Chapter 24: The Fine Print
The girl gasped, and the Scribe’s eyes bulged like saucers.
“Nonsense!” Elder Scribe roared, spittle flying. “Do you presume this is your uncle’s house? Whatever you want, you shall get?”
Yu Han acted disappointed. “Oh, okay. I’ll just consult with Senior Brother Duan Xiaolong, then.” He rolled up the red-ribboned scroll again.
“Wait! We shall talk like scholars,” Elder Scribe said, as if his previous rage was a lie. “The copy of the Martial Arts and the halberd are reasonable. But why do you need a thousand spirit stones? Do you think they are like tree leaves, plucking them whenever you desire?”
Wait, fuck. I didn’t think of answers, only demands! A rookie mistake. He hadn’t made one like this since his internship days. Think! Think!
“I want to send a letter to my family,” Yu Han said. “My parents were killed by a bandit attack just before the Sect recruitments. I have some family left. If I don’t send word back to them, they’ll…”
He had a sister. She was part of a travelling merchant group. Did she already know what happened? Did she hear about Yu Han leaving with the Sect? Would she be targeted by the kingdom nobles for being associated with him?
He teared up. He wiped his face with his sleeve.
“A man shall not cry,” Elder Scribe said, his voice far softer now. “You can certainly send a letter to the White Lotus Kingdom with the Unending Drizzle Hall. Yet it shall not take a thousand spirit stones!”