The Deal Is Struck

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, gentlemen!"

Before long, Old Master Bai returned. With a bitter smile, he said, "That child simply cannot be spoiled rotten. Look at the fuss she's causing now..."

After taking a sip of tea, he returned to the previous topic. "As you two can see, there are more mouths to feed in the household now, and naturally, the expenses have increased. The price can no longer be what it was before."

Sun Zhi frowned and asked, "Then how much do you want?"

"Double it!"

"What???"

Sun Zhi's eyes flew wide as he cried out in disbelief.

What Shen Lin had offered already amounted to a thousand taels of silver.

A thousand taels of silver was damn well enough to buy this old bastard's entire residence.

This old bastard was far too greedy.

If Sun Zhi emptied out his savings, gathering a thousand taels would not be a problem.

But that would be far too great a loss.

For killing a demon, the Demon Suppression Division only handed out around three thousand taels in reward.

And that money still had to pass through the hands of the county magistrate, chief clerk, county commandant, and the like. Getting more than a thousand taels in the end would already be fortunate.

Besides, he needed to exchange those rewards for Demon Suppression Division contribution points so that he could trade for another Meridian-Opening Pill.

Just as he was about to refuse, however, he suddenly sensed several shadows flash past outside the window.

A Martial Artist's keen hearing allowed him to vaguely catch words such as "young," "Martial Artist," and "delicious."

Sun Zhi's face darkened. He understood that if he refused, he might very well fail to leave this place alive today.

But he was unwilling to simply hand over so much money.

Just then, Shen Lin spoke.

"Old Master Bai, doubling it is not a problem. But can you offer us something satisfactory in return?"

He seemed entirely unaware of the anomaly outside, picking up his teacup and taking a gentle sip.

Seeing how calm he was, Old Master Bai could not help but regard him more highly. Smiling, he said, "Naturally, I will not let you return empty-handed. I know the whereabouts of a wolf demon. That fellow clashed with the one on the mountain and was driven out of the stronghold. By your standards, its cultivation is already infinitely close to the Meridian Opening Realm. Bring it back, and you will naturally receive quite a substantial reward."

Hearing this, Sun Zhi could not help letting out a long breath.

If the wolf demon truly possessed the strength Old Master Bai claimed, then at the very least, they would recoup their investment.

But just as he was about to pull out the banknotes from his robes, before his hand could even rise, Shen Lin's words interrupted him.

"That will do. However, a thousand taels is no small sum. Neither Captain Sun nor I carry that much with us, so we will have to go back and fetch it."

Old Master Bai had no objection at all. He said readily, "Fine! But this silver..."

Before he could finish, Shen Lin smiled and continued, "Let the thousand taels count as a deposit. How about you first give us the wolf demon's location, Old Master Bai? Once we have killed the wolf demon, we will deliver the remaining silver."

Seeing a trace of displeasure appear on the other man's face, Shen Lin continued, "Of course, this is not because we distrust you, Old Master Bai. Our business will continue in the future, after all. No one wants this to be a one-hammer deal, do they? If you are unwilling, we can first return to fetch the silver, then come back for the wolf demon's location."

At this, Old Master Bai was no longer angry. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly laughed heartily. "You humans place great importance on trust in business as well. This is not my first transaction with Captain Sun, but it is my first with you. Since that is the case, we will do as you say. Let this silver serve as the deposit. I will give you the wolf demon's location now. Just as you said, there will be plenty more business between us in the future."

As he spoke, he walked to the desk, took a sheet of white paper, and scribbled and sketched upon it. When he finished, he picked it up, blew on it a few times, and handed it to Sun Zhi.

"Then we will take our leave. The remaining payment we promised will certainly be delivered within three days!"

Shen Lin cupped his hands in salute and walked out.

Several people stood in the courtyard at that moment, watching him with shadowed gazes.

Aside from Qianqian, the young fox demon who had entered earlier, and the little fox demon with its tigerish head and tigerish brain, there were two more people.

One was an old woman. Though her hair was entirely silver, both her clothing and bearing made her appear exceptionally dignified and elegant.

The other was a man with a sturdy, muscular build and a fierce gaze.

Shen Lin strode straight through the middle of them, nodding from time to time, without the slightest trace of fear.

Behind him, Sun Zhi looked tense. He forced a smile onto his face, kept his posture exceedingly humble, and bent at the waist to greet them from time to time.

After the two left, the sturdy man entered the room and said to Old Master Bai, "Father! You're just letting them go like that? Those bastards must be carrying all their belongings on them. This talk of going back to scrape together money is just an excuse. What if they kill that wolf demon and refuse to honor the deal? What if they even turn hostile and bring people to surround and wipe us out?"

Old Master Bai pulled out a book from the shelf, returned to his seat, opened it, and said quietly, "That young man has decent talent and a steady temperament!"

"So what?"

"Someone like him will not be content with mediocrity. So he will definitely bring back the remaining payment, and he will ask to trade with us again. Besides, even if they turn their backs on us and want to surround and wipe us out, so what?"

Old Master Bai opened the book and said slowly, "This old man has some connections in the County Yamen. If they wish to surround us, it will surely cause a great commotion. Before their large force arrives, we will have already received word and left. What are you panicking for?"

"You, you simply refuse to use your brain. You are far inferior to your elder brother!"

The man scratched the back of his head and gave a foolish grin. "Big Brother excels in both letters and martial arts. Naturally, I cannot compare to him. Speaking of which, Big Brother and Sister-in-law should be coming back this year, shouldn't they?"

"Mm! A letter came saying that they will return sometime within the next month or two. Oh, right. Your elder brother said in his previous letter that he has already opened seven Demonic Meridians and has begun preparing to break through into the Innate Realm."

"Seven?"

The man's eyes widened as he muttered, "Worthy of the Qingqiu Family indeed. Sister-in-law must have secured those secret cultivation arts for Big Brother. Seven meridians... then breaking through to the Innate Realm should not be a problem, right?"

"That is certain. After all, your elder brother already bears the Qingqiu surname. He is one of their own now. Second Son, our family is counting on you. You must not disappoint me..."

The conversation in the study gradually subsided as night began to fall.

After Shen Lin and Sun Zhi left the village, they immediately set out toward the location Old Master Bai had provided.

Demons had no fixed dwelling place. Once one obtained information, it was best to act quickly. If they delayed, the target might well move its nest.

Yet Sun Zhi appeared deeply worried at the moment.

Clearly, what had happened earlier had truly frightened him.

"Captain Sun!"

Shen Lin's call pulled him back from his thoughts.

"You said there are seven people in their family. Why did I only see five just now?"

"I heard that their eldest son and daughter-in-law live away from home year-round and only return once a year."

"Oh, I see. What a pity..."

"What is a pity?"

"Nothing."

Shen Lin shook his head, turned to glance at the village beneath the night sky, and gave a soft laugh. "Let's move faster and hurry back."