It took a long time for Elder Mo to come to his senses. His expression changing drastically, promptly conveying through divine mind, “Fellow sage Jiang He…”
And yet, even before he finished, the look on the Taixu Sect’s chieftain’s face darkened and he said, “Jiang He, that full moon is my treasure.”
His meaning was clear.
No sale.
Moreover, his demeanor had become slightly colder than before.
Jiang He frowned.
He certainly knew that it was asking to buy someone else’s treasure was impolite, but why should it not be up for sale?
As such, he promptly said, “True Habitant, you seem to have failed to grasp my meaning. I’ve said that I’d pay you well. If I’m not mistaken, that moon is a superior-grade sage item, is it not?”
“How about this? I’ll trade you with two superior-grade sage items, or three. How about that?”
Taixu Sect chieftain was speechless.
He had wanted to throw a fit… but Jiang He was being too generous!
After all, how rare were sage items?
Indeed, superior-grade sage items were even rarer. The chieftain himself had spent over sixty years to refine that full moon even with his cultivation and other treasures, and though he had inherited sage items thanks to his position or even use the sect’s household treasure, the latter was a premium-grade sage item and certainly must not be taken out of the sect’s domain and certainly would not help him in Sufferance.
As for his two superior-grade sage items, while both could be used for attack as well as defense, they were not specialized sage items and were therefore weaker than other sage items used expressly for attack or defensive.
Be that as it may, as such thoughts flared in the Taixu Sect chieftain’s mind and he hesitated for seconds. He then asked tentatively, “Young Jiang He, do you really have that many superior-grade sage items?”
“No.”
“…”
“But you don’t have to worry, True Habitant. I would soon have them,” Jiang He said then.
After all, it was time he obtained an item refinement manual. Following his latest leveling of his farm, he had yet to use its three slots for planting cultivation manuals, so he would create one when he got home later.
Meanwhile, the Taixu Sect chieftain appeared to be under the impression that Jiang He had an opportunity in store, and so, promptly mentioned his conditions.
“Two superior-grade sage items it is, but one must be offensive and the other defensive.”
Jiang He nodded in response, indicating that there were no problems on his end. Then, he added, “By the way, your sect possesses a moon, but what about a sun? Would you sell it? I want it too.”
Silence ensued once again at that.
After quite a while, the Taixu Sect chieftain said, “There is. Our sun is refined from a mediocre-grade sage item. If you need it, young Jiang He, you just have to exchange it with another mediocre-grade sage item.”
Jiang He shifted his gaze then.
He only had one superior-grade sage weapon, the Greenwood Sword, which he needed to cast the Sword Array of Five Elements and Six Pulses at the moment.
That said, he did have a mediocre-grade sage item.
In fact, the Sky Demon Bell was not that useful for him.
He promptly took it out, saying, “This item is called the Sky Demon Bell and it is a mediocre-grade sage item that could be used to restrain enemies and for defense. For now, I’ll trade it for your sun, and I’ll trade for the moon when I get my hands on some superior-grade sage items.”
The Taixu Sect chieftain nodded with a weird look on his face. On the other hand, Elder Mo’s remained as baffled as he was from the start, his brain having fizzled out and humming incessantly.
How… did things turn out like this?
Weren’t you supposed to visit the Taixu Sect as a guest, Jiang He?
And why are you so obsessed with our sun and moon?
Forget obsession—the biggest problem here was that the True Habitant had really sold them… did he not know how bleak and desolated the Taixu Sect’s Secret Realm would become without the sun or the moon?
At the same time, the Sky Demon Bell whirled and expanded over Jiang He’s palm.
Then, as Jiang He grasped the bell and shook it, Zhong Yue of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect and the True Habitant of Nine Dragons from the Penglai Sect were thrown out.
Both men were bellowing in rage once they were released.
“How dare you capture me, Jiang He? The Ten Thousand Swords Sect shall be your sworn enemy from now on!”
“Jiang He, are you really so keen on making the Penglai Sect your enemy… eh?”
The True Habitant of Nine Dragons narrowed his eyes at the Taixu Sect’s chieftain then before exclaiming in surprise, “You… Aren’t you the True Habitant of the Taixu Sect?”
