Sincerity

"Yes, Lord Aier!"

Eric was overjoyed at these words. After taking his leave of Aier, he exited the courtyard to gather the merchants in the caravan and began discussing how to earn the most Inkstone in the shortest amount of time.

Once they had a direction, Eric and the others began to communicate more closely with the other groups traveling the same path, exchanging intelligence and trading supplies.

Seeing this, Aier smiled slightly.

Regardless of how many Inkstone Eric and the others could eventually bring him, at least their attitude was commendable.

Even if they ultimately failed to raise enough Inkstone for him, Aier would not treat them poorly once he truly became the Prefect of Liang'an Prefecture.

"Lord Aier."

"Is something the matter, Eric?"

"The patriarch of the Boyd Family, Hector Boyd, requests an audience with you. What do you think?"

"The Boyd Family?"

Hearing this somewhat familiar name, Aier closed his eyes and began to sift through his memories.

Soon, Aier understood.

The Boyd Family had already been wiped out by the time the protagonist Linley entered Hell, leaving only Salomon Boyd and Nisse Boyd behind.

Among them, Salomon Boyd's Space Ring contained a drop of Overgod Power and a token representing Aiken.

Nisse Boyd would eventually become the wife of Bebe.

"Let him come over."

Having been in this world for so long, Aier was finally able to meet someone who could roughly anchor the timeline, and he felt a fair amount of interest.

"Yes."

A few minutes later, Eric brought a middle-aged man with brown hair to the outside of Aier's pavilion and bowed.

"Lord Aier, Patriarch Boyd is here."

"Hector Boyd pays his respects to Lord Aier!"

"Hmm, I heard from Eric that you wanted to see me?"

Aier sized up Hector Boyd. From the murderous aura on his body, he could tell that he was also a powerhouse who had experienced much slaughter.

"That is correct. I happened to hear of your ambitions from Lord Eric, and thus I wished to have a meeting with you, Lord Aier."

Before meeting Aier, although Hector Boyd had considered investing in Aier due to Eric's lobbying, he was, after all, different from merchants like Eric. He was the patriarch of the Boyd Family and had to be responsible for his clan.

Even though he had heard Eric say that Aier could punch a hole in space one meter wide, he still harbored some doubts.

Hector Boyd was a Six-Star Fiend who had fused three Laws and Profound Mysteries; he could tear the space of Hell if he went all out.

He knew exactly how terrifying a powerhouse capable of creating a spatial void truly was.

How could such a powerhouse possibly be lacking in followers?

Whether this was an opportunity or a scam, Hector Boyd needed to meet Aier in person before he could make a final decision.

"And now?"

"You've seen me. Do you have anything you'd like to say?"

"Lord Aier, I would like to know how much confidence you have in challenging the Prefect of Liang'an Prefecture?"

"Are you questioning my strength?"

Aier laughed amusedly. "Hector, you really are bold."

"Aren't you afraid that if I get angry, I'll just kill you right here?"

"I beg for your forgiveness, Lord Aier."

Hector Boyd's expression remained unchanged as he bowed to Aier. "This matter concerns the future of the Boyd Family. As the patriarch, I must be responsible for my clan."

"If you are willing to clear up my confusion, I am willing to offer ninety percent of the Boyd Family's assets to show my sincerity!"

"Ninety percent of your assets?"

Aier leaned his upper body slightly forward.

To be honest, Hector Boyd's capacity exceeded Aier's expectations.

When Eric chose to follow Aier, he had offered his entire merchant guild to serve him.

But how could such small-time dealings as Eric's compare to the Boyd Family?

A Six-Star Fiend was a powerhouse who could contend for the position of city lord even in medium-sized cities.

The wealth accumulated over countless years by a family led by such a powerhouse was something most people could not even imagine.

Especially since the Boyd Family was particularly adept at hiding their wealth.

Just like in the future, after the Boy Family was wiped out, who could have imagined that a family whose strongest member was only a Six-Star Fiend would actually possess a drop of Overgod Power?

Thinking about it, the future Boy Family must have bet their entire fortune on investing in Aiken, only obtaining a token from him after he had grown in power.

That drop of Overgod Power was likely refined by Aiken from Inkstone and given to the Boy Family.

Of course, it was precisely because they knew how to hide things that the Boy Family met with disaster.

If Hector Boy had spread the news that the Boy Family possessed Aiken's token and a drop of Overgod Power, who in Hell, besides Dunnington, would have dared to target the Boy Family?

A Six-Star Fiend using Overgod Power is enough to rival an Asura or Prefect-level powerhouse for a short period of time.

And as for those at the Asura or Prefect level, who would want to offend Aiken for the sake of a single drop of Overgod Power?

Aier did not know how much the Boy Family's assets were worth now, but no matter how little, they were worth at least half a drop of Overgod Power.

That was a figure measured in the trillions.

The fact that Hector Boy was willing to offer up ninety percent of the family's assets showed his sincerity.

"Very well, Hector, I have seen your sincerity."

"In that case, let me show you my sincerity as well!"

Having said that, Aier stood up, walked out of the small pavilion, and said to Hector Boy, "Use your strongest power and attack me!"

"I grant you immunity."

Upon hearing this, Hector Boy's expression turned solemn. Divine power erupted from his body, and a High-God Artifact Zhanmadao appeared in his hands.

"Void Slash—"

Hector swung his blade, and the space in front of the blade was sliced into a black spatial rift that spread toward Aier, as if it intended to cleave both Aier and the space he occupied in two.

What shocked Hector Boy was that, facing such a shocking attack, Aier did not even bother to defend himself; he simply reached out his right hand and grabbed the descending Zhanmadao.

"Clang—"

In that instant, it was as if Hector Boy had been hit with a pause button.

The spatial rift created by his attack, along with all the power behind it, vanished into nothingness within Aier's grasp.

Even the Blue Bird flying beneath Aier's feet remained completely unaffected.

Following this, Aier pulled his right hand back, dragging Hector Boy and his blade directly in front of him, and lightly swiped with his left hand—

"Smack—"

Hector Boy was sent flying by a heavy slap from Aier, and the defensive High-God Artifact armor on his body was shattered instantly by the blow.

A red handprint appeared on Hector Boy's face, swelling up rapidly.

But at this moment, Hector Boy did not feel the pain on his face; instead, he stared in a daze at the scattered fragments of the artifact on the ground.

This was a High-God defensive artifact he had nurtured for countless years, and it had been shattered by a single slap?