Recruiting Xing Hu

Knowing that Xing Hu had misunderstood them, Huangfu Ji smiled and explained.

"You've misunderstood. Neither of us came for the bounty. We have no interest in the one million Gold Soul Coin reward."

As he said this, he spread his arms and laughed at himself.

"Besides, do the two of us look like we could defeat you?"

"We're only twelve."

"There's no way to throw away your lives like that."

After hearing this, the wariness in Xing Hu's eyes faded somewhat, though he still did not lower his Mountain Splitting Axe. One could never be too careful around others, and he did not know the young man and woman before him.

However, he believed that the two of them had not come for the one million Gold Soul Coin bounty.

Judging by Huangfu Ji and Tang Yuehua's clothing and bearing, they were clearly from extraordinary backgrounds, most likely some noble family.

Since they were nobles, they naturally would not kill someone over another person's bounty.

Moreover, Huangfu Ji was right. How could two twelve-year-olds possibly be his opponents?

Though he could not sense Huangfu Ji's Soul Power, judging from his age, he was at most a Soul Grandmaster, perhaps even merely a One Ring Soul Master. Against someone like that, he could kill them effortlessly without even using his Martial Soul.

"Since you're not here to kill me, why did you come looking for me?"

Huangfu Ji adjusted his clothes, his tone turning gentler.

"We came to help you."

He did not waste words. He knew Xing Hu would not understand roundabout talk, so it was better to get straight to the point and tell him the truth.

"Help me?" Xing Hu sneered. He did not believe it at all.

Besides, how could Huangfu Ji help him? Was he going to help revoke the Meng Family Bounty?

Forget it. He had killed a member of the Meng family. How could they possibly withdraw the bounty so easily?

He was rather speechless himself. He had not expected the Meng family to be such sore losers. If they were afraid of dying, they should not have entered a life-and-death duel. Yet after their man was killed, the Meng family became unwilling to accept it and put out a bounty to kill him.

"That's right, help you." Huangfu Ji nodded confidently.

Xing Hu scoffed.

"How?"

"Don't tell me you can persuade the Meng family to cancel the bounty?"

Huangfu Ji shook his head. "No."

He truly could not do that. If he were a Grand Duke Qingyang with real authority, it might have been possible. But he was merely a powerless, sidelined grand duke. The Meng family would not pay him any heed.

"Then why are you saying you'll help me?" Xing Hu said helplessly, turning to leave. He felt that Huangfu Ji was simply toying with him.

But this was not the time to argue about such things. He had to return and watch over his mother.

The moment he turned around, Huangfu Ji's voice came from behind him.

"The help I mean is curing your mother's illness."

The instant those words were spoken, Xing Hu immediately lowered the foot he had lifted.

He turned back to look at Huangfu Ji, his gaze sharp.

"Is that true?"

Huangfu Ji nodded. "If I dare say it, then naturally it is true."

"As for whether you believe me, that is up to you."

With that, he turned and walked away. He was gambling—gambling that Xing Hu would believe him. That way, he would hold the initiative.

Tang Yuehua glanced at Xing Hu and revealed a meaningful smile before following Huangfu Ji.

Xing Hu hesitated. He did not know whether he should trust them. If he did not, what would become of his mother's illness? But if he did trust them, what if Huangfu Ji was lying to him?

He was not afraid of death. What he feared was that there would be no one to care for his mother after he died.

After hesitating for a while, he chose to trust Huangfu Ji.

"Wait."

Huangfu Ji stopped and glanced sideways at Tang Yuehua. Both of them had smiles in their eyes, but the smiles vanished the instant they turned around.

"It seems you've made your choice."

Xing Hu nodded, but he still asked, "Why are you helping me? I don't believe you're doing this out of kindness."

Huangfu Ji nodded. "Naturally, I'm helping you because of you."

Xing Hu understood.

"You want to recruit me too, and have me serve you."

"Correct." Huangfu Ji said calmly, "My surname is Huangfu, and my given name is Ji. I am the current Grand Duke Qingyang."

"This is Tang Yuehua, the beloved daughter of the Clear Sky Sect's sect master."

Tang Yuehua smiled and nodded in reply.

Xing Hu's eyes widened in disbelief. He had guessed that the two came from noble backgrounds, but he had never imagined their identities would be this extraordinary.

One was a duke, belonging to the very highest echelon of nobles in the Empire, while the other was actually the daughter of the Clear Sky Sect's sect master.

As a soul master, who had not heard of the Clear Sky Sect's great reputation?

"Do you have proof?" Xing Hu asked. He wanted to confirm whether Huangfu Ji was deceiving him.

Huangfu Ji took out the Qingyang Duke Token from his Soul Tool and tossed it to Xing Hu.

"This is Qingyang's duke token."

Catching the token, Xing Hu looked at the imposing Golden Dragon carved onto the black gold token in his hand. He could sense that this token was anything but ordinary.

Retracting his gaze, he tossed the token back.

"I don't recognize duke tokens, but you said your surname is Huangfu. Just hearing that surname tells me it's far from ordinary, so I believe you."

Taking back the token, Huangfu Ji was somewhat speechless. He had forgotten that not everyone would recognize the Qingyang Duke Token.

Beside him, Tang Yuehua clutched her stomach and bent over laughing.

"Come with me." Xing Hu turned and left, with Huangfu Ji and Tang Yuehua following after him.

After walking for a while behind Xing Hu, the three arrived beside a river in the forest. A wooden house stood fifty meters from the riverbank.

"Your mother is seriously ill, yet you still dared to hide her deep in the mountains. Aren't you afraid something will happen to her? You wouldn't even be able to save her," Huangfu Ji said.

Xing Hu sighed helplessly, his tall frame rising and falling.

"I have no choice. There are people everywhere outside who want to kill me. If I don't hide in the mountains with my mother, where else can I hide?"

Standing outside the wooden house, Huangfu Ji caught the rich scent of medicine drifting from within.

"Looks like you prepared for this long ago."

Because the doorway was too low, Xing Hu had to bend at the waist and lower his head to enter.

The furnishings inside were simple: only a wooden table, wooden stools, and some pots and bowls. At the very back stood a wooden bed, obscured by gauze curtains. The situation inside could not be seen clearly, but one could vaguely make out a person lying there.

Listening to the occasional coughs coming from within, Huangfu Ji merely nodded before turning and walking out of the room.

Once the three were outside, Xing Hu asked anxiously, "Didn't you say you could cure my mother's illness?"

Huangfu Ji nodded. "What medicinal herb do you need?"

Xing Hu said, "I need Hundred Year Golden Leaf Grass. Do you have it?"

"Hundred Year Golden Leaf Grass?" Huangfu Ji shook his head.

"I don't."

The moment he said that, Xing Hu flew into a rage. A powerful aura burst from him and bore down directly on Huangfu Ji.

"You lied to me!"

Huangfu Ji said, "I don't have it now, but I will soon."

"Give me one month. Within one month, I'll bring you Golden Leaf Grass."

Xing Hu stared at him intently.

"One month?"

Huangfu Ji nodded. "One month."

"Fine. One month." Xing Hu placed his hopes on Huangfu Ji.

At that moment, Huangfu Ji asked, "I can bring you Golden Leaf Grass. What can you give me in return?"

Xing Hu patted his chest in guarantee. "I can swear on my Martial Soul that if you truly bring me Golden Leaf Grass and cure my mother, then this life of mine will be yours."

"Good. Your life is exactly what I want. Wait for me for one month."

Afterward, Huangfu Ji and Tang Yuehua left the place.