178: Mu Zining came to their door to coerce them.

The one who arrived was indeed Mu Zining, and she had come alone.

Mu Zining scanned the courtyard and said with a faint smile, "Oh? Does Clan Chief Cao know I was coming? To be so formal as to personally greet me at the courtyard gate?"

As she spoke, she didn't wait for Cao Bu's response and walked straight inside.

Cao Bu sized up Mu Zining, a dark glint flashing in the depths of his eyes.

Good timing!

He was just worrying about not having an excuse to get this woman to come over; he hadn't expected her to walk right into the trap!

Since that was the case, she couldn't blame him for being impolite.

"I wonder what important matter Madam Mu has for This Clan Head?" Cao Bu asked in a flat tone.

Mu Zining swept her gaze across the courtyard and said with dissatisfaction, "Does Clan Chief Cao intend for me to discuss matters out here in the yard?"

Cao Bu raised his hand in an inviting gesture. "Madam Mu, please, come inside."

Mu Zining glanced toward the living room and walked inside with her long, jade-like legs.

Cao Bu looked back and gave Yan Ruyu and Bai Meier a meaningful look.

While Bai Meier was still frowning, not yet understanding, Yan Ruyu had already stepped forward to close the courtyard gate and stood back to the side, waiting for orders.

Seeing this, Bai Meier also hurriedly followed suit and stood properly.

Cao Bu nodded in satisfaction and turned to follow Mu Zining, but his gaze couldn't help but fall upon her perky buttocks.

The two halves of her bottom swayed slightly, making his heart feel a surge of heat.

As if sensing Cao Bu's gaze, Mu Zining's brow furrowed sharply, and she turned around abruptly.

But what met her eyes was Cao Bu's serious expression, his eyes clear and devoid of any Impurities.

"Madam Mu, what's wrong?" Cao Bu asked, feigning confusion.

Mu Zining looked suspicious. This guy was clearly looking at me just now, so how did he become so serious the moment I turned around?

Suppressing the discomfort in her heart, she warned, "Clan Chief Cao, isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to be walking behind someone like that?"

Cao Bu said in an ambiguous tone, "If I don't walk behind, does Madam Mu want me to walk from the front?"

Mu Zining was stunned for a moment, then realized the underlying meaning in Cao Bu's words, and her cheeks instantly flushed red.

She glared fiercely at Cao Bu, stopped talking, and quickened her pace toward the living room.

The corners of Cao Bu's mouth curled up slightly, and his gaze still followed Mu Zining's perky bottom as he leisurely followed her.

A short while later, the two sat facing each other in the living room.

"Madam Mu, speak. What business do you have with This Clan Head?"

As Cao Bu spoke, he picked up the teapot on the table and poured a cup of tea for Mu Zining.

Mu Zining glanced at him, took out a check, placed it on the table, and gently pushed it toward him.

Cao Bu's hand pouring the tea paused, and he looked at her in confusion. "Madam Mu, this is?"

Mu Zining didn't beat around the bush and said straightforwardly, "Leave Jiu Ling'er. Fill in however many Spirit Crystals you want."

Hearing this, Cao Bu understood instantly.

"So Madam Mu wants to use Spirit Crystals to buy the love between me and Ling'er?"

"As long as you know," Mu Zining said arrogantly. "Only my son, Mo Lei, is worthy of Jiu Ling'er."

"Although you, Cao Bu, have some ability, in my eyes, you and Ling'er are simply not a match."

Cao Bu lowered his eyes, his fingers gently stroking the edge of the teacup, looking as if he were caught in a dilemma.

Seeing him hesitate, Mu Zining added, "If you're worried this check won't be able to withdraw Spirit Crystals, there's no need. The industries of my Yuanji Imperial Sect span the entire Spirit Realm. No matter how much you fill in, we can afford it."

Cao Bu snapped back to his senses and pushed the poured tea toward Mu Zining, his tone gentle. "Madam Mu, drink some tea first. It won't taste good once it gets cold."

