Chapter 69: You Should Pay Me for the Antidote

"Xiao Lian Ye, what's wrong with you?"

Senju Hashirama saw Lian Ye suddenly halt his steps and couldn't help feeling curious.

"Uncle Hashirama, I have some business with Jiaodu," Lian Ye said.

"Then go, and don't engage him in battle again."

"Hmm, I understand..."

Hashirama watched Lian Ye leave, muttering softly, "I wonder what Xiao Lian Ye intends to do?"

The reason Lian Ye went back to look for Jiaodu was that he suddenly recalled that fellow in the original work seemed very wealthy.

Adhering to the principle of a thief never leaving empty‑handed, he planned to extort a hefty sum from the other side.

Meanwhile, Jiaodu struggled to pull himself up from the ground, trembling as he staggered toward the Village.

A flash of resentful poison crossed his eyes as he said coldly:

"Damn higher‑ups, I will never let you get away!"

Since he survived, the old man of the Village should die.

At that moment, Jiaodu heard a burst of footsteps behind him.

Instinctively he turned his head and met a pair of crimson eyes.

"You... why are you back again?" Jiaodu's face turned ashen instantly, stammering.

He thought Lian Ye had come to kill him.

After all, the one who promised to spare him was Senju Hashirama, not the Uchiha boy standing before him.

Realizing this, Jiaodu closed his eyes in despair.

His body still harbored a large amount of Toxin, making even walking difficult; he could not possibly match Lian Ye.

All he could do was close his eyes and await death.

Damn old bastards, you escaped a disaster...

Strangely, at the final moment of his life, he felt no fear of death; instead, he was annoyed that the Village's higher‑ups survived.

Lian Ye didn't know why this fellow closed his eyes.

But he didn't mind; this time he was here to demand money.

"Jiaodu, I think you should pay the fee for the Antidote."

Hearing this, Jiaodu snapped his eyes open, exclaiming in shock:

"You won't kill me?"

Lian Ye, puzzled, asked, "Why should I kill you?"

Since Senju Hashirama had spoken, killing Jiaodu again would be impolite.

Seeing that Lian Ye didn't seem to be faking, he subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

But he quickly realized the implication of Lian Ye's earlier words.

The youngster seemed to be demanding money from him...

"How much money do you want?" Jiaodu probed.

Over the years he had completed missions and saved some money, though he wasn't sure if it was enough.

Lian Ye scanned Jiaodu up and down, thinking to himself that the fellow didn't look wealthy at all.

Finally, he slowly extended three fingers and said, "Thirty million taels!"

"Thirty million taels?!" Jiaodu nearly dropped his jaw in astonishment.

All his years of hard labor had only amassed a few hundred thousand taels.

The youngster demanded thirty million outright; why didn't he just rob it?

"What, you don't have that much money?" Lian Ye frowned displeased, his voice growing colder.

He thought Jiaodu, the dead‑money‑obsessed one, was unwilling to pay.

Deliberately looking for an excuse...

Seeing Lian Ye ready to act, Jiaodu was on the verge of crying.

"No, I really don't have that much money!"

"Aren't you quite fond of money?" Lian Ye asked with a puzzled look.

Wasn't Jiaodu famously greedy for money in the original work?

How could he possibly have no money?

"Young man, I truly don't have that much money, I swear!"

What Lian Ye didn't know was that the current Jiaodu was no longer attached to money.

It was only after being betrayed by the Village that he realized the power of wealth.

Moreover, with the secret technique "Chidō", he could seize others' hearts to prolong his own life, granting Jiaodu immortality.

But as those around him gradually left, he could only keep company with time and solitude.

Thus he placed his pursuit of life and sense of security onto wealth, eventually forming a money‑supremacy philosophy.

Lian Ye saw that Jiaodu wasn't deceiving him, sighed helplessly, realizing his timing was off.

"How much money do you have now? Hand it all over."

Jiaodu honestly handed over all his money; Lian Ye took the Scroll, nodded, and counted roughly three million.

He satisfiedly tucked the Scroll away, placing it at his waist.

The money wasn't much, but it wasn't for nothing...

"Young man, may I leave now?" Jiaodu asked cautiously.

"Is the money settled? Then you may go!" Lian Ye snorted coldly.

I originally thought I could make a big profit, but it's only this little amount of money.

"But I have no money…" Jiaodu gritted his teeth.

That damned brat is really overstepping!

If he weren't incapacitated now, he would have already fought the opponent to the death.

"Fine, you may go." Lian Ye waved his hand.

Jiaodu had just prepared to leave when he heard Lian Ye's next words.

"Remember, Jiaodu, you still owe me twenty‑seven million taels; I'll come find you when the time comes..."

Hearing that, he turned his head in disbelief.

But Lian Ye's figure had already vanished.

Jiaodu: "..."

Failing to assassinate the God of Ninja was one thing, but now he's also in huge debt.

At this moment, he truly realized the importance of money...

——————————

Country of Hot Springs, Tangyin Village.

After many twists and turns, the two finally reached their destination.

"Ha ha, we finally made it!"

Twilight shrouded Tangyin Village in a lingering white mist.

Lian Ye followed Hashirama into WenquanGuan, the wooden floor creaking softly beneath their feet.

The Tea House Owner hurried in wearing wooden clogs, and upon seeing them broke into a warm smile: "You two arrived just in time; the men's Liuxia Pond has just been refilled, and you can still gaze at the valley's twilight!"

She led the two through a corridor hung with lanterns.

She pushed open the wooden door to the men's bath, and steaming heat laced with sulfur rushed toward them.

"Hahaha, I'm here for the hot spring." Hashirama leapt straight into the spring, waving to Lian Ye across the water, "Xiao Lian Ye, come down quickly, it's really comfortable."

Lian Ye hesitated for a moment, then slowly shed his clothes.

The spring water washed over his lean, battle‑scarred body, and his tense muscles gradually relaxed in the warmth.

It was his first time soaking in a hot spring, and indeed it was very comfortable.

This trip was not in vain...

He glanced at Hashirama nearby, who was leisurely leaning by the pool, his hair soaked, showing a gentle smile, "Xiao Lian Ye, how does it feel?"

Lian Ye nodded, "It feels fine."

At that moment, a heavy thud echoed from afar.

He burst out of the water in an instant, snatched the Wuku from the shore, and his Sharingan whirred at high speed.

Hashirama, however, remained leisurely soaking, raised his hand and flung a Wood Release Vines, easily entangling the perpetrator—a stray cat.

"Xiao Lian Ye, you're too nervous," Hashirama gently petted the stray cat, "It's just a little cat."

Lian Ye froze in place, watching Hashirama gently place the kitten by the pool and feed it fish cakes brought from the kitchen.

The prolonged fighting had triggered his instinctive reaction.

He awkwardly re‑entered the pool.

ps: Everyone, I think I have a fever, eee…