"How large were those Jade Snakes," Song Horo asked suspiciously.
"Adults."
Song Horo continued to feel that something was off. The Song Family traded primarily in tamed beasts. Red Jade Powder was a useful material in the nurturing process, with Jade Snake Skin as the primary ingredient.
Now, the representative was offering four Jade Snakes to him. Apart from their inherent worth, they were extremely convenient for the Song Family. After all, just because someone had 100,000 silver did not mean that the Jade Snakes would be available. The market for rare beasts was not so steady.
It seemed that the representative really wanted Song Horo to accept the offer.
"The usual deal includes Black Sand Powder, White Elk Antlers, Starlight Lizard Scales, and Moonlight Fragrance Grass," Song Horo said. "While the Jade Snakes are tempting, these materials are essential."
"The current proposal is already quite generous. To demand more is to risk offending the Mo Estate," Mo Seris scoffed, aware that too much flexibility would only deepen the Third Manager's suspicions.
"Very well, I find the offer unsatisfactory, and I have no desire to cause offense. Thus, we will wait to assess the boy's talent, Steward." Song Horo observed the expression on Mo Seris's face.
Song Kiro had not given any indication that his child had an immortal fate, but Song Horo knew that Mo Seris would not have spoken up without reason.
Of the possibilities…
There was no world in which the representative was merely feeling generous. There was a small chance that Mo Seris was actually feeling impatient, but it was far more likely that the representative had gathered some indication of the boy's talents from his behavior.
Why else would a person who was so unpleasant suddenly offer a price that was twice that of an ordinary baby?
The fact that Mo Seris would not consider raising the price any further also seemed to be a point of suspicion. What kind of person would double the price of their own accord, and then refuse to budge, even a millimeter?
He was certainly hiding something.
No matter what, Song Horo did not want to be tricked into selling a talented son to the Mo Estate. It would be bad enough that he did so unknowingly, let alone doing so at a price that was one-hundredth that of the standard.
"No need to let personal feelings come in the way of business interests," Mo Seris said darkly.
The Third Manager only smiled in response. "You really want this infant."
"Don't flatter yourself," Mo Seris said. "Originally, I had no preference as to whether I should take it away. It is only after my time was wasted that I thought it would be best to make the deal."
"Leave if you want to. But it seems that Master Kiro is almost finished."
Mo Seris looked over at the medicine man. It did seem like the testing was about to conclude. The opportunity was about to evaporate, giving him a feeling of pressure. All he could do was make one last effort.
"This is a good deal. Rejecting it is harming your family." Mo Seris's voice was harsh, delivering the words in the manner of a threat.
There was a sudden air of tension, as the representative gave Song Horo a hard stare.
In response, Song Horo did not speak or flare his aura. However, the careless expression on his face let Mo Seris know that he did not take the threat seriously.
The atmosphere in the room became increasingly uncomfortable.
"Ahem."
A man who had been quiet up to that point, suddenly cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the other parties. He was beady-eyed, with a shifty appearance. His robes displayed dual crescents in a prominent position, one red and one yellow.
An oily smile came over his face, as he looked between Mo Seris and Song Horo.
"About this matter, there can be no coercion," he said, speaking clearly.
Huo Yuri was an officer of Goldmoon Hall, the Dynasty Branch in Brightsteel Town. In principle, he carried the authority of the Dynasty, although in practice it was more of a paper sword.
An officer from Black Mountain City would make even the family heads stand up straight.
However, an officer from Brightsteel Town would be ignored.
This was not because the Dynasty was weak, but rather because they did not care about the goings-on of small towns. They did not invest any attention, much less manpower, to such places. Being an officer in a town was a form of empty status, without the ability to handle matters with force.
This meant that the true ruling powers in the towns were the local snakes, the families with entrenched forces and interests.