"What impressive methods, Governor-General." The atmosphere inside the hall froze completely.
Yuchi Mingzhao seemed to have seen through Qing Chen's intentions, her expression icy.
Seeing how perceptive she was, Qing Chen dropped the pretense and gave a cold smile. "In that case, you may leave."
This was a threat.
Loulan could certainly refuse to buy.
But Persia had already acquired a large quantity of military formation treasures. If Loulan did nothing, then once conflict erupted between the two sides, the hundred thousand sets of Fireproof Treasure Armor purchased at enormous expense would instead become a hundred thousand coffins.
Qing Chen had never forced them.
In truth, there had only been one choice from the very beginning.
Yuchi Mingzhao was furious, but she dared not fall out with Qing Chen. "Is the Governor-General not afraid of being called to account by Great Jin's Imperial House?"
Qing Chen remained expressionless. "This is the northwest, not the Divine Capital."
Yuchi Mingzhao appraised Qing Chen anew for a moment, the predatory gleam in her eyes growing ever more pronounced.
She admired ambitious men.
More precisely, she liked conquering the strong.
Far from repulsing Yuchi Mingzhao, this greedy ambition stirred an equally fierce possessiveness within her.
Their gazes clashed again, and each saw desire in the other's eyes.
Not a desire confined to the flesh.
Rather, it was the urge to possess and conquer that arose simultaneously in two people accustomed to controlling everything when they encountered a sufficiently powerful and dangerous opponent.
"I hear you already have a Dao Companion? The Iron Household's legitimate daughter, if I'm not mistaken."
"Does it matter?"
Yuchi Mingzhao picked up the blue-gold Jade Slip on the desk again and gently pressed the Regent's Golden Seal, which represented her identity, onto it.
A golden Sun Wheel Imprint appeared. "Loulan