"Brother Liu, you simply must do me the honor. This pleasure boat is run by my Cui family, after all. We'll make sure you're properly entertained and leave satisfied!"
After Lin Hao accepted the silver notes, Cui Hao's attitude changed completely. He kept trying to persuade Lin Hao to join his banquet.
"Even Spring Full House's two leading courtesans, Zhixin and Rubing, are with me tonight. I'll make sure they serve you well and let you experience the warmth of our southern waterways."
An exceedingly suggestive expression appeared on Cui Hao's face, conveying something that any man would understand.
"Haha, I really would love to experience that. But Brother Cui, I truly have important business to attend to, and I need a good rest tonight. Once it's over, I'll come find you myself. How about you fulfill your promise then?"
Lin Hao looked tempted, but still refused with an expression of extreme reluctance.
"Oh? It seems your assignment must be quite important, Brother Liu. Then there's nothing for it. We can't go prying into such things."
Cui Hao spoke with considerable regret.
Yet Lin Hao sensed that concealed malice again.
However well Cui Hao acted, his greatest weakness was that he had not achieved force gathering himself. No matter how well he had trained to resist pressure, there would always be moments when he slipped up.
Liu Xun, by contrast, had been more seasoned. He simply avoided discussing anything he lacked confidence in. Until the Shadow Fiend exposed him at the end, neither Lin Hao nor his master had known that he had even considered blowing up the dam.
"Then I'll await your visit, Brother Liu. My promise stands whenever you come."
"Please, don't let me keep you, Brother Cui!"
The two then put their grievances behind them and resolved