Chapter 14: The Consequences of Bargaining

Wu Haishan lay down on the bed without taking off his clothes, letting Ah Guang sleep on the floor.

Ah Guang fell asleep as soon as he lay down, while Wu Haishan tossed and turned on the bed like a pancake. Who is that old man? His methods seem like those of a Rank Dan Xiu, yet also somewhat like a Fa Xiu...

What does it matter? Tomorrow, we'll wait outside the village. The moment that boy comes out, we'll break his limbs and bring him back to report to the Holy Maiden.

Xu Yuan had barely fallen asleep when he was awakened by a series of moans and groans from next door.

The man panted like an ox.

Xu Yuan felt both annoyed and restless; at my age, why should I have to listen to this?

How could anyone bear to listen to this?!

He covered his ears with his clothes, but the noise from next door grew louder and louder, and the woman gradually became more unrestrained...

After the unrestrained activity ended, the man was still panting, not yet calmed down, when Xu Yuan heard another female voice take over.

Xu Yuan painfully clutched his head.

In the second half of the night, from a room on the other side, came a series of tapping sounds, like a hard bird beak pecking strips of fresh meat from bones.

"Can't anyone sleep here?" Xu Yuan complained.

Jiao Erbo's place was indeed cheap, but as for the environment, one shouldn't have overly high expectations.

Wu Haishan was awakened in the morning by the sound of heavy banging on the door.

"Merchant, everyone is getting impatient. Get up and do business!"

Wu Haishan leaped off the bed in a carp-kick motion, secretly blaming himself for his carelessness; if Xu Yuan had run away... He immediately opened the door and rushed out, wanting to see if Xu Yuan was still there.

But as soon as he reached the courtyard, he was blocked by a group of villagers.

They held various mountain goods in their hands: hides, herbs, fruits, ores, and so on. As soon as Wu Haishan came out, these people thrust the items in their hands toward him: "What will you use to trade?"

Wu Haishan grew anxious: "Move aside!"

He shoved a fat man standing in front of him, but the fat man didn't budge, holding up a bundle of long pheasant feathers: "I want two taels of salt."

Wu Haishan was startled; he was, after all, a Rank Dan Xiu of the ninth rank, yet he shouldn't be unable to push even an ordinary villager.

"Old Chen! Zhou Qiao, Wang Jiu!" Wu Haishan shouted loudly outside for his three subordinates.

The villagers had already surrounded him: "Why haven't you started? Are you perhaps a fake merchant here to deceive us?"

Wu Haishan raised his hand: "We are indeed merchants. Wait until my people have gathered, and we will begin immediately!"

A little while later, a weak voice suddenly called out from behind the crowd: "Old Wu, I... I'm here."

Wu Haishan hurriedly asked everyone to make way. He saw Wu Xiu Old Chen leaning against the wall, his face blackened and weak, walking over. Compared to his robust and powerful appearance the day before, he had lost a whole layer of flesh!

Wu Haishan was greatly shocked: "What happened to you..."

Old Chen nearly cried: "Dozens of them took turns coming up all night. If I weren't a Wu Xiu, I would have died here!"

The fat man curled his lip and said: "Fifty taels of silver for one night, yet you only offered one hundred cash. Of course, you must pay some other price."

"There are many widows in the village. Borrowing a bit of seed won't kill anyone."

Wu Haishan felt as if he had been suddenly enlightened: Ah Guang said the local customs were simple and honest, and prices wouldn't be arbitrarily raised. Now he understood what that meant!

"Where are Zhou Qiao and Wang Jiu?" Wu Haishan shouted loudly; the two of them had also bargained last night.

The fat man said impatiently: "I already said no one will die! Hao Erge's family has many children. Staying at his house means you should provide more food. If you are unwilling to do so, then you must help feed their children."

Wu Haishan felt a chill shoot straight from his heels to the crown of his head!

"What did you do to them?!"

Wu Haishan rushed out recklessly. In a few steps, he reached the house where Zhou Qiao and Wang Jiu had lodged. Pushing open the door, he saw the two of them lying in the courtyard basking in the sun.

Hao Erge and his wife stood nearby: "Basking in the sun will help them grow back."

Upon seeing Wu Haishan, tears suddenly welled up in the two men's eyes.

Each of them was missing a leg, severed from the root of the thigh.

A deep claw mark ran across their faces.

Last night, their faces had been gripped tightly, preventing them from uttering a single scream.

Hao Erge saw Wu Haishan and immediately said: "I have two baskets of medicinal herbs. I want to trade them for one jin of salt. There are too many children; they eat so fast..."

Wu Haishan flew into a rage and spat a burst of flame: "You still want to trade? You evil spirits! Burn to death!"

Hao Erge let out a strange cry and shot up onto the roof in a flash. Wu Haishan's "Fu Zhong Huo" missed its mark.

Hao Erge squawked loudly from the roof: "These people are liars! They are not merchants!"

"What?!" The villagers' eyes instantly turned cold, surrounding the courtyard from all directions: "Beat the liars to death!"

Wu Haishan suddenly calmed down; this village was by no means simple! Not to mention that mountain runner who was unfathomably deep!

"I am not a liar!" Wu Haishan hurriedly took out silver: "I have money. Whatever mountain goods you have, I will buy them all, at fair prices!"

"What do we need so much money for? We want matches, salt, iron pots..."

Wu Haishan turned his head and saw the door of Jiao Erbo's house open. Several villagers rushed over, assuming everyone who had arrived yesterday was of the same corrupt breed: "You are a liar too..."

"I am not!" Xu Yuan took out salt, matches, and several kitchen knives: "Whatever mountain goods you have, the price is negotiable, but we did not bring iron pots this time."

These had all been bought from Granny Ying.

Xu Yuan cast a cold glance at Wu Haishan: "I hate these liars just as much as you do. They have ruined our reputation as merchants. Such scum must not be lightly forgiven!"

Hao Erge landed on the roof. Hearing this, his eyes rolled, and he immediately joined in squawking: "Kill them! Beat the liars to death! Leave the meat for me..."

The villagers, already stirred up with anger, could not withstand such incitement and immediately surged forward together.

Wu Haishan broke out in cold sweat, waving his hands repeatedly to explain: "We are absolutely not liars. We are members of the Pingtian Society..."

Seeing the villagers surging like a tide about to drown him, the panic and fear in Wu Haishan's eyes suddenly vanished, replaced by a look of ruthless ferocity!

Boom!

The internal Fire of the Dantian suddenly erupted, blasting out through his seven orifices—mouth, nose, and others.

The villagers, caught off guard, were blown back eight or seven feet, each howling in agony.

But these cries sounded strange—some like wolf howls, some like pig squeals, some like bird shrieks…

Wu Haishan strode out of the courtyard; Hao Erge let out a strange cry and dove down from the roof—unaware that Wu Haishan hated him with a vengeance and had been waiting for him.

A pitch-black pill flew through the air toward him!

Hao Erge had many children and was always timid and cautious, fearing that if he died, his widow and orphans would be left without care. Seeing the Dan Xiu launch a pill, he twisted midair, trying to spiral back up to the roof.

But the pill suddenly burst with a puff, dissolving into a cloud of gray mist, from which a giant spider's phantom emerged.

The spider spat silk, instantly weaving a vast net that descended and ensnared Hao Erge!

(End of Chapter)