The Scales

The moment those words left his mouth, a dead silence settled over the VIP salon. In the stillness, only a heavy, low breathing remained. It filled everyone's ears. It came from Ling Zhou. Like a beast honing its claws and fangs that could no longer be restrained, invisible chains rattled. A chilling wave of malicious spiritus radiated outward uncontrollably. Across his hands and face, eerie eyes snapped open one after another, glaring unblinkingly at Ji Jue before him. The murderous intent of the Regeneration tier surged forth, rushing like a tide. Even before that, Ling Zhou's subordinates behind him had already lost their composure, erupting in outrage. "Fucking filthy craftsman, don't refuse face when it's given!" "Think we won't slaughter your whole family?!" "Fuck your—" Cursing and swearing overlapped without end. Yet through it all, Ji Jue simply leaned back in his chair with utter composure, watching their clownish antics with a brow slightly arched. "What? Lost your temper already?" His gaze shifted toward Ling Zhou, sweeping across each bloodshot eye before finally coming to rest on that savage, cruel face. "Let me think... Gray Port's sector belongs to the Phantasm Realm Workshop, doesn't it? If you wanted peace, why go all the way around when the answer's right there? But tell me—do you think your godfather Ling Liu would dare say such things to Master Pétion?" Ji Jue chuckled, asking curiously, "Do you think anyone from Phantasm Realm would dare say that to me?" In that instant, every noise cut off abruptly. Ling Zhou slowly raised a hand. He silenced all his furious subordinates, rendering them afraid to utter another word. On his body, the eyes gradually closed, vanishing as though they had been nothing more than an illusion. Yet the chill in Ling Zhou's eyes solidified into something tangible, making the entire VIP salon feel as though it had dropped into an icy cavern. "Out of respect for Uncle Chen's mediation, I took time out of my schedule specifically to host you all. Today, all who came are guests. Whether we reach an agreement or not, there's no reason to raise a hand." He paused. Under his fingers, which closed like an iron vice, Yan Jian—who had fainted from the bone-chilling aura—suddenly let out a wretched scream. He struggled desperately as his torn scars split open once more, oozing blood. "I hosted the feast, and I poured the wine. I gave every bit of face I was supposed to give. But if this is your attitude, Mr. Ji, I'm afraid today's business cannot end amicably." "The man is in your hands, the debt is in your hands, and the cargo is in your hands. Naturally, whatever you say sounds reasonable." Ji Jue showed no expression and remained completely unfazed, looking almost bored enough to yawn. "There's no need to drag on with all this irrelevant nonsense, Ling Zhou. Lay down your terms." He added, "Don't waste everyone's time." In the protracted silence, Ling Zhou glared intently at Ji Jue. Then, abruptly, a wide grin broke across his face. *Smack!* He slammed his hand onto the table without warning, a thunderous crash that seemed to shake the entire room. "Good! Direct!" He finally let go of Yan Jian, slamming a bloodstained palm onto the debt documents gathered from who-knew-where on the table, leaving a scarlet handprint behind. "You live off the mountain if you're in the mountains; you live off the water if you're by the sea. Since you came aboard the Tianbo today, we play by the Tianbo's rules! Debt, man, cargo—they're all right here. It all comes down to whether you have the ability to win them back, Mr. Ji!" That bloodstained finger rose, pointing directly at the empty plastic chair in the center. "Today, before the seat of the Chief, I, Ling, promise: if you can win today, then from this moment forth, our slate is wiped clean!" Ji Jue went quiet for a moment, looking at the stack of documents beneath Ling Zhou's hand. After a long while, his brow arched slightly as if in sudden understanding. "You want to gamble with me?" "Didn't you want to negotiate? This is how we negotiate!" Ling Zhou grinned, raising a foot to step on Yan Jian's face. "Nobody's forcing you, Mr. Ji. If you're unwilling, you're free to head back and walk away whenever you like. We can talk another day, or we can fight to the death—either is fine by me. "Only..." Ling Zhou pressed down slightly with his foot. Amid Yan Jian's agonized cries, he gave a regretful shrug. "This man stays behind." Under Ling Zhou's boot, Yan Jian whimpered, struggling with all his might to look toward Ji Jue. But in the end, he hesitated, then forced his eyes shut. As though he had given up, he spoke no more. In the drawn-out quiet, Chen Xingzhou kept his gaze lowered and let out a silent sigh. Now he could be certain: the other party had come entirely to stir up trouble. Whether the backing came from the defense contractors or from Ling Liu, and regardless of what agreement they had reached, they had likely prepared from the very start to escalate the conflict and blow things out of proportion. The trap and the fuse had been set long ago. From the start, Ling Zhou never intended to settle this peacefully! Chen Xingzhou looked up, preparing to rise and interrupt this meeting that was destined to bear no fruit. But before he could, Ji Jue's voice rang out, freezing him in place. "Not a bad idea." Ji Jue smiled, as if in thorough agreement. "Pity, though. I don't think I brought any money." Not only Chen Xingzhou and everyone present, but even Ling Zhou froze for an instant. Quickly recovering, however, Ling Zhou moved fast, refusing to give Chen Xingzhou any opening to intervene. "No problem. We can gamble with people, too." Ling Zhou grinned, brimming with anticipation. "Or I could lend you some. However much you want. Name a number." "No need. How about we bet these hands?" Ji Jue slowly rolled up his sleeves, displaying both sides of his ten