Chapter 163: Know When to Stop

Knocking sounds echoed at the door. The spiritual energy rushing through Lin Dong’s body surged back to his dantian like a tide. His heart raced as he stared at the door.
If it was Zhang Ye standing outside, given Old Ding’s injuries, such knocking surely meant Yun Cangqiong had returned.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Dong stepped forward quickly and flung the door open. Ma Chun standing outside relieved his anxious heart.
“Boss, Peng Zhenyuan and Peng Tianan from the Peng family have come to apologize to you,” Ma Chun said with a smile.
“So soon?” Lin Dong was slightly surprised. It had only been six or seven days since he asked Liu Lixiong for help. Considering the distance and the need to make several trips back and forth, he had expected at least ten days or half a month.
Unless Liu Lixiong had descended the mountain himself or sent his disciples to find the Peng family right after.
“Lead them to my room,” Lin Dong said, not adopting Peng Tianan’s tactic of delaying and intimidating first.
“Mm!”
Ma Chun nodded firmly and turned to leave.
With the door slightly ajar, Lin Dong sat down at his desk, mentally determining an appropriate price point before waiting for Peng Zhenyuan’s arrival.
After a while, Ma Chun opened the door again. “Boss, they’re here.”
Behind him, Peng Zhenyuan forced a smile and nodded at Lin Dong. Peng Tianan shrank back, constantly smiling nervously but not daring to step out from behind Peng Zhenyuan.
“Come in!”
Lin Dong called out, his expression devoid of any emotion.
“Boss Lin, sorry for the intrusion,” Peng Zhenyuan said. He stopped about three meters away from Lin Dong, then abruptly pulled Peng Tianan forward and slapped him hard across the mouth, sending several teeth stained with blood flying.
“You wretch! Still not kneeling?”
Peng Tianan’s legs trembled, and he collapsed to his knees, begging desperately, “Boss Lin, I was blind. Please show mercy and let this mistake go! I promise to reform immediately and send spiritual beasts, materials, salt, and rice right away. No matter how you punish me, I won’t complain…”
Watching Peng Tianan cry and plead, Lin Dong remained indifferent, as if he saw nothing and heard nothing.
Seeing Lin Dong’s calmness, Peng Zhenyuan kicked Peng Tianan hard, sending him sprawling. Then he unfastened the long sword hanging at his waist, drew it, and held it before Lin Dong, saying, “Boss Lin, this wretch failed to recognize your greatness—his crime is unforgivable. I failed to teach my son properly; it’s a capital offense. Please punish me instead.”

Seeing the sword with its remarkable blade, Lin Dong smiled calmly and took the long sword. He gently stroked the blade with his palm; it felt warm, smooth, and silky to the touch.
“A fine sword!”
Peng Zhenyuan quickly said, “This sword of yours, Master Lin, is indeed a fine one. If I’m not mistaken, it should be a fourth-tier spirit sword.”
Lin Dong smiled. A fourth-tier spirit sword was definitely something a family at the mansion level could consider as a family heirloom. Offering a family heirloom as a greeting was quite generous on the part of this Peng family head.
Without hesitation, Lin Dong stored the spirit sword in his mobile counter. Then he looked at Peng Zhenyuan, stood up, and gestured for him to sit, saying, “Please, Master Peng, have a seat. I apologize for not welcoming you properly.”
“I dare not! How could I, Peng Zhenyuan, sit in front of Master Lin?” Peng Zhenyuan waved his hands frantically in fear, though he felt a bit relieved. A good start was half the battle. Although exchanging the Pure Yang Sword for just a few polite words was costly, it was still worth it compared to the hope of survival after his family’s destruction.
Lin Dong stood up and declined, saying, “Please, Master Peng. You’re a prominent figure in Autumn Wind City, while I’m just the owner of a small inn. Please, have a seat.”
Seeing Lin Dong’s enthusiasm, Peng Zhenyuan feared that further refusal might offend him, so he sat down across from Lin Dong, gently lowering half of his buttocks onto the chair.
When Peng Zhenyuan sat up straight, Lin Dong asked with a smile, “Master Peng, what brings you here this time? What do you need from me?”
Peng Zhenyuan smiled awkwardly and bowed, saying, “Firstly, due to my poor discipline, I’ve brought this scoundrel here to apologize to Master Lin.”
“Oh!” Lin Dong glanced at Peng Tianan, who was trembling violently. He said nothing, seemingly lost in thought or waiting for something.
After kicking Peng Tianan to the ground, Peng Zhenyuan quickly took out a small booklet from his clothes and placed it respectfully on the table. “Secondly, I heard that Master Lin wants to engage in the business of antiques and treasures. I happen to have a batch on hand, though they’re just fakes. I wonder if Master Lin is interested in buying them?”
Antiques and treasures? Lin Dong took the booklet from Peng Zhenyuan, flipped it open, and saw a long list. The first item on the list was clearly two pieces of blood coral. Followed by night pearls, jade qilins, amber cups…
Regardless of the craftsmanship, just the materials alone were of immense value.
At a quick glance, the list covered three pages, filled with rare treasures, numbering no less than a hundred items. Some of them were things Lin Dong had never even heard of before.
Closing the booklet, Lin Dong smiled and said, “I wonder how much silver Master Peng intends to charge?”

