Chapter 4: Guests

The Crippled Shop is a good place, where Lin Qi can always find many opportunities to make money; he will absolutely not let any opportunity slip by.

"The drinking money is on me, but the limping uncle has even more fun things here. You all should spend some money quickly, otherwise I will feel heartbroken, my gold coins, my gold coins!" The limping man wiped the corner of his eye with his dirty sleeve and lamented sadly, "My gold coins, they were earned one copper coin at a time, and you all took away eighteen gold coins in one go!"

Lin Qi swiftly picked up the gold coins from the table, one by one, without any visible movement; as soon as the coins reached his palm, they vanished without a trace. This extraordinary skill left the cripple and Enzo in awe. What remarkable innate talent must one possess to have such finesse?

Vik grinned at the limping man, whose forehead was continuously beaded with cold sweat, and carefully hung the crossbow in the cloth bag at his waist

Lin Qi angrily raised his head, glancing at the dozen or so gleaming gold coins on the table. He roared in frustration, "Lame Uncle, is this a black market? With such quality and such a fine dagger, the material cost alone is worth more than three gold coins! Ten gold coins for one, otherwise I will go find someone else!"

May the great gods bless your ancestors! Lin Qi immediately brightened up, glancing at the bronze wine bottle on the ground, he said with an easy smile: Then it's a deal, let this bottle of wine be a celebration of our successful transaction once again. Ah, as per the old custom, tonight's drinks will still be on you, won't they?

The cripple's heart became exceedingly cold and ruthless. He gritted his teeth and said: "Three gold coins each, with no room for negotiation. However, the batch of Eastern medicinal materials you took from me last month can offset that amount. If you still do not agree to my terms, you can go find that dead camel! See what price he can offer you!"

Lin Qi joyfully swayed his body, his arms gently moving from side to side. He teasingly remarked, "Oh la, oh la, dear Vic, you can't do this. How can you aim a crossbow at our dear limping uncle? Oh, please don't do that next time. Especially since your bolt is poisoned with library toxins, you really are a little rascal"

Gold coins, gold coins, lovely gold coins! Lin Qi was utterly intoxicated as he lay among those gold coins, almost screaming in a frenzy: "Lovely gold coins, my dear heart, my little darling, how adorable these gold coins are! Oh, oh, a small part of my life's ideal has been realized!"

The man with the limp gestured towards the tavern with his thumb and coldly remarked, "Same old rules, drinking is fine, but if you dare to cause trouble, I will break your legs! Hey, Vic, you can come out now. Is this how you treat your dear uncle with a limp?"

With a light cough, the crippled man heavily patted the square table

The cripple let out a cold snort, "A mere eighteen gold coins?" Lin Qi is a scoundrel who would break someone's head over a single copper coin. Having known Lin Qi for three years, he understands this kid even better than Lin Qi's father—his old friend Black Beard. Not to mention eighteen gold coins, he would trek over a hundred miles overnight for eighteen copper coins.

As the secret door opened, several individuals were about to head to the tavern for revelry, when a tavern maid emerged from the darkness like a ghost

The candlelight flickered, and from a dark shadow in the corner of the room, a slender and emaciated figure slowly stood up. Dressed in a tight black outfit, the small and thin figure resembling a monkey, named Vic, emerged from the corner holding a crossbow. He carefully removed the darkened bolt from the crossbow and then pulled the trigger, producing a loud "bang" of an empty string.

The cripple began to shout even louder: "Damn it, you ghostly thing, ten gold coins? Why don't you go rob someone? Three gold coins, my profit is already very thin. You must understand what kind of business we are in; if this dagger were procured by the Empire, it would definitely be worth the amount you mentioned, but we are engaged in a shady business!"

Enzo and the cripple simultaneously twisted their mouths

The cripple grunted softly as he approached the table, wrapping six daggers in a cloth. He opened a hidden compartment in the wall and tossed the cloth inside. A series of clanging sounds of metal gradually faded away, leaving one to wonder where the daggers had slid off to through the secret passage.

With his eyes wide open in desperation, Lin Qi roared, "Am I trekking for over ten miles to this godforsaken place in the middle of the night just for a mere eighteen gold coins from www.hetushu.com? I am a businessman; I cannot toil so hard for just eighteen gold coins!"

Even more despicable is that they are on my territory! The cripple took a deep breath and feigned generosity, saying: "Alright, alright, dear children, you may go and enjoy yourselves. Eighteen gold coins, that is quite a sum of money. You need to spend a little here with me; otherwise, it is not a good thing for young children like you to have such a large amount of money in your hands"

Lin Qi no longer paid attention to the cripple. The transaction for tonight was complete, and the cripple had become an inconsequential presence for him. It was time to go drink, to seek joy, and then to look for new opportunities to make money amidst the drinking and revelry.

Lin Qi's life ideal has been described to them countless times—after his death, his grave will be filled with gold, allowing him to lie comfortably in a sea of gold for eternal rest. For the sake of gold, he is willing to do almost anything

The cripple cast a sidelong glance at Lin Qi, feeling an increased sense of vigilance towards this young man. The venom of the seven-step snake—damn it, they actually smeared the venom of such a monstrous creature on the crossbow bolts! The crossbow, already a despicable tool for assassination, combined with the venom of the seven-step snake, made these little fellows increasingly treacherous and ruthless. How could such exceptional individuals emerge from the dark world of the Seventh Empire?

Boss, a few strange guests have arrived, and Lisa had them slapped in the face

Lin Qi sniffed, discerning the faint fishy smell in the air, and laughed even more joyfully: "You actually smeared the seven-step snake venom I got from that old ghost on the crossbow bolts, Vic, you really are a little rascal"

In the blink of an eye, all eighteen gold coins and one silver coin were collected by Lin Qi. He placed his hands on the square table and, with anger in his eyes, shouted at the crippled man: "Yes, dear Uncle Cripple, what we do is indeed shady business, and it is expected to drive the price down. However, the price you offered is simply outrageous; it not only insults these six exquisite daggers but also insults me!"

Six high-quality daggers, priced at three gold coins each

The voice of the cripple was very serious, filled with an undeniable authority.

Three gold coins for a刺剑, this price is slightly lower than expected, but considering the bottle of wine just consumed by Lin Qi!