"Everyone, we meet again..."
A magnetic greeting, full of goodwill.
In the ears of these people, it was exceptionally piercing.
They remained indifferent, their expressions dark.
They lowered their heads, pretending not to hear.
They closed their eyes, refusing to acknowledge him.
With their heads drooping, they were all listless...
Xu Xian had the illusion that he was facing a group of refugees. He could no longer see even a hint of the light that once shone in the eyes of these geniuses.
These people had also figured it out. It was true that they could not beat Bai Mang, and it was true that Bai Mang was ruthless. But since he was keeping them alive, he would not kill them yet.
Moreover, he would not release them just because of a few kind words or a soft plea.
Since that was the case, why waste their effort to acknowledge him?
Do not provoke him, and do not pay him any attention.
Wait...
Wait until they left the Emperor's Tomb.
Wait for the reckoning from their elders...
Xu Xian saw that the whole group was withered and thought this would not do.
When selling things, what mattered most?
Appearance.
Shriveled eggplants would not fetch a good price.
He took out some common supplies from his storage bag: medicinal pills, hot tea, and strong wine. With a wave of his sleeve and a flick of his fingers, the items flew in front of everyone.
One portion for each person.
No more, no less.
Those with closed eyes opened them, and those pretending to be deaf and mute also woke up.
Looking at the things before them, they were all confused.
What was the meaning of this?
Xu Xian smiled and said, "These are mind-nourishing spirit medicines, one for each person. Eat them. There is also hot tea and strong wine. Choose what you like, drink as much as you want. There is plenty..."
They remained quiet, not moving at all.
Xu Xian smiled again. "Rest assured, it is not poisoned."
The geniuses' gazes drifted, looking at Bai Mang, then at the people around them, and finally at the things in front of them.
To be honest, they were indeed quite weak.
They were thirsty, hungry, and exhausted.
After all, their cultivation had long been locked away.
Especially those who had been captured early by Xu Xian. By now, they had been hungry for half a month.
A faint green light flickered in their dull eyes.
It was a look of longing.
After hesitating again and again, someone finally swallowed the pill and took a swig of wine.
"I might as well eat it. It would be a waste not to."
"Everyone, eat!"
After finishing, the person did not forget to urge others.
Seeing someone take the lead, the others followed suit. Even those who were full of caution began to eat when they saw that others were fine.
With the pills in their bellies and the tea and wine down their throats, the state of these disheveled geniuses improved significantly, and a bit of color returned to their faces.
Their breathing also became much heavier.
Yao Xiaoxiao, Xia Chu Yi, and Tu Kongkong also began to eat.
The three of them were in the best condition because they had not been beaten. At this moment, they huddled together, constantly scanning their surroundings as if looking for something...
They did not see Lu Yuan.
Nor did they see Xu Xian.
They whispered to each other.
Tu Kongkong said, "Chu Yi, Xiaoxiao, could this be the legendary execution meal?"
Xia Chu Yi replied, "Who would serve such a poor execution meal?"
Tu Kongkong uttered an "Oh" and muttered, "Then he is actually quite a nice person, giving us food and drink."
Xia Chu Yi was speechless.
Yao Xiaoxiao analyzed, "He is just afraid we will starve to death and he won't be able to trade us for money."
Tu Kongkong was skeptical. "Really? He looks quite handsome, though."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"One's appearance reflects the heart!" After saying that, she added, "My master taught me that."
Yao Xiaoxiao was silent.
Xia Chu Yi was also silent.
Forget it, forget it.
Being simple-minded was good; fewer worries that way.
...
Outside the Emperor's Tomb, the experts of Fanzhou naturally saw this scene as well.
Bai Mang's unusual behavior left them suspicious and confused.
Logically, he should have come out by now. Why did he pull everyone out and give them food and drink? What kind of trick was he playing now?
Had he found his conscience, or...
"What on earth is he doing?"
"I am not sure. Let us keep watching."
"Being able to give them a bite to eat, this kid is truly not bad..."
Ye Xianyu said with a smile, "Ah, Little Eleven is just kind-hearted. He takes after me in that regard..."
Everyone remained silent, their eyes filled with hidden meaning.
Only Li Qingshan said disdainfully, "Are you sure he is not doing this just to sell them for a better price?"
"How could that be? They are people, not pigs." Ye Xianyu feigned ignorance.
Li Qingshan did not bother to argue.
In any case, he knew that Xu Xian definitely had no good intentions.
When someone is being unusually kind, they must have a hidden motive.
Inside the Emperor's Tomb, seeing that everyone's complexion had mostly recovered, Xu Xian got straight to the point and spoke of serious business.
"Everyone, you have eaten my pills, drunk my tea, and tasted my wine. I would also like to ask you all for a small favor?"
Ask?
The use of this word in such a setting was somewhat out of place.
Especially coming from this person's mouth.
A girl with a sultry figure asked hoarsely, "Bai Mang... what exactly do you want to do?"
Seeing someone respond, Xu Xian was delighted. He immediately followed her words and stated his purpose.
"As for what I want to do, I think you all know very well in your hearts. It is very simple. You want to live, and I am very poor. Therefore... I want to do a bit of business with all of you."
"To put it more simply, you will use money to buy your own lives from me."
A wave of disdainful sighs immediately rose from the crowd.
They had expected this.
The saints outside the Emperor's Tomb were not surprised either.
They had also anticipated it.
Whether the youth was poor or not, they did not know, but anyone could guess that he was seeking wealth.
He would not even let the dead go, let alone the living.
One of them snorted coldly, "Have you not already taken our storage bags, weapons, and armor? Is that not enough?"
Another person added, "Exactly. You have already obtained the legacy of the Emperor. How can you still care about these mundane possessions of ours?"
"..."
Voices of sarcasm and bitterness rose here and there, as if they were taking the opportunity to vent their dissatisfaction.
Xu Xian did not bother to waste words with them. Squinting his eyes, he said with a half-smile, "Whether I care or not is my business. It has nothing to do with you. Just tell me, will you do this business or not?"
After a pause, the youth spread his hands and said in an indifferent tone, issuing a threat, "Or to put it more bluntly, do you want your lives or not?"
As soon as those words were spoken, the surroundings fell silent.
Venting their frustration was one thing, but they still wanted their lives...
If they could live, who would want to die?
A gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten thousand years!
A cold-faced young man asked directly, "State your price. How much do you want?"
The gazes of the others converged on him.
There was no point in further idle talk. They had no choice anyway.
Xu Xian said happily, "I like dealing with straightforward people. I, Bai Mang, am not an unreasonable person."
"As the saying goes, goods vary in quality, and people vary in status. Among you, there are descendants of demon immortals and young sect masters. Naturally, your status is noble and your family background is substantial, so you will be more expensive."
"Those with saint bloodlines or direct kin will be a bit cheaper."
"I, Bai Mang, do not like to force people into difficult situations."
"So, I must trouble you all to declare your backgrounds one by one so that I can have an idea."
"Business must be discussed one transaction at a time. There is no rush..."
Everyone was stunned.
He could even do it like this?
He really knew how to play!
Pricing based on status was probably exactly what this was.
His words about people having different statuses even shut their mouths.
That was the truth!
One of them was the first to speak up. "Fine, I will go first."
With a wave of Xu Xian's sleeve, a long table, rice paper, and brushes were all set out.
He took a brush and dipped it in ink, saying warmly, "Please!"
Rate on N.U.
