The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 139 If the price is right, everything is negotiable
Where there is demand, there is a basis for cooperation.

The benefits might even be so great that they could be used as bait to directly incite the fox spirit and snake spirit.

With two old demons who have cultivated for many years protecting him, Li Jingxiao will have even more confidence to go to the Western Sea Path to fight monsters.

Hu Xian was actually somewhat afraid of Li Jingxiao.

It wasn't their fear of Li Jingxiao's cultivation level that was awe-inspiring, but rather their fear of his marquis title and official position.

In a world where humanity is flourishing, it is naturally more difficult for those of other kinds to cultivate themselves.

Otherwise, so many immortals wouldn't have gone to the area beyond the Great Wall.

They also keep to their proper place, only willing to cooperate with the families that worship them, in order to obtain the incense offerings and merits they need.

To avoid provoking powerful Taoist priests or Buddhist monks who might come to your door claiming they want to exorcise demons.

However, seeking favors from deities naturally creates karmic ties with them, and many disciples do not have a good end.

Li Jingxiao and the fox spirit reached an agreement.

Ask him to help investigate Jin Yangjun's background; all you need is 10 catties of spirit wine.

But if he were to protect Lee Kyung-hyo and go to Goryeo to subdue demons, he would have to weigh 50 jin (approximately 25 catties).

Li Jingxiao and the other party haggled for a whole incense stick's time before finally agreeing on 30 jin of spirit wine.

It wasn't that Li Jingxiao wanted to waste his breath, but rather that he would only say as much as the other person said.

That's an idiot.

Of course, just in case, Li Jingxiao added a condition at the end.

If Hu Xian is injured while protecting herself, she will be rewarded with 20 jin (approximately 10 catties).

If someone shows up but doesn't put in the effort, then I'll complain to Maoshan and find those big shots in the Heavenly Court.

At that time, this fox spirit will have no chance of receiving a proper title.

To remain a wild immortal for one's entire life is to cut off the opportunity to achieve immortality through the orthodox path.

Afterwards, in his interactions with Liu Xian, the price and conditions were the same as those with the fox spirit.

However, Li Jingxiao first paid 20 catties of spirit wine so that Hu Xian and Liu Xian could investigate the tiger demon's background.

The next morning, Li Jingxiao had just entered the yamen of the Left Garrison Command.

He saw that the three Shi brothers, Hu Xinrong, and Liu Yixiu were already waiting for him.

As expected, the fox spirit and the willow spirit were indeed local bullies.

In just one night, they discovered that the tiger demon was nothing more than a monster who had cultivated for five or six hundred years outside the pass.

I don't know why, but I found the days of ascetic practice in the mountains too unbearable.

Not daring to enter the pass, he fled to Goryeo to commit evil.

Ultimately, it's because they couldn't bear the loneliness and hardship, and were unwilling to continue their arduous ascetic practices.

Moreover, tigers that have cultivated into spirits are mostly domineering in nature. They are taught to learn from Hu Liu Huang Bai Hui and form supply relationships with human families.

It would be better to simply designate a territory, recruit more ghosts as subordinates, and live a more carefree life.

After confirming the tiger demon's background, Li Jingxiao finally felt relieved.

Moreover, according to Hu Xian and Liu Xian, either of them could easily defeat the tiger demon.

However, getting them to deal with the tiger demon comes at a much higher price.

Li Jingxiao didn't care about this at all. As long as the bodyguards were capable, his main goal was to gain experience.

At worst, I can let Hu Xian and Liu Xian beat that tiger demon half to death, and then I can kill it myself to gain experience.

As for the spirit wine, just give it to us.

If you earn a lot of experience, it's fine to give more as a reward.

Anyway, you can easily buy Monkey Spirit Wine in the town at level 20 in the game, and Flower Fairy will refresh every day.

Monkey Spirit Wine was not a precious item for Li Jingxiao.

And the tiger demon had quite a few accomplices.

