"Tonight, then!" Chen Quanxu was even more impatient than Wu Youren. "If I weren't afraid of being killed in broad daylight, I'd leave right now."
"We really do need to be careful about that," the youth nodded. "Who knows when another Shadow-Splitting Yue will drop."
Never mind that this was no time to make a move—even with every condition in place, whether a suitable Guizu relic dropped at all was a matter of chance.
"Back in my day..." The horned owl trailed off. "Ah, never mind. Forget it."
Chen Quanxu left that night and went quiet again, and Wu Youren went on enduring his lonely vigil in the wilds.
Another half month slipped by. Then one day, a figure suddenly appeared.
It was a single man, wearing a black mask, his aura drifting and uncertain.
"Stop there," the youth spoke up early. "Lord Kelvin, the New Army has authorized this place. For now it belongs to me!"
He knew that aura. It belonged to the ability master who had come from the Far West, the one who leaned toward puppetry. Chen Quanxu had not thought highly of the man.
"I've come to discuss a piece of business with you," the black mask halted. "Interested in hearing it?"
"Probably not," the youth said without changing expression. "Out in the middle of nowhere like this, once I've heard it, I'm afraid I'd have no choice but to agree."
"Not at all. We Far West people set great store by contracts," the black mask answered gravely.
"It's simply a matter of bargaining. If you're not satisfied, you can raise your price."
Wu Youren was silent for a dozen seconds before asking, "And if I don't want to trade?"
"Is there anything in this world that can't be traded?" Kelvin answered without hesitation. "In the end, it's always a question of price."
"Sorry, I don't want to trade," the youth refused flatly. The man's manner of speaking and the content of his words both grated on him.
A person lives one life, and some things cannot be traded!
"Your attitude is a little unfriendly," the black mask snorted. "Is this discrimination against us Far West people?"
"Sorry. Perhaps there really is some discrimination," Wu Youren said calmly.
This was the middle of nowhere; playing weak would do him no good. "There are some things I don't sell."
"Truly... too ignorant," the black mask shook his head. "You won't even listen to my offer."
From the moment he appeared until now, there had been a faint note of condescension in his words.
"I'm recording this," the youth said without any change in expression. "Commander Jeff gave it to me... Are you sure you want to force a sale?"
"Ah, such stereotypes," the black mask shook his head again, sighing inwardly. He had still been a little rash.
He wasn't sure whether the other man had such equipment, but he wouldn't gamble on it. "I had thought Jin people would be a bit smarter than Liang natives."
"Is this an attempt to damage Liang-Jin friendship?" Wu Youren snorted. "Just wait. The New Army will be coming to have a talk with your people!"
The black mask fell silent, and spoke only after a few breaths. "Are you forcing me to act?"
"You're welcome to try," the youth said with a light laugh. "Let me see how many puppets you've brought."
Kelvin fell silent again. He had always liked winning big with small stakes, and he valued his own skin greatly.
On the surface, the other man was only an apprentice knight, but he had trapped a barbarian grand knight.
Barbarians never used their heads when they acted, but a grand knight was still a grand knight.
The key point was that the other man already knew he was a puppeteer, and even so dared to say he wasn't afraid to fight.
"Very well," he decided to abandon this attempt. "A misunderstanding. Just pretend I never came."
"That's impossible," the youth said flatly. "You came... Kelvin, you came."
The black mask vanished instantly, as if he had not heard a word.
A moment later, Wu Youren shook his head with a smile. "Far West people? Just wait."
"Are you never going to let it go?" Kelvin reappeared, speaking through clenched teeth. "It's nothing more than a failed trade."
"You threatened me," the youth answered calmly. "And I really was frightened."
The black mask could not hide the fury in his eyes. "I don't see the slightest sign that you're frightened!"
"Then you can leave," Wu Youren nodded. "I'll be reporting this to the New Army."
Kelvin was silent. He really was angry. After the Guizu had occupied most of the Far West, his people had scattered to the winds.
A rootless people would be bullied wherever they went, and it was the same in Liang.
Suppressing his rage, he asked through gritted teeth, "What is it you actually want?"
"A trade," the youth's eyes were clear and innocent. "Isn't that what you said when you arrived?"
"There's no trade. It's over. Pretend I never came!"
"Now that's where you're wrong... A moment ago you said there was nothing in the world that couldn't be traded."
The black mask gave him a long, deep look. "And a moment ago you said there were some things you don't sell."
"That's fine too. I never force a sale. Later I'll have to inform the New Army that Far West people attempted to sow discord between Liang and Jin."
Kelvin laughed in fury. "You really are a shameless fuck."
The youth's face darkened. "Sir, mind your manners! You may decline to trade, but insulting me... costs extra!"
The black mask was silent for a dozen seconds before speaking again. "And what if I want to silence you?"
