Chapter 562 - Senior, Please Wait a Moment

The tall, thin man walked away while trembling. The remaining members of the Lin Clan stood there, not daring to let out a single breath.

Mo Xun stammered, “S-Senior, do you know them?”

Gu Han thought for a moment. “Technically, they owe me money.”

Mo Xun was dumbfounded. “Huh?”

Gu Han glanced at him. “And you? How did they end up targeting you?”

Mo Xun hesitated, then began to explain, “Well...”

As a rogue cultivator, his life had been even harder than Chen Qing’s. He’d stumbled along the way, barely managing to reach the Earthly Tribulation realm. Finally, over a month ago, his luck had turned. He’d stumbled upon an abandoned cave dwelling from years past and happened to find a relic site token inside. Unfortunately, he’d run into that tall, thin man who’d managed to escape from the Lin Clan.

Although he’d shaken the man off, the news had already leaked. After arriving outside Lingyun City, he saw that the man had already set up camp there, leading his clansmen in a constant search for his trail.

Afraid of being discovered, he hadn’t dared enter the city at all. He’d only wanted to quickly find someone to sell it to, but he was worried the buyer would get greedy, so he hadn’t dared ask for much. In the end, that was how the matter of those ten drops of Transcendent Substance had come about. As luck would have it, the first person he’d asked was Gu Han.

Gu Han stared at him. “I guess you got lucky running into me.”

Mo Xun didn’t understand what he meant and just smiled wryly. Lucky? Senior, you should worry about how you’re going to survive the Lin Clan first!

He gritted his teeth. “Senior, you should leave. I’ve heard that although the Lin Clan no longer has their old ancestor, they still have a few Feather Transformation realm cultivators, and even more Saint realm cultivators...”

The onlookers were also puzzled because they didn’t understand where Gu Han’s confidence came from.

Gu Han smiled. “Don’t panic. Do you know how their old ancestor died?”

Mo Xun was stunned. “Do you know?”

After mulling it over, Gu Han decided not to explain. After all, saying he’d angered a corpse into rising wasn’t exactly something to be proud of.

Suddenly, Mo Xun turned toward Lingyun City. “They’re here!”

Over a hundred figures surged forth in a mighty, murderous tide. Leading them was none other than the Lin family head, followed by four Feather Transformation realm elders and over a dozen Saint realm cultivators. Behind them were the rest of the clan members he’d gathered. A proper second-rate force, now reduced to just a hundred or so people.

From far away, the Lin family head furiously roared, “How dare you come to us! Today, you’ll pay with blood!”

As he spoke, he’d already descended, fixing Gu Han with a deathly stare.

Driven by hatred, his eyes turned bloodshot as a flash of sorrow passed through them. “My son! I will avenge you today—”

A young, angry-sounding dog’s bark cut him off.

Everyone was stunned. Hm? Where did a dog come from?

Watching Xiao Hei step out from behind Gu Han, the Lin family head broke out in a cold sweat. Doesn’t this dog look awfully familiar?!

Xiao Hei barked again, clearly displeased after being disturbed by him.

Gu Han thought for a moment, his expression serious. “It says a debt is a debt. Your son was eaten by it. If you want revenge, take it up with it, don’t trouble others.”

Xiao Hei was baffled. It turned back and barked at Gu Han, a little dissatisfied.

Gu Han added, “It also says that business is business. You owe me a deposit, so you have to pay it back.”

“Woof!”

“Double.”

“Woof woof!”

“If you don’t pay, it’ll eat you all.”

One man and one dog, singing in harmony. The crowd was completely dumbfounded. Mo Xun appeared astonished, secretly thinking that Gu Han was a master who kept his talents hidden. It was just an ordinary dog’s bark, yet he could translate the meaning so completely. Just that skill alone was one of a kind.

Upon seeing that Xiao Hei was about to turn around and bite him, Gu Han quickly sent a secret transmission. “Eighty-twenty. You take eighty, I take twenty.”

Xiao Hei immediately barked at the Lin family head, “Woof!”

This time, it was really collecting a debt.

Without hesitation, the Lin family head shot up into the sky, once again the first to flee. “Run!”

They could talk about revenge when the dog wasn’t around. The rest of the clan members couldn’t hold back either, fleeing after him one after another.

Xiao Hei was furious. Not paying up?

With a roar, it swelled to over a thousand zhang, surging with demonic qi. The beast nearly blotted out the sky and sun. It opened its enormous maw wide and inhaled sharply. The hundred or so clan members lost all control, flying backward into Xiao Hei’s mouth. And the last one was none other than the Lin family head.

Xiao Hei’s massive jaws snapped shut, swallowing him whole. Only half an arm remained dangling limply outside, still clutching a storage ring. The thing fell as the beast swallowed the man whole. The Lin Clan was no more.

