wavenovel 005. I need to pay more.
005. I need to pay more.
Seeing that Xinlai was still hesitating, Simien raised his finger, signaling Ding Ke to open the box.
The moment the lid was opened, a layer of neatly stacked gold bricks rushed out, their faint golden glow dazzling the eyes.
"Second brother knows you're usually frugal and unwilling to exploit those maggots at the bottom of society. Even your cultivation resources are saved by tightening your belt..."
Simien slowly walked around to Xinlai's side, leaned close to her ear, and said in a low voice, "The meager monthly stipend your father gives you isn't enough, is it?"
He then walked behind Xinlai, counting on his fingers as if deep in thought:
"Castle maintenance, garden tending, servants' salaries..."
"These alone must have eaten up most of your expenses, right?"
The voice grew closer and closer, almost touching Xinlai's back, each word drilling into her ear.
grunt.
Sin Lai's Adam's apple bobbed.
Each of these gold bricks, imbued with magic, is worth half a month's salary, or one hundred and fifty gold coins.
This whole box is worth at least several years' salary.
But it was precisely in the face of such enormous profits that Xinlai calmed down.
She's just a witch. Putting on magic-suppressing shackles and wearing special clothing that restricts magic power is no different from raising a precious pet for the princes, except that there are more things to pay attention to.
Moreover, when have they ever lacked women with hotter figures and more skillful bedroom techniques than Eve?
Given this, how could a miser like Simien, who is extremely stingy, and a lecherous man like his older brother, who prefers flirtatious women, possibly afford to spend so much?
Realizing that Simien and his elder brother's intentions were not pure, Xinlai looked troubled, appearing to want to accept the gold but also somewhat hesitant:
"Second brother, you know she's a witch. It won't be easy to protect her."
Simeon's expression froze.
You brat, you think it's not enough?
He gritted his teeth and glared at Xin Lai, as if weighing the pros and cons. He then turned to look at Ding Ke with some hesitation, but the latter shook her head with clear eyes...
Having discerned the relative importance of the matter, Simien let out a somewhat embarrassed sigh.
"Then... let's add another box."
"Sigh..." Xin Lai sighed tactically, "It's not that I don't want to do this deal with you."
He glanced at Eve in the cell, then took out the letter of appointment Hallerton had given him, and handed it to Simeon, trembling with apprehension.
"If I give her to you, how can I explain it to the people, to my father, and to the church?"
creak, creak.
The muffled thud of clenched knuckles echoed in the silent corridor.
Simeon's face turned ashen, seemingly surprised that Sinlai would be so "upright".
But he also knew that for Xinlai, the witch was nothing more than adding a trial to her record, and had no other use. This "righteousness" was just because she thought the price wasn't right.
"Another case!"
These words were squeezed out between Simeon's teeth, giving the impression that he was about to take action if Xinlai didn't sell.
However, Xin Lai still sighed and shook her head upon hearing this, looking helpless as if she knew the job was too difficult for her.
"Second brother, let's just forget about it. Where am I supposed to find you a woman who can switch places with you..."
"Bang--!"
Before Xinlai could finish speaking, a loud explosion erupted between the stone walls, sending plumes of smoke and dust billowing into the air.
Xinlai covered her mouth and nose and took two steps back.
Through the scattered dust, he saw Simien staring at him with bloodshot eyes, his fists dripping with blood, but the wall beside him remained unscathed.
Wall HP-1.
"Don't push your luck!"
Simien spoke each word with a low, angry voice, his face flushed red like a pig's liver.
If Eve hadn't been so crucial to his coronation, that punch would have landed on Xinlai's ungrateful face long ago.
Having endured this for so long, Xin Lai saw that the time was right, abandoned her hesitant demeanor, and resolutely said:
"Since Second Brother wants it so much, I won't hide it from you. It's hard to switch things out; you'll have to pay more."
It's not that he doesn't want to sell, it's just that the price isn't right. He's just taking advantage of a sucker who's offered up.
Simeon closed his eyes, his chest heaving violently.
He was holding back.
Endure the humiliation of this moment, and bear this exorbitant expense that feels like cutting off a piece of your own flesh.
