Old Vulture swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. He was a survivor of a brutal era, a man who had climbed the ranks of the Seven Valleys Alliance by knowing exactly when to bow and when to bite.
He stared at the gleaming silver crate, then at the calm, bottomless abyss of Lin Mo's eyes, and finally at the empty shadows of the warehouse where he knew, instinctively, the Union Master Ying Sha was lurking.
"I understand, Shopkeeper," Old Vulture said as he tried his best to steady his tone into something of absolute loyalty. "I am not being rewarded for past loyalty, for I have none. I am being given a tool to become a deterrent. A shield to draw the arrows meant for the 'convenience' banner. You are making me the visible target so that your true operations can run smoothly in the background. If rival warlords from the Slithering Wilderness and beyond come knocking, they will see me in this armor and think twice."
