Talking Business with Han Qingyu

Four people stood in the courtyard of the old residence. Aside from Que Qingshang, who had insisted on tagging along, Shang Nianhua had brought only two guards—her two most elite subordinates at present, the ones she had originally planned to use to assassinate Yu Yindou if an opportunity arose. Yet not far away, lurking in the immediate surroundings, she had over forty combatants lying in wait. Shang Nianhua had not come to fight. She had come to talk business—to negotiate with several Azure Coalition soldiers who dared to embezzle military spoils, roughly four to six of them... From that perspective, she had arguably been cautious enough, buying herself a sizable insurance policy. On the scene, following the sound of a blade being drawn upstairs, another rasp of an unsheathed blade came from behind. Shang Nianhua glanced back, her gaze turning cold. "Qingshang, put your blade away." "Godmother..." "Put it away!" The courtyard gate behind them stood open. The alley was devoid of people, but across the lane ran a dilapidated boundary wall with a sizable gap. Beyond that gap, Shang Nianhua saw someone standing there. A solitary figure wrapped in gauze, cradling a long black spear in his arms. He spoke no words, merely standing there with a blank expression. There was no menace in his eyes, making it impossible to gauge his strength. Yet at that moment, Shang Nianhua felt that walking out again might not be an easy task. Then there was no need to rush... Shang Nianhua had come to talk business in the first place. Calming her mind, she turned around, tilted her head back, and saw Han Qingyu appear at the window. Shang Nianhua froze for a brief moment. She had not expected him to be so young. Though on second thought, it made sense. For those who broke the rules and dared to pocket confiscated spoils, it seemed entirely fitting for them to be youngsters like this... They probably had a bit of strength, backed by youthful brashness and boundless ambition. The logic tracked. "The Hengduan Shang clan..." As Shang Nianhua looked up, she revealed a snow-white, slender neck. Though in her forties, she had virtually no neck wrinkles. The corners of her lips curved into her most charming, amicable smile. Shang Nianhua had always been a woman adept at leveraging her female charms. To be an unattainable vixen... was a craft in itself. "Self-Preservation Faction?" the person upstairs asked in an impassive voice. "...I suppose so." Typically, members of the Self-Preservation Faction did not call themselves that. Shang Nianhua directly acknowledged Azure's designation on the spot and offered an easy smile. "More importantly, we are merchants. We have never clashed with Azure, minding our own business and abiding by the law." "Oh, doesn't matter... Come up." Han Qingyu gestured for her to come upstairs, then sheathed his blade and turned around. *What does your law-abiding nature have to do with me?* he thought to himself. *You're Self-Preservation Faction—as long as you have source energy blocks, that's enough.* *In the end, it all comes down to robbery anyway.* The reason he had politely invited her up and was willing to talk first was simply that Han Qingyu figured since she had sought them out on her own initiative, there might be even greater benefits to reap. Her footsteps on the wooden stairs were light and steady. Arriving upstairs, Shang Nianhua offered a slight curtsy with a smile while sizing up the people present. Six in total. Two stood out: one had Western features and was a woman, while the other was clad head to toe in iron armor. Judging from their gazes and postures, seated or standing... as expected, this was a tightly knit small group. Shang Nianhua reached her judgment swiftly. Before resting her gaze back on Han Qingyu, she casually swept her eyes over the tabletop, where two piles of source energy blocks were categorized alongside calligraphy, paintings, antiques, and other miscellaneous goods. Fixing her gaze, she smiled. "Are you the one in charge here?" "Roughly." Han Qingyu smiled as well and gestured. "Have a seat?" "No need." Shang Nianhua cut straight to the point. "I've only come to discuss a small piece of business. If all goes smoothly, I'll be leaving shortly." Han Qingyu nodded. "Go ahead." "The clan that ambushed the supply depot alongside the Yu clan was the He clan." "You know where they went?" Han Qingyu showed his interest without the slightest disguise. Shang Nianhua was well pleased by this and nodded. "Yes." "And you're prepared to tell me?" "That's right, but I'd like to trade for a few items." Beside them, He Tangtang reflexively glanced at the source energy blocks on the table. Shang Nianhua noticed it, her smile unfaltering. "Rest assured, I won't ask for your source energy blocks. Merchants chase profit; I have simply always wanted a