The moment Uncle Yin finished speaking, Hat Man began to tremble all over. His throat rattled, but no sound came out. Xu Yi's eyes nearly burst with rage. Pointing at Uncle Yin, he said, "You win."
Uncle Yin stopped casting and smiled at Xu Yi. "Young man, we mean you no harm. You're simply too sharp-edged."
With that, he waved a hand. The two cultivators holding Hat Man took him between them again and prepared to leave.
"Hold it!"
Liu Changqing stepped in front of Uncle Yin and said coldly, "Now that this has happened, I can't just stand by. How could I let you take him away?"
Uncle Yin cupped his hands. "I've long admired Elder Liu's reputation, and I hold you in high regard. We've already settled this matter, so there's no need to trouble Elder Liu."
Liu Changqing gestured toward the crowd gathered around the edge of the scene. "Even if you've settled it, I can't let the council lose face. I'll take the man first. If you've really reached an agreement, draw up a written contract and come to the council to claim him. Otherwise, no one's leaving today."
Uncle Yin froze. He hadn't expected Liu Changqing to barge into the matter, but after thinking it over, he understood.
He realized Liu Changqing had no choice but to get involved. First there had been trouble at Chongyang Golden Peak, and now the same people were making trouble again. If Liu Changqing still did nothing, he'd have a hard time holding his position.
Uncle Yin's guess was right. That was exactly what Liu Changqing had been thinking. What's more, Xu Yi had sent him a threatening message: if he dared let Bai Menghui take Hat Man away, Xu Yi would make sure the matter blew up.
Liu