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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 2: [Jiuli Insect Valley]
Chapter 23 (50): [Negotiation]
(23rd of Volume 2)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Chen Chuan had spent over forty years in the City Defense Camp, witnessing countless bloody battles and handling countless major and minor cases. Yet the gruesome scene in the courtyard before him still sent a chill down his spine.
The Changlin Gang's Honorary Guest, a Seven Springs Opening expert with a black mole between his eyebrows, lay in a pool of blood, cut clean in half. His arms were nowhere to be seen.
Near the courtyard wall lay about ten corpses, scattered haphazardly, each killed with a single sword strike.
The ground was littered with Giant Spiders and sturdy webs that stretched from east to west. Frozen beneath frost and ice crystals, they were clearly the work of a large-scale killing spiritual artifact.
...
This was a truly grand spectacle!
And the creator of this gruesome scene was merely a young man who appeared to be no older than twenty.
If he truly hailed from the Cangli Tribe, he was undoubtedly a rising star within the clan.
Such a figure was someone he couldn't afford to offend now, nor in the future.
Reporting this to his superiors... would unearth far more than he bargained for, entangling him in the power struggles among Jiu Li City's elite.
Li Weiyi lit the bone lantern and rehung it on the Old Yang Tree.
Under the lantern's glow, the bloodstains in the courtyard appeared eerily vibrant, and the scattered corpses added to the scene's terrifying, otherworldly atmosphere.
Chen Chuan's expression softened as he asked, "Who is the owner of this residence?"
"I am."
Zhao Meng strode forward, his six-meter-tall frame causing the ground to tremble slightly.
Spiritual power surged within him, turning his skin golden and his hair into flames. His voice boomed like thunder, deafening those nearby.
Senior Coffin had instructed him to appear in this form, projecting an aura of dominance.
"Senior Brother, this is Captain Chen Chuan of the City Defense Camp..." Li Weiyi had never seen Zhao Meng in such a divine state before, and his heart was filled with astonishment.
Zhao Meng strode toward Chen Chuan with dragon-like strides, his voice sharp and unforgiving: "When we rented this mansion, we paid City Defense Silvers. We were attacked by bandits and nearly killed. Why did the City Defense Camp take so long to arrive?"
To Chen Chuan, Zhao Meng's aura was far more oppressive than even Xie Jin's iron-fisted authority.
His flesh and blood had been honed to a golden sheen, a feat unheard of in the Spring Surge Realm. Chen Chuan felt that Zhao Meng could tear him in half with his bare hands.
This was Xie Jin's Senior Brother, the master of this place. The true master must be an even more terrifying figure.
He could never have imagined that Zhao Meng had only opened one Surging Spring.
Facing this formidable presence, Chen Chuan hastily clasped his hands in respect, not even daring to ask for the Commoners' Register.
He explained, "We never expected anyone to be so audacious as to break into a private residence and rob it so close to the City Domain. Please, Your Excellency, do not be angered. The City Defense Camp will not ignore this. Such incidents will never happen again."
Li Weiyi was astonished by his Senior Brother's overwhelming presence. He instinctively retreated to the side, like a junior brother deferring to his senior, to further highlight Zhao Meng's dominance.
After a quarter of an hour later, their exchange concluded.
Chen Chuan stepped out of the mansion gate, pounding his chest and promising to uncover the mastermind behind the attack as quickly as possible.
He then ordered the twenty Aberrant City Defense Guards outside to remove all the corpses from the courtyard and thoroughly clean the ground.
Li Weiyi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching the City Defense Guards march away.
"Senior Brother, did you see it? Only through strength can we earn respect. Otherwise, we'd be hauled away right now. Of course, it also means Chen Chuan isn't clean himself."
Zhao Meng chuckled: "I've always felt our current strength is somewhat superficial. They probably think I'm a formidable Five Seas Realm expert. If our bluff were exposed, the City Defense Camp and the Changlin Gang would have countless ways to make us pay back every penny, with interest."
"Five Seas Realm!"
Li Weiyi repeated the words aloud.
In his mind, those three words now represented dignity, status, and security - everything he must strive to achieve.
