Chapter 371 - 223: Buying a Life

Chapter 371: Chapter 223: Buying a Life

Su Mu said, cupping his fists.

He signaled to Xu Chongyuan and the others, then, bringing Qianyun Mountain, Huo Zhen Court, and their third companion, they swaggered out of the Martial Arts Arena under the furious gazes of over ten thousand demons.

...

「Back at the Da Xuan Embassy.」

Xu Chongyuan and the other Taiping Captains all let out a collective sigh of relief.

That was intense!

Over ten thousand demons, plus the Demon Court’s National Preceptor, and they had actually managed to retreat completely unscathed!

If even one thing had gone wrong, they would have been wiped out in that Martial Arts Arena without a chance to even make a ripple.

But not only had they made it back, they had even brought three people with them.

’It was a shame about the seven people Bao Lingyun had beaten to death. But there was nothing to be done; in a situation like that, it was impossible to save everyone.’

"Incredible!"

Huo Zhen Court said, giving Su Mu a thumbs-up.

"Amazing! I had no idea the Taiping Captains had someone as formidable as you, Captain Su."

"Lord Su hadn’t made his mark yet when you fell into the hands of the Demon Court,"

Qianyun Mountain said.

"Lord Su, thank you," Qianyun Mountain said to Su Mu with a cupped-fist salute.

"You’re too kind, General Qian," Su Mu said with a smile. "And this is?"

He looked toward the third True Essence Realm Martial Artist.

"I am Zhuang Bufan, from Beiting," the True Essence Realm Martial Artist said slowly after a moment of silence.

’Someone from Beiting?’

A look of surprise flickered across Su Mu’s face.

Da Xuan was not the only nation beyond the wilderness.

Besides Da Xuan, there were numerous smaller kingdoms, and Beiting was one of them.

Beiting was located to the north of Da Xuan, in the Land of the Far North. It did not directly border the wilderness and was said to be perpetually covered in ice and snow.

’So how did someone from Beiting end up in the Demon Court?’

"Ah, so it is Brother Zhuang. A pleasure."

Su Mu didn’t pry into the man’s private life, only offering a casual pleasantry.

Zhuang Bufan, a man of few words, simply cupped his fists in thanks and stood aside in silence.

"Brother Huo, how did you survive all this time in the Demon Court?"

Compared to Zhuang Bufan, Huo Zhen Court was far more talkative.

After a few exchanges, Su Mu suddenly asked.

Martial Artists in the wilderness were vulnerable to the corrosive effects of Demonic Qi; most couldn’t stay there for long.

Huo Zhen Court had been imprisoned by the Demon Court for many years. Forget the constant fighting in the Martial Arts Arena—by all rights, the Demonic Qi alone should have corrupted him into a Human Demon.

But here he was, alive and kicking.

"The Demon Court isn’t stupid,"

Huo Zhen Court said. "I was still useful to them, so of course they wouldn’t let me die that easily.

The place where they kept me was isolated from the Demonic Qi. They would only let me out every so often to force me into a duel."

Qianyun Mountain nodded, confirming he’d been in the same situation.

When the Demon Court captured humans, ordinary people became nothing more than food. Powerful Martial Artists, or those with a special skill, were kept alive, their value squeezed dry before they too were devoured.

"What a pack of beasts!"

Xu Chongyuan and the others cursed in anger.

"What can you do when you’re not strong enough?" Huo Zhen Court said with a carefree air. "But since I got my hands on Nether Gold Stone, Blood Crystal, and Dragon Vine Wood, I can’t say all those years of suffering were for nothing."

"Have you lost your mind? Those things aren’t yours," Xu Chongyuan retorted.

"I know," Huo Zhen Court said with a laugh. "Lord Su, if you entrust these materials to me, not only can I forge a Profound Weapon for you, but I can also get you one hundred thousand taels of gold!"

"You’re bluffing, right?" Xu Chongyuan said doubtfully.

The Demon Court National Preceptor, Liang Jinglue, had offered seven thousand taels of gold, and in the end, it was traded for these materials.

The value of the two should be roughly the same. Otherwise, why would Liang Jinglue have agreed to the trade?

The Demon Court National Preceptor is no fool!

Now, with a single word, Huo Zhen Court was claiming those same materials could be turned into a Profound Weapon plus one hundred thousand taels of gold. How could that not be a bluff?

That was more than ten times the value of seven thousand taels of gold!

"Bluffing?" Huo Zhen Court shook his head. "That just shows you don’t know who I am. I have a bit of a Midas touch. The only question is whether you believe me, Captain Su."

"I believe you, but there’s no need," Su Mu said nonchalantly.

Huo Zhen Court: "..."