Mu Zining was in no hurry either; she picked up the teacup and took a small sip.

Cao Bu also picked up his own teacup and took a sip, his eyes full of calculation.

It wasn't impossible for him to pretend to agree, but the price... He cast a discreet glance at Mu Zining.

"Clan Chief Cao, it's time to answer my question," Mu Zining said as she set down her teacup, urging him.

Cao Bu set down his teacup and, while refilling Mu Zining's cup, said softly, "I'll need more money."

A flash of disdain instantly crossed Mu Zining's eyes.

As expected, so-called love was simply not worth mentioning in the face of Spirit Crystals.

In this world, there was nothing she wanted that she couldn't buy.

"Speak then, how much?" Her tone was extremely flat, as if what Cao Bu wanted was just a small sum of money.

"Wait a moment."

Cao Bu got up and left the living room.

Mu Zining furrowed her brows, her face full of confusion.

After a short while, Cao Bu returned with a pen in his hand.

He walked to the table and sat down, picked up the check, and said with a smile, "Madam Mu told me to fill it in as I please, but you didn't even prepare a pen. Wouldn't that fail to show your sincerity?"

As he spoke, he lowered his head and began to write numbers on the check.

Mu Zining didn't care at first, but when she saw Cao Bu writing nothing but nines from the beginning of the check to the end, her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a faint sense of regret.

Even for the Yuanji Imperial Sect, this amount of money would be a significant expense.

But on second thought, for the sake of her son, what did this bit of money matter?

As long as it could make Cao Bu leave Jiu Ling'er, it would be worth even double the amount.

Immediately, she picked up the tea on the table and began to drink again.

But in the next second, Cao Bu's words made her spray it out directly.

"Madam Mu, for a check like this, I want a hundred... no, I want ten thousand of them."

"Pfft—"

The tea she had just taken into her mouth was instantly sprayed out. Cao Bu was prepared and dodged to the side with a quick movement.

"Cao Bu! Why don't you just go and rob someone!" Mu Zining shouted, disregarding her image, her face turning flushed red. "Even if you gathered all the Spirit Crystals in the entire Spirit Realm, you couldn't make up the amount you're asking for!"

Cao Bu smiled and sat back in his original spot, mocking her, "This Clan Head doesn't care about that. Filling it in as I please was what you, Madam Mu, said. Now you want to go back on your word?"

"Some people, if they don't have the capital, shouldn't pretend to be big shots. You made This Clan Head think the entire Spirit Realm belonged to your Yuanji Imperial Sect."

"You..." Mu Zining was so angry she was trembling all over. She took several deep breaths to suppress her rage and compromised, "At most, I'll give you one check. This is This Madam's greatest concession. Not a single cent more!"

"Madam Mu doesn't want to give up wealth," Cao Bu leaned forward slightly and spoke ambiguously, "but you still want This Clan Head to leave Ling'er. It's not like there aren't other ways."

Mu Zining's brow furrowed, and she looked at him warily. "What way?"

Cao Bu smiled slightly, and one hand reached out inconspicuously, gently covering Mu Zining's soft, bone-less hand.

"As long as Madam Mu spends a night with This Clan Head, I can agree to anything you ask."

Feeling the warmth on the back of her hand, Mu Zining's face instantly turned cold. She abruptly pulled her hand out of Cao Bu's palm and warned with a cold expression:

"Clan Chief Cao, I hope you keep your status in mind! You are the Vice Clan Leader of the Gu Clan, not some street thug!"

Cao Bu reminded her seriously, "It's 'Vice'."

"I don't care if you're 'Vice' or 'Chief'! Such bastardly words should never come out of your mouth!" Mu Zining's chest heaved with anger. She stood up and flicked her sleeve. "Since our talk is going nowhere, it seems we can't reach an agreement."

"Clan Chief Cao, farewell!"