"But..."
Ruan Chen spoke, then abruptly changed the subject.
"Do you remember what I told you earlier about why Deacon Baili came here?"
"Even if there are people of exceptional talent in Songshan County,"
"I'm afraid they can only..."
He stopped there.
With an enigmatic expression, he raised his cup and took a small sip, then narrowed his eyes at the dancing girls.
Qin Jiu naturally understood what he meant. After a moment's thought, he said, "If I offered up my Qin Family's secret recipe, would I have a chance to join the sect?"
"Well..."
Ruan Chen turned his head toward him. "I know what you mean, Junior Brother Qin."
"So before we came, Deacon Baili specifically instructed us that if you only want to become a retainer, five thousand taels of silver will suffice. But if you want to become a disciple of the Divine Fist Sect, you'll need not only that secret recipe but also ten thousand taels of silver. After all, the recipe is precious to you, but it's nothing special to the Divine Fist Sect."
"Are you willing to part with it, Junior Brother Qin?"
"If you choose the latter,"
"your Qin Family can return to the sect with us. After that, Deacon Baili will make sure that you—or another member of your family—becomes a disciple of the Divine Fist Sect as soon as possible."
At that, Qin Jiu considered the matter for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"That should be no problem."
"But I still have one concern. Demons are running rampant in Songshan County, and there are powerful martial artists lurking in the shadows who can kill those at the Internal Strengthening stage—or even those beyond it, like the County Magistrate. Can your sect really guarantee that we'll leave here safely?"
"You needn't worry about that."
Ruan Chen chuckled. "We have medicine issued by the sect that can ward off demons. We'll be able to escort you back to the sect unharmed."
At that,
Qin Jiu quietly activated Ghost Illumination.
He immediately saw two wisps of pale-gray mist rising, but he didn't pay them much heed. As long as they meant him no harm, that was all that mattered. He turned to Qin Xuanzhou.
The latter understood and promptly left the hall.
Ruan Chen and Song Wenruo exchanged glances.
They knew the deal was done.
Before long,
Qin Xuanzhou returned to the hall with a tray in his hands.
"This is the secret recipe our Qin Mansion uses to raise spirit beasts, along with these ten thousand taels in banknotes. Please accept them on my behalf and present them to Deacon Baili."
"And these are for the two of you."
"Please don't refuse."
Qin Jiu handed over the recipe and banknotes, then gave each man another thousand taels in banknotes.
Ruan Chen and Song Wenruo showed no particular reaction.
"Then we'll accept your generosity."
"Junior Brother Qin, you're most generous."
"I hope you'll look after us in the future, Senior Brothers. Allow me to toast you both."
Before long,
the cups passed back and forth around the table, and the atmosphere grew lively.
The dancing girls gathered around them as well.
Perfume drifted through the air.
At sunset,
Ruan Chen staggered out of the Qin Mansion.
Song Wenruo walked beside him, smacking his lips as if savoring the memory. "Those beauties were something else."
"A bunch of faded flowers."
"Only you, Old Song, would think so. You haven't seen much of the world."
"Heh, I was wondering why Senior Brother Ruan could sit unmoved in the face of temptation. Turns out he just wasn't interested. Fair enough. No matter how alluring those women are, they're still women of the brothels. How could they compare with the moon of the Han Family?"
At that,
Ruan Chen's face clouded with frustration.
"The moon is lovely."
"But she's far too cold. After all this time, I haven't even held her hand. Who knows when my dream will come true?"
Listening to him mutter, Song Wenruo could only shake his head. "Senior Brother, back when Han Zheng was alive, I could understand your hesitation. But Han Zheng is dead now. What are you still waiting for? If it were me, I'd have already taken her by force."
"What kind of thing is that to say..."
At Song Wenruo's words, Ruan Chen's step faltered.
Then his expression returned to normal.
"Forget it."
"I have something to take care of. Take this recipe to the Deacon, and remember not to mention the money."
He handed the recipe to Song Wenruo.
Then he turned and left.
He hurried to the Han Mansion.
"Senior Brother Ruan, what brings you here so late? Does Deacon Baili have some instruction for us?"
"Junior Sister Han..."
Looking at the lovely woman before him, Ruan Chen couldn't help recalling the dancing girls from earlier. At last, he couldn't hold back any longer. "Qingyue, let's get married. Here in the county town. Afterward, we can return..."
"Senior Brother Ruan, have you been drinking?"
Han Qingyue furrowed her brows, about to say something, when the figure before her suddenly lunged.
Her heart lurched.
She dodged in a panic and hurriedly said, "Senior Brother Ruan, I've thought about marriage for a long time."
"Really?"
Ruan Chen stopped, looking at her in delight.
"What do you think, then?"
"First of all, my father just passed away, so I still have to mourn him for a while." As Han Qingyue spoke, she caught a fleeting glint of malice in Ruan Chen's eyes and hurriedly added, "But that alone wouldn't be a problem. We're both people of the martial world, after all, and we needn't be bound by convention."
"However, Senior Brother Ruan, you're now nearly at the peak of the Three Refinements. You're just one step away from breaking through to Internal Strengthening."
"If you dissipate your vital essence now, it won't help you break through."
"It might even leave you stuck where you are."
"The Senior Brother Ruan in my heart is a hero of this age. If this were to hinder your martial progress, I'd rather dash my head against the wall than see you become just another face in the crowd."
Tears glimmered in Han Qingyue's eyes.
Seeing this, Ruan Chen's heart gave a sharp twinge, and his voice quickly softened.
"Listen to me, Junior Sister."
"I've already reached the peak of the Three Refinements. I just need to save up enough sect contributions for a Heart Protection Pill, and I'll be able to break through to Internal Strengthening in one go. My path in martial arts won't end there."
"A Heart Protection Pill? That's second only to what Elder Baili is after."
Han Qingyue's eyes brimmed with tears. "At this rate, how long will it take you to save up enough sect contributions?"
"Don't worry. It won't take long."
"The Qin Family gave up not only its secret recipe today but also ten thousand taels of silver. And when the Deacon returns to the sect, he'll reward the two of us as well. If I visit a few more of the county town's other influential families, I'll surely gather enough for a Heart Protection Pill..."
"Ten thousand taels?"
"The Qin Family must have at least two hundred thousand taels in assets. If you could get more from them, then with my family's support, you wouldn't have to work so hard, Senior Brother."
Han Qingyue lowered her head, her voice gentle.
It sounded almost like a complaint.
At her words, Ruan Chen's breathing suddenly quickened.
"Two hundred thousand... taels?"
The East Wing of the Qin Mansion.
A block of iron as cold as ice lay on the table.
Qin Jiu looked at the Ice Crystal the servants had just brought back and reached out to take hold of it. The bone-deep chill in his hand vanished as soon as he willed it, while the Red Seal rumbled at the same time.
In the depths of his mind,
the Ice Toad Compendium slowly faded away.
Then an odd, icy sensation spread through his body.
"Flawless..."
"Just as I expected."
"This talent can make my body immune to all poisons."
Before you continue