Chapter Fifteen: The Sacrifice (Part Two)

Upon hearing He Jin’s offer to send him the dancing girls and maids, Xu Kang pondered for a moment before finally agreeing to the request. This, of course, was not because he harbored any wicked intentions toward these dozens of young women; rather, he believed that their presence in He Jin’s mansion was far too perilous. It would be safer for them to leave the Grand General’s residence.

“I am saving lives, nothing more!” he reminded himself, taking a deep breath before pinching his nose and addressing He Jin.

“Hmph, do as you say then. You’d better not play tricks, or I’ll kill you!” He Jin blustered.

“Yes, yes… I understand!” He Jin dared not contradict, hastily nodding in assent.

Seeing He Jin so obedient, Xu Kang nodded in satisfaction. “Hm, you’re sensible. Since you’ve behaved, I’ll spare your life. Enough chatter—bring me the money!”

“Ah? Money?” He Jin was momentarily confused, but quickly caught on and nodded vigorously.

“Oh, oh, I understand. I’ll have someone prepare the money, incense, sacrificial animals, and offerings right away!”

Sacrificial offerings?

At the mention of those words, Xu Kang, whose stomach was full of magical water, felt a sudden bloating sensation. To prevent He Jin from attempting another live sacrifice, he hurriedly interrupted.

“Forget the offerings—I can’t stomach any more. The incense is unnecessary too. Just bring me the money, that’s all I want. To be honest, money is my favorite thing!”

He Jin was speechless.

A vengeful spirit likes money? Was it true, as the saying goes, that money can make ghosts turn the mill?

Though such thoughts crossed his mind, he dared not test Xu Kang. In his heart, Xu Kang, this “demon,” was synonymous with brutality and unpredictable wrath.

Given this belief, he wasted not a moment after Xu Kang’s demand, instructing servants to carry several large chests into the courtyard.

These chests were enormous, even larger than the ones used by the Xu family for their business. If they were filled with coins, Xu Kang reckoned the sum wouldn’t be less than a hundred thousand.

“He Jin is truly wealthy—this is a windfall!” Xu Kang grinned, eyes narrowing in delight, and reached out to collect the chests into his spatial backpack.

But as his hand touched a chest, he hesitated.

“No, He Jin is a sly old fox. I must check the goods. He probably wouldn’t dare give me empty boxes, but if they’re not full, I’ll lose out!”

With this in mind, he opened one chest—and was stunned.

Not because it was empty, nor because there was little money inside. On the contrary, the chest was packed full of coins.

But these coins were made of clay, not copper—they were clay funerary coins!

This was money for the dead.

Upon seeing this, Xu Kang’s expression darkened.

“Damn it, this is outrageous!”

Anger surged, and he was about to teach He Jin a lesson he would never forget, but before he could act, He Jin, kneeling, spoke up.

“Divine spirit, I know this money may be lacking, but grant me a day’s grace. Tomorrow night, I shall present you with one hundred million coins for your enjoyment!”

Xu Kang was speechless.

Enjoy? What was he supposed to do with a hundred million coins for the dead?

Though frustration gnawed at him, he could only blame himself for playing the part of a ghost. He couldn’t fault He Jin for offering funerary money.

“Sigh, since He Jin misunderstood, I’ll have to play along.”

With that, he collected the chests of clay coins into his spatial backpack.

To He Jin’s eyes, the boxes vanished into thin air, causing his eyes to widen in astonishment and terror.

“How… how is this possible?”

Xu Kang was pleased by the reaction and pinched his nose again.

“Alright, I’ll take this money. But I won’t wait until tomorrow. I want the hundred million you promised right now. If you don’t have funerary money, use living money instead.”

In modern times, the fortunes of the wealthy are counted in billions; anything less doesn’t make the domestic Forbes Top 100. Though the Eastern Han’s economy couldn’t compare, He Jin was a Grand General—surely he could produce a hundred million?

Thus, Xu Kang demanded the sum without hesitation, unaware that he had overestimated He Jin.

Though He Jin had risen to prominence through his sister, Empress He, he was little more than a nouveau riche. His time in power was brief; even with all his efforts, he couldn’t amass a hundred million.

So upon hearing the demand, He Jin fell to his knees with a thud.

“Divine spirit, please grant me another day’s grace. I truly cannot produce a hundred million coins of the living. Have mercy!”

His voice was so mournful it drew pity.

But Xu Kang would not relent; after all, he was only pretending to be a ghost, and clay coins were worthless.

Yet seeing He Jin’s desperation, it was clear that pressing further wouldn’t yield the sum.

So he compromised.

“Fine, another day’s grace—but I want ten percent interest, ten million coins, right now. If you don’t have it, I’ll take your life instead. Understood?”

“Ah?”

He Jin was startled once more, but quickly nodded like a pecking chick.

“I hear you, divine spirit, I hear you. Ten million—I have it. I’ll send for it—no, I’ll fetch it myself!”

“Good, go!”

With Xu Kang’s permission, He Jin fled as though escaping death, his face pale with terror.

The dancing girls and maids Xu Kang had rescued followed him, but were stopped at the gate by soldiers.

Seeing the frightened faces of the young women, Xu Kang sighed inwardly but said nothing, standing quietly as he waited for He Jin to bring the money.

He reckoned that He Jin, with his intelligence and nerve, wouldn’t dare renege.

He was proven right.

In less than half an hour, He Jin returned with a group of servants, each pair carrying a chest suspended from wooden poles, filing into the courtyard.

Soon, dozens of chests filled the courtyard, but Xu Kang frowned.

In his estimation, ten million coins would require at least two or three hundred chests, yet there were fewer than a hundred.

He soon understood why.

At He Jin’s signal, the servants opened the chests, revealing their contents.

Nearly ninety percent were filled with copper coins, while a few contained pearls, white jade, and silver ingots. One chest held a heap of gold cakes.

In the Eastern Han, gold cakes were considered “superior currency.” Each cake weighed a pound and could be exchanged for ten thousand coins—a true hard currency.

Xu Kang glanced at the chest of gold cakes; there were at least three or four hundred, equivalent to three or four million coins.

Adding in the pearls, jade, silver, and nearly a hundred chests of coins, the total value easily exceeded ten million, if not more.

At last, Xu Kang was satisfied. Under the shocked gaze of He Jin and the servants, he collected the chests into his spatial backpack, humming as he did so.

“I’m making money, making money, and I don’t even know how to spend it! With a Nokia in my left hand and a Motorola in my right, I switch phone numbers every day. I drive a Mercedes, then a BMW, take saunas, eat lobster…”

He Jin could only stare, bewildered.

What is this demon rambling about? He couldn’t understand a word!