Li Chuping rather regretted how rashly he had returned this time. This fellow had more than one pile of shit to clean up.
"You really do dare to spend! Two thousand one hundred high-grade spirit stones-that's two hundred and ten thousand low-grade spirit stones, right down to the last little bit! Do you know the Minister of Justice Prefecture's annual budget? If everyone spent like you, sooner or later we'd all be living on the northwest wind!"
Hou Niao argued with perfect assurance, "Spirit stones are only spirit stones when you spend them. Leave them sitting in your hands, and they're just rocks! I've noticed that this habit of our Minister of Justice Prefecture is terrible. We're far too tightfisted. When we could pry information loose by throwing spirit stones at it, we refuse and insist on sitting there guessing instead.
"If the Secret Spies in Jianye had been in the habit of throwing spirit stones around, plenty of information might not have been beyond their reach. For example, that Benefactor Xu had long since died...
"Secret Spies who are afraid to spend money-I honestly have nothing to say."
Li Chuping said bitterly, "Don't count on me, either. This is too large a sum. It'll depend on the attitude of the two Prefects above us. It's not something I can decide for you. If I had that kind of ability, would I be penniless now?"
Seeing that Li Chuping would not take the bait, Hou Niao could do nothing but move on to another question, which was also his real purpose.
"Commandant, let's leave the spirit stones aside for now. I know you're in a difficult position. But I have another question about cultivation that I'd like you to clear up for me."
He kept calling him Commandant precisely to