What bad intentions could my Daoist partner possibly have?

Chapter 13 "Brother from the same village, come in and let's talk about the 'breach of contract'."

"I'm telling you, aren't you going to collect the debt?"

In the alley, Li Qing'an stopped and looked helplessly at Shen Jianwei, who was also holding an umbrella beside him: "Do you think I can collect debts by following you like this? What if some people escape from Luoxia City?"

"No, it won't happen." Shen Jianwei, with bright eyes, shook her head: "I've made all the arrangements. Even if someone wasn't originally from Luoxia City, I can still find them for you, my fellow villager."

Li Qingan glanced at her with slight surprise: "So amazing?"

Shen Jianwei rolled his eyes, put his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest and raised his head: "Fellow villager, do you know what it means to use someone else's name to make a big deal out of nothing?"

Li Qing'an understood; the Luoxia Sect was indeed the largest sect north of Yanzhou.

However, this girl's chest is indeed a bit small.

With her chest out and head held high, she looked about the size of a peach.

In contrast, although Su Lingyin was wearing a slimming black dress, by a rough eye, she was at least the size of a pomelo.

If you eat so much every day, won't the nutrients be absorbed into your breasts?

“Then you don’t need to come with me,” Li Qingan said. “I want to be sad by myself for a while.”

"That's why I wanted to comfort you." Shen Jianwei chuckled. "I'm serious about helping you pursue Lingyin!"

I know everything about Lingyin's interests, hobbies, and eating habits.

"You just sold her off like that?"

“How can you sell this? Who told you to like her so much?” Shen Jianwei said seriously, “I admit I had some prejudice against you before, but now I really want to make amends…”

"I think you just want to freeload off me."

"Uh..." Shen Jianwei blinked. Had they found out?

Why isn't my fellow villager more oblivious in this regard?
"I admit I have some ulterior motives, but if I help you with your ideas, it's not too much to ask that you give me some food, is it?"

Shen Jianwei lowered her head slightly, a little embarrassed, the tips of her shoes under her skirt lightly touching the wet ground: "N-no, is that not allowed?"

Li Qingan wanted to refuse again, but then he thought that he might be able to find out about the Tianyuan Mirror indirectly through Shen Jianwei, so he changed his mind.

"Okay, but you can't get in the way of what I'm doing."

"Okay okay."

Shen Jianwei nodded like a chicken pecking at rice; following the villagers meant he could eat a wider variety of delicious food...

Although I've tried all the food at the morning market, some of the people delivering things to Li Qing'an aren't actually selling goods. While I can buy some home-raised chickens and ducks, they're more expensive than at the morning market, and my budget isn't enough.

"Hey fellow villager, which stop are we at next?"

"I also need to settle my accounts."

Li Qingan took out another ledger. He now strongly suspected that some of his memories had been deliberately erased or blocked by some being.

Putting aside the fact that he has forgotten his family, sect, and Su Lingyin... furthermore, given his personality, even if he were to leave Luoxia City for Luohuang Mountain, he would definitely complete the tasks he was supposed to do in order to maintain his reputation.

However, judging from the records in these ledgers, he suddenly set off for Luohuang Mountain, as if he were possessed by a ghost.

These events clearly cannot be summed up by a simple case of amnesia.

Rather than amnesia, it's more like a premeditated seal...

Huang Qingwu's voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts: "Most of the debts you owe are trivial matters, and you may have already taken care of them yourself, so it doesn't matter whether you pay them back or not. Is it really necessary to go there in person?"

"No matter what, you should at least say something," Li Qingan replied. "Otherwise, wouldn't I become another Dong Bin?"

Huang Qingwu scoffed, "Even if it's done well, all you'll get in return is a nice reputation and free food..."

"Master, have you forgotten the three rules?"

Huang Qingwu snorted coldly: "Even being invincible in the world can get this kind of treatment... Fine, you do what you want, I don't care anymore."

“Master, rats have their ways, and snakes have their paths.” Li Qingan chuckled. “What if these people have clues about the Heavenly Origin Mirror?”

Huang Qingwu did not respond, and Li Qingan did not care. It was better to have a clear mind.

"Hey fellow villager, the rain's getting heavier again. Why don't you find a place to sit down?"

"I don't want to drag this out... Why don't you go back first?"

"No." Shen Jianwei turned to look at Li Qingan: "I have a feeling that I'll be able to eat delicious food again if I follow you."

"Alright... then tell me, what are Lingyin's hobbies?"

Shen Jianwei's eyes lit up: "I'll tell you..."

Her voice was clear and bright, like a cheerful lark in the pattering rain. Every now and then she would take out some fruit from her storage ring and eat it, which relieved a lot of her boredom.

Occasionally, she would blink her bright eyes and ask Li Qing'an if he wanted to eat, and after receiving Li Qing'an's reply of "no," she would show a relieved expression.

But the next second she quickly and embarrassedly explained that she wasn't really reluctant to part with it...

Li Qingan couldn't help but smile at what he saw.

So far, this 'little' girl doesn't seem to have many tricks up her sleeve; her feelings are written all over her face.

