"What?"
Yun Heng, standing behind Tang Yuanjiang, nearly dropped his eyeballs.
One hundred thousand taels! Gold! She actually dared to say such a price! She wouldn't even dare to quote such a high figure.
"Ahem, just kidding. Ten thousand taels of silver, no bargaining. In addition, I want Doctor Chu to be my assistant, and I can guarantee the medicine produced will be fine."
Seeing Tang Yuanjiang's eye twitch, Rong Zhi immediately changed her tune.
"Alright, it's settled then."
Tang Yuanjiang suppressed the killing intent that had just risen and said to Yun Heng behind him, "Fetch a thousand taels of silver, and prepare paper and brush to draft a contract in duplicate for this young lady."
"Yes."
Yun Heng obediently went to do as instructed. Tang Yuanjiang's narrowed eyes fell upon Xia Yunting.
"This brother appears to be distinguished and imposing, a practitioner of martial arts, perhaps?"
"Yes," Xia Yunting replied indifferently.
"Then it's quite a coincidence. I am a martial arts fanatic myself. Why not today? Let's... spar a little later?"
"Alright."
Xia Yunting seemed very agreeable.
"I've long heard that Yin Xue Pavilion is teeming with masters. I also wish to seek some guidance. Since Hall Master Tang is in the mood, why not we spar together later?" Rong Zhi also interjected.
Tang Yuanjiang chuckled, "If the young lady is willing, I shall certainly oblige."
Judging by his tone, he didn't seem inclined to be polite.
How could Rong Zhi and Xia Yunting not discern the probing intent behind his words? He clearly intended to test their capabilities.
This was a delicate task. If they revealed too much of their strength, it might arouse suspicion. If they appeared too weak, they might be looked down upon. Therefore, they had to strike a balance.
Rong Zhi and Xia Yunting exchanged a glance, giving each other a reassuring look.
Before long, Yun Heng returned with two drafted contracts but no silver. Her expression was grim, filled with anger and embarrassment. She whispered something into Tang Yuanjiang's ear.
Tang Yuanjiang's eyes widened abruptly, his brows furrowed. He stared at Yun Heng incredulously. Upon seeing her nod, his face darkened to a shade of charcoal.
"What happened, Hall Master Tang? Is something amiss?"
Rong Zhi, having likely guessed the reason, feigned ignorance and asked with a slight smile.
"Nothing. Sign this. The deposit... I will have someone send it to your residence."
Tang Yuanjiang forced down his anger.
Yun Heng handed over the contracts. Rong Zhi, however, did not take them. She said with some difficulty, "You know, making the antidote requires purchasing medicinal herbs and firewood. The antidote must resolve the poison without causing madness. Some things cannot be achieved with money alone."
Her meaning was clear: no money, no signing.
Tang Yuanjiang's lips twitched twice. He looked as though he wanted to erupt in anger. He exchanged a glance with Yun Heng beside him and gave her a threatening look. Yun Heng's expression contorted for a moment before she reluctantly took out a gold ingot from her embrace.
It was a substantial, glittering gold ingot.
"This, should suffice, right?"
Tang Yuanjiang pushed the gold ingot over.
"Thank you."
Rong Zhi smiled slightly and readily wrote "Lin Mo" on the paper.
"Here's to our pleasant cooperation."
She returned one signed contract to Tang Yuanjiang and kept the other.
Tang Yuanjiang handed the contract to Yun Heng, his face already regaining its composure.
"Please."
He gestured towards the two of them and invited them into the courtyard, clearly still intending to spar.
Rong Zhi was somewhat impressed by his swift recovery to a calm demeanor.
Xia Yunting and Tang Yuanjiang stepped into the center of the courtyard and faced each other, clasping their fists. Though they had done nothing, a palpable sense of killing intent inexplicably filled the air.
Chu Qingze looked on with some concern.
"Can he manage?"
"He'll be fine."
She wasn't worried about Xia Yunting being unable to defeat Tang Yuanjiang. After all, among the twelve Hall Masters of Yin Xue Pavilion, the Hall Master of the White Rat Hall was not considered particularly skilled in martial arts.
In an instant, both parties engaged. Their speed was astonishing, and every move was sharp and fierce. However, it was evident that Xia Yunting relied on brute force, emphasizing direct, impactful blows, while Tang Yuanjiang was more cunning, evading attacks and striking unexpectedly during Xia Yunting's movements, much like a sly rat.
"He's quite capable," Chu Qingze couldn't help but exclaim, a hint of fear creeping into his voice. In the past few years, any slight misstep could have led him to confront such an individual directly, and he was clearly no match.
The fight was evenly matched, with the sounds of impact echoing through the scene. Their rapid maneuvers created afterimages, dazzling the onlookers.
Rong Zhi focused on Tang Yuanjiang's movements, memorizing each one.
She suspected this was not his full strength.
He was testing, and Xia Yunting was also holding back. Neither was exerting their full power.
Before long, Tang Yuanjiang unleashed a palm strike, hitting Xia Yunting's chest. Xia Yunting took two steps back, clasped his fists, and conceded.
"I lost."
"Perhaps you still held back?"
Tang Yuanjiang narrowed his eyes. "That's no fun. We agreed to spar. Are you afraid I'll learn your moves?"
"Hall Master, please don't misunderstand. My husband is a bit shy. How about we spar instead?"
Before Xia Yunting could respond, Rong Zhi had already moved forward.
Tang Yuanjiang looked at Rong Zhi, then at the man who had retreated to the side, seemingly tacitly accepting the excuse of being "shy." His mind could only conjure two words: coward.
