Chapter Forty-One: It Feels Just Like... the New Year...
In the dimly lit room, a dozen people gathered around a round table. At the center of the table, a thick, large candle flickered, and beside it sat an adorable little dragon girl.
She perched with her two short legs spread out by the candle, her eyes blinking as she watched the dancing flame, while her chubby little tail swayed across the tabletop. Perhaps she had grown bored with the sight, for the dragon girl, sucking on her fingers, pondered a moment. A spark of inspiration seemed to light up beside her head, and she tried to take the candle flame in her hand to give it to her father. Yet her father merely patted her head and told her to put it back.
Father wouldn’t play with her…
With her head drooping, the little girl sat on the table, feeling aggrieved. But when Jiang Lin placed a pile of snacks before her, her father once again became the best father in the world.
“Brother Jiang, are you telling the truth?”
The flickering candlelight reflected off the faces of nearly ten people.
Jiang Lin squinted. “Of course it’s true!”
“But Brother Jiang, it’s not that we don’t trust you—this business is quite large…” The giant eagle demon stroked his pointed chin with a claw and fell into thought.
“Brother Eagle, let me say this: the villain market is bleak right now. If we don’t take on something big now, when will we? Besides, don’t you fancy that owl from Spirit Bird Peak next door? If we pull this off, you’ll have money, and with money, you’ll have more confidence to be a shameless bird!”
“What shameless bird! If it’s not true love, who’d want to be a shameless bird?!”
“All right, all right, don’t get worked up, Eagle. Jiang does have a point,” said the muscular man with eight-pack abs, pressing down Eagle’s wings. “Still, Brother Jiang, your plan is tempting. It’s not that we don’t believe you, but you only just entered the Sea Viewing Realm at eighteen—it’s still just the Sea Viewing Realm.”
“To be honest, crossing realms to defeat enemies is what I, Jiang Lin, am best at.”
A bald fellow rolled his eyes at Jiang Lin. “You think this is one of those tales written by cultivator novelists?”
“Oh, come on—just say whether you’re in or not.” Jiang Lin’s tone turned suddenly serious. “I’m inviting you all because of our years of partnership. If you don’t take this money, you’re unworthy to call yourselves members of the Demon Sect! And once it’s done, everyone here gets an eighty percent discount on bellybands, on me!”
“Enough! I’m in! I trust Brother Jiang!” Fang Chaoqun slammed the table so hard that the little dragon girl’s bottom bounced off the surface before falling back down.
“I’m in too!”
“Count me in!”
“In!”
“In!”
“In!”
Suddenly, around the round table, everyone began slapping the table and shouting “in!” The little dragon girl squinted her eyes into crescent moons, delighted by the excitement.
So much fun…
“What are you all shouting for! Can’t you see there’s a child here? Mind your manners! We’re all educated members of the Demon Sect.” Jiang Lin picked up the little girl. “All right, let’s follow the plan. I need to go rest up; I’ll leave the rest to you all.”
“No worries, leave it to us.”
“If it’s as you say, Brother Jiang, you can confidently flaunt your prowess before everyone tomorrow—we’ll all be there for you.”
“Good, since that’s settled, I’ll take my leave.” Placing the little dragon girl on his head, Jiang Lin cupped his hands in farewell and exited the dim room. “Oh, and next time, don’t skimp on candles—light a few more… it’s too dark, it’s bad for the eyes.”
…
“Father, why were those uncles so excited? What does ‘in’ mean?” On their way back to Twin Pearl Peak, the little girl lying atop Jiang Lin’s head asked curiously.
“Well… Little Nian Nian doesn’t need to understand. Come, let’s go home and eat.”
Jiang Lin sped up his sword flight and soon returned to Twin Pearl Peak. After lunch, since Little Nian Nian loved his life-bound flying sword, Jiang Lin sealed the edge of First Snow and gave it to her to play with.
Sitting at a stone table, Jiang Lin took up a feather pen he’d picked up from Spirit Bird Peak next door and began calculating how many spirit stones they could earn from this venture.
As he calculated, he wiped his mouth, and his eyes turned mischievous.
Nearby, Little Nian Nian blinked as she watched the insects on the branches. After a while, she opened her chubby mouth and ate one, then turned to look at her father…
She couldn’t say why, but sometimes her father seemed rather shady…
…
“Hey, did you hear? The Six Great Sects are coming to besiege our Sun-Moon Sect!”
“Huh? Weren’t they just after Brother Jiang?”
“Don’t worry, people often come seeking revenge. Just stay inside and don’t go out, they can’t get in anyway.”
“By the way, Brother Jiang is something else. His master is so beautiful—how did he become a flower thief?”
“Old Qu, you don’t understand—home flowers can’t compare to wild ones.”
“No, listen! Brother Jiang is going to face them all alone tomorrow!”
“What?!”
…
“Come on, innkeepers, serve everyone a bowl of spring noodles, put it all on my tab!” cried Eagle Da.
“Wow, Eagle Da, did you finally win over that owl? You’re so generous!”
“Hahaha, I haven’t won her over. But my brother Jiang Lin is fighting the Six Great Sects alone tomorrow!”
“What, is Jiang crazy? Did his master run off with another man? Has he lost his mind?”
…
“To celebrate Jiang Lin’s victory tomorrow, I declare that today, the Spring Breeze Pavilion offers full-service at twenty percent off!”
“Boss, you’re amazing!”
“Boss, you rock!”
“Boss, how about having Lady Dancing Butterfly perform for us to celebrate?”
“No problem, let Dancing Butterfly perform tonight!”
“Boss…” A girl gently tugged at her sleeve.
“Dancing Butterfly, it’s all right, just dance for us.”
“It’s not that…” The girl named Dancing Butterfly bit her lip. “Young Master Jiang, is he really a flower thief?”
…
In less than an hour and a half, all the gambling houses and taverns of Sun-Moon Sect opened betting.
“Betting open, betting open! Place your bets—those wagering on Jiang Lin’s total victory this way, total defeat that way, for scores come to me.”
“That kid Jiang Lin is so brave! He’s a true Demon Sect member. I’ll put ten mid-grade spirit stones on Jiang Lin losing everything!”
“I support Jiang Lin! Twenty mid-grade spirit stones on one win!”
“They don’t trust you, but I do, Brother Jiang! I’ll bet on two wins! Hey, how many bouts is he fighting tomorrow?”
“Didn’t you hear? Jiang Lin’s fighting them all alone.”
“Ah…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Boss, look, can I open a bet on ‘whether Jiang Lin comes back alive’?”
“Haha! I think that’s a great idea!”
With less than an afternoon’s buildup, news of Jiang Lin’s solo battle against the Six Great Sects spread throughout the sect. All the taverns and shops of Sun-Moon Sect hung lanterns and offered discounts, celebrating as if…
It were New Year’s Eve…
…
…
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