Three Conditions

Ning Yu stood in the center of the crowd, still wearing that dark long dress and holding a short sword inlaid with seven-colored gems in her hand.

Ji Feng carefully sensed this short sword, and an intimidating aura emanated from it, making the hairs on his body stand on end.

A level-six soul tool.

Even in his Martial Soul Possession state, if Ji Feng took a direct hit from this short knife, he would be severely wounded on the spot.

"What's going on? Boss Ning, why such a massive battle array?"

Ning Yu looked at Ji Feng and said, "Xiang Li, the eldest young master of the Xiang Family Pill Shop, sent an invitation for me to attend a banquet. He wants to talk things over.

I am taking my people to eat this meal; as long as we negotiate well, we can also avert a clash of arms."

Can they actually talk things through?

The rules of the Jianghu were the rules of the Jianghu, and they felt comparable to a rule-based weird tale.

Ji Feng looked at the battle array of the crowd and smiled. "With so many people eating, that Xiang Li is going to bleed heavily."

Ning Yu gripped the short knife in her hand tightly. "Drinking tea and chatting is for when we can talk, but we also have to be able to fight. Without someone to anchor the field, where would we get the capital to speak?"

Ji Feng understood now: talk if you can, fight if you can't.

He looked at these employees again.

"Are they this loyal? Do your shop employees moonlight as mercenaries as well?"

Pride filled Ning Yu's expression. "They are all my brothers and sisters. We've drunk rooster blood and burned yellow paper; it's not as simple as a financial relationship.

After I left the sect, they were the ones who helped me fight to get ahead. If I have a mouthful of meat to eat, I cannot treat them unfairly, and if I am in trouble, they will help me shoulder it."

Ji Feng still couldn't understand this kind of relationship.

His Ancient Martial Family was feudal enough, but they had already completed corporate management-everyone got paid to do a job, working when there was money and leaving when there wasn't.

The sects of the Douluo Continent actually engaged in sworn brotherhood; it was pure old-society behavior.

Did people even have to risk their lives for their boss just by going to work?

This culture was way too advanced.

No wonder so many Shrek people were willing to sacrifice themselves for Shrek. Turns out Douluo had this kind of cultural tradition, and Mu En was smiling from ear to ear.

Sects were spread across almost the entire Douluo Continent.

The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect-since it was a sect, the disciples within it naturally had to make sacrifices for the sect.

On the Douluo Continent, having a sect was simply better than not having one.

Even the people selling lunch boxes in Shrek City had a Lunch Box Gang, mutually helping each other out in normal times to prevent being bullied by other gangs.

Someone like Ji Feng, who walked alone, was actually in the minority. He found it difficult even just to find someone to offload some goods.

Ning Yu spoke up. "Ji Feng, keep an eye on Tang Ya here; I'm going first."

Ji Feng asked, "Isn't this obviously a trap? You're still going?"

Ning Yu took a deep breath, the peaks on her chest heaving violently.

"No, if I don't go, it means I'm afraid of them. If that happens, our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect won't be able to hold our heads up on Soul Tool Street, and the sect will punish me."

The expression on Ning Yu's face gradually turned into a bitter smile. "I cannot ruin the sect's reputation for the sake of my own life."

"You're going to put yourself in mortal danger just for the sect's face?"

Ji Feng couldn't understand this mentality. It was just a sect; if this one didn't want you, you could just switch to another. Why risk your life for it?

Ning Yu didn't answer Ji Feng. She led all her shop assistants out the door.

Ji Feng watched Ning Yu's retreating figure. Her dark long dress was very form-fitting, and the curves of her back were outlined to perfection. As she swayed from side to side, she greatly captured men's gazes.

Looking at her back, Ji Feng muttered to himself, "The sect's reputation is important, but one's own life isn't? By keeping your life, wouldn't you be able to revitalize the sect and make a comeback?"

Ning Yu led forty-two shop assistants to Taotao Residence.

Taotao Residence was a large restaurant in Shrek City, and the Xiang Family Pill Shop was financially well-off, so they directly booked the entire place.

Downstairs, people from the Xiang family were welcoming guests-about thirty of them.

