"How would I know what a big shot like you was thinking?"
Old Ninth roughly stubbed out his cigarette on the leather seat.
"Letting you take Chun Prefecture was already the Ma Family's bottom line. Don't try to challenge our authority."
"You're not the first to provoke the Ma Family. The grass on the graves of those who came before you is already tall."
"I don't believe it." Old Ninth raised his head haughtily.
"Go ask around." Old Ma had no idea where Old Ninth got his confidence.
"There's permafrost all over the Northeast. Grass doesn't grow there at all."
Old Ninth said with a perfectly straight face, "You're bullshitting."
"You fucking..."
Even with his composure, Old Ma was driven to cursing by Old Ninth.
"Bzzzt..."
Old Ma's walkie-talkie suddenly crackled.
"Master, up ahead... someone's blocking the road."
Old Ninth and Old Ma froze.
Who would dare stop the Ma Family's convoy at a time like this?
The Ming King certainly wouldn't have the nerve.
Reinforcements from Chun Prefecture couldn't have arrived so quickly either.
Then who could it be?
Old Ninth opened the window and stuck his head out.
Then his face turned ashen, and he pulled his head back in with a solemn expression.
Abandoning his flippant manner, he said to Old Ma, "Old Master Ma, I spoke out of turn just now. I've thought it over. I'll go back to the Ma Family with you. I'll definitely persuade Tiger not to oppose you."
"You..."
Old Ma opened the door suspiciously.
Ahead of the convoy stood a stunningly beautiful woman in an androgynous black robe.
Her robes flapped in the cold wind.
Beside her lay more than a dozen Ma Family Awakened who had gone forward to negotiate.
Perhaps it was the intuition shared by the powerful.
Old