Translator: Cinder Translations
In the central part of the Tianyuan Continent lies an endless expanse of desert known as the Endless Desert.
This desert divides the Tianyuan Continent into two regions: the northeastern and southwestern territories.
Within the Endless Desert, spiritual energy is nonexistent, and for thousands of miles, it is a place where survival is nearly impossible.
Yet, there is always a glimmer of hope under the heavens!
Among the barren desert, there are sporadically scattered oases.
These oases not only have clean water sources but also some contain abundant spiritual energy.
Silver Horn Grass is a type of spirit herb that grows in the oases of the Endless Desert. It was discovered by a senior of the Beastmaster Sect for its ability to aid tier-1 beasts in their advancement, and thus, it was introduced for cultivation.
As a result, only the Beastmaster Sect has Silver Horn Grass in the northeastern region of the Tianyuan Continent.
For other sects, it is of little use. Those who need Silver Horn Grass must purchase it from the Beastmaster Sect, as they do not cultivate it themselves. After all, Silver Horn Grass grows in the desert, and simulating the appropriate growing conditions is extremely costly.
One day, Song Wen entered a spirit herb shop operated by the Beastmaster Sect.
A pretty maid greeted him.
"Senior, may I ask what you wish to purchase?"
"Could you please have your manager come out? I have some matters to discuss with him."
The maid's gaze quickly scanned Song Wen.
Dressed like a wandering cultivator, though his cultivation level was higher than hers, she thought his aura was not very strong, comparable to a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator.
A shabby wandering cultivator wanting to meet the manager!
The maid thought disdainfully but maintained a polite smile.
"Senior, if you have any requests, you can tell me directly."
Song Wen glanced at the maid and said no more, turning to leave the shop.
This outcome was within his expectations.
"It seems that meeting the manager of the Beastmaster Sect and plotting for the Silver Horn Grass will require another approach."
At this moment, a middle-aged male cultivator walked into the shop with an imposing stride.
As soon as the man entered, several maids surrounded him respectfully and greeted him.
"Greetings, Steward Qin."
Steward Qin had an arrogant demeanor and ignored the maids' salutes, heading straight to the shop's backyard. While walking, he loudly said, "Where is Manager Wang? Have him come to receive the spirit herbs. As a steward, I am very busy and need to return to the sect after this."
About fifteen minutes later, Steward Qin exited the spirit herb shop.
At this point, he had changed into the attire of a wandering cultivator. After weaving through the market for a while, he entered the Heavenly Spring Pavilion.
Half an hour later, Steward Qin walked out of the Pavilion, his legs somewhat unsteady.
After traversing much of the market, he arrived at the residential area in the eastern part of the market. The rent here for a small courtyard was twenty spirit stones per month. Such high rent could only be afforded by powerful wandering cultivators or some family members of the Beastmaster Sect.
Steward Qin entered a small courtyard.
A woman in her forties, heavily made up and dressed extravagantly, greeted Steward Qin with a joyful smile.
"Husband, you came down the mountain today. Why didn't you inform me in advance so I could prepare a feast?"
Despite the woman's warm reception, Steward Qin remained indifferent.
"Where is Qin Ge? Where has he gone?"
The woman, Qin Shi, guided Steward Qin to a chair in the courtyard, poured tea, and handed it to him before responding.
"Qin Ge went to collect debts from Hu Yun."
Steward Qin frowned, his tone tinged with displeasure.
"Has the debt from Hu Yun not been recovered?"
"Hu Yun is a notorious gambler. He owes a considerable amount of spirit stones and even lost his wife to gambling. His debts are not easily collected. But don't worry, husband, he has a daughter, of marriageable age, who is very beautiful."
"Recently, my son has established a connection and managed to sell that little girl to the Beastmaster Sect. Some of the old ancestors and elders in the sect are quite fond of such young girls."
Steward Qin's face showed a hint of anger. "The ancestors and elders of the sect hold such esteemed positions. How dare you, a mere woman, judge them? Be careful, or you might bring disaster upon yourself."
Qin Shi's face turned pale with fear, and she lightly slapped herself.
"I spoke out of turn!"
Steward Qin said, "Bring out the account book and spirit stones for this month. I need to take them back to the sect; it's time to distribute the bonuses to the elders."
Qin Shi handed Steward Qin a storage bag.
"This month's total income is three thousand two hundred spirit stones. We kept five hundred spirit stones in reserve, and the rest is here."
Steward Qin frowned upon hearing this.
"How is it so little? We operate three gambling houses and two brothels. With so few spirit stones, how can I explain this to the elders?"
Qin Shi's face showed signs of distress.
"Since the brothel of the Hehuan Sect opened, all the brothels in the market have suffered a significant decline in business."
"The shameless seductresses of the Hehuan Sect not only sleep with people but also offer money, which is simply disgraceful."
"Back in my prime, I also worked in a brothel for a while, but that was out of necessity. I've never heard of such disgraceful behavior..."
Qin Shi suddenly realized she had spoken out of turn and stopped abruptly.
Steward Qin snorted coldly and ignored the woman.
After a short while, a young man with a sinister and fierce look entered the courtyard.
The man saw Steward Qin and called out, "Father, you're here."
This man was Qin Ge, the son of Steward Qin.
Steward Qin nodded, his previously stern face now showing a hint of a smile.
"Come, sit. Your mother said you went to collect Hu Yun's gambling debt. How did it go?"
Qin Ge took a sip from a cup of tea on the table and said, "Last month, Hu Yun borrowed seven spirit stones from the gambling house. After a month, he managed to pay back fifteen spirit stones, but with interest, he still owes ninety-eight spirit stones. Fifteen spirit stones are not enough."
TL: What's up with that interest rate...
"I had to capture his daughter and send her to Elder Huang of the Beastmaster Sect."
Steward Qin frowned slightly and asked, "What about Hu Yun? You didn't let him off, did you?"
Qin Ge smiled faintly. "I took care of it, don't worry, Father. To eradicate the roots, as you've taught me since I was young, how could I forget?"
He pointed to a spirit beast pill at his waist. "I broke Hu Yun's limbs and fed him to a spirit beast, the Blue Wolf."
"That's good." Steward Qin praised him.
"While moving around the market, one must be cautious. Even though I've handled matters within the sect to block the Beastmaster Sect's surveillance, there are still some skilled individuals among the wandering cultivators."
"Thank you for the advice, Father. I understand."
At this moment, Qin Shi brought out a sumptuous meal, indicating she had put a lot of effort into preparing it.
"Husband, Ge'er, it's time to eat."
Steward Qin washed up, looked at the dimming sky, and said, "It's getting late. I need to return to the sect."
Qin Shi pulled Steward Qin's arm, her eyes full of affection, with a gaze like autumn water and alluring charm.
"Husband, don't leave tonight. You haven't stayed home in a long time."
Steward Qin's face stiffened. He touched his slightly trembling old waist and, with a stern expression, said, "Foolish. I still need to deliver spirit stones to the elders. How can I delay?"
With that, he summoned his flying boat, soared into the sky, and quickly vanished from sight.
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