Chapter 6 Bride Price
Her crisp voice rang at his ears. Eyes on fire, Xu Tianan gritted, “I only agreed that the first round’s stake is a finger. I did not specify what the stakes for the last 4 rounds were. Who allowed you to make that decision?”
This sickly little bitch seems to be quite skilled. He daren’t confront her head-on. But since she had cut off five of his fingers, he will cut four of hers in compensation.
Murong Xue glanced at him, “After the first dog died, you didn’t say a single word before letting out another four. Isn’t that a continuation of the gamble from the first round? If you had prepared to change the stakes, why didn’t you say anything? Now that the five rounds are over, you claim that that it is unfair? Don’t you think that that’s too shameless?”
“You!” Xu Tianan choked. At that time, he had only thought of killing that weak little dog to save his finger. He didn’t think that far!
“If you want to gamble, then you must be prepared to lose. There are so many people in this colosseum watching. Our gamble is definitely fair. Even if you want to fight in the Dali Temple court, I have no qualms. If you are not resigned, and prepared to find someone to teach me a lesson, that’s fine. I’ll be at the Marquis’ Mansion waiting for your arrival anytime!”
The dogs in the colosseum are for the guests’ enjoyment. After buying them, the dogs become the guests’ private property. Whether dead or alive, the guests can take it with them.
Maid Hongxiu followed closely behind Murong Xue, calmly walking out.
Murong Ye raised his eyebrows and glanced at the bloodied Xu Tianan, who was filled with anger and unwillingness to admit defeat, and hurriedly followed after, “Sister, wait for me!”
In second floor suite of the colosseum sat two men who had watched the entire scene play out in front of them.
“She made the Capital’s playboy so miserable just by casually picking a dog. This Murong Young Mistress is quite amazing,” the man in tan robes tutted his praise, full of amazement. He glanced toward the man in white robes next to him and said, smiling, “What does your lordship think?”
The man in white robes’ jade-like fingers lightly caressed the white marble wine cup, his eyes lightly lowered, and did not say a word.
The man in tan robes did not mind and continued talking to himself, “Also, the way she had snatched the dagger and that move to cut off the fingers – it’s so smooth and quick that it’s unbelievable. She must have inherited that from the first Marquis. And the rumors in the Capital actually spread that she is a helpless, useless and weak young lady, how hilarious!”
The man in white raised his eyes and looked towards Murong Xue’s dedicate silhouette slowly walking further and further away; his obsidian eyes flashed something incomprehensible.
The colosseum and the Marquis’ Mansion was not far. After walking out of the front doors, Murong Xue did not return to the horse carriage, but walked the small dog and slowly travelled, leisurely admiring the olden beauty of the streets and infrastructure.
Murong Xue followed closely behind her, smiling ingratiatingly, “Sister, how did you know that this small weak dog is so powerful?”
After fighting dogs for so many years, he can be considered to have developed a pair of expert eyes when it comes to examining dogs, but when it came to this small dog, he had looked at it from left to right, top to bottom, and still couldn’t figure out how to tell that it is such a powerful dog.
“Because it is not a normal dog, but a Tibetan mastiff!” Murong Xue calmly explained. Tibetan mastiffs have are resolute and are good at attacking; normal dogs are totally not their match.
Tibetan mastiff? What kind of dog is that?
Murong Xue often fought dogs and had developed an understanding of the types of dogs, but it was his first time hearing about Tibetan mastiffs. He had wracked his brain yet he had not been unable to figure out anything about it. However, this did not prevent him from developing a love for this dog, “Sister, can you give me this Tibetan mastiff? I’ll exchange it with 5000 taels, no, 10,000 taels.”
Murong Xue turned her head towards Murong Ye only to see him wearing a bamboo-embroidered dark blue robe, dark hair tied up using a marble crown revealing a smooth forehead. His handsome face was slightly innocent, skin white, lips red, and black-marble-like eyes shining; a really beautiful young man.
But when she thought of how this young man is actually famous in the Capital for being a playboy; playing with horses and birds, and not willing to learn, she said, “I don’t like money.”
Uh, that’s right. His sister lives in the Mansion where food, clothes, accommodation and materials have all been taken care of. She also doesn’t go out of the Mansion easily, and thus does not have many opportunities to spend. It is quite inappropriate for him to exchange money for the Tibetan mastiff.
“Then what about giving you a few suits of rare clothing and jewelry,” Murong Ye said smiling; all girls like pretty clothes and jewelry, and his sister shouldn’t be an exception.
Murong Xue continued to undermine his negotiation mercilessly, “Any clothes or jewelry that you can buy, I can too.”
Alright. The best clothes come from Yixiang Court and the best jewelry in the Capital comes from Duobao Court. No matter whether it was him shopping, or his sister, they will both be able to buy about the same things.
“Then what will it take for you to give me that Tibetan mastiff?” Murong Ye despondent voice was laced with dejection.
“There are so many dogs in the colosseum, you can buy another one. Why do you want my Tibetan mastiff?” Tibetan mastiffs are fierce and loyal and are very rare. Murong Xue was prepared to bring it back to the Marquis Mansion and use it as a guard dog so that it no longer needed to live a life of fighting in the arena.
“This Tibetan mastiff is so powerful! All the other dogs that I thought was good had been bitten to death by it!” Murong Xue looked towards the mastiff, eyes filled with passion, “If you give it to me, I can use it to battle with the others and win back all the money that it had lost…”
Murong Xue halted suddenly. Murong Ye didn’t notice and almost knocked into her. He stumbled a few steps before he got back his balance and asked, puzzled, “What’s the matter, Sister?”
Murong Xue didn’t answer but instead coldly stared straight ahead.
Murong Xue followed her gaze only to see dozens of servants carrying numerous trunks standing at the front of the Marquis’ Mansion. The trunks were made of incense wood, embellished with numerous round gold buttons; dignified yet not losing any of its splendor. One look and one would be able to tell that it was expensive. The items within were naturally more precious.
A middle-aged man in dark blue robes walked out from the crowd towards the Marquis Mansion.
“Seneschal Wang!” Murong Ye softly exclaimed.
Upon hearing the exclamation, the middle-aged man stopped and looked over. Seeing that it was Murong Ye and Murong Xue, he joined his hands together in salute, “Young Marquis, Miss Murong!”
Murong Xue’s father was originally the commander of the three armies. He was seriously injured when fighting in the front lines 10 years ago and died from his injuries. When her mother heard of the bad news, she was so depressed that she passed not long after, leaving behind the four-year-old twins. As such, the Marquis is now fourteen-year-old Murong Ye.
Murong Ye hummed calmly and pointed towards the long line of procession that was carrying trunks, and asked, puzzled, “Seneschal Wang, what are you doing?”
Seneschal Wang lightly smiled, “Your Honor, I have been ordered by his highness to bring the bride price and negotiate a day to marry Miss Murong!”
Murong Ye’s eyes brightened. His sister was going to get married; that’s good news, although, “My sister is to be Prince Jing’s wife. Ye Chenyi should personally deliver the bride price. Why he did let you bring the bride price? Also, in accordance to the traditions of the Princess, the bride price should be a 120 trunks, why did you only bring 64? The Prince Jing Household is a Prince’s household, and Prince Jing had just delivered war achievements, he should not be lacking in money, should he?