At Ease Under Siege

"So, you have strength in numbers. I can see that."

Zhou You spread his hands. "Why did you come looking for me?"

Jia Ruyi no longer saw any shock on Zhou You's face, and displeasure rose in his heart. His face darkened as he said, "You tried to escape just now. I used a treasure of my Lineage—the Shrinking Ground Bronze Ruler."

"Zhou You, you came to Great Wu Prefecture, seized Black Cloud Mountain's relics, and killed without restraint. You truly have no regard for the Great Wu Alliance."

"If you know what's good for you, surrender at once and await your judgment."

I see.

Zhou You had assumed he was some scion of a noble Lineage. It turned out he had come for Black Cloud Mountain's treasure as well.

It made sense when he thought about it. So long as he remained within the Lineage framework, whether he ate, drank, gambled, whored around, or squandered money without restraint, he would never lack for funds.

But once he struck out on his own and formed some alliance, with so many more mouths to feed around him, his finances would plummet off a cliff in an instant. He had to find a source of profit to keep things running.

So he had set his sights on Black Cloud Mountain's relics too.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I don't have them."

Zhou You spread his hands. "I came to Great Wu Prefecture only to pay homage to Black Cloud Mountain and comprehend the true essence of spear arts."

"But every one of you insists on drilling into a dead end. So many have died, yet you still refuse to wake up and see the light, coming after me again and again."

"Jia Ruyi, you're a scion of a