Chapter 87: A Hundred Billion, Be Gone

Just by writing down "Bring in the Wine," I could get a hundred billion gold coins.

Master Mian above, this is what you call audacity.

This is what it means to be a president of the trade association—just a word and it's a hundred billion.

But...

Li Xie felt a surge of frustration.

He could recognize the characters, and he could recite the poem, but writing it was a different story. For someone who had barely written his own name in the past twenty years, let alone practiced calligraphy, using a brush was out of the question. His writing would likely end up looking like a mess of ink, with some characters replaced by XX due to unfamiliarity.

Such "calligraphy" would be laughable.

If he presented this, it would disgrace the great poet Li Bai's work, making it look like doggerel. Forget about a hundred billion; Sandor Kocis would probably tear Li Xie to pieces in rage.

Sandor Kocis was a genuine connoisseur of calligraphy; there was no fooling him.

At this moment, Li Xie wished he could chop off his hand and see if a new one would grow back capable of writing calligraphy.

However, despite Li Xie's lack of skill, the temptation of a hundred billion gold coins was not something he could dismiss due to his inadequacies in calligraphy.

If he didn't know calligraphy, he could come up with another solution.

"My work cannot be casually spread throughout the world," Li Xie said, adopting the arrogant demeanor typical of a scholar. "However, I have an idea. How about the President writes the poem, and I will stamp it with my seal? How about that?"

"No, no," Sandor Kocis shook his head. "My clumsy writing cannot compare to yours. Please, you must write it yourself. Let me see your skill."

Despite Sandor Kocis's insistence, Li Xie could only decline again, "I would prefer if we combined our efforts on this piece. As for my own work, I will gift it to you another day. Let's settle it this way. Please don't insist, as the saying goes, 'A forced melon is not sweet.'"

On the continent of the gods, a poetry master would certainly be a master of calligraphy as well. Sandor Kocis didn't suspect Li Xie's intentions; he merely assumed Li Xie was reluctant to leave his work behind. Sighing, he called out, "Someone, bring the ink and brush."

Servants brought out a desk, and Sandor Kocis, resigned, took up the brush himself. On the rice paper, he transcribed the entire poem "Bring in the Wine" with such fluidity and grace that even the uninformed Li Xie was internally impressed.

"Please, affix your seal," Sandor Kocis said.

Li Xie took out his city lord's seal from his spatial ring, breathed on it, and stamped it heavily—this was the most valuable use of his seal ever.

"Excellent." Although he didn't get Li Xie's calligraphy, Sandor Kocis was still full of praise. "Steward, have this properly framed. I want it hanging on the wall today. Replace the mad poet's piece with this. Also, instruct them to send the new batch of magical beasts to Juhua City and..."

Whoa.

Li Xie looked expectantly at Sandor Kocis. The four thousand magical beasts were trivial, insignificant. What really mattered was what he would say next.

"And, from my collection of fine wines, take ten bottles of each and present them to Duke Xie. As the poem says, 'A drumbeat feast is not precious, but a long drunkenness is beyond compare. The sages have always been lonely; only the drinkers have left their names.' I believe Duke Xie is a connoisseur of fine wine. Go now."

"Uh, what? President, aren't you forgetting something? Like… something about a hundred, something billion?" Li Xie blinked anxiously. He wasn't against good wine, but he loved money more. He wasn't lonely and didn't care about leaving a name as a drinker; he wanted a hundred billion.

Sandor Kocis chuckled. "When you deliver your calligraphy, that hundred billion will naturally follow. Don't you agree?"

Damn it, this is such a scam.

You can't do this.

Li Xie's face fell, his expression turning miserable as he imagined the hundred billion gold coins rolling away, disappearing out of his reach.

"Damn it, I'm going back to practice calligraphy. Next time, it won't be a hundred billion; I'll demand two hundred, four hundred billion."

Beside him, Prince Gerd was just as frustrated as Li Xie. He had come to see Li Xie make a fool of himself, but instead, the situation took an unexpected turn. Not only did Li Xie get the magical beasts for free, but he also seemed to be making a connection with the president. This trip had once again left Gerd empty-handed.

Twice now, Prince Gerd had failed, and he had grown to hate Li Xie. His eyes flashed with malice as he glared at Li Xie's back. However, at this moment, he had no way to take revenge on Li Xie, and with the magical beasts gone, there was no point in staying. He stood up, cupped his hands in farewell, but Sandor Kocis didn't even spare him a glance, merely grunting in acknowledgment. Frustrated, Prince Gerd stormed out.

Watching Gerd leave, Li Xie smirked and asked, "Does the president have any high-level magical beasts, like seventh, eighth, or ninth tier?"

"Haha, do you think this is a ranch?" Sandor Kocis laughed. "Magical beasts above the sixth tier are generally not sold to private individuals. However, anything can be negotiated, especially for calligraphy..."

You old rascal, bringing that up again.

Li Xie felt even more exasperated.

"I will definitely send you my calligraphy someday." Determined, Li Xie decided he must practice his calligraphy when he returned. He then asked, "But where else can I find magical beasts above the sixth tier?"

