CHAPTER 68: CHAPTER 67: TRANSACTION PART 2

"The head of the house has helped me greatly. If I were to harm you, I would be worse than a pig or dog, and condemned by everyone.

If my father were to find out, he would surely expel me from the family," Su Shi said firmly. "Moreover, my Su Family has always prioritized trust and righteousness and would never do anything against ethical principles!"

The Su Family runs a bank, and trust is their livelihood. Lou Yi did believe this.

But why take the risk?

Lou Yi shook his head, indicating her reason wasn’t convincing enough for him.

"Master, please wait."

Seeing this, Su Shi ran back to the carriage she had just been sitting in.

When she returned, she was holding a painting scroll made of yellow silk.

Upon opening it, it turned out to be a land deed for a manor.

It described the manor’s location in the southern area of Tai City, covering over a hundred acres, and bore the red stamps of the City Lord’s Mansion and the Su Family.

"This is my dowry, which I temporarily place with you.

If I do not keep my word, you can keep it, and dispose of it as you see fit."

A manor covering over a hundred acres must be worth at least ten thousand silver pieces.

Su Shi’s sincerity was indeed complete.

After all, the life of a bandit leader is not worth ten thousand silver, no matter what.

However, Lou Yi still had some concerns.

He believed Su Shi wouldn’t repay kindness with enmity.

But could she really have the ability to make the officials withdraw the bounty so they wouldn’t waste their efforts on him anymore?

Seeing Lou Yi hesitate, Su Shi thought he was still not convinced, and steeled herself.

"If I add this, will it be enough?"

Su Shi pulled up the gold thread around her neck, revealing a piece of beautiful white jade.

She removed the jade and handed it to Lou Yi, her face slightly flushed.

Lou Yi accepted it, feeling the warmth and a faint fragrance on the jade.

The jade was pure sheep-fat white, with natural red veins on the front, like a cluster of fire.

Upon closer inspection, the fire seemed to come alive, as if it was burning.

Even though Lou Yi didn’t know much about jade, he could tell it was a priceless treasure.

He heard Su Shi explain, "This is Spirit Breath Jade. I was weak and sick as a child, and my father sought this jade from a high person.

It has been nourished with vital blood for over ten years, to the point where I feel a bit connected to it.

If the jade is damaged, my primordial qi will be greatly injured, and losing ten years of life would be a minor consequence."

"Ten years of life?"

If true, Su Shi was indeed betting a lot.

After all, she was a wealthy young lady, her life more ’valuable’ than his, a mountain bandit.

Lou Yi carefully stroked the jade, sensing a flow of energy within it.

He then looked at Su Shi.

Since she took off the jade, her complexion had become quite pale, likely proving her words true.

However, since this concerned his life and death, he needed to be absolutely sure.

Lou Yi called over Zhu Darui and others, asking them if they had heard of the Spirit Breath Jade.

"Seems like I’ve heard something from my elder brother," Zhu Darui recalled, then went to bring a subordinate, a man in his fifties with half-gray hair, who had an aura different from other bandits.

"What is this?"

The man’s expression changed upon seeing it, "Spirit Breath Jade!"

It turned out he used to be an expert in selling jade.

Hearing his explanation, exactly matching Su Shi’s, Lou Yi felt reassured.

He also hung the jade pendant around his neck, feeling a unique sensation, as if an invisible thread had connected the two of them.

Lou Yi looked at Su Shi, noticing her delicate face suddenly turned rosy and fair.

"Do you truly have the means to have the City Lord’s Mansion cancel the bounty?" Lou Yi asked.

Cancelling the bounty didn’t mean the government wouldn’t pursue him, but they wouldn’t expend effort on him.

For Lou Yi, this was already enough.

"If you are not reassured, you can wait outside the city for news. If I fail, you can smash the Spirit Breath Jade!" Su Shi said decisively.

Lou Yi paced back and forth, thinking about how if he stayed on Sunset Mountain, who knows when he would obtain a complete Breathing Technique.

According to Instructor Lin, he was already starting martial arts at an advanced age.

Moreover, if he didn’t obtain the Breathing Technique, he would only live to his fifties?

Now there was this great opportunity.

He could enter the Martial Arts Hall to train, align with the Su Family, and clear his name, but it required taking some risks.

Should he do it?

Yes!

"Alright." Lou Yi finally made his decision, "The reward doesn’t necessarily have to be in silver, do you have any Stone Spirit?"

Stone Spirit was essential for advancing to the next level of Talent Stoneification.

"Stone Spirit is a rare material for crafting Divine Weapons, not easy to find." Since Lou Yi agreed, Su Shi seemed completely relieved and smiled, as if she no longer feared Lou Yi, "However, I should have a way to get some."

Lou Yi said, "I need two days to handle mountain affairs."

"Then I will inconvenience you for a few days," Su Shi pointed to the badly injured and bleeding old man in cloth, the only survivor of this battle, "I would also need you to have someone treat my man."

"Alright."

Lou Yi called the blind doctor over to take orders from Su Shi.

He was about to lead the team back to the mountain to seize power.

Some Xu Xi loyalists on the mountain posed no threat, but it was prudent to be cautious.

The energy was currently overflowing and must be quickly converted into strength.

Lou Yi ordered the main force to stand by and walked into a secluded nearby forest.

He looked at the attribute panel:

[Name: Lou Yi]

[Age: 19/55]

[Realm: None]

[Cultivation Techniques: Hu Family Breathing Technique (Not initiated 0/10)]

[Skills: Lou’s Axe Skill (Proficient 0/30), Stone Throwing (Mastered 0/30), Basic Boxing Technique (Mastered 0/30), Light Body Technique (Proficient 0/20), Basic Spear Technique (Initiated 0/6), Secret Skill: Dragon Piercing Technique - Fragment (I)]

[Talent: Petrification (Initiated 0/20+1 Stone Spirit)]

[Energy: 47]

With enough energy, Lou Yi’s gaze lingered for a moment on the boxing technique and axe skill, he decided to first upgrade the axe skill.

The reason was simple. He promised to escort Su Shi to the main city, a journey that will involve long travels and facing many beasts, birds, and even supernatural beings.

No matter how good the boxing technique was, he couldn’t bare-handedly fight them, at most just tickling them; weapons would still be relied on.

Furthermore, the advanced skill Splitting Mountain also derives from the axe skill.

If luck favors, improving the axe skill to mastery might induce some changes in Splitting Mountain.

Lou Yi focused on the plus sign behind the axe skill, imagining a force pressing onto it.

The state of Lou’s Axe Skill immediately changed from (Proficient 0/30) to (Mastered 0/100).

Unfamiliar memories emerged in his mind.

Primitive forest, towering trees.

"Die!"

A gleaming axe struck fiercely at the neck of a giant creature, standing over ten feet tall.

It split the gray neck almost in half, leaving the head completely drooping.

’Bang!’

Following that, the giant fell to the ground, bleeding profusely, utterly dead.

And the owner of the axe was a dark-skinned youth, his eyes icy, without a trace of emotion even after slaying the creature.

...