"You'll have to keep up the Five Seas Realm act. We have another tough battle to fight tonight."
Li Weiyi didn't believe Chen Chuan would risk offending the Changlin Gang for their sake. His promise to "uncover the mastermind" was nothing more than empty words.
To truly resolve the Changlin Gang problem, they would have to rely on their own strength.
...
The night was deep, and the air was cool.
Li Weiyi sat alone on the threshold of the main gate, repeatedly wiping the blood from the Yellow Dragon Sword with a gray cloth.
The water in the basin beside him gradually turned crimson.
Zhao Meng sat beneath the Old Yang Tree in the courtyard, appearing calm and composed, though inwardly he was terrified.
Lao Liu and Old Guan were cleaning up the bloodstains in the courtyard.
None of the others had tried to escape.
At this point, fleeing would only hasten their deaths. They had to project an image of being ready to fight the Changlin Gang to the death, hoping to force their opponents to weigh the costs and benefits, and thus buy themselves a sliver of hope.
...
"Clatter!"
"Clatter!"
The sound of heavy footsteps rapidly approached from the end of the four-zhang-wide street.
Led by Vice Gang Leader Tang Yan and Banner Leader Shi Chuan Yu, dozens of Changlin Gang members marched out of the shadows of the buildings. All were clad in black, silencing the merchants and residents lining the street.
The very air seemed to thicken.
Li Weiyi glanced over and saw that the Changlin Gang members weren't carrying weapons. His confidence surged.
In that case...
I'll adopt an even more assertive stance.
Moments later, the Changlin Gang members had gathered in front of the courtyard gate, all eyes fixed on Li Weiyi. Yet he continued to calmly wipe his longsword, as if they were invisible.
This display of courage, composure, and self-assurance left the Changlin Gang members too intimidated to even breathe.
Shi Chuan Yu stepped forward and bowed to Li Weiyi, then glanced at Zhao Meng seated in the courtyard. Without beating around the bush, he got straight to the point: "I, Shi Chuan Yu, failed to recognize a master. Tonight, the Changlin Gang admits defeat. We have prepared generous gifts to express our remorse for the fright we caused, and we beg you to turn this conflict into peace."
Li Weiyi remained silent, his gaze fixed on Tang Yan behind Shi Chuan Yu.
The old man exuded an aura of extreme danger, clearly the true authority within the Changlin Gang, the one who could make the final decision.
Tang Yan had been sizing up Li Weiyi for some time, finding him far younger than he had expected.
Yet this young man had inflicted a devastating defeat on the Changlin Gang tonight, leaving them with heavy losses.
Tomorrow, they would undoubtedly become the laughingstock of the other gangs in the suburban districts.
Li Weiyi's confidence was unwavering,
suggesting he truly had nothing to fear.
Tang Yan forced a friendly smile onto his aged face, walked to Shi Chuan Yu's right side, and clasped his hands in a formal greeting.
"This old man is Tang Yan, Vice Gang Leader of the Changlin Gang. My subordinates lacked foresight and brought disaster upon the gang. Their defeat at the hands of this young friend is well-deserved. This is the deed to this manor. I had it rushed through just now. Please, young friend, accept it."
Tang Yan produced the deed and had Shi Chuan Yu present it to Li Weiyi.
Li Weiyi glanced at it, his heart pounding in shock.
Even a small manor in this area would cost tens of thousands of Silver Coins. Their three-acre estate would have cost at least two hundred thousand Silver Coins to acquire.
What a lavish gesture!
Li Weiyi calmly averted his gaze and asked, "Where are my people?"
Tang Yan gestured with his hand.
Four members of the Black-Clothed Gang carried Zhao Zhizhuo in a sedan chair and helped him stand before Li Weiyi.
Zhao Zhizhuo's injuries had been treated, and his dislocated arms had been reset, but it was still clear he had suffered inhumane treatment.
Li Weiyi waved his hand, signaling Lao Liu and Old Guan to help him down.
The four gang members who had carried Zhao Zhizhuo all knelt on the ground, kowtowing and begging for mercy, their faces contorted with fear.
It was clear they were responsible for Zhao Zhizhuo's condition.
