A Thousand Gold Thrown Away

Ye Tong quietly watched Tong Siyuan, as if observing a poorly acted play. A casual "misunderstanding" to dismiss the fact that they hired assassins – was he dreaming?

The Miao Family?

Just to appease the Tong Family, their patriarch had dispatched a group of experts to attack. Ye Tong's expression remained unchanged, but his killing intent surged like an undercurrent, growing stronger.

And this Tong Family, bringing him trouble again and again. If they didn't give him an explanation today, then their Tong Family would have no need to exist in Cold Mountain City anymore. Before heading to the county city, he needed to pay a visit to their Tong Family's ancestral graves.

Tong Siyuan felt a chill run down his spine as Ye Tong stared at him, making his skin crawl.

He had a feeling.

The one staring at him now wasn't human, but some terrifying, ferocious beast.

Tong Siyuan swallowed. His gaze swept over Mou Xing and Crazy War Heaven, who were glaring at him, feeling increasingly helpless. The most powerful and influential members of the War Tiger Adventurer Team were all here, and they were acting as if they followed Ye Tong's lead. This was practically signing his death warrant!

This Ye Tong.

What was his background? Was he really just a Medicine Boy for the Poison Demon?

The son of a county prince had a close relationship with him; the leaders of the renowned War Tiger Adventurer Team were all subservient to him; and then there was the missing Poison Demon Huo Lanqiu… how could so many figures of reverence be entangled with him?

"Come."

Tong Siyuan turned and waved at his subordinates who were holding gift boxes. Then, with a bitter expression, he said, "Young Master Ye, my son has been spoiled by us parents and has committed many wrongdoings, also offending you. This is our fault. My wife, without my knowledge, placed a bounty on you, causing those adventurers to trouble you. This is also our fault. To compensate for our mistakes, I have already taken many remedial measures. This small gift is an expression of apology from our Tong Family. I hope you will not find it wanting."

A generous gift?

Ye Tong's gaze swept over the four boxes. Not to mention the three clearly valuable items, just the stack of banknotes was dazzling.

Interesting!

Ye Tong was amused by Tong Siyuan's perceptiveness. He had been worrying about not having enough silver to buy the Blood Demon Worms before heading to the county city. This "hero" who could bend and stretch had obediently delivered wealth. Truly, a wise man knows when to adapt. No wonder the Tong Family had grown stronger under his leadership.

Tong Siyuan watched Ye Tong, noticing that he didn't seem inclined to accept the gifts. His heart sank, intensifying his hatred for the Miao Family.

"Young Master Ye, this is only a portion to compensate for your losses due to my wife and son's mistakes. If the Miao Family dares to harass you, I, Tong Siyuan, will be the first to be displeased. Rest assured, within three days at most, after I teach the Miao Family a lesson, I will present another generous gift."

More?

Ye Tong revealed a peculiar expression, but he could accept this kind of apology. Thus, he waved his hand and said indifferently, "Forget it. Patriarch Tong is indeed thoughtful. I have distinguished guests here today, so I won't keep you any longer. Within three days, I will have my old servant prepare some cold food. I hope Patriarch Tong will not find it wanting."

Tong Siyuan's eyes lit up. He quickly said, "Not at all, not at all. To be able to taste the delicacies from the Precious Medicine Workshop is a blessing I've cultivated for many lifetimes. I will definitely visit again within three days."

The people from the Tong Family came quickly and left quickly.

Tong Kaishan, who was following Tong Siyuan, remained silent throughout. He harbored no killing intent or resentment towards Ye Tong. The corpses and blood all over the ground made him realize Ye Tong's terrifying power once again.

Ye Tong didn't even glance at the corpses on the ground. His smile was exceptionally bright, and he said, "Forgive my display. Please help me take these things to the storeroom! By the way, I'll take you to get those elixirs and spiritual liquids."

The four remained silent, simply picking up the gift boxes and following Ye Tong into the storeroom. They were very curious: what qualifications did Ye Tong possess to make the patriarch of the Tong Family in Cold Mountain City personally come to apologize? They were certain that the Tong Family patriarch's deference, and even his fawning over Ye Tong, was definitely not because of them.

Then…

Things were getting rather strange!

However, the moment the four followed Ye Tong into the storeroom, even though they were well-traveled and experienced, they were still stunned by the large number of exquisitely carved jade bottles inside.

Exquisite, beautiful.

The plants carved on the jade bottles were lifelike, and the animals were vividly rendered. They had seen the carving skills of master craftsmen before, but they had to admit that they had never seen any craftsman's work that could compare to the carving on these jade bottles.

They understood.

No wonder Ye Tong was charging ten thousand Blue Gold for just these jade bottles. Merely selling these jade bottles alone could fetch a considerable price!

"Ye Tong, are these all?"

Mou Xing's eyes shone brightly as he asked.

Ye Tong replied, "That's right. One hundred elixirs to increase cultivation; one hundred bottles of spiritual liquid to enhance physique; one hundred elixirs for healing; one hundred elixirs for detoxification; and one hundred bottles of poison. I have labeled the names on the jade bottles for these elixirs and spiritual liquids, making them easy to distinguish."

