CHAPTER 61: 61, THOUSAND GOLD FOR RANSOM [SEEKING FAVORITES, RECOMMENDATION TICKETS]

Wen Ping didn’t pay any attention to Li Hua, nor did his eyes land on Li Hua, he simply said to Shi Hua, "Can I come in and take a look?"

Shi Hua nodded.

Watching Wen Ping step inside, a thought surged in Shi Hua’s mind.

Did Wen Ping agree to her employment offer?

However, she immediately dismissed the thought herself. The Immortal Sect already had the power to kill Elder Yang Hua, and the Yang Family’s eldest son, Yang Lele, had also joined the Immortal Sect. No matter how bad things were, as the Sect Leader, how could Wen Ping lower himself to Long Hua?

But she couldn’t fathom why Wen Ping was here at all, just like when the Immortal Sect first fell, she didn’t know what direction to take in the future.

"Are you really here to see me?"

"No."

Shi Hua let out a small "oh," but her eyes showed a faint trace of disappointment that she wasn’t even aware of.

Wen Ping spoke, "I just happened to be passing through, and I really need to use the bathroom urgently."

"Ah!"

"Can’t I?"

"Sure, just go straight to the end from here."

Shi Hua felt disarrayed, realizing that all her guesses and possible scenarios didn’t even come close to Wen Ping’s initial intention.

Seeing that he was being ignored, Li Hua, who already didn’t like Wen Ping, immediately blocked his path and said, "Wen Ping, you can go in, but if anything happens, don’t ask Shi Hua to plead for you."

As soon as Li Hua finished speaking, Shi Hua’s face changed, and she instinctively glanced toward the back courtyard of the martial arts hall, as if there was someone there who made her uneasy. But Wen Ping was here to borrow the toilet, she couldn’t very well just shoo him away.

"Wen Ping, once you’re done, hurry up and leave. There are people from the Kao Shan Sect in the hall today, if they see you..."

"Understood." Wen Ping nodded.

After saying this, Shi Hua turned and left. Li Hua stepped aside to let Wen Ping pass, no longer blocking him. In his heart, he actually hoped Wen Ping would run into Mu Yan, who was inside the inner room. Given Mu Yan’s temperament, he would likely strike Wen Ping down immediately, right?

Once the two of them left, Wen Ping headed toward the place where Zhao Yi had disappeared to, walking along the brick wall until he reached the end.

The end was a kitchen, outside of which was a well. To the left was a woodshed, to the right a small dwelling. Many triangular bamboo racks were set up here, connected by long bamboo poles, with many dripping clothes hanging down from above.

At this moment, Zhao Yi was sitting by the well, using a stick to beat the clothes that needed washing, his disheveled appearance making his expression unreadable.

"Zhao Yi!"

Bang—

The sound of the stick hitting the clothes abruptly stopped.

He still held soapnut powder in his left hand, suspended in mid-air.

"Who are you?"

Through the gaps in his disheveled hair, a pair of extremely frightened eyes peered out.

Zhao Yi glanced at the newcomer a few times, to be honest, he’d never seen him before, his attire didn’t look like someone from Flower Moon City either. But the other person knew his real name, a name he had hidden for a year.

Throughout this past year, he had never told anyone this name, not even the beautiful owner who had taken him in recently.

Wen Ping smiled, crossing through the clothes racks but not getting too close, just saying, "I am Wen Ping, the Sect Leader of the Immortal Sect. If you are willing to join my sect, I can offer you the best guidance and martial arts."

Immortal Sect!

Upon hearing those three words, Zhao Yi’s face showed a bit of indifference.

"The Immortal Sect has already fallen. If you’re trying to trick someone, please impersonate someone else. Besides, I’m a cripple, I have nothing, there’s nothing worth tricking from me."

"I really am the Sect Leader of the Immortal Sect."

"You’ve got the wrong person."

That said, Zhao Yi was about to stand up, picking up the wooden basin and heading towards the kitchen, clearly not wanting any further interaction with Wen Ping.

Wen Ping immediately continued, "Zhao Yi, if you agree to join my Immortal Sect, I guarantee your revenge will be taken within ten years!"

Zhao Yi did not respond.

Yet he stopped at the kitchen door.

Humph!

