Meal Expenses

The two stared at each other, both stunned.

Xu Yuan slowly raised a hand. "You go first..."

Lin Wanmo opened the bundle. "I fixed it for you."

Inside the bundle was the Three-eyed Firearm, along with a beast-skin pouch filled with Cannon Powder.

Xu Yuan was overjoyed. He picked it up and kept rubbing it, unable to put it down.

His Stepmother pouted. "What's so great about this thing? It needs to be reloaded before firing, and after three shots, it's basically useless. There's no time to reload during a fight. How can it compare to us traditional artisans?"

Within the Seven Great Gates, factions were also rampant.

The most chaotic were the "Law Cultivators," truly a motley crew.

Law Cultivators had the largest numbers. If they could unite, they would undoubtedly be the strongest force among the Seven Great Gates.

But if anyone dared to suggest unifying the Law Cultivators, they would end up fighting amongst themselves.

Artisan Cultivators, on the other hand, had the most obvious internal conflict. The New Artisans and Old Artisans both felt the other side had gone down the "evil path."

The Old Artisans originally held the absolute advantage. However, as Huangming, Snow Fiend Ghosts, Red-haired Barbarians, and Blue-eyed Savages became more involved, all sorts of strange and ingenious techniques from other regions flowed in. The New Artisans absorbed their skills, their strength growing stronger and stronger, gradually becoming able to contend with the Old Artisans.

The Three-eyed Firearm was a product of the New Artisans, something his Stepmother disdained.

Xu Yuan put away the firearm. "External tools have their uses. When it comes to the understanding and comprehension of the 'Craft' path, they are certainly far inferior to you, Stepmother."

"Of course," Lin Wanmo said, accepting the small compliment with feigned arrogance. She then pointed to another bundle on the table. "What's this?"

Xu Yuan replied, "It's the money I earned this time. Part of it is for the family..."

Lin Wanmo smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, such 'filial piety'?" But she tapped the bag with her slender finger. "Your intention is enough for me, Mother. You don't need to hand over the money..."

"I earned money, of course I have to..."

Lin Wanmo waved her small white hand. "Alright, I'm not dead yet. I can still support you."

Xu Yuan said with ill intent, "You really don't want it?"

"No."

"Aren't you going to see how much I earned first?"

"Qiao Zi'ang is so stingy, how much money could he give you..."

Xu Yuan opened the bundle. Lin Wanmo's words were cut short as if by an axe.

Golden ingots!

Like the delicate, rosy toes of a maiden in her prime.

Shining silver ingots!

Like the plump, full buttocks of a woman after her first child.

Brand new banknotes!

Like the bright red veil on the head of a bride just brought into the bridal chamber!

Xu Yuan tapped the table. "Wipe your drool."

Lin Wanmo glared at him reproachfully. She secretly touched the corner of her mouth, realizing with dismay that she had actually drooled. What an embarrassment.

She broke into a smile, beautiful and radiant. Casually, she pulled the bundle into her embrace. "Your mother doesn't want your money. Your mother is helping you save it. You're not young anymore, it's time to find a wife. Matchmaking and betrothal gifts all cost money. When you get married and start a family, the Xu family will prosper, and I will have the face to see your father when I go to the netherworld..."

"Stop it!" Xu Yuan exclaimed. "Talking about seeing my father in the netherworld as if it's real. How much older are you than me?"

"But I still need to find you a wife," the Stepmother insisted.

"I don't want to!"

"Nonsense. What, are you shy?"

"Shy about what?" Xu Yuan didn't care at all. "I took out the money, and it's definitely meant for the family. But leave me some pocket money."

Lin Wanmo thought for a moment, gritted her teeth, and took out a ten-tael ingot and some loose silver.

Xu Yuan was not satisfied. "This is too little. It's not even enough for a drink at Chunxiang Pavilion in Wangjing Ward..."

The Stepmother's face turned cold. She gritted her teeth. "What did you say?! You even know the price?"

"I..." Xu Yuan's mind raced. "Uncle Rong Kui told me."

Lin Wanmo's bright eyes flickered. A young boy carrying too much money would surely go astray—he already knew about Chunxiang Pavilion.

She took away half of the remaining silver!

"Hey, hey, hey..." Xu Yuan drooped his head dejectedly. It was his own fault for saying the wrong thing.

Despite the bickering, since Xu Yuan had brought out the money, it was for his Stepmother to manage. Xu Yuan didn't really care how much he kept for himself.

Because, Xu Yuan considered it "food expenses"!

Lin Wanmo counted the gold and silver in the bundle. After conversion, it came to over seven hundred taels! She was also shocked. This kid... was he a Pixiu? He went out once and brought back so much money.

She had truly never seen so much money before.

The Xu family had a rule: they couldn't sell Artisan Cultivator creations.

Xu Yuan didn't know why this rule was established, but it had been that way since his grandfather's generation.

Without this rule, his Stepmother's Artisan Cultivator creations would sell for at least five hundred taels of silver.

Xu Yuan pocketed the silver and grabbed a meat-filled flatbread to eat. Lin Wanmo, however, suddenly asked seriously, "Give me your honest word, have you taken a liking to any of the local girls?"

"No!"

"What about Old Yu's third daughter from the west end of Stone Street? You two grew up together. If you're interested, we need to start making arrangements soon..."

If he didn't use so much money to get married, his Stepmother planned to find a way to buy Xu Yuan two "Sky Iron Ingots."

His Stepmother's words suddenly stopped mid-sentence, and Xu Yuan's expression changed too!

Night had fallen, but a chilling aura, like thick fog blown by the wind, enveloped the entire courtyard!

Lin Wanmo, agile and swift, quickly moved to Xu Yuan's side, thrust an item into his hands, and then darted under the window like a civet cat. Her pale hand spread open, and several exquisite bamboo dragonflies flew out.

Xu Yuan looked down; it was an umbrella.

An Artisan Cultivator creation, exquisite and brand new. Clearly, his Stepmother had rushed to make it these past two days.

It felt heavy and substantial in his hand. Xu Yuan figured it out after a few tries; it was a good item, capable of both offense and defense.

The materials were expensive. This single item, if sold, wouldn't fetch less than a thousand taels.

Several bamboo dragonflies flew out to scout.

Xu Yuan also crouched and moved to his Stepmother's side. Lin Wanmo glared at him, "Go to the back!"

"I can help."

"I'm not dead yet, I can protect you!" His Stepmother's tone was irrefutable.

Xu Yuan pouted and obediently retreated to the back.

Old Qian stood outside the small courtyard gate, like a dying old man, moving slowly and deliberately.

First, he opened an urn of ashes and poured it towards the courtyard.

The black-gray ashes scattered, dissipating into a dense miasma before they even hit the ground, enveloping the entire courtyard.

Night was already a suitable time for Yin Ghosts to act, and now the Yin energy in the courtyard had reached a "viscous" level, making it even easier for Old Qian's Yin Ghosts to operate.

He put down the urn and took a cloth bag from his shoulder. He took out several cloth sacks from it.

The mouths of the bags were tied shut. Old Qian untied one, and the Hanged Ghost inside immediately rushed out. It wore white, its body and neck stretched unnaturally long as if hanged, its hair disheveled, and a scarlet tongue dragged down to its chest.

They floated in mid-air, hands hanging by their sides, their claws purple-black and half a foot long.

Old Qian pointed towards the house, and the five Hanged Ghosts floated over together.

They first rose, clearing the courtyard wall, then dived straight for the house—while diving, they simultaneously let out a shrill howl.

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