Qingling snapped, seizing the moment to launch a final strike. A spiral of silk and flame that wrapped around Zhingsha's legs and pinned him to the floor.
Zhingsha lay there, panting, smiling. "You win this round, Sister."
Qingling stood over him, whip retracting into her sleeve. "Next time, don't provoke me when I'm dealing with incompetence."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Long Xiao scowled in the corner he was hiding in.
Outside The Mist veil Antique Store
---
"Weird. Why does the sign say closed even though there should be Qingling and Senior Long inside?" The innkeeper murmured as she stood a few metres away from the entrance. Xu Lianhua used her divine senses to perform an inside scan.
Inside The Mistveil Antique Store
---
The store felt silent as the aftermath of the spar began to simmer. Zhingsha rose from the ground, running a hand through his hair. Qingling's eyes widened as she took in her surroundings.
"Did we do this?" She murmured hesitantly, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Sister Qingling, I think you meant did you do this because as far as I know I didn't ask for this friendly spar." Zhingsha smirked.
Long Xiao stepped out of the corner quietly. To him: undetected. He walked steadily behind them for one purpose and one purpose only. To secure the gold boxes. He dragged the first and second box to the corner quietly. As he came for the third, a presence was sensed. Long Xiao used his divine senses to scan for potential threats.
Qingling and Zhingsha immediately knew who it was. Their shivers grew increasingly as the footsteps advanced closer to the red circular door of the Mistveil Antique Store. The person was indeed a threat to his dignity. Xu Lianhua, the money hungry monster was now at the door. What were they going to do? Long Xiao quickly left the last gold box in the centre, retreating into the corner he recently emerged from.
"Why is the demoness, Lianhua here? Is she coming to check if I'm doing a good job?" Long Xiao gritted his teeth nervously.
"What do we do now?" Qingling's eyes darted at Zhinghsa's, searching desperately for an answer in his.
Zhingsha tried to escape using his shadows only to return to the same spot he left.
A gush of strong wind pushed the door open, revealing Madam Lianhua at the door wearing her unreadable expression as usual. She entered gracefully. As she took in her surroundings, her expression still remained neutral. She brought forth a chair, sitting down gracefully as she brought her metallic hand fan out.
She sighed before beginning. "Leaving so soon, Brother Zhingsha?" Her eyes remained closed as she fanned herself slowly.
"Zhingsha doesn't dare." Zhingsha hung his head low.
"Does anyone care to explain what happened here?" She opened her eyes slowly with a faint smile on her face as she took in the messy surroundings.
The tapestry above the counter still shimmered ominously pulsing with crimson light.
"Madam, we... It's all Brother Long's fault." Qingling hesitated, falling to her knees before the Madam.
"Mine?" Long Xiao muttered.
"And where is Senior Xiao Long?" Xu Lianhua asked, eyes closed, voice low and commanding.
Long Xiao knew there was no escape now. He popped his head out of the corner slowly. After a huge sigh, he came out with his head held high as he saw Qingling on her knees.
"Serves you right." He smirked.
Qingling's eyes darted at Long Xiao, urging him to bow. However Long Xiao being Long Xiao caught up on this but he obviously wouldn't.
Tch!
The store was dead silent. Only crying birds and occasional city noises filtered through.
"I refuse to bow to a mortal." He murmured a little too loud.
The store turned silent as they all turned to look at him until a few moments later.
"Again with this mortal nonsense." Qingling snapped, retrieving her whip from her sleeve to successfully pin Long Xiao onto the ground.
She quickly composed herself, clearing her throat.
"Madam, as you know today's Brother Long's first sales day. I asked him to sell false salt to a strange customer and he couldn't tell a single lie to do that." She began.
"To make it worse, he accepted a payment of three boxes of gold bars only for the merchant to return in a hundred years time for Salt of the silent realm." She concluded, head still hung low.
"Silent realm?" Xu Lianhua murmured, her hand fan's motion coming to a halt.
"Is that why the store looks like it went through an unsuccessful breakthrough?" She said, her voice surprisingly still calm.
"Senior Xiao Long, how is your first day going? I heard you brought in some profits... or should I say losses in your case?" She closed her eyes as she resumed the fanning of herself.
"I can't seem to figure out if she's displeased or not. Instead of her appearing furious as Brother Luo Feng whose hair I accidently cleared, this demon looks like Goddess Ling Xing who just finished her meditation." Long Xiao wondered as he took in the innkeeper's calm expression as he gathered himself off the ground.
With a snap of his fingers, he presented the three boxes of gold bars from the corner with his divine powers.
"Sister Lianhua, I took Teacher's advice about the customer being always right to obtain these." His gaze fell on Qingling as he wore a proud smile.
"However I wasn't able to provide the customer with their desired product so I'll have to find it in this Silent Realm he mentioned." He ran a hand through his hair in confusion.
"Madam, I-I have to return to the Beast Market. I'll take my leave." Zhingsha bowed lightly.
After Lianhua nodded, Zhingsha quickly dissipated into the shadows.
"Senior Xiao Long, I see you've earned yourself quite the payment for a job you have yet to complete." She smiled as she took in the sight of the sparkling gold bars.