Chapter 1036: Transaction
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
Bounty hunters were a legendary group of people who possessed mysterious and unpredictable abilities and often hovered on the edge of life and death in pursuit of their prey. The evil races in the world were their targets, including the Bloodkin, demi-humans, zombies, and fierce beasts.
The killing was just basic means to make a living for these people. Only by killing their prey could they sell them on the black market and obtain the things they wanted. The Bounty Hunters’ only code was that they weren’t allowed to kill the average people.
“What are we gonna do now, Master?” the slender middle-aged female who wore black sungla.s.ses asked in a low voice.
“Heh, I once clashed with Chinese ability users. They are just a bunch of weak people.” The old man snorted. “We’ll ignore them if they don’t annoy us when catching our prey. But if they get in our way, kill them without mercy!”
“But this is Chinese territory, Master,” the middle-aged female said in a low voice. “I’m afraid we’ll attract quite the trouble if we rashly kill their people. We may be lions, but the bites of a wolf pack are unbearable regardless.”
The old man pondered for a moment before nodding. “You’re right. But my injuries have yet to heal, and continue chasing those two half-ghouls will affect my healing rate. Alright, go find the people who are monitoring us. Tell them I want to meet their leader.”
The middle-aged female replied. But as she was about to leave the cabin of the fis.h.i.+ng boat, the old man’s face suddenly s.h.i.+fted and he floated outside, appearing on the fis.h.i.+ng boat deck.
“They are coming.”
A solemn look was cast on his face. He considered himself very strong, but it was just against some weak ability users of China’s Special Abilities Bureau. Yet, he dared not guarantee that he could win the director of this bureau—the powerful Duanmu Lin. More so that he had yet to heal from his injuries.
After half a minute, Duanmu Lin came to the sh.o.r.e with more than ten ability users of the Special Abilities Bureau. Tang Xiu stood next to him with hands crossed behind his back, looking at that old man. He learned from Duanmu Lin on their way here the true ident.i.ty of these three people. They were Bounty Hunters.
“We meet again, geezer Zhong!”
A faint and vague smile appearing on his face, Duanmu Lin greeted.
“I never thought you would still be alive after our last meeting a couple of years ago, Duanmu Lin.” The old man knitted his brows and said, “Are those around you the ability users from China’s Special Abilities Bureau? They look like tras.h.!.+”
“How can I die if you’re not dead yourself, geezer?” Duanmu Lin smilingly said, “They are indeed ability users from my Bureau, but do I need your comment or something? Well, those two brats you saved the other day have grown this old now, huh? It seems like they also got your inheritance, no? How about a contest between my trash men with yours?”
“I know this place is your country’s territory, Duanmu Lin. But Bounty Hunters like us are not restricted to any international treaty. We can appear anywhere when hunting any irregularities and divergent races,” said the old man indifferently. “Further, I didn’t come here to be your bureau’s enemy, but chasing those dreadful sinners of prey.”
“You’re right. I don’t mean that I don’t welcome you to China.” Duanmu Lin nodded and said, “It’s just that your prey this time is related to a big incident in China, so I hope you can stop and let us clean our own courtyard.”
“Heh, do you think it’s possible?” The old man coldly replied, “We killed a dozen half-ghouls abroad just to clarify the info of our prey here and I got injured in the process. You tell me why, should we just give up after working our a.s.s off for a few months, huh?”
Duanmu Lin was silent. He was well aware of the code and morality of the Bounty Hunters. The old fella before him was even more paranoid and he would disregard any extreme danger if he was about to succeed in nailing his prey.
“How much for those two half-ghouls, then?” Tang Xiu stepped forward by half a step, looked at the old man and asked. “We can cooperate if they are cheap enough.”
The old man knitted his brows and a mocking look appeared on his face. “I didn’t think someone from your Special Abilities Bureaus would be this unruly, Duanmu Lin. Since when a subordinate can make decisions for you, huh? Are you perhaps going to retire soon and give your position to this brat?”
Duanmu Lin turned to look at Tang Xiu, shaking his head and smilingly saying, “Geezer Zhong, if this kid wants to take over the director position of my bureau, I won’t hesitate to give it to him at once. I don’t mind being a small soldier under his command.”
“What did you say?”
The old man’s face changed and he shot a disbelieving look at Duanmu Lin and Tang Xiu. He knew Duanmu Lin’s personality—a man so loyal that he dedicated everything to his country and cared about the director position of the Special Abilities Bureau very much. How could he be so willing to let it go now?
A smile crept up on Tang Xiu’s face as he let out a light smile and said, “I have not the slightest bit of interest in becoming the Director of Special Abilities Bureau. No need to sow any dissent, Senior Zhong. Just tell me how much is the price for two half-ghouls in the black market.”