Along the way, he secretly observed Shen Jianwei quite a bit. A girl with such a bright appearance and a sweet smile is easy to make people feel good at first glance.

It looks so good.

Moreover, Li Qingan also noticed some small details.

Shen Jianwei's bright yellow dress was made of golden silk brocade, which had the effect of blocking evil spirits and nourishing the spiritual veins. The bracelet on her wrist and the jade pendant at her waist were also top-notch magical treasures.

She must be the daughter of a wealthy family... But then again, an ordinary family really couldn't afford her eating like that.

As he looked at them, he thought that his own family might be doing quite well, because he could not only see the effects of the ornaments Shen Jianwei wore, but also accurately determine their names and origins...

Have I always known so much about women's jewelry since I was a child...?

Who taught it?
As Li Qingan was thinking, he heard Shen Jianwei say "Hey" again: "Fellow villager, which part of Taiyuan Realm are you from?"

"Yongning Prefecture".

"You're from Yongning Prefecture too? Me too, but my family moved away from Taiyuan later..."

As they started talking about their hometowns, they opened up completely, chatting back and forth, and the increasingly warm atmosphere seemed to dispel the slight chill of the rain.

······
Luoxia City, the Dong family in the north of the city.

"Father...you have to help me get justice!"

Lying on the bed, Dong Bin looked at his empty right arm and stared palely at Dong Bai, the head of the Dong family, who was standing not far away.

"I only owe him 1.07 million spirit crystals, what right did he have to cut off my arm? He didn't even mention it when I borrowed it from him..."

"Shut up!" Dong Bai interrupted Dong Bin. "You still have the nerve to whine to me? What's wrong with people chasing after you when you don't pay on time?"
"Your family gives you a monthly allowance of 200,000, isn't that enough for a mere Core Formation Realm cultivator like yourself?"

Dong Bin opened his mouth, hesitated for a long time, and finally said, "So this is just going to be the end of it? I was supposed to be able to advance to the Chengxiao realm, but now that I've lost an arm, even if I advance to the Chengxiao realm, it won't mean anything to my family."

"How could you not know Li Qing'an's reputation?"

Dong Bai snorted coldly: "Besides, you were in the wrong first, and you still want me to seek justice for you? Don't you understand the principle of 'a life for a life, a debt for a debt'?"
"Come on, tell me what you want in terms of explanation!"

Dong Bin looked at Dong Bai with a frustrated expression. Losing an arm had already greatly reduced his strength, and it would also make visiting brothels much less enjoyable... Was he really just going to let it go like that? So he couldn't help but ask again, "Is it really just going to be like that, and we still have to return the spirit crystals to him?"

“While you were unconscious, an old woman wearing a cloak came to our house. Her purpose was to collect a debt from Li Qingan.”

Dong Bai said expressionlessly, "I'm sure she's not an elder of the Luoxia Sect, but she's very strong. At least I, who am at the late stage of the fifth realm, can't see through her."

"It must be one of the powerful figures Li Qing'an has befriended outside. Look, even the Falling Clouds Sect, where Saintess Su is, hasn't sent anyone to collect the debt on Li Qing'an's behalf, and others have already come to demand it. How am I supposed to get an explanation for you?"

Dong Bin looked at the ceiling with a pained expression: "So you've paid off your debts?"

"No."

"Huh?" Dong Bin suddenly turned his head and looked at Dong Bai with a surprised expression. Was his father really that brave?
Then Dong Bai said with a sinister expression, "I'll make an excuse and say I'll personally deliver it to the Li residence tomorrow... One million seven hundred thousand, that's enough to hire someone to kill that kid!"

If his son could advance to the Sky-Soaring Realm, then among the many forces backed by the Falling Clouds Sect, the Dong family could advance even further, and he himself could even become an elder of the Falling Clouds Sect.

If I could become an elder of the Luoxia Sect, the benefits I would bring to the Dong family would be far more than 1.07 million.

More spirit crystals mean more cultivators can be trained...

But now, that future has been ruined by Li Qing'an.

He knew that Li Qing'an could catch the eye of Saintess Su, but even if the debts were paid off, the Dong family still wouldn't have enough power to advance further among the many peripheral forces.

Moreover, this matter is tantamount to incurring Li Qing'an's wrath. Not to mention that Li Qing'an might not give him a friendly look, what will Luoxia Sect think of the Dong family?
Given how protective Zhou Zongzhu is of the Holy Maiden, he might expel the Dong family the very next day!
Since we're caught in the middle, why should this matter be let off so easily?

Rather than doing nothing and waiting to die, why not take someone down with you? If you succeed, the value of the dead and the living will be different!

And of course, there's another thing... it's so frustrating, the more I think about it, the angrier I get!

"So, you've already hired them?" Dong Bin's eyes lit up. "When do we start?"

He didn't receive a response from Dong Bai, but instead saw his increasingly grim expression.

“I intentionally assigned the task layer by layer, leaving no trace of our family, and had them hire someone to kill Li Qingan. Guess what?”

"What's wrong?"

