Indentured Servitude

Xu Xian set his cup on the table, a slight smirk playing on his lips. He raised his hand, clenching it into a fist before extending his thumb, index, and middle fingers one by one. He began to speak unhurriedly.

"First, I’ll take those monster carcasses off your hands. I’ll buy the lot for 1,500 spirit stones each."

"Second, I will provide all the materials for your forging free of charge."

"Third, for every earth weapon you forge, I will pay you an additional commission: two hundred spirit stones for low-grade, three hundred for mid-grade, and five hundred for high-grade."

The crowd was stunned once again, their faces a mixture of belief and suspicion.

Could such a good deal actually exist?

Li Xun remained clear-headed and asked, "And the conditions?"

Xu Xian was blunt. "Simple. From now on, every one of your forging workshops will be under my management. Hmm... According to my requirements, each workshop just needs to complete 1,200 orders for me. Naturally, your existing orders don't count toward this total."

Hiss...

The crowd sucked in a breath of cold air, followed by a chorus of hushed groans.

The sound of his blatant calculations was like an abacus snapping right in their faces.

One thousand two hundred per shop? With seven shops, that was 8,400 earth weapons.

Add that to the original two thousand-plus orders, and the total exceeded ten thousand.

The original workload of two thousand orders had instantly quintupled, and there were only fourteen of them.

How long would that take? Even if they worked until the end of time...

If they worked without eating or sleeping, it would still take them at least two years.

After all, not everyone was like Xu Xian—possessing a sword embryo, a sword body, and a sword spirit root, which gave him incredible recovery and boundless energy.

If they weren't careful, this workload could literally kill them.

Seeing their bitter expressions, Xu Xian asked impatiently, "Is there a problem?"

The masters shifted uncomfortably, wanting to speak but hesitating. Finally, Li Xun steeled himself and said, "Master Xu, this... this is too much. It’s truly difficult to manage."

Xu Xian chuckled. "Heh... Difficult? If it’s too difficult, then don’t do it. The door is right there; no one is stopping you. Feel free to leave."

Li Xun’s face crumpled like a bitter melon. "This..."

The others looked equally grim.

Xu Xian tapped the table, his tone suggestive. "Let me do the math for you. Each of you owes me three hundred orders. There’s no way you can deliver within a month. My bottom line is triple compensation. Currently, in the Central Plains, a single low-grade earth weapon goes for 7,000 spirit stones. Never mind mid-grade or high-grade; let’s just calculate based on low-grade. You do the math—how much will you have to pay me?"

Xu Xian paused for a moment.

Everyone instinctively began calculating in their heads.

Xu Xian took the initiative to provide the answer, his voice growing louder as he enunciated every digit. "6.3 million. That’s the bare minimum. To be precise, it definitely won’t be less than 8 million."

8 million?

How much for all seven shops?

64 million.

In Fanzhou, that was an astronomical figure.

Pay it? They couldn't afford it even if they sold themselves.

Their complexions grew even more unsightly.

Xu Xian continued, "Even if you push yourselves to the limit and somehow manage to deliver three hundred orders in a month, the question remains: do you still have the money to buy materials?"

The group was left utterly speechless.

Xu Xian rubbed salt in the wound. "If I’m not mistaken, your funds have long since run dry. You’ve even sunk your personal fortunes into this, haven't you?"

At this point, heavy sighs began to echo through the room.

"I’ve also heard that the deposits you received were taken by the financial backers behind you. Those goods are already appearing on the market. If I’m right, not a single cent from the sale of those monster carcasses has made it back to your hands, has it?"

One by one, point by point, he struck exactly where it hurt.

Their hearts were breaking; it was a tale of woe and tears.

Seeing that the timing was right, Xu Xian delivered his concluding argument:

"Think about your situation. You definitely won't be able to sell those monster carcasses in the short term. Forget 1,500; even 1,000 would be a struggle. Without money for raw materials, you won't be able to deliver your orders, and you'll be forced to pay me."

"Defaulting on the debt is out of the question."

"This is Demon-Slaying City, after all. Running away is impossible. As for whether the sects behind you will come to bail you out... I think you know the answer better than I do."

The youth spread his hands with a hint of cynical flair and continued, "So, the math isn't hard. You’ve already been abandoned by your sects. Your choices are to either drown in debt, lose your reputations, and perhaps even your lives..."

"Or, you work for me."

"Once you sell those monster carcasses, each of you will have at least several hundred thousand spirit stones. Work hard for me for two years, and everyone will get another few hundred thousand in commissions."

"Your lives are saved, your reputations are intact, and your debts are cleared."

"When you go back after two years, you’ll have at least a million spirit stones in your pocket. How great is that?"

"Furthermore, working for me guarantees your safety. I am the Little Grand-Uncle of the Wendao Sect. Even if your former employers have ideas, they’ll have to keep them to themselves."

"Think about those bosses of yours—was what they did even human? They sold you out over such a small loss. Why would you risk your lives for them?"

"Work for me, and at the very least, I won't sell you out."

"Think it over."

Xu Xian’s analysis was thorough and logical, hitting every single one of their concerns.

The masters couldn't help but be swayed. They leaned in, whispering among themselves.

"He has a point."

"Is the math right?"

"I checked. We owe over two thousand orders. Even at cost rather than market price, it wouldn't be less than 5 million. Combined with the stock on hand, that puts each of us over a million in debt. Working for him for two years to clear it and end up with a million... that’s a deal I wouldn't have dared dream of before."

"When you put it that way, it really is?"

"But it’s such a good deal... is he trying to trap us again? I’m terrified of being played."

"Surely not?"

"The Wendao Sect’s reputation is trustworthy."

"But he’s Xu Xian!"

"As things stand, our only choice is to gamble."

"So? Do we do it?"

"I want to..."

"Master Li, say something. Do we do it or not?"

Li Xun didn't respond immediately. He was silently calculating in his head, occasionally glancing at the youth before him.

Everything Xu Xian said was true.

Currently, there was massive internal controversy within his own chamber of commerce.

The Wanxian Chamber of Commerce was a business; they pursued profit, but they also pursued reputation.

With things having reached this state, even if his son-in-law wanted to protect him, it would be difficult to go against the consensus.

Sacrificing the pawns to save the king was inevitable.

Falling out with the Wendao Sect for his sake was even more impossible.

The situation for the other shops was likely the same.

They had to save themselves—that was also the sect's intent. But the question was, how?

Xu Xian had blocked every other path.

They didn't dare gamble. If Xu Xian truly turned hostile and used the orders as a pretext to kill them, he would be justified in the eyes of the law and morality.

After all...

They were the ones who had provoked him first. They were the ones who had tried to drive him into a corner.

They could blame no one but themselves.

While Xu Xian’s proposal was essentially an indentured contract—working for him for two years for free—it was indeed their only way out.

Moreover...

Clearing their debts and resolving this crisis within two years, while still walking away with a million spirit stones each, meant they would at least recover their initial capital.

It sounded unpleasant, but upon closer reflection, it was actually quite fair.

Even if they felt some resentment...

He had been as generous as one could be.

Xu Xian urged them at the right moment. "So, have you all finished considering? Like I said, I’m quite busy. If you can't make up your minds, feel free to go back and discuss it further. I won't see you out."

The masters looked anxious. Zhou Yashan even nudged Li Xun’s arm, signaling him with his eyes.

Li Xun snapped back to reality and exhaled a long breath of turbid air, finally conceding. "There’s no need to consider further."

"Oh?"

Li Xun gave a self-deprecating laugh. "We never really had a choice to begin with."