Chapter 75: No, why did I become a stand-in?
“You’re asking me? I want to ask you too! Our employment relationship ends here, but you still have to pay me. Consider it spiritual compensation for this old man,” Elder Bao said domineeringly.
“But…” Liu Biao was unwilling and wanted to say something more.
“But what? It’s already the utmost benevolence that I’m not causing you trouble. Do you want money or your life?” Elder Bao threatened him.
“Yes, yes, yes… everything is as Elder Bao decides.” Liu Biao was startled and quickly softened.
“That’s smart of you,” Elder Bao snorted, and then with insatiable greed, he added, “By the way, if you need any help in the future, feel free to come find this Immortal Elder.”
“Yes, yes, yes…” Liu Biao naturally didn’t dare to say a single “no.” After the conversation ended, he suddenly smashed the sound transmission device on the ground. “Your mother’s dead head! Do you really think I’m a pushover? Not doing the job but demanding money, you scammed me once and want to scam me again, do you think I’m your father? Fatherly love is like a mountain?”
“Master, what happened? Why are you so angry!” Madam Liu beside him was startled and quickly went to ask.
“It’s all thanks to that old scoundrel Bao Shan. He didn’t get the job done, but he’s yelling at me for the commission. He’s probably running out of time, so he wants to buy himself a coffin, right?” Liu Biao cursed, his anger still unquenched.
“The job wasn’t done? Why? Didn’t you say he had the cultivation of the early stage of the Incarnation Realm?” Madam Liu asked suspiciously.
“That old scoundrel told me that the auction house in Yongning Prefecture has a cultivator in the late stage of the Incarnation Realm guarding it,” Liu Biao sneered.
“How is that possible? How many years has that little brat Liu Yingyue been out? We don’t know such experts, how could she know them?” Madam Liu also expressed doubt.
“I’m wondering too! I’ve traveled north and south for so many years, and the strongest cultivator I know is that Bao Shan,” Liu Biao said through gritted teeth.
“Perhaps she’s relying on a good figure to lure some wild man!” Madam Liu said disdainfully.
“She’s not that kind of person, otherwise she wouldn’t have run out to suffer,” Liu Biao asserted confidently.
“That’s not necessarily true. It’s almost the end of the year. If she doesn’t use some extraordinary means, not only will she have to come back for a political marriage herself, but your elder brother’s position as clan leader will also be in jeopardy,” Madam Liu said with a cold smile.
Liu Biao couldn’t refute, and could only impotently rage, his old face creased.
“Master, what are your plans next? The branch in Yongning Prefecture has been selling Cat’s Eye Tears for the past few months, so it has gradually gained fame. I heard that business is very good recently. If we don’t think of a way to stop it, by the end of the year, she might actually complete the mission.” Madam Liu asked with some helplessness.
“Madam, what other way can there be? With a cultivator in the late stage of the Incarnation Realm guarding it, we simply can’t do anything tricky,” Liu Biao said with a dejected smile.
“Of course, there is a way, but you’ve always been too soft-hearted!” A sinister look flashed in Madam Liu’s eyes.
“I understand what you mean, but he is my elder brother after all.” Liu Biao showed a hesitant expression.
“Elder brother? He’s your elder brother now, but what about the people four or five generations down? Who will remember each other? Even if you don’t consider yourself, you have to consider our son! You can’t possibly expect that Liu Yingyue to take care of you in your old age, can you?” Madam Liu persuaded him tirelessly.
“You let me consider it.” Liu Biao’s expression finally showed a hint of loosening.
“Then you’d better hurry. It’s already September, and in three months it will be the end of the year. There’s no regret medicine in this world,” Madam Liu reminded him sternly.
…
On the other side, Qi Huang was also preparing to go to the Juyin Auction House, but before that, she had to do one thing. She couldn’t go to the prefecture capital for nothing; she had to bring back some gifts for the people around her.
That evening, Qi Huang called her cheap master Xu Mei and a few closely related senior sisters to her home.