’You’re not playing by the rules. If you believe me, then why refuse my offer? Do you have a grudge against gold or something?’

"Wait, Captain Su, in your hands, those things are just a pile of rocks—" Huo Zhen Court said urgently.

Years ago, he had ventured deep into the wilderness for the sole purpose of finding these unique materials.

"Don’t tell me you’re a Weapon Master?" Huo Zhen Court looked at Su Mu, finding the thought incredible.

He had witnessed Su Mu’s power with his own eyes. To possess such strength at his age meant he must have spent an enormous amount of time and energy on his Martial Dao cultivation. How could he possibly have had time to practice the Weapon Casting Technique?

"I’m not," Su Mu said.

Huo Zhen Court breathed a sigh of relief. ’Good. As long as he’s not.’

"Captain Su, I know your Taiping Bureau has Weapon Masters, but it’s no boast to say that they probably don’t even know how to use these materials," Huo Zhen Court said. "Entrust them to me, and I guarantee you won’t regret it or be cheated."

"I know the Weapon Casting Technique of your Divine Weapon Pavilion is second to none," Su Mu said with a faint smile, "but I have a Weapon Master I know well, and he also hails from the Divine Weapon Pavilion."

"Another disciple from the Divine Weapon Pavilion? Who? Who dares to steal my business?" Huo Zhen Court froze for a moment, then became indignant.

Huo Zhen Court was a True Disciple of the Divine Weapon Pavilion. To be precise, he was a True Disciple from the previous generation. The current so-called True Disciples of the Divine Weapon Pavilion were all his juniors.

If Huo Zhen Court hadn’t been imprisoned by the Demon Court all these years, he might already be a Divine Weapon Pavilion Elder by now.

"Zhang Zhongmei," Su Mu said.

"Zhang Zhongmei?" Huo Zhen Court frowned. "Is there even someone by that name in the Divine Weapon Pavilion? You haven’t been duped, have you? No, wait a minute. You mean Er Mei?"

His eyes flew open. "Since when is Er Mei a Weapon Master?"

’Er Mei?’

The others exchanged glances, unable to suppress their laughter.

’That square-jawed, righteous Zhang Zhongmei had a nickname like that?’

"No, he has no talent for the Martial Dao. He could never become a Weapon Master," Huo Zhen Court shook his head. "You’ve definitely been had. Is Er Mei part of the delegation? Where is he? I’ll go have a word with him. I used to cover for him all the time, and now he’s stealing my business?"

"He has gone to see the Demon Court Saint Venerable. You two can reminisce when he returns," Su Mu said.

His gaze swept across Huo Zhen Court, Qianyun Mountain, and Zhuang Bufan. "The three of you nearly died at the hands of the Thirteenth Prince of the Demon Court," he said suddenly. "Have you ever thought about getting revenge?"

"Of course I have!" Huo Zhen Court said through gritted teeth. "But even you couldn’t kill him. We’re certainly no match for him."

He had no qualms about admitting he was outmatched.

"You don’t have to get revenge with your own hands," Su Mu said. "I have a friend from the Golden Wind Tower..."

"The Golden Wind Tower is doing business even in the Demon Court? Impressive!" Huo Zhen Court exclaimed with sincere admiration. "A pity the Divine Weapon Pavilion’s business isn’t suited for the Demon Court. Otherwise, I would have started shipping their special weapon-casting materials back to Da Xuan long ago."

Su Mu was taken aback by his response.

’This Huo Zhen Court really doesn’t think like an ordinary person. No wonder he didn’t go crazy after so many years imprisoned in the Demon Court. I was talking about killing, and he immediately thought about business.’

"If you’re interested, I can contact my friend for you. Knowing him as I do, if he makes a move to assassinate Bao Lingyun, the chances of success are very high," Su Mu continued.

"I’ve heard of the Golden Wind Tower. How much silver will it cost?" Zhuang Bufan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly asked.

"He’s a Tier Two Demon, so one hundred thousand taels of silver should be enough. If the three of you pitch in, thirty thousand taels each will do," Su Mu said offhandedly.

"No need. I’ll cover the one hundred thousand taels," Zhuang Bufan said earnestly. "However, I don’t have the silver on me at the moment. Could you perhaps front me the money? If you take me back to Beiting, I will have someone repay you immediately."

"Once you go back to Beiting, where are we supposed to find you?" Xu Chongyuan blurted out.

"Agreed," Su Mu said calmly, cutting Xu Chongyuan off.

"Who is this friend of yours?" Huo Zhen Court asked, his curiosity piqued. There weren’t many in the Golden Wind Tower capable of assassinating Bao Lingyun.

"Jing Ke," Su Mu uttered the two syllables.