What man would hide behind a woman? At the very least, Xia Yunting, who had commanded armies on the battlefield, would not.
He was tempted to call Xia Yunting back for another round, but his suspicions had somewhat abated.
Recent intelligence reports had mentioned discovered "Xia Yunting" individuals being his subordinates, suggesting the true Xia Yunting might have crossed paths with them. Moreover, there were bloodstains on the weapons present. He speculated that Xia Yunting might have been injured. He had, during the fight, attacked several critical acupoints on Xia Yunting but saw no change in his expression, confirming that he was at least not injured.
Furthermore, it was a friendly spar. If he insisted on continuing, it would appear as if he were deliberately making trouble.
It was a good opportunity to test this woman's abilities.
"Come on, Hall Master!"
Rong Zhi adopted a stance. Tang Yuanjiang stomped his feet on the ground and struck out with his palm towards her. Just as the palm was about to land, the person before him vanished into thin air. The palm strike missed, and its force was diffused. Before he could readjust his stance, a sharp pain erupted from behind him.
Tang Yuanjiang felt a lightness in his body, and he was flung into the air. Then, he saw a figure leap forward, delivering a flying kick to his abdomen that landed precisely.
A searing pain shot through his abdomen. Tang Yuanjiang's vision blurred, followed by a dull thud. He landed squarely on his back, the impact so great that it seemed to have created a small crater in the ground.
Rong Zhi retracted her leg, a hint of apology on her face.
"Apologies, Hall Master. I lost control of my moves for a moment. Are you alright?"
Tang Yuanjiang, slowly regaining his senses, suddenly realized a grave problem: less than fifteen minutes had passed since the spar began, and he had already lost, and lost spectacularly.
He let out a yell and leaped from the ground, attacking Rong Zhi again. This time, his speed was incredible, his movements almost a blur.
Rong Zhi's expression showed surprise, but she calmly dodged every attack. Even though Tang Yuanjiang's speed was like the wind, he didn't manage to harm her in the slightest.
This made Tang Yuanjiang even more furious. He couldn't believe he had been defeated so quickly by a mere young girl. This girl looked so frail; even if she had some skill, she shouldn't be stronger than him.
He fought with even greater ferocity, but it was precisely because his mind was unsettled that his movements lost their precision, and he was gradually led by Rong Zhi's rhythm.
Half an hour later, Tang Yuanjiang had gained no advantage.
Finally, Rong Zhi, seizing an opportunity when he was distracted, deliberately exposed a weakness, allowing him to strike her shoulder. She staggered back two steps and, seizing the moment, clasped her fists and conceded.
"Hall Master's martial arts are formidable. I am truly defeated."
Anyone with discerning eyes present could tell that Rong Zhi had been holding back.
Tang Yuanjiang frowned, but he knew when to cut his losses. He clasped his fists and said, "Truly, one cannot judge a person by their appearance. I underestimated you earlier."
His tone carried a hint of resentment.
"You flatter me, Hall Master. We can spar again if there's an opportunity."
Tang Yuanjiang snorted. Seeing that the group was about to leave, he made no further pleasantries.
It seemed that losing to Rong Zhi had greatly angered him.
Chu Qingze, Rong Zhi, and Xia Yunting returned to the mass grave.
The most surprised was Chu Qingze.
"I didn't expect you could defeat him."
Rong Zhi replied, "His martial arts are not weak. If he had fought seriously, he wouldn't have lost so quickly. But his competitive spirit got the better of him. Seeing me gain an advantage, he lost his composure, which led to his swift defeat."
Sometimes, strength is not the only determinant of victory; mindset is also crucial.
Upon returning to the mass grave, Rong Zhi immediately pulled Xia Yunting into her room.
"Take off your clothes."
Xia Yunting glanced at her and obediently removed his outer garments, revealing his torn wounds.
"You were quite ruthless. If it had been any later, the smell of blood would have given us away."
Rong Zhi said as she retrieved medicinal herbs to treat his wounds.
"He intended to test me."
Xia Yunting raised his hands to facilitate Rong Zhi's application of the medicine.
"Fortunately, we managed to deceive him this time. It seems this Tang Yuanjiang, despite being a Hall Master, is not a stable individual. This is good news."
Their gazes met inadvertently, and they shared a knowing smile, having arrived at the same conclusion.
Such an unstable person, easily provoked to anger, was the most easily manipulated.
At the Zhang Residence, Tang Yuanjiang returned to his room. The furniture within was already scattered on the floor.
His expression was somber, and the atmospheric pressure in the entire room had significantly lowered.
Yun Heng stood in a corner, fiddling with her hands, her head bowed, appearing ready to accept any reprimand.
"No more money? None at all? Is this how you do your job?"
"Hall Master, I haven't been here long. Li Hao was in charge before. I didn't know the Zhang family was so outwardly strong but inwardly weak. Who knows how much he embezzled behind our backs?"
She whispered the last sentence very softly, knowing she lacked proof. However, her casual remark fell upon attentive ears. Tang Yuanjiang remembered Li Hao and, like a gust of wind, stormed out of the room towards Li Hao's quarters.
A moment later, the previously quiet room was filled with screams of agony.
"Hall Master! What are you doing? Help! No, ahhh!"
Screams echoed one after another.
Yun Heng, hearing the cries, couldn't help but shrink further into the corner.
It was too terrifying. She hoped the Hall Master would vent his anger on Li Hao until he was satisfied and wouldn't take it out on her!