Before Liu Tián Qǔ finished speaking, the mask of ice was once more back in place. "Would you care to tell me more about the melded ore?" Wang Fèn Yǒng said with a cold face and an ice-cold voice. He had received his Shadow Warrior's report. Now he wanted to hear Liu Tián Qǔ's perspective of the story.

Sighing in regret at seeing the beautiful face full of emotion disappeared behind a mask of ice once more. Liu Tián Qǔ said, "As you know, a few days ago, I bought a mountain from elder Chen, right?"

"Yes, I heard from Butler Huang."

"Well, I heard the mountain was a piece of trash. Anyway, I went out to see what I spent 2000 gold on." Liu Tián Qǔ told him of the three guys he met on the mountain. The fight they had amongst themselves and the sack of ore.

"I distinctly heard them mention smuggling teams. Apparently, these smuggling teams are all over the mountain, and they are smuggling out the ore from the mountain. The main smuggling operation seemed to be in the location where the old burned down village once stood. These three guys were digging for ore in a different location from the main operation. However, from what I understood. The whole mountain seemed to be full of this ore." Poor Wang Fèn Yǒng was having a hard time controlling his emotions.

"Right now, I own this mountain. However, for me to keep this mountain in my hands for a moment longer than necessary is for me to court death. I see no point in me unnecessarily putting my neck on the chopping block. I believe this mountain will bring unlimited benefits to the country of The Tolling Lands if it's in the right hands. So I would like to sell this mountain to the emperor. I want to complete this transaction immediately and take my hands off it." As Liu Tián Qǔ spoke an indescribable look fill Wang Fèn Yǒng eyes

"However, to do so, I need you to help negotiate the sale of this mountain. I originally came to speak to the Grand Prince or the First Lady of the manor. Since they are not here, I feel you are more than capable of carrying this out. Big brother, this mountain must be secured immediately. If you can catch the smugglers in your net that will be perfect. However, not all of them should be killed. They can lead you directly to the best mining spots on the mountain. However, I have five conditions in selling this mountain?"

"What are your conditions?" Wang Fèn Yǒng said in his normal cold voice.

"The first condition is that I will be allowed to visit Little Dumpling in his confinement." Liu Tián Qǔ said in a very serious voice. Watching as a host of emotions flashed through Wang Fèn Yǒng eyes.

"The second condition is that Little Dumpling will be allowed to come over and visit me anytime he wants after his confinement is over. I'm working on hiring guards and securing my residence now so he will be safe in my home no matter what."

"My third condition is I would like to be granted access to study with Little Dumpling occasional. He gets bored sometimes although he does love to read and study."

"What is the fourth condition?" Wang Fèn Yǒng asked with an expressionless face when Liu Tián Qǔ paused and didn't say anything else.

Taking out two documents she received from Elder Chen and one she had drafted. Liu Tián Qǔ placing them on the table and slid them across to Wang Fèn Yǒng before saying in a brisk business-like manner, "If you would view the three document I just passed to you. You would see that one is the map of the mountain I received from Elder Chen. One is a document of Elder Chen signing the deed of the mountain over to me under your name. The final document is a document of me signing over and placing the mountain into the emperors' care. My fourth condition is I will accept no more and no less than 300,000 gold for the mountain. The transaction is to be completed immediately upon confirming there is melded ore on the mountain."

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"Are you aware of the price of melded ore?" Wang Fèn Yǒng immediately asked in his familiar cold voice. However, it also had an odd tone to it. "This mountain is worth more than twenty times what you're asking. The emperor can definitely afford to pay more."

"Thank You, Big Brother, I am aware that the emperor can afford to pay more than 300,000 gold. However, I can't afford to take more than 300,000 gold. That is my fourth condition. No more and no less than 300,000 gold. This transaction must be completed immediately so I can take my hands off the mountain." Liu Tián Qǔ couldn't stop watching the many emotions that surfed across Wang Fèn Yǒng's face. Seeing them, she knew he understood the real message she wanted to convey to the emperor.

"My final condition is that once these three documents arrive in the Emperor's presence, I will no longer be attached to anything that has to do with Veiled mountain no matter what it may be. If it concerns anything that has to do with Veiled mountain, then I must take no part or be involved or have anything to do with it. Those are my five conditions in selling this mountain to the emperor.

"Alright, I understand. I will hurry now to the emperor to get negotiations started." In one beautiful smooth, graceful motion, Wang Fèn Yǒng rose from his seat before saying, "Replace the ore into the sack while I go get dressed to enter the palace." Wang Fèn Yǒng immediate turned and left. He entered his bedchamber through the closed partition that separated his bedroom from the lounge area.

Liu Tián Qǔ immediately got to work replacing all the ore into the sack. After returning the ore into the sack, she twisted the sack closed and left it on the table. Liu Tián Qǔ eyed the partition that separated the bedroom from the lounge area with a perturbed look on her face. And an uneasy feeling in her heart. 'Well, no point in worrying now. The die has been cast. All I can do is wait for the emperor's answer and hope for the best.' She thought in her heart

After a long wait, Wang Fèn Yǒng came back dressed in official robes to enter the palace to see the king. Walking to the table, he retrieved the sack leaving the plain wooden box that held the medallion. Liu Tián Qǔ bent down to retrieve the package that contained and the spyglass and letter for Little Dumpling where she had set it beside her on the floor. "Oh, I also bought a gift for Little Dumpling. Can you have someone deliver it to him?" Liu Tián Qǔ said lifting the package from the floor.

Wang Fèn Yǒng, who had just picked up the sack of ore from the table, paused. Liu Tián Qǔ stood near the table holding the package she just retrieved from the floor. She looked up to see Wang Fèn Yǒng giving her one of those deep penetrating looks that he been throwing at her quite frequently. Meeting his gaze, Liu Tián Qǔ calmy raised an eyebrow in question.

"You know I promised Little Dumpling to keep in contact. I bought him a gift and wrote him a letter. How could I come and just leave without sending him anything?" Liu Tián Qǔ felt as if that ice-cold gaze was trying to inspect the very grey matters of her brain.

"As we leave you can give the package to one of the maids outside. They will deliver the package to him." Wang Fèn Yǒng said after several seconds.

Together they left the Chambers of the Eastern Courtyard of the Heir of Wang Royal Manor. When they walked past the maids, who stood in the courtyard faraway from the entrance to Wang Fèn Yǒng chambers. Liu Tián Qǔ passed off the package to one of the maids, and Wang Fèn Yǒng gave the maid instructions to deliver the package to Little Dumpling's courtyard immediately.

As they made their way out of the Heir Eastern Courtyard. Liu Tián Qǔ said, "Oh Wang Fèn Yǒng I forgot to tell you that I am looking for a good house doctor. If you know of a good modest doctor, then send that doctor my way. Please don't send me any self-important snobs or quacks. I want to maintain an informal, relaxed atmosphere in my residence."

"Um," Wang Fèn Yǒng hummed in reply as a flash of amusement flicker through his eyes.