"Lei Er?"
Upon hearing this name, Lu An felt an uneasy premonition.
Everyone stopped eating and went outside.
"Lei Er, what's going on here?"
Zhao Zhijiu furrowed his brow and asked.
Lei Er glanced at Zhao Wenyao behind him, licked his lips, and said:
"I'm here to take my bride, Father-in-law. Please step aside."
"Who's your father-in-law? Be clear!"
Zhao Zhijiu was already angry, his face darkened as he looked at the wedding sedan on the street.
Lei Er seemed unconcerned and said with a smirk:
"The promissory note is clear. If the debt isn't repaid, I'll take the daughter as collateral. Are you trying to default?"
Zhao Zhijiu scoffed. He had seen that term but hadn't paid much attention.
"Thirty spiritual stones is all I need to give you."
With that, he took out the spiritual stones Lu An had given him and handed them over.
But Lei Er waved his hand and knocked the stones to the ground.
"Thirty? Open your eyes and see clearly."
He pulled out the promissory note and displayed it to everyone.
Seeing the contents, Zhao Zhijiu's pupils constricted sharply.
"Three thousand… three thousand spiritual stones…"
"No, you're falsifying it!"
He staggered back a few steps and shouted at Lei Er.
He didn't know what methods Lei Er had used to change thirty into three thousand, but it was clear that Lei Er had targeted his daughter to come up with an unpayable amount.
Lei Er didn't care about Zhao Zhijiu's reaction and coldly said:
"Black and white, you dare to default on me? Do you think I'm easy to bully?"
With that, several burly men behind him stepped forward, preparing to seize Zhao Wenyao.
These men were all in the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, while Lei Er himself had reached the seventh layer of Qi Condensation, at a later stage.
On the other hand, Lu An was at the third layer of Qi Condensation, Zhao Zhijiu at the fifth layer, and the others had low cultivation levels, clearly no match for them.
Zhao Wenyao's eyes were already red, holding back tears.
Zhao Zhijiu was trembling all over. He couldn't possibly hand over his daughter like this, so he could only fight to the death.
He gathered the fireball in his hand behind his back, clearly preparing to strike first.
He regretted not sending Lu An away earlier; he was afraid of dragging him into this.
Just as he was about to act, Lu An suddenly stopped him.
"Hold on!"
Lu An slowly approached Lei Er and said in a low voice:
"Could we speak in private?"
Seeing that Lu An was only at the third layer of Qi Condensation, Lei Er sneered:
"Who are you to meddle in…"
Before he could finish, he noticed Lu An pulling out a token from his storage bag and suddenly recognized it.
"This is…"
Lei Er had managed to dominate Ancient County for years not because of powerful backing but because of his quick wits.
Knowing when to bully the weak and when to avoid the strong was a skill. First, you had to know who was a soft target and who was tough.
When he saw the token, he grew suspicious and followed Lu An to a corner.
"What's that thing? Let me see it."
Lu An didn't know what the token was used for, but since the old man had told him to use it in dangerous situations, it must be important.
He handed the token to Lei Er, and the large "Yuan" character was prominently displayed.
Lei Er's memory was triggered, and he exclaimed in surprise:
"A steward's token!"
Then he realized something was wrong. Since when did Juyuan Zhai have a young steward?
And someone with only third-layer Qi Condensation cultivation—how could they hold such a high position at such a young age?
But the token was indeed real, as he, being a thug at Juyuan Casino, was very familiar with it.
This situation made him uncertain for a moment.
Lu An, unaware of Lei Er's thoughts, patted his shoulder and said:
"Friend, the Zhao family and I are close. Please do me a favour and let this matter end here."
Lei Er was puzzled but, glancing at the token didn't dare take the risk.
If this young man was indeed a steward of Juyuan Zhai, his influence would be enough to make Lei Er suffer significantly.
Realizing this, he forced a smile.
"Ah, so it's the esteemed steward. In that case, we'll let it go."
With that, he signalled for everyone to leave, but Lu An stopped him from behind.
Lei Er turned back in confusion, only to see Lu An extend his hand and say:
"Friend, did you forget something?"
Lu An pointed at the promissory note in Lei Er's hand.
Lei Er's expression fluctuated between anger and reluctance. After a moment's thought, he handed the note to Lu An and then left.
Once in a secluded area, he turned to his subordinates:
"Go check if there really is such a steward at Juyuan Zhai."
"If it turns out he's deceiving me, hmph, I'll make sure he suffers!"
Back at the Zhao family's side, everyone was stunned when they saw Lei Er and his group leave after a conversation with Lu An, without saying a word.
The spiritual stones were not taken?
The bride was not taken?
What exactly did Lu An say to him?
They all turned their gaze to Lu An, waiting for a True Method.
Lu An waved his hand with a smile in his eyes.
"Uncle Zhao, the debt issue has been resolved. Here's the promissory note."
Zhao Zhijiu took the note and, upon a closer look, confirmed it was indeed his own promissory note. He pinched it between his fingers, and a flame suddenly burst forth from his hand, burning it to ashes.
"Lu An, thank you so much for this."
"Uncle Zhao, it's nothing. The food and wine are still half-eaten; why don't we continue?"
Seeing that Lu An didn't mention the earlier incident, the others were curious but chose not to ask.
Zhao Wenyao's eyes showed a hint of surprise, feeling that Lu An was different from before. There was a confidence mixed with mystery and an indescribable unique charm.
Thinking about it, a blush appeared on her face.
Lu An didn't notice this change. Although his expression remained calm, he was worried. Lei Er would certainly send someone to Juyuan Zhai to investigate, and if they discovered there were no new stewards, he might be in trouble. He needed to come up with a plan.
Without much time to ponder, Zhao's family surrounded him, treating the day as if it were a dream.
"Quick, come inside. Wife, buy a couple more jars of Drunken Immortal wine. Today, I want to drink with Lu An until we're drunk."
Others also smiled widely, welcoming Lu An into the house.
The atmosphere in Zhao's home became lively again. After a satisfying meal, Lu An took his leave.
Uncle Zhao had overcome the crisis and repeatedly thanked him, refusing to take the thirty spiritual stones as payment.
Lu An naturally disagreed, but Uncle Zhao was adamant, so he had to relent.
However, with this incident, his financial situation had improved considerably, allowing him to buy more talisman-making materials. It was also time to visit the talisman hall mentioned by the elder from Juyuan Zhai.
If he could pass the assessment and become a first-grade talisman master, things would be much better in the future.
"Now that this matter is settled, I'll go to the talisman hall to register tomorrow and start preparing for the assessment."
"If I can become a first-grade talisman master, I won't have to fear Lei Er anymore."