fingers. "If nothing else, purely as crafting materials, they'd fetch at least two hundred and seventy million at the Association. Would you like to have someone inspect them, Mr. Ling?" "Splendid!" Ling Zhou slapped the table and stood up, glancing around at the room. "With the Chief's seat before us, and witnessed by the Dragon Head and the elders, this matter is settled!" Chen Xingzhou remained silent, saying nothing. After catching the look on Ji Jue's face, his hands, which had braced against the armrests to stand, suddenly relaxed. He sank back into his seat, completely silent. "Hold on..." Ji Jue suddenly lowered his raised hands and glanced toward Ling Zhou's feet. "The deal is struck, but what about my man?" Ling Zhou looked down, as if only just remembering the dying man underfoot. Sneering, he waved his hand. Immediately, someone dragged Yan Jian away. Before he even reached the doorway, someone took over. Behind Chen Xingzhou, a figure in a lab coat who had been fiddling with a phone stood up, walked over to Yan Jian on the floor, checked him over with a casual hand, and nodded in understanding. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a syringe and administered an injection. "He's fine," Xie Lan, who had been brought along, glanced back at Ji Jue and told him. "All superficial injuries. The cerebral hemorrhage is easy to handle too. Minor issues." "Thank you." Ji Jue nodded. "Just doing the job I'm paid for." Directing Blondie and another man to lift Yan Jian onto a stretcher, Xie Lan gave Ji Jue a final wave. "Good luck." On the stretcher, Yan Jian struggled, trying to say something to Ji Jue. But the sedative took effect swiftly, and he slipped into unconsciousness. On the other side, Ling Zhou rolled up his sleeves and crooked a finger toward someone in the corner. Someone stepped forward immediately, coming up beside Ji Jue. "Apologies, sir, but we need to conduct a search." Ling Zhou said, "Those of us who run casinos are naturally a bit paranoid. Mr. Ji shouldn't mind, just to ensure fairness and clear results, right?" "Suit yourself. But what about you?" Ji Jue stood up, opening his arms to permit the inspection, looking back at him. "What about you?" "Sure, why not?" Ling Zhou said dismissively. "Under the watchful eyes of so many elders, it's not like I could cheat, could I?" Chen Xingzhou cast a glance behind him. The silent Uncle Lin stepped forward at once, raising his single arm to press along Ling Zhou's body. Once he confirmed through perception that there were no alchemical implements, a wisp of black smoke wrapped around Ling Zhou's wrist. It locked down all spiritus fluctuations, isolating both soul and perception. Even the slightest ripple of spiritus would cause that thread of black smoke to burn out and dissipate. Ji Jue's search results were also revealed. Aside from the Ring of Transcendent Vision and the Ancient Mouth necklace, there were keys, a phone, a fountain pen, a punched subway ticket, and a revolver. The utterly ordinary firearm appeared before everyone's eyes. The subordinate looked back in bewilderment. "No need to take it." Ling Zhou waved a hand, unable to suppress a chuckle. "Leave that for Mr. Ji. At least it might bolster his courage." "Then many thanks. Without a gun, I really would be a little nervous." Ji Jue smiled, picking up the revolver and placing it on the edge of the table. On his other hand, a separate restraint was attached, glowing with a flicker of green light that likewise sealed spiritus, perception, and matrix. A dealer stepped forward, pushing a cart and displaying various tools for inspection. Once both sides confirmed everything was in order, the packaging was broken and items were put into use. Chips were counted and tallied, all stakes on both sides converted into two piles—one large, one small, a stark contrast. "What do you want to play?" Ling Zhou asked. "Baccarat, Texas Hold'em, bridge? We could even do high-low dice." "The guest defers to the host. Anything works." Ji Jue shook his head nonchalantly, looking relaxed and at ease throughout. That smiling demeanor caused Ling Zhou's expression to freeze for an instant, unable to tell whether this was reckless abandonment, utter confidence, or merely a smoke screen. None of it mattered, though. From the moment he agreed—no, from the moment he boarded the ship, or even before setting foot on board—all of this had already been decided. It was nothing more than death throes. Behind the flickering cameras inside the monitoring room, the floor manager watched the display and picked up the walkie-talkie. "The target has taken the bait. Distinguished guest, please begin preparations." Meanwhile, in a luxurious private lounge on the Tianbo's uppermost level, a stubble-faced man looked toward the old man resting on the sofa with eyes closed. "The rest is up to you, Master Cranje." The old man lifted his eyelids. Free of pupils, his eyes were entirely white, within which countless phantom visions seemed to flash and vanish. His gaze fell upon the bearded man, sending an instinctual chill through him and making him step back. It felt as though, in a single glance, everything inside and out had been laid bare. "Rest assured." Cranje gave a bizarre smile and looked down at the table before him. Upon the balance scales on the table, the colors of the two counterweights were slowly shifting—one glinting with metallic silver, the other pitch-black as ink. "Tell Gao Yue that this requires extra payment." He reached out and flicked the balance beam. The equilibrium broke, and the weight silently tilted toward the ink-black counterweight. The old man bared his teeth in a grin, letting the ravenous scales suckle at his blood and spiritus, smiling soundlessly. "Everything was written long ago. In the grasp of destiny, all things are mere puppets—" Tonight, at this very moment, in this very place, everything had already been decided!