Settling Accounts

In the back hall of the Treasure Gathering Hall at the foot of God of Wealth Peak, Yin Baikang, dressed in a black robe, stood with his eyes closed, silently listening to the sounds in the distance. He could hear bursts of cheering at times, followed by periods of utter silence. Yin Baikang frowned, opened his eyes, and said, "Why haven't they arrived yet? What is Niu Youde up to?"

Standing to the side, Sikong Jue, who looked older than his master and had some gray hair, Sikong Jue, "Master, why don't you go back first? I'll come and greet you. There's no need for you to wait here for me Niu Youde."

Yin Baikang hesitated for a moment, but then saw a man walking in excitedly. He nodded to Sikong Jue, then bowed to him and said, "Master, thanks to Niu Youde's intervention, the disciples of the Azure Palace were killed. Niu Youde is now..."

The man recounted the events up to this point in detail. Upon hearing that the disciples of the Azure Palace had been killed, Yin Baikang was all smiles, imagining the furious reaction of Fatty Pei upon hearing the news. Suddenly, he heard that Niu Youde was being entangled by a woman from a brothel, and he paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "Interesting. Let's go take a look."

"Spring Sleep Tower?" Sikong Jue asked. Seeing his master nod, he immediately said anxiously, "Master, how could someone of your status go to such a place..."

"Hey!" Yin Baikang raised his hand to stop him, and laughed happily, "Niu Youde's cultivation is probably no lower than mine. He can still shamelessly pester me there, so what do I need to worry about? I might as well just watch the show."

"But that would make it seem like you're the one who went to pay him a visit in person..." Sikong Jue's words were interrupted again. Yin Baikang shook his head and said, "What time is it? Why are you still concerned about that? Let's go and take a look."

His master had already made his decision, and he couldn't stop him again, so he had no choice but to follow him out. However, the scene of Yin Baikang's blatant display of power was anything but small. Even with his best efforts to keep a low profile, over a dozen late Tribulation Transcendence stage experts immediately appeared to accompany him...

Guan Zhongkai couldn't understand it. Li Qiuxiang was usually quite charming, a shrewd woman who knew how to read the room and always took advantage of others; no one could take advantage of her. But today, she seemed to have taken the wrong medicine, eagerly courting death. He glanced at Li Qiuxiang, feeling a little annoyed. Had she become addicted to suicide today?

The proprietress rolled her eyes at him seductively, so alluring that the men in the surrounding shops swallowed hard. However, everyone knew this "delicious meat" was notoriously hard to get their hands on; they could only feast their eyes and fantasize. But this woman, though a woman, was incredibly well-connected and not someone to be trifled with. So they all brazenly stared at her curvaceous figure, their eyes filled with unbridled lust.

Guan Zhongkai paused, taken aback by her eye roll. He cursed inwardly, "You bitch, one day I'll get you in bed and show you what I'm capable of." Though his brows remained furrowed, his words softened, and he barked, "Yan Yu, what do you want?"

So her name was Yan Yu. People who dare to do this kind of business are usually well-connected. It might be good to get to know her if you have the chance; it could be beneficial! Yue Qianchou was now seriously examining her. He had maintained his expert demeanor until now and hadn't even given her a proper look! Now that he saw her clearly, he couldn't help but admire her in his heart. She was indeed a rare beauty in the Cultivation World!

"I'm going to settle accounts with him." Yan Yu pointed her slender finger straight at Yue Qianchou without any hesitation.

The crowd gasped. This flamboyant proprietress really had a death wish. They all shook their heads with pity, lamenting the waste of such a beautiful face. They hoped that the Ruthless Judge, Niu Youde, would show mercy! Otherwise, the Treasure Gathering Basin would lose a delightful sight.

Guan Zhongkai glanced at Yue Qianchou, who was full of doubt, and immediately shouted, "Senior Niu doesn't even know you. What grudge do you have with him? Don't be ridiculous. If you anger Senior Niu, no one can protect you."

He then chuckled at Yue Qianchou, "Senior, don't bother with this crazy woman. She's always been a bit eccentric." He still wanted to try and protect her; after all, it was meat they hadn't tasted yet, and it would be a waste to ruin it. However, given Niu Youde's eccentric temperament, he could only try. If it didn't work, he wouldn't step in again. No matter how delicious the meat was, it wasn't as important as his own life. Although it was at the headquarters of the World Commerce Association, he was certain that Niu Youde wouldn't hesitate to act, and he didn't want to be implicated.

Yue Qianchou raised his hand, signaling him to shut up, then put his hands behind his back, squinted, and slowly walked back. Guan Zhongkai and Yu Landu exchanged wry smiles, thinking to themselves, "This is bad." The group had no choice but to follow. Li Qiuxiang, among them, was somewhat uneasy. She knew that although the proprietress could be shrewish at times, she still cared for the women in the brothel and didn't want anything to happen to her. However, her own position was awkward; she couldn't speak, and it wasn't her place to speak.

Yan Yu watched Yue Qianchou walk coldly towards her, her heart pounding wildly. It would be a lie to say she wasn't afraid, but she didn't want to miss this opportunity to get to know Niu Youde. Some men, once they've made up their minds, will act decisively if they feel it's worthwhile. Otherwise, once they miss their chance, they'll never have another. Her heart was racing, but outwardly she remained bold and calm.

