Zhu Wei casually picked up the bill and gave it an indifferent glance, but the instant he made out the first line, the tea in his hand spilled violently, and he spat out the tea leaves he had just drunk as though they had scalded his mouth.
The previously composed Zhu Wei had now completely lost his composure:
"Ten million Gold Soul Coins!" he cried out involuntarily.
"Am I seeing this right?"
He read down the itemized list:
Innate level 9 soul power cultivation package, one million Gold Soul Coins; custom twin martial souls and dual ultimate mutations, 3.6 million Gold Soul Coins; immortal bearing appearance, perfect temperament, four-dimensional talents...
The densely packed, astronomically priced items came to a final total of ten million Gold Soul Coins after Zhu Zhuqing's personal debt was deducted.
Madness! Utter madness! Even the most good-tempered person would have lost their composure at this order, let alone Zhu Wei, whose temper had never been good:
"Coming to my Zhu Family to sponge off us with such an absurd price list, demanding ten million Gold Soul Coins-aren't you going too far?"
"And you, Zhu Zhuqing!"
Zhu Wei immediately turned toward Zhu Zhuqing, who seemed to have expected this, and angrily berated her:
"How dare you collude with an outsider to fabricate such a ridiculous bill and debt contract, trying to swindle an enormous fortune out of the family!
"Ten million Gold Soul Coins! Have you no shame, asking for that?"
Yet Zhu Zhuqing met Zhu Wei's gaze without the slightest fear:
"Father, I never intended to swindle the family out of its money. This transaction really happened, every item on that bill is real, and I've already brought my daughter, your granddaughter, here."
"Absurd! Don't tell me you mean this six-year-old girl is the so-called daughter you paid an astronomical sum to cultivate?"
Upon hearing Zhu Wei's words, Zhu Zhuqing nodded firmly:
"Yes, she is my daughter, Zhu Zhuyou.
"Father, look at her eyes and brows. They're practically identical to mine."
"Now you're getting carried away? You run off on your own for a few days and dare to do something this outrageous!
"If I don't discipline you now, what will become of you?"
Then Zhu Wei turned to Lin Yan.
"You've fabricated this utterly ridiculous bill to rob my Zhu Family. I refuse to acknowledge it. Please leave at once."
"That won't do."
Lin Yan did not get angry with Zhu Wei.
No normal person could possibly believe such an absurd claim, so now it was up to Zhu Zhuqing to explain everything clearly and make him believe it.
Until then, he could not be bothered to get involved and simply watched the show quietly. In any case, if the other side made a move, he would too. He was quite happy with that.
Zhu Zhuqing could not be bothered to waste words on Zhu Wei either. She took her daughter's hand directly:
"Youyou, don't be afraid. Show them your soul power and martial souls."
"Okay, Mom."
When Zhu Zhuyou said this, Zhu Wei, the Zhu Family Matriarch, and Zhu Zhuyun all found it utterly absurd.
Zhu Wei gave a cold snort:
"You really are putting on quite a performance."
Zhu Zhuyou paid no attention to anything else. She merely looked at the three of them with hostility, then released her two martial souls before them:
A Nether Dragon Cat bearing nether power and terrifying killing intent, and a Bi'an with thunder flashing over its body.
As the twin martial souls emerged, their terrifying pressure immediately left the three people in the hall struggling to breathe.
Zhu Zhuyun in particular was only a Soul Elder at present, and she truly struggled to withstand the pressure of martial souls of this caliber.
Zhu Wei, whose face had been full of disdain moments earlier, now had his gaze completely captured by the two martial souls Zhu Zhuyou had released:
"What are these?"
"A Nether Dragon Cat!" Zhu Zhuqing answered truthfully.
"A mutated martial soul of a Hell Spirit Cat and a dragon. The shopkeeper told me the other martial soul is called Bi'an. It's a Dragon-Tiger, and it also possesses an ultimate dragon bloodline."
"Father, do you believe me now? Zhu Zhuyou possesses the Hell Spirit Cat bloodline. She is my daughter, nurtured from my bloodline. Her bloodline can be verified, and then there are her martial souls-she's a genius with twin martial souls, and her innate soul power is as high as level nine.
"All the packages shown to you just now are real. You've seen it with your own eyes now. Those ten million Gold Soul Coins really were spent."
These martial souls! This pressure!
Top-tier, absolutely top-tier!
And this child really did carry the Zhu Family's bloodline!
To think something so absurd actually existed in this world. Offspring really could be customized, and their growth could even be accelerated. It was simply heaven-defying!
This child could definitely become an invincible powerhouse in the future. Innate level 9 soul power was a height no one in their family had ever reached, but now they had it;
Twin martial souls had never appeared since the family's founding, much less such powerful mutated martial souls.
With this child, how could their family fail to flourish?
A mere ten million Gold Soul Coins in exchange for such a heaven-defying bloodline-what an enormous bargain.
Zhu Zhuqing had actually done something wonderful on this trip.
At this moment, Zhu Wei had fixed all his attention on Zhu Zhuyou, his eyes filled with greed.
He had to raise this granddaughter into a top-tier powerhouse and have her protect the entire Zhu Family.
Even setting everything else aside, the descendants she bore alone could keep the Zhu Family from declining for generations.
Whichever of these two heaven-defying martial souls was passed down would be a top-tier beast martial soul. It could even strengthen the Zhu Family's bloodline and make the Nether Civet Martial Soul stronger.
They had to acknowledge this child!
But Zhu Wei's eyes began to dart about:
The child belonged to the Zhu Family, but they absolutely could not acknowledge this rotten ten-million debt.
Although he considered the expenditure an extraordinary bargain-ten million could not buy a prospective Limit Douluo-then again...
Wouldn't it be even better if they could save those ten million? And he had an entirely reasonable excuse to save that sum-the key lay with Zhu Zhuqing!
Zhu Zhuqing owed this money. What did it have to do with them? He wanted the child, but he would not pay!
Zhu Wei's attitude improved considerably as he looked at Lin Yan:
"Sir, isn't there something wrong with this bill?"
"Oh? What's wrong with it?" Lin Yan looked at Zhu Wei. Seeing the greed in his eyes, he seemed to have already guessed what would happen next.
"These bills and the custom packages you offer-you set your own prices, and naturally I have nothing to say about that.
"But this debt...
"Zhu Zhuqing incurred it on her own. What does it have to do with my Zhu Family?
"She was the one who wanted this child cultivated. We never asked her to do it, so why should this ten-million bill be charged to us?
"Go ask whoever owes you the money!
"Surely you wouldn't be so unreasonable, shopkeeper, as to saddle us with a bill we don't owe?"
"Understood. You don't want to pay, is that it?"
"It's not that we don't want to pay." Zhu Wei's expression changed, and he looked at Lin Yan as though reminding him of something.
"We have no obligation to repay it."
"I understand perfectly." Lin Yan smiled and spoke casually.
"Since you refuse to acknowledge this order, that means you refuse to acknowledge this child too. How simple! I'll take the child back, and she'll have nothing more to do with your Zhu Family. Farewell."
"No!"
"No?"
Hearing Zhu Wei's words, Lin Yan immediately laughed.
Yet there was a hint of coldness in his smile.
"You're making this very hard for me to handle!"
Before you continue