Call me Uncle Nine! Squeeze in, and there's always room

"Yes, it just so happened that the patrolman surnamed Zuo from Raging Wind Hall gave it to me."

Xu Taiping nodded.

For the sake of the Merit Coins, he had no choice but to reveal this, though he still decided to conceal the threats those two had made that day.

Grandpa said to always leave people a way out, so we can meet on good terms another day.

Xu Taiping thought this with considerable generosity.

"This is an ordinary Message Talisman. It can send a signal, but not transmit voices..."

Liu Songshan took the talisman and glanced at it. His face immediately turned deathly pale again, and his head exploded with a buzzing sound.

Having served as master of West Wind Pavilion for so many years, how could he not know about his subordinates' little tricks? Talismans like this, which could only send signals rather than transmit voices, were mostly used by his men to extort Outer Sect Disciples!

"What are you standing there for? Pay up!"

Ninth Uncle's icy gaze swept over Liu Songshan and Xu Youzhi.

"Yes... yes!"

Liu Songshan wasted no more words. He immediately took out a bag of Merit Coins and set it on the table, then shot Xu Youzhi beside him a vicious glare.

Xu Youzhi stood motionless to one side, beads of sweat as large as beans rolling down his forehead like raindrops. He had fallen into a complete stupor.

"Stop standing there. Since Zuo Ju gave him this talisman, it's just the thing to notify him."

Ninth Uncle spoke coldly.

"Brother Zuo Ju and Brother Zhou Gu are both warmhearted men. They were afraid I might encounter monsters, so they specially gave me this Message Talisman."

Xu Taiping decided to see his good deed through to the end and took the opportunity to praise Zuo Ju and Zhou Gu.

Little did he know that everyone present was a thousand-year-old turtle, an old hand at such schemes. They had already guessed most of what Zuo Ju and Zhou Gu had done here that day.

"Now that you put it that way, young Brother Taiping, all the more reason to invite those two over for a simple meal. Hurry, hurry! Liu Songshan, stop dawdling and summon them!"

Ninth Uncle urged him somewhat impatiently.

"Yes, yes, I... I'll summon them right away..."

Wanting to cry but unable to shed a tear, Liu Songshan went outside and activated the Message Talisman.

A short while later.

"So, little fellow, you've finally come around?"

"You waited over half a month to call us. Must've suffered quite a bit, eh? If you knew it would come to this, why refuse in the first place?"

Ninth Uncle and Xu Taiping, who were eating roast lamb wrapped in perilla leaves, along with Xu Youzhi and Liu Songshan, who sat trembling beside them without daring to touch their chopsticks, all heard the two swaggering voices outside the courtyard.

"Are those... the two of them?"

With his mouth stuffed full of meat, Ninth Uncle mumbled the question and pointed outside with his chopsticks.

"I'll get the door!"

Liu Songshan and Xu Youzhi, now sweating in torrents, sprang to their feet and spoke in unison.

They couldn't let those two outside say another word!

Outside the courtyard.

"Where are you? Open the door!"

"Hurry up and open it!"

Bang, bang, bang!

When no one came to open the door, Zuo Ju and Zhou Gu quickly grew impatient. Zhou Gu had even started kicking it.

"Brother Zuo, this brat isn't playing us, is he?"

Zhou Gu looked warily at Zuo Ju beside him.

"He wouldn't dare!" Zuo Ju snorted coldly. "This whole area is our turf. Even Hall Master Xu and Hall Master Liu have to show us some deference!"

Clack!

No sooner had Zuo Ju spoken than the courtyard gate was yanked open.

"At least you know what's good for you, brat... P-Pavilion Master Liu... Hall Master Xu?!"

Zhou Gu broke off halfway through his sentence.

Liu Songshan and Xu Youzhi stood side by side, their faces livid as they stared at Zhou Gu and Zuo Ju. The fury in their eyes threatened to burst from its sockets.

"Y-you two... what... what are you doing here?"

Recovering from his daze, Zuo Ju questioned them in a trembling voice.

"What are you all dawdling at the gate for? Come in. The food's getting cold."

Before Liu Songshan and Xu Youzhi could answer, Ninth Uncle's somewhat impatient voice came from inside the house.

"Coming, Ninth Uncle!"

"We'll be right there!"

Liu Songshan and Xu Youzhi's expressions changed in unison, turning from winter to spring in an instant as they looked back into the courtyard with faces wreathed in smiles.

But when they turned back toward Zuo Ju and Zhou Gu, their expressions became bitter winter once more.

"Get inside!"

Liu Songshan first glared at the pair, then snapped at them in a short, urgent whisper.

"Yes!"

By now, Zuo Ju and Zhou Gu were so frightened that all six spirits had deserted them.

However stupid they might be, they could tell that someone in this little courtyard required even Liu Songshan and Xu Youzhi to fawn over him with smiles.

Inside the house.

"J-Junior... Junior..."

The moment they saw Ninth Uncle, Zuo Ju and Zhou Gu's legs went weak. They stood in the doorway, stammering and spluttering, their heads drenched in sweat.

"Call him Ninth Uncle!"

Xu Youzhi gave Zuo Ju and Zhou Gu a vicious kick each.

"Oh, yes! Ninth Uncle!"

"Greetings, Ninth Uncle!"

Hall Master Xu's kicks jolted them awake, and they hurried forward to pay their respects to Ninth Uncle.

"Don't just stand there. Sit down and eat."

Ninth Uncle did not even glance at them. He merely pointed toward the side where Liu Songshan and Xu Youzhi sat, motioning for the pair to take their seats.

"Well..."

Liu Songshan and Xu Youzhi were already sitting close together. With Zuo Ju and Zhou Gu added to the mix, they would have to press right up against one another.

"U-Uncle Nine, w-why don't the two of us just wait off to the side?"

Zuo Ju glanced at Liu Songshan, who was sweating profusely from being squeezed in, and immediately offered the suggestion with a stammer.

"Oh, just squeeze in. Squeeze a little, and there's always room."

Ninth Uncle's tone abruptly grew impatient.

"What are you blathering about, brat? Sit down properly! Isn't this enormous space enough for you?"

Liu Songshan shot Zuo Ju a vicious glare.

"Yes, yes!"

Docile as a lamb, Zuo Ju immediately sat down pressed against Liu Songshan without another word. Within moments, his clothes were completely soaked with sweat.

Just how did these men offend Ninth Uncle?

If he can frighten Pavilion Master Liu this badly, Ninth Uncle must be someone extraordinary, right? Could he be on Elder Black Dragon's level?

Looking at the four men pressed tightly together across from him, Xu Taiping found the sight comical, but curiosity also stirred in his heart.

Forget it. I'm just a minor outer sect cultivator. I shouldn't get mixed up in these important people's grudges. There isn't a single person here I can afford to offend.

Unable to make any sense of it, Xu Taiping lowered his head and continued shoveling down his food.

The meal did not end until evening.

It had to be said that Ninth Uncle truly had an enormous appetite. Xu Taiping added several more dishes midway through before finally managing to fill his stomach, just barely.

Thank goodness I took the money. Otherwise, I really would have taken a huge loss on this meal.

Looking at the wreckage covering the table, Xu Taiping silently counted himself lucky.