Night Clouds Brewing Rain (4)

Li Er led the dozen or so men he had recruited straight to the special Profound Heaven Sect office at the town gate to buy spirit talismans. The office was small, furnished with nothing but an old wooden table. Behind it stood a rosewood cabinet like those in an apothecary, every drawer tightly shut.

The disciple on guard wore an Azure Green Daoist robe. Seeing this pack of rustic men swarm over and immediately demand more than a dozen talismans, including all the common varieties, he could not help giving them a few extra looks—ordinary villagers usually came for talismans because someone at home had a minor illness or mishap, asking for a peace talisman merely for peace of mind. Who had ever seen such a spectacle?

Still, he was only an outer disciple assigned to stand watch, with no reason to ask questions. Money paid, goods delivered, neither owing the other anything. He rose, took out the talisman papers they wanted from the cabinet behind him, counted them carefully, and pushed them across the table. "Twenty copper coins per talisman. Fifteen talismans, three hundred coins."

Li Er pulled out a heavy money pouch and poured out a clattering heap of copper coins. Once he had counted out the right amount, he pushed them over. The others immediately rushed forward to snatch at the talismans. Li Er was closest and quick-eyed, slipping a few extra into his hands, while everyone else had to rely entirely on luck.

Someone was dissatisfied, and Li Er roared, "What are you fighting over? When it's time to use them, I'll naturally take them out! Don't block the Daoist master's business here!"

The men instinctively looked toward the guarding disciple. Sure enough, his expression had darkened. They finally realized they had picked the wrong place