Under the watchful eyes of countless people, Jia Lie Qing and Ao Ba Pa came before Zhang Yuan and looked slightly upward at the Silver-Horned Black Rhinoceros Horse's back.
"Something?" Zhang Yuan wore armor and looked exceptionally valiant. Holding the reins, he looked down at the two of them.
The smiles on their faces did not change; if anything, their eyes and brows carried a few more traces of humility. Jia Lie Qing said, "Captain Zhang, Patriarch Ao Ba Pa and I also wish to see you off."
"See me off?" Zhang Yuan raised a brow and said arrogantly, "Given the relationship between me and your two families, you actually came to see me off?"
"What are you saying, Captain Zhang?" Ao Ba Pa immediately said. "Our Ao Ba and Jia Lie Families have been old friends with the Xiao Clan. Naturally, we should come see you off."
"Hahaha, interesting." Zhang Yuan leaned forward slightly and said with amusement, "Old friends? You mean the sort who stab each other in the back?"
The Xiao Clan members immediately burst into mocking laughter.
Even Lin Zhengqing, Ya Fei, and the others had a touch more amusement in their smiles.
Jia Lie Qing and Ao Ba Pa's expressions stiffened. The former took a deep breath and said, "When the Xiao Clan suffered its great upheaval, many forces were eyeing it like tigers eyeing prey. Our two clans merely used another method to help the Xiao Clan preserve its assets."
"Once the Xiao Clan regains the strength to protect those foundations, our two clans will naturally return them with both hands!"
Ao Ba Pa nodded from the side. "That is what the Ao Ba family thinks as well."
As they spoke, humiliation and pain showed on their faces. They were clearly unwilling, yet they still forced themselves to agree.
Zhang Yuan nearly laughed at the sight. Internally, he praised the two fellows' acting skills. Back on Earth, they would definitely win Best Actor awards.
If he had not known what the two clans had been doing behind the scenes, he might have believed they were willing to go all in and bet on the Xiao Clan again.
"What courage." Zhang Yuan praised them sarcastically, then pondered briefly before saying, "Words alone are no proof. Do you dare put it in writing and have City Lord Lin and Master Gu Ni serve as witnesses?"
Jia Lie Qing and Ao Ba Pa had clearly come prepared. They immediately each took out a written agreement from their Storage Rings.
It clearly stated that once the Xiao Clan produced an expert one major realm above the strongest member of the Jia Lie Clan or Ao Ba Clan, they would return all the Xiao Clan assets they had divided up back then.
They had even sincerely specified the "Xiao Clan assets" in detail, such as the Ao Ba Clan's mine vein and the several marketplaces controlled by the Jia Lie Clan.
"Interesting."
Zhang Yuan accepted the agreements and glanced over their contents, thinking that the two clans were not stupid either.
By acting so sincere now, they could lower his guard and make him complacent enough to expose flaws. Then, when the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits struck, they could catch him completely off guard.
Not only him—they would also make the Xiao Clan members grow smug and careless. In some matters, their joy might turn to sorrow.
Once news arrived a few days later that he had died at the hands of the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits, the two clans could distance themselves from suspicion to the greatest extent possible.
In the unlikely event that Zhang Yuan did not die, as long as no one knew the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits' operation was connected to them, these two agreements would still be their chance to buy their lives, with City Lord Lin Zhengqing as witness.
"Uncle, take a look. If there are no problems, sign them."
A satisfied smile appeared on Zhang Yuan's face as he handed the agreements to Xiao Zhan.
After carefully reading them, Xiao Zhan's hand trembled instinctively. He immediately bit his finger and signed his name, adding a promise that once the two clans returned the assets, all grudges between them would be wiped clean. Then, with Jia Lie Qing and Ao Ba Pa watching, he handed everything to Lin Zhengqing.
At this moment, Jia Lie Qing took another jade box from his Storage Ring and presented it to Zhang Yuan with both hands. "This is a small farewell gift from our two families for you personally, Captain."
Well, damn.
They wanted to stack every possible buff on him and make him strut with his tail in the air.
"It's actually this pill."
Zhang Yuan opened a small gap in the box to inspect the pill, and his pupils contracted slightly.
The Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill was a peak fourth-grade pill. It could raise a Da Dou Shi's strength by one star without causing much resistance, though one could consume at most two.
