What Are You Waiting For? Fleece Him!

With a dark, thunderous expression, the old man suddenly vanished and reappeared right beside Li Guanqi! Li Guanqi was taken aback. He hadn't sensed the slightest spatial fluctuation around the elder. With just a single step, the man had crossed the room in an instant! Chu Xingxian snatched the jade slip from him and roared in fury, "Li Nanting, you bastard! Is that really what you think of me?" Li Nanting's smug, matter-of-fact voice rang out from the jade slip immediately after. "Damn right that's what I think of you! "Guanqi, that old bastard has a mountain of treasures. Demand as much as you can! We'll put it all on Sect Leader's tab later. "Stay sharp out there, and watch out for snakes in the grass. If you ever get tired... come home anytime!" Li Guanqi was currently out roaming the world for experience, bound to encounter all sorts of trouble. Unless he took the initiative to contact the sect, no one back home would reach out to him first, lest they compromise him. Though the two old men were bickering like petty rivals, their exchange confirmed the elder's identity beyond doubt. At the very least, he harbored no ill intent. A broad grin spread across Li Guanqi's face. He slipped off his black cloak and bowed respectfully to the elder. "Li Guanqi of the Great Xia Sword Sect greets Senior Chu." Chu Xingxian curled his lip. Though he clearly enjoyed the deference, he couldn't help muttering, "Brat, you're just like your master—wicked to the bone beneath that innocent face." Li Guanqi took no offense, merely offering an amiable smile. Seeing this, Chu Xingxian flicked his sleeve. A flash of spiritual light flickered in his hand, and a verdant pendant materialized in his grasp. He handed it to Li Guanqi and softly instructed, "This old man doesn't have much to show off. But sealed within this pendant is a single strike containing my full power. Keep it as a life-saving measure if you ever find yourself in dire straits." Li Guanqi broke into a delighted grin. Receiving the pendant with both hands, he hung it around his neck. Then, stepping closer, he took the elder's arm warmly and chuckled. "Meeting for the first time, Senior Chu, you're being far too generous! Truly, giving such an invaluable treasure right off the bat leaves me wondering how I could ever repay your kindness." Chu Xingxian glanced at him sideways. "You certainly have a thick hide. If your master had half of this silver tongue back then, he wouldn't have stayed a bachelor all his life." Li Guanqi couldn't agree more with that statement, but he still smiled and offered a clarification. "Master isn't a bachelor anymore. By now, he and Elder Shen should already be together." It was an offhand remark, yet Chu Xingxian's eyes flew wide. "Elder Shen?! Who?! Shen Lan?!" Li Guanqi was caught off guard by the reaction. He hadn't expected this elder to know the figures of the Great Xia Sword Sect so intimately. "Uh... yes, that's right. Elder Shen Lan." Chu Xingxian clutched his chest in dramatic anguish. "Li Nanting, you deserve a thousand deaths! How could Shen Lan... how could she... Argh, she must have lost her mind!" Black lines creased Li Guanqi's forehead. From the old man's aggrieved tone, he could already piece together part of the puzzle. *Were the romantic entanglements of the older generation really this complicated?* Naturally, he had no place to comment on such matters. After a moment, Chu Xingxian regained his composure and spoke up. "Well, since you're already here, drop by the Wind Thunder Sect tomorrow. Teach those unruly little brats of mine a proper lesson. Show them what it means that there's always a mountain beyond the mountain, a sky beyond the sky. Keep them from strutting around every day acting like they're second only to heaven." Li Guanqi shrugged. Having accepted the gift, he could hardly refuse. Nodding in agreement, he said, "Understood, Senior Chu. I'll definitely be there first thing tomorrow morning. Still, you'd better tell me beforehand how hard I should hit them. In case I don't measure my strikes properly and break some bones, I wouldn't want you going behind my back to file a complaint with my sect leader..." Though he framed it as a joke, Li Guanqi was subtly asking for boundaries. He needed to know the limits so the old man wouldn't hold a grudge if things got out of hand. Chu Xingxian looked at him in surprise, wondering what this youth had endured to become so versed in the ways of the world at such an age. With a dismissive wave of his broad hand, the elder barked, "Go all out, so long as you don't kill or cripple them! Having them bedridden for three to five months is perfectly fine. Young people need their tempers beaten into shape anyway." Li Guanqi nodded slightly, feeling reassured. Remembering that the elder before him was, after all, the leader of a major sect, he ventured cautiously, "Senior Chu... junior actually has a favor to ask." He dispensed with customary pleasantries like 'I wonder if I may speak freely.' Stating his request outright earned him a look of higher regard from the elder, who chuckled. "Let's hear it." Li Guanqi held nothing back, stating plainly that he needed the essence blood of dragon- or elephant-type demonic beasts. As for the grade, tier three or tier four would do. The larger a sect was, the more abundant its reserves of such rare materials. After all, one never knew when a disciple gifted with formidable spiritual energy might appear, requiring demonic beast essence blood to practice alchemy or talisman crafting. Assuming Li Guanqi needed it for pill or talisman refinement, Chu Xingxian burst out laughing. "Just a small matter like that? Come by tomorrow, and I'll hand it over myself. Consider it your compensation for the trouble." Li Guanqi immediately piled on the flattery. "Senior Chu is truly a connoisseur of talent! No wonder I constantly heard our sect leader and my master singing your praises back home. Seeing you today, Senior is every bit as dignified, upright, and handsome as they claimed!" Chu Xingxian gave him a look fraught with amusement. "Are you sure those two weren't cursing my name? Hearing half a good word about me from those two bastards would mean green smoke was rising from my ancestral graves. Hahaha! Well, no matter. This old man isn't so petty. Tomorrow morning, I'll have someone prepare everything you asked for." With that, the elder left behind a green jade medallion and turned to depart. Li Guanqi bowed deeply. Once the elder had gone, he looked down at the medallion in his hand and chuckled softly. "Tsk, only a fool leaves free fleece on the sheep. Anyway, this favor falls on Sect Leader's head. Let him pay it back later." Meanwhile, in a private room of another tavern in the city, Wu Kun was smashing furniture in a furious rage. Staring at the precious seal in his hands, he fumed with bitter frustration. Li Guanqi had artificially driven up the price earlier, forcing him to pay double what the artifact was worth. Yet, remembering that he had to visit the Wind Thunder Sect tomorrow, Wu Kun forcibly suppressed the suffocating anger in his chest. Rising to his feet, he barked toward the doorway, "Cang Lu, go fetch me some water to wash my feet! Young Master is going to sleep. Aren't you heading to the Wind Thunder Sect as well? You're coming with me tomorrow!" Early the next morning. After a full night of cultivation, Li Guanqi felt refreshed and invigorated. He donned his only pristine white Dharma robe, tidied up his belongings, and stepped out the door. Across town, Wu Kun and Cang Lu emerged from their room at the very same time—their destination also set on the Wind Thunder Sect!