"Just a Hall Master?"
Golden Eagle Envoy Wang Zhen said in utter surprise:
"You're not even one of the Three Heroes? What has Jin Haozhong been doing?"
Lin Xiao curled his lips but did not answer that question. Instead, he asked:
"This senior still hasn't told me what connection you have with the Great River Gang."
At this, Wang Zhen suddenly burst out laughing. Even Thunderclap Palm Xiao Yunzhong, who had retreated to the side, said helplessly:
"Young man, you're already a Hall Master of the Great River Gang. Don't tell me you don't know that the Great River Gang is a subordinate gang of Dushan Fortress?"
Lin Xiao: ...
"I haven't been in the gang long, so I didn't know about these things."
"No wonder. Ordinary gang members don't know about this. Only the higher-ups and some mid-level members of the Great River Gang are aware of it."
The more Golden Eagle Envoy looked at Lin Xiao, the more he liked him. He said amiably:
"I never thought that a tiny pond like the Great River Gang would produce a true dragon like you. The three saber techniques you cultivate were all created by this old man. Aside from the Great River Gang, only Dushan Fortress possesses them in the world. The moment I saw you use them, I knew you were connected to the Great River Gang. And sure enough, I was right."
The two reminisced about the past, leaving Thunderclap Palm Xiao Yunzhong off to the side. The expert did not seem angry, however. Instead, he watched the two of them with interest and said:
"Your Dushan Fortress has some fine luck. Why have I never run into such a good thing?"
Golden Eagle Envoy Wang Zhen stroked his beard and laughed heartily, his face filled with delight. The tense, hostile atmosphere from before vanished in an instant. Seeing that the two had no intention of continuing the fight, Lin Xiao suddenly sighed, cursing them inwardly for being old foxes.
Golden Eagle Envoy Wang Zhen seemed to notice his confusion and asked:
"Are you wondering why we stopped fighting?"
"Yes."
He really was curious.
Wang Zhen laughed heartily.
"The reason is simple: he felt there was no chance anymore. His power and mine are evenly matched. It would take at least a thousand moves to determine victory or defeat. Before, the two of us working together would have been enough to defeat this old man. But now that you're no longer taking action, he also has to be wary of the two of us joining forces. That's why he gave up."
It was just as he had imagined. One had to admit that old hands in the martial world were all too crafty.
Since that was the case, there was no need for him to stay any longer. He raised his hand and cupped his fist toward the two supreme experts of the martial world.
"Since that's the case, this junior won't impose any longer. I'll take my leave."
"Wait."
Lin Xiao turned back to look at the brocade-robed elder who had called out to him. He raised a hand to stop Golden Eagle Envoy from speaking first, then said:
"I originally came for the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, but now that it and I have no fate, I naturally have no interest in staying. Senior, there's no need to ask me to accompany you to the Central Plains. Although I'm a Hall Master of the Great River Gang, I don't place much importance on that title. Senior needn't use it to order me around."
"Oh?"
Thunderclap Palm Xiao Yunzhong, who had also been preparing to leave, immediately became interested. He laughed and said:
"Looks like this little friend from the Great River Gang doesn't recognize your Dushan Fortress!"
He smiled at Lin Xiao.
"The little Great River Gang is far too small to contain you. Little friend, you can come to my Xiao Family Fortress. I have a granddaughter who is as beautiful as a goddess and gentle as can be. If you're willing to come, this old man will decide that she marries you. After I'm gone, you'll become the master of Xiao Family Fortress."
The moment he finished speaking, Wang Zhen pointed at him and cursed angrily:
"You old bastard, shut up! This is a matter concerning my Dushan Fortress. It has nothing to do with you."
"Heh heh, little friend clearly has no sense of belonging to your Dushan Fortress. Why insist on binding him?"
"Get lost!"
Xiao Yunzhong was not angered. He merely cupped his fists toward Lin Xiao and said:
"Little friend, don't forget: if things go badly for you in Dushan Fortress, you can come to Xiao Family Fortress and find this old man."