This pill was extremely expensive. Buying it would require nearly several years of the two families' profits, and it was scarce even at that price.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Suddenly, Old Yao's voice sounded in his mind. "Kid Yuan, there is nothing wrong with this pill. It is indeed a Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill, but Thousand-Mile Orchid pollen has been sprinkled on it. Hehe."
Old Yao had originally called Zhang Yuan "Little Yuan," but Zhang Yuan felt that sounded like he was being called a eunuch, so he had strongly demanded that it be changed to Kid Yuan.
"Thousand-Mile Orchid?" Zhang Yuan immediately understood.
The Thousand-Mile Orchid was an exotic flower. Ordinary people could not smell its fragrance, but its pollen could penetrate Dou Qi Armor and enter the blood. Once contaminated, the scent would not disperse for half a month.
There was a first-rank magical bee called the Three-Needle Tiger-Head Bee that was extremely sensitive to the scent of the Thousand-Mile Orchid. It could find the source even from a hundred miles away.
Jia Lie Qing and Ao Ba Pa were installing a Dou Qi Continent version of a tracking device on him.
"This is nice. I'm very satisfied."
Zhang Yuan placed the jade box into his Storage Ring, and the smile on his face grew increasingly satisfied.
"As for the matters in the agreements, I hope you will keep your word. My sights will not be limited to Wutan City, nor will the Xiao Clan's. When the time comes, you may not be unable to rise with us."
Leaving Jia Lie Qing and Ao Ba Pa with those exceedingly arrogant words, Zhang Yuan flicked the reins in his hand and led the dozens of men under his command away.
Dust flew across the official road, and dozens of riders vanished into the distance in the blink of an eye.
"City Lord, Master Gu Ni, Miss Ya Fei, Patriarch Xiao Zhan, our two families are hosting. Would you have time to join us for a drink at Jun Ya Pavilion?"
Jia Lie Qing and Ao Ba Pa stopped Lin Zhengqing and the other three.
The four exchanged glances, then all agreed with smiles. After all, one did not strike a smiling face.
Several hours later, after Jia Lie Qing and Ao Ba Pa saw the four off and returned to their private room, the smiles on their faces instantly vanished, leaving only icy coldness in their eyes.
Ao Ba Pa crushed a wine cup stained with lipstick and said coldly, "Master Gu Ni behaved as usual, but Ya Fei and Lin Zhengqing were indeed close to Zhang Yuan. It seems they think highly of him."
"That was expected." Jia Lie Qing's gaze was cold. "The Mittel Auction House and the Xiao Clan are forming a trade caravan. Several of our people have already infiltrated it."
"At the city gate just now, Lin Zhengqing agreed to act as guarantor without a word. That does not fit the old fox's formerly neutral nature at all."
Ao Ba Pa nodded lightly, then revealed a smile. "They ate and drank quite happily just now. I hope they can keep it up after news of Zhang Yuan's death arrives in a few days."
Jia Lie Qing nodded. "When Xiao Zhan asked about the clan head just now, I said he was still recovering from his injuries. Xiao Zhan even showed an amused smile, but he has no idea... hehe."
The two raised their wine cups and lightly clinked them together.
Over the next few days, they and several skilled clan members would make conspicuous appearances at various places throughout Wutan City.
Once news of Zhang Yuan's death returned, no one would ever guess that it was connected to their two families. Even if someone guessed, they would find no evidence, because the payment they gave the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits was delivered through Zhang Yuan himself.
A fourth-grade pill had to be refined in seclusion somewhere quiet. Zhang Yuan would certainly take it to Qingyun Town before consuming it.
That Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill would never reach his mouth.
"This pill tastes pretty good."
On an official road, the Silver-Horned Black Rhinoceros Horse continued galloping. Zhang Yuan gave the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill he had just swallowed a favorable review, thinking that it was no wonder Zi Yan loved eating them so much. It seemed he would have to prepare more magical beast-catching "candy" in the future.
The personal guards: ""
This lord of theirs was becoming more and more outrageous.
Boom!
Suddenly, a wave of energy surged from Zhang Yuan's body. Before it could spread far, he activated the Heavenly Thunder Art and used the power of the Three Dragon Thunder Guard to forcibly suppress it, allowing it to vibrate only within his body.
Yet even that brief instant was enough for Xiao Boyuan and the personal guards to realize Zhang Yuan's current strength, filling their hearts with incomparable shock.
"A Five-Star Great Dou Shi!?"
(End of Chapter)
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