"What offense did he commit?"
The red-robed female disciple let out a little laugh at those words, then waved her hand and said:
"We did not come down the mountain to subdue demons. We came to take this boy, Xu Taiping, up the mountain."
"Up the mountain?"
Everyone, Xu Erniu included, still looked bewildered.
"Xu Taiping has developed a spirit bone, and his name has entered the immortal register. Today, we are taking him up the mountain to join the Azure Profound Sect."
The young man explained to them, his expression as still as an ancient well.
"Join... the Azure Profound Sect? Then wouldn't he... wouldn't he become an immortal too? Our Xu family... our Xu family is going to have an immortal?"
Hearing the young man's words, Xu Erniu stood rooted to the spot as though struck by lightning, muttering endlessly to himself.
The two disciples from the Azure Profound Sect paid the villagers no further heed and both extended their hands to Xu Taiping.
"Little Taiping, come with us. From now on, you'll be our junior brother on Seventh Peak."
The red-robed female disciple spoke to Xu Taiping in a gentle voice, her smile sweet.
Hearing her voice, Xu Taiping felt an inexplicable warmth in his heart. For a fleeting moment, he had the illusion that he had found a family again.
"Wait!"
Xu Taiping had just been about to take the female disciple's outstretched hand when his second aunt grabbed his arm from behind and stopped him.
"Y-you two immortals, y-you can't just take our Taiping away like this! He's the pillar of our Xu family. One day, he's going to place first in the imperial examinations and bring glory to our ancestors!"
His plump second aunt looked at the two Azure Profound Sect disciples with a face full of smiles, her eyes brimming with "reluctance to part."
At those words, the chill in Xu Taiping's heart deepened.
Ever since he was little, this second aunt of his had treated him as nothing but a money-losing burden, a jinx. When had she ever expected him to bring glory to their ancestors?
The two Azure Profound Sect disciples knew nothing of the circumstances. They assumed his second aunt had only said this because she truly could not bear to see Xu Taiping leave.
"How could a mere mortal examination champion compare with a disciple of our Azure Profound Sect? Still, since you are Taiping's uncle and aunt, consider this golden bowl our greeting gift."
The young Azure Profound Sect disciple took one from his sleeve, then held it out to Xu Taiping's second aunt.
"No..."
"Immortal!"
Xu Taiping had just been about to tell the Azure Profound Sect disciple the truth when the Bai family steward suddenly jumped down from the carriage. Grabbing his arm with one hand and holding the indenture in the other, he declared loudly, "Xu Taiping has already been sold to our Bai family by his uncle and aunt! It's written clearly in black and white. He belongs to our Bai family now, so that golden bowl should belong to us!"
Who would not covet a gift from an immortal?
Hearing this, both Azure Profound Sect disciples frowned.
"Immortals, he's lying! I only sent Taiping to work for the Bai family, not to sell himself into slavery!"
His plump second aunt flew into a rage. As she argued, she stepped forward to snatch the Contract Deed from the steward's hand.
"That's right! My nephew is already a disciple of an immortal sect. This Contract Deed with your White Household Manor must be voided!"
As he spoke, Xu Taiping's second uncle joined the struggle as well.
"All of you, stop!"
Seeing the scene descend into chaos, the male Azure Profound Sect disciple could not help snapping at them.
As the words left his mouth, an invisible pressure spread from his body, making him seem like a raging tiger. Xu Taiping's second aunt and the Bai family steward were frightened into silence, like cicadas in the cold.
"Taiping, is it true that you were sold to the Bai family as a slave?"
Once everyone had quieted down, the red-robed Azure Profound Sect disciple stepped up to Xu Taiping and asked, her voice full of concern.
Xu Taiping glanced at her, then nodded.
"Yes."
As soon as the word left his mouth, he suddenly felt the relief of having the shackles and restraints upon him lifted.
After hearing Xu Taiping's answer, the red-robed female disciple looked at him with visibly greater pity and sympathy.
"You little ungrateful wolf! How could you spout such nonsense? All these years..."
"Let go."
His plump second aunt was about to step forward and seize Xu Taiping, but the red-robed girl beside him swept her long sleeve. A powerful gust burst from it and shoved the woman's bulky body away.
"Y-you... though you may be exalted immortals, surely you must still listen to reason? I... I..."
The woman was clearly frightened by the red-robed girl's divine ability. Though her mouth continued making excuses, her feet kept retreating.
"Immortals, honored immortals, I have the indenture signed with Xu Erniu right here! Black ink, white paper, and red fingerprints! Xu Taiping now belongs to our Bai household. That couple can forget about denying it!"
The money-blinded Bai family steward handed over the indenture.
The young man from the Azure Profound Sect took the Contract Deed and scanned it, then curled his lips and looked at Xu Taiping's second uncle and aunt with a cold smile.
"A disciple of our Azure Profound Sect is worth a mere thirty taels?"
When she heard that the couple had sold Xu Taiping for a paltry thirty taels, the red-robed girl beside him pursed her lips in fury.
"You sold your own nephew for a mere thirty taels, and now you actually dare demand benefits from us? I think you're begging for a beating!"
The red-robed girl had a fiery temper and loved to stand up against injustice. As she spoke, she made to sweep her sleeve again.
"Spare us, immortal maiden! Spare us!"
Xu Erniu and his wife hurriedly begged for mercy.
"Junior sister, do not forget Master's instructions."
The young man in blue patted the girl's shoulder and gave her a meaningful look.
Hearing this, the girl withdrew her hand, though anger still lingered on her face.
"Since this indenture is genuine, how much silver would you consider appropriate if our Azure Profound Sect wished to redeem him?"
Holding the indenture, the young man in blue looked at the Bai family steward.
"Well... well..."
The Bai family steward stammered. After hesitating for a long time, he finally gritted his teeth and raised three fingers. "Th-three hundred taels!"
"A disciple of the Azure Profound Sect is worth a mere three hundred taels?"
The young man gave another cold smile at this.
As he spoke, he took a bulging cloth pouch from his sleeve and casually tossed it to the Bai family steward.
"This!..."
The Bai family steward opened it and found it filled with ingots of pure gold. He was dumbstruck.
The villagers nearby, including Xu Taiping's second uncle and aunt, all cried out in astonishment at the sight of that pouch of gold ingots.
"Is that enough?"
The young man asked with a smile.
"Enough, more than enough! This gold could be exchanged for three thousand taels of silver!"
Clutching the pouch of gold ingots, the Bai family steward nodded repeatedly in excitement.
Hearing this, Xu Erniu and his wife turned deathly pale.
They had little schooling, but they still knew the difference between three thousand taels and thirty.
"Honored immortals, you shouldn't give that money to the Bai family! We... we only took a mere thirty taels from them!"
His plump second aunt lunged toward the young man, but he seemed to shift like a phantom. She grabbed empty air and fell headfirst to the ground.
"Taiping, Taiping, tell the honored immortals! Those three thousand taels should belong to your second uncle!"
Seeing his wife miss her target, Xu Erniu rushed forward to grab Xu Taiping.
Whoosh!
But the red-robed girl was holding Xu Taiping's hand. In a single flicker, they moved four or five feet backward.
Seeing no way to get at them, the money-blinded Xu Erniu and his wife turned and lunged at the Bai family steward. Shouting, "The money is ours!" they began grappling with him and his two servants.
"Taiping, your mortal ties have been severed. Are you willing to follow us to the Cloud Lodge and seek your immortal destiny together?"
The young Azure Profound Sect disciple tore the indenture in his hand to pieces, then extended his hand to Xu Taiping.
Before you continue