Mou Xing said with satisfaction, "Trading with Brother Ye Tong is truly straightforward. Old Nine, pack all the jade bottles."

"You got it!"

Chu Lao Jiu smiled brightly and moved with exceptional agility.

On the street of the medicinal materials market.

Tong Siyuan's expression was terrifyingly grim. Even those around him felt a chill on their necks. However, Tong Kaishan made a gesture to a youth who had been lingering nearby, and the youth quickly approached them.

"Go find out where Miao Daqing is now!"

"Yes!"

Tong Siyuan stopped and turned to look at his son, Tong Kaishan, a look of relief appearing in his eyes.

Tong Kaishan asked, "Father, are we making a move tonight?"

Tong Siyuan narrowed his eyes and sneered, "The Miao Family experts who died in the Precious Medicine Workshop today represent at least one-third of the Miao Family's strength. How can we let such a heaven-sent opportunity slip by? Notify the family members to immediately sweep through the Miao Family's main businesses in Cold Mountain City. Take what we can, seize what we can. As for Miao Daqing and their ancestral land, we will spare them for now."

Tong Kaishan asked, "Are you planning to escalate this matter, to let everyone in Cold Mountain City know?"

Tong Siyuan nodded. "Ye Tong's identity is too peculiar, unfathomably deep. Not to mention the War Tiger Adventurer Team, just his relationship with the County Prince's son is worth us investing in him. This time, by targeting the Miao Family, I want to let everyone in Cold Mountain City know that Ye Tong is a friend of our Tong Family. Anyone who dares to use our Tong Family's name to trouble him, anyone who dares to harm him, will be considered an enemy of our Tong Family and will face our Tong Family's retaliation."

Saying that.

Tong Siyuan looked around and said faintly, "Cold Mountain City is, after all, a small city in a remote area. Compared to those truly powerful families in the main cities, we are still too weak, too weak. If, one day, we can develop under the protection of the County Prince's Mansion…"

Boundless future!

Creating more brilliance!

The few people around all had these thoughts flash through their minds, their eyes becoming exceptionally bright.

A single lamp.

Flickered in the storeroom of the Precious Medicine Workshop.

After Ye Tong sent off the four members of the War Tiger Adventurer Team, he hurried back here. He first took out the thick stack of silver notes to count. To his satisfaction, the Tong Family had sent a whopping five hundred thousand taels in Blue Silver notes this time. Converted to gold notes, that would be fifty thousand taels in Blue Gold notes.

Half an hour ago.

He only had a mere dozen taels of Blue Silver, which he kept in his bosom. Within this half hour, first the War Tiger Adventurer Team delivered the final payment of fifty thousand taels in Blue Gold notes, and then he received five hundred thousand taels in Blue Silver notes from the Tong Family. Calculated in gold notes, besides that dozen taels of Blue Silver, he had gained a total of one hundred thousand taels of Blue Gold, which was a full million taels of Blue Silver!

One million!

Ye Tong's long-standing worry about lacking money finally vanished at this moment. He even looked forward to how much more benefit the Tong Family patriarch's visit in three days would bring.

He put away the silver notes.

Ye Tong looked at the other three wooden boxes.

A dark dagger emitting a cold light, a milky white armor, and a black rhinoceros horn.

Ye Tong picked up the black rhinoceros horn and sighed inwardly at Tong Siyuan's shrewdness. Knowing that he cared most about poisons, Tong Siyuan had actually sent him a horn from a Level Four Fierce Beast, the Poison Demon Rhinoceros.

One must know that all the toxins of the Poison Demon Rhinoceros were contained within its horn. Its venom was fierce, ranking forty-fifth on the Hundred Poisons Compendium. Therefore, the value of this single horn alone was at least several hundred thousand taels of Blue Silver.

What a generous gesture!

Ye Tong put down the black rhinoceros horn and picked up the dark dagger. As his fingers touched the dagger's hilt, wisps of coldness invaded his fingertips. Ye Tong injected a small amount of Vital Energy into the dagger and immediately felt its uniqueness. In the darkness, he seemed to merge with the dagger. With a flick of his finger, the dark dagger moved as flexibly as his own arm.

"Pfft..."

A flash of light, and a corner of the iron rack was easily sliced off by the dagger.

Ye Tong praised inwardly: What a fine dagger, capable of cutting through iron like mud. It was definitely a killer's weapon.

Ye Tong tucked the dagger into his belt, covering it with his outer garment. Then he picked up the milky white armor. After observing it, he found that the armor was very soft and extremely tough. It was likely that even an ordinary person wielding a sword would have difficulty piercing it.

Ye Tong put down the armor and slowly walked to the storeroom door, leaning against it. He gazed at the pavilion in front of him, his mind contemplating: Is this the foundation of a prominent family? To give away a colossal sum of a million taels of Blue Silver so readily, their generosity was truly extraordinary. However, to their Tong Family, these riches should only be a drop in the bucket, right?

A figure passed through the corridor of the front building and appeared in the courtyard.

"Young Master."

The Medicine Slave, full of tension, rushed into the courtyard. Upon seeing Ye Tong leaning by the storeroom door, his heart, which had been hanging high, finally relaxed. The corpses outside and the blood splattered everywhere had truly startled him.