Xue Qiming instinctively clutched the gourd at his waist when he saw Tang Jinnian’s faintly mocking smile directed at him. "Damn you, still not giving up?" he cried.
Tang Jinnian shook his head. "It’s not about giving up. Refining the Transcendence Stone really requires deep-sea profound iron. What? I’m willing to part with the Transcendence Stone, but you can’t let go of that useless gourd?"
Xue Qiming was so anxious he started hopping up and down. "How am I supposed to give it to you? Scrape a layer off the top with a knife? This gourd is hollow! If I carve it, it’ll leak!"
Tang Jinnian sneered. "See? You just don’t want to give it up."
Xue Qiming ground his teeth in frustration. He glanced around and saw Baili Gucheng looking at him hesitantly.
Xue Qiming sighed deeply. "Alright, since it's—"
"Wait." Ye Beizhi suddenly raised a hand, stopping Xue Qiming. He stared at Tang Jinnian and asked, "How much do you need?"
Tang Jinnian locked eyes with Ye Beizhi for a moment before slowly lowering his head. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Since it’s not for making a puppet, it doesn’t need to be as much as his gourd... but refining the medicine still requires this precious metal. At least a piece the size of that cup of wine."
"I have some," Ye Beizhi said slowly.
"You have some?" Xue Qiming tilted his head.
Baili Gucheng suddenly raised his head, staring at the Tang blade on Ye Beizhi’s back in surprise. "Wait, you’re not planning to?"
Ye Beizhi ignored them, nodded toward Tang Jinnian, and said, "Wait." With that, he left the room and returned to his own quarters.
Before long, Ye Beizhi returned, and everyone in the room looked at him curiously.
Ye Beizhi picked up his tea cup from the table, then pulled something from his coat and carefully placed it inside the cup. By the time he was done, the cup was completely filled.
"This, this is..." Baili Gucheng’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Ye Beizhi glanced at him and nodded. "Yes... it’s yours."
Baili Gucheng suddenly realized that the object in the cup was the chain segment he had once fastened to his sword scabbard! It had been cut off that day with Ye Beizhi’s blade, and somehow, Ye Beizhi had kept it.
Ye Beizhi turned to ask Tang Jinnian, "Is this enough?"
Tang Jinnian was momentarily stunned by the newfound deep-sea profound iron before replying, "Enough, it’s enough."
"Then get on with it!" Xue Qiming shouted impatiently. "Talking about it won’t make the medicine, will it?"
Tang Jinnian glared at Xue Qiming as if they were mortal enemies. "Then untie me!" he demanded with a stomp of his foot.
Xue Qiming, momentarily speechless, had no choice but to step forward and untie him.
After being freed, Tang Jinnian walked to the table and poured himself a cup of water. He drank it leisurely and said, "Let me be clear. I can make the medicine, but it’ll take nine days and nights without rest... You’re also missing some ingredients. I’ll write a list, and you’ll have to go get them."
"Is he a doctor?" Xue Niang tugged on Xue Qiming’s sleeve and asked, looking up at him.
Xue Qiming grinned. "A doctor? Nah, he’s just a menace who loves messing with poisons."
Baili Gucheng, listening closely, hesitated before stepping forward to ask, "Are you sure this is safe?"
Tang Jinnian glanced up at Baili Gucheng and said, "Well... why don’t you give it a try?"
"We'll do it your way," Baili Gucheng replied helplessly, retreating to the side.
"Fine, Rao Shuang, get some paper and a pen. I’ll write the list," Tang Jinnian instructed her.
Rao Shuang nodded and turned to leave the room.
Just as Rao Shuang opened the door, Chi Nanwei entered, holding a stack of silver notes. She handed them to Ye Beizhi and said, "Dummy, take these. Pay what you need to, and bring Big Brother Dingwu back... Be quick."
Ye Beizhi tucked the notes into his coat and nodded at Chi Nanwei, preparing to leave. At that moment, Xue Qiming sidled up, grinning cheekily. "Where are you going? Take me with you."
Ye Beizhi opened his mouth to reply, but Chi Nanwei suddenly stepped in front of Xue Qiming and scolded him, "You’re not going!"
"Why can’t I go?" Xue Qiming widened his eyes in surprise.
