Blood Curse

"There were no real gains," Xu Yi said. "Everyone who could afford a private room was incredibly wealthy. What was my meager sum of gold coins to them? Oh, right, did you sell my Green Blade?"

"Sold, sold! I never expected that little green sword was forged from Geng Iron. I sold it for 150 gold. The old man who buys things only offered 100 gold at first, trying to trick me. So, I waved it around the main hall, and he couldn't stand it. He called me back, and after a lot of haggling, he grudgingly agreed to 150 gold. This is the highest price I could get privately."

Yuan Qinghua excitedly recounted his success. As he spoke, he produced six gold notes—one for 100 gold, five for 10 gold—and a transaction receipt, handing them to Xu Yi.

"Well done, thank you for your hard work!"

Xu Yi took the gold notes without even looking and handed Yuan Qinghua a 10-gold note.

Yuan Qinghua was overjoyed. "You're so generous, boss! In all my years in this business, I've never met a patron as magnanimous as you."

Xu Yi's impression of him improved. He was greedy but not deceitful. "This is what you deserve, no need for thanks. Alright, you're busy, and I have things to do, so I'll be going."

"Wait, boss, didn't you still want a heavy weapon?" Yuan Qinghua said urgently.

"I saw too many treasures at the auction just now. Mundane items probably won't catch my eye, so it's fine if I don't look!"

It wasn't that he wouldn't look; it was that his purse was empty. After buying the Dragon Crocodile Hide, he only had 200 gold left, which was intended for processing the hide.

The Green Blade he had entrusted to Yuan Qinghua to sell was expected to fetch a high price, but it only brought in a little over 100 gold.

Together, that was barely 350 gold. Having seen true treasures, Xu Yi knew that even this amount wouldn't be enough to buy something he truly desired.

With that, Xu Yi started to leave, but Yuan Qinghua followed closely.

"What do you mean by this? The transaction is complete, are you trying to freeload off me?" Xu Yi raised his eyebrows.

Yuan Qinghua waved his hands repeatedly. "Please don't misunderstand, boss. How could I possibly have such thoughts? I wanted to ask if you'd be willing to hire me long-term. It won't cost much, just twenty—no, fifteen gold coins per month."

Yuan Qinghua's profession as a broker was a lowly one, and his daily earnings were indeed meager. Sometimes, he wouldn't get a single deal for days. Meeting a generous patron like Xu Yi today was pure luck.

He only earned sixty to seventy gold a year. After deducting the high cost of living in East City and maintaining his cultivation, he was genuinely one of the lowest-ranking individuals in East City.

"I can't afford to keep you!"

It wasn't that he couldn't afford it, but it was pointless. Xu Yi wasn't a merchant who scurried around the marketplace all day; what would he hire Yuan Qinghua for, to serve tea and water?

"Don't try to fool me, boss," Yuan Qinghua said. "I could tell you were extraordinary long ago. You'll surely make waves in Guang'an City in the future. How can you do without a follower by your side? Take your trip to East City just now, for example. If you had a follower like me, why would you have had to make the trip yourself? Now, you're probably thinking, 'I can't trust this kid with so much money.' Boss, you don't know this, but since I'm willing to commit myself to you, I will definitely make you feel at ease. I can sign a Blood Curse with you. From now on, whether it's buying medicine, running errands, or even gathering enemy intelligence and information, I can handle it all. With the Blood Curse as a constraint, you won't have to worry about me having ulterior motives."

"Blood Curse? What is that?"

The words "gather enemy intelligence" and "collect information" caught Xu Yi's ear, and he suddenly felt there was a need to enlist this guy.

"A Blood Curse is a Blood Talisman," Yuan Qinghua explained. "It uses the vows of both parties as a guide and a drop of blood as a response. Once the Blood Curse is activated, if anyone betrays the vow, they will be devoured by the Blood Curse and die." As he spoke, he took out two pieces of paper from his pocket. One was blood-red, and the other was a transaction receipt from Linglong Pavilion, which Xu Yi recognized.

Xu Yi had already guessed that the blood-red paper was undoubtedly the Blood Talisman, and the transaction receipt for the other Blood Talisman was merely Yuan Qinghua's way of proving its authenticity, in case Xu Yi didn't trust it.

Xu Yi's guess was correct. As soon as Yuan Qinghua finished selling the Green Blade, he had already considered working exclusively for Xu Yi. He had purchased this Blood Talisman at that time.

Seeing Yuan Qinghua's sincerity, Xu Yi found it even harder to refuse. He pondered the pros and cons, but his feet didn't stop. Unconsciously, he had stepped onto the arch bridge he had crossed earlier. Gazing west, he saw two people still fighting fiercely on the distant arena, their swords clashing. However, the white flag on the side of the stage had been replaced with a black flag, and there were many more spectators below.

Suddenly, Xu Yi had an idea. "Since we've talked this far, I'll hire you!"

He was short on money, desperately short on money. Right now, he only had 350 gold left, and processing the Dragon Crocodile Hide into armor would surely be expensive.

In addition, the medicinal herbs he had commissioned Linglong Pavilion to collect would cost another 120 gold.

Together, these expenses would likely drain his 350 gold completely.

Not to mention, having witnessed the marvel of Iron Essence, he still harbored thoughts of refining it, which would probably be another significant expense.

Having lived two lives, Xu Yi was mature and understood the principle that one cannot become rich without windfalls, just as a horse cannot grow fat without night fodder. It was said that killing and arson brought great wealth. Where did his own two thousand gold in windfalls come from? It came precisely from killing and arson.

Now, killing and arson were out of the question in Guang'an City, but there were still ways to earn quick money through unconventional means.

Xu Yi's idea was to bet on the outcomes of the fights below the arena.

He was about to participate in one, or perhaps countless, arena matches. If he lost, he would surely die, and money would be useless. If he won, he would surely profit. Wouldn't it be foolish not to bet?

Since he had set his sights on betting, Xu Yi naturally wouldn't forget Yuan Qinghua.

When it came to such matters, how could he compare to the old hand, Yuan Qinghua?

Using Yuan Qinghua as a puppet was the fundamental reason Xu Yi finally agreed.

After the two had come to an agreement, Yuan Qinghua led Xu Yi to his humble abode in East City. He opened the blood-red talisman, bit his index finger, dripped a drop of blood onto it, and recited an oath.

The content of the oath was essentially about how he would loyally serve his employer during his employment and strictly keep all secrets concerning his employer even after the employment ended.

After reciting the oath, at Yuan Qinghua's prompting, Xu Yi also recited a passage, agreeing to pay money on time and in equal measure, and not to breach the contract.

After the oaths were sworn, Xu Yi willed it, and his finger automatically broke open. A drop of blood, thick as a solid, floated out and landed precisely on the Blood Talisman.

As the two drops of blood met, the Blood Talisman immediately burned intensely, emitting a blood-red light that shot directly into both their chests.

With the vow established, Xu Yi informed Yuan Qinghua of his residence and turned to leave.