"I can rent a house in a populated place where he won't be able to attack, will you help me bring him there to talk?"
"Of course. My team and I will make sure that nothing happens to you."
With this agreement, Tiffany woke up her unconscious team members and explained the situation to them. She shared how Ken spared their life in spite of their ill intentions, and how everything was Maria's fault. Eventually, she declared her objective to help Ken meet with Mr. Darma and negotiate.
"Team leader, are you sure about that? We will do the opposite of what we were hired to do," The man, Yuri, whispered.
"Do you want to backstab a lonely child after he spared your life? Are you that type of person? Don't forget we are righteous cultivators, not evil scum," this time Tiffany didn't have to answer; Odette who just woke up and heard the story was the one to scold him.
"But it's his fault that Uriah died!"
"No, he never aimed to kill any of us, and it's a fact since the four of us are still alive. It's all this bitch's fault. I'm itching to kill her, but Young Master Ken is too averse to violence and death," Tiffany sighed in disappointment.
"I was wrong, I'm sorry. I've been too agitated over Uriah's death and acted like a villain," Yuri sighed and admitted his mistake.
"It's all right. Since we all agree, let's tell him our decision. We will volunteer to pay for the house to make up for him. After all, this unexpected expense is because of the threat of enslavement by Mr. Darma."
"I agree that we can help him, but we should remain wary of him. I know that he has given us every reason to trust him and be thankful, but don't forget Maria's description of how manipulative and cruel he is. Don't trust him blindly yet," Octavia said, prompting a nod from her group.
"Maria is traitorous and a former bandit, we can't really take her word as truth," Tiffany was still more inclined to believe in Ken.
"And yet, her fear of him is not normal. We should remain vigilant, that's all I'm saying," Octavia insisted.
Meanwhile, Ken was crouching near Maria. He fed her with a healing pill and extracted the remnants of Sword Qi she hadn't expelled yet.
"Dear girl, how could you be so silly and turn against me? Did you really think you will succeed?" He whispered into her ear.
"I was too blind by greed after entering the fifth stage. Please forgive me, Young Master," Maria said in fear with her head bowing down.
"There's no need to be so scared, I will not kill you. I still have a task for you. As long as you perform well, I will overlook today's incident," Ken said as he stroked her hair.
"Thank you, Young Master! I will complete your task even at the cost of my life!" Maria said quickly. His gentle touch did nothing to comfort her, it only filled her heart with eerie sensation and trepidation.
"Good. It seems like they finished their group talk, let's listen to what they have to say. Remember to behave, I wouldn't want them to think bad of me."
"Yes, Young Master."
'This girl, Octavia, is bothersome,' Ken, who could hear the whole conversation since he controlled the formation, didn't like the suspicious lady.
They watched the group of four approaching to announce their decision.
"Young Master, we decided to help you and make things right after we had wronged you, and we will cover the costs of whichever house you choose to rent. We hope you can see it as our way to show our sincerity," Tiffany said and everyone behind her nodded in agreement. The four only spared one hateful glance toward Maria before focusing entirely on Ken.
"Thank you for your help. You can bury your friend before we go," Ken revealed a hint of sympathy with his words.
"Thank you for your patience, Young Master," they cupped their fist and bowed before digging a grave in the forest under the shade of the largest tree nearby. Because of the cultivators' tendency to die in unpopulated places, cultivators normally buried their friends wherever they fell.
"Goodbye, Uriah. You died because we acted like evil cultivators and tried to hunt an innocent child. This tragedy will remind us to remain righteous for the rest of our lives," Octavia offered a few last words.
"We are ready to go. Thank you for waiting for us, Young Master."
----------
'I guess I will miss my battle after all,' Ken sighed helplessly as they entered the gate of the Ice Feather City. Everyone had to pay fees of 10 lower Qi Stones to enter, but Ken was exempted thanks to his discipleship token.
"Where can I find a large house that can serve the purpose of meeting with Mr. Darma?"
"Let's go to the real estate broker. His employees keep track of everything available for sale or rent in the city," Octavia explained their plan to Ken.
The group of six walked to the broker shop and soon faced a man, looking in his early thirties. Despite his age, he was only at the third stage, and probably will never form a core.
"Hello, customers. How may I help you?"
"We are interested in renting a large house in a populated and well-guarded area for…" Tiffany began describing their request but was unsure of the period they wanted.
"Doesn't matter, between a week to a year, whatever's available," Ken completed her sentence.
The seller gave Ken a quick curious look as he didn't expect the child to be the decision maker, but he was professional enough to continue as Ken was not the first young master he had met, "Of course, there are 4 houses fitting these demands, and one castle. Would you like to hear the prices?"
"Does the castle have the largest hall?" Ken asked without hesitation.
"Yes, only castles have halls meant for meetings and events. The size-" The broker began explaining.
"We will take the castle," Ken instructed. His plan required a large space, so he needed to take a house with a large hall.
"Young Master, are you sure?" Tiffany said awkwardly. Her team exchanged worried looks when they wondered if their leader still intended to volunteer to pay.
"Of course, Young Master. The castle must be rented for a minimum of only one night as many use it to host parties and special events. Every night costs fifty medium Qi Stones. My fees are three percent of the deal, I hope it is not beyond your budget, Young Master," the broker said in fake concern. It was a normal strategy they used to manipulate young masters with fragile egos.
"My budget can cover the whole city. I will take it for a month," Ken dismissed his words, enjoying his roleplay as a young master.
"Haha, Young Master must be joking, I already said we will cover it, I will not renege on my word," Tiffany laughed painfully and tossed 1545 medium Qi Stones on the counter.
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