“Damn, persistent as a ghost? Never giving up until the goal is achieved?”
Zhang Yuanqing gritted his teeth secretly, feeling helpless, but his face showed a polite and gentle smile:
“Is there something else you need, Mr. Xiahou?”
Xiahou Xin sat upright, slightly tilting his head to look at Zhang Yuanqing by the roadside, speaking gently:
“We couldn’t speak freely at the Public Security Bureau. If you are willing to help lure out Wang Qian, I would gift you an Item as a token of gratitude. Furthermore, with the Xiahou Family’s influence within the Five Elements Alliance, a capable person like you would surely rise rapidly with our help.”
Beside him, Xiahou Tianyuan lounged lazily on the genuine leather seat, playing with his phone, a stark contrast from the irritable and haughty demeanor he had in the office.
Zhang Yuanqing paused for a moment before realizing that this father and son duo had made demands without offering anything in return at the Public Security Bureau because they never intended to negotiate there.
Was it because Guan Ya and Li Dongze were present, so they only made a probe? Now that they are offering an Item in Exchange, are they trying to create a contrast to surprise me? he wondered to himself.
“Please don’t put me, a minor character, in a difficult position. My attitude is the same as the Decurion’s—I cannot afford to provoke the Ending Killing Sect,” Zhang Yuanqing tactfully refused.
Xiahou Xin’s gaze remained steady as he said slowly:
“Two Items!”
Indeed, thought Zhang Yuanqing, the Xiahou Family, a family of Scholars, is indeed wealthy. A high-level Scholar in their profession, the Xiahou Family holds control over crafting Items, much like a blacksmith in a game.
Even though the creation of an Item is limited by Material and Skill factors, making them costly to produce, the Xiahou Family, with their forging skills, has an advantage unmatched by other powers.
That’s why they remain unshakeable, their roots extending deeply into the Taiyi Sect and the Five Elements Alliance.
“Sorry!”
Zhang Yuanqing shook his head and began to push his bicycle away.
The next moment, it seemed as though the wheels were caught on something. He looked down to find green vines emerging from the ground of the bicycle path, wrapping around the wheel like chains.
Xiahou Xin said indifferently, “Tianyuan, take his phone.”
Xiahou Tianyuan’s lips curled up as he pushed open the car door and placed a dreamy Crystal Ball on the roof of the car.
In an instant, Zhang Yuanqing felt as if an invisible membrane enveloped the surroundings. The vehicles and pedestrians outside twisted in shape, and the sounds of the outside world were cut off.
His complexion changed slightly: “You…”
This was too domineering.
Xiahou Tianyuan licked his lips, stepping forward leisurely, and sneered:
“Primordial Celestial Lord, I heard you’ve cleared S-level spirit realms twice and have been hailed as a genius by the Official walkers. Coincidentally, I’m a person of small tolerance, especially for geniuses—I take great pleasure in beating them.”
As his words fell, his shoes burst into fierce flames, like an arrow with a lingering trail, charging forward.
The speed was too fast. Zhang Yuanqing hastily crossed his arms in front of his chest to block.
Snap, snap, snap… A vicious series of kicks, like a whip, lashed at Zhang Yuanqing’s arms, burning his sleeves to ashes, and scorching his skin with burn marks.
Level 3? Zhang Yuanqing’s heart chilled. After blocking the first wave of fierce attacks, he didn’t hesitate to use the Night Wandering Skill, entering stealth.
His figure vanished in an instant, as if erased from existence.
Xiahou Tianyuan stood proudly, his feet ablaze with fierce flames, as if riding wheels of wind and fire. His sharp gaze swept the surroundings.
Suddenly, he saw the Barrier’s left membrane violently struck, rippling like water.
Xiahou Tianyuan dashed towards the point of impact, pivoting on his left foot, his right leg sweeping through the air with a whoosh, revealing a rolling figure.
It was Zhang Yuanqing.
With a swift motion, Xiahou Tianyuan reached into the Void, pulling out a pair of dark golden shackles from his Inventory and flinging them towards Zhang Yuanqing.
The shackles snapped onto Zhang Yuanqing’s ankles, locking automatically.
