Chapter 42: The Negotiation and the Final Test

Description

A sword hum sounded so faint it was nearly inaudible, but the sound of the gate being split open and half the eaves collapsing was clear as day to the entire street.

Crowds of bystanders eager for drama gathered before Zhou’s Celestial Treasures Pawnshop, all eager to see just which reckless fool dared to challenge the dignity of the mighty Zhou family of the Xu Kingdom.

Yet the very next instant, an overwhelming stench of blood burst forth from within the pawnshop.

“Holy crap, who had the guts to massacre the Celestial Treasures Pawnshop!”

“Call the city guards, call the city guards!”

Everyone was stunned dumb by a blood reek potent enough to reach the entire street, and though they all crowded around, not a single one dared to step inside.

But then, the next instant—one head, two heads, four heads, six heads…

Six severed heads flew out the door one after another, instantly strung together by a Spirit Silk gleaming with spiritual light.

Then, as if controlled by some invisible hand, they flew straight past the corner of the collapsed signboard, hanging like six lanterns beneath the missing corner of the “Zhou” character on Zhou’s Celestial Treasures Pawnshop sign.

This wasn’t the end of it.

The onlookers’ jaws had barely hung open for two breaths when a Grandmaster’s Chair flew out from the pawnshop entrance, landing with perfect precision before the “Heaven” character on the signboard.

A young girl whose face still bore traces of childish innocence, yet whose features were as delicately wrought as a porcelain doll, strode over with a swagger that acknowledged none of the Six Relatives, coming to a stop before the Grandmaster’s Chair.

Bai Yao plopped herself down onto the Grandmaster’s Chair with utter nonchalance, crossing her legs, resting her chin on her left fist, radiating such arrogant presumption that one might think she could overshadow the entirety of Chenfeng Harbor with a single hand.

Everyone sucked in a sharp breath.

This little girl had slaughtered six people including the manager of the Zhou family pawnshop, and now she sat there before their very door, brazenly flaunting her victory.

This was practically declaring war on the Zhou family—one of the trusted inner circles of the Xu Kingdom’s royal clan!

Yet Bai Yao, with her legs crossed, wasn’t as reckless as she appeared.

Her face wore a smile utterly devoid of decency, but within her Heart Lake, she repeatedly questioned the Skylark Xinyin:

“Senior, are you certain there’s no Thousand-Peak Transcendent Mortal within thirty li?”

“No, none, I’m quite certain of that.”

The Skylark Xinyin did not manifest, simply transmitting silently through Bai Yao’s Heart Lake.

“Combat power at the Human Immortal level is the backbone of the seven nations of Southern Ridge Cloud Prefecture.”

“Unless they want neighboring countries to launch a surprise raid and wipe them out in one stroke, they wouldn’t station such forces near border buffer cities like this one.”

As if fearing Bai Yao still wasn’t reassured, he added another line:

“Those peerless powerhouses guarding the very front lines of the Jian Dao Great Wall, the whole ‘preventing the demon race from crossing half a step for ten thousand generations’ thing—that’s pure fiction and melodrama.”

“And as for the real result, you already know—the balance gets broken in an instant, and the strong ones just wait around to be schemed into an early grave.”

Hearing this, Bai Yao finally set her mind at ease.

After all, if her opponent was merely a late-stage Hundred Refinements Grandmaster, she could still flee if needed.

Sure enough, such an explosive incident swiftly roused the city guard.

Yet surprisingly, even as a formidable force of one hundred armored soldiers marched over, Bai Yao didn’t budge an inch, sitting as steady as a fisherman on a rock.

And when the commander of that hundred-man force caught sight of those six heads hanging like crimson lanterns, rage surged through him without end.

But just as he was about to thunderously order the arrest of this murderous maniac, his gaze landed on the jade token at the girl’s waist—and he froze on the spot.

“Royal… a Royal family token?!”

The commander cowered.

A full hundred-man garrison force didn’t dare lay a finger on a little girl.

The hundred soldiers could only surround the scene, staring helplessly at each other.

And seeing this, the crowd erupted once again…

“Damn, what’s this little girl’s background? She committed such a huge crime, and the city guard doesn’t dare arrest her?”

“Man, this is huge. Six people dead in one go—where does the Zhou family’s face even go?”

Such a bizarre situation was a first since Chenfeng Harbor had opened for trade, so word spread faster than ever, reaching the ears of Zhou Wangchuan at the Chenfeng Escort Agency within moments.

Zhou Wangchuan was completely dumbfounded.

The girl who had massacred his family’s pawnshop was none other than Bai Ling—the very person he had just recently recruited.

“I’ll be back shortly.”

He clasped his hands toward Lin Biaotou, then rushed out without looking back.

