Lin Dongming suspected that Han Xiangjun’s brain had a problem.
He rolled his eyes helplessly.
“Senior Sister Han, do I look like someone who could defeat Senior Brother Yuan Jianyi?”
Han Xiangjun nodded.
“You do. Among the younger generation of the Heavenly Extreme Sword Sect, you’re currently the only one who can fight Yuan Jianyi to a draw.”
“That’s because Senior Brother Yuan Jianyi didn’t go all out.”
Lin Dongming’s eyes nearly rolled to the heavens.
“If he used his full strength, there’s no way I could win.”
“You didn’t go all out either, did you?”
Han Xiangjun had already noticed that Lin Dongming was holding back, but she didn’t know he was hiding so much—enough to fight Yuan Jianyi evenly.
The secrets on this guy kept increasing, making her want to peek into them even more.
“The difference in hidden strength between us is huge.”
Lin Dongming shrugged.
“Senior Brother Yuan Jianyi only used sixty or seventy percent of his strength, while I was at eighty or ninety. Even if we both went all out, I’d still lose. Besides, last night’s victory was just a fluke. I was lucky.”
Han Xiangjun was a little unhappy after hearing this.
“You really won’t go?”
“No.”
Lin Dongming ignored her.
“This matter doesn’t benefit me in any way. It’s just asking for trouble. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go cultivate.”
Han Xiangjun was even more upset at first, but after thinking it over, her eyes brightened.
“So, if there’s a benefit, you’ll go? How about a hundred thousand lower-grade spirit stones?”
Lin Dongming remained unmoved.
“Find someone else.”
“Two hundred thousand!”
Han Xiangjun raised the offer.
Lin Dongming was already preparing to start meditating.
“Three hundred thousand!”
Han Xiangjun said.
“I don’t need you to kill him—just get him to use the marriage contract as a wager to duel with you.”
***
As expected, you wouldn’t dare ask me to kill Yuan Jianyi.
So, it’s about the marriage contract after all.
Yuan Jianyi was arrogant, but because of his exceptional swordsmanship, he still had a small group of supporters within the Heavenly Extreme Sword Sect.
Lin Dongming didn’t want to bring trouble upon himself or offend them.
“Five hundred thousand!”
Han Xiangjun kept increasing the price, but Lin Dongming ignored her and had already begun circulating spiritual energy.
“One million!!”
Han Xiangjun gritted her teeth.
“With a million, I could hire a late-stage Yuanying cultivator to risk their life!”
Lin Dongming stopped circulating spiritual energy, opened his eyes slightly, and finally reacted.
Han Xiangjun felt a surge of joy, thinking he would finally agree.
But what came out of Lin Dongming’s mouth was—
“Do you think an ordinary late-stage Yuanying could defeat Senior Brother Yuan Jianyi?”
“Then how much do you want!”
Han Xiangjun finally realized that this guy had a chance of beating Yuan Jianyi—he just thought the price was too low!
“Two million.”
Lin Dongming said blandly.
“Two million?! That’s highway robbery!”
Han Xiangjun was dumbfounded.
“Do you know that an Inner Sect Disciple at the Jiedan Stage only gets a hundred lower-grade spirit stones a month as salary? You’re asking for over sixteen hundred years’ worth at once!”
Sixteen hundred years— even a Hua Shen Stage cultivator wouldn’t live that long.
“Your calculation is pretty fast.”
Lin Dongming stared at Han Xiangjun with interest.
“What do you need so much money for? Have you fallen into a pit of gold?”
Han Xiangjun was a little unhappy.
After all, this was most of her savings.
“I could also ask for less.”
Lin Dongming shrugged.
“Why not go find someone else? Out the door and right to Youming Tower, thanks.”
***
What a joke.
Someone who could defeat Yuan Jianyi at the Jiedan or Yuanying stage probably doesn’t even exist in all of Eastern Cangzhou.
Even the assassins of Youming Tower are no exception.
“I don’t want to kill him! And besides, the people from Youming Tower would only have hope if they targeted cultivators above the Hua Shen Stage!”
Han Xiangjun rolled her eyes, mimicking Lin Dongming.
“Exactly.”
Lin Dongming spread his hands again.
“Normally, if you’re sending someone to their death, there should be a price for it, right?”
Seeing Han Xiangjun still hesitating, Lin Dongming added fuel to the fire.
“Even if spirit stones are gone, you can always earn them back eventually. But if you marry Yuan Jianyi, you’ll never escape for the rest of your life.”
“This is the price of your happiness. Not too expensive, right?”
The devil whispered in Han Xiangjun’s ear.
Han Xiangjun gritted her teeth and stomped her foot.
“Two million, then two million! Fine, fine! How confident are you that you can win?”
Lin Dongming thought for a moment.
“Eighty percent. Just give half up front. If I lose, there’s a good chance I won’t come back, so no one would ask you for the rest.”
“That serious?”
Han Xiangjun hesitated.
“What do you think?”
Lin Dongming teased.
“This concerns Senior Brother Yuan Jianyi’s dignity and a marriage contract. Don’t you think he’d fight to the death?”
“Now that you mention it…”
Han Xiangjun finally realized and nodded awkwardly.
Seeing this, Lin Dongming couldn’t help but shake his head.
He had thought the match before Weiyang Hall would help Han Xiangjun mature, but it seemed she still had a long way to go.
In fact, compared to receiving praise from the Master Elder after victory, perhaps letting her suffer a crushing defeat would be a better lesson.
As the saying goes, what people can’t teach, reality can.
Maybe Lin Dongming’s suggestion for her to participate was actually harming her.
The match before Weiyang Hall, no matter how dangerous, was under the control of the Sect Master and the Elders.
But once inside the Forbidden Land Trial, life and death would be left to fate.
“Then are you still going to challenge Yuan Jianyi?”
Han Xiangjun suddenly felt a bit guilty.
“Aren’t you afraid of dying?”
Lin Dongming was taken aback, once again amazed by this person’s nature.
As a former client, if she didn’t keep chasing after him, they could probably share a drink if they met again in the future.
“Afraid, but not that afraid.”
Lin Dongming replied calmly.
“A person’s life can be priceless when it’s valuable, but worth less than a few pieces of silver when it’s not.”
“Look at the mortal towns at the foot of the mountain—most people spend their whole lives running after a few scraps of silver.”
“If you go to the underground black market and spend a few spirit stones, many people would be happy to kill a few mortals for you.”
“And you?”
Han Xiangjun asked.
“What are you risking your life for?”
“…………”
Lin Dongming was silent for a while, then stood up.
“Let’s just say it’s for myself.”
Curing his sister was also for his own peace of mind—there was nothing wrong with that logic.
Hmm.
Seeing Lin Dongming about to leave, Han Xiangjun hesitated.
“Would it be better if I didn’t ask you to challenge him?”
“Not necessarily.”
Lin Dongming shrugged.
“If you’re willing to pay this price and I’m willing to take it, then it means it’s mutually beneficial.”
“As for everything else—if fate allows, you’ll find out.”
***
If not, then there’s nothing to say.
Lin Dongming waved.
“Goodbye, Senior Sister Han. Don’t worry—I value my life, and Senior Brother Yuan Jianyi shouldn’t go so far as to kill a fellow sect member.”
Then he turned into a stream of light and disappeared into the sky.