“One hundred taels. I wonder what Manager Lin thinks?” Before Lin Dong could speak, Peng Zhenyuan explained, “Although these are all fakes, they are exquisitely crafted and have been part of my Peng family’s collection for over a hundred years. Their value is definitely no less than one hundred taels.”
“Alright, I’ll buy this batch of fakes!” Lin Dong shouted. “Ma Chun, bring tea!”
“It’ll be right away!”
A reply from Ma Chun came from outside.
“Sorry for the trouble…” Peng Zhenyuan quickly apologized a few times, then turned to Peng Tianan and said, “Manager Lin, this scoundrel…”
“Hmm…” Lin Dong pretended to ponder. Though he wasn’t sure of the value of these rare treasures, even a rough estimate showed it far exceeded his expectations. In that case, it was time to settle this matter. After all, it’s better to leave some room for future encounters. If one doesn’t intend to eradicate the problem completely, they shouldn’t be too harsh.
As he thought about how to phrase his response, Peng Zhenyuan, still thinking Lin Dong wasn’t satisfied, gritted his teeth and kicked Peng Tianan, who had just managed to get up, back down. He then declared firmly, “Manager Lin, I heard your inn has some high-grade spiritual materials for sale. How about selling them to our Peng family?”
Lin Dong was taken aback but quickly shook his head. “I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint the head of the Peng family. These high-grade spiritual materials have already been sold. As for Young Master Peng, it’s just a minor issue. Since the head of the Peng family took the time to visit the inn, even the biggest problems seem trivial. Later, Lin Dong will send someone to Qingmei Mountain.”
Peng Zhenyuan was overjoyed. This Manager Lin was truly remarkable. He could have raised the price but refused decisively, showing great restraint and knowing exactly when to hold back. Such a person, even without any backing, shouldn’t be underestimated. That wretched Peng Tianan had no sense at all.
Glancing at Peng Tianan, who was both shocked and delighted, Lin Dong suddenly said, “Young Master Peng seems to be in poor spirits. It’s a shame. Since Young Master Peng holds such a high status in the Peng family, otherwise, I would suggest he take some time to recuperate.”
Peng Zhenyuan looked stunned. From their brief interaction, he was sure that in the eyes of this Manager Lin, Peng Tianan was utterly worthless, not even worth considering. So why did Lin Dong suddenly say that?
Seeing Lin Dong’s calm expression, Peng Zhenyuan had a sudden realization.

“Thank you, Manager Lin, for caring about my son. That wretch often stays in brothels at night, and his health has long been depleted. Fortunately, he only manages Wanbin Tower; if it’s shut down for a few years for recovery, the Peng family won’t suffer too much loss.” Peng Zhenyuan bowed and, with a forced smile, took out a woodpecker made of silver from his storage spirit ring. He removed the base beneath the woodpecker, inserted a small piece of spirit stone inside, then reconnected the two. Extending his index finger, he gently tapped the woodpecker’s head. Tap tap tap… Miraculously, the woodpecker’s head kept tapping, as if pecking at insects, its long beak constantly striking a silver branch that was level with the feathers on its chest. “I heard Manager Lin has a daughter. I have a few trinkets here, hoping they might please her.” Peng Zhenyuan took out two more so-called trinkets: a silver kitten the size of a palm and a wooden horse about 1.5 meters tall. Watching the woodpecker keep tapping, Lin Dong’s eyes widened in shock, his mouth hanging open as he couldn’t close it. Could someone in this world actually draw out the spiritual energy from spirit stones?