With virtue

This old man knelt down way too quickly!

Just as Zhao Yunshu had this thought in his mind, he saw Sun continue to bang his head against the ground with a loud thud, startling him!

"Master Daoist—" came Old Man Sun's voice.

Zhao Yunshu, who was originally going to confront the old man, was so frightened by him that if he were hit again, the old man might kowtow to his death right in front of him!

Damn it, this old man's knees are made of paper, he can kneel down whenever he wants, but his head is made of iron, he can knock it down whenever he wants!

"Please get up, Mr. Sun, get up quickly." Zhao Yunshu immediately helped the old man up to prevent him from hitting his head and killing himself.

Sun Shouxin stood up shakily, not bothering to brush the dust off his knees or wipe the blood from his forehead. He simply stood there with his hands hanging down, his old face filled with remorse and fear.

Then, Zhao Yunshu's expression turned serious, no longer the nonchalant one, and he said, "Boss Sun, stop putting on that act. I'll take care of the porcelain for you. As for what I want... you should know."

Sun Shouxin immediately understood and said repeatedly, "I know, I know, I understand. You can rest assured about those children, Daoist. I will personally talk to Old Zhou and make sure they are not wronged in the slightest. I can also sell a batch of fine porcelain to this man at a low price. As for Daoist," he took a half step forward, "if you can solve the problem of tribute porcelain, you will be a great benefactor to Ding Kiln. Although I am a rough man, I know the principle of repaying a drop of kindness with a spring of gratitude. Daoist, just ask for whatever you want, and I will not refuse."

Zhao Yunshu sighed as he watched Sun Batou kneel and kowtow before him, begging for his help in resolving the matter of the tribute porcelain.

Zhao Yunshu was well aware of his ulterior motives, and Sun Shouxin didn't hide them from him either.

This old man had previously collaborated with the evil monk; he couldn't possibly have been completely unaware of it, but that's just the kind of person he is.

He is kneeling before himself now not because he has repented, but because the evil monk is dead.

Now, unable to deliver the tribute porcelain, he could only rely on Zhao Yunshu. When he said he would "never refuse," Zhao Yunshu had no doubt whatsoever. He had no doubt about Sun Shouxin's sincerity; if the old man said it, he would definitely do it. He was willing to give up so many lives, what was a little more material wealth?

You can call this kind of person bad, but he has never killed anyone with his own hands. However, when Monk Yuanmeng wanted to use human lives to refine that male viper, Sun Shouxin not only gave it to him, but also covered for him, smoothed things over for him, and arranged everything perfectly for him.

Isn't this "sincerity" enough?

If you praise him, he is also implicated in the deaths of those refugees and artisans.

He is a mirror of a chaotic world, reflecting whatever is reflected.

Sun Shouxin is not a bad person; he is just too good at going with the flow.

If this old man had been born in a peaceful and prosperous era, he would definitely have been a law-abiding, shrewd, and accommodating old foreman, readily accepting good advice and making a name for himself in his own little corner of the world. People within a ten-mile radius would all give a thumbs up when they mentioned Sun Shouxin. During festivals, he would deliver rice to poor families and stay with the elderly and widows. Everyone would praise him as "Sun the Benevolent Man".

But he was born in a chaotic era; as the world deteriorated, he deteriorated along with it.

Even if he doesn't harm anyone, if someone harms someone right under his nose, he will never stand up and say a single word against it.

He simply lowered his head, closed his eyes, plugged his ears, and waited until the matter was over before raising his head again.

In the end, he still maintained that polite and impeccable smile, and no one could find fault with him.

The accomplice of a vicious tiger may not necessarily want to eat people himself; he simply serves as the tiger's accomplice in sharpening its teeth.

Zhao Yunshu sighed inwardly, too lazy to argue with the old man anymore.

Given the state of the world, what can a mere Taoist priest do?

Can he kill all the evil spirits in the world by himself?

Moreover, if Sun, the head of the kiln, is killed now, what will happen to the Ding kiln? The Ding kiln needs people like Sun Shouxin to establish itself.

If Master Zhou were to take the lead, regardless of whether he has the shrewdness and business acumen, or the ability to manage and calculate, judging by his temperament alone, he would likely offend the powerful and be eliminated within a few years.

Instead of thinking about those things, we should focus on the immediate issues, settle the children in, and get what we're entitled to.

We'll talk about the future later.

Then Zhao Yunshu held up three fingers and said, "Master Sun, I'll take care of the tribute porcelain for you, but I have three things to ask of you."

"Please speak, Daoist Master. Let alone three items, even thirty, I would have no objection!" Sun Shouxin hurriedly agreed.

"Firstly," Zhao Yunshu bent her first finger, "you must take good care of those three children, and you must entrust them to Master Zhou to raise personally. Master Zhou is kind-hearted and treats his apprentices like his own children. I feel at ease with the children being with him; at least they won't turn into someone like you."

Upon hearing this, Sun Shouxin nodded without any resentment, completely disregarding Zhao Yunshu's sarcasm.

What's the point of satire? It won't hurt you, it's no big deal.

"Secondly," Zhao Yunshu bent his second finger, turning his gaze to the peddler beside him, "Brother Chen has been through thick and thin with me. Prepare a batch of porcelain and a strong mule for him. He can decide how to handle it. Don't worry about anything else."

Chen Wanchuan was standing to the side, wiping the dust off the carrying pole with his sleeve, when he suddenly heard these words. He lost his grip on the carrying pole and dropped it to the ground.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but found his throat felt blocked. After a long while, he managed to choke out, "Master, this, this is too much trouble...!"

But he stopped himself from actually refusing.

Oh my god, how can I refuse?! I'm sorry, but I can't refuse!

The peddler's face turned bright red, and he rubbed his hands, unsure of what to say. He had been traveling all over the country for over twenty years, braving wind and rain, earning only hard-earned money. Even if the price increased tenfold, everyone knew that in times of war and chaos, it wasn't easy for a peddler to make a trip. He hadn't asked for exorbitant prices; he earned his living with his life on the line.

Right now, a mule and a batch of Ding kiln white porcelain! If these things were transported to a prosperous place like Wu County and sold, the price could increase dozens of times!

With this capital, he could acquire property, find a wife through a matchmaker, have several children, and no longer have to carry his load across the country!

This is an incredible act of kindness! I simply can't bring myself to refuse!

Zhao Yunshu just smiled, then bent his third finger: "Thirdly, and finally, just prepare a secret room for me. I don't want your gold or silver, but you need to prepare some medicinal herbs for me. I will give you a list later, and seven days later, I will deliver a batch of tribute porcelain to you."

After hearing these three things, Sun Shouxin felt a great weight lifted from his heart.

He had expected the Taoist priest to ask for an exorbitant sum, perhaps a thousand or eight hundred taels of silver, or at least a batch of treasures, but to his surprise, the conditions were so insignificant.

Settling a few children was just a matter of a word from him. A batch of porcelain and a mule might be worth some money elsewhere, but this was Ding kiln, where porcelain was the least of their worries. As for preparing materials and a secret room, that was even easier!

He immediately agreed without hesitation, and as if fearing that Zhao Yunshu might change his mind, he added, "Rest assured, Daoist Master, I will personally oversee these three matters and will not delegate them to anyone else!"

Zhao Yunshu nodded, then looked at the peddler: "Then, Brother Chen, you go and prepare the porcelain."

"And you, Taoist priest?"

"Me? I'm going to practice my skills." Zhao Yunshu blinked.

What kind of kung fu do you practice?

It was naturally the monk's water and fire magic!

He even has visualization diagrams!