"What! There's still a way to save them?"
At those words, Lin Yi's body trembled. The redness in his eyes slowly faded, and reason quickly returned to him. Overcome with excitement, he asked Zhao Hai Hong:
"Dean, how?"
"Lin Yi, don't rush! Before I tell you what we can do, you should read this letter Lu Chong sent over. We'll talk after you've finished."
As he spoke, Zhao Hai Hong handed Lin Yi a sheet of paper.
"Yes!"
Though his heart was frantic with worry, Lin Yi did as the Dean instructed. He took the letter, steadied himself, and quickly read through it.
A dozen or so breaths later, Lin Yi suddenly spoke:
"Dean, I've finished reading. Most of what's in this letter consists of threats and intimidation, and every line is written to sound terrifying."
"But I suspect Lu Chong is trying to break down my mental defenses with these tactics. His real goal is that last demand."
"He wants me to gather a million taels of silver within seven days and deliver it to Qingfeng Stockade!"
"He said that if I can do that, then my parents will still have to die, but he'll show mercy and give them a quick death."
"Otherwise, he'll have them hacked to pieces and executed by a thousand cuts."
"Dean, could the way you mentioned saving my parents be hidden in these seven days?"
"Exactly!"
Zhao Hai Hong nodded lightly and said solemnly:
"Lin Yi, Six-Armed Nezha Lu Chong is formidable. Even among the many Third Rank Peak martial artists in Dongshan Prefecture, he ranks among the top. With his Chieftains, his men, and all the traps in his stronghold, I reckon even most Second Rank Masters would be unable to deal with him."
"But across all of Dongshan Prefecture, there are