Welcome to the Ability Shop!

Chapter 24 Crazy Judy
“…Don’t worry about the details,” Chen Xuan turned around and made a shushing gesture, lowering his voice, “Attitude is just a facade and does not represent the status of you guests in our establishment.”

Liu Shuyue gave a meaningful "oh".

Fortunately, she kept her voice within a range that only the two of them could hear.

"Long time no see." Ignoring Liu Shuyue's teasing, he nodded to Joan of Arc and said, "I heard about you from General Gillespie. He prayed to God, willing to pay any price to save you, which is why I am here. As for your abilities? Shackles shouldn't be able to restrain your spirit sword technique, right?"

Joan of Arc explained anxiously, "I don't know what that evil witch did to me. She pricked me with a needle, and now I can't use my spirit sword technique anymore. If you encounter her, you must be extremely careful... She exudes an eerie aura and is a very difficult person to deal with!"

“Her energy channels have been disrupted; you should be able to tell, right?” Liu Shuyue said in a voice only he could hear.

Chen Xuan did indeed notice that although Joan of Arc before him shone like a golden flame, the trajectory of the flame was distorted and discontinuous. According to his experience with the mental cultivation method, no matter how one's energy circulates, it should always have a beginning and an end and be continuously circulating.

"Can it be cured?"

"Give this to her."

Chen Xuan suddenly felt his hand being lifted by a soft hand, and a round pill was placed in his palm.

This thing looks much higher quality than the stuff I make myself.

He handed the medicine to Joan of Arc, saying, "Try taking this."

Joan of Arc, unsuspecting, dragged the iron ball slowly to the edge of the cage. Since her hands were bound, she simply took the pill with her mouth.

Within ten seconds, white smoke began to rise from the top of her head.

"What kind of medicine is this?" he asked curiously. "Why isn't it recorded in herbal medicine?"

"The Clear Meridian Pill. I don't have any because I can't refine them myself," Liu Shuyue said frankly. "These were brought from the sect, and every one we use is one less available."

Chen Xuan immediately decided not to ask any more questions.

Because rare or discontinued items are usually very expensive.

"God above, I feel... my strength has returned!" Joan of Arc suddenly whispered. She clenched her fists and pulled outward with all her might, and the wooden yoke on her hands shattered into pieces instantly.

It seems that disordered breathing not only affects one's own abilities, but also reduces basic qualities such as strength and reaction time... Chen Xuan pondered, that witch obviously has something.

After breaking free of her hands, she transformed her palm into a sword, enveloping her hand in the white light of the Spirit Sword Technique, and with two clangs, she severed the shackles and the iron lock on the prison door.

"Thank you for saving me, Your Excellency. I have no way to repay this great kindness." Joan of Arc knelt down on one knee before Chen Xuan. "If there is a next life, I wish to become Your Excellency's knight and serve you forever."

"Is this also... a facade?" Liu Shuyue's words drifted over, this time even softer, almost as if they were echoing in one's mind.

Chen Xuan was both amused and exasperated. He quickly pulled Joan of Arc up, saying, "What are you talking about? God gave you your abilities not so you could protect His messengers. Let's leave here first, and we can talk about the rest later."

Joan of Arc shook her head. “Please forgive me, but I cannot agree. I must go to the palace immediately and eliminate the mad Judy. She has now mentally controlled His Majesty, and every day we allow her to run rampant, the country risks falling into utter ruin.”

"In other people's eyes, you're the witch now!" Chen Xuan felt a chill run down his spine, a bad premonition creeping in. "Even if you find her, can you defeat her?"

“I was framed, not defeated in battle. Of course, I may die at His Majesty's hands, but I would be willing to die if it could save France!”

Seeing the other party's extremely sincere expression, Chen Xuan knew that he could not persuade Joan of Arc.

That's why she said, "If there is a next life."

She was probably prepared to die.

While this determination is commendable, wouldn't it be a loss for the business? If Joan of Arc were to die here, he would not only lose a customer, but all his previous investments would become sunk costs. Most importantly, Liu Shuyue would witness his failure. This would further damage the shop's reputation and shake customers' confidence in the manager. It would be a complete disaster.

The question is, how to persuade Joan of Arc to stay?

Her loyalty to the country was beyond question, and her willingness to die for her country was no joke.

As Chen Xuan was still struggling with his dilemma, a low, cold voice came from the other end of the corridor, "There's no need to come to the palace to find me. We can settle things here."

"Crazy—Judy!"