The old man shot a deep look at Tang Xiu and stretched out a finger. “10 million dollars.”
Tang Xiu gave him an OK sign and lightly smiled. “Rather than slaying those two half-ghouls yourself and then selling them in the black market, I think it’s better to sell them to us, no? Certainly, we can still help you to find those two half-ghouls and you can even join us in killing them.”
The old man narrowed his eyes. The proposal from the other party made him interested. Moreover, he was the least afraid that the Special Abilities Bureau wouldn’t keep their promise. At this moment, however, he was much more interested in learning Tang Xiu’s ident.i.ty. “What’s your name, young man?”
“Tang Xiu,” answered Tang Xiu with a smile.
“You’re good, kid. This old man likes a young talent like you,” said the old man with a nod. “Alright. I agree with the deal, but I need you to wait for me to heal up.”
Tang Xiu flipped his hand and a jade bottle appeared on his hand. Looking at him, he said, “Senior Zhong, Bounty Hunters like you do business with blade and blood, right? Injuries, more so the serious ones, should affect you greatly, right? I have some medicinal pills here and I want you to see whether they’re useful to you. We can discuss the price!”
“Medicinal pill? As in the likes of healing pills?” said the old man with a strange face. “Aren’t you an ability user, or are you an oriental cultivator—one that can concoct medicinal pills?”
Tang Xiu didn’t try to hide it and smilingly said, “That’s right. I’m a cultivator who can refine medicinal pills. So, are you interested in this transaction?”
“I need to inspect it first,” said the old man. “If the efficacy of the medicinal pill you refined is really great, I’ll buy it. But if the effect is negligible, forget mentioning it ever again.”
Tang Xiu opened the jade bottle and sucked out a Holy Healing pill from the inside. He immediately flicked it and it instantly floated in front of the old man’s face. Then, he said with a smile, “This Holy Healing pill is priced at 20 million USD. If you want to try it and the efficacy is good, you must pay me 20 million dollars. But I won’t take a dime if the effect isn’t good.”
“Isn’t your asking price just extorting me?” yelled the old man. “20 million dollars? Why don’t just rob me straight?”
The smile on Tang Xiu’s face receded and was replaced by a bit of indifference. “If you are to get seriously injured during a fight and it affects your combat effectiveness, you can expect to meet your demise. But taking the Holy Healing pill I refined will heal you quickly and is equal to having half a life. Tell me which is more important, 20 million dollars or half a life?”
“This…”
The old man was unable to retort. No matter how much money one had, it was useless if one died! However, a 20-million-dollar pill was too expensive! He may be rich, but buying a dozen Holy Healing pills and got fleeced like that would still make him distressed.
“Well, the call is yours,” said Tang Xiu. “You decide whether you’ll take the deal.”
The old man sensed his internal injury and looked at the pill floating in front of his eyes. After weighing the pros and cons, he finally compromised and grabbed the pill, tore off the wax paper and directly swallowed it.
“Be careful of poison, Master!” The blonde man hurriedly called out with a change in his complexion.
“I’ll be wary and worrying about that if it was someone else.” The old man shook his head and said, “But I can feel at ease if he’s Duanmu Lin’s man.”
A smile outlined on the corner of Duanmu Lin’s mouth. With a pale smile, he cupped his fists and said, “I never thought a sharp-tongued man like you could speak such warm words, Old Zhong. That’s so rare coming from you! Well, I know Tang Xiu’s character. He won’t harm you.”
Tang Xiu didn’t speak, but Duanmu Lin was correct. After learning the existence of Bounty Hunters, he wouldn’t harm such a professional old man. Bounty Hunters may rely on killings to make a living, yet all their targets were irregularities and divergent races. But they also never easily killed the divergent races that didn’t do evil deeds when they encountered them either.
In other words, the vast majority of bounty hunters could be considered as good people.
After the old man took the Holy Healing pill, he felt a heat rus.h.i.+ng out of the pill. It flowed into his chest through his throat and then poured into his abdomen. Ultimately, the huge medicinal efficacy dispersed and spread out into his limbs and five internal organs.
“Huh?”
The old man’s complexion s.h.i.+fted and he immediately sat cross-legged.
Duanmu Lin turned to glance at Tang Xiu and smilingly said, “I never knew that you’re able to refine medicinal pills prior to this. I think 20 million dollars is a cost-effective price for your Holy Healing pill, Tang Xiu. How many of them you have? I want to buy them too.”
Tang Xiu thought for a while and transmitted his reply, “I can sell 100 pills for 10 million dollars each annually. That’s… the limit of Holy Healing pill I can produce.”
Duanmu Lin raised his thumbs up and praised. “You truly deserve being one of our people. That’s a good preferential offer. The deal will be as you said. The Special Abilities Bureau will buy 100 Holy Healing pills from you annually.”