Chapter 246 The Charm of Authority
Being Gen Tianchen’s “friend” did not mean that Venerable the Blade wouldn’t pay Su Ping friendly visits. Besides, Gen Tianchen knew that he had been “forced to help Su Ping with his pets” but refused to do anything about it. Venerable the Blade had all the reason to come.
Su Ping nodded politely. “Greetings, sir.” “My oh my, did you redo your shop from the inside out?” Venerable looked around the interior and saw everything was new. “I thought I came to the wrong place. Man, those dragon statues… Who made them?”
Su Ping pulled a chair over and asked him to take it easy. Despite their unpleasant encounter the other day, Su Ping still respected this titled warrior.
“Thank you!” Venerable the Blade accepted the gesture since he didn’t really have a choice. “Where is your little skeleton? It’s time for another lesson.”
Su Ping chuckled. “You no longer have to find a stadium elsewhere, sir. The shop now has a built-in training ground for this purpose. Please wait for a moment so I can finish a matter with my guests, then I’ll take you there.”
“Sure.”
Venerable the Blade checked the two ladies seated on the other side and recognized neither of them. One of them was showing some astral power that suggested she was a fourth-rank pet warrior, which was… pretty good, considering her age. Though such aptitude was nothing in Venerable’s view.
Even if she was several ranks higher, she would fall short when compared to the other young monster present. “Is this—” Mu Shuangwan was currently gazing at Venerable the Blade as her mind almost went blank.
THE Venerable the Blade every battle pet warrior’s talking about?? He’s here? She wondered if her eyes were tricking her.
Song Lu on the other hand, was continuing their business since she didn’t know Venerable well. “Ahem, Mister Su? So, about your budget…”
“I told you, don’t worry about money. I should have enough.”
Su Ping was willing to lose money as long as his name was made known to more potential customers in the city. Only customers could help him earn energy points, which would in turn get him wonderful things that money couldn’t buy.
Song Lu was wondering which rich family she was dealing with. She had worked with several of them before, but none of them would give their kids a billion as pocket money.
Mu Shuangwan suddenly interrupted her by asking out in a careful voice, “Are-are-are you Mister Venerable the Blade?”
Venerable glanced her way, before looking at Su Ping again. Usually, he wouldn’t bother with random admirers like this one. However, since she seemed to be Su Ping’s guest…
“Yeah, that’s me.”
Mu Shuangwan held her breath, amazed.
She had been born in a family of battle warriors. The name of Venerable the Blade was something she would hear everyday throughout her childhood. This man was her idol. Her god!
It was known that Venerable the Blade had reached the apex of his rank and was about to challenge the legendary level. The moment he succeeded, he would become one of the most respected figures on this entire planet.
She trembled as she gazed at her “childhood hero” in the flesh.
“Sir-sir-sir, I am-am Mu Shuangwan, a battle pet warrior in training. It’s a great honor to meet with you!”
“Oh, okay.” Venerable nodded casually.
Telling from Su Ping’s looks, he could see that this woman was not Su Ping’s acquaintance. Though this was expected when Su Ping didn’t even consider Joanna as someone worthy of his friendliness.
Venerable the Blade saw Joanna giving him an almost disdainful look and suddenly felt bad.
“Venerable the Blade…” Song Lu muttered. She was not a battle pet warrior so she didn’t know much about such titles. Though she did know that she should be careful when this shop had titled battle pet warriors as visitors.
“Good day, sir.” Song Lu quickly offered her courtesy as well.
Venerable frowned. He had no business with common folk whatsoever, though he didn’t say it out loud.
“Why-may I know why you’re here?” Mu Shuangwan tried.
“I need something done. But you can go ahead. Don’t mind me.”
Mu Shuangwan could see that Venerable the Blade wouldn’t talk to her so she stopped asking. She was too distracted to think about her business meeting at the moment. Earning Venerable’s acknowledgement was clearly more important; it would benefit her family greatly.
“Um, sir, I’m from the Mu Family. Please pay us a visit sometime. Mu Tianliu, our clan master, has always wanted to meet up with you,” Mu Shuangwan said as she put up the best smile she could manage. Song Lu was surprised now. She knew Mu Tianliu, who was a rather powerful one among all the titled warriors. This meant the man sitting in front of her could be someone even better.
“Mu Tianliu?” Venerable the Blade went over his memory. “Yes… I know him. You’re his offspring? And no, I’m afraid I can’t find time for more private chats. Just deliver my regards to him later.”
“Of-of course.”
Disappointed, Mu Shuangwan tried thinking of other excuses to keep the conversation going.
Su Ping chipped in with an annoyed look, “Manager Song, shall we settle our agreement first?”
Is this guy Venerable’s disciple or something?? Mu Shuangwan checked Su Ping’s calm temperament in confusion. “Oh, right. Ahem. The agreement,”
Mu Shuangwan interrupted Song Lu. “We’ll do as Mister Su says. If you have issues with your funding, I can also lower my price down to half.”
Song Lu jerked her head toward her partner and stared at her slack-jawed.
Half price would mean at least 25 million astral coins less! That was big money!
“Nah, there’s no need for that.” Su Ping shook his head. “We’ll follow what we have agreed upon. I’ll leave the details in your hands, while I only provide the general idea.”
Mu Shuangwan nodded and immediately left her name on the contract her manager prepared, much to Song Lu’s surprise.
As a professional negotiator, Song Lu was annoyed by the fact that Mu Shuangwan signed such an important contract like buying a cheap breakfast. But she chose not to raise any doubts as she more or less realized what was going on.
Sometimes, earning the recognition of an important man was more profitable than getting money.
With the contract finished and copied, Su Ping stood up to see his guests off.
Reluctant, Mu Shuangwan slowly stepped away while bidding farewell to Venerable the Blade using the best manners she could think of.
“Do you know that man, Shuangwan?” Song Lu quickly asked as their car started leaving.
Mu Shuangwan waited until they were well away from the street, before breathing a long sigh of relief.
“Of course I know him! That’s Mister Venerable the Blade, someone about to reach the legendary level! Common titled battle pet warriors are nothing compared to him! He can make quick work of them in a fight with just one hand!”
Song Lu went wide-eyed upon hearing that. As a common citizen, an eighth-rank warrior like Dong Mingsong was already scary to her. Killing titled warriors with ease? That was unimaginable.
Then she finally understood why Mu Shuangwan had behaved like a scared little kid, since she had always been proud and even lofty in front of their clients.
“Oh, right. Find someone to investigate that pet shop later,” Mu Shuangwan said, after calming down, “I want to know who that Su Ping man is.”
Song Lu nodded in acknowledgment. “I wonder if he’s a friend of Mister Venerable.”
“If grandfather ever learns that Venerable the Blade is visiting Longjiang City, he’d fly here in the next second!” Mu Shuangwan muttered, “I need to tell him…”