According to Hu Xian and Liu Xian, there should be no fewer than three hundred.

I previously gained 1200 experience points from defeating the cat-faced old woman, and 400 experience points from each weasel.

Even if a ghost only has a hundred or two hundred experience points, with the small demons gathered from around Saikaido, it should be enough to level up several times.

Maybe leveling up ten levels won't be a problem.

In this way, going there won't hinder your leveling speed.

Li Jingxiao's enthusiasm increased.

He led his men into the palace to report to the emperor and the retired emperor.

However, Li Jingxiao would not tell the truth when facing the emperor and his son.

Fortunately, although it's exaggerated, it's not outrageous.

But to the emperor and his son, a monster that had cultivated into human form and possessed intelligence was an absolute scourge.

Although it is said that he has cultivated to take human form, he is actually still a half-demon, half-human monster with a tiger's head and a human body, and his tail has not been transformed.

According to the fox spirit and willow spirit, it would take at least 500 years for a person to truly take human form, unless they have a special destiny.

Of course, some foxes, especially those with exceptional talent, can transform into human form within a hundred years.

It's not surprising that snakes and dragons take thousands of years to transform into human form.

When the emperor and his son heard that the tiger demon had 3 more demons and monsters under its command, they couldn't help but feel that the situation would be even more difficult to deal with.

Moreover, intelligence had already been received last winter that the Tatars would march south to attack Goryeo when spring arrived and flowers bloomed.

They sent people to investigate the northern grasslands for another winter, and now it's basically confirmed that the news was indeed accurate.

At this time, a tiger demon suddenly ran to the West Sea Road of Goryeo and caused trouble.

Even a fool would think there's something wrong here.

Perhaps that tiger demon was actually a vanguard that the Tatars had bribed at great expense to deliberately stir up trouble in Goryeo.

Moreover, the Western Sea Route is closest to the border of the Great Zhou Dynasty, so if the Great Zhou army wants to support Goryeo...

We must pass through the Saikaido.

Otherwise, they would have to take a detour to the north, which would add two or three hundred miles to their journey, and their logistics would be exposed to the tiger demon.

What's even more worrying is that Goryeo is mountainous with narrow roads, making resupply difficult.

It was naturally a good thing for Goryeo to resist foreign enemies.

However, if demons were to launch a surprise attack on the Goryeo border army's logistics from behind, it would also cause the Goryeo border army to run out of food.

If the Tatars were to suddenly move south at this time, casualties and the difficulty of the attack would decrease dramatically.

Therefore, the emperor and his son could only look at Li Jingxiao with anticipation.

Li Jingxiao certainly couldn't say that he didn't want to go.

He wasn't stupid; if he wanted to cultivate Taoism in peace, he needed a stable environment.

Within a year, he had already become a hereditary marquis. Li Jingxiao felt that it was too fast for him to be promoted to a higher rank and official position.

Not to mention the entire court and the imperial family.

But if you make a contribution but don't get the reward you deserve, anyone would be unhappy.

The retired emperor could tell at a glance that this kid wanted to bargain, but Li Jingxiao wasn't going, and he didn't know who could deal with that tiger demon.

With this in mind, the Emperor Emeritus gritted his teeth. In any case, there were four princes of different surnames in the Great Zhou Dynasty. As long as the merits were sufficient, it was not impossible for him to be granted the title of Duke or even a princely title.

Then a thought struck him: This kid is lustful.

After getting married, he didn't even want to go to social events.

After reporting for duty at the government office each day, he would hide in his room to cultivate himself.

He often went home early in the afternoon to play with his wives and concubines before the end of the workday.

Since that's the case, just give him a few more wives as a reward.

To some extent, this could be considered a reward, offsetting some of the merit and preventing him from actually being granted a royal title. With this in mind, the retired emperor no longer hesitated.

Both openly and covertly, they were implying that Li Jingxiao should just do his best to serve the court, and that he would not be shortchanged if he made any contributions.

