Hearing the crowd’s discussions, Xiao Jing understood.
The golden bloodline gifted to Chuchu by the system was indeed extraordinary!
He now had a firm grasp of the situation and turned to Mu Lanchu, saying, “This opportunity is rare. There’s no reason to reject this spirit beast.”
“But Husband, this spirit beast belongs to Windborne Workshop. It’s not ours. We can’t just take it away…”
“Then we’ll buy it.”
“But Supervisor Dong insists it’s not for sale… And it’s really expensive…” Mu Lanchu looked conflicted. Thirty million Spirit Stones was not a small sum!
Back in her small sect, their Sect Master hadn’t seen even 10 million Spirit Stones in his lifetime!
“Just tell me, do you like the Purple-Winged Griffin?”
“It’s really good. And the big lion clearly wants me to take it away.”
Xiao Jing smiled, reached out, and gently rubbed her head.
“Then that’s settled. I’ll buy it for you.”
“The spirit beast has already shown its willingness to bond with you. If we don’t buy it, wouldn’t that be betraying its trust?”
“Can you bear to leave such a noble lioness behind? Can you watch the Crown Prince try again and again to force a blood contract on her—so cruelly?”
“She clearly wants to come to you. She’s already pleading for help.”
“That’s why we must rescue her from this pit. No matter what, we must take her away!”
Those words struck a chord in Mu Lanchu’s heart.
She looked at the griffin and immediately felt sympathy for the big lioness.
The Crown Prince really was vile, trying to control her by force using a blood contract!
She must have felt helpless, longing for someone who wouldn’t abuse her—for someone she could trust!
Her husband was right!
They couldn’t reject this lioness. They couldn’t leave her behind in this place. They couldn’t let her suffer alone!
They had to buy her and set her free!
“Mm! I’ll follow whatever Husband decides!”
Xiao Jing then turned to Dong Qu. “The Fifth Princess can’t bear to see the spirit beast sad. Why don’t you go ask your shopkeeper? Name any price, I won’t haggle.”
Dong Qu wiped sweat from his forehead.
A war beast this strong-willed and yet voluntarily seeking a master—there was no way to force her to stay.
He had no other option left.
“Prince Consort Xiao, Fifth Princess, please wait a moment. I’ll fetch the shopkeeper.”
…
In the second-floor loft of the rear courtyard of Windborne Workshop, Supervisor Dong Qu reported everything to Shopkeeper Huang Qian.
He wore a bitter expression. “Shopkeeper, what should we do now?”
Huang Qian pondered. “If Prince Consort Xiao really pays the full price for both the chariot and the griffin, the shop’s business could finally get back on track.” Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.
“But Shopkeeper, I heard that Prince Consort Xiao’s mother was of low birth and died young. How many Spirit Stones could he possibly have? Expecting him to pay in full seems impossible,” Dong Qu voiced his concerns.
“True,” Huang Qian frowned deeply.
Over 30 million Spirit Stones—that was not a trivial number.
There were only a few in all of Changtian City who could take out such an amount in one go.
Even the Crown Prince had been defaulting on the bill for years.
Let alone someone else?
“Sigh… I regret ever accepting the Crown Prince’s custom order. We thought we’d earn a fortune, but it nearly ruined the entire workshop.”
“Shopkeeper, back then, no one could have foreseen this. The Crown Prince really had gathered a huge sum to fund the chariot. But later, I vaguely heard he redirected the funds elsewhere. That’s when he started nitpicking and making excuses to avoid payment…”
“The Crown Prince couldn’t shuffle things around, but he’s been stringing us along for years!” Huang Qian fumed with resentment.
“Hmph, what’s the use complaining now?”
Across from him, an elderly man with a goatee—Wang Jinshi, the workshop’s accountant—spoke firmly.
“In my opinion, forget everything else. The most important thing now is figuring out how to get rid of that hot potato of a chariot!”
“From the moment it was commissioned, that chariot drained our liquid funds. Business only got tighter from then on.”
“Less capital means less profit.”
“We couldn’t even keep funds circulating. We were forced to sell high-end chariots at bargain prices and build inferior low-end ones.”
“Our reputation has suffered!”
“We still owe a huge sum.”
“If Prince Consort Xiao buys the chariot and the griffin, he’ll be pulling us out of disaster!”
“But even if Prince Consort Xiao does pay in full, what will we tell the Crown Prince? What if he comes and smashes our shop?” Dong Qu said anxiously.
Wang Jinshi stood up. “Afraid of what? There’s not just the Crown Prince in Changtian City—don’t forget the Second Prince!”
“The Crown Prince and the Second Prince have always fought openly and in secret. It never ends!”
“Now, with the Fifth Princess’s bloodline restored, the Crown Prince is far less threatening!”
“We’re businessmen. We weigh profit and risk. The Crown Prince hasn’t given us a single benefit—not even a down payment. Why cling to a chariot that will never repay itself?”
“If he dares storm into Chongyang Market and smash things, we won’t even need to speak—the Second Prince will intervene himself!”
“The Second Prince has been dying for a way to strike at the Crown Prince.”
“If the Crown Prince dares step out of line publicly, the Second Prince won’t miss the chance to bite his throat.”
Shopkeeper Huang Qian nodded. “Senior Wang is right.”
“Then let’s test Prince Consort Xiao’s intentions first—see how much he’s prepared to pay up front, and then decide.”
The three of them left the rear courtyard and entered the central hall.
Xiao Jing and Mu Lanchu were sitting, sipping tea, with Li Er silently boiling water beside them. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
The Purple-Winged Griffin lay not far away, eyes wide and hopeful, watching Xiao Jing and Mu Lanchu closely.
And the idle spectators still hadn’t dispersed. Everyone was waiting to see the outcome.
Huang Qian stepped in front of Xiao Jing and bowed politely.
“Greetings, Princess Yuhe, Prince Consort Xiao.”
Xiao Jing said, “Just call me His Highness Xiao. That sounds better.”
He didn’t like the title ‘Prince Consort.’
“His Highness Xiao,” Huang Qian immediately corrected himself. “May I ask, how much of a deposit is Your Highness prepared to pay today?”
“Deposit? That’s pointless. Tell me the full price.”
“Well…” Huang Qian hesitated, then said carefully, “As long as we recover the cost, we’ll be grateful. The price is 32 million Spirit Stones—no markup.”
“Fine.”
“System, pay,” Xiao Jing said silently in his mind.
[Conditions for expenditure met.]
In the blink of an eye…
Three towering piles of Spirit Stones appeared on the floor of the hall—with two smaller mounds beside them.
Everyone’s eyes were nearly blinded by the gleam.
“Is… is this 30 million Spirit Stones?”
“There’s another 2 million on the side!”
The crowd was utterly shocked.
The Third Prince from the Liang Empire, spending like this?
Wasn’t the Liang Empire weak?
Yet their hostage prince could casually produce 32 million Spirit Stones?
Shopkeeper Huang Qian was stunned.
He never expected Prince Xiao to be so generous!
Paying the full price in one go!
Everything they had discussed in the rear courtyard suddenly felt laughable!
Huang Qian shot a glare at Dong Qu.
So short-sighted!
To think you judged Prince Xiao as someone unreliable?
With this money, not only could they clear all their debts…
They could restore the shop’s operations completely!
Accountant Wang Jinshi suddenly let out a hearty laugh.
Tears welled up as he knelt before Xiao Jing. “Your Highness Xiao, you are this shop’s great benefactor! Please accept my humble bow!”