The group of women Spring Sleep Tower looked at each other with a pale expression, all showing fear and wondering why the proprietress had provoked such a terrifying person.

Yue Qianchou approached with his hands behind his back, standing coldly opposite Yan Yu, while simultaneously noticing the fleeting fear in her eyes. He let out a cold "snort," circling Yan Yu and brazenly appraising her figure from head to toe. Even though Yan Yu tried to maintain her composure, she felt a chill run down her spine, her body stiffening as she stood there.

When Yue Qianchou returned to face Yan Yu, he stretched out a hand, hooked two fingers lightly, and touched her fair, soft, and rounded chin, saying indifferently, "You want to settle accounts with me? Aren't you afraid of me?"

The surroundings were deathly silent; everyone watched this scene without daring to breathe. They could hardly imagine what it would be like to see such a beautiful woman suddenly covered in blood. The atmosphere was incredibly tense...

"I've seen plenty of men, why should I be afraid of you?" He replied calmly, but his body remained motionless.

Yue Qianchou's two fingers slid to her bare, fragrant shoulders, caressing them for a moment, and he said, "You said you weren't afraid of me. I'm getting goosebumps." As soon as he finished speaking, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He cursed inwardly, "Damn it! Faced with such a beautiful and fragrant woman, whoever pretends to be a master is a bastard. I'm not pretending anymore."

Niu Youde was leering! Everyone was stunned... Yan Yu breathed a sigh of relief, slapped Yue Qianchou's hand away, and spat, "You call yourself an expert? You're so shameless." She thought to herself, "It would be a miracle if I wasn't scared; you almost scared me to death."

Yue Qianchou slapped her hand away. He then put his arm around her soft waist and chuckled, "Didn't you say you wanted to settle accounts with me? How are you going to do it?" He pointed to Spring Sleep Tower and said, "Shall we go to your room, to your bed, and strip everyone naked so we can settle things properly?"

"Don't try to take advantage of me." Yan Yu shrugged her shoulders and slender waist, pushing Yue Qianchou away, and said, "It's about the money."

Bang! The sound of a shop door being overturned echoed from inside. Everyone's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets; they all thought they were seeing things. In the seemingly tense atmosphere, the two suddenly started flirting—unbelievable! Absolutely unexpected!

The tense atmosphere suddenly turned into ambiguity! For a moment, everyone found it hard to adjust. Guan Zhongkai and Yu Landu looked at each other in bewilderment. Everyone admired the proprietress's courage; she was indeed a worldly beauty. Even Niu Youde surrendered.

"Calculate the bill?" Yue Qianchou looked at the Spring Sleep Tower signboard with a surprised expression and asked suspiciously, "We've never seen this place before? This is my first time at Treasure Gathering Basin. When did I patronize your business or owe you any money?"

"Those three," Yan Yu pointed at Tian Ye and his two companions, saying, "They came here to spend money, but didn't pay a single penny. Now they're following you and trying to run away. If I don't ask you for money, who else can I ask?"

These words left Yue Qianchou speechless, and Tian Ye and the other two looked even more embarrassed. Guan Zhongkai said, half-laughing and half-crying, "Yan Yu, don't go too far. It's just a few dollars. With Senior Niu's influence, it's worth far more than this. You're usually a very shrewd person, what's wrong with you today?"

"Master Guan, you're mistaken." Yan Yu waved her arm and pointed to the women downstairs, saying, "We sisters don't have an easy life. We're all in the sex trade, which makes us look down on by everyone. Of course, Master Guan doesn't care about this little bit of money, but to us, it's money we've earned by shamelessly sacrificing our dignity."

Turning his head, he said to Yue Qianchou, "You, Senior Niu, are indeed a master of this era, but how can you be so shameless as to shortchange us sisters who shed blood and tears and sold our dignity for a little bit of money?" This made Yue Qianchou almost feel ashamed.

Yan Yu turned to Guan Zhongkai and said, "Master Guan, Spring Sleep Tower has always paid its taxes on time and in full, and has never been in arrears. In principle, we should enjoy the protection of your World Commerce Association. You should help us collect our debts from our creditors. How can you do this? You broke the rules yourself. How are we supposed to do business in the future?"

"You..." Guan Zhongkai was speechless at the weighty accusation she had leveled against him.

Just then, someone suddenly shouted, "Well said! From today onwards, Spring Sleep Tower will no longer collect any taxes on its business in Treasure Gathering Basin —it's tax-free!" The voice boomed, echoing throughout the street, full of imposing authority. The person who dared to speak so arrogantly in Treasure Gathering Basin was clearly someone of considerable influence!

Guan Zhongkai's expression changed drastically, and everyone turned to look at the source of the sound. Yue Qianchou's eyes narrowed, his pupils shrinking sharply...

Dozens of people walked down the street, led by a man in a black robe, who strode confidently. Yue Qianchou glanced at Sikong Jue beside him; the identity of someone accompanied by Sikong Jue was obvious. Furthermore, he recognized the man's appearance from portraits in various branches of the World Commerce Association. Although he didn't quite resemble the otherworldly figure in the portraits, who else could it be but Yin Baikang? Yin Baikang, a late Spirit Transformation stage cultivator and one of the top ten masters in the world, had personally arrived...

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