Ten years.

Not to mention ten years, even twenty or thirty years, what difference would it make?

Once he had been able to cultivate to the fifth layer of martial arts at the age of fifteen, and in the future, he might have had the chance to glimpse the Profound Realm. But now, he was just a cripple, all his meridians broken, his life worthless like a dog, and revenge had become a dream beyond reach.

And the Flying Dragon Association, as a two-star power, had someone in the Profound Realm overseeing it, with more than two dozen cultivators in the thirteenth layer of Body Refinement under its command. To seek revenge, he would have to reach the Profound Realm, but by then, the Flying Dragon Association’s Profound Realm cultivator might have already reached an even higher level.

Time waits for no one, let alone for someone like him, with broken meridians, unable to absorb Heaven and Earth Qi.

Seeing Zhao Yi remain silent, Wen Ping quickly continued, "If I help you redeem yourself, would you be willing to join the Immortal Sect?"

"Maybe."

After saying this, Zhao Yi entered the kitchen, closing the door behind him.

Wen Ping immediately decided to find Shi Hua and have Zhao Yi’s indenture contract destroyed, to first give him his freedom. With his current state of mind, he surely wouldn’t believe anything without seeing tangible results.

Arriving at the martial arts hall’s rear courtyard, he heard the repeated, innocent shouts of children, then found Shi Hua instructing them in cultivation.

Upon turning her head and seeing Wen Ping, Shi Hua’s face changed suddenly, and she quickly went over, whispering, "Didn’t I ask you to leave directly, why are you here?"

"Shi Hua, I have something to ask of you, come with me."

"You... sigh, if people from the Kao Shan Sect see..."

As the two of them walked to a corner, Li Hua somehow magically followed like a magnet.

But Wen Ping ignored him, continuing to speak to Shi Hua, "Shi Hua, I’d like to take someone from you."

"Take someone?"

Unconsciously, Shi Hua glanced over at the children practicing their skills.

Wen Ping quickly explained, "The person I’m looking for isn’t one of them, but someone you took in a few days ago."

"You mean Hu Er?"

"Hu Er... yes, him."

Before Shi Hua could speak, Li Hua said, "Wen Ping, Hu Er has already signed an indenture with our Longhua Martial Arts Hall, meaning he can only wash clothes and cook for us for life. Giving him to you is impossible."

Wen Ping acted as if he hadn’t heard Li Hua at all, continuing to speak to Shi Hua, "How about it, if you’ll give him to me, I promise you won’t suffer any loss, I can get several, even a dozen staff members for Longhua in exchange."

Shi Hua hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Li Hua before saying, "Hu Er is his indentured servant."

"Hu Er to you, impossible." Li Hua chuckled, delightfully declaring.

You ignored me before?

Now aren’t you coming to ask me?

As Li Hua was inwardly gloating, Wen Ping’s words left him stunned.

"1000 Gold Coins!"

"What do you mean?"

"Give me Hu Er’s indenture contract, and I’ll give you 1000 gold coins."

"You..."

Li Hua was momentarily at a loss for words, 1000 gold coins, this was indeed an excessively large amount.

He wasn’t from a wealthy family, and his cultivation resources, aside from those distributed by the Kao Shan Sect, could only be bought with money he earned himself. Even at his fifth layer Body Refinement Realm, he could only earn thirty to forty gold coins a month.

Yet Wen Ping offered 1000 gold coins right away, simply to buy a scruffy servant. Such people could be bought at the servant market for 10 gold coins. Selling Hu Er to Wen Ping would practically make him a wealthy man overnight.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the martial arts hall, as Zhao Yi was about to take some dirty clothes from Li Hua’s room, he heard these words very clearly, causing his steps to come to an abrupt halt, feeling an indescribable sentiment swell up within him.

He, for what little his life was worth.

Apart from washing clothes and cooking, he was capable of nothing else.

So he had prepared to spend the rest of his life as a servant in the Longhua Martial Arts Hall, but now, someone was willing to spend a thousand gold to buy his freedom.

Zhao Yi slowly raised his head, using his fingertips to wipe the corner of his eye, brushing away a sparkling tear.

He fell into a long silence!

Suddenly, he muttered softly to himself, "Is this what it feels like to be cared for by someone?"