At night.
The VIP building of the Northern Territory Military District.
This was a quaint, three-storey building, lavishly decorated, specifically used by the Northern Territory Military District to receive important guests.
Inside a room on the second floor.
Ye Qiu, Ye Wudi, Long Eyebrow Immortal, and Tang Fei sat around a fire stove.
A pot of yellow wine was warming on the stove.
The four drank while chatting.
“Ye Wudi, how do you have time to come drink? Weren’t you by Elder Tang’s side?” Long Eyebrow Immortal asked.
Ye Wudi said, “Elder Tang is staying at the Northern Territory Military District headquarters tonight, protected by Xiao Jiu and the district’s generals, so he gave me the night off.”
“How’s Xiao Jiu’s injury?” Long Eyebrow Immortal asked.
“No major issues; he’ll recover after some rest,” Ye Qiu replied.
Long Eyebrow Immortal’s eyes darted around, and he said, “I have an idea. How about we team up and beat up Xiao Jiu?”
Everyone looked at Long Eyebrow Immortal with puzzled expressions.
Tang Fei asked, “Senior, why would we beat up the Champion Marquis for no reason?”
Long Eyebrow Immortal said, “Elder Tang gave me a hundred million in reward money and told me to get it from Xiao Jiu.”
“You all know Xiao Jiu’s temper—he’s as stubborn as a stone in a latrine, smelly and hard. There’s no way he’ll give me the money.”
“If we team up and beat him up, we can get that hundred million.”
Tang Fei rolled his eyes and said, “Senior, that’s the reward the Commander gave you. What’s it got to do with us?”
“How can you say it’s got nothing to do with you?” Long Eyebrow Immortal said, “I’m a man of loyalty. I won’t let you work for nothing. If you help me get the reward, I’ll give each of you ten million.”
Ye Qiu said, “I don’t need money.”
Tang Fei said, “My salary is more than enough.”
Ye Wudi was even more direct: “I’m not interested in money.”
Seeing that no one was interested, Long Eyebrow Immortal gritted his teeth and said, “Fine, if you help me get the reward, we’ll split the hundred million equally among the four of us. How’s that?”
Ye Qiu said, “Enough, old man. If you want the reward, go find Xiao Jiu yourself. Don’t drag us into it. We won’t collude with you.”
Long Eyebrow Immortal said with a bitter face, “You’re all well-fed and don’t know the hunger of the starving. If I don’t get some money soon, I’ll starve to death.”
“There are still so many people at Dragon Tiger Mountain relying on me to support them.”
“And…”
Ye Qiu interrupted impatiently, “Stop whining in front of me.”
“If you’re really about to starve, I’ll help you out. As a friend, I’ll make sure you get three steamed buns a day.”
Three steamed buns…
Is that something a person would say?
Long Eyebrow Immortal was furious and huffed discontentedly, “If I’d known you lot were so heartless, I wouldn’t have bothered saving you. I should’ve let the Dragon Maiden kill you all.”
Hah!
Ye Wudi’s head snapped up. “Old man, you dare bring that up? Tired of living?”
The mention of this made Ye Wudi angry.
This old man had not only impersonated Ye Wushuang and scolded him but also forced him to kneel. He really wanted to slice Long Eyebrow Immortal with a single strike.
“If you don’t want to help, fine. Why get angry? Stingy,” Long Eyebrow Immortal grumbled.
Ye Qiu laughed, “Let’s just keep drinking!”
A while later, Ye Qiu asked, “Old Tang, is the Hades Palace facing some trouble again?”
“Trouble?” Tang Fei was taken aback and said, “There hasn’t been any trouble with the Hades Palace recently!”
“No trouble?” Ye Qiu asked, puzzled. “If there’s no trouble, why did the God of War go back?”
Since returning, Ye Qiu had heard that the God of War had already left, which struck him as odd.
When he and Ye Wudi went to rescue Xiao Jiu, he had told the God of War that he’d treat him upon their return, and the God of War had agreed. But unexpectedly, the God of War was nowhere to be found when they got back.
