Yi Jiang's speed of work astounded Wu Lai - as soon as the auction of the winners of the four games was settled, Vulture, with a thick bandage on his right shoulder, was brought to Yi Jiang and Wu Lai.
"Although he was injured and a bit old, his owner has no intention of lowering the price. One thousand gold coins, this price exceeds the highest price of the pair of female gladiators auctioned today." Yi Jiang said with a smile. The pair of "broken-back female gladiators" were auctioned at a high price of one thousand seven hundred gold coins, which greatly lowered the prices of the other three, but was still quite a bit lower than Vulture's asking price.
"The price of one thousand gold coins basically matches the value of the vulture in my mind." Wu Lai nodded and looked the vulture up and down.
"No, Wuleglindo, I have to remind you that Vulture's right shoulder is seriously injured because the sword that hit him is very sharp. Look, his face is so pale. If you change your mind, I can sell you the female gladiator I just bought. What's her name? Puya?" Yi Jiang said uncertainly.
The moment Yi Jiang said the name of the female gladiator, Wu Lai caught the almost imperceptible twitching in the corner of the vulture's eyes.
After a slight hesitation, Wu Lai smiled and said, "I won't change my mind. However, in addition to buying the vulture, I am also interested in your suggestion. If you are willing to sell Puya, I will be very grateful."
"Oh?" Yi Jiang's eyes flashed with surprise, "You are really unexpected. If you are interested in Pu Ya, why didn't you bid just now?"
"Because the lieutenant general showed such enthusiasm for Puya that I had to hesitate." Wu Lai replied with a smile, "It was not until just now that I realized from your words that it was not the case."
"No, no, no, I am still passionate about her. You should have noticed her appearance and figure. Wow, she must be very good-looking." Yi Jiang smiled and pointed at Pu Ya who was riding in a car circling the venue to thank the audience.
Yi Jiang's words dimmed Vulture's eyes. Wu Lai frowned and said seriously, "Mr. Deputy General, Puya's age will make you bored very soon. Believe me, when that day comes, you will regret spending 650 gold coins on it. If you are willing to sell it to me now, I am willing to pay 800 gold coins."
Yi Jiang looked at Wu Lai seriously for a moment, then suddenly smiled and nodded: "This is a good deal, I am happy to accept it."
"That's great." Wu Lai smiled and held out his hand.
"Remember, you still owe me a favor." Yi Jiang held Wu Lai's hand.
That night, when Wu Lai, looking drunk, walked out of the lieutenant general's residence, it was almost midnight. Seeing this, Nelton, who had been waiting outside the residence for a long time, hurriedly went up to him and helped Wu Lai into the carriage, and then drove the carriage slowly towards the hotel.
When he stepped into the hotel door, Woolley, who had a red face and looked drunk just now, walked so steadily that Nelton was amazed.
"Let's go. The new recruits haven't been trained yet." Wu Lai said to Nelton as he walked in.
"Master Wu Lai, Vulture and Pu Ya were arranged to stay in Marlon's room." Nelton said hurriedly. When leaving the Stone Square, Wu Lai went to the Temple of Menia City with Yi Jiang, while Vulture and Pu Ya followed Nelton and Marlon back to the hotel. Wu Lai had not formally talked to them yet.
Wu Lai's appearance obviously made Pu Ya a little uneasy, but she quickly calmed down, then she quickly walked to Wu Lai and knelt on one knee, saying, "Master."
Wu Lai nodded and waved his hand at the vulture who was about to kneel down to salute: "Forget it, we can talk about these customs after your injury is healed. Sit down and talk."
While Vulture and Puya were hesitating, Malone had already brought chairs for them. After placing the chair ten elbows in front of Wu Lai, Malone glanced at Vulture, walked to Wu Lai and stopped, posing a respectful attitude. Seeing him like this, Nelton shook his head with a wry smile, walked out of the room to find some hot yogurt for Wu Lai to sober up.
"You two knew each other before, right? What's your relationship? Are you a couple?" Wu Lai asked.
Vulture and Pu Ya, who had just sat down on the chair, looked at each other and shook their heads at the same time. Vulture hesitated for a moment and said, "Master, Pu Ya's sister and I were once lovers."
"So that's how it is. No wonder you gave in to Puya. But all this is in the past." Wu Lai leaned back in his chair and said, "My name is Wu Lai, Wu Lai Grindo, a citizen of Seneca City. Today, I spent a thousand gold coins to buy the vulture and another eight hundred gold coins to buy Puya. Can you guess why I did this?"
The vulture shook its head. Puya saw the vulture shaking his head and shook his head too.
"Are you unwilling to guess or are you afraid to guess?" Wu Lai frowned. As the number of slaves under his command increased, he increasingly disliked not getting the expected response to his words.
The vulture responded: "Master, I have been trained as a gladiator since I was a child. Apart from being a bodyguard or guarding slaves, I don't know what other contribution I can make to the master." After the vulture finished answering, Pu Ya hesitated and wanted to speak, but finally did not dare to say it. If a mature or even old master asked this question, she might have thought about it in some way, but the young man in front of her was obviously not fully grown up to that level.
"Bodyguards? Guard slaves?" Wu Lai smiled slightly. "Do you think the price I offered today is just to get two bodyguards or guard slaves? Ridiculous!"
Vulture and Puya lowered their heads and said in unison: "Master, please give us your instructions."
