The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 649: I Am Taking It

I Am Taking It . . .

Boundless Saint inhaled deeply, attempting to contain his bubbling excitement. As he spoke, he radiated a renewed vigor. Despite his earlier fear of Bing-Er, he appeared to have momentarily forgotten it. Despite having lost a substantial amount of blood, he showed no signs of weakness at this moment.

"Let's retrieve the money!" Boundless Saint issued the order. The thirteen golden label assassins exchanged glances, playfully nudging one another like mischievous children. They were undoubtedly eager to seize the wealth, yet not one of them dared to claim it first.

"Hey, Tiger, you were the one boasting about being the first to grab it. What's the matter, having second thoughts?"

"I admit it. I'm a bit of a chicken, alright? My stomach wasn't feeling too good..."

"What does that have to do with taking the money? All it should affect is your legs feeling shaky. There's no connection."

"No... you see, after visiting the restroom, I forgot to wash my hands. So, I think I'll be the last one to take the money. It's the same, isn't it? Panther, you go first..."

"Ah, why'd you push me? You didn't wash your hands, and you're pushing me? I'm not in any rush either. I reckon Wolf should grab it first..."

"Come on, Snake, it's your turn..."

"Damn, no way... I'm not..."

"Oh, you guys go on and take it..."

They kept pushing each other, but none of them actually made a move for the money. Instead, they gazed longingly at the pile of wealth. They were willing to go to great lengths for it, yet none of them would seize it first. They even resorted to inventing excuses, such as the lack of handwashing after using the toilet.

"What on earth are you all doing? Go and take it!" Boundless Saint barked.

Thirteen assassins continued to fixate on the money but remained rooted to their spots. In fact, they even began to retreat from it.

"You go first..."

"No, no, you should be the one to begin..."

"Come on, you should really be the first..."

"Let me rub my eyes first to ensure I'm not dreaming..."

"You're saying you didn't wash your hands after going to the bathroom, and now you want to rub your eyes? That's gross. Just go get the money, will you?"

"Exactly, you can't rub your eyes, but you can fetch the money. Go!"

"Hurry up and go..."

"Go ahead!"

...

"What the hell are you all doing? I said, get the money! What's wrong with you?" The rest of the group watched their comical antics, while Boundless Saint's embarrassment and frustration grew.

He was filled with both shame and anger. His voice reverberated, a mix of frustration and fury spewing forth. "I'm going to kill you bunch of bastards! God damn it! We killed, we fought, we got hurt, we did everything for it! Weren't we risking our lives for it? For heaven's sake! You guys fought each other for just thousands of taels! Now, nearly one hundred billion awaits you! What the hell! Are you telling me you're going to be decent gentlemen now? Damn it! Stop fooling around! Are you going to take it or not? If not, I'm going to take it all! I mean it! You know I can do it! You know I will! I'm warning you!"

He raged on, his fury uncontainable.

The assassins blushed deeply, their faces and necks aflame from the scolding. Despite the humiliation, they remained drawn to the allure of the vast fortune. Finally, one burly individual stepped forward, his face beet red, and hesitantly stammered, "Well... then... I... I... guess I'll... take it, alright?"

"Do it!" Boundless Saint's expression darkened.

"Seriously, I'm taking it, alright?" The big guy took tiny, reluctant steps closer to the money, still rubbing his hands together.

"Hurry up, you idiot!" Boundless Saint was losing his patience. "What are you playing at? Cut the nonsense!"

"Okay, okay, I'll take it..." the big guy said but seemed ready to back away, showing great reluctance. He acted as if he were traversing treacherous territory.

"You motherf***er..." Boundless Saint's frustration peaked. Enraged, he leaped up and delivered a furious kick to the big guy, shouting, "Tiger Lei! I've never seen you act this cowardly before! You used to be so tough! Don't humiliate me like this! This is the day that changes our fate! Can't you show some respect? You kept dawdling and questioning... Are you underestimating me now? Think I'm too weak to take you down? Want to give it a try?"

It was an angry kick. Given his prior blood loss, if not for that, the big guy might have spat out blood from the impact.

"Hahaha..." Laughter filled the room.

Tiger Lei joined in on the laughter, happier than anyone else. He chuckled and said, "Okay, I'll just take it..."

Boundless Saint's face darkened again, and he prepared for another kick. Tiger Lei, realizing this, promptly dropped to the floor to pick up the scattered banknotes.

"Hold on, he closed his eyes?" Boundless Saint remarked.

Tiger Lei opened his eyes but still didn't meet Boundless Saint's gaze. Instead, his eyes remained fixed on the money he held, and he quivered with excitement. "The money is still here? I can touch it! It's real! I'm not dreaming! This is not a dream!"

Boundless Saint eased his grip on Tiger Lei's collar, understanding the man's hesitation. Tiger Lei had been concerned this might be just a dream until he touched the money. He was so afraid of waking up that he didn't want to end the dream. By closing his eyes while handling the money, he believed he could prolong the dream if it turned out to be one.

In the face of such an immense sum, everyone would act irrationally, not just Tiger Lei.

Having confirmed it wasn't a dream, Tiger Lei focused on counting the money. The other twelve assassins watched him with envy, wishing they had gone first.

Tiger Lei grabbed a bundle of notes and began counting. "One, two, three, four... Oh, my heavens! These are ten-thousand notes... Ahhhh..."

His trembling fingers struggled to count. His face flushed with excitement, and he even licked his fingers as he continued. "Seven, eight, nine, ten...," he recited, licking his fingers again and resuming with, "... twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight..."