The Hidden Mist Sect Leader was tapping his finger against the wood of his desk, counting down the seconds to when his little brother would be dragged in.
Yuan Xuelan knew this was a precarious situation and had to choose his words wisely if he wanted to help his cousin, "It might be out of place for me to ask, but what's the issue here?"
Peng Zhugen raised a brow, his voice was low and seething, "It is indeed out of your place to ask."
Luckily, Zhao Fanyu wasn't nearly as aggravated or as bad-tempered as the other Sect Leader, "It is the matter of my payment."
"That piece of shit, Peng Jipei! How dare he think his mother's bitch life is worth ten thousand Divine Spirit Stones!" A fist came down on Peng Zhugen's desk, a loud slam echoed in the hall.
"Don't insult my Auntie, you-" Yuan Xuelan felt his hands curl into fists but someone was there to grip his shoulder. He twisted around, ready to hurl more curses. But when he saw Liu Sumeng's brows knit in concern, his stomach did an odd flutter instead. Awkward, he shrugged the hand off his shoulder but was able to face the howling Peng Zhugen more calmly.
No actually, he wasn't calm at all! Ten thousand Divine Spirit Stones was a price beyond absurdity, and Zhao Fanyu was shameless to ask for such a payment! And worse was Peng Jipei who agreed on the price and was now the one at fault for not paying up. Yuan Xuelan was nursing a headache and wondered just how insane Peng Jipei had grown since the last time he saw his older cousin.
"Let go of me! Don't pull on my hair! You're ugly!" Peng Jipei was brought in, kicking and flailing, screaming curses at those around him. Three Hidden Mist disciples struggled against him, dragging him as they could into the hall.
Disgusted by the sight of his little brother squirming around like a wild animal, Peng Zhugen surged from his seat and marched towards the flailing boy. Slap! An angry red mark blossomed on Peng Jipei's face.
But Jipei's stunned silence didn't last for long. He twisted his gaze back at his brother and spat, "You dog! Bastard! You violent savage!"
Yuan Xuelan was shocked. Since when did the chirpy yet timid and weak Peng Jipei dare to yell at Peng Zhugen?
Peng Zhugen had the rage of a tiger and impatience to match. He slapped the screaming Peng Jipei with as much might as he could muster. The metal of his ring tore at his brother's lip but he didn't care.
"You utter fool, you disgrace. What made you think you could pay for your dog mother's life with my coffers?" And he continued the beating; each slap came with more force than the last; each word unleashed a voice that was louder, more vicious, more scolding, "What made you think that a pathetic few more days with a woman doomed to die was worth ten thousand Divine Spirit Stones? What made you think one dying woman was worth jeopardizing an entire Sect!?"
"That's enough already!" Yuan Xuelan shouted. He didn't want to watch Peng Zhugen beat a weak Peng Jipei that offered no resistance. And even if his idiot cousin might have deserved it, the scene reminded him too much of an imagined one. One that haunted his dreams. One that featured a frail Liu Sumeng.
"Silence! Know your place!" Peng Zhugen howled, an oppressing aura weighed down on the hall.
On the other side, Zhao Fanyu sighed as though bored. And Yuan Xuelan only held back because Liu Sumeng was there to grip his shoulder and then hold his hand. A subtle squeeze of warmth was all he needed to be reminded of reason and calm.
"She's not…she's not going to die," Peng Jipei croaked, his voice weak and wet with blood dribbling down his mouth and nose.
Peng Zhugen was without sympathy and rolled his eyes, "Wake up from your dreams, pathetic child. Where did you think you were going to fish out ten thousand Divine Spirit Stones?"
Peng Jipei coughed and more blood splattered onto the ground. "H-he's lying," his voice was softer now, pathetic and cowed. But still, he pointed an accusing finger towards the aloof Zhao Fanyu. "I never promised him ten thousand Divine Spirit Stones!"
Attention was then drawn toward Zhao Fanyu, who was stroking his sleeves without a care in the world. Peng Jipei continued with his accusations, "We agreed on ten! Only ten. I don't remember hearing anything about ten thousand."
Peng Zhugen narrowed his gaze towards the Wayward Wind Sect Leader, trying to better discern this man's character. It was difficult to tell if Zhao Fanyu could be considered trustworthy, especially when he reacted with even less sympathetically than the stony-faced Ivory Sword Saint.
