The clerk said, "All right, I'll fetch them right away."
Yan Chihuo suddenly said, "Wait."
The clerk froze. Yan Chihuo, however, turned to the middle-aged scholar and said, "You've been targeting me so deliberately. What exactly do you want? Speak plainly."
The middle-aged scholar bowed to Yan Chihuo. "Please calm your anger, Senior. This is merely a small gift upon our meeting. I hope you will not take offense."
With that, he handed over a Jade Box. Yan Chihuo accepted it and opened it, only to discover that it contained the very piece of stalactite crystal. He could not help but be startled.
The middle-aged scholar then said to the clerk, "Bring those two protective jade pendants."
The clerk glanced at Yan Chihuo and Gu True Person. Seeing that neither of them expressed any objection, he turned, took two Jade Boxes from beneath the counter, handed them to the middle-aged scholar, and said, "The total is five hundred blue treasure coins."
With a flick of his sleeve, the middle-aged scholar swept it across the counter, and five stacks of blue treasure coins appeared upon it. He opened the two Jade Boxes, gave them a glance, then handed them to Yan Chihuo. "These two protective jade pendants are also a small token of my regard."
Without even looking at the pendants, Yan Chihuo said, "One does not accept a reward without merit. What are you plotting so painstakingly for?"
"Please rest assured, Senior. I harbor not the slightest ill intent." A seductive voice came from outside the door, and a beautiful married woman swayed her way in with alluring grace.
The moment the middle-aged scholar saw the beautiful woman, he hurried forward, bent low, and said, "Master, this is the Senior."
Seeing that the beautiful woman was only at the middle