Chapter Ten: The Killer Who Works for Free

Upon hearing these words, Yang Qionghua felt as if a thunderclap had struck in mid-air, causing her to jump up from the ground. Pointing at Tianlang, she exclaimed with a trembling voice: "Tianlang, you, you shameless lecher!"

Yang Qionghua felt a slight sense of relief; she secretly rejoiced that this man was not a lecherous person after all. She must have misunderstood his intentions earlier and almost wronged a good person. Feeling apologetic, she clasped her fists and said: "I misunderstood your intentions, I apologize. May I ask what you would like me to do?"

Yang Qionghua's face alternated between shades of blue and white, sometimes gritting her teeth in anger, at other times weeping uncontrollably. After a long while, she finally wiped the tears from her face, raised her head, her gaze vacant, as if her voice had lost its soul: "I promise you"

Tianlang did not look at Yang Qionghua, but waved his hand towards the door: "Go back, help Zhan Mubai order a coffin early. One day, when he can no longer withstand the methods of the Heroic Sect and reveals all his sinister sword techniques, they will give him a quick end. By then, you can use the money saved to make yourself a fine coffin."

At this thought, a strange glimmer flashed in Tianlang's eyes, and his voice carried a hint of malevolence: "You know what I want. What do you have that Heliang Ba does not possess? I trust I do not need to be too explicit."

Tianlang clicked his tongue twice and smacked his lips, saying: "Heroine Yang, I know you are still unmarried. Although I, Tianlang, have killed many, I am not a lecherous thief. You should also know that over the years, I have never engaged in flower-picking activities in the martial world. Moreover, if I were that kind of person, I would have acted against you just now."

Yang Qionghua's face turned completely red from what was said, and she called out, "You," but could not utter another word.

Yang Qionghua knew that as long as she stepped out of this door, her innocence would be preserved, but at this moment, her legs felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and she could not move them at all

Yang Qionghua said nothing and turned to leave, lightly stirring up a cloud of dust. Tianlang sat on the stairs with great interest, continuing to nibble on the meat bun in his hand. He was quite curious to see whether Yang Qionghua would actually be able to walk out of this door.

Tianlang chuckled and said, "It's quite simple; all you need to do is accompany me in bed for two days, Miss Yang."

Tianlang shook his head: "This is the only thing that Helian Ba cannot provide, and it is also your most precious possession. If you want me to use my most cherished life to help you with your tasks, then you must also offer your most valuable thing in exchange; this is only fair"

Tianlang laughed heartily: "A woman's self-righteousness often manifests in this way: they always think that as long as they play a little trick or use some provocation, they can fool men into acting like headless flies, willing to die for them. Heroine Yang, if you had used this trick a decade or so ago to deceive the twenty-year-old lads at Duanhun Gorge, it might have worked, but against me, it falls a bit short."

Tianlang stopped in his tracks, not turning back, his voice as cold as ever: "Is there anything else? My time is very precious"

Tianlang coldly replied: "Heroine Yang, love between men and women is a matter of mutual consent. I venture into dragon pools and tiger dens for you, and you offer yourself in return. There is nothing wrong with that, is there? If you are unwilling, the door is right behind you, and you can leave at any time. Aside from killing, I, Tianlang, do not like to force others into anything."

Yang Qionghua bit her lip tightly and asked, "So what exactly do you want?"

Yang Qionghua suddenly burst into tears, kneeling down on the ground, or more accurately, collapsing onto the ground. Overcome with anger and distress, coupled with the recent fierce battle and the emotional turmoil from the book, she opened her mouth and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, instantly staining the ground a deep crimson.

Tianlang glanced at Yang Qionghua, feeling quite surprised by her actions. In his memory, she was a proud and arrogant woman. He never expected that for the sake of Zhan Mubai, she would kneel and plead with him in such a humble manner. However, in an instant, his heart hardened like iron, and everything he thought transformed into words that pierced Yang Qionghua's heart one by one

Yang Qionghua's voice lowered: "Tianlang, I know you have this ability, Helian Ba may not necessarily be your opponent, this is not an impossible task for you to accomplish"

Tianlang paused for a moment, took a sip of wine, and continued in a leisurely manner: "Or perhaps your father, who is currently serving as the governor of Xuanda, could raise a great army to wage war against the Mongols in the frontier for the sake of his precious daughter, to rescue your beloved?"

Yang Qionghua suddenly stood up, rubbed her eyes, and displayed a look of disdain: "Hmph, Tianlang, I see you are afraid of the power of the Heroic Sect and dare not go. It's a pity that with such a great reputation in the martial world, there are still tasks you dare not accept"

A strange thought suddenly flashed through Tianlang's mind along with the image of a *picture* book. The task he completed with the others, including the fat man, was also related to this woman. Now, he wanted to use the woman before him to test a secret he had harbored in his heart for many years

Yang Qionghua suddenly shouted: "Stop!"

Indeed, I am afraid of the heroes' gate and dare not go there. Moreover, I am also afraid of you, Miss Yang. You have left my place in ruins, and I only collected 10,000 taels of silver from you. I must quickly find a new hideout. Even this business of collecting money and providing disaster relief must be closed for several years. Feel free to promote it in the martial world until you are satisfied!

Yang Qionghua's eyes shimmered with tears, and suddenly she bent her knees and knelt down. Two streams of clear tears flowed down her cheeks as she raised her hands towards the Sirius, her tone almost pleading: "Sirius Hero, Qionghua sincerely asks you, as long as you are willing to nod and agree to lend your assistance, no matter what conditions you impose, Qionghua will comply. If you refuse to relent, Qionghua would rather kneel here until death."

Tianlang turned around, his eyes shining brightly: "So what? I do not wish to kill Helian Ba right now, nor am I interested in offending him for the sake of Zhan Mubai. Over the years, I have been taking jobs outside the borders, and Helian Ba might even become my major client in the future. The money you can offer, he can offer as well, or even more, do you understand?"

Gritting her teeth, Yang Qionghua turned around and said to Tianlang with resentment: "Is it really impossible to replace it with other conditions?"

When Yang Qionghua's hand touched the door of the inn, it was as if she had been electrocuted; her entire being stood frozen in place, with two streams of clear tears flowing down her face. She was fully aware that a demon lurked behind her, and the lewd words of this demon were now echoing in her ears.

Women always think that by crying, throwing tantrums, and threatening to commit suicide, they can soften a man's heart, and then he will help her through thick and thin, even to the point of sacrificing his life. Yang Qionghua, you probably still do not understand what kind of person I am; a woman's tears cannot move me. You may leave now, as I do not wish to see you again

Tianlang shook his head, stood up, did not even glance at Yang Qionghua, and turned to prepare to go upstairs

Yang Qionghua was utterly shocked by this, first rendered speechless, then she pointed at the Sirius and began to curse loudly: "What a shameless lecher! Just now you were pretending to be a good person, and now you actually have the audacity to say such shameless words. You, you, you are simply inhuman!" As she spoke, tears involuntarily streamed down her face again