He promptly bowed and greeted, “True Habitant of Nine Dragons, Penglai Sect. I hereby pay my respects.”
“Taixu Master!”
Though Zhong Yue had never met the Taixu Sect’s chieftain before, he started to cry out right then, pointing at Jiang He and seething, “Taixu Master, that kid has fallen to the demonic path. Please take action, Master, and subjugate immediately!”
Kaboom!
Even before he finished, he saw a large hand shooting towards him.
Pow!
Jiang He had slapped Zhong Yue in the head, knocking him unconscious as he said, “Sorry for making a clown of myself, True Habitant… by the way, does your sect have something like a stockade? I have nowhere to put these two after giving you the Sky Demon Bell. You could keep them here for two days and after Elder Mo heads off to the Penglai Sect and the Ten Thousand Swords Sect to pass on my word, someone would definitely come to pay their ransom.”
Though the chieftain knew the entire story, the Taixu Sect chieftain was still a little speechless.
Locking them in a stockade?
If he really did, both the Penglai Sect and the Ten Thousand Swords Sect would be joining forces to do him in.
Moreover, passing the word was basically a provocative action too.
Though he had given Elder Mo his jade charm for his visit of the other two chieftains, it was unnecessary since Jiang He had come bringing his captives. In the end, it was just Jiang He’s yard walls and a dozen other buildings in the village ruined—how much would that cost anyway?
The Taixu Sect chieftain hence smiled. “Young Jiang He, could you perhaps give me a little face? How about I compensate you for the damage that the youngling of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect as well as the True Habitant of Nine Dragons had caused?”
“Well…”
Jiang He was hesitant. “Chieftain, there are causes to punishments, just as there are owners for debts…”
“It’s fine.”
The Taixu Sect chieftain waved him off, appearing generous like a rich person just then.
That left Jiang He a little moved.
Truly, the immortal sects were loaded—he himself would definitely have been reluctant if he were in his shoes.
As such, he quickly said, “If that’s so, I won’t hold back. I did a general count and that brat from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect had destroyed seventeenth houses in our village and around a thousand meters of walls. Since you are paying, however, I’ll give you an 80% discount… just four premium-grade soul items would do.”
The Taixu Sect chieftain’s eyes bulged at that.
Nonetheless, Jiang He continued, “As for the True Habitant of Nine Dragons, he destroyed the walls of my yard. Though they were not worth much, it was newly rebuilt. I myself had laid down each brick and tile… I mean, I instructed my cat and dog as they lay down each brick and tile, meaning that it holds my blood and sweat. I’ll count it as five premium-grade soul items.”
The True Habitant of Nine Dragons almost jumped, and he pointed at Jiang He, seething in rage, “Why don’t you go rob for it instead, Jiang He?”
Jiang He gave him an unemotional look and calmly said, “I’m not powerful enough to rob for now… But if I could have overwhelmed the Penglai Sect, I would have killed you immediately and dragged your corpse to your chieftain, demanding that he answered for your crimes. Did you think I would let you stand here spouting nonsense?”
Infuriated, the mystic energy of the True Habitant of Nine Dragons erupted and was about to fight to the death with Jiang He.
However, Elder Mo promptly held him back, exclaiming, “Calm down, fellow sage…”
At the same time, the Taixu Sect chieftain grimaced and gave Elder Mo a look, and the latter promptly dragged the True Habitant of Nine Dragons along with the fainted Zhong Yue and left.
Jiang He did not stop him.
Since the Taixu chieftain had agreed to compensate Jiang He in their stead, why bother?
Nonetheless, it was only a long time after Elder Mo had left that the chieftain finally spoke. Seemingly embarrassed, he asked, “Young Jiang He… could you lower the price of the compensation?”
A few walls and several buildings must be paid for with nine premium-grade soul items?
It was even better than robbing a bank!
Jiang He shook his head and said, “No. Sentiment is sentiment, while business is business. I, Jiang He, am a man with principles—the number of premium-grade soul items to be issued in compensation will remain the same… that said, if your sect has medicinal pellets that could improve Yuan Spirit cultivation, that could be paid in place of the said premium-grade soul items.”