---

“I am the approaching storm, awakening the dark clouds within the cage…”

Bai Yao’s posture remained as unyielding as ever, humming an incomprehensible tune under her breath, the Refined Iron Short Sword held in her right hand with its sheath resting against her palm, its tip tapping out an equally incomprehensible rhythm.

The air around her was nearly frozen solid, broken only by occasional murmurs of “this little girl sings terribly.”

Everyone was waiting for the arrival of the greatest aggrieved party in this affair.

And sure enough, just as all expectations were mounting, Zhou Wangchuan arrived at the scene in haste atop his beloved horse.

“Miss Bai Ling, give me an explanation…”

Seeing the grisly scene before him, Zhou Wangchuan’s face was black as the bottom of a pot.

Though he had long anticipated that Bai Ling might very well stir up trouble, he never imagined she’d go this far.

Bai Yao didn’t rise.

She merely straightened up slightly, then began toying with the jade token he had gifted her earlier, right in front of Zhou Wangchuan:

“Young Master Zhou, you said before that as long as I agreed to your terms, regardless of my origins or whatever evils I’d committed, Tianye City would always have a place for me.”

“Meaning—even something like this is covered under that promise, right?”

With that, Bai Yao casually gestured at the six heads behind her with the hilt of her sword.

Zhou Wangchuan’s lips twitched uncontrollably, his face barely suppressing an expression nearly twisted with rage.

But in the end, he managed to rein his expression back under control, and in a low tone forcibly squeezed into something resembling goodwill, he spoke to Bai Yao with extreme awkwardness:

“As you say… If Miss Bai is willing to accept the commission, then the Zhou family has merely lost six servants who lacked foresight.”

“How could I possibly hold a grudge against you for that?”

“Hahaha! Brother Zhou, you’re truly something else—even this you can swallow.”

Bai Yao rose with great satisfaction, striding boldly toward Zhou Wangchuan.

Everyone flinched at Bai Yao’s sudden rise, stumbling backward in alarm.

Only Zhou Wangchuan caught it—this utterly arrogant girl, who never addressed anyone by any title, had actually called him “Brother Zhou.”

Then a round, glossy object the size of a pigeon egg was tossed from the girl’s hand, landing neatly in Zhou Wangchuan’s palm.

“Those men coveted what I carry, plotting murder and robbery.”

“Since they were bent on such thieving, murderous schemes, me killing them outright is only fair and just.”

“As for this thing, I trust the auction house will find a market for it.”

“So I’ll trouble Brother Zhou to help sell it off.”

“As for the auction split, have your side take an extra five percent—consider it blood money for those six.”

By the time she finished speaking, Bai Yao had already walked past the stunned Zhou Wangchuan.

But seeing that Zhou Wangchuan was already struck speechless by the almost perfectly flawless Demon Core in his hand, she couldn’t help but frown slightly before continuing:

“Brother Zhou, lead the way. Let’s head over there now—”

“Miss Bai!”

Zhou Wangchuan’s voice suddenly rose, the urgency and excitement in his tone utterly impossible to conceal.

“Things… like this… do you have more?”

At that moment, all grievances about provoking the Zhou family, all talk of six dead men—every contradiction dissolved into thin air.

---

Half an hour later, Bai Yao followed calmly behind Zhou Wangchuan, stepping through the gates of the Chenfeng Escort Agency.

“Miss Bai, it’s not that I, Zhou Wangchuan, am unwilling to add you directly to the escort roster—it’s simply that this matter is of grave importance, and your qualification for the mission still requires Head Escort Lin’s approval.”

The moment they entered, Zhou Wangchuan turned to explain the final assessment required to qualify for this mission.

“Brother Zhou truly can’t reveal even the slightest detail about the ‘goods’ being escorted?”

Bai Yao remained somewhat puzzled.

“My apologies, no.”

“Though given the items Miss Bai provided, I’d very much like to, rules are rules.”

Zhou Wangchuan refused without hesitation.

But at this point, Bai Yao had already formed her suspicions.

Three nearly perfect Demon Cores, plus that jade token bearing the character “Ji”—if even all that couldn’t sway this young master of a merchant clan, then the identity of the employer behind this was all but clear.

“Very well then.”

“However, might I ask one presumptuous question—what relation is Head Escort Lin to that Lin Biaotou from this morning?”

“Biological father… and his useless biological son…”

Zhou Wangchuan glanced around, confirming Lin Biaotou wasn’t nearby before muttering quietly to Bai Yao.

Undoubtedly, this was the classic tune of badmouthing one’s own sworn brother behind his back.

“I see.”

“In other words, I need to withstand the sword intent of one of the three great Hundred Refinements Grandmasters of this border port city, Chenfeng—Blade King Lin Que—for the span of one incense stick.”

“Am I right?”

Bai Yao understood with perfect clarity, her words light and effortless, as if resisting the sword intent of the renowned Grandmaster blade cultivator was as simple as drinking water or eating a meal.