Time passed quickly, and the sun was on the verge of setting.
The Gu Master workers lined up in front of Luo Zu's accountant to receive their daily wages.
Ordinary mortals barely received half a primeval stone—yet for them, it was considered a significant amount. Rank one Gu Masters received two primeval stones, while Rank two Gu Masters like Jian Long received four.
However, according to his agreement with the caravan leader Yang San Mu, one primeval stone was deducted as a fee for joining the caravan.
Thus, Jian Long was left with three primeval stones.
For him, having once been surrounded by millions of primeval stones, this amount seemed insignificant… but it was still better than nothing.
"Hey, you—boy. Your name is Jian Long, right? Come with me. Li Fei Le wants to see you."
A Rank two Gu Master stepped forward and spoke in a commanding tone.
Jian Long's expression immediately darkened, clearly annoyed by his manner.
"Who is this Li Fei Le? If he wants to see me, let him come himself."
"Hmph! What an arrogant and ill-mannered brat. Li Fei Le is our leader—how could you expect him to come to you?"
"Our leader?! Zhou Quan didn't tell me anything about this…"
Jian Long thought, a look of surprise appearing on his face.
Zhou Quan had told him the names of all the important figures in the caravan, yet the name Li Fei Le had never been mentioned.
Even so, Jian Long did not dare to ignore it.
If this person held status and Zhou Quan had omitted him for some reason, then ignoring him might be seen as an insult… and that could bring unnecessary trouble.
Moreover, curiosity had already begun to gnaw at his mind.
Thus, he decided to go and see him.
After walking for a short while, the two arrived at their destination.
There were around ten Gu Masters gathered around a fire burning with a strong blue flame. Above it, several wild rabbits were being roasted, seemingly hunted not long ago.
From time to time, drops of animal fat fell onto the flames, causing faint crackling sounds as the fire flared up. The aroma of roasted meat spread through the air, enough to make the mouths of those present water.
Among them, six sat around the fire—most of them Rank two Gu Masters—while four stood behind them, all of whom were Rank one.
At the center of this gathering sat a middle-aged man, emitting the aura of peak Rank two.
In his lap sat a mortal girl, pouring wine for him calmly.
The man had sharp, angular features, with slightly tanned skin. His hair was thick, black, and unkempt, falling over his forehead. His eyes were somewhat narrow, carrying a sharp glint.
As for his beard, it was light yet distinct, neatly outlining his jaw and chin, adding a hint of harshness to his appearance.
As soon as Li Fei Le noticed Jian Long's arrival, he gestured to one of the standing Gu Masters to offer him a cup of wine.
But Jian Long refused with cold politeness:
"I assume you are Li Fei Le, the one who called for me… could you tell me what you want?"
From the moment his eyes fell on Li Fei Le, Jian Long understood that he was nothing more than another worker like himself, who had simply set himself up as a leader over the others. Thus, he saw no need to show him any extra respect.
"How about you sit down and we talk?"
Li Fei Le said in a calm tone, showing no sign of displeasure.
"No, thank you. I'm in a hurry. If you have something to say, say it quickly."
Jian Long's blunt manner angered one of the men sitting beside Li Fei Le, who was about to lash out at him, but a slight gesture from Li Fei Le stopped him in his tracks.
Then Li Fei Le looked back at Jian Long and said:
"Alright… I'll get straight to the point."
He paused briefly before continuing:
"We workers here are one group. Like a family—we should support each other in times of hardship, don't you agree?"
Without waiting for a response, he went on calmly:
"That's why we established a support fund to help one another when needed… where each of us contributes one primeval stone from our daily wage."
"Is this robbery… but in a polite manner?"
Jian Long thought to himself. It was not difficult for him to see through the situation.
Even among these workers, there existed a hierarchy based on strength. Those at the top—like Li Fei Le—always sought to take advantage of this structure for their own benefit.
However, as members of the righteous path, they could not steal openly. Thus, they needed a pretext—no matter how flimsy—to justify their actions and make them appear acceptable.
And so, under the name of a "support fund," Li Fei Le would take one primeval stone from every worker.
As for when someone truly needed help… he could simply come up with any excuse to avoid providing it.
In the end, no one could confront him openly, since he was the strongest among them.
Even so… Jian Long chose to go along with it.
He slightly raised his severed right hand and said:
"If I pay with you… will you treat my right hand?"
Li Fei Le raised his head, then scratched his neck with the thumb of his left hand before replying in a normal tone:
"Unfortunately, no."
He paused for a moment, then continued:
"First, we do not deal with problems that existed before joining us. And second… this is extremely difficult."
Then he added coldly:
"Even if we gathered the wages of all the workers for an entire year… we still wouldn't be able to treat it."
"Alright… and in turn, I apologize, as I cannot join you—especially since I already pay one primeval stone daily to the caravan leader as a fee for riding with the caravan."
Jian Long said calmly, then turned to leave.
But Li Fei Le's voice followed him, calm… yet carrying hidden firmness:
"Stop. Come and sit with us so we can talk."
Jian Long did not turn back, nor did he slow his steps.
"I said… come and sit."
This time, his voice was heavier.
Yet Jian Long continued to ignore him, walking away without a care.
In the next moment—
Li Fei Le grabbed the cup of wine in his hand and threw it with force.
It struck Jian Long's back, the liquid splashing across his clothes.
"son of a bitch ,Didn't I tell you to sit down?"
Jian Long stopped.
Then he slowly turned around… anger rising in his eyes.
"Have you grown tired of living, you filthy animal?"
Silence fell for a brief moment.
Li Fei Le stood up from his place, while the mortal woman fled from his lap in fear.
With steady steps, he crossed over the burning fire and approached Jian Long, stopping right in front of him.
He was two heads taller and far more heavily built, his shadow looming over him.
He looked down at him with a domineering gaze and said in a low voice:
"Didn't your parents teach you… how to speak to your superiors?"