Xin worked at the shop for a few more days, finally coming to terms with being left out of the business side of things. At least he'd get a cut of the sale as a consolation prize, he thought. Feng Chonglin was gone most of the time, he tried to push a joint sale angle and was trying to rub the right hands to make it happen, leaving Xin in charge of the shop.
The door swung open, and Lei barged inside, scaring the customers.
"Xin, we need to talk! Let's get out."
"Lei, I've got the customers."
"It's important. Have someone from upstairs man the counter."
"Feng Chonglin doesn't allow it."
"I am allowing it. Whatever. Follow me, seriously."
"Someone come down and man the counter, please! Sorry, customers, I don't know what happened."
"It's fine, son. Go." A friendly grandma customer gave him her blessing.
In the back alley, Lei, who looked more agitated than ever, grabbed Xin by the sleeves and started shaking him. Xin was confused, but Lei didn't look aggressive, just excited.
"Xin! The Xuanwu gave their blessing! Granpa is negotiating with the sect now. They already have a pre-agreement."
"Did you have to pull me from work to say this? Shit, how much?"
"Of course I had to! Two hundred eighty spirit stones, and Feng Chonglin keeps his job for two months of the transition period."
Xin gulped.
"Fucks sake. That's a lot. Actually, maybe not that much to buy such a well-oiled business. They'll recover this in..."
"Shut the fuck up. Look, I've earned more than a hundred stones! The guild will want their cut, but it's not too much. I am finally stacked! Oh, and Feng Chonglin promises we'll get access to Foundation stage sect goods, despite our rank."
"By the heavens! Are you buying anything?"
"Yes, of course. I made some friends in the Artefact pavilion, and I finally read some inheritances. I'll be able to develop my style further. And Feng Chonglin is helping me with alchemy to tame my Molten Heart! So, I think I'll buy some dao shards."
"Dao shards? Not reinforcement materials or breakthrough materials?"
"You dummy, I've got money for both, and I'll get enough left over for a suit of armor. Seeing you spar with Murong Zhan, it made me want my own set. I'll go with something a bit lighter, though."
"Well, my forty two stones is also a good sum, but nothing compared to your gains, hehe."
"He already counted, that bastard! You robbed half of these from me, don't forget. Fine, I let it go, remember?" He grinned mockingly.
"Be careful with dao shard selection, as a mortal, you've got no core to put them in. It will be hard to activate them, too, given the difference in rank."
"Well, it's still doable. And most shards can be activated once using their own energy, long as they're fed. And rank one shards aren't too hard to feed. I'll be fine. Has anyone already broken through?
"Murong Zhan is planning to, Yao Nang, too. Everyone else among the first years is lagging behind. Older guys, Rui Ming, obviously, but he says the sect won't let him leave and are putting him on some caravan mission."
"Sad, wish they'd stop holding him back. Oh, I forgot! There was other news I wanted to share."
"Sure."
"So, the Fist sect fuckers have performed some ritual, and their leader Muni is now a saint or something like that. They even sent a delegation to petition the capital to recognize their new status."
"The new status?"
"Eh, I don't get it myself, but it's like he's closer to heavens, so now his sect should have more rights. And they are renaming to Divine Fist sect, and claiming more and more territories. A bunch of small settlements and homesteads are paying them tribute now, and our sect now shares a border with them. Oh, and they are 'cleansing' the Tealstone."
"Fucks sake, what?"
"There is 'corruption' there, so they've officially occupied it and are resettling it as a city-temple."
Xin was furious.
"Those cunts? My hometown? Who gave them the right?"
"That's not a town, just some ruins, mate. Can barely scrap a thousand people together. What did you expect would happen?"
"I don't know, the governor sends a relief effort and the town is rebuilt? How about that?"
"The capital is dealing with the earth zombie outbreak in the South, they aren't sending any help here. And the governor is Xuanwu's bitch, completely powerless. I was just about to tell you about them."
"What about them? Another succession crisis is coming?"
"Nah, they are somewhat united, given the circumstances. So, the Divine Sword sect is going to push into our territories. They are petitioning the capital to settle some of the border areas, where Xuanwu have no forts. You know what happens next, right?"
"War, of course. Divine Sword. Divine Fist. It's not too hard to make a connection."
"Working together, those fucks. It's Xuanwu clan and our sect against these divine retards, it seems."
"And who do you think wins?"
"We are squeezed from two sides, but we have home advantage. It will also be hard for them to hold the border area, as it's mostly open fields, so they'll have to push deeper.
They have stronger cultivators, but Xuanwu clan has more troops, and their clan troops are also more disciplined. Their clan spirit can match a rank four in the fight, rumours say.
With us and bald frauds, it's the opposite. They've got weaker cultivators and primitive formations, but have more fodder. We've got more money, and our masters are all xiandao users, while they mostly use physical cultivation.
Think there is going to be a scramble for mercenaries now, and in a few months the war breaks out. That's what Cha Dai thinks, he is good at predicting this shit. In my opinion, our chances are decent."
"Cha Dai, what a scholarly source... But yeah, I agree, sounds reasonable. Let's get back to work? Oh, one final question — when is the actual sale?"
"Everyone agrees we need to rush this thing. Tomorrow, if it all works out."