Chi Nanwei blocked his way, frowning. "Dummy’s not going to fight anyone. I saw that you acted like a real bandit earlier..."
Xue Qiming wrinkled his nose in frustration over his bad first impression.
Xue Niang tugged on his sleeve, and when he looked down, she pointed at his nose and said, "She’s talking about you... bandit."
"Alright, you should go now." Chi Nanwei pushed Ye Beizhi toward the door.
Ye Beizhi stepped onto the street, glanced around, and followed the road back to the inn they had visited earlier. Walking quickly, it didn’t take long for him to arrive.
There were fewer people in front of the inn now, suggesting the earlier commotion had subsided.
Entering the inn, Ye Beizhi headed toward the room where Fang Dingwu had been. As he reached the door, he could hear voices coming from inside.
"Boss, I honestly don’t know how I ended up here!" It was a voice Ye Beizhi knew all too well, Fang Dingwu's.
Hearing the voice, Ye Beizhi momentarily froze, as if transported back in time.
"I don’t care if you know how you got here!" another voice yelled angrily, "They wrecked my inn, assaulted people, and ran off! Who else should I hold responsible but you?"
"I don’t have money! I don’t even know who saved me!" Fang Dingwu’s voice was weak, likely from just waking up. "Boss, you can see for yourself. Honestly, I escaped from North Watching Pass. I’m barely alive... Where would I have money to pay you?"
Ye Beizhi pushed the door open.
Inside, Fang Dingwu lay half-reclined on the bed, his face still pale. A man dressed as the innkeeper sat at the table, flanked by several burly men who looked like a mix of attendants and thugs. They all turned to look when the door suddenly opened.
"Who are you?" the innkeeper asked with a glower.
Ye Beizhi tilted his head slightly. "The one with money."
Fang Dingwu had been in a daze since Ye Beizhi entered the room. Finally coming to his senses, he stammered softly, "B-brother?"
Ye Beizhi nodded at Fang Dingwu. "Big Bro Fang."
Tears streamed down Fang Dingwu’s face as he struggled to get off the bed. "Brother! You... you’re alive!" he shouted hoarsely.
The thugs quickly stepped in, grabbed Fang Dingwu’s arms, and threw him back onto the bed.
"So, you two know each other." The innkeeper squinted at Ye Beizhi. "Kid, did you say brought money?"
Ye Beizhi thought for a moment before replying, "To pay for damages."
The innkeeper’s face lit with understanding. "Oh! You’re with the ones who wrecked my inn?"
"Well, then that’s great," the innkeeper said with a smile. "Let’s discuss the price... It won’t be cheap..."
"How much?" Ye Beizhi asked.
The innkeeper started counting on his fingers. "Let’s see... repairs, medical bills... all together, at least ten thousand silver taels."
"Bah! You swindler!" Fang Dingwu cursed from the bed. "Ten thousand silver taels could buy your lousy inn twice over!"
Ye Beizhi pulled out the stack of silver notes from his coat, counted them, and looked at the innkeeper. "That's not everything."
"Not everything?" The innkeeper ignored Fang Dingwu and stared at Ye Beizhi. "Then what? If you don't pay, then I won't let him go."
Ye Beizhi held the silver notes out to him.
The innkeeper didn’t take the bills. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
Ye Beizhi’s hand remained outstretched. "You take the money, I take him with me."
The innkeeper, now angry, slapped Ye Beizhi’s hand away. "Don’t you understand me? That’s not enough!"
Ye Beizhi pointed at Fang Dingwu again and said to the innkeeper, "Give him to me."
"Pay up, and he’s yours!" the innkeeper said sharply, looking irritated.
Ye Beizhi once again offered the silver notes. "Take the money."
"I said it’s not enough!" the innkeeper shouted, grabbing Ye Beizhi by the collar, "Don’t you understand? Are you messing with me?!"
As soon as the innkeeper touched him, Ye Beizhi’s right hand shot out, grabbed the innkeeper’s hair, and slammed his head into a nearby pillar!
The impact shook the entire room.
The innkeeper’s forehead rested against the pillar as he slid to the ground, leaving a long trail of blood.
Ye Beizhi tossed the silver notes over the innkeeper’s unconscious body and said, "There's your payment."