Jiang Jiuyuan finally reacted and ordered loudly, "Thieving Immortals, listen up! From this moment on..."

Before Jiang Jiuyuan could finish, she was interrupted. "Wait a minute."

"Eighth Sister!" As Jiang Jiuyuan turned her head, a woman dressed identically to her, but with a black veil covering one eye, walked in slowly.

Judging from Jiang Jiuyuan's address, this person should be the Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth.

The Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth walked up to Old Liu in a few steps. "Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth greets Master Liu!"

Old Liu looked up at her. "Is the Thieving Immortal Sect being led by Eighth Girl or Ninth Girl right now?"

Jiang Jiuyuan was about to speak when the Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth glared at her fiercely. The Eighth smiled. "Of course, whoever is older takes charge. Isn't that the custom of the martial world?"

Old Liu asked with the same smile, "So, what does Eighth Girl think?"

The Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth laughed. "The game between Master Liu and the ghosts and gods has already begun and cannot be stopped, nor can it be interfered with. Shouldn't we, the Thieving Immortal Sect, be rewarded for fully protecting Master Liu's safety?"

Old Liu said with a chuckle, "Eighth Girl, are these your personal thoughts? Or is this the arrangement of the Thieving Immortal Sect Leader?"

Before the Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth could speak, Jiang Jiuyuan tugged at her sleeve. "Eighth Sister, Master said..."

"Shut up!" The Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth scolded. "Master told us to cooperate with Liangjie Tang, not to obey their orders."

"Liangjie Tang wants us to risk our lives without paying a single cent. Is there such a good deal in the world? Do they think we, the Thieving Immortal Sect, are heroes, or are they treating us like fools?"

Jiang Jiuyuan didn't know what to do for a moment.

People of the thieving world have their own code of conduct: everything they do must be profitable.

The Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth's words hit Jiang Jiuyuan's weak spot.

Jiang Jiuyuan was clearly not a decisive person. The Thieving Immortal Sect Leader gave her the power to decide, but also left behind the Eighth, who could suppress her, which only complicated matters.

The Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth looked at Old Liu with confidence. "My Thieving Immortal Sect is responsible for guarding the game. Shouldn't your Liangjie Tang pay some price?"

Old Liu smiled. "Eighth Girl, you should understand a principle: a wisp of earth soul (di hun) is nothing to our Liangjie Tang. If we lose this task, we have plenty of secret orders to take. We can withdraw at any time, but your Thieving Immortal Sect can only fight to the end."

"Liangjie Tang hasn't taken any benefits from you, nor do we owe you any favors. We don't need to risk our lives for the thieving sect."

"But..." Jiang Jiuyuan argued, "We have a common enemy, we should be in the same boat!"

Old Liu smiled. "The term 'in the same boat' is not suitable for us."

"I'm playing a game with ghosts and gods. The outcome is just a game, and the victory or defeat is irrelevant to the life and death of Liangjie Tang. But the ghosts and gods want to slaughter your thieving sect."

"If you and I were to switch places, would you agree to fight to the death?"

The Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth said, "You're exaggerating. Why would the ghosts and gods want to kill us?"

Old Liu laughed. "Because I want the earth soul (di hun), and you want the blood chess piece. The ghosts and gods don't care about a wisp of soul, but they care about the chess piece. So, you are doomed to die!"

The Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth shook her head. "I don't believe it. You must have other plans."

Old Liu laughed heartily. "Alright! I'll give you the chessboard. Liangjie Tang will immediately withdraw from Yunyin Village!"

As Old Liu spoke, he stood up, pretending to leave.

The Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth didn't stop him, but crossed her arms and waited triumphantly to see what reason Old Liu would use to turn back.

But what she didn't expect was that Old Liu walked out of the Eight and a Half Rooms without looking back and headed towards Yunyin Village.

Jiang Jiuyuan panicked. "Eighth Sister, what if he leaves? None of us know how to play chess!"

The Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth said confidently, "Don't worry, they're just playing hard to get. I know a little about the Yang Jian Jie Ming Ren. How much life can an earth soul (di hun) exchange for? They wouldn't risk coming here just for an earth soul (di hun); they must have other plans. We don't need to be afraid of them."

The Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth waved her hand casually. "Follow them and see where they go. Report back to me at any time."

Before long, someone reported, "The two of them have returned to Zuan Shan Bao's camp."

The Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth sneered, "See? What did I say? They're waiting for us to come begging. We'll just keep waiting. I want to see if Liangjie Tang will get anxious."

Before the Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth could feel complacent for long, she heard someone report, "The people from Liangjie Tang are heading towards the village entrance."

Jiang Jiuyuan panicked. "Eighth Sister, I don't think Liu Bao is bluffing. What if we really force them away? Who will play this game of chess then!"

The Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth finally realized that something was wrong. "Could it be that they're serious? I don't believe it!"

Before she could finish saying "I don't believe it," she heard someone report, "The two of them are almost at the village entrance. They'll be out of the village soon."

The Thieving Immortal Sect's Eighth's expression finally changed. "Stop them!"