Old Man Ge's Prestige

"Old Man Ge, quit playing dead in there! Get out here!"

"It's been nearly a month already. Where are the Puppets you promised?"

"Is the Puppet Master you found reliable or not? Don't tell me you, Old Man Ge, pocketed the Spirit Crystals!"

"Don't think Ge Family Village can protect you. If we don't see those Puppets soon, we'll skin you alive!"

"Changyuan, listen to your uncle. You Cannot Grasp this matter. How about we gather some people and go find Su Qing? We sent over ten thousand Spirit Crystals, and there hasn't been a scrap of news these past days. No one feels at ease!"

Late at night, the gate of Ge Changyuan's home was being pounded hard enough to shake the heavens.

Inside the courtyard, Ge Ling helped Yuan Ailan braid Demon Binding Ropes by moonlight.

Though the mother and daughter had long grown used to the villagers' clamor outside, it seemed that nearly everyone in the village had come to ask about it today, and their hearts could not help tightening.

Yuan Ailan raised her head and glanced at Ge Changyuan, who sat behind the gate smoking his water pipe in silence. She hesitated before saying:

"Dear, how about going to ask Fellow Daoist Su? See how many he has refined, and bring a few back first..."

Before Ge Changyuan could reply, Ge Ling became anxious instead. Her brows drew together as she snapped:

"You can't go! What kind of person is Brother Su? Others may not know, but don't we?

He said he'd Deliver goods all together once they were done. Going to bother him now would make it obvious that we don't trust him!"

Although Ge Changyuan had been harried to the point of vexation by the villagers these past few days, he shared Ge Ling's attitude.

"Can't go. We agreed on delivery in one month, and the date hasn't arrived yet. Fellow Daoist Su is a man of his word. This old fellow trusts him.

The villagers may have drums beating in their hearts, but as long as the agreed date has not come, they won't dare press me too hard. Wait another three days. If Fellow Daoist Su still hasn't come by then, this old fellow will make another trip to the Living Area."

At this moment, Ge Changyuan somewhat regretted having taken everything upon himself before.

Back then, he had only wanted to help the village and introduce Fellow Daoist Su to a major deal, so at the village chiefs' request, he had agreed to it.

Thinking about it now, this was a major deal worth over thirty thousand Spirit Crystals. If anything went wrong, even selling Ge Changyuan would not be enough to bear the responsibility.

Though he felt Su Qing was not the sort to take the money and run, breaking his word and growing fat on it, this world lacked nothing more than accidents.

What if, what if Fellow Daoist Su had been robbed and killed on a night road? What if something had gone wrong in his cultivation and he had exploded from rampaging qi? Or even, what if Fellow Daoist Su had simply had bad luck lately and kept failing at Refining Puppets?

No one could say.

Ge Changyuan's heart was heavy with sorrow, and he could not help taking another drag from his water pipe.

As the water pipe gurgled, he puffed out smoke rings. The villagers outside could tell at once that he was holed up at home.

Yet none of them intended to break down the gate. After shouting for a while, they dispersed one after another.

After all, they were not certain that they had truly been swindled in this deal, so they did not dare push too hard. What if that Puppet Master who was on good terms with Ge Changyuan really could Deliver goods on time? Would they not offend both Ge Changyuan and that Puppet Master to the death?

In the hearts of the Spirit Field District villagers, a Puppet Master was an important figure. It had not been easy to use Ge Changyuan to forge ties with one. There would be plenty of chances to ask for his help in the future, so they dared not offend him lightly.

Once silence had fallen outside, Ge Changyuan told Ge Ling and Yuan Ailan to return to their rooms and rest. They had been busy by day and busy by night these past days; they could not go on without proper rest.

As for himself, he remained squatting where he was, sending smoke from his water pipe flying upward. The faint haze was like the gloom in the old man's heart, lingering without dispersing.

He did not sleep all night.

Until another round of thudding knocks sounded at the gate.

"Which unruly brat dares knock on my door in broad daylight? This old fellow will smash your head to pieces!"

The anger Ge Changyuan had bottled up all night surged up at once. He yanked the gate open and saw—

Outside stood a large golden dog, as big as a calf.

Behind the dog stood an iron-skinned bear so tall that the old man had to crane his neck just to see its chest.

The sight gave the old man such a fright that the pipe in his hand trembled loose and fell.

Dear mother, is this necessary? The day isn't even here yet—why have they come to make such a grand show of causing trouble for me!

Flustered, the old man was about to retreat into the courtyard.

Then the voices of the villagers reached him.

"Uncle Changyuan, why are you closing the gate? Fellow Daoist Su has come in person. Aren't you going to invite him inside for a sit?"

"I knew Fellow Daoist Changyuan was capable! Who among the villages for ten miles around doesn't know that a High-grade Tier 1 Puppet Master—only Fellow Daoist Changyuan had the ability to forge ties with someone like that!"

"Is it not so? When we handed over the Spirit Crystals last time, they said the matter had been entrusted to Fellow Daoist Changyuan. That put ten thousand worries in my heart to rest. I knew nothing could go wrong!"

"This Fellow Daoist Su is truly imposing! Two Armored War Bears and twelve Lizard Warriors—how many Spirit Crystals must that have cost?"

"He's a Puppet Master. Would he lack Puppets? Still, if Fellow Daoist Su can control so many Puppets, his cultivation must be at Peak Qi Refining, right?"

"If Fellow Daoist Changyuan has ties with him, then Ge Family Village has ties with him, and so do all the villages for ten miles around! If Rogue Cultivators bully us in the future, we'll just give them Fellow Daoist Su's name!"

"That, we wouldn't dare do. We mustn't offend one of his taboos."

There was thirty percent enthusiasm and seventy percent flattery in the villagers' voices, just as there had been when he returned after first discussing business with Su Qing. Back then, he too had cut an imposing figure, praised by everyone he met.

But as time passed, he had not felt that sensation in a long while.

Only after Ge Changyuan saw the Lizard Warriors and Su Qing through the gap between the Armored War Bear's legs did realization dawn on him.

This old fellow truly did not misjudge him. I told you Fellow Daoist Su was a man of his word!

Su Qing, who had just climbed down from Bear Two's back behind the group, passed through the crowd and deliberately raised his voice.

"Fellow Daoist Ge, I trust you have been well. This one has refined all the Puppets you entrusted to me. I came to your door today to Deliver goods!"

Villagers were the most snobbish of all.

That was simply the environment they lived in, and he could not blame them for it. The Spirit Crystals they had scraped together had all been dug bit by bit from the earth and saved from their own mouths. Naturally, they feared being deceived most of all.

Yet their snobbery would inevitably make Ge Changyuan feel bad, and Su Qing did not intend to do business with Ge Changyuan only once.

That was why, after entering the village, he had not put away the Puppets, instead using them to put on a grand display.

If he had strength and prestige, then Ge Changyuan had strength and prestige. After this, the villagers would surely trust both him and the old man even more in the future!

"This old fellow is still the same, but Fellow Daoist Su seems to have grown a little taller and stronger. The date hasn't even arrived yet. Why was Fellow Daoist Su in such a hurry to come?"

Ge Changyuan kicked his water pipe away with one foot, kicking away the stifled anger of the past few days along with it. Smiling broadly, he invited Su Qing into the courtyard.

By then, several sharp young men had already run off to notify their respective village chiefs.

Had they not heard Su Qing? He had brought all the goods with him. Shouldn't the village chiefs hurry up and send over the Spirit Crystals?