Chapter 185: Crocodile Tears, "Help" From Mei Hua and The Business Plan ( Bonus GT - V )

Chapter 185: Crocodile Tears, "Help" From Mei Hua and The Business Plan ( Bonus GT Chapter V )

Half an incense stick of time passed in the office.

The atmosphere was incredibly peaceful, only the gentle sound of tea being poured was there. Yu Liang and Mei Hua sat comfortably, occasionally taking a sip, while Elder Qian remained frozen in his chair.

The plump elder was still staring blankly at the third spatial ring in his hand. His small eyes were wide open, his mouth slightly agape, and a faint, empty smile hung on his face. He hadn’t even blinked once since getting the ring.

He looked like a perfectly crafted wooden puppet that had suddenly run out of spiritual energy.

"Elder Qian?" Yu Liang called out, his voice carried a hint of amusement.

But there was no response.

"Elder Qian. Are you still there?" Yu Liang waved a hand in front of the elder’s face.

Still nothing.

Elder Qian didn’t even look up. His soul had clearly left his body and was currently fantasising about the sea of Spiritual Stones.

Mei Hua, seeing her husband’s failed attempts, let out a soft laugh. She reached into her spatial ring and pulled out a delicate, silver bell. This was a Soul Calming Bell, a spiritual tool specifically used to awaken cultivators who had fallen into deep enlightenment or suffered mental shock.

Ding... Ding... Ding...

She rang it a few times and a clear, soothing wave of mental energy rippled through the air.

Gasp!

Elder Qian violently inhaled, his body joltes as if he had just been electrocuted. The blankness in his eyes instantly vanished, replaced by sharp, crystal clear clarity. He blinked rapidly, looking at the silver bell in Mei Hua’s hand, and then immediately bowed his head.

"Ah! Young Mistress! Thank you! Thank you for using the Soul Calming Bell to save my wandering soul!" Elder Qian exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine gratitude. "If not for your bell, this old man might have drowned in the Young Master’s generosity and forgotten how to breathe!"

Yu Liang chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "I called you out at least five times, and you didn’t even blink once. Since you’re already ignoring my orders before you’ve even started the job, it seems I’ll have to fire you from the manager position."

It was a joke, a lighthearted teasing. But the moment the word "fire" left Yu Liang’s lips, Elder Qian’s face went completely pale.

Whoosh!

Elder Qian stood up abruptly, his chair scraped loudly against the wooden floor.

His expression was one of absolute, tragic horror.

"Fire me?! No! Young Master, please!" Elder Qian shouted, his voice trembled with exaggerated emotion. "I have disappointed you! I have shown immense disgrace in front of you and the Young Mistress by losing my composure! To atone for this unforgivable sin, I shall chop off my right hand to prove my resolve!"

Shing!

With a dramatic effect, Elder Qian pulled out a gleaming, sharp spiritual sword from his spatial ring. He raised it high, aiming the tip directly at his own right wrist.

Yu Liang couldn’t help but be amused. He waved his hand casually. "Okay, okay, stop now. Put the toy away. I was just joking."

But Elder Qian didn’t listen. He shook his head vigorously, his double chin wobbled in response. "No! Young Master, you are too kind, but I cannot forgive myself! I am an Esteemed Elder of the Cloudwater Sect, yet I acted like a foolish mortal who had just seen a mountain of gold! I must chop off my hand! I must!"

Yu Liang smiled playfully, his tone shifting to a mocking command. "Stop. You are disobeying my direct order. Now, Put the sword away."

Elder Qian froze. The sword hovered an inch from his wrist.

Then, a miraculous thing happened. A few perfect, glistening crocodile tears instantly welled up in his small eyes and rolled down his chubby cheeks. He dropped to his knees, drowning in an ocean of ’grief’.

"I’m a sinner!" Elder Qian wailed, his voice echoed in the office. "I have disappointed my Young Master yet again! My mind is so muddled by his boundless grace that I defied his command! A single hand is not enough to cleanse this disgrace! I must chop off BOTH hands!"

He raised the sword with both hands, looking up at Yu Liang with wide, desperate eyes, as if waiting for the final confirmation. "Young Master, please tell me... how am I supposed to chop off both my hands? Should I use the Severing Soul Strike to cut them off simultaneously, or the Flowing Water Cut to do it one at a time? But if I use one hand to cut off the other, how am I supposed to cut off the second one?"

Mei Hua covered her mouth as she laughed softly at Qian’s tactics. The elder’s acting skills were truly top tier, he was a veteran at this.

But then, a mischievous glint appeared in her beautiful eyes. She leaned forward slightly, her voice sweet and gentle, yet carrying an underlying, terrifying pressure.

"Elder Qian," Mei Hua. "You are a cultivator. You don’t need a physical sword. You can easily condense your spiritual energy into a blade to chop off your own hands and both at a same time."

Elder Qian’s expression suddenly tightened. The crocodile tears stopped mid roll. His face went stiff. He was just acting, and now, he was trapped.

Seeing his frozen expression, Mei Hua offered further help, her smile widened a little. "If you find it difficult to condense the energy, don’t worry. I can help you chop them off and I will also do it neatly and painlessly. Just one strike of my Nascent Soul sword intent, and it will be over in a flash."

Cold sweat instantly broke out all over Elder Qian’s forehead and soaked the back of his purple robes. His hands started shaking violently, the spiritual sword rattled in his grip. He looked at the beautiful, elegant Young Miss, realizing with absolute certainty that she was completely serious. If he said yes, she would actually chop his hands off!

By this point, Yu Liang was laughing out loud. He slapped the desk, with little tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. The absurdity of the situation, combined with Elder Qian’s terrified, sweating face, was too much.

"Hahaha! Alright, alright!" Yu Liang laughed, waving his hand dismissively. "Now, now, that’s enough! Put the sword away and sit down. We have business to discuss."

Swish!

The spiritual sword disappeared into Elder Qian’s spatial ring faster than the speed of light. He scrambled up from the floor, dusted off his knees, and sat back down in his chair. He sat perfectly straight, his hands rested respectfully on his knees, his face instantly returning to a professional, serious expression once again, as if he had never held a sword or shed a single tear in his life.

"Yes, Young Master," Elder Qian said smoothly, pulling out a jade slip and a brush from his sleeve. His voice was clear, though a single drop of sweat still rolled down his temple. "Please lay out your plan. This old man is ready to take notes."

Yu Liang wiped a tear of laughter from his eye, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He looked at the instantly reformed, professional manager, shaking his head with a smile.

"Alright, Elder Qian," Yu Liang said as his tone turned slightly more serious as he leaned forward. "Let’s talk about the Crimson Cloud Auction House and the spirit ore mines. Here is what I want you to do..."