The Baiyou Merchant Alliance had truly never had to operate this stifled in other Cultivation Worlds.
In other realms, they did also place great emphasis on "harmony brings wealth."
However, once they truly encountered a major matter, the Merchant Alliance did not mind repaying blood with blood, an eye for an eye.
The reprisals they launched were not only extremely similar; many times, they were doubled.
This style of "only those willing to fight can speak of peace" had already taken shape when the Merchant Alliance had first been only an intelligence organization.
So in other Cultivation Worlds, the Merchant Alliance did not have the image of a pushover, but rather held a carrot in one hand and a big stick in the other.
But in the face of this person's doubts, someone snorted coldly. "Do you think he's killing low-level cultivators just to vent his anger?"
"Think carefully. Why did our Merchant Alliance establish contact points in Houde?"
Once that question was asked, at last no one had any more doubts.
The Merchant Alliance had established contact points because it wanted to expand its business into Houde—early on, it would only be intelligence; later, they would watch while developing.
And the other party's current attacks on minor cultivators were clearly meant to cut off the relevant business, and also to strike at the Merchant Alliance's reputation!
As for the supplies being seized? No joke, if a True Venerable made a move to rob that little bit of stuff, it would not even be enough to justify the embarrassment!
The result of the Merchant Alliance higher-ups' discussion was to confirm that the other party's operation was deliberately meant to destroy the Merchant Alliance's prospects in Houde!
Whether or not the person who made the move was True Venerable Qu, objectively