Chapter 281: 282: You as the Security Captain
At such a crucial moment, someone came looking for them, clearly aware of the matter with Huazi. It seemed likely they were here to claim a share of the spoils.
Zhong Daoquan’s face turned somewhat ugly, as he realized the difficulty of the situation. After all, it was too late, they had been approached first.
“So it is the Saint Heir of Fire Qilin Cave who graces us with his presence. What a neglectful welcome. May I inquire why the Saint Heir has consumed our Elixir Sect’s Enlightenment Tea Leaves?”
Zhong Daoquan stepped forward to confront him first, asking while his eyes surreptitiously swept over the white-haired elder. The elder’s aura was unfathomable, and like him, possessed a cultivation level of the Great Crossing Realm.
He couldn’t help but feel inwardly alarmed. The depth of Fire Qilin Cave far exceeded his imagination. This elder must be the Protector of the Saint Heir, with each Saint Heir being assigned a Protector. In other words, just to protect the Saint Heir from external harm, Fire Qilin Cave had dispatched four Great Crossing Realm Experts.
It was hard to imagine how many more experts lay hidden within this time-honored powerful sect; truly worthy of a millennium-old sect, their profound foundation was immeasurable.
“So it’s your leaves, dry and lacking any moisture, terribly hard to eat, it even got stuck in your Fire Qilin Lord’s teeth. Xiaojing, this is the one, slay him!”
From the throne, Ergouzi opened one eye, glanced at Zhong Daoquan, snorted coldly, and spoke indifferently.
It was as if killing the other was as simple as crushing an ant.
“Saint Heir, this is the Sect Master of Elixir Sect. All the expenses for our stay here have been covered by him.”
The white-haired elder’s eyebrows twitched as he softly reminded.
“So, it’s the Sect Master of Elixir Sect… woof, who threw this Huazi so wastefully? Xiaojing, find this person and slay him!”
Now aware that it was the Sect Master of Elixir Sect, Ergouzi sobered up – this was its wealthy patron ‘dad’. Practically all of its indulgences in Central Province were reimbursed by him.
Just as it was about to exchange pleasantries with the man, something caught its eye in the corner – it was the half-smoked Huazi which had been discarded on the ground by Ji Wuqing.
Ergouzi immediately became enraged. It had gone without Huazi for more than a month, and during these days, not a moment passed when it didn’t long to draw on a stick. Each time it reminisced about the past, its eyes would moisten slightly.
And now someone had thrown the Huazi it longed for onto the ground, only half-smoked no less. Such extravagant waste was intolerable, and it must punish the offender!
It hopped down from the throne on its four short legs and sniffed at the half-smoked Huazi.
Then, under the astonished gazes of everyone, it opened its mouth wide, picked up the Huazi, a spark formed, lit it, and started puffing away, its face showing a human-like expression of pleasure.
“Saint Heir, what are you doing…?”
Zhong Daoquan was dumbfounded, feeling even more convinced that the other had come specifically for the ancient alchemy, for how else could he have instantly recognized the half-smoked cigarette on the floor as Huazi?
The remaining Elders felt nothing but admiration for Ergouzi. After all, Fire Qilin Cave was Fire Qilin Cave, focused on improving strength without care for superficial face-saving measures, decisively frightening.
“Wasteful extravagance is not a good habit. Today, Fire Qilin Lord will teach you a lesson. In the future, whoever dares to waste resources again will face the severe punishment of Fire Qilin Lord without mercy!”
Ergouzi declared righteously, its eyes unconsciously drifting towards Li Xiaobai and Ji Wuqing at his side, the corners of its mouth involuntarily curling.
“It was your worthless chicken who threw this Huazi, wasn’t it? Fire Qilin Lord has sniffed your scent,”
“Cluck cluck, indeed it was I who threw it, what can you do to me? Having the honor to lick the scraps left by me is a privilege for a worthless dog like you!”
Ji Wuqing retorted with a scornful look, clucking in response.
“Xiaojing, slay it!”
Ergouzi’s face darkened, and he casually waved his paw, as an elder beside him stretched out a hand, ready to kill Ji Wuqing.
“Hee hee, you mangy dog still dare to order people around!”
Ji Wuqing lost his temper, jumping up and cursing loudly.
“Ahem, would you mind giving me some face and just drop this matter? Let’s focus on the important issues at hand.”
Li Xiaobai coughed a few times and slowly spoke up, having realized that this damned dog was nothing decent and was just trying to flaunt its wealth in front of him.
“That’s right, that’s right, the important issues are what matter. Now that the Saint Heir is also here, why not watch this together?”
Zhong Daoquan also spoke up, his heart in turmoil; it was one thing for people from Fire Qilin Cave to arrive, but if things were delayed further and the people from the Three Sects arrived, then Huazi’s secret would be unprotected, and his dreams of monopolizing the benefit would go up in smoke.
“Hmm, not bad, you have a way with words, which is a slight improvement over that dumb chicken.”
Ergouzi nodded and said, “Lord Fire Qilin perceives you as a talent, a promising young man. How about this, come work some security for me. Bring all your friends too, and I’ll offer you the highest market rate. You’ll be the Captain of the security guards!”
“A month, that should be at least ten top-grade Spirit Stones, yes, ten stones!”
“How’s that, not too difficult for you, is it?”
Ergouzi was smug, a sly expression in his eyes. In his view, Li Xiaobai at best only ever used high-grade Spirit Stones; he probably had never even seen a top-grade Spirit Stone. Offering ten top-grade Spirit Stones was an outrageous price to slap the other’s face.
However, his expression quickly stiffened, as Ji Wuqing pulled out a Spirit Stone from his bosom, colorful and dazzling.
“You dare to offer this low-end currency, a top-grade Spirit Stone, to me? When did Fire Qilin Cave become so destitute?”
“Bark, what does a moronic chicken like you know? Fire Qilin Cave’s heritage could bring you to tears if spoken of!”
Ergouzi bristled, his failed attempt to flaunt wealth causing immense inner resentment.
“Hee hee, didn’t believe me about your lack of experience, did you? Do you know who she is? She’s the granddaughter of the Head of Treasure Pavilion, a genuine pride of the skies, not comparable to a mangy dog like you!”
Ji Wuqing rebuked.
As soon as these words were uttered, the great hall fell silent for a moment. Both the Elder from Elixir Sect and the elder surnamed Jiang looked at Liu Fei with peculiar expressions.
The words “Treasure Pavilion” carried serious weight, for the founder was a terrifyingly fierce individual, rumored to have survived by devouring raw flesh and blood, literally consuming human meat. However, after establishing the Treasure Pavilion, this person never showed his face again.
It was unsettling to think that the grandchild of such a fierce individual had come to Central Province to participate in the competition of the Three Sects.
“Are you, Liu Jiannan, the old ghost’s granddaughter?”
The elder asked Liu Fei, his expression one of doubt; this girl looked like she hadn’t seen much of the world, which was far from the old ghost’s modus operandi.
“Yes, Liu Jiannan is indeed my grandfather; do you know him, elder?”
Liu Fei cautiously replied, not expecting Ji Wuqing to drag her into this.
The elder sneered, stretching out his left hand that only bore four fingers, the little finger cleanly severed, with traces of Yin and Yang Qi still swirling around faintly.
“Know him? You see this missing little finger on my hand? Your grandfather took it!”