Xu Xian listened and silently sipped his tea.
Breaking from his usual demeanor, a wicked charm curled onto his slightly pale face, and his eyes turned cold and dark as he spoke.
"A way out?"
"We've come this far; why give them a way out? Add more fuel to the fire. It would be best to drive a few of them to their deaths. If they don't die, driving them mad will do. Let them remember: north of the Central Plains, Wendao reigns as sovereign; all others are but subjects."
Liu Qinghui was visibly shaken. He asked tentatively, "What do you plan to do, Little Grand-Uncle?"
Xu Xian returned to his usual self, holding his teacup lazily. "Nothing special. I'm just going to have them deliver the goods. It's been half a month, and I haven't received a single item. If they can't deliver, they'll just have to pay up."
Yao Xiaoxiao poured Xu Xian another cup of tea and chimed in, "Right! Strike while the iron is hot and drive them to the brink!"
Liu Qinghui swallowed hard and advised, "Even a cornered rabbit will bite. Little Grand-Uncle, you should perhaps be a bit more gentle. After all, they have the Three Sects, Three Schools, and one Chamber of Commerce behind them. If we truly burn our bridges, it might be difficult to handle later."
Xu Xian was indifferent. "What's there to fear? It is only right and natural to pay back what one owes. I have the moral high ground; why should I care about that?"
"Uh..."
"Just send people to collect the debt."
"What if they can't produce the goods and offer to refund the original price instead?" Liu Qinghui asked.
Xu Xian replied, "Either they deliver within a month, or they pay triple compensation."
"But..."
Xu Xian looked at Wen Qingxue and interrupted, "Just do it. I'll have Little Wen go with you. If they won't listen to reason, she'll speak to them with her fists. If they still won't comply, don't let them go back—throw them all into the Demon Suppression Abyss to feed the wolves."
Liu Qinghui and Yao Xiaoxiao simultaneously looked at Wen Qingxue.
In the current Demon-Slaying City...
Even counting those hiding in the shadows, Wen Qingxue was undoubtedly the premier powerhouse.
If she stepped in, those people wouldn't be able to act shamelessly even if they wanted to.
Feeling the trio's gaze, Wen Qingxue looked as if none of this concerned her.
"Why are you looking at me?" she asked, her voice as cold as frost. "I only promised the Sect Master to protect the Little Grand-Uncle's safety. This job isn't part of my duties."
Liu Qinghui froze.
Yao Xiaoxiao blinked repeatedly.
Xu Xian caught her eye from the corner of his own. "I won't make you do it for free. I'll pay you."
Wen Qingxue remained unmoved. "Even for money, it's a no. This is too sensitive. If handled poorly, it could incite conflict between sects. I'm just a lowly Deacon, a third-generation disciple. I cannot bear such a responsibility."
"One hundred thousand."
"Hmm?"
Xu Xian said airily, "Spirit stones."
Wen Qingxue was visibly moved.
She thought for a moment...
Then she agreed wholeheartedly. "Fine, I'll go."
It wasn't that she wanted to, but one hundred thousand spirit stones was equivalent to a million merit points. He was simply offering too much.
Xu Xian chuckled.
Liu Qinghui and Yao Xiaoxiao looked at each other. At that moment, they seemed to understand a phrase the Little Grand-Uncle often used: money makes the world go round.
Yao Zhijian, who had been crouching on the roof, suddenly hung upside down in front of the window like a ghost. He stared at Xu Xian from across the room and said, "Little Grand-Uncle, I can do this job too."
Xu Xian asked playfully, "You're interested as well?"
Yao Zhijian held out his hand and gave it a shake. "Of course. I'll do it for just fifty thousand."
Hearing this...
With a loud crack, Wen Qingxue crushed the porcelain cup in her hand. She tilted her head and glared at Yao Zhijian hanging in the window, coldly uttering two words.
"Wanna die?"
Yao Xiaoxiao and Liu Qinghui instinctively shrunk back.
They watched with expressions that suggested they didn't mind if things got messy, secretly anticipating a fight.
Truthfully, they really wanted to see the two of them spar.
Yao Zhijian performed a somersault into the room and patted the wrinkles out of his clothes. "A good man doesn't fight with women," he said stubbornly. "Violence doesn't solve problems."
Wen Qingxue scoffed, her eyes full of disdain.
Yao Zhijian sat down in front of Xu Xian, leaned his arm on the table, and wiggled his eyebrows. "So, Little Grand-Uncle? Leave this job to me. I guarantee I'll handle it beautifully. Whatever you want them to do, they'll do. If they dare refuse, I'll bury them all outside the city..."
Wen Qingxue didn't say a word; she just quietly watched Xu Xian.
