"Senior Brother Li, we really hit the jackpot this time. For just Thirty Taels, we got so much Spirit Medicine, including even Purple Heart Grass.
If we resold it somewhere else, we wouldn't have to do a thing, and we'd still each make several Silver Taels."
The others were excited too, all talking over one another.
At this moment.
They seemed to have forgotten completely.
The Spirit Medicine in their hands had been forcibly taken from He An, relying on the might of Great Fortune Martial Arts Hall.
Li Yan chuckled. "Junior Brother Zhang is right. Even if we do nothing but resell this Spirit Medicine, we'll each get several Silver Taels."
"Of course, if we hand these things over to Master, he'll be very pleased too."
"He might even think more highly of us."
"Our standing in the Martial Arts School could rise as well. But... that depends on what you all choose. Do you want to make some Silver Taels, or fight for a brighter future?"
At this, everyone began to mull it over.
"Senior Brother Li, will Master really remember us just because of a few stalks of Spirit Medicine?" Junior Brother Zhang asked, voicing his concern.
The entire Great Fortune Martial Arts Hall.
It had seventy or eighty disciples.
There were five or six direct disciples like Li Yan.
In these circumstances.
It was hard for people like them to get ahead!
The others wore troubled expressions too. They might have thrown their weight around outside, but they knew perfectly well that they were merely ordinary people who'd had a little better luck.
Becoming a ranked Martial Artist was practically impossible.
They'd have to burn incense and pray to reach the Blood Circulation Realm.
From their words, Li Yan had already understood what everyone was thinking.
"In that case, let's exchange it for Silver Taels. But I'll take the biggest share, since I took a greater risk than you did."
"Without me, you wouldn't have come into this unexpected windfall."
The others exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement.
After the shares were divided.
They were now all in the same boat, and headed excitedly toward West City.
Spirit Medicine like Purple Heart Grass.
Could only fetch a better price in West City, where the wealthy were thick on the ground.
At that moment.
Just behind them.
He An slowly appeared like a specter.
"I finally found you. You stole the Spirit Medicine from me, and you even dared to divide it up right in front of me. You really don't take me seriously at all!"
"But this works out nicely. It saves me a huge sum of Silver Taels. Ru'er is growing, and needs meat to build him up."
They passed through East City.
The sky had grown completely dark.
But since the neighborhood was full of wealthy households, they spared no expense on lighting their homes, and scattered lights could be seen shining through their walls.
Even so, the streets were still deserted.
Tap, tap.
Footsteps sounded behind Li Yan and the others.
"Who's there?"
Li Yan turned around, instantly alert.
Seeing this, the other junior brothers turned around as well.
"It's you?"
From the figure's clothes, Li Yan and the others immediately recognized him. Who else could it be but He An?
"Why are you following us?"
Li Yan narrowed his eyes as he sized He An up, a faint killing intent appearing in his gaze.
He didn't believe He An had followed him for no reason.
Seeing He An behind them, the other junior brothers also looked hostile.
He An lowered his voice and said calmly, "Hand over the Spirit Medicine. You can keep the Thirty Taels, and I'll spare your lives."
At this, the others burst into laughter, as if they'd heard some kind of joke.
"Give you the Spirit Medicine? Keep dreaming."
"Boy, are you threatening us?"
"Brother, if you really want the Spirit Medicine, we can give it to you. But it won't be Thirty Taels—it'll be fifty Silver Taels."
He An didn't move, only staring fixedly at Li Yan. Under his gaze, Li Yan began to feel uneasy.
Li Yan cleared his throat.
"Young brother, it was wrong of us to snatch the opportunity from you, but that's how the market works. Your deal wasn't finalized, so what's wrong with us offering Silver Taels to buy it?"
"You followed us, demanded Thirty Taels for the Spirit Medicine, and even threatened us. That makes you the one in the wrong."
"But since we were the ones who acted improperly first, I can let this go."
"So if you've got nothing else to say, hurry up and leave."
"I may be easygoing, but these junior brothers of mine aren't. If they get it into their heads to kill you and take the Silver Taels you're carrying, things could get ugly."
At this, the junior brothers behind him immediately bared their fangs, greed flashing in their eyes.
He had clearly brought up He An's Silver Taels on purpose.
Seeing through his intentions, He An sneered.
"So you're threatening me in return? You sound pretty honest, but your heart's rotten."
"In that case, there really is no settling this peacefully."
"I'd thought that if you handed over the Spirit Medicine, I could still spare all of you."
"But now it seems I was being too optimistic!"
"Enough talk," Junior Brother Zhang barked. "Boy, you dared to block our way and threaten us. Today, I'll show you the consequences."
"He's carrying dozens of Silver Taels—at least thirty. Brothers, we've struck it rich!"
Li Yan stopped holding them back.
He took two steps back and watched the young He An with a taunting look.
"Young brother, you insisted on courting death, so don't blame my junior brothers for using a heavy hand. Is it really worth it over a few stalks of Spirit Medicine?"
They charged at him together like wild bulls.
He An's expression didn't change. "Let me ask you the same thing. Is it worth trading your lives for a few stalks of Spirit Medicine?"
Li Yan didn't think much of it. His junior brothers weren't as strong as he was, but they were all capable fighters in the Martial Arts School, and two of them had already reached the Body Refining Realm.
Even if He An really was a Martial Artist, at his age he could only have reached about the same level.
Three against one.
They had the advantage.
"Boy, die!"
They unleashed their killing moves, raining blows down on He An. Not one of their punches left him any chance of survival.
Seeing this.
He An had no intention of showing them mercy either.
Slash, slash, slash.
His blade whipped like a gale. Before anyone could react, He An struck three times in the span of a second, each blow carrying astonishingly sharp force.
Even a Body Refining Realm Martial Artist would have to dodge that slash, let alone a Bone Forging Realm Martial Artist.
They had expected He An to fight back, but hadn't imagined he would be so fast.
So fast that none of them could react in time.
Thud, thud, thud.
All three fell to the ground at once.
"Now it's your turn!"
He An looked at Li Yan.
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