Chapter 3, The Silver Serpent of the Hairpin

It is truly exquisite, as if one is gazing at a real snake! The only difference from a snake is that this silver little snake has fine hair on its head, which is styled upright into a bun and secured with a small golden hairpin.

This night soul incense is very precious. Three years ago, while serving the chief steward Jin Buduan, I managed to intercept a portion with great difficulty. Even if it is only a remnant of the fragrance, it is still worth twenty-five copper coin talismans! Twenty-five!

What is wrong with me? I slept in a daze, and it is even worse than those mistresses who secretly engage in practices to replenish their yin with yang.

He also serves as the promoter for the Lingfeng Silk Shop and the Fuyuan Restaurant, often donning exquisite garments from the sect, and indulging in fine wines and delicacies not solely for his own enjoyment

As for Li Hui's skill in cooking the books, he dabbled in it occasionally during his military service

This dagger can be described as having a razor-sharp edge. He relied on years of practice with concealed weapons, attempting to precisely sever the bracelet. However, not even a trace was left behind; the silver snake remained just that—a silver snake, quietly coiled around the wrist.

Within the sect, many disciples engage in intrigue and secretly harm one another. In order to rise in status, I have been assisting Jin in managing the accounts, which has offended a few individuals behind the scenes. Even though my responsibilities only extend to the procurement for the outer sect, it does not reach the level of deep-seated hatred, and it is normal to employ some underhanded tactics.

Li Hui yawned and got up unsteadily

At Chuxia Mountain, hundreds of mouths are waiting for the young master to eat! Outside, the world is in chaos and the situation is dire; compared to a few years ago, everything is outrageously expensive

Later, after leaving the military, I sought a livelihood with my elder brother and second brother. We hired a specialized accountant to learn from, using a significant portion of the brothers' pension funds to establish connections, which allowed me to become a steward managing finances. After enduring hardship for over half a year, I finally found a new path and began to stand out, taking charge of some external expenses and procurement.

The wooden bed, intricately carved with dragons and phoenixes, inlaid with gold and adorned with jade, has a mosquito net hanging down from above, which is also embroidered with golden threads.

On the bedside, there is a golden night pot, a redwood incense table, and writing materials including brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Against the wall stands a circle of bookshelves, adding an air of elegance, while a floor-standing copper mirror stands by the window, smooth and reflective

"How could there be an extra bracelet? Moreover, I can't feel its weight; it seems as if it doesn't exist at all." Li Hui found it strange and raised his arm to examine it closely

Thinking of the difficulties, Li Hui felt a sudden headache. It was not until he took off his pajamas that he realized he had encountered another strange situation.

Ah! How did I sleep until this time today? The sun is already high in the sky.

"That's not right. Did that woman, Lian Luosha, do something to me yesterday? It's possible, very possible."

After the rough talisman paper emitted a voice, it burned into a wisp of blue smoke that gradually dispersed. Li Hui could not help but furrow his brows, thinking to himself: "Let me check the accounts? This is completely wrong! In the past six months, the sect has frequently engaged in large-scale purchases, and the chief steward has been relying on me to manipulate things behind the scenes to siphon off funds. If it weren't for my ability to cook the books, he wouldn't have promoted me from a miscellaneous disciple to an outer disciple."

Li Hui's expression was grave; having spent several years on the battlefield, he had learned survival skills from his comrades. While he was not exceptionally gifted in throwing concealed weapons, he had a certain talent, particularly with his skillful use of the golden dart, which was especially sharp.

Li Hui touched the silver bracelet, feeling a slight chill at his fingertips

Oh my! Had I known this earlier, I would have preferred to submit to the alchemist's wife

This style is barely acceptable; it has simply changed too much, transitioning from a young fresh face to a quasi-uncle figure, which is likely to appeal to those novice junior sisters.

He moved a wooden stump to sit in front of the dressing mirror, using his fingers to pinch and touch that strand of white hair, smoothing it down from top to bottom again and again, finding it increasingly intriguing.

Li Hui has already identified the source of contamination of the pure white Sai Xue baby pajamas; it turns out that he bled from his nose during his sleep, and there were even traces of blood at the corner of his mouth. This incident is quite unusual

Whenever the items in use are related to copper coins and silver coins, Li Hui feels an immense pain in his heart, for these are all money! For those who aspire to accumulate a substantial fortune, copper coins and silver coins are equivalent to life itself

Cough, cough, cough, where did this bloodstain come from? My pajamas, this is made of satin worth a silver note, tailored by my sister-in-law's skillful hands, taking a full ten days to complete the garment

Before Li Hui could find the file to try again, a ripple appeared in front of the window, and a piece of rough and unsightly yellow talisman paper, half the width of a palm, flew in from outside the house

This bracelet has a unique design, resembling a small silver snake the thickness of a finger, coiled around the wrist one and a half times, appearing to be crafted with great precision. Subtle patterns are faintly visible on its body, yet they remain unclear. However, the scales, the eyes, and the expression are so vivid that they seem to possess life.

Heartache! Unbearable heartache!

To master the money dart, one must be sensitive to weight

Li Hui received the order to prepare his belongings within a deadline of ten hours and to leave Yuling Mountain before dawn tomorrow, heading to Linggui City in the Twelve Markets of Baihai to check the accounts and bring back a copy of the accounts to the sect

Cough, cough, truly worthy of the lingering fragrance valued at twenty-five copper coins, this scent. Uh, this scent seems to carry a hint of rancidity

Damn it, who is trying to harm me? I am not doing this for my own profit

Oh my heavens! This sleep was so intense that it shook the world, with cries of ghosts and howls of gods, more exhausting than carrying corpses on the battlefield for ten days back in the day. Even in sleep, I can stand out so remarkably; truly, I am the contemporary leader of the Jade Talismans Sect

Father and Mother! Your Huier has not yet carried on the family line, could it be that I have contracted a terminal illness? I am only seventeen years old, why do I have gray hair so early?

Li Hui caressed the pure white pajamas, and suddenly lowered his head to see the splotches of blood on his chest. His eyes involuntarily twitched, and he let out a sharp, piercing scream: "No! How could there be blood stains? My precious pajamas!"

This object has an unknown origin; he exerted great effort to remove it, but it remained firmly adhered to his skin, not budging an inch

Certainly, Li Hui's business involves more than just cooking the books

Even if the fragrance has faded and the quality has changed, Li Hui does not care

The tips of the hair are perfectly arranged, each strand distinctly visible, giving the little snake a unique charm that is unlike that of typical serpents, resembling instead a hermit who has lived in the deep mountains for many years

However, soon there was a scream, more unpleasant than the sound of a pig being slaughtered

It is strange; it clearly exists yet feels weightless, unable to be removed. Li Hui gritted his teeth and took out a dagger with a dark surface from the wardrobe

Li Hui looked at the dressing mirror in disbelief, only to see that the area around his eyes had turned dark, resembling a giant panda with dark circles after not sleeping for over ten days. Not to mention, a strand of white hair had stubbornly fallen down on his forehead. How could he possibly look like he was seventeen? He might as well be thirty-seven.

The room is not large, and can only accommodate two double beds

Any copper coins and gold or silver that came into Li Hui's hands, he could weigh accurately. However, an unusual incident occurred; a silver bracelet was worn on his right wrist, yet he remained unaware of it.

Li Hui always felt that his mind was not clear. He gritted his teeth and took out a small piece of night soul incense from the wardrobe, inserted it into the incense burner on the table, and lit it. After taking a few deep breaths, he finally felt a bit better

Where did this thing come from? How come I didn't feel anything on my wrist just now?