few antiques from the Yu clan's collection." "How many?" Though knowing the odds of actually handing them over were minuscule, Liu Shiheng could not help asking out of instinct, looking rather pained at the thought of losing anything. That heartache was genuine. Catching it in her eyes, Shang Nianhua turned her gaze toward Liu Shiheng and gestured with a smile. "Five... or three?" Her plan had two steps: first, make a deal, trading information for an item on the table; once that was accomplished, reveal the He clan's strength and seek cooperation to plot for the next item. The other side's greed and their small numbers—these were Shang Nianhua's leverage and calculations. "How do we know the information you give is genuine?" Wen Jifei chimed in from the side. "It's those two voices! Hahaha, we're rich, we're rich, haha..." one of the guards behind her suddenly reported in a whisper. Shang Nianhua felt thoroughly exasperated, her brows furrowing... *Sigh, could you not imitate them right now? At this juncture, in this environment, why must you do an impression?!* "Photographs." Striving to maintain her smile, Shang Nianhua uttered a word that took Han Qingyu and the others somewhat by surprise. They actually knew how to use cameras! Compared to the Yu clan, who conducted reconnaissance with children's toy binoculars, this felt remarkably advanced. Soon, several photographs were laid out on the table... The people, gear, and settings depicted were all crystal clear. Han Qingyu and the others examined them... Standing a short distance away, Shang Nianhua explained, "These show the He clan's first, second, and third stops after leaving the mountains... But where they are settled now is at their fourth stop." There was no photograph of the fourth stop, but her implication was obvious: since they could track them through the first three stops, they naturally knew the fourth. Rusty Sister was already prepared to draw her blade; she knew Han Qingyu well. Yet unexpectedly, Han Qingyu looked up and said, "Pick." *Pick? Deal accomplished?!* Experienced as Shang Nianhua was, she could not suppress a flicker of excitement. Composing herself, she kept her posture and expression steady. "Then I won't hesitate to pick the valuable ones." With that, she approached from a short distance away, carrying a faint scent of incense. Bending over the tabletop to browse, she asked, "I haven't asked for your name yet, young officer." "No rush. Pick first," Han Qingyu replied with a smile. Shang Nianhua did not overthink it. "Mm, this painting, then this jewelry box, and this porcelain plate." "Done picking?" Han Qingyu stood up and asked. "Yes, all done." Shang Nianhua turned to look at Han Qingyu as he stepped closer. Her expression was pitched just right—showing the joy of a merchant securing goods without appearing excessively ecstatic. Han Qingyu came to a stop and looked at her. "No deal." "Huh?" Shang Nianhua froze. *No... no deal? If you weren't going to trade, why the hell did you tell me to pick?* Quite directly, Han Qingyu raised his hand and tapped the so-called jewelry box containing the bone. "This is the thing you really wanted, isn't it?" Shang Nianhua's expression remained steady, but a flicker of astonishment and unease darted through her eyes. Just as she was about to speak... Han Qingyu continued, "So, does your family have a piece too?" "..." Shang Nianhua stared at the young man before her, cursing inwardly: *You little bastard.* "Let's talk business," Han Qingyu said with a smile. "Give me the piece your family has, tell me the news about the He clan... in exchange for your lives." "..." At this moment, defeat, helplessness, annoyance, and rage were all forced down. Shang Nianhua fought to stay composed and glanced at Han Qingyu. "Are you that confident, young officer?" She directed her gaze out the window, then toward the perimeter walls, and having made her hint, added, "Since I dared to come, I have the assurance to walk out safely." There was an ambush outside. Instantly, Shen Yixiu and the others shifted into combat readiness. Han Qingyu raised a hand, signaling them not to worry. Still watching Shang Nianhua, he said, "Let me guess—about forty-some people, am I right?" Shang Nianhua's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to stay calm. "Is that not enough?!" "Not enough." "Where does a young officer like you get such confidence?" "If you knew how many people defeated the Yu clan, you wouldn't be asking this question. You would ask..." "How many?" "One." "...You?" "Not me." At those two words, Shang Nianhua involuntarily thought back to the person she had seen downstairs just now. *Defeated the Yu clan single-handedly?* It should have been completely unbelievable, yet she found herself compelled to believe it... Composing herself, Shang Nianhua asked, "Then you..." "I am Han Qingyu."