, his eyes rolled back, and he immediately fainted, collapsing limply to the ground.

An invisible python slithered out from beneath Chen Ling's sleeve, directly coiling around the unconscious doctor's neck. As its scarlet tongue flickered, a segment of memory was directly consumed by the Mind Python.

Chen Ling did not kill him outright. After all, he had just infiltrated the South Sea Territory, and the sudden death of a third-tier Medicinal God practitioner here would inevitably draw the attention of the South Sea's official organizations. If there were individuals with keen insight like Han Meng among them, they might easily deduce that he was searching for a doctor, leading to increased protection for other practitioners.

As Chen Ling's rank reached the peak of the fifth tier, he became increasingly proficient with the Mind Python, a sixth-tier ability. It was no longer the curtailed version that could only steal emotions; as long as he remained within the South Sea Territory, the stolen memory would not return to the doctor's mind in the short term.

After completing all this, Chen Ling picked up Xiao Tao, and his figure blurred, disappearing from the consultation room.

“My King, Xiao Tao's breathing is getting weaker,” Xiao Bai's anxious voice cut in.

Chen Ling looked down at the unconscious Xiao Tao, whose body had taken on a purplish hue, and her skin was alarmingly hot.

Despite Chen Ling's Star Brilliance protection, after such prolonged travel, Xiao Tao's condition had deteriorated severely. The reason Chen Ling had so urgently threatened the doctor with death was that Xiao Tao was running out of time...

If he couldn't find a suitable doctor soon, Xiao Tao might not survive the night.

Chen Ling swiftly moved through the streets of the South Sea Territory, his gaze constantly sweeping his surroundings as if searching for something.

Eventually, he caught sight of a shop's sign out of the corner of his eye, and slowly came to a stop by the roadside...

—Brother Wang's General Store.

“My King, why are we coming to a general store instead of looking for a doctor?” Xiao Bai asked, puzzled.

Chen Ling's gaze was complex.

To outsiders, it was merely an ordinary general store, but in reality, it was one of the Twilight Society's underground contact points in the South Sea Territory.

After his split with the Red King, Chen Ling had never again claimed to be part of the Twilight Society nor had he contacted them. For the past six months, he had been with the Integration Faction, and he himself didn't know what the Twilight Society's current stance towards him was.

The reason Chen Ling chose to immediately abduct a Medicinal God practitioner to treat Xiao Tao upon entering the South Sea Territory, rather than directly seeking help from the Twilight Society, was his unwillingness to rely on their power anymore...

But now, he seemed to have no other choice.

After lingering at the entrance for a long time, Chen Ling finally stepped inside.

The general store wasn't large; upon entering, one could detect a faint musty smell emanating from old wooden shelves. These shelves held common household items, though their quality couldn't compare to those found in meticulously decorated boutiques; they were merely slightly more affordable.

Inside the narrow, dim store, only a bald middle-aged man sat behind the counter, his eyes half-closed. He glanced casually at Chen Ling as the latter entered.

“Pick what you want yourself,” he said.

Chen Ling didn't browse for items; instead, he stopped directly in front of the counter. “I want to buy a glimmer of hope,” he stated.

The middle-aged man's gaze sharpened, his previous relaxed and casual demeanor vanishing without a trace.

He scrutinized the brown-coated young man in front of him for a moment before speaking again. “Present your identification.”

Chen Ling was silent for a moment, then finally raised his empty palm and lightly rubbed it in the air. A playing card seemingly materialized out of nowhere, as if by magic.

—Six of Hearts.

Seeing the card, the middle-aged man was visibly stunned, his gaze at Chen Ling filled with immense surprise.

“Is this card still valid?” Chen Ling asked in a low voice.

“Of course.”

Upon learning Chen Ling's card, the middle-aged man became noticeably more solemn, his back straightening. “Six of Hearts, what do you need?”

“I need a doctor who can counteract Calamity Poison... it's urgent.”

“How urgent?”

“Before tonight.”

The middle-aged man's brows furrowed slightly, as if in hesitation.

“Is it not possible?”

“Before tonight is a bit too urgent… I'm not sure if there's anyone suitable within the Twilight Society, but I can try to help you.” The middle-aged man pulled out paper and a pen from beneath the counter. “Here's what we'll do: give me a temporary address, and if I find someone suitable, I'll have them contact you immediately.”

Seeing this, Chen Ling wrote down the address of a hotel across the street. He couldn't keep running around the streets with Xiao Tao; finding a hotel to temporarily stay in would be much more convenient.

After providing the address, Chen Ling left the general store and went directly to the hotel across the street to book a room.

After checking in, Chen Ling's first priority was to observe his surroundings. Once he confirmed no one was following them, he drew the curtains.

“Xiao Bai, you stay here and watch over Xiao Tao; I'm going out for a bit.”

“Yes, My King!”

Xiao Bai emerged from the shadows, answering with his head held high and chest puffed out.

Xiao Bai calling him 'My King' was becoming increasingly natural, to the point where Chen Ling almost felt like he truly was a mountain chieftain... He closed the door behind him and walked downstairs alone.

The streets of the South Sea Territory were even wider than those in the Tianshu Territory, with pedestrians bustling by. The shops on both sides were beautifully arranged, resembling a bustling metropolis. Chen Ling also noticed that there were supermarkets every few steps, offering fresh vegetables, fruits, and a dazzling array of colorful desserts.

Wearing a brown overcoat, Chen Ling discreetly walked into a supermarket.

“Hello, are these the only newspapers for today?” Chen Ling asked, pointing to the stacks of newspapers next to the cashier.

The clerk gave him a puzzled look but replied, “We do have some unsold ones from before, stored in the warehouse… Do you want them?”

“Yes, I want all of them from recent times.”

Chen Ling had been away from human territories for too long; he had no idea about the changes in the major territories over the past six months. Newspapers were his best way to get updated information.

Chen Ling paid and left with a thick stack of newspapers. He picked up today's latest edition and began flipping through it directly under a streetlight by the road.

—“Frequent Earthquakes in the Hidden Cloud Territory: Natural Phenomenon or Calamity Attack?”

The bold, enlarged headline immediately caught Chen Ling's eye. He promptly unfolded the newspaper and began reading it carefully.

The article reported on recent frequent earthquakes in the Hidden Cloud Territory and the inexplicable mass death of plants within the territory. Although no casualties had been reported yet and no traces of calamity were found around the territory, some were already speculating that it might be related to the Blighted Forest of Bitter Flesh.

“So the Blighted Forest of Bitter Flesh has its sights on the Hidden Cloud Territory…” Chen Ling murmured to himself. “Who will be next?”