“It looks as thought someone had beat us to it and stroke a deal with the Cheng’s!” Old man Lin’s heart sank.

“These people acted fast!” frowned old man Quan, and then he asked again, “Brother Ning, were you men about to find out more details? Who were these people that were able to strike a deal with the Cheng’s?”

“They are with Lai Yue Inn in this town. If I am guessing correctly, the one behind these are Green Mountain Manor!” said old man Ning slowly.

Old man Du exclaimed uncontrollably, “What? Green Mountain Manor?!”

It wasn’t just him, the other two old men also had an incredulous look on their faces. They have heard of Green Mountain Manor. They knew very well what those three words meant.

The richest manor in the empire. Even the royalties dared not touch them. Rumor also had it that they have connections with One Hall, one of the four top powers.

They wouldn’t even had expected it in their dreams that the Cheng’s had teamed up with Green Mountain Manor.

Their window had closed!

The same thought crossed their mind at the same time. In looking back, they were the first ones who discovered the mystical animals. And yet in the end, they had lost out on the opportunities.

Of course, none of these were important. The more important issue at hand was how were they going to report back to their sect. What were they going to say about their mission to acquire the mystical well and mystical animals?

If they had failed in this mission, how were they able to return to their sect, and what would people say about them in the future?

What could they do to possibly get a share out of what Green Mountain Manor has?

After a long pause, old man Lin slowly started talking, “I have decided to take a trip to Willow tomorrow. Whatever means I have to use, I must set up a meeting with the Cheng’s. Else we will for certain be left with nothing at the end!”

“You are right. Even those from Green Mountain Manor had taken actions. If we just keep on waiting, this will turn into a fruitless trip!” Old man Quan nodded and seconded old man Lin’s opinion.

Old man Du looked at the other two men and said, “Yes, we will take a trip together tomorrow. As long as we are sincere, I trust that Cheng Biyuan will meet with us. As I recall I had met him once long time ago!”

“Me too! I hope this kid still remembers us!” Old man Lin smiled. A gentle smile as though he was looking approvingly at someone of a younger generation.

Their conversation there was quickly leaked by a knave.

The western quarter of the Ning’s resident!

Sitting in the reception pavilion, Ning Xunzong listened to the recount of the knave. He squinted his eyes, but you could still see the coldness exuding from them. After the knave was finished, he waved for him to go away.

The knave left quickly. Only him and his two classmates were left in the pavilion. Ning Xunzong said angrily, “Those three geezers tried to get ahead of us. Damn them!”

“They belong to the nine top sects. We must proceed with caution. Shi di Ning, it looks like your grandfather has some friends in high places. How come you didn’t go and join the nine top sects instead?”

Not only did shi xiong Zhou not get angry, he started asking unrelated question.

Ning Xunzong frowned and said, “I’m not sure either. Grandpa didn’t ask me to go join any of the nine top sects. Shi xiong Zhou, shi xiong Gu, we really should report this to instructor Mu sooner rather than later!”

“Report this to instructor Mu?” The corner of shi xiong Gu’s mouth twitched a couple of times and he shook his head wordlessly.

Seeing that, Ning Xunzong was baffled and asked, “Shi xiong Gu, what do you mean by that? We shouldn’t report that to instructor Mu?”

“I don’t see the need to!” replied shi xiong Zhou. He casted Ning Xunzong a strange glace, “Shi di Ning, you know as well as I do that instructor Mu is thinking very poorly of us right now. He probably wants to strangle us all. I am not going to talk to him!”