Nobody knew what price Xu Ji had paid, but it was obvious that the old shopkeeper was somewhat partial to him.
First, Hu Ma had already received a promise, but in the end, it turned into a competition between two people, with the winner taking all.
Second, the old shopkeeper presented a difficult challenge: eliminating a powerful evil spirit.
Everyone in the Manor knew that Xu Ji had an old artifact in his possession, a potent weapon against evil spirits. Who could compete with him?
That old codger wants to have his cake and eat it too, trying to look good while being crafty, Hu Ma thought. Xu Ji must have offered something on his return that tempted even the old shopkeeper. And the things I gave him before were too valuable for him to return, so he racked his brains to come up with this difficult challenge.
