Chapter 9: Money Delivered at Your Doorstep

The Mo Ye Workshop’s Beijing branch was bustling with activity, attracting many distinguished guests. Even those who were not martial artists sought to purchase the treasured swords for their collections. It was well known that any weapon displayed so prominently by Mo Ye Workshop had to be one of their finest creations.

Shi Wushuang and Qin Qingxue arrived at the scene, immediately causing quite a stir. Shi Wushuang, being the most renowned disciple of Yunlu Pavilion and the future heir to its leadership, drew considerable attention. Many people greeted them warmly. Qin Qingxue’s reputation was also at its peak—she was the only female general in the Great Yuan Dynasty, celebrated for defeating the strongest barbarian forces, with a limitless future ahead.

Qin Qingxue finally experienced the feeling of being admired by the crowd, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit lightheaded with pride. Shi Wushuang, however, was already accustomed to such attention, smiling politely while subtly memorizing each person’s identity and name.

Suddenly, someone shouted, “His Highness the Sixth Prince has arrived!”

“Ah, since when did the Sixth Prince take an interest in weapons?”

“I haven’t heard that the Sixth Prince practices martial arts! Buying a weapon won’t do him much good.”

“This is troublesome! The Sixth Prince is known for his wealth. If he takes an interest in this divine weapon, others won’t stand a chance to buy it.”

Listening to the murmurs around them, both Qin Qingxue and Shi Wushuang couldn’t help but frown.

“What exactly is Li Ye up to? Could it be he’s targeting us?” Qin Qingxue said angrily.

The commotion from the previous day had not escaped Shi Wushuang’s notice.

“I thought the Sixth Prince was level-headed and magnanimous, but it seems he’s narrow-minded after all. Qingxue, don’t stoop to his level. I’ll help you regain control of the situation today,” Shi Wushuang declared confidently.

“Right, he definitely needs a good lesson!” Qin Qingxue agreed immediately.

To everyone’s surprise, the head of Mo Ye Workshop personally came out to greet the Sixth Prince, bowing respectfully.

“I am Mo Nianqiu. Greetings, Your Highness the Sixth Prince. Your presence here brings great honor to our workshop.”

“No need for such formality, Master Mo. I heard you’ve forged even better weapons now. I’m happy for you. With Mo Ye Workshop crafting elite weapons for the Great Yuan Dynasty, how could our enemies stand a chance?” Li Ye smiled.

“That’s all thanks to Your Highness’s guidance. Please, take this seat!” Mo Nianqiu said respectfully.

“Very well, I won’t refuse! There are many guests here, so you can attend to them. No need to trouble yourself with me,” Li Ye said without hesitation, seating himself at the main table, accompanied by Xiao Cui, Lin Yue, and Mr. Xiao.

He even had Mr. Xiao sit beside him, with Xiao Cui and Lin Yue serving on either side.

Many were shocked at the deference shown by the head of Mo Ye Workshop toward Li Ye. The workshop was hailed as the world’s premier divine weapon forge. Even the disciples inside were usually arrogant, showing no special respect to generals or princes. Martial artists always had to beseech them to craft fine weapons, so why had they suddenly shown such reverence to Li Ye, the lowest in rank? And to grant him the seat reserved only for the emperor himself when visiting?

This baffled many.

Financially, Mo Ye Workshop was not lacking. They could produce more weapons easily, and many would spend lavishly to buy them. But the workshop only forged top-tier masterpieces, refusing to release any unsatisfactory weapons even if it meant destruction, to protect their reputation. And even their rejected weapons were still among the finest outside.

Shi Wushuang approached with a playful smile.

“Shi Wushuang greets Your Highness the Sixth Prince. Could it be that you’re interested in this weapon as well?”

Li Ye replied lazily, “That doesn’t really concern you, does it?”

Unfazed, Shi Wushuang explained, “If Your Highness is a martial artist, I would certainly hope you could obtain this divine weapon—it would be a great advantage.”

“But from what I know, the Sixth Prince has never practiced martial arts. If you buy this divine weapon just to store it away, wouldn’t that be letting a precious gem gather dust? I only feel sorry for the weapon.”

“Heh, since Mo Ye Workshop is willing to exhibit and auction it off, the highest bidder wins. How someone uses it is none of your concern,” Li Ye retorted bluntly.

A flicker of irritation appeared on Shi Wushuang’s face but was quickly masked.

Those nearby were also angered by Li Ye’s words. Martial artists treasured good weapons immensely. If such a weapon fell into the hands of someone who did not understand martial arts and simply stored it away, it would be a grave insult. However, since Li Ye was a prince, no one dared to confront him or force him out of the bidding.

What made matters worse was that everyone knew Li Ye was incredibly wealthy. If he truly took a liking to this sword, others would have no chance.

“Hahaha, the Sixth Prince is right! Once you buy it, you can use it however you please. But today, I must advise Your Highness—”

“Qingxue is my partner and a formal disciple of Yunlu Pavilion. No one is allowed to bully her, not even Your Highness. I hope you recognize the facts and cease this nonsense!” Shi Wushuang’s gaze at Li Ye was full of warning.

Seeing someone dare to threaten Li Ye, Lin Yue snorted coldly, her hand already on the sword’s hilt, ready to act at any moment. Others might not dare provoke members of Yunlu Pavilion, but she certainly did not care.

“You’re quite bold, Young Master Wushuang,” Li Ye said indifferently, not even bothering to glance at him.

“If you have that energy to spare, you’d be better off watching your own woman instead of causing trouble everywhere.”

“Sixth Prince! You deliberately embarrassed me yesterday as an act of personal revenge, didn’t you?” Qin Qingxue’s anger flared at the memory.

“Oh? Since when did the Qin family become so arrogant? You even insist on receiving me at my own estate?” Li Ye asked coldly.

Qin Qingxue was at a loss for words.

“Hmph, Sixth Prince, I admit your family has helped us before. I acknowledge that. But don’t think that means I’ll forever feel indebted to you. All the money you spent, I intend to repay every penny. I will never owe you anything!”

“Good! Such spirit suits the identity of the Great Yuan Dynasty’s female general. Then I wish you luck in gathering the money and repaying it soon, so neither of us owes the other. That way, you’ll have more confidence when speaking to me, won’t you?” Li Ye nodded and agreed on the spot.

Qin Qingxue was almost stunned with anger. She had expected Li Ye to say it was a matter of saving face and that repayment was unnecessary. Instead, he publicly agreed to let her repay the debt. Did he not care about others’ opinions at all?

Shi Wushuang immediately mocked, “Young Master, your perspective is a bit narrow, isn’t it? You want to reclaim money spent on a woman? Aren’t you afraid of becoming a laughingstock?”

“If she’s willing to pay, why shouldn’t I accept? Since she’s with you, how about you, Young Master Wushuang, repay her debt? As the senior disciple of Yunlu Pavilion, you should have no shortage of funds,” Li Ye said.