"You're welcome to try that too. I hear puppeteers... are very powerful."
Kelvin finally shook his head. "I don't want to try. Name your price."
"Ten resentment crystals!"
"Well... all right," Kelvin drew a deep breath. "As it happens, I'm a bit tired of living too. We can go to the next world together."
He didn't know what trump cards the other man held. Anyone who could bring down a grand knight must have some tricks up his sleeve.
But he had no doubt that if he went all out, he could still manage to drag his enemy down with him.
"Wait. I haven't finished stating my conditions."
"That's fine. Go on," the black mask nodded. "I'm about to die anyway. One more sentence won't hurt."
"I want to know who gave you the information. What exactly... is the grudge between you two?"
Kelvin paused, then gave a light laugh. "So that's what you want to know?"
"I can tell you, and then we're even!"
"Impossible!" Wu Youren refused flatly. "You came to me of your own accord, and Far West people... all have money!"
Chen Quanxu really had described these Far West people in detail.
They were indeed very rich, but greedy for profit and quick to forget loyalty, cherishing their lives yet even more covetous of wealth. They liked to huddle together for warmth, and had no bottom line when it came to making money.
The people of Great Liang revered martial strength, and every so often they would treat them as fat sheep and fleece them. It was even a little pitiable.
But by draining others without any bottom line, they would quickly recover.
Yet Wu Youren could not summon the slightest pity for such a people.
This kind of group gave him a strong sense of déjà vu—from before he had transmigrated.
"Then there's nothing to discuss," Kelvin snorted, and with a flicker of his body, vanished again.
He really won't shed tears until he sees the coffin... Wu Youren smiled, unconcerned, and reached out to snatch a shotgun from beside the wall.
He had no heavy weapons close at hand—not a machine gun, not even a sniper rifle—but a shotgun didn't count as a heavy weapon.
He waved the muzzle around a couple of times at random, then raised his hand again to press a switch on his wristwatch.
The next moment, the gun fired, a burst of flame spurted out, and he gave a cold snort. "Be sensible. Don't make me kill you."
A puppeteer could manifest his body at will at any prearranged location, but as it happened, sensing an opponent's position was exactly what Wu Youren was least afraid of.
The place where the other's aura leaked out was not necessarily his true body, but that didn't matter.
As long as the other man couldn't manifest, he couldn't launch a strong enough attack.
The next moment, Kelvin's voice drifted out. "Ah, young man, there's no need for such a violent temper, is there?"
"This was only my bargaining tactic. You know the Far West so well, you can't be unclear about that, surely?"
If he didn't show himself, Wu Youren's attacks couldn't do effective damage, but at the same time, he couldn't hurt Wu Youren either.
Of course, against an ordinary apprentice knight, Kelvin could wipe him out even without showing himself.
Shameless as expected... The youth smiled. Yes, this was the recipe, this was the flavor!
"I don't bargain. My price is fixed."
Kelvin answered just as bluntly. "The information is easy. The crystals, no."
"Then I don't need the information," Wu Youren began typing on his wristwatch, still not putting down the shotgun.
"Two crystals!" Kelvin actually did start bargaining. "Plus the information."
That shot had made him fully appreciate that the youth's sensing ability was no ordinary thing.
Without that shot, he really would have considered risking his life to fight the man.
Far West people loved money, but they also cherished their lives and knew to respect the strong.
If a former powerhouse grew weak, they would turn on him without mercy and take everything that could be taken.
"I don't accept counteroffers," the youth said without expression. "Far West rules: you came to me first. The fault isn't mine."
Kelvin was taken aback. "Where in the Far West is there such a rule?"
"Not even keeping to contracts now? Well, that figures," Wu Youren laughed softly. "Then here's the ultimate Far West rule: the strong take all!"
Kelvin was silent, and only after a long while did he give a soft sigh. "You really do understand the Far West!"
I just know how locusts think! The youth said calmly, "I don't have time to listen to your nonsense."
For an apprentice knight to say such a thing to an ability master was practically asking for death.
And yet this was exactly what was so peculiar about Far West people: the concept of face simply did not exist in their heads.
"Five crystals," Kelvin was still bargaining, "plus I'll help you get rid of the person who passed on the information!"
Damn, you could even work it that way... Wu Youren was briefly surprised.
He knew the man's bottom line was low, but he hadn't expected him to offer such a thing unprompted.
He thought it over before saying gravely, "I do feel a certain sincerity. Who leaked the information?"
"You still haven't said whether you agree," Kelvin's reaction wasn't that of an ability master but of a thoroughgoing merchant.
He didn't mind betraying someone, but he had to confirm whether it counted as a bargaining chip.
And the youth's answer was just like a Far West man's. "I told you, I don't like bargaining!"
materials: see structured field below"}
Chapter 216