He also specifically mentioned his past experiences of going on a northern expedition with Duke Rongguo, Jia Daishan, and Duke Ningguo, Jia Daihua.

Upon hearing this, Li Jingxiao and the emperor guessed that the retired emperor was implying that if the merits were sufficient, being granted a dukedom was not out of the question.

However, Li Jingxiao had more on his mind. He was only concerned with killing the tiger demon and defeating the lesser demons, which was indeed a great achievement.

But this credit can't actually be openly acknowledged.

At the very least, it cannot be announced that there are monster forces ruling the mountains outside the pass, otherwise it will surely cause the people of the Great Zhou and the unsuspecting nobles to be suspicious and uncertain, and even cause the people's hearts to be unbalanced.

Therefore, if one wants to be enfeoffed as a duke, one must at least fight against the Tatars and make great contributions.

Thinking about it this way, Li Jingxiao couldn't help but curse in his heart.

However, there is a chance to sweep across the desert and grasslands, seal the wolf's lair, drink from the vast sea, and make a name for oneself in history.

It's something that probably no time traveler could refuse.

Therefore, Li Jingxiao accepted the task without hesitation.

After Li Jingxiao left the Daming Palace, the emperor looked at his father with a hint of unease and confusion.

The retired emperor had achieved success in his Taoist practice, and his thoughts were indeed somewhat different from before.

After the explanation, the emperor nodded helplessly, but his own thoughts began to stir within him.

If Li Jingxiao is indeed a womanizer, it would naturally be a good thing for the royal family.

The more reluctant one is to give up the comfort of a gentle embrace, the lower the perceived threat level.

For years, the emperor had been completely suppressed by his father, the retired emperor.

Ultimately, it comes down to having too little military power.

Few civil and military officials were on his side.

So the emperor only pondered for a moment before deciding to send Li Jingxiao with 1 cavalrymen under his command to support the northern frontier.

They also planned to transfer 2 light cavalry from the Five Military Commands and hand them over to Li Jingxiao for command.

The emperor estimated that the number of three thousand cavalrymen did not exceed the limits set by the retired emperor.

Of course, it cannot be said openly; nominally, Li Jingxiao was leading troops to fight the Tatars.

Secretly, however, he was using Li Jingxiao to seize more military power.

Instead, they used the excuse that since the tiger demon had hundreds of demons and monsters under his command, if they didn't give Li Jingxiao some elite soldiers, relying solely on him and the few men from the Left Garrison Command would be sending them to their deaths.

However, the retired emperor, who had been emperor for decades, could see at a glance that the emperor wanted to use Li Jingxiao to strengthen his own power.

Moreover, if these 3 cavalrymen truly achieve meritorious service in the fight against the Tatars, the emperor's prestige in the army will soar.

An emperor with military power in hand can speak with greater authority in court.

Incidentally, he also brought Li Jingxiao under his command, thus balancing and controlling other generals in the court and the border army.

In the past, the retired emperor would definitely not have agreed.

But right now, all he wants is for the court to be stable and the borders to be peaceful, so that it won't hinder his cultivation and pursuit of immortality.

Living a few more years is a good thing, at least.

However, the old emperor could not allow his son to expand his influence.

After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said, "Jingyou is about to marry the eldest daughter of the Jia family. Why not take advantage of the time while we are mobilizing troops and preparing provisions and weapons to have Jingyou get married ahead of schedule?"

The emperor frowned, but if he didn't agree, the retired emperor might be even happier.

I could only pinch my nose and nod in agreement.

While verbally requesting Xia Shouzhong to deliver the imperial decree, the Emperor Emeritus first sent the old eunuch Dai Quan out of the palace to deliver the decree to Li Jingxiao and the Rongguo Mansion.

The wedding is scheduled for nine days later on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month.

No sooner had Li Jingxiao entered the Left Garrison Command than Dai Quan hurriedly followed with his imperial edict-bearing entourage.