"You old bastard, you're asking for a beating!"
Lin Xiao stared speechlessly as the two supreme experts blew their beards and glared at each other. Although they belonged to different factions, they seemed to have a fairly good personal relationship. They hardly looked like ordinary enemies.
"Old fellow, remember to send a few Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng rootlets to Xiao Family Fortress."
After leaving those final words, Great Hero Xiao Yunzhong departed. Lin Xiao also immediately backed away several steps, then cupped his fists toward Wang Zhen.
"The green hills remain unchanged and the lucid waters flow forever. Until we meet again!"
In truth, he still did not entirely believe what Golden Eagle Envoy had said. It was not that he thought it was false; it was just that everything felt too coincidental, making him instinctively feel it was unreliable.
If it was true, that would be fine. But if it was a lie, wouldn't following them alone be like walking straight into an enemy encampment? A gentleman did not stand beneath a precarious wall. It was better to be cautious.
In any case, he had probably lost his chance at the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng. He had no interest in the other tribute items, either, so there was no point in staying here.
With that, he turned and left, not giving Golden Eagle Envoy any chance to hold him back.
However, before he had gone even fifty meters, Wang Zhen's Secret Sound Transmission reached his ears:
"Didn't you come for the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng? Could it be that you're not interested in it either?"
Lin Xiao halted and replied:
"Isn't this something King Dushan wants? Could it be that Senior would give it to me?"
Wang Zhen laughed heartily.
"Why not?"
This time, it was Lin Xiao's turn to be shocked. He suddenly turned around, his face filled with astonishment. The brocade-robed elder clasped his hands behind his back and said solemnly:
"To my master, this treasure is merely the icing on the cake. At most, it will let him live a few years longer and advance his power a little further. But my master's achievements have reached the realm of creation, and his cultivation is profound. Even a slight increase in power would not bring about any qualitative change. For you, little friend, however, it is a treasure that can only be chanced upon, never sought. Once you refine this Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, your power will certainly surge. By then, you'll truly be able to reach a level comparable to a Grandmaster."
Lin Xiao fell silent for a moment before asking:
"What are the conditions?"
Golden Eagle Envoy smiled.
"Come with me to Dushan Fortress and meet my master."
This... Lin Xiao fell silent, his mind spinning rapidly as he considered whether this was reliable.
Golden Eagle Envoy saw his hesitation and said:
"You needn't worry about what this old man might do to you. You come from the Great River Gang, and the Great River Gang is a subordinate gang of my Dushan Fortress. You're one of our own to begin with. Have you ever heard of someone harming their own people for no reason?"
That was hard to say!
Still, it was not entirely unreasonable. Although Dushan Fortress dominated the north and was reputed to act with an overbearing style, it was merely overbearing. It was not like the Demonic Cult, whose every member was condemned and hunted down. Taken together, they should be trustworthy, right...
Lin Xiao was somewhat apprehensive.
Compared to his apprehension, however, the other Descenders now felt as though they had seen a ghost. The three supreme experts had been fighting fiercely just moments ago, yet one of them had left in the blink of an eye. The remaining two had no idea what they had discussed, but they had stopped fighting, and judging by their appearance, they seemed to have gotten along rather well. It even looked as though they might join forces. This left the Descenders completely dumbfounded.
He Qiu had been surrounding a Dushan Envoy from Dushan Fortress with his subordinates. After hesitating for quite some time, especially upon noticing the expression on Lin Xiao's face, He Qiu's heart lurched when Lin Xiao showed signs of being tempted. He immediately waved his hand and shouted:
"Retreat!"
The Descenders' execution was far better than that of the martial artists. At his command, everyone immediately prepared to disengage. They quickly broke free of their opponents and fled.
Their opponents did not pursue them, instead taking the opportunity to deal with the other martial artists. This angered the martial artists so much that they cursed them out loud. They fought while retreating, and the perfectly good encirclement collapsed in an instant.
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