Tang Fei said, “The God of War only told me he had to go back for a meeting, then he left.”
Ye Qiu frowned. “What meeting requires the God of War to go back?”
“I’m not sure of the specifics,” Tang Fei muttered. “I haven’t heard of any important meetings scheduled recently.”
“Besides, even if there were an important meeting, Elder Tang would surely attend, but he’s still here in the Northern Territory.”
“I reckon the God of War probably has other matters to attend to.”
Ye Qiu asked, “When did the God of War leave?”
Tang Fei replied, “It was when I went to pick you up. He left on a private plane.”
Ye Qiu found this even stranger.
It almost sounded like the God of War was deliberately avoiding him.
Ye Qiu said, “Old Tang, please keep an eye on the God of War’s health when you get back.”
“I’m about to compete with the Korean Medical Saint Li Zhengxi, so I don’t have time to go to the capital to treat the God of War.”
“If his condition doesn’t improve or worsens, make sure to call me.”
Tang Fei nodded, “Alright.”
Just then, Tang Fei’s phone rang.
He answered and spoke briefly, then said to Ye Qiu, “I have something to deal with, so I won’t keep drinking with you. I’m off!”
“Go ahead!”
Once Tang Fei left, Ye Qiu asked Long Eyebrow Immortal, “What’s the deal with the sword talisman? Why haven’t I seen you use it before?”
Long Eyebrow Immortal laughed heartily, “Speaking of this, I have to thank Shuisheng.”
“That kid is truly a born saint, with incredible luck.”
“After we returned to Dragon Tiger Mountain from the Hundred Thousand Mountains, I took Shuisheng to the ancestral hall to pay respects to the founder. He found two sword talismans under a floor tile in the hall.”
Two?
Ye Qiu immediately asked, “Where’s the other sword talisman?”
“It’s naturally with this poor… Why are you asking?” Long Eyebrow Immortal suddenly realised something was off and looked at Ye Qiu warily.
Ye Qiu stretched out his hand, “Hand it over.”
“In your dreams!” Long Eyebrow Immortal said, “There were only two sword talismans in total. I already used one to save you lot, and I’m keeping the last one to save my life. There’s no way I’m giving it to you.”
“You really won’t give it?” Ye Qiu’s gaze turned cold.
Long Eyebrow Immortal was resolute, “Not giving!”
Clang!
Ye Wudi drew his Great Xia Dragon Sparrow and placed the blade against Long Eyebrow Immortal’s neck.
“What are you trying to do?” Long Eyebrow Immortal said angrily, “Ye Qiu, I’m telling you, even if you kill me, I won’t give you the sword talisman.”
“You’re my good friend; how could I bear to kill you?” Ye Qiu smiled faintly, swiftly striking to seal Long Eyebrow Immortal’s acupoints, then fished the sword talisman out of his pocket.
“Old man, why are you so stubborn? I asked nicely, and you wouldn’t give it. You forced me to take it.”
Ye Qiu changed his tone, “I won’t take the sword talisman for nothing. As repayment, I’ll get that hundred million from Xiao Jiu for you tomorrow.”
“Really?” Long Eyebrow Immortal’s face lit up with joy. “Actually, I was planning to give you the sword talisman anyway. As for that hundred million from Xiao Jiu, you absolutely have to get it for me.”
“Don’t worry. If he doesn’t pay, I’ll give you a hundred million myself.” Ye Qiu was so generous because he had witnessed the power of the sword talisman.
This talisman could even scare off the Dragon Maiden, so killing a master on the God List shouldn’t be a problem.
He planned to use this talisman during the decisive battle to take down a master from the Forbidden City.
Ye Qiu tucked away the sword talisman and unsealed Long Eyebrow Immortal’s acupoints.
Ye Wudi also sheathed his Great Xia Dragon Sparrow.
The three sat around the fire stove, drinking.
Long Eyebrow Immortal suddenly said, “Ye Qiu, you shouldn’t have gone to rescue Xiao Jiu.”
“Why not?” Ye Qiu asked.
“Because Xiao Jiu is about to die!”
