Clothes First, Respect Later

Zhou Yan had endured three years of hardship. Back then, when he saw a hundred silver dollars, he had thought it was a lot.

But once he truly began cultivating, he realized it was barely a drop in the bucket.

The Li Family's estate was worth at least a million silver dollars, while the Dong Family was worth hundreds of thousands. Yet they had offered him so little.

The Li Family in particular had been in grave danger, with the whole family at risk.

And afterward, Zhou Yan had received only a hundred silver dollars as a reward.

He had to remember that he had also given away a string of Five Emperors Coins.

Whenever Zhou Yan thought back on it, he couldn't help feeling a little sour.

Especially after he realized just how short of money he was.

Still, though he was unhappy about it, Zhou Yan had no malicious thoughts. He simply considered it a bad business deal. That was perfectly normal.

Ma Yan sighed and consoled him. "Can't be helped. You're not famous."

"Exactly. Turns out fame really does matter." Zhou Yan shook his head with a sigh.

Everyone knew that people respected fine clothes before they respected the person wearing them. They also knew that wasn't entirely right, but how many could honestly say they were above it?

"Take the job. If I don't, I'll starve. Let's treat it as a chance to make a name for myself," Zhou Yan said through gritted teeth.

The Li Family's troubles had happened too far away. Even after word got out, few people knew Zhou Yan had been the one behind it.

And San Kuazi was just a child. Apart from someone attentive like Ma Yan, even fewer people would believe him. At most, they would be half-convinced.

So as long as Zhou Yan made a name for himself, wouldn't business come flooding in afterward?

Ma Yan had the same thought, but since Zhou Yan was the one who would have to act, he needed to make the decision himself.

Seeing that Zhou Yan was willing to help, Ma Yan quickly smiled and said, "After this is over, I'll make sure people hear all about you. Once your name gets around, you won't have to worry about finding work."

Zhou Yan remained clearheaded. "The most important thing right now is that my cultivation isn't strong enough. If I weren't short of money to keep cultivating, I'd shut myself away for ten years, emerge a master, and become invincible."

Ma Yan gave him an exasperated look. "Read fewer of those adventure books and stop daydreaming. Where in the world does something like that happen?"

He was the one who managed Zhou Yan's finances, so he knew very well how much Zhou Yan spent on cultivation.

Even a fairly well-off family would probably struggle to keep up with that kind of expense.

That night, Ma Yan took Zhou Yan to the Dong Family's home.

The Dong Family couldn't compare with the Li Family. They were newcomers, but after more than a decade of hard work, they had managed to build a respectable estate.

Most importantly, they had established themselves in Shen City.

That alone put them ahead of many who had come to Shen City to seek their fortunes.

"The head of the Dong Family is Dong Lei. He's best known for being stingy..."

"Dong Lei's been in business for over a decade. He built his wealth by counting every last penny and accumulating it bit by bit..."

"But Dong Lei and his wife are very much in love. They've always treated each other with respect..."

"..."

"Wait."

The more Zhou Yan listened, the stranger it sounded. He stopped Ma Yan outright.

He halted and looked at Ma Yan. "If Dong Lei and his wife love each other so much, why did he offer a reward of only fifty silver dollars? And if he really treats his wife with such respect, where did his concubine come from?"

Ma Yan looked at Zhou Yan in surprise. "Isn't it perfectly normal for wealthy families to have concubines?"

That left Zhou Yan dumbfounded. After a long pause, he nodded.

Whether in his previous life or in this world, that statement did seem to hold true.

"As for the fifty silver dollars, that's already a lot for Dong Lei. Do you know how much an ordinary spirit medium charges? Five or ten silver dollars, and that's for a well-off family. Dong Lei may be a wealthy merchant, but his offer of fifty silver dollars has already shocked plenty of people," Ma Yan continued.

Zhou Yan stared at him, stunned. So he was the country bumpkin who knew nothing.

Most of what Ma Yan had said earlier had just been to console him.

The exorcist trade had a strict hierarchy. The top cultivators could earn a fortune with a single word, and even the Magic Artifacts they casually used cost thousands or tens of thousands of silver dollars.

Cultivators from established sects were born a cut above the rest, and their every move came with the prestige of a famous lineage.

As for low-level freelance cultivators, they were the least valued and the most likely to die.

"Damn it!"

Zhou Yan was furious inside, but his expression didn't change.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Ma Yan. Seeing how matter-of-fact Ma Yan was, Zhou Yan realized that in some ways, he and the people of this world were separated by a huge gulf. What they lacked was ambition and a willingness to fight back.

Faced with oppression and exploitation, they seemed to have grown numb.

Zhou Yan said nothing more, and the two quickly arrived at the Dong Family's home.

As soon as he drew near, the Profound Yin Essence Blood inside him reacted, a sign that the yin energy within was strong.

That meant there was a good chance something evil was lurking in Dong Mansion.

The gates of Dong Mansion were shut tight. Ma Yan stepped forward and knocked several times.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The gates soon opened, and an old man stepped out.

"Who are you?"

Ma Yan stepped forward. "Steward Huang, it's me, Ma Yan!"

Only then did Steward Huang recognize him. He relaxed and said, "So it's Officer Ma. What brings you here?"

Ma Yan was only a low-ranking officer, but merchants believed in keeping the peace to make money. Steward Huang had met him several times before.

"I heard Master Dong was having some trouble, so I've brought along an expert to help him out," Ma Yan said smoothly. Steward Huang couldn't help nodding along.

Then he turned to Zhou Yan. A cloak covered him from head to toe, concealing his features. He wore a black Daoist robe with a touch of luxury.

The cold, mysterious aura about him made it clear at a glance that he was no ordinary person.

Behind Zhou Yan stood another figure, broad-shouldered and nearly twice the size of an ordinary man. He carried an even more fearsome aura.

When Steward Huang came a little closer, he found himself short of breath.

"Ma Yan really does know some impressive people!"

Steward Huang was secretly startled, but quickly put on a smile. "So the Daoist master has arrived. Please, come right in. My master has been waiting for you."

Seeing Steward Huang's fawning expression, Ma Yan felt secretly relieved. He also admired Zhou Yan's decision.

When Zhou Yan had spent ten silver dollars on clothes, Ma Yan had openly objected.

But now, it seemed that maintaining an air of mystery was necessary after all.

Otherwise, seeing Zhou Yan's youthful face, most people would instinctively refuse to believe him.

A young man with no beard couldn't be trusted with a task!

That was a common failing among older people. They always assumed young people lacked experience and couldn't do things properly.

"Mm."

Zhou Yan gave a brief reply and strode into Dong Mansion without a hint of hesitation. The Zombie followed closely behind.

Steward Huang was left behind.

So was Ma Yan.

That was also something Zhou Yan and Ma Yan had discussed beforehand. They had done it on purpose...