Chapter 29: The Sound of Hammers in the Night.
Besides being used to level up, Assassin Points can also be redeemed at the Hive for various needed techniques and treasures. This is similar to the Dragon King's Hall, but more systematic. Turning in treasures can also be exchanged for Assassin Points at the Hive, which can't be upgraded, but can be redeemed.
The only drawback is that the items redeemable with Assassin Points are also tied to the Assassin's level. For example, the items redeemable for Wood Bees and Iron Bees are completely different. Xue Ling even heard that at the Gold Bee level, Assassin Points can even be exchanged for some of the Hive's most valuable martial arts.
Of course, the most basic use of Assassin Points is their exchangeability for silver. The exchange rate is one Assassin Point for two taels of silver, but two taels of silver can't be exchanged for one Assassin Point.
This is why Fang Bie decided to save his Assassin Points, and why Xue Ling did the same.
After all, saving Assassin Points allows him to raise his Assassin Level to a Bronze Bee, allowing him to redeem a considerable amount of valuable items.
As long as he survives to reach that level.
Looking at his bee stinger, Xue Ling truly felt that this was a good opportunity.
Recently, Xue Ling's attitude toward the hive had subtly shifted from his initial outright hostility.
Of course, Fang Bie's subtle influence on Xue Ling—the belief that his own life was more important than anything else was the most important catalyst for this change.
"Okay." After seeing Fang Bie and Xue Ling's confirmation, He Ping pulled two brocade bags from her bosom, weighed them in her hands, and then pushed them onto the table, one for each. "
This is your mission reward. Keep it."
"You can spend it as you please," He Ping added.
Since the Xiaohun Inn provided food and lodging on a regular basis, the four qian monthly stipend was practically enough for pocket money. Of course, he couldn't afford to indulge in extravagant meals, but Xue Ling was the inn's cook, so setting up a small kitchen wasn't a problem.
The saying "even in a famine, the cook will never die of starvation" was true.
After all, no matter how scarce the food was, you still needed the cook to cook, right?
So Xue Ling basically spent all her monthly allowance on bathing in a private room at the Changqing Bathhouse.
The girl took the rather heavy bag. Although five taels of silver wasn't very heavy, even light, the heaviness in her hand was more of a psychological effect.
When she opened it, she found tiny pieces of silver. After all, if it were a five-tael ingot, there would be no way to spend it. These pieces of silver were small silver ingots, seemingly specially melted and cast, not cut out with silver scissors.
Xue Ling had often used these silver ingots as a child. Every New Year, the family's housekeeper would pour out several large plates of gold and silver ingots as lucky money for Xue Ling or as rewards for the servants.
But now, she was the one being given silver ingots.
The girl looked at the silver ingots in the bag, and a smile crossed her face.
For a moment, she even forgot that He Ping had withheld 90% of her wages.
After all, he had already taken the Rolex during the previous Ning Huaiyuan mission. If converted, the Rolex would have to sell for at least five hundred taels. Thinking about it this way, he really got a great deal.
"Thank you, Sister Ping," Xue Ling said with her head down.
He Ping smiled, reached out, and gently touched Xue Ling's head.
The proprietress's hands were cold and smooth.
...
...
Moonlight streamed down like water, pouring into the house.
Xue Ling gazed at the moonlight, reflecting on today's events.
Ever since she'd killed Ning Huaiyuan that night, she'd been relatively quiet for quite some time, but she'd never expected things to come crashing down on her today. Just as she'd finished reporting her situation to Mr. Zou of the Imperial Guard, Fang Bie took her to the Dragon King's Hall.
She'd truly broadened her horizons there, but upon leaving, she'd encountered murder and treasure-stealing. She'd never imagined the true nature of the Red Fox and Thunder God she'd encountered there. She'd never imagined the seemingly indifferent Thunder God was a ferocious bandit, while the once graceful and charming Red Fox was actually a short, stocky man. This left Xue Ling somewhat disillusioned, yet also brought home the dangers of the Jianghu.
Had it not been for Fang Bie, Xue Ling would likely be dead today.
She remembered the despair she felt when the Red Fox's palm wind enveloped her. She'd never imagined Fang Bie would actually intervene to protect her.
Although he then used chicken blood to fake an injury, then used that powerful lightning weapon to kill the red fox, essentially using Xue Ling as a tool,ultimately, Xue Ling felt she owed Fang Bie a debt of gratitude.
With this thought, Xue Ling immediately stood up. As usual, Fang Bie was practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard. While Xue Ling couldn't see the extent of his practice, Fang Bie practiced at midnight every day, regardless of thunder, rain, snow, or even hail.
So, getting up now would definitely allow him to see it.
Under the moonlight, which flowed like mercury, Xue Ling entered the courtyard, leaving a faint shadow behind her. But Fang Bie was nowhere to be found.
"What are you doing out here?" He Ping's voice echoed from above.
Just as Fang Bie enjoyed practicing swordsmanship at midnight, He Ping also enjoyed drinking and admiring the moon at this time. This master-disciple pair truly had their quirks, but Xue Ling had grown accustomed to them these days.
"I wanted to see Fang Bie. Why wasn't he practicing swordsmanship today?" Xue Ling asked.
"Fang Bie? He said he got some good materials and they are at the forge." He Ping said.
"Forge?" Xue Ling really didn't know that there was such a thing as a forge in Xiaohun Inn.
"It's in the kitchen cellar, connected by a secret door." He Ping said lightly.
She didn't feel that it was a secret at all.
But this was the first time Xue Ling knew about it, and the kitchen was her territory, and the cellar was where the food was stored.
Xue Ling looked at He Ping on the roof: "Can I go over and take a look?"
The girl asked carefully.
"Go if you want." He Ping smiled: "It's not something shameful."
Xue Ling nodded and trotted all the way to the kitchen. He couldn't hear any sound from the outside, but when he got to the kitchen, he could clearly hear loud knocking sounds coming from the cellar.
One after another, the rhythm was brisk and tight.
Xue Ling opened the partition of the cellar, and the sound immediately became much louder.
Xue Ling thought about it, and then chose to jump down.
(End of this chapter)