Faced with the utterly horrific threat of the "Ice-Clear Jade-Pure Pill," veins bulged on Liu Qing's forehead, and cold sweat streamed wildly down his cheeks.
He gritted his teeth hard, his chest heaving as he attempted one last struggle. "I... I can give you some of it!"
An Yi paused slightly with the pill in his hand and raised an eyebrow. "Some? One tenth is some, and eight tenths is some too. Just how much... is this 'some' of yours?"
Liu Qing wanted to cry but had no tears. His voice brimmed with barely concealed frustration and heartache. "Apart from a few things I absolutely can't give you, everything else... you can have it all! Will that do?!"
The frost on An Yi's face melted instantly, replaced by that smile as soothing as a spring breeze. "Of course. I'm not some unreasonable bandit. I just want to make friends with everyone. Since these are greeting gifts exchanged between friends, naturally, I'll only take however much you're willing to give."
As he spoke, An Yi waved his hand. With several snaps, the thick ropes binding them broke apart and fell away.
Then, true to his word, he tossed their Storage Rings back to them and flicked out several gusts of force, releasing part of the seals on their Dou Qi.
"All right, we're all friends now."
An Yi held out his hand with a beaming smile. "Now, hand over the greeting gifts."
Liu Qing and the others took their Storage Rings through gritted teeth, veins jumping on the backs of their hands. Yet they could only swallow their broken teeth along with the blood and accept defeat.
Under the oppressive threat of An Yi's "eunuch pill," which he might stuff into their mouths at any moment, none of the five