Upon hearing that it was a special decree ordering him to get married ahead of schedule so that he could travel north in peace, Li Jingxiao was quite happy.

After the imperial decree was announced, Dai Quan cupped his hands in congratulations to Li Jingxiao.

Li Jingxiao naturally had no intention of looking down on this old eunuch.

He presented a two-hundred-tael silver note and said with a smile, "Your Excellency, I have recently received some tributes. I will send you a jar of monkey wine later for you to try."

Dai Quan was initially delighted, as monkey wine has been quite famous since ancient times.

However, this stuff is rare and the taste varies.

Some say it's like fine wine, while others say it's sour, bitter, and has a very unpleasant taste.

The reason, of course, is that in nature, the fruits collected by monkeys ferment in tree holes.

Fermentation will not be complete if it is too early.

It's too late; the taste is sour and astringent, so it's naturally not good.

Moreover, preserving fruit wine is also a hassle.

After a smile, Dai Quan suddenly had a thought.

Li Jingxiao just said that someone was showing him respect, but the gift was a whole jar.

It's clear that he had quite a bit of monkey wine in his hand.

Thinking about it this way, my heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Li Jingxiao was a highly skilled Taoist master. On the thirtieth day of the lunar year, he displayed great divine power in the palace. The sight of his body flashing with lightning is still vivid in my mind.

He said that just because someone is filial doesn't mean they are a real person.

Perhaps it was a monkey from the mountains that had transformed into a human and offered him monkey wine in an attempt to please him.

Dai Quan asked in a slightly nervous voice, "My lord, where did this wine come from? Could you please give me a jar or two more?"

Li Jingxiao knew that the old eunuch had understood his hint.

He said with a smile, "The hermit in the mountains is not practicing the Tao properly. I saw that he was wholeheartedly devoted to goodness and often restrained the unruly people in the mountains, so I gave him some pointers."

Unlike him, the old man was a grateful person; a few days ago, he specially sent over a hundred jars of monkey wine.

I have been drinking this frequently lately, and it is indeed excellent.

After saying that, he patted the purple-gold gourd hanging from his waist.

Dai Quan also recalled that his subordinates had recently reported that Li Jingxiao had indeed been reeking of alcohol all the time.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a mountain spirit that sent monkey wine to thank Li Jingxiao for his guidance.

However, Li Jingxiao rarely left the city, and apart from two occasions when he had important business, he never left the city at all.

Where did he see that monkey spirit?
Furthermore, although the hundred or so wine jars were not particularly conspicuous, it was impossible for them to be hidden from the soldiers guarding the city and the spies of the imperial guards when they entered and left the city.

If it were sent to the Marquis's mansion, it would be even more impossible to hide it from the spies there.

Now there was still no news at all, and Dai Quan suddenly felt the hairs on his body stand on end.

Seeing that he had frightened the old eunuch, Li Jingxiao smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and took out a beginner's talisman for the Golden Light Mantra.

"Don't worry, Your Excellency. There are still many extraordinary people in this world who are devoted to the Tao and enjoy life."

If the inner minister is still not at ease, this talisman is the Golden Light Mantra, one of the Taoist divine incantations.

Not only does it possess extremely strong protective abilities, but it also keeps evil spirits away. It was given to the Inner Minister for self-defense.

Dai Quan saw that the runes of the Golden Light Mantra were shimmering with light, and he knew at a glance that it was definitely real.

He hurriedly bowed and thanked Li Jingxiao, and then, as Li Jingxiao had instructed, folded the cloth into a triangle, tied it with a red string, and hung it close to his body in front of his chest.

I even patted him on the shoulder before thanking him again, feeling relieved.

Then, without even going to the Jia family in person, he sent his godson to deliver the imperial decree to the Jia family.

He then rushed to the Daming Palace to report the matter to the Emperor Emeritus.

(End of this chapter)