Chapter 4522 — An Unreasonable Demand
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
"Very well. Since it has already been said, this sect may as well hold the fort at your Dragon Boat Escort Agency for a time." The Xishan Old Sect nodded. This had been his meaning in coming all along—otherwise he would not have come.
"Many thanks, Senior!" Long Kuiba was overjoyed on the spot, and the stone in his heart finally dropped. He hastened to order, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go prepare a room for the Senior—and mind you, it must be the very best. If there is the slightest negligence in this, this chief escort will skin you alive!"
"Yes!" The others hurried to obey. This was preparing a room for a devil-cultivator titan of the Mountain-Opening stage—lend them a hundred guts and they would not dare slack in the least.
"There is one thing to be said first. This sect has agreed to hold the fort here for you, but not for nothing." The Xishan Old Sect suddenly spoke: "This sect's cultivation requires the dual cultivation of women at the Nascent Soul stage. So you must find some Nascent Soul stage women for this sect and bring them here—that is the minimum condition."
"Hah? Nascent Soul stage women? Where am I supposed to find those?" Long Kuiba was dumbstruck on the spot. Among cultivators, women were few to begin with, and the higher the grade, the rarer they were seen; and the great majority were concentrated on the Western Island. Here in the notoriously chaotic South Continent seas, one might go a whole year without seeing even a few Golden Core stage women, let alone any Nascent Soul stage ones.
"Hmph. If they were so easy to find, would this sect still need you?" The Xishan Old Sect glanced at Long Kuiba and curled his lip: "Do you think you can truly do nothing at all and have this sect hold the fort at your Dragon Boat Escort Agency for free? Where in this world is there such a bargain to be picked up for nothing? You are a chief escort after all—you are not so childish and naive as that, surely?"
"Uh... what Senior says is right. This junior will surely do his utmost and not disappoint you, Senior." Long Kuiba was on the verge of tears. Nascent Soul stage women—where was he supposed to find them? Was he to travel ten thousand li to the Western Island and snatch people?
Even if he truly had the gall of a leopard and dared go to the Western Island, he still could not take a Nascent Soul stage woman alive. After all, he himself was only a Nascent Soul stage expert—if he were lucky enough to meet one, it was not even certain he could beat her, let alone take her alive! What nonsense.
But now that matters had come to this pass, how could Long Kuiba dare utter half a word of refusal? He had gone to such trouble hoping the Xishan Old Sect would hold the fort at his agency, and now that the moment had come, to say no—would that not be making a fool of the Xishan Old Sect? How many lives did Long Kuiba have, that he would dare make a fool of a devil-cultivator titan of the Mountain-Opening stage?
"Then this sect shall await your good news." Only then did the Xishan Old Sect smile in satisfaction. If Nascent Soul stage women could truly be found, with his strength they would of course be his for the taking—but the tall tree catches the wind, and he had too many scruples. Letting Long Kuiba act on his behalf to gather them would make the risk far smaller; and should trouble arise then, Long Kuiba could be made to carry the blame.
Poor Long Kuiba knew nothing of this. In truth, even had he guessed the Xishan Old Sect's sinister design, he would have had no other choice. Having decided to cooperate with a devil-cultivator titan of the Mountain-Opening stage like the Xishan Old Sect, then while gaining enormous benefits, he was destined to pay a corresponding price—and carrying the blame was only one of them.