Li Weiyi looked up at Tang Yan, his gaze sharp as a sword.
Tang Yan waved his hand: "They made a mistake, so they must pay the price. Break their arms and legs and leave them to die."
As the four men were dragged away, their screams of agony and the sound of bones shattering echoed through the courtyard.
Li Weiyi showed no pity or sympathy. Given the Changlin Gang's reputation, there were likely few good people among them.
Whatever fate awaited them, they deserved it.
"Vice Gang Leader, your sincerity is appreciated. Xie Jin will accept the land deed," Li Weiyi said, "But I fear a similar incident might occur again late one night..."
Zhao Meng's voice, like a dragon's roar, echoed from the courtyard: "Then we'll storm the Changlin Gang's headquarters and see who's tougher!"
Tang Yan's gaze darkened. If this matter hadn't already blown up, if the Young Mistress hadn't ordered them to settle it peacefully, and if these two weren't rumored to have Cang Li as their backer, the Changlin Gang would never have endured such humiliation.
Tang Yan forced a smile and promised, "Rest assured, this will never happen again. May I ask, is Master Qi well?"
Li Weiyi had kept the white-robed freak around precisely because he believed him to be an Insect Tamer - a valuable asset that could be used as leverage in negotiations with the Changlin Gang.
Originally, Li Weiyi had intended to trade him for Zhao Zhizhuo.
But now, he had a new idea, "That old man is still alive. How much silver coin is the Vice Gang Leader willing to pay to get him back?"
Tang Yan cursed Li Weiyi's greed inwardly, but considering that the man only dared to rent a house in the suburbs, he was likely truly impoverished.
If it could be resolved with silver coin, it wasn't a real problem.
This time, he would swallow his pride!
After some haggling, Tang Yan finally agreed to pay 100,000 silver coin to redeem Master Qi.
When Tang Yan learned that they had only recovered Master Qi and not the Giant Spiders, his face turned green with rage.
Li Weiyi stood up, watching the Changlin Gang's massive procession - which had arrived in a grand display and was now departing just as grandly - and struck a menacing pose. He raised his voice, "Let me remind the Vice Gang Leader: it's best not to send anyone to spy on us. If I catch anyone, I'll personally deliver their corpses back to the Changlin Gang."
Tang Yan, who had already walked a hundred paces away, was breathing heavily, his eyes blazing with killing intent.
Shi Chuan Yu asked, "Vice Gang Leader, did you gauge the depth of the man in the courtyard?"
Tang Yan replied, "I can confirm he's definitely at the Five Seas Realm. He had consumed the blood of two Ancient Immortal Giant Beasts. Didn't you notice yesterday?"
Shi Chuan Yu hastily explained, "Yesterday, he deliberately concealed his cultivation. His divine radiance was restrained. At my level... Sigh, my cultivation is insufficient... I was wrong..."
Tang Yan's expression turned grave.
"Aberrant Humanoids can only drink the blood of a second Ancient Immortal Giant Beast after reaching the Five Seas Realm. Of course, there are exceptions for those with special constitutions, but such individuals are even rarer than Pure Immortal Physiques and offer no practical reference."
"Are we really going to let this go? The price we paid tonight was too high," Shi Chuan Yu said, his voice filled with resentment.
Tang Yan replied, "First, we need to determine their relationship with Cang Li. If it's distant, we'll make them pay a terrible price for this, even if not tonight, then later. Even if they're close, if we can't do it openly, can't we do it in the shadows?"
"By the way, that Xie Jin kid isn't likely at the Five Seas Realm. He's probably a Martial-Mystic Cultivator who's opened the Eight Springs."
Shi Chuan Yu agreed. The pressure Xie Jin exerted on him was far less than Zhao Meng's. He suggested, "Should we put his name on the Five Burial Temple's list and have the Buddha's Salvation Bandits test him again? If we could kill him, wouldn't that be a satisfying way to vent our anger?"
The Five Burial Temple was the largest assassin organization in Jiu Li City's Nether Market, rumored to be backed by Coffin Mountain Xu Fodu, one of the Three Great Barbarian Bandits of the Southern Frontier.
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END OF CHAPTER
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