Threatening with Life, Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence

"Xu Ye, name your price!"

"How much will it take to buy your special-pardon quota to enter the Demon-Suppression Bureau!"

Inside the dilapidated house, Su Qingxue sat in an exquisite red dress, looking down at Xu Ye like one in a position of power.

Dressed in coarse linen, Xu Ye looked at the lofty Su Qingxue, his fists clenched tight.

Eighteen years ago, he had transmigrated into this chaotic world plagued by demons and monsters, originally believing he could make something of himself.

Unfortunately, he had been born with blocked martial veins and could not cultivate.

Nor did he possess any special abilities. His life had been utterly ordinary.

Fortunately, his father had been a demon-suppression guard in the White Cloud County Demon-Suppression Bureau.

The Demon-Suppression Bureau was a department specially established by the imperial court to deal with demons, monsters, and evil entities.

As long as one joined this department, not only would their food, clothing, housing, and travel be guaranteed, but the Demon-Suppression Bureau would also take responsibility for their family.

Thus, Xu Ye had been able to grow up safely into adulthood. Unfortunately, half a month ago, his father had died while carrying out a mission.

The Demon-Suppression Bureau gave special consideration to those who died for the country: a special-pardon qualification to enter the Demon-Suppression Bureau.

As long as one entered the Demon-Suppression Bureau holding a special-pardon token, they could enjoy all of the Bureau's generous benefits. There would be no missions or requirements whatsoever, and they would not have to fight desperately like his father, with their life in danger at any moment.

In short, the Demon-Suppression Bureau would support him even if he lay around all day. This was purely entering the Demon-Suppression Bureau to enjoy the good life.

This had originally been a grace bestowed by the imperial court upon the descendants of meritorious officials. Yet unexpectedly, it had attracted the attention of schemers, becoming a way for others to enter the Demon-Suppression Bureau and enjoy the benefits meant for the descendants of meritorious officials.

And Su Qingxue was one such person.

"Miss Su, what if I'm unwilling to sell?" Xu Ye took a deep breath and spoke calmly.

To be honest, he did not want to swallow this humiliation.

He had never been one to take abuse lying down.

But times had changed.

He had no cultivation whatsoever and lacked even the strength to truss a chicken.

Meanwhile, Su Qingxue was the eldest daughter of the Su Family, one of White Cloud County's three great families. She had power and influence; he could not afford to provoke her.

But neither did he want to suffer such humiliation.

After all, this quota had been bought with his father's life.

It was his guarantee of survival in this chaotic world.

Only by entering the Demon-Suppression Bureau could he live out the rest of his life in peace.

At his words, Su Qingxue's red lips curved slightly. "Unwilling? Then you're being rather tactless."

"To put it plainly, if my Su Family wants your special-pardon quota, we have plenty of ways to make you hand it over yourself."

"And yet, I'm still willing to discuss this with you and buy it with money. That is already my Su Family's mercy. I hope you won't bring ruin upon yourself."

Hearing this, Xu Ye laughed, fury suppressed in his eyes. "So I should be thanking you?"

"There's no need for thanks. If you would just be more straightforward, it would be good for everyone." Su Qingxue smiled faintly, as though everything were firmly within her grasp.

Xu Ye clenched his fists, feeling an unprecedented mix of rage and helplessness.

He was extremely unhappy. This feeling of being pressed down by others, unable to resist, was truly unbearable.

If he could, he wanted to smash his fist into this woman's face, pin her to the ground, and grind her into the dirt.

Then curse her as a bitch.

But reality was powerless, because he truly had no way to fight back.

Seeing this, Su Qingxue smiled faintly. "Think about it. As an ordinary person with no cultivation, even if you enter the Demon-Suppression Bureau, you can only occupy a lowly logistics position. At most, you'll earn twenty or thirty taels of silver a year."

"If you're willing, I can give you three thousand taels of silver in one lump sum. That will be enough for you to live out the rest of your life in peace."

"Not only that, I can also give you a position working for my Su Family. When you calculate it all, you lose nothing."

"Miss Su, don't you find what you're saying rather laughable? You want to compare such trifling gains to a quota for the Demon-Suppression Bureau?" Xu Ye sneered.

Could these scraps possibly compare to entering the Demon-Suppression Bureau?

One had to know that in the current state of the world, the Demon-Suppression Bureau was an exceedingly special existence, wielding tremendous authority. Entering the Demon-Suppression Bureau meant living on an official salary.

There was no need to mention the support of all kinds of resources, and one could also receive the Bureau's protection.

In this chaotic world, it was a life-preserving talisman.

How could Xu Ye not know which was heavier and which was lighter?

Su Qingxue's expression did not change. "You think it's too little?"

Xu Ye said nothing, though he had already cursed this woman eight hundred times in his heart.

You old hag!

Seeing this, Su Qingxue continued, "Fine. Everyone has a price. I believe no one is an exception. How about this? Name your price. If it's suitable, we'll settle it today."

"If I say no—" Xu Ye had just begun to speak.

Su Qingxue rose directly to her feet and interrupted him with a cold laugh. "Don't even say you're unwilling. Honestly, I don't have time to waste circling around with you. If you dare say no, I guarantee that by tomorrow, you'll be a corpse."

"No, that's not right... perhaps you'll become a corpse very soon."

"As for how to enter the Demon-Suppression Bureau, my Su Family can find other ways. Weigh the consequences yourself."

A threat. This was a naked, undisguised threat.

Her patience had already reached its limit.

In Su Qingxue's eyes, a lowborn person like Xu Ye had no right whatsoever to bargain with her.

If not for wanting to handle this matter cleanly and leave the Demon-Suppression Bureau with nothing to hold against her, she would have long since forced Xu Ye to hand over the Demon-Suppression Bureau's token.

This woman was not even pretending anymore.

Rage surged in Xu Ye's heart, his fists clenching until they crackled.

If he had even a little strength, why would he still waste words with this old hag?

He would have sent a resounding slap flying straight at her.

Unfortunately, things never went as one wished!

This was reality!

The Su Family truly could make him disappear without a sound.

And the Demon-Suppression Bureau likely would not investigate too closely.

Simply put, if he refused, he would die for nothing.

At this moment, seeing Xu Ye like this, Su Qingxue smiled faintly and added fuel to the fire.

"Oh, right! I heard you have a younger sister? She isn't very old, is she? Only sixteen, and supposedly quite the little beauty, too. Tsk, tsk... in this chaotic world, if you were gone, what do you think would happen to her?"

Boom!

As Su Qingxue's words fell, Xu Ye's face turned cold. He clenched his fists, instantly rose to his feet, and stared fixedly at Su Qingxue. "How dare you?"

Xu Ye had a biological younger sister. The siblings had been extremely close since childhood, and now that their father was dead—

Only the two of them remained, depending on each other for survival.

As the saying went, an elder brother was like a father. His sister was now his weak point.

How could he not be enraged when Su Qingxue used his sister to threaten him?

"There is nothing my Su Family dares not do. If you don't believe me, you can try. But if you can be a little more sensible, I can ensure that the two of you remain safe and sound for life." Su Qingxue immediately smiled.

She knew her method had worked.

Hearing this, Xu Ye clenched his fists, then slowly loosened them.

Though he was furious, he also knew that he had no way to resist.

This was too suffocating.

Just as Xu Ye was considering whether to go down together with Su Qingxue in a fight to the death—

Suddenly, a voice rang out beside his ear.

[Ding! Detected a massive fluctuation in the host's emotions. The Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence System has successfully bound...]