Seeing that the opposite side had fewer people than them, Ning Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the fact that Xiang Li did not personally welcome her downstairs ultimately showed that he looked down on her as a person.

Yet Ning Yu was also clear that while the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect seemed to have a long history, in reality, it only had a long history. After soul tools came out, the Tang Sect declined, and the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect wasn't doing all that well either.

If they truly went toe-to-toe with the Xiang family, they still didn't measure up.

As a young master of the Xiang family, it was normal for Xiang Li to look down on Ning Yu, a branch member of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Yu led two bodyguards and walked straight up to Taotao Residence.

When they reached the second floor, the entire restaurant space was extremely spacious, lacking the usual coming and going of people drinking tea.

Xiang Li had booked the entire floor.

A young master of the Xiang family was no joke; he truly had the financial strength to pick up the tab for over a hundred people.

Standing beside Xiang Li were also two guards. Given the current situation, Ning Yu had a way to handle it.

"Shop Manager Ning."

"Young Master Xiang."

"Please!"

The two of them took their seats. Tea was brewed, and a pure fragrance drifted across the face-it was expensive Dahongpao.

After a few polite pleasantries, Xiang Li had someone pour the tea.

"Shop Manager Ning, once you drink this cup of tea, the grievances between us will be completely written off. As for how we do business afterward, we'll continue as before."

Ning Yu knew things wouldn't be this simple.

"Young Master Xiang, just spell it out directly. If we are to put our grievances aside, what conditions do you have?"

Xiang Li drank the tea before him. His tea seemed even more concentrated, with an abrupt red tint leaking from within it, like blood had been added.

"If it were left entirely to my own wishes, out of regard for Shop Manager Ning's face, this matter could just be settled directly.

However, Ma Chuwen is a man from the Xiang Family Pill Shop. If this guy were to just die like this, it would be too heavy a blow for our employees. Relying purely on face, we probably couldn't let it slide.

Furthermore, my younger brother Keshu also suffered a loss in this matter; the brothers under his command were wounded by that little girl's Tang Sect hidden weapons, and a few can only have their limbs amputated. Therefore, this is no longer just a matter between us; it has escalated to a matter between two sects."

Xiang Keshu, wearing a sleeveless white robe, wiped the tea from his mouth. It was he who had made a move against Tang Ya earlier, and Ma Chuwen was his subordinate.

Ning Yu didn't even want to look at this Xiang Keshu; this fellow was simply acting as a dog for Xiang Li.

"Speak plainly, and don't waste time here anymore."

Xiang Li picked up another cup of tea and spoke as he drank.

"Straightforward. I have three conditions here. As long as Shop Manager Ning agrees to them, this matter will be completely written off.

First, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect shops will continue to be managed by Shop Manager Ning, but in terms of profits, you need to give us four tenths.

This isn't for nothing; in the future, if you run into trouble, you can look to our Xiang family to smooth it out. You also know who is behind us, so it's very easy to resolve."

The corners of Ning Yu's mouth twitched.

Extracting four tenths straight from the profits-what about the costs? They certainly wouldn't cover four tenths of the costs.

Opening a shop didn't mean making a profit every single month; there were always times when one lost money, and those losted funds could only be shouldered by Ning Yu herself.

For the Xiang family to directly take a four-tenth cut meant that Ning Yu had become a laborer working for them.

Regardless of whether others lost or gained, they could just lie down and earn four tenths, while she, Ning Yu, worked herself to the bone.

Xiang Li hadn't finished stating his conditions yet, and Ning Yu motioned for him to continue.

"Since Shop Manager Ning doesn't object, I'll take it that you agree. As for the second condition, I've actually admired you for a long time; an independent woman like you is simply rare on the Douluo Continent.

I want to take you as my seventh concubine. Rest assured, my wife won't meddle in this matter. If you agree, we'll consummate our marriage tonight, and this place will be directly converted into a wedding banquet. What do you think?"

Xiang Li smiled with his eyes narrowed into slits, sizing Ning Yu up from top to bottom.

Ning Yu bit her silver teeth and said, "Go on, is there a third?"