Xu Yi sent a message with his thoughts. "Don't worry, Brother Gu. I won't ruin your plans. After all, I'm hoping to make a tidy profit too. As for Instructor Yi, isn't she locked up in the fake mountain by the pond? I've already seen her. That woman may have a face as beautiful as a painting, but she's as stupid as a pig. I couldn't be bothered to bring her out. How Brother Gu wants to deal with her is your business. But since you've asked for my help, you can't skimp on the payment. Given the underhanded methods you've used, two thousand Profound Yellow Essences isn't too much to ask, is it?"
Gu Beiting nearly jumped up and cursed on the spot. His entire budget for hiring these people was only four thousand.
Gu Beiting sent back a thought. "One thousand. That's all I can offer. If Xu Yi won't accept, then I can only call it off. I don't care about the others, but Brother Xu has meddled in Gu Mou's major undertaking. I'm afraid you won't find it so easy to leave May Mountain Villa."
"Fine. One thousand it is." Xu Yi accepted without hesitation.
Gu Beiting cursed inwardly. He'd offered too little. He'd heard the story of that bastard extorting twelve thousand Profound Yellow Essences from the various Aristocratic Clans, and it had left him feeling as if offering the man a mere few hundred would be embarrassing. Their exchange of thoughts took only a moment. Gu Beiting told Old Sui to arrange rooms for everyone.
Xu Yi said, "There's no need for rooms. We can sit in Hehua Pavilion to the north and have a casual chat. Cramming everyone into a tight space when we barely know one another would only make us uncomfortable."