Joan of Arc's eyes changed instantly. She stared at the direction of the voice, every word filled with rage. "You really didn't listen to a word I said." A figure in a black robe slowly emerged from the shadows. "If you really want to save your beloved France, you should die sooner and pave the way for His Majesty Charles, instead of lingering on like this, making those big shots above uneasy."

Chen Xuan finally saw the witch's face—most of her face was hidden under her hood, revealing only a few strands of hair on her forehead and a pair of dark eyes. In the torchlight, the ends of her hair reflected a bright red, as if they were stained with blood.

Not only that, she also wore a lip ring, a thin silver chain running from her lower lip all the way to her earlobe, and her ears were adorned with many sparkling ornaments. This attire would have been considered outrageous in the witch-hunting era.

Even so, she was not bound and burned at the stake as a witch, a stark contrast to Joan of Arc's treatment.

"That was just—a lie you made up!"

Joan of Arc paused for a moment halfway through her journey.

Chen Xuan looked at her and keenly caught a hint of insecurity in her eyes.

“You should be able to tell whether I’m telling the truth or not, right? After all, you are the savior blessed by God,” Judy said dismissively. “The nobles’ suspicion and rejection of you is nothing new… After all, who wants to see a France ruled by a woman? The British army is no longer as unstoppable as before. If you continue to play your part, wouldn’t you be the one to claim all the credit for the restoration? His Majesty is the same… He just doesn’t say it, but he’s worried about one thing: if all the invaders are driven back to Britain, then he and the army will be forever separated by a great saintly girl.”

“I don’t deny that some nobles dislike me… but His Majesty’s heart could never be as narrow as you say!” Joan of Arc couldn’t help but retort, “It was you who seduced him with evil magic! You are the culprit who has brought disaster to the court!”

Judy shrugged. "What if I didn't understand any of your so-called evil magic at all?"

“What—” Joan of Arc was stunned.

"Yes, you felt it, didn't you..." the witch chuckled. "My appearance just happens to give them a choice, a choice that can get rid of the Holy Maiden without getting their hands dirty. I will bear all the sins, and when it comes to the aftermath, they can just claim that they were bewitched by the witch, and then hang me up and execute me."

"You mean... you called yourself Mad Judy, dressed as a witch, and interfered in military and political affairs... all so you could get rid of me and then be killed as the mastermind?" Joan of Arc couldn't believe her ears. "I don't understand... why would you go to such lengths?"

“That’s for the same reason as you—I love France deeply!” Judy tilted her head and grinned, her distorted smile making her look like a madman. “My sacrifice is insignificant in getting this country back on track. You know what? When I told His Majesty about this idea, he approved it immediately. Without his encouragement, how could your trial have progressed so smoothly?”

Joan of Arc turned pale for a moment.

"What are they saying? Could you translate it for me?" Liu Shuyue complained quietly.

"Hmm...it's rather complicated..." Chen Xuan stopped mid-sentence, because he saw that the witch's gaze had turned to him.

"As for you... your attempt to seize others' abilities, even at the cost of disrupting the normal order of time, makes you the evil one who fills the world with chaos and sin." Judy's tone was icy cold. "You have two choices: either surrender and accept your fate, or be buried here forever!"

Chen Xuan finally realized where that sense of disharmony came from.

The witch's words to Joan of Arc were entirely based on history after Joan's death... as if she had witnessed the events that followed. While this could be explained by the witch's divination magic, the latter part of her statement completely transcended the scope of her time!
The words "stealing others' abilities" sent a jolt through him. It meant that the other party knew about the existence of the abilities and could even plunder them! But the ability shop was supposed to be a fair trade, which was completely different from her accusation.

Looking back now, he overlooked one problem.

That's the name Crazy Judy.

Judy also means Thursday in French...

If it's not a coincidence, could it be that this person didn't take the naming process seriously at all, and just randomly chose one that sounded good?

"What is she saying now?" Liu Shuyue asked.

"She said... she wants to kill me, at any cost," Chen Xuan said, his lips barely moving. "It seems this battle is unavoidable. You'll help me, right?"

"Hmm..." she hummed softly, "But talismanic spells aren't suitable for head-on confrontations. She probably hasn't noticed me yet, so I need a few minutes to prepare in order to catch her off guard. Therefore, you'll have to go in by yourself at the beginning."

Chen Xuan blinked. "Huh? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
“It seems you have no intention of surrendering, then…” Crazy Judy – Crazy Thursday raised her staff and pointed it directly at Chen Xuan.

The staff was hollow inside, with nothing but a dark opening; it looked like a gun...

What do you mean by "like"?

Chen Xuan felt the hairs on his body stand on end!
That's clearly a gun!

"--boom!"

(End of this chapter)