Chapter 198
Hengtong Trading Company is one of the four major trading firms in Dayu, with trade routes connecting the north and south, and branches established in every provincial capital.
The status of merchants in Dayu is not particularly high, but that is merely superficial.
In reality, the governor of Yunzhou and the lord of Hengyun Sword City must treat Sun Gui with respect.
"Ah, it’s Master Sun."
The members of Qingyuan Sect greeted him with courtesy, their expressions calm as usual.
"May I ask what brings you here, Master Sun?"
Li Mo smiled, cupping his hands in a light gesture.
The other party was not a killer from the Xiyu Tower; he was a formidable figure in his own right.
Sun Gui was a bit taken aback.
"Don’t they know how wealthy I am?"
But after a moment of surprise, he regained his composure, a confident look crossing his face.
"Young hero Li is indeed a handsome talent. Very good... very good."
Sun Gui got straight to the point:
"My daughter has always admired the story based on you, Young Hero Li. She has been pestering me about it for days."
"I have only this one daughter, and I am quite soft-hearted, so I brought some modest gifts."
"Come in!"
He clapped his hands, and the servants outside began to open box after box.
Except for the last large one.
In an instant, the room was filled with dazzling jewels and rare treasures, causing gasps of astonishment from the onlookers.
"I have come to propose a marriage. May I ask if Young Hero Li is already betrothed?"
Tap—
A light sound echoed as someone stepped into the hall, just in time to hear this question.
Ying Bing, with her calm and beautiful phoenix eyes, narrowed them slightly.
.....
PS: Typos will be corrected later.
Updates may be slow at times, mainly because I want each chapter to be interesting, and sometimes the plot can feel too bland to write.
Thank you for your understanding, dear readers. Orz.
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Chapter 215: The Gift of Master Sun, Limited by Poverty
"What do you all think of this modest gift?"
Sun Gui stood up straight, stroking his chin with a smile.
Qingyuan Sect is considered a major sect in one province, but Yunzhou has three regions and twenty-seven prefectures, each no less than Ziyang Prefecture. The accounts he handles each year could easily fund several sects of Qingyuan's scale.
He calculated it precisely.
The items displayed outside were equivalent to the treasury of a medium-sized sect.
But the hall was very quiet.
Qian Bufan: "....."
Ouyang: "....."
He scratched his head, calculating how many sets of writing materials for Li Shidi could be bought with those treasures.
Xue Jing: "....."
Just thinking of the scene where little Li was pouring out medicinal herbs left him unfazed.
The atmosphere was extremely quiet.
So quiet it felt awkward.
Sun Gui was at a loss. Could it be that Qingyuan Sect's wealth was far beyond what he imagined?
Or perhaps they were so worldly-wise that they showed no emotion?
That Li Mo was still young; he had surely never seen such a scene before...
"What does Young Hero Li think?"
"I have always viewed money as dirt and have no interest in gold and silver treasures."
Li Mo maintained a polite smile.
He felt a gaze on his back.
As everyone knows, little Li does not have eyes on his back.
But the time he spent training with his beautiful master was not in vain, was it?
And now it was paying off.
"I must ask Master Sun to take these gifts back."
Sun Gui's expression changed. Being adept at reading people, he saw no trace of greed or attachment in Li Mo's demeanor.
Could it be that he was truly a person of noble character, above base desires?
But... everyone has their own desires in life.
Whether it be fame and fortune or personal strength and transcendence.
Sun Gui squinted his eyes and smiled:
"Since that’s the case, I must have been presumptuous."
"However, Young Hero Li should know that our Hengtong Trading Company has trade routes all over the world, with all kinds of rare treasures, miraculous medicines, divine weapons, and secret techniques. Even if we don’t have them at the moment, we can find them through our connections."
"Divine weapons?"
"Uh..."
"Do you have any sword weapons that qualify as divine weapons?"
Sun Gui's smile abruptly halted.
Divine weapons are mostly in the hands of the top-ranked experts, and even they wouldn’t easily use them, usually keeping them in places of worship.
"The trading company can find them, but this matter is beyond my authority..."
