In truth, receiving letters from home was nothing. The worst off was a head of the Wang Household whose dao companion had been captured.
Since he was only at late-stage qi refining, and his entire household had no powerful figures to speak of, the Blood Shark Bandits had no fear of offending him. They had sent his wife's jewelry straight over.
Whether out of kindness or malice, Tong Zhifeng reminded him, "Fellow Daoist Wang, if you don't raise the ransom soon, next time they send something, it'll be her bellyband."
Old Wang's face turned green with rage. For a long while, he could not utter a word.
But facing him was the notorious pirate Tong Zhifeng, an established figure at foundation establishment middle stage. What could he do?
Obediently raise the ransom, of course.
"Say no more. I, Wang, admit defeat. One million in talisman currency, correct? I can produce six hundred thousand in cash right now, and use this precious pearl to cover the remaining four hundred thousand."
Tong Zhifeng checked the currency, then appraised the pearl. He nodded in satisfaction and said, "You're a decisive man, Fellow Daoist Wang. We Blood Shark Bandits never let down decisive friends. Keep this written acknowledgment safe. Once I return, I'll have the Eighth Chieftain release her immediately."
The man had a sly streak. Whether intentionally or not, he had let slip that the Eighth Chieftain had taken the hostage, so any problems should not be brought to him.
Li Ling glanced over curiously from a distance and discovered that the pirates were actually issuing written acknowledgments with a perfectly straight face, making everything look proper and official.
What could he say? Businessmen too?
Their business without capital was positively thriving. One successful deal could feed them for years.
The Merchant Association's