Chapter Nineteen: Compensation
Zhou Chen’s doubts lasted only a short while before Qu Yiqiu explained the reason to him.
“Zhou Chen, with this Shadow Stone in our possession, everything we lost can be returned—and not just returned, but doubled!” Qu Yiqiu’s eyes curved in delight, as if she could see countless spirit stones waving at her.
Zhou Chen scratched his head in confusion, unable to understand what she meant by “doubled.”
“Zhou Chen, has anyone else witnessed what happened here?” Qu Yiqiu asked.
Zhou Chen shook his head. “No one has come up. Not even Senior Mu has appeared.”
Qu Yiqiu nodded in satisfaction. “Good. Stay here and guard this area. Make sure no one else sees what happened. I’m going to Mingde City to buy a few things.”
Zhou Chen nodded, still unclear, but agreed.
Having received his response, Qu Yiqiu smiled, channeled her spiritual energy to her toes, and swiftly descended the mountain with Windstride.
Zhou Chen remained in place, recalling her instructions, and immediately began to guard the area closely.
Mingde City’s marketplace.
Dusk was falling, and half of the shops along the street had already closed.
Qu Yiqiu, wearing a bamboo hat, happily purchased an assortment of miscellaneous items.
Zhao Wen and Huang Lan’s return had truly brought her a pleasant surprise.
The spirit fields atop Little Flat Peak were far too impoverished. The second-grade spirit rice and tea seeds they had sown, despite Zhou Chen’s careful tending, had survived less than one-tenth.
Now, with Zhao Wen and Huang Lan having destroyed those seedlings, she could shift all those losses onto them.
She might even seize the opportunity to extract the cost of improving the spirit fields from them.
Back on Blue Star, she’d once heard an amusing news story: a certain bank, robbed of a mere five million, reported fifty million to the authorities, pocketing an extra forty-five million in compensation.
The moment she acquired the Shadow Stone, this plan came to mind.
She would demand a sky-high price from Zhao Wen and Huang Lan!
...
Zhou Chen kept his nerves taut, patrolling the area.
“I’m back! No one came up the mountain, did they?” Qu Yiqiu had already removed her bamboo hat on the way, and now looked at Zhou Chen with a smile.
“N-no one came!” Zhou Chen stammered, overwhelmed by the radiance of the woman before him.
Qu Yiqiu noted his reaction and sighed inwardly.
If she could do it all over again, she would trade this intimidating beauty for extraordinary talent!
“We can’t delay. I want to turn these ruins into a third-grade spirit field and populate it with earthworm beasts!” Qu Yiqiu muttered to herself.
She reached into her storage pouch and pulled out a blood-soaked corpse, burying it carelessly in a pit.
Then she drew out a handful of jade fragments, scattering them around the perimeter of the fence.
Zhou Chen watched in astonishment.
Qu Yiqiu’s hands moved ceaselessly; she formed a seal and cast a spell of Spirit Rain, letting a fine, spirit-infused drizzle fall.
She sniffed the air, savoring the scent of spiritual energy, and smiled contentedly.
“All right, we can visit Master Luo now!”
Zhou Chen was still dazed as she led him away.
“Isn’t it too late? Master Luo should be resting…” Zhou Chen couldn’t help but ask as they walked.
Qu Yiqiu waved her hand dismissively. “He’ll still be in the main hall, I’m sure!”
Main hall of Tianyan Sect.
Luo Tangyu sat on the throne, savoring a cup of freshly brewed spirit tea.
Recalling the behavior of Huo Tangsheng and the others earlier, a trace of worry appeared on his face.
“Master! Master! You must stand up for me!” Just when his mind was troubled, a plaintive cry echoed from outside.
Luo Tangyu rose to look toward the door.
Qu Yiqiu’s figure gradually came into view.
“Master, you must stand up for Little Flat Peak!” she pleaded, tears shimmering in her eyes.
Luo Tangyu’s brow twitched, sensing trouble. “What’s happened? Speak clearly.”
“Greetings, Master!” Zhou Chen followed behind, bowing respectfully.
Qu Yiqiu wiped her tears and complained, “Our third-grade spirit field was destroyed!”
Third-grade spirit field?
Little Flat Peak’s soil must be quite remarkable! Luo Tangyu thought to himself.
“Do you know who did it? Why would they destroy your spirit field?”
Qu Yiqiu produced the Shadow Stone and presented it to him.
“Please examine the Shadow Stone, Master. You’ll recognize the two culprits and understand why they ruined my third-grade spirit field!”
She placed particular emphasis on “third-grade.”
Beside her, Zhou Chen lowered his head, his cheeks flushing with guilt.
Luo Tangyu listened carefully; he could not tolerate such matters.
He infused the Shadow Stone with a faint red glow from his fingertips.
Immediately, the scene of Zhao Wen and Huang Lan destroying the spirit field played out in midair.
Luo Tangyu’s brows furrowed deeply.
He remembered these two disciples—they belonged to Qu Yuyou’s team, and had just returned from a mission to dispel evil spirits.
What audacity! While he was still troubled by affairs with Xuanyi Sect, these two had stirred up discord among their own, creating more chaos for him!
“I am aware of this matter. I will confine them on the Forbidden Cliff for three months and order them to make full restitution for Little Flat Peak’s losses!” Luo Tangyu declared angrily.
Qu Yiqiu sobbed, “Will you ensure they compensate Little Flat Peak for all the harm they caused?”
Luo Tangyu replied firmly, “Of course. Everything they damaged, they must restore in full!”
Qu Yiqiu ceased her sobbing at once and began counting on her fingers. “Our third-grade spirit field was destroyed, downgraded to an ordinary field; the second-grade earthworm beast was slain, so the field lost its tilling beast; the fourth-grade spirit rice and tea seeds died, erasing hundreds of catties of future harvest; the fence built from precious jade was shattered, leaving the field unprotected…”
As her voice continued, Luo Tangyu’s brow twitched ever more violently.
He suddenly realized he might have been duped!
Little Flat Peak having a third-grade spirit field was impressive enough, but how could they possess so many valuable assets?
A fence built from rare jade, a second-grade earthworm beast, fourth-grade seeds thriving in a third-grade field…
It was all too outrageous. Was the scene of the disaster really from that impoverished Little Flat Peak?
“All right, I’ve finished. Did you hear everything, Master?” Qu Yiqiu waved her hand before his eyes, seeing he’d drifted off.
Luo Tangyu was exasperated. “Is that all?”
“Ah, Master, you know how poor Little Flat Peak is. Everything we have was accumulated by my teacher and me over ten years!” Qu Yiqiu’s soft voice carried a hint of pity.
What thick skin! This is what she calls poverty?
Both Luo Tangyu and Zhou Chen thought the same thing.
“Fine, I understand. I will send someone with you to Little Flat Peak to inventory all the items you mentioned. If everything matches your account, I will ensure they are all returned to you!” Luo Tangyu’s lips twitched. This girl was not to be trifled with.
She must have tampered with the scene. He even suspected the third-grade field was a fabrication!
“Thank you, Master. You are truly kind. May I ask for one more favor?” Qu Yiqiu’s beautiful eyes glistened with tears as she looked at him.
Luo Tangyu was taken aback. “Speak.”