Seeing this, Xiahou Tianyuan’s lips quirked, but in the next moment, Zhang Yuanqing’s body, like a shattered reflection, disappeared.
Illusion!
“Boom!”
Xiahou Tianyuan immediately heard a shattering sound. He saw a figure materialize not far away, stomping a phone into fragments.
Witnessing this, Xiahou Tianyuan’s brows furrowed.
This damn kid would rather destroy his phone than compromise with the Xiahou Family?
Zhang Yuanqing exhaled and said without emotion:
“If we keep going, this will end in death.”
Feeling the temperature of the raging flames under his feet, Xiahou Tianyuan’s temper flared more than usual: “You’re asking to die!”
“That’s enough!” Xiahou Xin, from inside the car, glanced at the shattered phone and spoke calmly: “Tianyuan, come back.”
He stared at Zhang Yuanqing with profound eyes, apologizing: “My son is combative, please don’t take it personally.”
Xiahou Tianyuan’s forehead bulged with veins as he struggled, but managed to quell the emotions burning hotter than fire, extinguishing the flames on his shoes.
He instantly returned to his languid posture, a stark contrast to his previous aggression.
“Not bad, tough skin and flesh; beating you up is quite satisfying.”
Xiahou Tianyuan sneered, returning to the black sedan, retracting the Crystal Ball from the roof, and sliding into the car.
The black sedan sped away, merging into the traffic. Xiahou Tianyuan popped his head out of the window, making a throat-slitting gesture towards the figure in the rear.
“Dad, that kid is strong, a real talent,” he said, reclining on the leather seat, laughing:
“When did a low-level person dare to disregard our Xiahou Family? Tsk, tsk, it’s more satisfying to break a tough nut like him.”
“We can suppress him using family connections, play him to death within the Rule, but don’t do anything foolish; he has Merit to his name.” Xiahou Xin spoke indifferently.
The young man had Merit, and while minor skirmishes were tolerable, the Five Elements Alliance would only hold them accountable at most. However, injuring or killing him would not be taken lightly by the White Tiger Warriors.
Killing an Official Walker with Merit would equate to a fallout with the Five Elements Alliance, a far more serious matter than affecting ordinary people.
So when the young man crushed the phone, Xiahou Xin called off the matter.
“I understand!” Xiahou Tianyuan’s smile was cold.
“Focus on the other Ending Killing Sect members,” Xiahou Xin said with a grim expression: “That woman has revealed too many secrets under your brother’s interrogation; she cannot be left alive. This time, no matter what, she must be eliminated.”
Xiahou Tianyuan complained: “My brother is useless, loses his way at the sight of a woman. If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be this Passive.”
At that moment, Xiahou Xin noticed blood on his son’s ankle and frowned:
“Are you injured?”
Xiahou Tianyuan was startled, looked down, and realized for the first time that his ankle was scratched.
“It’s nothing, a minor issue,” he said dismissively.
“The Xiahou Family is too overbearing. All this for a Wang Qian? People who don’t know better might think I’m having an affair with the Palace Master of the Ending Killing Sect.”
Zhang Yuanqing watched the black sedan disappear from view, retracted his gaze, and couldn’t help but complain.
He glanced down at the fierce burn scar on his forearm, and his face darkened as well.
However overbearing the Xiahou Family might be, they wouldn’t dare kill him unless they wanted war with the Five Elements Alliance. If a member with Merit were to die at the hands of a Spirit Realm Family, the Five Elements Alliance would undoubtedly make the Xiahou Family pay a blood debt, and no connections would help them.
How else could they command respect and what would the middle and lower-tier Official Walkers think?
That’s why Zhang Yuanqing decisively destroyed his phone, putting an end to the conflict.
But that didn’t mean the matter was settled.
The Xiahou Family had been too domineering, first using bribery and, when that failed, resorting to outright aggression.
If he didn’t have Merit and were just an ordinary low-level member, would the Xiahou Family have restrained themselves?
Even with him, given the behavior displayed by the Xiahou father and son duo, it was likely there would be more covert strikes and retaliation to come.
Zhang Yuanqing pulled out a tissue, carefully wiped away the blood in the crevices of his nails, folded it meticulously, and put it in his pocket, muttering to himself:
“There won’t be a next time.”
