Translator: Wuxia Dog Editor: Wuxia Dog
Han Jin put the army calling charms on the table and looked up: “What happened to you?” he asked with smile.
“Nothing.” Sunier strode to the front of the table. Her movements were rushed and her eyes glancing at the puppets, as if she was trying to hide something, or maybe she was just interested in the army calling charms made by Han Jin. There were totally four puppets on the table, all looked almost the same. She pointed at one of them and said: “I can feel some strange energy is inside it.”
“Well, this one has been finished, and the others still need one more step.” Han Jin nodded.
“Can you demonstrate it for us?” Sunier asked.
“Too wasting.” Han Jin shook his hand. In fact, to make a paper charm required only around two hundred yuan’s energy, but a wooden puppet costed him over six hundred yuan’s energy. That’s why he only finished one.
“Show it, or our waiting is in vain.” Moxinke begged.
“Some days later. I’m not very skilled at it now and can only make one puppet in two or three days.” Han Jin smiled and changed the topic: “By the way, what about your visit to the Morgan Commercial Corp? Have you find the members of it?”
“No, we were told that they’ve left the town in the night.” Sunier answered in a low voice while the expression on Miss Keeley’s face turned dejected.
Han Jin fell into silence for a moment, then he said slowly: “Don’t worry, Miss Keeley, we’re gonna help you!”
Miss Keeley threw her eyes on Han Jin and forced a smile. Though his promise was somehow inane, she still felt very contented, at least she was not alone in this world.
Han Jin pointed at the iron bucket and Steelberg pulled it over to him. He picked up a piece of cassava and chewed it slowly.
“It’s cooled, isn’t it? Need I to warm it for you?” Michelle asked.
“It’s all right.” Han Jin smiled.
Just then, the door was pushed open and Cessacioun came in with his face ghastly pale and his eyes filled with angry flames. His lips were still trembling, apparently he was pissed off.
They were all astonished. Besides Han Jin, who was gentle and wearing a smile all the time. The second good-tempered one among them was Cessacioun. He was always polite and never got angry no matter how Moxinke provoked him.
“What’s wrong?” Han Jin asked curiously.
Cessacioun glanced at them and gritted his teeth: “I’m sorry.”
“What on earth had happened?”
“Those magic crystals… they were confiscated.” Cessacioun lowered down his head to avoid looking into others’ eyes.
“Confiscated? Who damn it dare to confiscate our stuff?” Moxinke jumped up due to fury.
“It’s the security team.”
“You… afraid of the trash from the security team?” Moxinke nearly roared.
“Calm down, Moxinke!” Han Jin stopped him. Though Moxinke said this unintentionally, his words would make Cessacioun feel worse and even affect the unity within their group. The more and more pale face was the proof of that.
“What’s going on, Cessacioun?” Sunier asked in a soft voice.
“Not only the security team, but also some soldiers of the garrison came.” Cessacioun paused: “I… I really have no other choice.”
“The garrison? Why would they confiscate our things?”
“They are in cahoots with each other.” Cessacioun said angrily: “When I was in the Bazaar to sell the magic crystals, a merchant came to talk to me. He wanted to buy them all with only fifty golden coins, how can I sell them with such a low price? I refused him, and he threatened me that if I refuse, he would make me get nothing. I didn’t speak to him anymore. But after he left, he brought the security team as well as some garrisons to me. They threatened me to pay twenty golden coins as taxes. Where could I get the twenty golden coins? So they…”
“Cessacioun, is the merchant you mentioned aged 50 or so, lean, and has a long bushy beard?” Michelle interrupted him.
“Yes, do you know him?” Cessacioun was dumbfounded.
“He bargained over the price with you and talked mess of everything, didn’t he?”
“Ye…s.”
“You’ve got screwed.” Michelle sighed: “His name is George, an absolute bad guy. He always did such things before. Do you know why he chatted with you? He did this purposely. To know your background and when he was sure you have no backing in this town, he would threaten you. If you refused what he wanted, he would bring the security team. There was a businessman deceived by him last year, and George even sent him to jail at last. I heard… the businessman committed suicide in prison.”
Cessacioun was stunned. He was just a magician and bardlet. As an old saying goes: difference in profession makes one feel worlds apart. He had never done business before, so he didn’t know the tricks about it. The only thing he knew was that they were in need of money, so he wanted to make the business a deal desperately. Moreover, the merchant was at first kind to him. Who would think such a kind man was in fact a cheater.
“Michelle, if you know him, could you please help us to let him return our crystals?” Sunier asked.
“It’s no use. George’s son-in-law, Laphar, was the mayor of this town. I am just a nobody in his eyes.” Michelle forced a bitter smile: “And George will have to share his loots with the security team and the soldiers of the garrison. Do you think he will spit out the meat that has already in his mouth, and use his own money to pay them?”
Moxinke picked up his sword and intended to go out, but stopped by Sunier. She shouted to him immediately: “Stop, Moxinke!”
“Why?!” Moxinke was raged.
“What are you going to do?”
“It’s none of your business!” He was really pissed off and didn’t give face to anyone.
“If you really want to die in this town, then you go.” Han Jin said coldly.
“You mean, we do nothing?” Moxinke replied in a loud voice. He had said, about half a month ago, that Han Jin was a brainy man without bad heart, so he wanted to make friends with him. He meant this. Now the only one that could persuade him was Han Jin.
“Can you get our things back if you go like this?”
Moxinke fell into silence, but his expression was still very stubborn.
“Since you can’t get them back, what’s the point you go? Tired of living?” Han Jin sneered: “If you are tired of being alive, tell us! I can do nothing for you, but maybe Sunier can help you to end yourself!”
Hearing these sinister and vicious words, Moxinke was blushed with anger.
“Yes, Yes, Moxinke, we can’t afford to provoke them.” Michelle persuaded.
“We can’t be rushed concerning revenge.” Han Jin slowed down his tone: “We must do it neatly. We shall not only put our enemies down, but also trample on them to make them down forever. If you are not sure you can do this, you’d better do nothing instead of being reckless and get yourself beaten black and blue.”
“Then what do you think we shall do now?” Moxinke asked back loudly.
“Eat, sleep, and leave tomorrow’s things tomorrow.”
“But… but I can’t bear this insult…”
“Who can bear it?” Han Jin asked expressionlessly: “The most painful one is Cessacioun, not you!”
Moxinke looked at Cessacioun, who forced a bitter smile again. Han Jin was right, the others were just angry because of the magic crystals that they’ve lost, but Cessacioun was the one who was really humiliated.
Han Jin picked up a piece of cassava and wolfed it down. Then he grabbed a piece of wood and concentrated his attention on engraving as if nothing had happened.
