Jiang Moran set down his wine cup and looked at the polite woman standing before him. Standing next to her was the female auctioneer who had brought him there.
In addition to them, a man stood behind her. He had eye-catchingly short hair and a sharp, resolute aura, like a sword concealing a cold edge.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Pavilion Master of this Heavenly Pavilion. You may call me Su Jinfeng.” She smiled slightly, her shoulders squared, showing none of the fragility typical of a sheltered young lady.
He was somewhat surprised by her polite demeanor. After all, he had caused quite a scene at their auction two years ago.
Noticing the touch of surprise on his face, Su Jinfeng chuckled softly.
“The losses from the auction two years ago were negligible—merely a jar of wine. If it allows me the honor of befriending a master like yourself, why would I mind?”
He raised an eyebrow slightly. She was certainly no simple woman. With just a single sentence, she had brushed aside their past grievance and used it to build rapport.
It was only fitting for the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Pavilion. For a woman to secure such a position, she naturally possessed extraordinary qualities.
“There is no need for introductions. I still have things to attend to. Thank you for the fine wine, Pavilion Master.” Jiang Moran waved his hand. He still had to go find someone.
“Hmph!”
The short-haired man behind her let out a cold snort, clearly displeased with his attitude. He made no effort to conceal his irritation, ensuring everyone in the private room could hear it.
Jiang Moran heard him but did not spare him so much as a glance. A few years ago, someone of this caliber would not have even been qualified to stand in his presence.
Seeing that he was about to leave, Su Jinfeng rose from her chair, clearly unwilling to give up just yet.
Although she had not witnessed the events of that year with her own eyes, Wanrou had recounted everything to her.
Wanrou was indeed the female auctioneer.
The Ghostly Hand, Zhu Shu, had not even been able to withstand a single blow from him. In fact, he had failed to react entirely. One had to understand that even Old Li could only hold his own against Zhu Shu for a few exchanges.
This alone spoke volumes about the sheer strength of the man before her.
Although she was the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Pavilion and practically controlled the economic lifeline of the entire Tianwu Kingdom, this was still a world where strength reigned supreme.
Countless wealthy merchants fell victim to blood feuds or targeted assassinations from rivals. No amount of money could protect one's life in such circumstances.
“I would like to employ you as an honorary Martial Director of our Heavenly Pavilion!”
“You do not need to remain at the Heavenly Pavilion, nor do you have to follow my orders. You would only need to lend a hand when the Heavenly Pavilion faces difficulties. Furthermore, if a situation is too troublesome, you are free to decline.”
Su Jinfeng spoke in a rapid-fire rush. After all, if she had delayed by even two seconds, Jiang Moran would have already stepped across the threshold.
Seeing him pause his steps, Su Jinfeng let out a sigh of relief and continued, “As long as the Heavenly Pavilion stands, the monthly salary for this Martial Director position will be five hundred taels of silver.”
“Should there be trouble that requires your intervention, you will receive an additional three hundred taels per occasion!”
What?!
The short-haired man behind her could not help but gasp in shock. His own monthly salary was only three hundred taels of silver, and he had served as the Pavilion Master’s Martial Attendant for three years now.
On what basis did this newcomer get to receive five hundred taels right off the bat?!
Though he was highly displeased, he did not dare voice his objections since the Pavilion Master had already spoken. Nonetheless, deep resentment lingered in his heart.
Jiang Moran turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. “Five hundred taels of silver for an idle position. You are indeed generous, Pavilion Master.”
“You are worth it.”
Heh, interesting.
Now he understood why a woman was able to become the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Pavilion. With such a sharp eye and highly decisive style of action, she would put many men to shame.
Su Jinfeng stared at him intently, waiting for his answer.
However, his next words left her completely stunned.
“These terms are indeed quite enticing. It is just that... I rather dislike that fellow behind you,” Jiang Moran said nonchalantly, yet he did not look at the man once.
“How about this? Dismiss him, and I will agree.”
The moment those words were spoken, a murderous intent instantly flared in the short-haired man's eyes. How dare this bastard humiliate him!
Su Jinfeng furrowed her delicate brows, her thin lips pursed. As a merchant, she knew best how to maximize profit.
The Martial Attendant who followed her was incapable of instantly killing Zhu Shu, so he was naturally far inferior to the man before her. Swapping a regular attendant for a far stronger expert was undeniably a highly profitable trade.
Yet...
She recalled three years ago, when she was still somewhat green. Countless rival merchant associations had dispatched assassins to kill her.
During that period, she lived in the shadow of death every single day, with countless guards around her dying or getting injured.
It was only after he became her Martial Attendant that her tightly strung nerves finally began to relax. These were indisputable facts.
Discarding a loyal servant who had outlived his usefulness... she could not bring herself to do it.
Su Jinfeng remained silent, refusing to agree to the terms, but this silence was her choice.
Perhaps she indeed desperately needed a powerful expert, but she would not obtain one through such means. Doing so would only alienate and break the hearts of those loyal to her.
Upon receiving her response, Jiang Moran’s face remained entirely expressionless.
Just as Su Jinfeng assumed he would turn around and walk away without a second thought, he slowly spoke up in the next second.
“Five hundred taels of silver for doing practically nothing. It would indeed be a shame to turn it down.”
Su Jinfeng froze. She reflexively looked up at him, only to see a hint of peculiar interest playing on his handsome face.
He had seen plenty of merchants who weighed every decision solely based on pros and cons, but this was the first time he had met one so loyal and principled.
Had she dared to agree to his demand just now, he would have left without the slightest hesitation.
“You... agree?” Su Jinfeng asked tentatively.
She had already prepared herself for him to walk away, and had even worried that he might hold a grudge because of it. Yet, the turn of events was far beyond her expectations.
“How could I possibly pass up such excellent benefits?” he said with a smile, looking like a completely different person from his previously expressionless self.
Su Jinfeng was momentarily dazed, but her long-standing habit as a merchant kept her from showing it. She maintained her poised composure.
Her astonishment was quickly replaced by a wave of belated joy, sending ripples through the calm lake of her heart that took a long time to settle.
As if remembering something, she asked Jiang Moran to wait a moment and hurriedly walked out of the room.
For a moment, only the two of them remained in the private room. The murderous intent in the short-haired man's eyes had vanished, replaced by a complex look as he stared at Jiang Moran.
“You said that on purpose just now, didn't you?” his tone was certain; he had clearly seen through the act.
Jiang Moran smiled without a word, which was as good as an admission.
Seeing this, most of the short-haired man's dissatisfaction evaporated. However, the matter of the five hundred taels of monthly salary still rankled. This person looked far younger than him; he refused to believe the man was actually stronger than him.
Jiang Moran offered no explanation.
The two of them waited in silence until Su Jinfeng returned, accompanied by two people carrying a black chest.
They placed the chest on the table and opened it, revealing a box filled to the brim with silver ingots that shimmered in the light.
“Here are five hundred taels of silver. We will start the count from this month,” Su Jinfeng explained with a smile, showing no sign of reluctance at parting with such a sum.
Jiang Moran was slightly taken aback. The month was already more than halfway over, so this five hundred taels was essentially a free handout.
If they had known his true identity, it would have been one thing. But currently, he was merely seen as a somewhat formidable martial artist of the jianghu, yet she was handing over these five hundred taels of silver without a single second thought.
“Since you have decided to take up this honorary position, may I know your name, Young Master?”
Jiang Moran nodded slightly. “I am Jiang Buran.”
...
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