On the high seat of the grand hall sat a black-robed monk, cradling a belly as swollen as if six months pregnant, his face gleaming with oil, mouth wide in hearty laughter, pausing from time to time to suck in a few deep breaths.
"Is the Mage satisfied?"
From among the Yu Family, the eldest standing foremost stepped forward with a genial smile, his voice hoarse as he asked, and saw that Murong Xia grinned slyly in response and replied:
"Satisfied! Utterly satisfied! Your family is ever the most generous and openhanded. To receive sixteen thousand at the outset—truly, only you of the Yu Family possess such wisdom, unshackled by obsession with mortal flesh."
"Hahaha, as long as the Mage is satisfied! As long as the Mage is satisfied!"
The solitary wind wandered through the empty streets, whistling as it went. The old master of the Yu Family chuckled, well pleased in his heart, silently thinking:
