Usually, everyone who met Hei Ze feared him, because his body had a strong scent of bloodlust. Even the disciples of distinguished military families dared not provoke him.
However, Helian Wei Wei didn’t look the least bit timid. The corners of her mouth half raised as she said in a cold voice, “We’re not exploiting each other, but partnering. Young Master Hei’s doing business. During a business transaction, one always maintain one’s business partner’s confidentiality. That way, we can go for the long term. Let’s not speak anymore of other matters. Where’s the silver?”
Hei Ze turned his thin lips down and extended his hand. The black cloth fell down, underneath was layer upon layers of closely packed silver ingots, “A total of one hundred thousand taels. You can go look at the accounts book, and confirm whether or not it’s this figure.”
Swish!
As Wei Wei lifted the black cloth to cover again, she expressionlessly said, “Since Young Master Hei said it’s a hundred thousand taels, then it’s a hundred thousand taels. Doing business, only talk business.”
Hei Ze’s finger paused as a light flashed in his eyes. Seeing that she wanted to go, he couldn’t help but open his mouth to ask, “Why didn’t you tell them that you don’t need to depend on Grandmaster at all in order to climb up but rather, you can truly make armaments?”
Wei Wei’s footsteps paused. Her long and shapely eyebrows creased a bit and answered Hei Ze with merely two words, “Too troublesome.”
Hearing that, Hei Ze felt deeply sympathetic. It’s precisely because he’s rather successful with respect to armaments that people unceasingly came to the Fine Compound to bother him, asking him to move to the Superior Compound.
Unfortunately, he’s not interested at all in possessing higher levels of qi. He’d rather use all of his time to make more money.
More so than young masters from other influential families, he enjoyed the feeling of holding the world’s wealth in the palm of his hand.
That’s why the Hei family had no less than several tens of large and small shops within the capital.
But he never thought of depending on armaments to make money before.
Until he received a letter and three armaments not long ago. He then partnered with a armament shop at the foot of the mountain.
The difference between this armament shop and others was that it didn’t retail quality products but instead manufactured in bulk.
Not everybody only wanted one piece of armament, right? They could be this supplier.
However, the armament’s quality completely depended on how much money was paid.
If more silver was paid, then the quality of the armaments were good.
If less silver was paid, the quality would correspondingly be lower.
Even though it’s like this, there’s still a mad rush for their products in the market, because as far as a martial artist was concerned, being able to obtain an armament of their own simply was the most important thing in the world.
Even students at White Academy were scouting for connections in order to get their hands on an armament.
Heh, if they knew that the armaments they coveted were made by that one they called a good-for-nothing, wonder what kind of expressions they’d have.
Not only that, this shop wasn’t even opened by him. He merely helped give that ‘good-for-nothing’ a job outside of class time.
Hei Ze’s mouth curved as his eyes shined slightly, “Still, this Helian Wei Wei is quite interesting.”
“Young Master, who’re you talking about?” The manservant who’d just drawn water came over, his eyes opened wide, “I beg you a million times, please don’t do anything at the academy, or the old master will kill me!”
Hei Ze laughed, “This young master only wants to get married. Didn’t grandfather send me to White Academy only so I can find a good wife? What’re you afraid of, hmm?”
The little servant cried without tears, “Your grandfather told you to find one with an appropriate family background. He didn’t tell you to look for a good-for-nothing who’s been driven out of her clan, heavens!”
“Driven out of her clan?” The Hei Ze paused in the middle of standing up and turned his head to glance at the little manservant, “Who’s driven out of her clan?”
The little manservant washed the handkerchief and passed it over to his family’s respected young master. “Who else can it be? Isn’t it precisely that spoiled Helian Wei Wei. News already spread throughout the entire academy. I heard it’s because their four elders saw how Helian Jiao Er was bullied, so were not happy about it. They got together to make the decision. Helian Guang Yao didn’t even protect her.”
“Heh,” Hei Ze took the handkerchief and mockingly smiled, “really stupid.”
Really stupid? Who’s really stupid? The little servant scratched his confused head.
At a desolate corner of the academy. Wei Wei sat upright at the usual place reading.
“Have the brains of those Helian family elders been kicked by a donkey?” Huan Ming Xiang standing by her side took a broom and ferociously swept the floor. He obviously was unbearably angered, “A genius like you, yet that clan doesn’t want to fight over a you, instead, they want to drive you away? Isn’t there something wrong here? They’re simply as stupid as pigs!”
Huan Ming Xiang was puzzled and furrowed his white brows, “What does this have to do with your participation in the martial qi competition?”
“Don’t you know the competition’s regulations?” Wei Wei was flabbergasted. Wasn’t he a minister for three emperors?
Seldom did Huan Ming Xiang’s old face became red, “I haven’t concerned myself with matters regarding the competitions for a long time now.”
“The heirs to military families don’t have to participate in the qualifiers. They can directly enter the finals.”
“Also, people from the other clans need to first compete and obtain first place in their regional competitions before they can enter the finals.” After Wei Wei finished talking, she saw Huan Ming Xiang blank out, the way his mouth opened was also not how he usually was.
Wei Wei’s eyebrows jumped. “What’s up?”
“Cough. Cough.” Huan Ming Xiang lightly sighed and coughed two times, then began to look up at the sky, “It seems that these regulations were established by me ten years ago.”
Wei Wei: ….
“However, you can rest assured, I can have them changed!” Elder Huan felt deeply that he’d become ‘an accomplice’ to Wei Wei’s enemies.
Wei Wei shrugged her shoulders, “There’s no need. I already have the qualifications to enter the finals.”
Huan Ming Xiang was stunned. After that, it seemed like he thought of something, as his fingers stroked his beard. The corners of his mouth formed an arc. “Recently, the little beggar that the four great clans are looking for, is it you?”
“Mm hm, used for practice.” Wei Wei massaged her neck. “Due to lack of care, my body’s stamina’s been too poor. The time prior go the competition’s perfect for playing with them.”
After hearing what was said, Huan Ming Xiang broke into a belly laugh, “Good one. Perfect for playing with them. Girl, since you want to improve your stamina, I’ll gift you two things.” After saying that, Huan Ming Xiang’s figure flashed. When he reappeared, his hand already held an armament and some weights bands. “This armament was newly acquired by me. As for the weights bands, these are accessories that only the Superior Compound’s top students possessed. Not only can they conceal your qi, when you remove them during the competition, your body will feel much lighter and more comfortable than usual by several times.”
“I’d like the weights bands. As for the armament,” Wei Wei glanced at the armament, and replied expressionlessly, “Elder Huan, you should take it back.”
Huan Ming Xiang was stupefied. This is the first time he met a martial artist who wasn’t fond of armaments. “Girl, don’t think of this as just any armament. It’s actually not inferior to the ones Master makes!”
“I know. Merely, it’s not too compatible with me.” How could she tell Elder Huan that this piece of armament was made by her. She knew more clearly than anyone else all of its disadvantages and advantages.
Huan Ming Xiang didn’t expect that he’d be refused and glanced at Wei Wei with hidden bitterness, humph humph!
Wei Wei looked at the old man blowing at his white beard. A softness burst forth in her heart. During these recent days, the old one had always been by her side guiding her. Apart from her master, nobody else treated her so well before.
“What’re you looking at me like that for!” Huan Ming Xiang proudly casted her a glance, “If you don’t want it, then don’t take it, but if your stamina can’t keep up then what’s to be done?”