#1111 - Chapter 1111 Repay with Labor
"Is White Jade Marquis perhaps going to the Flame Lands?" Long Liu continued probing.
"You even know that?" White Jade Marquis exclaimed in surprise.
"…" Cheng Bang looked at him, speechless.
He couldn't help but curse inwardly, 'He has no subtlety at all. A few words and he spills all the information.'
"It's easy to guess. Isn't Young Master Flame traveling with you?" Long Liu replied matter-of-factly.
"Young Master Long Liu is wise!" White Jade Marquis said, truly impressed.
"However, White Jade Marquis, I suggest you don't go to the Flame Lands," Young Master Long Liu advised.
"Why do you say that?" White Jade Marquis asked, not understanding.
"Young Master Long Liu, this matter has nothing to do with your Dragon Lands, does it? I hope you'll be careful with your words!" Flame warned with a cold face.
"Young Master Flame, don't misunderstand. I say this because I've already received news that your Flame Land tribe has migrated," Long Liu explained.
"What? Migrated? Where did they migrate to?" Flame asked, shocked.
"I only know that they migrated further north, but as for where, I don't know," Young Master Long Liu said, shaking his head.
"How could this be?" Flame said, dejected.
He had been planning to gather his strength and launch a joint attack on the Gold Lands after returning.
Now, this was awkward.
Cheng Bang could probably guess that Flame Marquis knew his son had intercepted the Gold King's wedding envoy and, fearing the Gold King's wrath, had moved north to take refuge.
But this wasn't the time to say such things, so he kept his mouth shut.
"Young Master Flame, there's no need to be anxious. I suggest you send people north to search. It probably won't take too long to find them," Long Liu said.
"No need, I'll go find them myself," Flame refused, shaking his head.
"Alright. Since Young Master Flame has his own plans, I won't say more."
"White Jade Marquis, let's discuss future matters," Young Master Long Liu said, looking at White Jade Marquis.
"Future matters? What matters?" White Jade Marquis asked, not understanding.
"Of course, the matter of repaying debts," Young Master Long Liu said with a smile.
"Repaying debts? What debts?" White Jade Marquis immediately stood up.
"Your clansmen took a total of 3,300 gold garments from our Dragon Lands and ate so much food. What? Did you think you could eat and take everything for free?" Long Liu asked, as if it were obvious.
"Didn't that Steward Huba say that the food was for entertaining friends?" White Jade Marquis asked.
"That's on the premise that you consider the Dragon Lands as a friend, isn't it? So, may I ask, are we friends?" Young Master Long Liu asked.
"Of… Of course!" White Jade Marquis admitted through gritted teeth.
He who eats another's food has a soft mouth; he who takes another's things has a short hand. Now that they had eaten and taken, how could he not admit it?
"Since you consider the Dragon Land tribe as friends, then this meal will be the Dragon Land's treat to all of you. However, you still have to repay for those 3,300 gold garments, right?" Long Liu asked.
"How about this, I'll have my clansmen return the clothes, what do you think?" White Jade Marquis asked.
"Return them? How can that be? If you return them, the people of the Dragon Lands will be very sad," Long Liu said, shaking his head.
Long Liu's tone was exactly the same as Huba's back then.
But he still didn't understand what this had to do with the people of the Dragon Lands.
"Young Master Long Liu, the people of the Dragon Lands are warm and hospitable, they shouldn't mind, right?" White Jade Marquis said shamelessly.
"White Jade Marquis, you're mistaken. The reason the people of the Dragon Lands are warm and hospitable is because you bought the gold garments they made. Now they've contributed their food and entertained you. You can't just eat and drink your fill and then return the clothes, can you? Wouldn't the people of the Dragon Lands be heartbroken if you did that?" Long Liu asked.
"Ah… This…" White Jade Marquis was speechless.
He understood everything now.
From the moment they entered the Dragon Lands, they were digging a pit for themselves.
Everything seemed like a freebie, but in reality, it all came with a price.
"So, White Jade Marquis, let's discuss how to compensate for the cost of the gold garments," Long Liu soothed.
"We've come from afar and have nothing to exchange," White Jade Marquis said, shrugging his hands to indicate he couldn't afford it.
"Oh, I've already thought about this problem. Since you can't pay with items of equal value, you can repay with labor," Long Liu said, stating a plan he had already prepared.
Rather than saying it was a plan he had already prepared, it was more like a tried-and-true scheme.
"Repay with labor!?" White Jade Marquis's expression became extremely ugly.
"That's right! It's perfectly reasonable! Besides, you have nowhere else to go right now. Having a place to stay in the Dragon Lands, having work to do every day, and not having to worry about food and drink, how great is that!" Long Liu persuaded.
"And there's also Young Master Flame. Doesn't he still need to spend time searching for the whereabouts of the Flame Lands? You can just take advantage of this time to search. When there's news, you can set off again," Long Liu added.