"A total of 27 people went to hire hitmen separately, and 20 of them died and 7 were maimed."

"why?"

"Because you fucking owe Li Qing'an spirit crystals!" Dong Bai cursed, veins throbbing in his neck. "That kid is the kind of person who dares to venture into the demon's lair alone for a few children, the kind of person who dares to turn back and save others in the midst of a beast tide. Why the hell is that?"
Lao Tzu knew he was popular, but he didn't expect him to be this popular!

Dong Bin stared blankly at his father, and subconsciously asked, "You won't even take on professional assassins?"

Dong Bai said expressionlessly, "I can't afford 1.07 million low-grade spirit crystals."

"..."

After a moment of silence, Dong Bin couldn't help but say, "You've already decided to hire someone, what's a little money? Just give me more money, consider it an early payment for my monthly allowance..."

Dong Bai snorted coldly: "Stop talking nonsense. If you hadn't gotten yourself into this mess, things wouldn't be like this."

Seeing his son's lowered head, Dong Bai sighed softly and softened his tone: "Originally, I did want to give up and pay back what you owed Li Qing'an, but don't worry now, someone came to take over this matter a short while ago."

Upon hearing this, Dong Bin's eyes lit up, and he asked curiously, "What is the opponent's strength? Can he kill Li Qing'an? That kid was invincible in the Core Formation Realm, and now that he has become a Sky-Riding Sword Cultivator, even a Fifth Realm cultivator might not be able to kill him."

"Don't worry," Dong Bin said calmly. "Although that person has just entered the sixth realm, he has a good foundation. Killing Li Qing'an, who is in the early stage of the Soaring Sky Realm, is enough for him. We will definitely have news by tomorrow morning."

"That's fine, that's fine..."

Dong Bin breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to avenge his severed arm.

"But Father, is there really anyone willing to kill Li Qing'an?"

Dong Bai snorted coldly: "No matter how upright or honest a person is, it is impossible for everyone to like them."

"You should get some rest. I'll tell you the news tomorrow morning."

······
into the night.

"Brother from the same village, how many are left? Are there any more? Are there any more?"

After learning from their conversation that Li Qingan was two years younger than her, Shen Jianwei addressed him as "fellow villager brother" throughout the journey. Even though it was already night, her tone was still filled with excitement.

Li Qingan glanced at her helplessly: "Aren't you tired of following me all day?"

"Why should I be tired?" Shen Jianwei chuckled and raised her hands happily, saying, "Two black-boned chickens, three ducks, one goose, four rabbits, not to mention I even ate with my fellow villager brother the whole way. Why should I be tired?"

They're really good to you; they didn't even blame you for standing you up.

Li Qingan smiled and then said, "Leaving aside those who aren't in Luoxia City today and can't be contacted, there's only one family left that we need to apologize to."

"Where? Where? Let's go quickly!" Shen Jianwei asked hurriedly, "What if they bring you something delicious?"

“I also gave spirit stones, it’s not like I got them for free.”

"I also helped my fellow villager's younger brother carry his things, hehe~"

Li Qingan jokingly said, "I'm not giving you these things."

"It's okay, it's okay, this was originally yours," Shen Jianwei said shyly. "When you turn these into delicious dishes, could you invite me to have a bite? Just one bite, I definitely won't eat more!"

After saying that, she gave Li Qingan a sweet, slightly shy smile.

Li Qingan looked at it for two seconds before looking away, cleared his throat, and said, "Okay, let's go then."

"Yeah~"

Shen Jianwei happily followed his steps, and after a short while they stopped, she looked up at the restaurant with the 'Mingyue Tower' sign hanging in front of her, and couldn't help but ask, "Is this it? Are you sure this is the place?"

Li Qingan gave her a strange look: "That's right, I accepted a job from Mingyue Tower that requires a thousand Void Stones. There's only one Mingyue Tower in Luoxia City."

Hearing the voice of her fellow villager's younger brother, Shen Jianwei suddenly realized that long-lost memories were attacking her mind.

I do seem to have sent a maid to do this, but... the person who accepted the task was a fellow villager?

Is it such a coincidence?
Oh, I forgot that my fellow villager's younger brother is a mission fanatic, so it's not surprising that he accepted the mission.

And more importantly, she discovered an opportunity to have a few more bites of the delicacy in her hand!

Thinking it over, Shen Jianwei quickly stepped onto the stairs, turned around and looked at Li Qingan with a smile: "Brother from the same village, I'll be staying here, understand?"

Li Qingan looked at Shen Jianwei in surprise: "Wanqiu is..."

"My maid~"

Li Qingan suddenly realized: "That's quite a coincidence."

"Mmm." Shen Jianwei held up the delicacies in her hands and smiled even more happily: "Let's come in and talk about the 'breach of contract'."

Her eyes were filled with longing for delicious food.

But her bright and sweet smile really touches people's hearts.

Like I said, it's incredibly beautiful.

Li Qingan took a deep breath, but did not immediately take a step. Instead, he gripped the hilt of his sword with his right hand.

"You go in first, I need to take care of some personal matters."

······
(End of this chapter)