Please, Young Master, Slay the Demon!
Chapter 835 - 57: The Issue with Money [Two in One]

Chapter 835: Chapter 57: The Issue with Money [Two in One]

The thatched cottage contained a large square table where four elderly men dressed in different attires were enthusiastically playing mahjong. A small table nearby displayed cakes, dried fruit, and tea, which no one had spare time to enjoy as it was evident the game was in full swing.

Looking for inspiration, right?

Upon seeing this, Chu Liang and his two companions scoffed. They had thought you were seeking Daoist Rite or comprehending Sword Intent, but you’ve been playing mahjong for a good half a day. If that’s the case, wouldn’t everyone at Shu Mountain be an inspiration king?

Chen An whispered, "Those three are sect leaders from neighboring Immortal Sects, and they are my master’s playing partners when he seeks inspiration."

With that said, he stepped forward and bowed to an old man seated in the east position, "Master, I have some friends from Shu Mountain who would like to meet you, and they have a favor to ask."

The old man, clothed in a purple-collared grey robe with a long and lean face with phoenix eyes and brows that held a sharpness in them, was Chen Buyan, the owner of Sword Cottage. Upon hearing Chen An, he nodded slightly and said, "Wait till I finish this game."

"Yes," Chen An replied and moved back to stand in front of Chu Liang and the others, saying, "That’s as far as I can help. Let’s wait for my master to finish the game."

"That shouldn’t take long," Chu Liang said nonchalantly.

"Their ’game’ refers to the sundial over there making a full rotation," Chen An pointed to a sundial in the courtyard, where a shadow was cast by the sun.

"Doesn’t that mean a whole day?" Lin Bei asked in astonishment. "The old boys are really robust, sitting so long without getting tired."

Chen An chuckled, "When my master and his friends play mahjong, they don’t differentiate between day and night, a session often lasting over ten days before they’re satisfied."

Chu Liang wasn’t surprised; to ordinary people, without physical constraints, several days of continuous play wouldn’t be enough. For tireless cultivators, playing for ten days to half a month was nothing unusual.

He said with a smile, "No problem, we’ll just wait here. If you’re asking for a favor, you’ve got to show sincerity."

Then he quietly extended a finger.

Whoosh.

A glow that only he could see landed on an old man sitting opposite Chen Buyan.

The elder had been intently watching the cards in the hand of the previous player, and despite deliberating, he didn’t play. The moment the glow touched him, his face contorted with rage, and invisible demon horns appeared.

"Are you going to play or not!" he slammed the table frustratedly with a loud bang, suddenly standing up, "Still thinking, still thinking, like a dung beetle pushing its ball - you’re as slow as they come. It’s just playing a card, is it missing your favorite color? Do you need to figure out what your aunt’s having for lunch before you can play that card? I just want a two of bamboos from you, holding onto it is utterly useless, why cling to it? Are you saving it for your parents’ funeral or as your daughter’s dowry?"

The sturdy little old man across him was taken aback by the scolding, puzzled by the sudden outburst and at a loss for words.

At that moment, Chu Liang pointed again and a long-robed elder to the right fell victim to the Heart-Charming Demon Spell, immediately exuding a fierce Sha aura.

"And you’re criticizing him?" the elder retorted with equal fury, grabbing the collar of the one who had just exploded, "How are you any better than him? Aren’t you going for a clean hand of characters? Then why haven’t you played any bamboo tiles? Where are the bamboos? Did you eat them with your noodles for breakfast? Clean hand of one suit for the one across, grand four happiness for the one on your left, you don’t stop them but only block my measly little hand. It’s clear you’re targeting me, clearly because I won the most yesterday. You resent me and don’t want to play fair, right? Then let’s all stop playing!"

"What are you all doing..." Chen Buyan extended a hand, trying to interject.

At this juncture, the light from Chu Liang’s fingertip landed on the sturdy elder.

Suddenly, he too sprang up with a roar, "Ahh—"

The other three were interrupted by his shout, looking at him curiously, "Why are you yelling?"

"I want the grand four happiness!" He stomped his feet twice, "This darned Sword Cottage has bad feng shui, how come I start with good tiles every hand but never win a single game? Every time I play here, bad luck sticks to me like a plaster, impossible to shake off! Seeing your three grim, ugly old faces makes me want to vomit! Seriously, it’s disgusting!"

"Waaah—"

"..."

The three elders immediately tangled in a brawl, each of them being a sect leader of their own small Immortal Sect with no weak cultivation, making their scuffle quite dramatic.

"Quick, separate them!" Chen Buyan hastily called out.

Fortunately, although the sect leaders were furious, they refrained from lethal blows. A swarm of Sword Cottage disciples rushed over and managed to pull them apart. Chen Buyan quickly had his disciples send each of them back to their places, not daring to keep them for more games.

What a situation.

This was practically life-threatening gambling.

"When did they become so temperamental?" After sending off the elders, Chen Buyan sat down and breathed a sigh of relief before finally looking at Chu Liang and his group, "Young people from Shu Mountain, right? What can I do for you? As it happens, I’m free today, so let’s hear it."

Chu Liang hurried over and said with a smile, "Isn’t it? It’s really quite the coincidence."

...

When he heard they had a material they wanted him to attempt to smelt, Chen Buyan was somewhat displeased. After all, he was the foremost swordsmith of his time, and smelting was merely the first step of casting swords, often a task left to apprentices. Having him do it seemed somewhat beneath his status.