Eventually, Zhao Fanyu sighed and pushed a loose strand of hair behind his ear, "So the liar is accusing me of being a liar? Hm, well, I'll have you know I'm not exactly fond of false accusations. And this is hardly the first time a customer has tried to cheat me."
He stretched out his hand, allowing a small bird with brilliant emerald feathers to hop out from his sleeve and onto his palm.
The bird chirped at him and Zhao Fanyu gave it a nod. It turned towards the other cultivators and opened its beak, allowing a stream of light to come pouring out. Colors bent and painted a scene. A hologram of Zhao Fanyu and Peng Jipei emerged.
"You do realize that her fate has run out, right? What you wish to achieve will be costly," the illusion of Zhao Fanyu hummed, stroking his sleeves and looking as detached as ever.
"I don't care! Just do what you must," Peng Jipei's voice was high and desperate, clutching at his mother's robes with teary eyes. It was questionable if he was even paying attention to the words coming out of Zhao Fanyu's mouth.
"The price to alter fates," Sect Leader Zhao paused, "that would be ten thousand Divine Spirit Stones," he mused, as though what he just demanded wasn't some sort of absurd price that would even make the affluent Ascending Dawn Sect choke.
"I don't care…I don't care��as long as you can help my mother…" Peng Jipei sobbed, head bowed.
And Zhao Fanyu nodded, summoning something out of his interspatial ring. Whatever it was, the item was cut out from the illusion.
"Very well then, ten thousand Divine Spirit Stones it shall be."
And when it ended, the hall was quiet. Everyone eyed Peng Jipei who was still held there by the disciples in front of his brother. And his brother was about a moment away from beating Peng Jipei black and blue.
"I had no choice," the younger Peng brother said, pleading now. And when anger seemed to rise even farther on Peng Zhugen's face he tried another tactic, "My mother, my mother, she's not even getting better. Zhao Fanyu is a scammer."
Zhao Fanyu only sighed, "I extended her fate by three whole months and made her final days peaceful and comfortable. What more could you want from me? And it was you who agreed to the price."
"These are not her final days!" Peng Jipei roared only to break down into tears, "The Supreme Yin Pill, if only I still had the Supreme Yin Pill. Damn that thief. I'll kill that thief…"
He was muttering now and when the disciples released their hold on him, he crumbled on the ground, sobbing like a lunatic. Peng Zhugen kicked him.
Liu Sumeng felt Yuan Xuelan tense under his hold, so he decided to speak up, "That's enough, Sect Leader Peng."
"So you as well," Peng Zhugen glared at the Ivory Sword Saint, "wish to interfere with my family affairs? Who do you think you are?"
"..." Liu Sumeng was never the kind of person who knew how to speak eloquently or ease social tension, but he was quite skilled at being respectful in formal situations. He bowed and said, "It is not my place. But beating your brother will not help solve the problem."
Peng Zhugen, though angered, was a man that was both logical and reasonable. He tilted his chin upwards and his eyes narrowed into a glare, "So what do you propose, oh wise Ivory Sword Saint? Where am I to find these ten thousand Divine Spirit Stones without emptying my coffers out to the last copper?"
Liu Sumeng turned his attention to Zhao Fanyu and spoke, "Is there a way to lower the price? Ten thousand Divine Spirit Stones is steep."
The way the Wayward Wind Sect Leader continuously sighed was becoming a little grating, "Even if I lowered the price to nine thousand Divine Spirit Stones, it would be considered a loss on my side. Do you think that altering a person's destiny is a trivial thing?"
"Perhaps a different price. Something else," Liu Sumeng suggested.
Everyone watched the way Zhao Fanyu hummed, petting his sleeves in thought. The little green bird hopped onto his shoulder and snuggled against his neck, unaware and unconcerned with the unfolding drama.
"Allow me to think about it..."
He closed his eyes in thought and for a moment it seemed as though he'd fallen asleep. They waited until finally, the man spoke, "Oh I know, how about the spiritual core of a divine beast?"
He smiled, as though he was being kind. But who was Zhao Fanyu kidding?! How was this price any less or easier to obtain than the last?
Unfortunately, Peng Zhugen was not the least bit merciful. "Very well," his commanding voice boomed, "Then Peng Jipei shall go and collect the spiritual core of a divine beast. Fail to do so and I will have both you and your mother thrown out of these gates. You have three days."