Chongming didn’t understand. “What is it doing?”

Gu Han snatched the storage ring with a wave of his hand, swept it with his divine sense, and found a fair amount of resources inside.

He suddenly understood. “It’s trying to repay the debt!”

As Gu Han watched Xiao Hei lick its lips, he wanted to advise it not to be so impulsive and vicious next time. However, afraid that the beast still hadn’t had its fill, he swallowed the words that had risen to his lips. Following the principle of keeping one’s word, he didn’t embezzle Xiao Hei’s share this time. Not that there was much to embezzle anyway, because most of the Lin Clan’s assets were already in his hands.

Looking at the dumbfounded Mo Xun, Gu Han smiled. “Alright. Problems all solved. Let’s continue our business. Since this token is real, you really only want ten drops of Transcendent Substance?”

Mo Xun gulped. “Yes! Ten drops will do.”

Gu Han thought for a moment. “I’ll give you a chance. You can name a new price. Anything. Don’t mention Transcendent Substance, even if you want half-saint herb, saint herb... I’ll get it for you. I’ll give you however much you want! Remember, you only get one chance. So think carefully.”

Mo Xun and the onlookers were dumbfounded. Given Gu Han’s cultivation and the ferocity of his dog, there was no reason for him to lie to an Earthly Tribulation realm cultivator. If he said he’d give it, he meant it.

Everyone stared at Mo Xun with jealousy again. He’s stepped in a massive pile of dog shit!

Chongming was taken aback. He thought that for someone as stingy as Gu Han, being this generous to a young man he’d just met was incredibly out of character. He’d never even been this generous with the dog!

Mo Xun swallowed, struggling to say, “Senior, I-I’ve already said ten drops of Transcendent Substance, so... ten drops will do.”

His heart was bleeding. Forget half-saint herb and saint herb, even if he’d said a hundred drops of Transcendent Substance, it would have greatly improved his life from then on.

Everyone inwardly scoffed at Mo Xun. You idiot! What a fool!

The rogue cultivator who’d revealed his background didn’t even bother hiding the contempt in his eyes. A heaven-sent opportunity falls right into your hand and you can’t even catch it... No wonder you can’t make it!

Chongming took another look at Mo Xun. He felt that this kind of stubbornness was about as rare as Gu Han’s lack of morality. Even Gu Han was a little surprised. Having planned to give Mo Xun some resources to make up for one of Mo Chenyin’s regrets, he never expected this outcome.

“Have you thought it through?”

Mo Xun stammered, “Y-you saved me, so I’m already endlessly grateful. Besides, we’ve already agreed upon the price. A promise is a promise.”

Gu Han sighed. “No wonder you’ve done so poorly. There’s a reason for it.”

For an honest man like Mo Xun to have survived this long in the chaotic Tiannan Realm, it was practically a miracle.

Gu Han then headed straight into the city. “Fine.”

Mo Xun was dumbfounded again. I know I didn’t ask for saint herb and all that, but you can’t go back on those ten drops of Transcendent Substance...

Then, Gu Han’s voice came through. “Follow me.”

Mo Xun was stunned again. “W-what for?”

Gu Han paused. “To change your life.”

Mo Xun followed, dumbstruck.

At that moment, the rogue cultivator who knew him lit up, quickly catching up to walk beside him while beaming. “Brother Mo, I’m a straightforward man! Don’t take those things I said earlier to heart.”

Mo Xun shook his head. “I won’t.”

He’d heard that kind of talk far too many times, so he was long used to it.

The cultivator said warmly while walking alongside him, “Brother Mo, you’re magnanimous! It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other. Today—”

Chongming tilted his head and shot him a disdainful look. “Scram!”

Without hesitation, the cultivator curled up and rolled away, vanishing in the blink of an eye. “Yes, yes! Right away!”

A long while later, a cultivator shouted, “I know this senior! He’s that legend!”

“Who?”

He gazed on with admiration. “Have you all forgotten? Lately, a strange figure has appeared in the Tiannan Realm’s scavenging circles. Whenever he passes through a faction’s territory, he scavenges anyone who dares try to charge him a toll! He’s terrified those factions so badly that they’ve all become much more restrained! Rumor has it he has a rooster and a dog with him!”

The crowd gasped. It really is him! This senior has single-handedly reformed the Tiannan Realm... He’s a legend in the scavenging world!

***

Of course, Gu Han had no idea that his unintentional actions had made him an idol to all scavengers. A distance of several dozen li was nothing to him. In no time at all, he’d arrived at the city gates. Lingyun City looked even more majestic and imposing up close.

After a moment of admiration, he was about to enter when a cultivator in a black robe stopped him. “Senior, please wait a moment.”

Gu Han was in disbelief. Is there no end to this? Don’t tell me he’s selling tokens too?