Just imagine the glory of ascending the throne, imagine all the women of your elder brother will be yours, imagine all these gold bars will eventually appear in the treasury with interest...
"call--"
He opened his eyes, his tone as cold as ice.
"Alright. Five chests of gold in total, delivered to your castle before sunset. I want this witch to appear on my territory unharmed tomorrow."
"Deal." Xin Lai happily extended her hand, wanting to shake hands with her cheap older brother as a pledge.
The other person had already turned away after speaking, seemingly unwilling to shake hands with Xinlai.
"You must not... disappoint your second brother."
Simeon didn't turn his head, his voice hoarse and low.
He strode away, gesturing for Ding to take the box of gold with him.
"Hey? We should leave this box as a deposit, right?"
"This is my box!!!"
Simeon suddenly turned around and roared, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace, his spittle almost landing on Sinlai's face.
Xinlai took a half step back in disgust.
"...Alright then. Remember to send the gold bricks over."
With a whoosh, a vein throbbed on Simien's forehead, and he flung his robes aside and strode away.
Looking at the increasingly thin and angry figure, Xin Lai finally couldn't hold back her smile and raised her hand to wave lightly.
"Take care, second brother—"
Looking forward to our next collaboration!
"boom!"
A dull, resounding thud echoed from deep within the corner as a fist slammed into a stone wall.
The wall's HP decreased by 1.
Xinlai was in a great mood.
This is truly like a pillow delivered just when you're about to fall asleep.
We need to support Eve's spiritual practice in the future, and we're struggling to find a large amount of resources.
Moreover, over the years he has thought about saving some money, becoming a plagiarist, making some small inventions, and doing some small business in another world.
However, the royal family's schedule was packed. In addition to training and cultivation, there were various banquets and courses in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, archery, and horsemanship, which did not allow for sufficient time.
The loan interest rates are also frighteningly high, and even if he were a prince, he couldn't change that. So, without any initial capital, where would he get the spare money?
Let alone trying to get money out of Simien, that would probably be harder for Simien than cutting off a piece of his own flesh.
Yet Simeon, a man like him, endured again and again, determined to get his hands on Eve.
What secrets does Eve hold?
Even Xinlai, the game designer, couldn't quite figure it out for the time being.
Over the course of eighteen years, the plot has changed drastically under his influence, with a severe butterfly effect. Even Ding Ke, the minor boss in the beginner village, did not die, which shows that some minor plot points have taken a completely different turn from the original.
However, the main characters' storyline should remain unchanged, meaning Lorenz will still come to rescue Eve tomorrow.
That's perfect, let's pull off a clever escape.
Eve was kidnapped by Lorenz, and this innocent executor did nothing but not only keep Eve safe, but also made some extra money...
A contradiction? Someone else will take the blame for him.
……
……
In the latter half of the night, Xinlai stayed by Eve's cage.
He once again immersed himself in meditation, refining his spirit and soul, slowly merging with Eve's naked soul within his soul sea.
Some time later, a servant from the castle quietly reported that Simeon's five chests of gold had been delivered.
It can only be said that this is a win-win situation for both Persephone and Sinley:
That means only Sin Lai is winning.
"Mmm... Ah..."
A painful whimper came from deep within the cage.
Xinlai opened her eyes and turned to look into the cage.
Eve propped herself up with one hand and rested her other hand on her forehead, her brows furrowed as if a computer had just been turned on.
"woke up?"
Eve glanced at Xinlai, then lowered her eyes again expressionlessly, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.
call……
A strange, eerie wind suddenly surged in from the depths of the corridor, carrying a bone-chilling cold, howling and whistling through the dark corridor.
Xinlai glanced at the time, and without a moment's hesitation, she stood up and placed her left hand on the hilt of her sword, pressing her body into a defensive stance.
The surrounding soldiers also noticed something amiss, and they all perked up, holding their enchanted spears and cautiously observing their surroundings.
Stroking, stroking, stroking...
An eerie scraping sound emerged from the darkness, so sharp it could send shivers down your spine.
Xin Lai's face was serious as she stared intently into the darkness, her right hand already poised to grip the hilt of her sword and swing it forward in an instant.
"alert!"
He knew the dark figure was coming.