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Chapter 161 The Lost Golden City, Have You Heard of It, Old Mr. Lance?
Chapter 161 The Lost Golden City, Have You Heard of It, Old Mr. Lance?
Rabbit-eared Meredith.
The receptionist and Billboard Girl of the Bronze Bounty Guild.
On the first day of the New Year when she visited Saint Blue to see him, Lance couldn't be happy at all; he just wanted to clutch his moneybag tight.
"Hey there, young mister, seeing me... why so nervous?"
Who would have thought Lance was quite charming when younger, an allure that's like the rich essence of years past, akin to a thick history book that one needs to leaf through slowly to feel the weight of the years.
Back then, at the Bronze Bounty Guild, with his charm, he attracted many noble ladies, and to have a chance at seeing young Master Lance, they would even feign illness to request his services for preparing medicine at the Bounty Guild.
Sometimes they would even invite him over for dinner.
After a while, the daughters and sons from those noble families started fancying young Master Lance, often pestering him to tell them stories.
There were also young girls, barely blooming, seemingly completely bewitched by him.
Even with his aged looks stirring feelings in young maidens, now this lethargic, carefree, and uniquely charming aura of the bygone years, coupled with a youthful, handsome visage, should old Master return to the Bronze Guild in the city... alas, he would once again become the "dream lover of high society ladies."
The noble lords wouldn't dare go on distant journeys then, and even if they had to, they'd be sure to bring their wives and daughters along.
Back in Bronze City, some elderly nobles wouldn't dare die,
fearful that once they passed, their wives and daughters would all be inherited by Lance.
Fortunately, Lance was of solid character; for nobles seeking to prolong their lives by buying the Extraordinary Elixir from him, he always did his best to accommodate.
To let them depart this world with fewer regrets, he even proactively signed all kinds of messy contracts with some of them.
For example... after the noble lord's passing, he swore never to inherit his widow or daughters...
Such vows moved many noble lords profoundly.
"You were really handsome when you were young, you said your looks were better than anyone in the guild back then, and I thought you were boasting, but turns out it's true."
His disheveled, raven-black hair seemed uncombed; his gold-reddish pupils carried a hint of mystery. When looking into his eyes, it was as if he could see through to one's innermost thoughts.
Sitting casually, he exuded the air of a noble gentleman in this troubled world.
"Master, why don't you speak? Are you too overjoyed to see me?"
"..."
Did you even give me a chance to speak?
Your mouth is like a machine gun, just firing away, talking to yourself and answering your own questions.
"Oh, I get it, Master is waiting for me to wish him a Happy New Year." Rabbit-eared Meredith straightened her bright red robe, took a step back, and wished Lance a Happy New Year: "Dear Master, on this new year, Meredith presents to you the most sincere and warmest blessings.
May your fortune be as boundless as the East Sea, may your life span be as long as the South Mountain, may you enjoy health and happiness, everlasting good fortune, and be forever smiling.
May you live up to nine hundred and ninety-nine... no, may you live up to nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine years old.
Happy New Year, Master, give me the red packet!"
With a hop and a skip, Meredith arrived at the doorstep of the small cabin and stretched her hand inside, waiting for Lance to give her the red packet.
In the Bronze Guild days, on the new year, he would give the members red packets, and come February, he would give more money for a New Year's blessing.
Not to mention, the children that received the New Year's gift money from the Master never once suffered.
"....."
I knew it, that Rabbit-eared Meredith, this little rascal showing up in Saint Blue on the first day of the New Year, was planning to score a red packet from him.
"Change the last part of the blessing."
"Eh, Master... you can't be too greedy. Living up to nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine years is already remarkable, asking me to change it... the number would become unrealistic."
"No problem, make it ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine years..."
"..."
A hundred thousand years...
Old Master Lance sure is daring, even with the rumored Elixir of Immortality, I doubt he could live a hundred thousand years...
"Red packet red packet red packet..."
"Without changing, you'll get none."
"Wishing the Master a long life of ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine years..."
Lance, chuckling, pulled out a red packet from the Diamond Talisman and handed it to the Rabbit-eared Maiden.
To him, a wish for a life of ten thousand years is a curse.
A wish for a life of ninety thousand or a hundred thousand years is truly a blessing.
Whether one can live that long is not important, the key is that the blessing must not turn into a curse.
Meredith joyfully opened the red packet, "Gold Coins! Master, you're actually giving out Gold Coins this year, before you always filled the red packets with silver coins."
One Gold Coin in the red packet.
Big money.
Old Master used to give red packets with one silver coin each.
"Guys, come on over... Master is handing out red packets, and it's Gold Coins!"
"???"
Suddenly, a throng of people loomed outside the small cabin, and Lance, at a glance, saw nearly thirty folks, all acquaintances.
On the first day of the New Year, they've grouped to raid him—this old man?
A red packet each, thirty Gold Coins gone...
"Lance, Master, Happy New Year, hand over the red packet!"
"In the new year, I wish Master Lance an early birth of a noble child."
"Congratulations to Master Lance for living his second life!"
"Wishing Master Lance..."
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A wide array of chaotic blessings surged forth.
The small cabin's window was filled with reaching hands, all waiting for their red packets.
Louis, Bazel, and Dalton, these three who owed him money, were at the forefront, shouting the loudest for "red packets."
Luckily, he still had some red packets on him.