The sudden voice made Black Clothes furrow her brows. She turned her head to look, only to see that the Broken Temple had at some point become a pavilion, with young boys and girls carrying bamboo baskets standing on either side.
At the same time, a figure stepped out from the pavilion’s grand door.
The moment she saw this figure, Black Clothes could not help but narrow her eyes. Then, she opened her mouth and spat out her exclusive demon soldier scythe, about to launch an attack on the person.
“Black Clothes, no!”
Seeing this, Mo Fan immediately shouted to stop her. Then, he jumped down from the great tree and came to stand opposite the figure, laughing as he said, “Brother Bing Jiu, long time no see!”
“You again?!”
The one who had emerged from the market was none other than Bing Jiu. Now that he saw it was Mo Fan, he could not help but feel a headache coming on.
“Do you not understand the rules of our market, lad?”
“You start a fight here, how am I supposed to explain it?”
Bing Jiu frowned. He first glanced at Mo Fan, then cast his gaze towards Black Clothes at his side. His instincts told him that she was a very dangerous female demon!
“Brother Bing Jiu, you slander me the moment we meet?”
Mo Fan, however, was unhurried and winked at Bing Jiu.
“You still deny it, you rascal?”
Bing Jiu gritted his teeth. If it had been any other cultivator breaking the market’s rules, he would have acted long ago. But it just had to be this toad demon, which left him both hating and fuming.
“I am not denying anything.”
Mo Fan smiled, then turned back to look at the one-horned Demon General, whose expression had grown somewhat dazed, and asked, “This demon brother, did we just lay hands on you and bully you?”
The Demon General, who had been dazed a moment before, suddenly came to his senses. He looked at Mo Fan and Bing Jiu, then grinned and said, “Not at all. We got along quite pleasantly!”
“Perhaps this lord misread the situation?” The one-horned Demon General said to Bing Jiu with a heavy laugh.
“This…”
Bing Jiu’s eyes widened, utterly baffled by the scene before him. Yet he also understood that this must be some trick Mo Fan had pulled.
“Brother Bing Jiu, the person involved has said nothing, so why fuss so much? All these demon cultivators are waiting to enter!”
Mo Fan winked at Bing Jiu again. The latter snorted coldly, then announced, “The market is now open. As per the old rules, everyone enter in an orderly fashion!”
The assembled demons exchanged glances. They had thought they might witness a fine spectacle, but it had ended so quickly. With sighs, they made their way into the market one after another.
Once all the demon cultivators had entered, Bing Jiu circled the one-horned Demon General, looking him over curiously, and asked, “Lai Bao, how did you manage this?”
“Hey, curious, are you?”
“I will not tell you!”
Mo Fan grinned in that infuriating way of his.
“You…!!”
Bing Jiu was instantly furious. Then he heard Mo Fan say, “It is not impossible to tell you, but you must help me with something first!”
“Keep your secrets then. I will not help!”
“You only seek me out for trouble, you rascal!”
Bing Jiu snorted and turned to enter the market.
“Brother Bing Jiu, you are too disloyal, are you not?
Last time, I vented your spleen handsomely by giving your third brother a thorough thrashing. And this is how you treat me now?
Do you believe me if I say that once inside, I will tell him you egged me on to beat Bing San?” Mo Fan said.
Bing Jiu’s foot, which had been about to step through the market’s grand door, stiffened at once. He quickly withdrew it, turned back around, and gnashed his teeth at Mo Fan. “You rascal… how can you be so shameless!!”
“How is this shameless? Besides, do you not want to hear what it is I need you to do?” Mo Fan laughed.
“Speak then, and let us hear it. If it is within my power, I will naturally help you. But whether it succeeds or not, that matter must be wiped clean. No more using it to threaten me in future!” Bing Jiu said discontentedly.
“Good!”
“Rest assured, I will never use the same tactic twice!”
Mo Fan chuckled, then grew serious. “It is like this. I want you to help me find a scholar of vast learning to come with me to Black Wind Mountain for preaching.”
“Preaching?” Bing Jiu was momentarily stunned, then looked at Mo Fan with an odd expression. “I did not mishear you, did I? You want to find someone to preach to those demon cultivators of yours on Black Wind Mountain?”
“You heard right. It is not just for the young ones on my Black Wind Mountain, but also for the ignorant wild beasts across the mountain!” Mo Fan said earnestly.
“You had best look elsewhere!”
Bing Jiu turned to leave, saying irritably, “You ask me to find someone to preach to a herd of mindless beasts. Is it you who is mad, or is it you who is mad?”
“…”
Mo Fan was speechless. He had not expected the fellow to refuse so outright. He stepped forward a few paces to block Bing Jiu’s path and snorted coldly. “Will you help or not?”
“No! Your request is too absurd. I have no time to indulge your madness!” Bing Jiu rolled his eyes.
“Are you not afraid I will tell Bing San about last time?” Mo Fan said angrily.
“Did you not just say you would not threaten me with it again?!”
Bing Jiu glared, grinding his teeth in hatred.
“You believed me just because I said so?”
“You damned…”
Bing Jiu cursed under his breath, but seeing that Mo Fan did not seem to be joking, he quickly calmed down. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “You mean to use preaching to awaken intelligence in those wild beasts, then transform them into demons one by one?”
“You cannot tell, but Brother Bing Jiu, you are rather clever.” Mo Fan smiled and nodded.
“Spare me your flattery!”
Bing Jiu snorted, then said gravely, “I say it again: it is not that I am unwilling as a brother, but that I truly cannot help!
What difference is there from playing the lute to a cow?
And look at me. Do I resemble a great scholar?”
“I am not hoping for you. I want you to ask among your nine siblings if any is proficient in this.”
“Rest assured, I will not let anyone help for nothing. As long as they are willing to go to Black Wind Mountain to preach, I am prepared to pay one hundred low-grade spirit stones per day as compensation!” Mo Fan said.
“This has nothing to do with spirit stones or not…”
“Two hundred low-grade spirit stones per day!”
“Er… that is not what I meant…”
“Three hundred low-grade spirit stones per day!”
“Let us go! We head out now. I will do the preaching myself!!” Bing Jiu said, his face alight with excitement.
Seeing this, Mo Fan sighed inwardly and said helplessly, “Truly no suitable candidate?”
“What? Lai Bao, what do you mean by that?”
Bing Jiu glared, appearing somewhat exasperated.
It was clear this Lai Bao had no regard for him!
“Nothing. Do you think yourself like a great scholar?”
Mo Fan countered, repeating Bing Jiu’s earlier words back to him.
“I… perhaps not just now, but I feel that at this moment, I resemble a great scholar utterly!”
Bing Jiu said solemnly. As he spoke, he even straightened his robes, which made Mo Fan’s face twitch.
“You are eyeing those three hundred low-grade spirit stones per day, are you not!”
Mo Fan said irritably, inwardly cursing his luck. He wanted nothing more to do with this greedy fellow and headed straight into the market.
“It is not that. Though I am no great scholar, I know some characters and have seen great scholars lecture. Truly, will you not let me try?”
“If you think the price too high, two hundred low-grade spirit stones per day is also acceptable!”
“Oi! Stop right there… one hundred low-grade spirit stones per day! No less!!”
“Get lost!!”
…
