Yu Duocheng was furious. Elder Bai Yu, seated beside him, tapped the table lightly. "My bottom line is thirty percent, Brother Qinghai. You can weigh that for yourself. These youngsters are making such a racket that my head aches. I need to go back and get a good night's sleep, so I won't keep you." As he spoke, his figure vanished like smoke. Yu Duocheng and the others followed suit, slipping away.
"Thirty percent? That's not impossible to accept. There's plenty on that mountain. Give them thirty percent, and we'll definitely exceed our quota for this cycle." Xiahou Sheng, beside Cao Yu, spoke with an easy smile. Cao Yu and the others relaxed their tense expressions at last, smiles finally appearing on their faces.
Only Elder Hu remained silent. His mouth moved slightly, like a withered tree stirring, and he spoke in a hoarse voice. "What are you dreaming about? You think he meant they'd take thirty percent? He's only willing to leave us thirty percent. Bai Yu has never been a decent man. The old man is furious."
In an instant, Cao Yu and the others erupted, cursing indignantly. Though they were cultivators, when their anger truly flared and they couldn't fight, their curses were still varied enough to turn the air blue. They cursed for half an incense stick, but seeing that Elder Hu showed no reaction, they could only fall silent.
Cao Yu said solemnly, "Elder, what exactly do you mean? You're not thinking of agreeing to these humiliating terms that would strip us of our rights, are you? If we set this precedent, which of the menial workers will still be willing to dig hard for spirit plants? We'll lose everyone's heart." They all stood up, expressing the deep resentment in their hearts through their actions.