The middle-aged man studied Tang Yan. The young man's composure made him wary of underestimating him.
He knew perfectly well that once his companion mentioned "Light Dust Peak," people would grow suspicious even if he denied it in time.
He was indeed from Light Dust Peak.
But using nearly dead spirit herbs to frame people and extort money was not something the sect had approved. An elder of their branch had privately instructed them to slip out and earn some money on the side.
If they settled the matter quietly now, it would not stir up any waves.
But if this blew up and implicated the sect, an investigation would leave their branch with more trouble than they could swallow!
Still, what sort of cooperation could this brat propose? Surely he was not trying to seize the chance to escape?
If they missed such a good opportunity to fleece someone, they would have to wait for another fish to bite.
Ultimately, the middle-aged man did not dare let the matter escalate. He nodded. "After you!"
The three arrived at a teahouse and found a secluded private room. Once the waiter had served tea and refreshments, the middle-aged man waved a hand, raising a barrier. Only then did he cup his hands. "I am Zhang Zhiren of the Magpie Blade Sect. How should I address you, young master?"
Tang Yan regarded the middle-aged man with a faint, enigmatic smile and said mildly, "You're so secretive about revealing your identities. It seems you'll face severe punishment from Light Dust Peak if this really comes to light."
"We don't understand what you're talking about, young master." The woman looked at Tang Yan warily.
"My name is Tang Yan. We can leave your identities aside for now and get straight to business.
"Your extortion