“Master, senior sisters, I want to know your current cultivation levels. Please tell me the truth.” Qi Huang looked at the women in the room and asked sincerely, after all, no one was willing to expose their cultivation level easily.
“Don’t you know my cultivation? Body Refining ninth layer, I should enter the Guiyi Realm soon.” Xu Mei spoke first.
“Yes, you know my cultivation too. I just entered Body Refining third layer not long ago.” Ruan Lingyu, the Eldest Senior Sister, spoke next.
“I am Body Refining second layer,” Yun Fei, the second senior sister, chimed in.
“I am Body Refining first layer,” said Shen Yuan.
“Body Refining first layer!” Su Qingying said concisely.
“I’m only at the ninth layer of the Juling Realm,” Miao Xiang, the pitiable junior sister, said meekly.
“Sigh!” Qi Huang opened her mouth, then sighed with self-reproach. She realized that she had been too negligent over the past year, not helping her senior sisters at all. With such low cultivation levels, it was truly not easy for them to survive until now.
‘If any one of them had met with an accident, I would regret it for the rest of my life.’ Qi Huang had no doubt about this.
“Junior Sister, I know I’m very weak and can’t help you, but I will definitely work hard. You can rest assured!” Ruan Lingyu clearly misunderstood and quickly stated her resolve. The other senior sisters also echoed her.
“That’s not what I meant. I feel like I’m an unqualified junior sister. I have all this skill, but I haven’t been able to help you much over the past year.” Qi Huang’s eyes turned red. She didn’t want to cry, but she couldn’t control her body. Her tear ducts were too sensitive.
“How can you think like that? Not only did you provide us with Cat’s Eye Tears for free, but you also gave each of us a Blue Scale Stone sword. Those are priceless treasures.”
“Yes, without them, with our current cultivation levels, we would have died long ago.”
“I was still worrying about how to repay you, and now you say this, making me even more ashamed.”
… The senior sisters comforted her anxiously.
“Don’t worry, I promise it won’t happen again.” Qi Huang wiped her eyes and then nimbly took out the prepared brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
The women looked at each other, not knowing what she intended to do, only the Cheng family of three remained calm.
Qi Huang took a deep breath, then asked her cheap master, “Master, are there any rare treasures that can help you enter the Guiyi Realm as soon as possible? It must be the best.”
“Ah? What do you want to do?” Xu Mei was caught off guard.
“Since the disciple has the ability, I must naturally show filial piety to Master,” Qi Huang explained.
“You want to buy me those rare treasures? How can that be? Those things are very valuable, and I, as a master, haven’t given you much.” Xu Mei spoke excitedly and somewhat incoherently.
“But I know you’ve done your best, but as a disciple, I haven’t done mine yet,” Qi Huang said firmly.
“Senior Sister Xu, please don’t be polite. It’s only right for a disciple to be filial to her master. If you don’t accept it, wouldn’t you be letting down her good intentions?” Cheng Yuan, who was beside her, quickly persuaded.
Xu Mei’s face showed a struggle, and after a while, she said, “Alright, then Master can only shamelessly accept it.”
Next, Xu Mei told Qi Huang the rare treasures she needed and also estimated their value very responsibly, wanting to make Qi Huang back down. Qi Huang was unmoved. How much could the rare treasures needed for the Body Refining Realm cost? At most, it would be a thousand taels of silver, which was like a drop in the bucket for her now.
Next, Qi Huang also inquired about the senior sisters and recorded the rare treasures they needed one by one.
Cheng Hongling watched quietly, a look of confusion gradually appearing on her pretty face. She felt that something was not right.
‘That’s not right! They are my Master and Senior Sisters. It’s I who should be showing filial piety to Master and caring for Senior Sisters, so why is she doing it?’ Cheng Hongling finally came to her senses. She knew that the person in front of her, strictly speaking, was not her clone, or at least not entirely.
‘Why do I feel like I’ve become a stand-in?’ Cheng Hongling was somewhat indignant, and wanted to say something to save face.