“Damn, persistent as a ghost? Never giving up until the goal is achieved?”
Zhang Yuanqing gritted his teeth secretly, feeling helpless, but his face showed a polite and gentle smile:
“Is there something else you need, Mr. Xiahou?”
Xiahou Xin sat upright, slightly tilting his head to look at Zhang Yuanqing by the roadside, speaking gently:
“We couldn’t speak freely at the Public Security Bureau. If you are willing to help lure out Wang Qian, I would gift you an Item as a token of gratitude. Furthermore, with the Xiahou Family’s influence within the Five Elements Alliance, a capable person like you would surely rise rapidly with our help.”
Beside him, Xiahou Tianyuan lounged lazily on the genuine leather seat, playing with his phone, a stark contrast from the irritable and haughty demeanor he had in the office.
Zhang Yuanqing paused for a moment before realizing that this father and son duo had made demands without offering anything in return at the Public Security Bureau because they never intended to negotiate there.
Was it because Guan Ya and Li Dongze were present, so they only made a probe? Now that they are offering an Item in Exchange, are they trying to create a contrast to surprise me? he wondered to himself.
“Please don’t put me, a minor character, in a difficult position. My attitude is the same as the Decurion’s—I cannot afford to provoke the Ending Killing Sect,” Zhang Yuanqing tactfully refused.
Xiahou Xin’s gaze remained steady as he said slowly:
“Two Items!”
Indeed, thought Zhang Yuanqing, the Xiahou Family, a family of Scholars, is indeed wealthy. A high-level Scholar in their profession, the Xiahou Family holds control over crafting Items, much like a blacksmith in a game.
Even though the creation of an Item is limited by Material and Skill factors, making them costly to produce, the Xiahou Family, with their forging skills, has an advantage unmatched by other powers.
That’s why they remain unshakeable, their roots extending deeply into the Taiyi Sect and the Five Elements Alliance.
“Sorry!”
Zhang Yuanqing shook his head and began to push his bicycle away.
The next moment, it seemed as though the wheels were caught on something. He looked down to find green vines emerging from the ground of the bicycle path, wrapping around the wheel like chains.
Xiahou Xin said indifferently, “Tianyuan, take his phone.”
Xiahou Tianyuan’s lips curled up as he pushed open the car door and placed a dreamy Crystal Ball on the roof of the car.
In an instant, Zhang Yuanqing felt as if an invisible membrane enveloped the surroundings. The vehicles and pedestrians outside twisted in shape, and the sounds of the outside world were cut off.
His complexion changed slightly: “You…”
This was too domineering.
Xiahou Tianyuan licked his lips, stepping forward leisurely, and sneered:
“Primordial Celestial Lord, I heard you’ve cleared S-level spirit realms twice and have been hailed as a genius by the Official walkers. Coincidentally, I’m a person of small tolerance, especially for geniuses—I take great pleasure in beating them.”
As his words fell, his shoes burst into fierce flames, like an arrow with a lingering trail, charging forward.
The speed was too fast. Zhang Yuanqing hastily crossed his arms in front of his chest to block.
Snap, snap, snap… A vicious series of kicks, like a whip, lashed at Zhang Yuanqing’s arms, burning his sleeves to ashes, and scorching his skin with burn marks.
Level 3? Zhang Yuanqing’s heart chilled. After blocking the first wave of fierce attacks, he didn’t hesitate to use the Night Wandering Skill, entering stealth.
His figure vanished in an instant, as if erased from existence.
Xiahou Tianyuan stood proudly, his feet ablaze with fierce flames, as if riding wheels of wind and fire. His sharp gaze swept the surroundings.
Suddenly, he saw the Barrier’s left membrane violently struck, rippling like water.
Xiahou Tianyuan dashed towards the point of impact, pivoting on his left foot, his right leg sweeping through the air with a whoosh, revealing a rolling figure.
It was Zhang Yuanqing.
With a swift motion, Xiahou Tianyuan reached into the Void, pulling out a pair of dark golden shackles from his Inventory and flinging them towards Zhang Yuanqing.
The shackles snapped onto Zhang Yuanqing’s ankles, locking automatically.
