Chapter 8

Alex stepped out of his house, carrying a wooden tray with three steaming cups of tea.

As he approached Teng Yunlong's residence, he saw several fine horses and armored men in green cloaks standing outside. These riders, with their sharp eyes and evident strength, were clearly formidable.

"Even the weakest among them is a third-rank warrior. It seems this Mr. Li does indeed run a significant business," Alex thought to himself as he continued towards the door.

"You there, the one delivering the tea, go on in!" a knight barked, glancing coldly at Alex before waving him through. Alex smiled calmly and entered the courtyard without showing any sign of anger.

"Grandfather! Uncle Yongfan!" Alex greeted Teng Yunlong and Teng Yongfan with a bow, then nodded towards Teng Qingshan behind them.

He then glanced at the man seated across from them. The man, dressed in a black fox fur coat, gave Alex a sharp, piercing look. Beside him, a wooden stool had been smashed into pieces, and the ground was littered with small holes.

The atmosphere was tense, with the fur-coated leader looking sullen and Teng Yunlong and Teng Yongfan's smiles appearing forced.

"Sir, please enjoy some tea."

Alex placed the tea cups next to Teng Yunlong and Teng Yongfan before respectfully offering the last cup to Qin San, the fur-coated man.

"Hmph~"

Qin San grunted, seemingly thirsty, and lifted the cup to drink after removing the lid.

"Ah!"

He paused, a look of surprise and uncertainty crossing his face. He then took another large sip, a subtle smile appearing in his eyes.

Qin San slowly put down the cup. "This tea is quite good. Is it from Teng Family Village?"

"Sir!"

Before Teng Yunlong and Teng Yongfan could respond, Alex quickly said, "This tea comes from a wild tea tree deep in Dayan Mountain. This year's yield was small and all stored at my house. If you wish, I can bring it all to you."

"Good! You are very considerate!"

Qin San appreciated Alex's flattery and quick thinking, becoming more cordial towards Teng Yunlong and Teng Yongfan. "Teng Chief, here are 8,000 taels of silver as a deposit. Is that sufficient? The bills bear the seal of the Yangzhou Bank. Please verify them."

Qin San tossed a stack of silver notes onto the table. Before Alex arrived, Teng Yunlong had been discussing the deposit with Qin San. A deal worth 20,000 taels was a significant challenge for Teng Family Village.

"Silver notes? This..." Teng Yunlong hesitated, but Alex quickly intervened, "Grandfather, since the gentleman has offered, let's proceed as he suggested." He shot a meaningful glance at Teng Qingshan behind Teng Yunlong.

"Grandfather, ..."

Teng Qingshan whispered something into Teng Yunlong's ear.

"Since the gentleman insists, let's draw up an agreement," Teng Yunlong said with a hearty laugh.

"That's the spirit!" The leader chuckled.

Both sides immediately signed and sealed the agreement, detailing the delivery location, time, and payment terms.

"Sir, here is the tea I prepared for you!"

Alex handed over a package of tea to Qin San.

Qin San grabbed the package, tore off the oil paper wrapping, and sniffed it, his face lighting up with joy. He tossed a gold ingot to Alex. "You did well. I like you. Take this as a reward! Brothers! Let's go!"

With his command, the cavalry rode off in a grand manner.

Alex stood there, playing with the gold ingot in his hand, watching Qin San and his men leave.

Teng Qingshan approached Alex, also watching the departing figures. "Cousin, did you really give him that?"

"Yes! My tea isn't so easily enjoyed! That man is greedy, very greedy."

Alex squinted, thinking of how to plot his next move. Being a meticulous person, he always ensured he got the better end of any deal.

...

On the 26th of the twelfth lunar month, a good day for travel! Before dawn, when most of the Teng Family Village was still asleep, the hunters, along with the village chief and key members, gathered outside the armory.

"Ten Bihan swords per bundle, divided into eighteen bundles, with the last bundle containing twelve Bihan swords!" Teng Yongfan commanded. "Qingshan, wrap each bundle in beast skins and place them in cloth bags. From the outside, they should not look like weapons!"

The hunters carefully wrapped the swords.

Using hides from past hunts, they quickly bundled all 182 Bihan swords.

"Yongfan, Qingshan, Qinghu!" Teng Yunlong approached the three men. "Be careful on this journey. Don't make any mistakes!"

"Yes, Grandfather," Teng Qingshan said with a smile.

Teng Yongfan added, "Master, just wait for us to bring back the silver."

Alex took out a wooden bottle. "Uncle Yongfan, Qingshan, distribute these pills to the villagers. Each person should carry one."

Teng Qingshan gave Alex a deep look, took the bottle, and distributed the pills among the group.

"What are these..."

Teng Yongfan was puzzled, feeling his son and nephew were hiding something.

"Antidotes! I made a poison that can't be cured without them!"

Alex whispered. In these chaotic times, Alex had prepared means of self-preservation. Using the All-Heavens Reincarnation System, he had compiled a database and gathered herbs to create various medicines.

To put it bluntly, Teng Qinghu was one of the few masters of poisons in this world, and his concoctions were nearly incurable.

"They're all distributed!"

Teng Qingshan handed the empty bottle back to Alex. "Cousin, you should use these methods sparingly in the future."

Despite being an assassin in his previous life, Teng Qingshan, as a master of Xingyi Fist, preferred honorable combat and had never resorted to poisoning. He found Alex's methods hard to accept.

"Qingshan! Remember, we are the weaker side. Ensuring our survival by any means necessary is our priority."

Alex stared directly at Teng Qingshan. "We are the weak ones. We don't have the luxury of sympathy. Poisoning may be underhanded, but compared to our people's lives, it means nothing."

"Qinghu is right. If there are means to ensure our people's safety, not using them because they are underhanded is foolish."

Teng Yunlong, seeing the disagreement, shook his head. "Yongfan, Qingshan, remember this. To ensure our Teng clan's survival in these chaotic times, we must avoid acting on impulse!

Poisoning may be despicable, but if it ensures our people's safety, being criticized for it is a small price to pay."

"Understood, Master."

Teng Yongfan nodded.

"Yes, Grandfather."

Teng Qingshan also nodded, accepting the small vial Alex handed him.

"Qingshan, Qinghu, let's go!" Teng Yongfan called.

"Let's move out!"

Teng Qingshan commanded, and the hunters, armed with sharp spears and some carrying bows, departed.

Teng Yunlong, Teng Yongxiang, and other clan members watched from a distance, hoping for a safe journey.