Chapter 4696: Know Everything “Haha, it’s you, Young Master!” the shopkeeper greeted with a wide smile, bowing his hands respectfully. His eyes flickered to the bandaged wrist before he chuckled lightly. “Those three children made their purchases and then left. They are no longer in the shop.” “They left? Which way did they go?” The man in green demanded angrily, his voice laced with frustration. “I’m afraid I don’t know,” the shopkeeper replied, shaking his head innocently. “You just took my crystal stones! Give them back to me!” The man in green snarled, stepping forward and grabbing the shopkeeper’s collar. The thought of the valuable crystal stones now in the shopkeeper’s possession sent a pang of fury through him. “Hehe, Young Master, you must be joking. Those crystal stones are compensation for the fine spirit wine that you unfortunately broke in our humble establishment. How could we possibly return them?” The shopkeeper said with a placid smile, gently but firmly removing the man’s hand from his collar and smoothly straightening the wrinkled fabric. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮 Seeing how effortlessly the shopkeeper had deflected his grasp, the green-clad man paused, a flicker of unease momentarily distracting him. “Alright, since it’s compensation, let’s not dwell on retrieving it,” the man in blue interjected, casting a sharp glance at his companion before turning his attention back to the shopkeeper. “Shopkeeper, do you happen to know which direction they headed?” “Indeed,” the shopkeeper replied with a nod and a friendly smile. He walked to the entrance of his shop and pointed in the opposite direction from where the children had actually gone. “I saw them go that way.” “Thank you,” the man in blue said with a curt nod, glancing at his entourage before instructing, “Let’s go.” The man in green followed reluctantly, still seething with resentment. After walking a short distance, he couldn’t contain his frustration any longer. “Senior Brother, why didn’t you insist on getting the crystals back? Clearly…” He trailed off, interrupted by a cold laugh. “Ask for them back? Ha!” the man in blue scoffed, casting a disdainful look at his companion. “Every established shop in this city has a powerful backer. The shopkeeper of that general store exuded a restrained but strong aura. One could tell at a glance that he is a master, possibly even stronger than both of us combined. You seriously thought we could just demand the crystals back from someone like that? You truly are naive.” “Are we just going to let this go?” The man in green asked, still unwilling to concede. “Find those three little brats, and what can’t we take back?” the man in blue sneered, his eyes glinting with malice. “What’s more, how could a mere ten-year-old reach the peak of the Golden Core stage? I am rather curious to meet him myself and see what he is truly capable of!” Unaware that the shopkeeper had deliberately pointed them in the wrong direction, the group from the Heaven’s Sun Sect pressed on, their search taking them further and further away from their intended targets. Meanwhile, having completed their initial shopping, the three children strolled past a charming pastry shop. Yue’er, her eyes wide and sparkling with longing, licked her lips like a contented little cat. She turned to her two brothers and pleaded, “Big Brother, Brother, can we please go in and buy some pastries?” Hao’er and Muchen exchanged indulgent smiles at their little sister’s obvious craving. “Alright, little glutton,” Hao’er chuckled. “Let’s go in and buy some to take back with us!” “Yay! Alright, then I’ll pick out a few extra to save for later!” Yue’er exclaimed happily, taking their hands and skipping towards the inviting shop. Back at the teahouse, while patiently sipping his tea and waiting for the three children to return, the Azure Emperor held a small, intricately carved trigram mirror in his hand, subtly observing their activities through its reflective surface. When he saw the three of them holding hands and cheerfully entering the pastry shop, the corners of his lips curved upwards in a faint, affectionate smile. However, the next moment, his eyes narrowed slightly. He closed them briefly, subtly extended his powerful spiritual sense, and with a barely perceptible flick of his wrist, sent a single drop of tea water hurtling through the air in a specific direction…