"Rad. I need to get back. Let's brace ourselves, Lei."
Lei nodded, they hugged each other and Xin got back to work.
Next night, Xin closed the shop and waited for Feng Chonglin to return. Lei was sitting downstairs, drawing funny doodles on a piece of paper.
Xin was anxious and hopeful at the same time. Things are great, but aren't they going too great? In a time like this, hope is what kills you.
A knock on the door.
"Who's there?" Lei asked. Two more knocks.
"Sure. Opening." Lei stood up and opened the door. "Granpa! How did it go?"
Feng Chonglin entered, followed in by Huang Lingbo. Xin rushed downstairs to meet them.
"Done?"
Feng Chenglin nodded.
"Yeah!" Lei rushed and hugged Feng Chonglin, and Xin joined, too. The youngsters jumped like idiots, kissed the granpa's forehead and shook him. He was embarrassed to be done like that in front of Huang Lingbo, but endured it with a stern expression, betrayed by a light smile.
Huang Lingbo clapped, both to congratulate and draw attention.
"Master Chonglin, I've got an announcement to make. So, as things are, Wu Lei and Xin are now dismissed from this sect assignment. You've got two days to prepare, you'll be going on a mission outside the sect."
It felt like a bucket of cold water poured on your head in winter.
"Master Lingbo! Why? Shouldn't we be cultivating? There might be a war soon, if we break through, we could be of so much more use!" Xin instantly started arguing.
"Youngster! You think yourself smarter than the sect leaders? We need to restore the supplies in some key areas, and our forces are stretched, so the seeds will be mobilised. Don't worry, you'll be compensated with contribution points. Proportional to, you guessed it, your contribution."
"Stretched by what?"
"Stop getting on my nerves, ask something smarter or shut up."
Xin frowned. Lei squinted his eyes in suspicion.
"Master, if I could humbly ask, why send the seeds? Don't we have enough internal disciples? Why call them seeds if you don't let them grow?" Lei tried being polite, but it was hard to hide this irritation.
"Everything will be revealed in time. You'll get it. Listen, I am here to deliver the message, not to argue. Take a minute to celebrate, and I'll escort you back to the sect. It's dangerous to carry so much money without protection in this city. I'll wait for you outside."
Feng Chonglin opened his bag of holding, and put a hundred spirit stones, one by one, into Lei's bag.
"I already gave the guild their cut. Hope you trust me on this one."
"Sure, I do."
"Your turn, boy." He turned to Xin. Xin already had a pouch open.
...
Forty one, forty two, done!
"Nice, thank you, master! I am glad we resolved this back then."
"Ha, you robbed me, squirt. I am assigning you reading as a punishment."
"Reading? I love to read. What do you have in mind?"
Feng Chonglin pulled out a small, unremarkable notebook from his chest pocket.
"This can be useful. Read it and burn it." He whispered. "You are a good kid, we used to say that people like you have a 'kernel'. Don't let it break or bend."
"I get what it means, master. Thank you."
"You guys done? I am a bit jealous."
"Oh, cry your tears away with your hundred spirit stones, kid" Feng Chonglin scoffed lightly. "You are a good kid, too. Hope we work together once more. Don't make a Condensation stage master wait. Go." They both bowed and left.
"To the sect, huh? Can't get you two on my sword, so let's ride a carriage. That's some change of scenery, to ride with some mortal kids and a bunch of commoner workers."
"Well, if our company isn't up to your standards, you could fly behind the carriage. Will look a bit creepy, though." Lei joked.
"I hate how talkative you two are. You guys ever tried a baby pacifier? You'd look much more dignified if you could stay silent for a minute or two."
"Oh, I can afford a baby pacifier alright now, if you know what I mean. A natural one, at that."
"No, what do you mean? Explain, please." Huang Lingbo tried to bait him into explaining this joke. To punish him for it, Xin thought.
"Lei, please shut up. It's our master you are talking to, not one of your guild friends. Forgive him, master, he is too excited because of the sale."
"Where is the carriage? I haven't ridden one in a decade."
"This way, master. Through this alley." Lei led him.
They sat down inside of the cabin of the carriage, and three other people were already there.
"Why are we waiting, master? Let's go." Huang Lingbo was irritated as soon as he sat down.
"Sorry, pal." The carriage master responded without looking. "It's a cabin for eight, we'll wait for it to fill."
"Eight? There is barely enough room for six! And these three smell like shit."
Xin noticed the workers get tense.
"Huh? The fuck are you.." He turned back to look at Huang Lingbo, and his face quickly went pale. "Oh, I see. Forgive me, master. Pal, how could I call you that? I'll wash my mouth with herbs after this one."
"You'll kowtow when we arrive, stop wasting my time. You three, get the fuck out. You'll walk by foot today." The workers bowed and quickly left the cabin.
"Ha, what's with that face, mortal? Think me some bully? I just don't want to smell like these peasants, that's all. I see that your horses are well-cared for, I respect when a man does their job well, no matter their cultivation."
"Oh, T-Thank you, master. So much money lost, though. My supervisor will kill me."
"What? I am paying for eight. Ride or I'll throw you out, too."
"Heavens bless you!" He stirred the reins, making his horses race like he was being chased.