Xu Xian chuckled and shook his head. "Alright, stop arguing. The two of you will go together. An extra person means extra strength."
Wen Qingxue remained expressionless, but she felt this was acceptable.
Yao Zhijian asked excitedly, "Is it still one hundred thousand each?"
Xu Xian said nothing, merely wagging his index finger.
Wen Qingxue frowned.
Yao Zhijian's brow furrowed.
Xu Xian's gaze fell on the two of them in turn. "Little Wen gets one hundred thousand. You get fifty thousand."
"Why?" Yao Zhijian asked.
Xu Xian looked innocent. "You said it yourself."
Yao Zhijian's face shifted through various shades of frustration. It was true that he had said it, but...
He still protested, "This isn't fair! We're both at the seventh stage, yet she gets twice as much as me? My heart can't take this imbalance!"
Xu Xian shrugged.
"Then forget it."
Yao Zhijian helplessly yielded.
"Fine. You win."
A single tough sentence to preserve his last shred of dignity.
Yao Xiaoxiao stifled a laugh.
Liu Qinghui shook his head.
A hint of smugness flashed in Wen Qingxue's eyes.
After finishing his tea, Xu Xian stood up and headed outside. "I'm done talking with you all. I have work to do."
The sound of forging rang out.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Yao Xiaoxiao skipped away. "I'm going to refine pills."
Liu Qinghui also left without a word.
Yao Zhijian sat at the table looking rather depressed. Wen Qingxue strolled over, stopped beside him, and spoke a single word.
"Deserved!"
Then she turned and walked back to her own room.
Yao Zhijian scoffed. Out of the corner of his eye, he grabbed the teapot, poured a cup, and downed it in one go...
His brow furrowed even deeper!
"Bitter!"
He wasn't just talking about the tea...
The next day.
Following Xu Xian's instructions, Liu Qinghui went to collect the debts. He kicked open the doors of the Seven Great Forging Workshops one by one.
Finally, he arrived at Li Xun's forging workshop.
Li Xun had originally closed his doors to visitors.
Liu Qinghui spoke fiercely, threatening to level the workshop if he didn't see someone.
Li Xun finally yielded and appeared, demanding, "Liu Qinghui, what exactly do you want? Haven't you harmed us enough already? Are you still not satisfied?"
Liu Qinghui didn't waste words and got straight to the point. "I'll be honest with you. The orders for your workshop were placed by my Merchant Hall. I'm here to take what belongs to me."
"I knew it, you despicable snake!"
Liu Qinghui said dominantly, "Don't waste my time. My Little Grand-Uncle has given you two choices. First, deliver the full order within a month. Second, pay triple compensation based on the current market price of earth weapons. Choose for yourself."
"Triple? Have you lost your mind to greed?"
"What? Does the great Shanhai Academy, which prides itself as the head of the Three Sects in Fanzhou, intend to be a deadbeat?"
Li Xun gritted his teeth in fury. "We cannot produce the goods, and there is no compensation. I can only refund your money in full. Do what you will."
In truth, Li Xun had chosen to keep stalling because he wanted the Wendao Sword Sect to come to him. Even if the encounter was unpleasant, it didn't matter.
What he wanted was for the Wendao Sword Sect to compromise and accept a refund of the original purchase price.
After all, the one who owes the money is the one in power.
Furthermore, the Wendao Sword Sect had already made a fortune from this business war and gained plenty of face. They surely wouldn't go as far as to drive them to ruin.
After all, the Wendao Sword Sect had always maintained an excellent reputation.
Faced with Li Xun's shamelessness, before Liu Qinghui could respond, the usually silent Wen Qingxue spoke up.
"Man," she warned, "you can eat whatever you want, but you shouldn't say whatever you want. Speaking the wrong words can get people killed."
Li Xun was incensed. "What? Do you actually intend to commit murder?"
Wen Qingxue didn't hold back. Her peak seventh-stage cultivation surged outward, the resulting wind gusting through the hall and sweeping everything aside. She said sinisterly:
"You are more than welcome to try me."
Li Xun, who was only at the sixth stage, turned pale with shock. The seventh-stage cultivators secretly following Li Xun also didn't dare to make a sound.
To use force against the Wendao Sword Sect in Demon-Slaying City...
They truly didn't have the courage.
After all, the incident in Yecheng was still fresh in their minds—a bloody lesson from the past.
Liu Qinghui stopped while he was ahead.
"The message has been delivered. Master Li, consider your choice carefully."
He paused, then added pointedly, "By the way, you might want to ask around about our Little Grand-Uncle's character. Don't say I didn't warn you—people really will die."
After Liu Qinghui left with Wen Qingxue, Li Xun finally exploded in a fit of humiliated rage.
"Too much! This is simply too much!"
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