Feng Wuxi, that dog, naturally wouldn't give her three thousand taels.
"There's a limit to how much of a lion's roar you can unleash. Do you know that a single secret technique from my Wuxi Pavilion is worth a thousand gold?"
Feng Yinwan didn't know, but that didn't stop her from already contemplating the secret techniques in the cultivation manual pavilion in her mind.
Sensing her intentions, Feng Wuxi's forehead twitched subtly, and he immediately issued a warning.
"Don't even think about the cultivation manual pavilion. Such secret techniques can only be traded on the black market. Even if you could get them out, no one would dare to buy them."
He paused, then added, "The Qingying Needle I gave you earlier is a top-tier secret technique of my Wuxi Pavilion. If it were put on the black market, even a thousand gold wouldn't be enough to acquire it. What more do you want to be unsatisfied?"
Feng Yinwan felt a surge of displeasure upon hearing his reasoning.
"Feng Wuxi, you can't calculate it like that. Not to mention that the Qingying Needle was something you gave me yourself. Do you mean to say my treatment of your sister requires no payment!"
A divine doctor of her caliber commanded a very high consultation fee, you know.
Feng Wuxi glanced at her and declared shamelessly, "Feng Yinwan, if you're going to put it that way, then shouldn't my protection fee be settled as well?"
"I am the dignified Pavilion Master of Wuxi Pavilion, deigning to act as your bodyguard. You should be overjoyed and stop being so petty!"
Feng Yinwan: "???"
"No, are you alright? If you hadn't forcibly brought me here to treat your sister, would I have needed to put myself in danger! This is clearly your mess, and you have the nerve to say this!"
Feng Wuxi was even more displeased.
"My mess? If you hadn't stolen the Qi Enlightenment Pill in the first place, would I have had to do this?! When are you going to return the sixty thousand taels of gold from the auction to me?"
The two of them locked horns, trading barbs, neither willing to concede defeat in their verbal sparring.
Just as their argument reached a fever pitch, a hand tentatively extended in front of them.
"Hey..."
The little scout's head was already throbbing from being struck by the stone. Now, listening to their incessant bickering, his head felt like it was about to split open.
"Um... could you keep it down a little..."
As he pushed himself up, supporting his head, he was met with two gazes filled with murderous intent.
The little scout's dulled mind momentarily went blank. In the next instant, silver needles and palm strikes flew towards him simultaneously.
"Scram!"
Before he could react, he had already fainted once more.
Feng Wuxi cast a sidelong glance and smirked triumphantly, "See? It was my palm strike that knocked him out. Your silver needles still aren't as good!"
Feng Yinwan followed his gaze and immediately sneered.
"You really know how to put gold on your own face. He was clearly knocked out by my silver needles!"
"Impossible!"
"Exactly!"
"..."
The little scout, knocked out again: I really can't stand it, you two are like primary school children!
In the end, even two passing birds were driven to death by the noise, and the battle finally subsided.
Feng Yinwan clutched her little notebook tightly and gritted her teeth, "One secret technique, plus a thousand taels. That's the bottom line, no less!"
Feng Wuxi narrowed his eyes and scoffed at her.
"With your greedy nature, any child you give birth to would undoubtedly be a hopeless money grubber!"
Feng Yinwan snorted coldly and retorted without reservation.
"A money grubber is better than a swindler. We earn money through our intelligence, without losing our conscience or our dignity!"
Just as a second round of conflict seemed imminent, Feng Wuxi suddenly went silent.
Feng Yinwan looked at him suspiciously, observing his expression shift rapidly, clearly thinking faster than his eyes could move.
"I can agree to this condition, but after treating Li'er, you cannot extort anything from me in any form or for any reason!"
He wasn't willing to part with even an extra penny!
Feng Yinwan gritted her teeth, but still nodded.
"Deal!"
She would secure what she could get now, and worry about the future later!
Feng Yinwan swore that she had wanted to choose an expensive secret technique, but that dog Feng Wuxi directly tossed her a disguise technique, claiming it was the best in the world and could easily fool anyone.
Feng Yinwan wanted to curse him, but then again, the disguise technique that day had indeed deceived Ye Tinglan's eyes. For a moment, she didn't know how to start scolding him.
Furthermore, with Feng Wuxi's "take it or leave it, I don't care if you don't want it" attitude, she could only grit her teeth and accept it, adding another entry to her little notebook.
[After learning the disguise technique, I'll find a way to chop that dog Feng!]
The little scout's injuries were all superficial, looking serious but not significantly impacting him, except for the lump on his head.
Feng Yinwan's blow, for some reason, seemed to have affected some part of his brain. After waking up, the little scout became as talkative as if he had taken a truth serum, answering all of Feng Wuxi's questions.
"There's really no one else. Your other spy was captured last night. I only managed to sneak in again today when you were letting your guard down. Who would have thought..."
He ran into "Grandpa is here."
Feng Wuxi closed his eyes and pressed further, "What poison did you administer to Li'er?"
The little scout faltered upon hearing this.
"This one..."
"Hmm?"
A single syllable, filled with icy sharpness.
The little scout shivered, fumbled in his embrace, and honestly handed over a small bottle.
"We don't know what this stuff is. Second Prince just ordered us to feed it to her..."
It was a perfectly ordinary silver bottle, now empty, giving no clue as to its previous contents.
Feng Wuxi's brow furrowed as he took the item.
The little scout was very cooperative, spilling all the information about what Ye Tingyan had ordered in just a few words. After confirming there were no omissions, Feng Wuxi had him taken to the dark prison.
Feng Yinwan demanded the thousand taels of silver upfront.
Feng Wuxi went to get the bottle, while she sat amidst a pile of silver taels, counting them and cursing him for being stingy.
This scene nearly drove Feng Wuxi to death.
"I'm stingy? Do you want this silver or not?!"
Caught off guard by his sudden entrance, Feng Yinwan's hand, which was stroking the silver, trembled. She suddenly felt the guilt of being caught bad-mouthing someone.
She attempted to change the subject.
"Why did you suddenly come over?"
Feng Wuxi glanced at her and handed over the bottle in his hand.
"See what this is."
The glint of silver flashed before her eyes, and Feng Yinwan thought he was truly an idiot.
"Does this need to be looked at? It's silver!"
Feng Wuxi: ...
"I'm asking you to look at what was inside it!"
Feng Yinwan let out an "oh" and awkwardly averted her gaze.
The bottle's design wasn't particularly unique. Feng Yinwan took it and brought it closer, and a rather unpleasant medicinal scent immediately wafted into her nostrils.
She instinctively frowned, "This smell is a bit strange."
Feng Wuxi's brow tightened upon hearing this. "How is it? Can you identify what this is?"
Feng Yinwan shook her head, "It's not easy to distinguish. The smell is too strong and too mixed, like a... medicinal liquid that has combined many things."