As expected, they were born as gladiators, so they know more about rules than ordinary slaves. Wulai nodded with satisfaction and said, "I offered this price because I think you are worth it, but don't think that it is your fighting skills, beauty, and figure that made me so confused. You should know that in terms of fighting skills, you are not the best. In terms of figure and appearance, the same price can buy me dozens or even hundreds of you. In the eyes of the world, the value of a gladiator lies in his winning rate, but in my eyes, Wulai Grindo, the greatest value of a gladiator lies in his loyalty. Loyalty means absolute obedience!"
"This Marlon beside me, I bought him for less than twenty gold coins. In terms of price, he is far inferior to you, but in my heart, he is the same as you, because he has dedicated all his loyalty to me. This kind of loyalty is different from the slave's obedience and servility. This kind of loyalty refers to the loyalty and fearlessness in your bones. I need your loyalty and courage. As long as you give me these, I can give you the most precious freedom. Nelton, my butler, was my slave at first. Although he is still a civilian now, in the Seneca city-state, ordinary citizens will greet him seriously when they see him and entrust him to convey my greetings. Nelton will accept all this calmly because he has won all this because of his loyalty."
"To me, what does loyalty look like? When my hand points to the north, your eyes should look to the north. When my sword points to the north, your sword should also point to the north. When I move forward, you should move forward shoulder to shoulder with me. When I fall down covered in blood, you must protect my body from being trampled by the enemy before you exhale the last breath in your chest! Obey orders, be honest with each other, be fearless, and move forward courageously. This is the loyalty I need from you." Wu Lai said.
"I understand, master." When Vulture and Puya saw Wu Lai stop his narration, they immediately nodded and said seriously.
"Go to bed early, we will be back to Seneca City tomorrow." Wu Lai stood up and pointed at Vulture's right shoulder. "Your injury is serious, take good care of yourself, otherwise you will never be able to recover to your previous state. Puya, before we return to Seneca City, you are responsible for taking care of Vulture, taking close care of him and staying with him all the time. But don't do anything behind his back. I've heard that many sisters-in-law like to play some ambiguous things with their brothers-in-law..."
No one understood the last sentence of Woolley's speech, for he could not help but use a language other than Assyrian, which was Woolley's habit when he had something to say but which would make people think he was frivolous.
The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!
Sister-in-law. As Wu Lai silently recited this title, a beautiful face appeared in his mind.
Vulture declined Puya's help and walked back to the bedside to sit down. Puya helped Marlon move the chair back to its original place, then walked to Vulture's bedside and squatted down. The candlelight in the room was swaying, making the two figures sway on the wall. Seeing that the two were silent, Marlon shook his head and said, "Vulture, Puya, I guess you two are still a little uncomfortable. Believe me, meeting Master Wu Lai is definitely the greatest luck in your life."
"Marlon, have you been with your master for a long time?" asked the vulture.
"Well, it's been a while." Malone sat on the floor beside his bed, took off the copper dagger from his belt and held it in his hand. "In Seneca City, the master is the most generous and kind citizen. He is also a god-favored one. Have you heard of God-given horse harnesses? That was made by the master under the inspiration of God. The master's house is at least twenty times the size of this hotel. The slaves living under the protection of the master can eat three meals a day, and the portion of each meal is sufficient. The master will arrange two meat meals every other day. Lunch is fish, and dinner is fresh meat or dried meat. Occasionally, it will be the other way around. There are clothes and shoes for change all year round. When slaves are sick, they can ask for leave and don't have to work. Of course, there are also those who pretend to be sick. If they are found out, they will be whipped by Heiwa..."
Vulture and Puya gradually listened attentively, and slowly, longing appeared in their eyes.
The return journey was faster than the journey there. Before sunset on the first day, Wu Lai and his party arrived at Pingfan Town and settled down. If he could maintain this speed tomorrow, he would be able to see the walls of Seneca City by noon.
At dinner, Vulture and Puya were allowed to sit at the same table with Wu Lai. After the initial surprise, Vulture and Puya quickly accepted this. Firstly, Wu Lai had said something like "obey orders and prohibit them from doing what you say". Secondly, they could tell from Marlon's behavior that this armed guard slave was already used to this.
"You two must remember that this is a gift from the master, but it does not mean that you can become arrogant and forget about respect and politeness." Nelton reminded them seriously after the two sat down.
Vulture and Puya nodded quickly. Wu Lai smiled and changed the subject: "We will return to Seneca tomorrow. It will be a new home for both of you. You must live in the White Stone Building before you are officially responsible for certain tasks. But because of this, you must first learn to adapt to some things, such as rules and habits. Of course, you can ask for any dietary requirements. As for whether I agree or not, it is my business. As a rule, you have to listen to the arrangements of the first butler Gauguin. As for your daily life, it is the butler Hippo. I believe that at this time tomorrow, butlers Gauguin and Hippo will talk endlessly to you two. So, why not cherish this rare leisure time tonight, have a drink with me, and tell me about your gladiatorial experiences. By the way, Vulture can't drink, it's not good for the wound."
Wu Lai's words and attitude immediately made Vulture and Pu Ya feel much more relaxed. Soon, as wine, fruit plates, bread, and bacon appeared on the table in front of the five people, Vulture and Pu Ya talked more. Pu Ya was a woman after all, so she knew how to arouse Wu Lai's interest better than Vulture. She specifically picked out the interesting parts of the gladiatorial experience and made Wu Lai laugh several times. In comparison, Vulture's narration was much more boring.
"Vulture, you are always immersed in the past. How can you start a new life?" Before leaving the table, Wu Lai looked at Vulture meaningfully and said.
The vulture was stunned for a moment, then followed Wu Lai silently.