Seeing this, Xiahou Tianyuan’s lips quirked, but in the next moment, Zhang Yuanqing’s body, like a shattered reflection, disappeared.
Illusion!
“Boom!”
Xiahou Tianyuan immediately heard a shattering sound. He saw a figure materialize not far away, stomping a phone into fragments.
Witnessing this, Xiahou Tianyuan’s brows furrowed.
This damn kid would rather destroy his phone than compromise with the Xiahou Family?
Zhang Yuanqing exhaled and said without emotion:
“If we keep going, this will end in death.”
Feeling the temperature of the raging flames under his feet, Xiahou Tianyuan’s temper flared more than usual: “You’re asking to die!”
“That’s enough!” Xiahou Xin, from inside the car, glanced at the shattered phone and spoke calmly: “Tianyuan, come back.”
He stared at Zhang Yuanqing with profound eyes, apologizing: “My son is combative, please don’t take it personally.”
Xiahou Tianyuan’s forehead bulged with veins as he struggled, but managed to quell the emotions burning hotter than fire, extinguishing the flames on his shoes.
He instantly returned to his languid posture, a stark contrast to his previous aggression.
“Not bad, tough skin and flesh; beating you up is quite satisfying.”
Xiahou Tianyuan sneered, returning to the black sedan, retracting the Crystal Ball from the roof, and sliding into the car.
The black sedan sped away, merging into the traffic. Xiahou Tianyuan popped his head out of the window, making a throat-slitting gesture towards the figure in the rear.
“Dad, that kid is strong, a real talent,” he said, reclining on the leather seat, laughing:
“When did a low-level person dare to disregard our Xiahou Family? Tsk, tsk, it’s more satisfying to break a tough nut like him.”
“We can suppress him using family connections, play him to death within the Rule, but don’t do anything foolish; he has Merit to his name.” Xiahou Xin spoke indifferently.
The young man had Merit, and while minor skirmishes were tolerable, the Five Elements Alliance would only hold them accountable at most. However, injuring or killing him would not be taken lightly by the White Tiger Warriors.
Killing an Official Walker with Merit would equate to a fallout with the Five Elements Alliance, a far more serious matter than affecting ordinary people.
So when the young man crushed the phone, Xiahou Xin called off the matter.
“I understand!” Xiahou Tianyuan’s smile was cold.
“Focus on the other Ending Killing Sect members,” Xiahou Xin said with a grim expression: “That woman has revealed too many secrets under your brother’s interrogation; she cannot be left alive. This time, no matter what, she must be eliminated.”
Xiahou Tianyuan complained: “My brother is useless, loses his way at the sight of a woman. If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be this Passive.”
At that moment, Xiahou Xin noticed blood on his son’s ankle and frowned:
“Are you injured?”
Xiahou Tianyuan was startled, looked down, and realized for the first time that his ankle was scratched.
“It’s nothing, a minor issue,” he said dismissively.
“The Xiahou Family is too overbearing. All this for a Wang Qian? People who don’t know better might think I’m having an affair with the Palace Master of the Ending Killing Sect.”
Zhang Yuanqing watched the black sedan disappear from view, retracted his gaze, and couldn’t help but complain.
He glanced down at the fierce burn scar on his forearm, and his face darkened as well.
However overbearing the Xiahou Family might be, they wouldn’t dare kill him unless they wanted war with the Five Elements Alliance. If a member with Merit were to die at the hands of a Spirit Realm Family, the Five Elements Alliance would undoubtedly make the Xiahou Family pay a blood debt, and no connections would help them.
How else could they command respect and what would the middle and lower-tier Official Walkers think?
That’s why Zhang Yuanqing decisively destroyed his phone, putting an end to the conflict.
But that didn’t mean the matter was settled.
The Xiahou Family had been too domineering, first using bribery and, when that failed, resorting to outright aggression.
If he didn’t have Merit and were just an ordinary low-level member, would the Xiahou Family have restrained themselves?
Even with him, given the behavior displayed by the Xiahou father and son duo, it was likely there would be more covert strikes and retaliation to come.
Zhang Yuanqing pulled out a tissue, carefully wiped away the blood in the crevices of his nails, folded it meticulously, and put it in his pocket, muttering to himself:
“There won’t be a next time.”