Satisfied with Li Xie's promise, Sandor Kocis replied happily, "You could try Manster City. Some mercenary groups have a few high-tier magical beasts. If they are willing to sell, you could gather a decent number from several groups. But, bring plenty of gold coins."

Li Xie chuckled awkwardly, "Definitely, definitely." He then added, "I hope the president can inform me the next time you have new stock. Of course, if I have new poetry, I will certainly ask for your evaluation."

"Haha, that can be arranged, no problem at all."

"Well then, I will take my leave." With the wine in hand and the magical beasts scheduled for delivery, Li Xie had no reason to linger.

One reason for leaving was his completed business, but another was that he had a score to settle.

Sandor Kocis did not insist on him staying, and they exchanged farewells.

Outside the White Jade Palace, Zainard and Van De Seel were chatting idly. Upon seeing Li Xie, they approached him.

"Master, how did it go?" Van De Seel asked.

"Not bad. Where's our dear Prince Gerd?"

Li Xie's haul from this trip was substantial: three thousand fifth-tier magical beasts and one thousand sixth-tier magical beasts, enough to equip the five thousand elite soldiers of his army.

With poetry in hand, future dealings with Sandor Kocis were bound to be smoother.

The only regret was the hundred billion that Li Xie couldn't get his hands on for now.

Feeling a bit frustrated, Li Xie wanted to vent, and he had a good reason to. Having been set up, he needed to get even.

"Master, Prince Gerd has left the manor. If they are heading straight back to their country, they will go northeast," Van De Seel guessed Li Xie's intention from the way the corner of his mouth lifted.

"Hmph, let's catch up with them."

The three of them flew into the sky. At five hundred meters above ground, they quickly spotted Prince Gerd and his entourage still in Manny City.

Li Xie's grin widened. "Zain, go down and give them a beating. Bring that bastard up here."

"Master, you can't," Van De Seel quickly intervened. "Prince Gerd is here to visit President Kocis. While he's in Manny City, he is under the protection of the merchants' guild. We can only act once he's out of the city."

Li Xie frowned, "What would happen if we take action now?"

Van De Seel replied, "The Continental Merchants Guild has strict measures to protect its clients. If we attack him, we would be making an enemy of the guild. The guild never tolerates such actions, which is why clients under its jurisdiction are the safest."

Li Xie knew, even with just a bit of thought, that he couldn't go up against the Continental Merchants Guild. He didn't dare break this rule, but he couldn't let go of his grudge and decided to wait for Prince Gerd to leave the city.

However, Prince Gerd lingered in Manny City for three days without showing any sign of leaving.

"Damn it," Li Xie cursed from a tavern by the street, "I don't believe he'll stay in Manny City forever."

Van De Seel, beside him, suggested, "Master, perhaps he has realized he's in danger and is purposely staying put."

"How can you tell?"

"I'm just guessing. If he came here to buy magical beasts, it was likely an order from the Emperor of the Great Sun Empire. He should return immediately after completing his task. But look," Van De Seel pointed at Prince Gerd and his entourage on the street, "none of his attendants have left to report back. A prince wouldn't dare delay an imperial command like this. Staying in Manny City without sending anyone ahead to report suggests he knows it's dangerous to leave."

"Hmm, that makes sense," Li Xie nodded.

Van De Seel continued, "Furthermore, Master, if he suspects you intend to attack him, staying longer actually works against you."

"How so?"

"They came to Manny City to do business, so they wouldn't just have these few attendants. There must be a contingent of soldiers waiting outside the city. Since we haven't been monitoring him day and night, he could have made arrangements we aren't aware of. I fear that while we see them as prey, we might have become the prey ourselves."

Li Xie was taken aback, immediately recalling how he had tried to outbid Prince Gerd only to be outmaneuvered. He realized this man was no fool. Previously, he had the upper hand because of absolute strength and the intimidation of the Beast of Misfortune. Cleverness was useless against those two.

"Maybe he really has figured it out," Li Xie narrowed his eyes but then glanced at the two experts beside him and smirked. "How many soldiers could they possibly have? You two should be able to handle them. Why don't we play along and spring their trap, then wipe out their entire force? After all, they're from an enemy nation; the more we kill, the better."

Van De Seel smiled wryly, "Master, Zain and I are not summoners. In an actual battle, we might not be able to handle an army of over a thousand equipped with strong crossbows."

"What do you mean?"

"Summoners are powerful because they can combine with their magic pets to greatly resist physical and magical damage. Zain and I can only rely on our qi, which consumes a lot of energy. An army of a thousand equipped with strong crossbows could wear us down. Unless we have complex terrain for cover, it's unlikely we could take them down. Plus, we would have difficulty ensuring your safety."

Li Xie frowned deeply and glanced at Zainard. Van De Seel didn't know Zainard was a dragon and thus didn't realize his defenses couldn't be easily breached by ordinary crossbows. But Van De Seel was right: if there were too many enemies, Li Xie himself would be in danger.

"Forget it, let's go back. We'll settle the score with that bastard another time. After all, there's plenty of time," Li Xie said, standing up and patting Van De Seel on the shoulder. "I'll get you your magic pet soon. Then, you can charge through and crush that bastard for me."