"Oh, so it’s just a metaphor. What about divine skills?"
"....."
What Sun Gui practiced was merely a high-level secret technique.
"Do you have any pills similar to the Nine Aperture Dragon Tiger Golden Pill?"
Li Mo asked.
"Ah? What’s that?"
Sun Gui was caught in a knowledge blind spot.
His current situation felt a bit like... being limited in imagination by poverty?
Tang Xiaobao scratched his head: "Li Shidi, what he just mentioned seems to be all metaphors."
Sun Gui suddenly felt a bit hot, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
He paused for a moment, trying to ease the awkwardness:
"Let’s order some dishes first."
"Let’s eat while we talk... Waiter!"
Li Mo said, "The waiter is asleep in the kitchen."
"Huh?" Sun Gui was taken aback, then laughed: "Actually, I’m quite familiar with the owner here. I can call him over to join us."
"You mean Zhang Zhanggui? He should be on his way back home now," Li Mo pondered.
"He’s gone back? Why so suddenly..."
"Naturally, because he sold the restaurant for a good price."
"Old Zhang once said this restaurant was his lifelong work. What kind of price could make him give up this place and return home to retire..."
Sun Gui took a sip of tea.
Li Mo said, "A box of silver notes, about the size of this box."
"A box... of silver notes? What a big spender..." Sun Gui scanned the surroundings, then asked in confusion:
"How does Young Hero Li know this so clearly?"
Li Mo expressionlessly pointed to himself:
"Because that big spender is me."
"??"
Sun Gui suddenly understood why Li Mo had no interest in money.
He cleared his throat, his voice dropping significantly:
"Actually, my eldest daughter is quite beautiful, well-educated, gentle, and has a deep admiration for Young Hero Li. She should meet your standards for a partner."
"A rich and beautiful apprentice, huh?" Shang Wu chuckled, nudging Li Mo with her elbow.
Li Mo waved his hands heavily: "I’m not interested in ladies from wealthy families."
Sun Gui continued: "What about my second daughter? Though a bit headstrong, she’s lively and loves to act heroically..."
"A spoiled rich girl is still a no-go."
"My third daughter works in the government and is now a captain, fiercely opposed to evil and crime."
"..... Can she help me eliminate the Xiyu Tower?"
Little Li felt a headache coming on.
Where did this Master Sun get so many daughters?
He suspected that if he didn’t refuse, Master Sun wouldn’t mind if he took them all...
But he had made his intentions very clear!
Why did it have to be him as a son-in-law... It’s all Tian Miao’s fault. Whether the fortune-telling about marrying a good wife is true or not, was it really necessary to put such frivolous things on the Qianlong List?
"I have no plans to marry at the moment," Li Mo said helplessly.
Sun Gui fell silent for a moment and asked, "How about... Young Hero Li gets to know my daughters one by one? Who knows, you might find a spark and develop feelings over time..."
Li Mo’s gaze was clear and resolute: "Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt someone sitting next to him.
Ying Bing was drinking tea as if no one else was around, her skin as fair as jade, exuding an air of elegance.
When her gaze swept over, Sun Gui suddenly felt the heat dissipate.
But why was he sweating even more, unable to stop the flow?
"I appreciate Master Sun’s good intentions, but please take these gifts back."
Li Mo took a sip from his cup.
However, Sun Gui was also a person who knew how to handle situations. He readily replied:
"A gift that comes to your door cannot be taken back."
"Being able to become acquainted with Young Hero Li is enough for me to consider this trip worthwhile."
He clapped his hands again.
The servants who followed him brought in another box.
Li Mo noticed that this box was particularly luxurious; even the material used to make the box was worth its weight in gold.
"What is this?"
Li Mo asked.
Sun Gui walked to the box in the center of the hall and patted it twice:
"Though it may not be a precious item for Young Hero Li, it is certainly something useful."
He was about to open the box.
However, he suddenly felt a jolt in his heart. Raising his eyes, he noticed that the elders of Qingyuan Sect across from him looked equally startled, as if something unexpected had just occurred.
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