"A fifty percent chance is not small, sometimes we must act even if there’s only a ten percent chance." Xiao Manxue’s eyes were misty, her thoughts unknown.
"Does Miss agree to a 40-60 split then? I take sixty, you take forty." Lin Tian seized the moment to bring up the new store’s equity split.
The young lady glanced at him with amusement, smiling, "Lin Tian, you little sly fox, trying to take advantage of my distraction to trap me, do you think I’m easy to fool? Hmph, I’ve negotiated more times than you can imagine."
Almost successful, Lin Tian thought regretfully. He really thought he had her distracted and would get her to agree inadvertently, but this woman was so alert.
"Hehe, I can agree to that," Xiao Manxue suddenly said, a glint of cunning in her eye: "But I have one condition, if you can’t help the Xiao Family recover the loss of that batch of jadeite raw stones, you have to sell yourself to the Xiao Family for twenty years, how about it?"
"Sell myself? Miss, do you have this hobby, what do you want me to do if I sell myself to you?" Lin Tianqi wondered.
His words had a double meaning, Xiao Manxue glared at him annoyedly, saying angrily, "Lin Tian, can’t you speak properly? I meant you’d work for the Xiao Family for twenty years, where is your mind!"
"What if I don’t agree? Besides, after the exams you’re prepared to send me away!" Miss was indeed not easy to fool, Lin Tian retorted.
Tying Lin Tian to the Xiao Family for twenty years, even if the jadeite raw stones couldn’t recover the losses, the profits created from buying jadeite raw stones for the Xiao Family over these twenty years would compensate many times over.
"Then forget about the 40-60 split, let’s talk again," Xiao Manxue shook her dagger, saying.
"Hahaha, in light of Miss wearing pajamas and being so bold, I’ll agree, who makes me such an honest person easy to talk to." Lin Tian laughed heartily, his eyes once again surveying Miss’s figure.
"I let you look!" Unable to endure Lin Tian’s firing gaze anymore, Miss thrust her dagger swiftly towards Lin Tian’s eyes.
This woman, still as stubbon as ever. Xiao Manxuan was quite untamed initially, too, but became tractable after a fight. But this Miss seemed to be unaffected, always resorting to fighting at the slightest disagreement.
As Lin Tian thought, he stepped back half a step, dodging the incoming dagger.
But something strange happened this time, Xiao Manxue gently shook her dagger, and a blue light emitted from it. The entire dagger breathed out several inches of blade light, flashing swiftly past Lin Tian’s forehead.
Lin Tian saw the blade light flash out, and distracted, a strand of his hair on his forehead was cut by it, falling to the ground.
"Jerk, letting you always speak so offensively, this is your lesson. If you don’t change next time, it’ll be your eyes getting gouged," Xiao Manxue retracted her dagger, her words full of warning, tinged with a faint smugness.
Though her cultivated Ancient Martial technique was supposed to cleanse and limit desires, ever since she met Lin Tian, that bit of irritation always flared up in her, destabilizing her otherwise calm demeanor.
Brushing the neatly cut bangs in front of his forehead, Lin Tian’s interest in the Ancient Martial technique Xiao Manxue practiced deepened.
"Miss, what Ancient Martial arts are you practicing, how come I’ve never heard of it before?" Lin Tian asked curiously.
"You want to know, huh? I’m not telling you, hmph!" Xiao Manxue was glad to have the upper hand this time, intending to return the bullying she had endured.
"Hehe, Miss must think I’m scared of you. How about this, let’s spar hand to hand, and if I still manage to hit you, you tell me about the Ancient Martial art you practice, how about it?" Lin Tian goaded with a mischievous smile.
"Whoosh," Xiao Manxue attacked swiftly, wishing she could stab the jerk in front of her twice.
"You attacking means you agreed, hehe." Lin Tian also moved quickly around the room, ducking the flurry of dagger shadows launched by Xiao Manxue.
Miss having a weapon in hand indeed increased her power several levels, and if it were a precious sword, the power would probably increase multifold.
The stealthy blade light from her dagger could indeed cause injury to Lin Tian; Lin Tian had to be careful not to let it strike him.
Their rapid movement around the room stirred up winds that rustled the books on the table noisily.
Her skill seemed to have strengthened, and in their sparring, Lin Tian felt her speed and attacks were more intense. Last time Xiao Manxue barely managed to project sword light with bare hands, harming her True Qi. After recovering, her power seemed to have increased a bit.
Actual combat really is the fastest way to enhance skill and level, Lin Tian realized and suddenly accelerated. He swiftly circled to Xiao Manxue’s back and lashed out his palm lightning-fast.
"Pop" came the crisp sound. She cried out "Ah" in panic, and in desperation, her dagger extended even longer blade light, striking back reflexively.
The sweeping blade light struck Lin Tian’s palm, and he felt a piercing pain, quickly stepping back to increase his speed.
Damn it, being a rogue really came at a cost, Lin Tian looked at the long gash on his palm, having been injured by her twice for his antics.
Meanwhile, Xiao Manxue only felt a sudden strike to her behind, annoyed, her dagger swept and struck Lin Tian.
"Lin Tian, how’s your hand?" She knew the power of her blade light and feared his palm might be severed, setting aside the fact she was struck and asked anxiously as she turned around.
Turning just in time to see that Lin Tian’s wound wasn’t bleeding, she frowned, never having seen such a thing before. Xiao Manxue asked in perplexity, "Lin Tian, how’s your hand? Why isn’t there any blood?"
"Ah, this... what’s so strange about it!" Lin Tian quickly hid his hand behind his back, hoping not to be suspected of being a zombie. His mind raced for a strategy, feigning nonchalance, "Surprising you’re still an Ancient Martial Artist, aren’t you? You fuss over nothing. This is a secret technique from my sect, a rapid blood-stopping and healing technique; doesn’t your sect have one?"
Miss indeed got distracted, contemplating for a while before softly saying, "A blood-stopping healing technique? I’ve never heard master mention it; your sect’s secret techniques are really unique."
Lin Tian, seeing he successfully diverted her attention, sighed in relief, "Ancient Martial is vast and profound; we spend our whole lives mastering only one or two techniques. It’s completely normal not to know other sects’ secret techniques!"
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