A long, dead silence.
At this moment, even someone as well-traveled and experienced as Ji Jue could not help a slight start, struck with disbelief.
Pure life essence, the marrow of the Vortex distilled from embryos!
Around thirty milliliters of alchemical material per vial, and sixteen vials came out to over five hundred milliliters...
With this much liquefied life, an artisan skilled in life sciences could produce at least ten side-effect-free longevity elixirs, each capable of fetching a dizzying sum at auction.
Should even a trace be added to any healing or recovery medicine, it would induce a miraculous qualitative transformation, amplifying the efficacy beyond belief.
And were it used in a blood sacrifice, even a single drop would suffice to bestow sentience upon the most mundane creation.
Moreover, within the Ye Clan's secret lore, there was a "Sword Cleansing" secret rite that could be paired with matching materials to purge malevolent intent and ferocious aura. If all of this were applied to Pan Ying, it could save Ji Jue five or six years of grueling work! Such an outrageous leap in progress was something ordinary artisans might spend a lifetime failing to attain...
One could truly call its applications boundless.
So why couldn't such marvelous goods be bought on the open market?
One would have to ask the Ring of Taiyi's Absolute Sentence squad just what they were paid for!
Centuries ago, the guild had imposed a blanket ban on the production of liquefied life. The Absolute Sentence squad—which struck terror into the hearts of countless artisans—had originally come into being precisely to stamp out its manufacture.
Even a single vial of liquefied life in that box had likely consumed nearly hundreds of embryos!
"This truly is... quite a lavish gift."
Ji Jue sighed softly. After casting another glance over it, he lowered his gaze, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the desktop.
For a long time.
From start to finish, Tu Sihai smiled, full of sincerity and anticipation.
Until at last, Ji Jue gave a soft sigh. "Is such a hefty gift not a bit too hot to handle?"
"Rest assured, its provenance is completely clean."
Tu Sihai pulled an officially stamped authorization letter from his pocket. "This is contraband seized by the Seven Cities Federation during an anti-smuggling crackdown.
"It's just that the local authorities lack the facilities to dispose of something so hazardous, so they could only commission you to destroy it on their behalf."
All it took was a signature.
Then this entire case of liquefied life could be smoothly 'destroyed' in Ji Jue's workshop, and even if the Ring of Taiyi came investigating, they would have nothing to say.
"Well then, now comes the question..."
Ji Jue chuckled. Leaning on the desk, he leaned forward slightly to probe, "I can't seem to find any reason or cause for such a magnificent gift to be handed to me out of nowhere."
"To tell you the truth, it's because we have a humble request..."
Tu Sihai showed an impeccably judged trace of embarrassment, mixed with a sliver of supplication and a sliver of world-weary helplessness. "Lately, the tides and winds at sea have been turbulent and volatile, with no end of complications. Even at sea, one needs breathing room to rest, as well as a chance to replenish supplies..."
He paused, gazing intently at the master of Xinquan before him, and pleaded:
"—Could we trouble you to lift your noble hand and let us borrow a passage?"
Borrow a passage.
It sounded entirely simple.
Just like a heavy truck passing through the countryside, blocked by a vehicle parked along a narrow lane—the driver hands over a cigarette, politely asking if they wouldn't mind shifting aside.
Yet what was it that actually wanted to pass?
The waters off the southeastern Federation were tangled and perilous, riddled with expansive reefs, swirling vortexes, and nests of vicious calamity beasts... Against creatures lurking in the ocean depths, even Celestial Chosen had no good way to deal with them when deprived of favorable terrain. At best, they could periodically clear the shipping lanes.
At any rate, land and sea were worlds apart; deterred by the awe of the Law of Heavenly Overseer, those colossal calamity beasts would not approach the Federation.
Humans, however, were another matter entirely.
Furthermore, during the rainy season, rising sea levels submerged many reefs and treacherous shoals. Large vessels once constrained by shallow waters could now navigate in and out freely.
And even push deep into the interior...
Yet the crucial problem was that even with flooding rains and rising sea levels, ships still required a draft—they couldn't sail through muddy swamps. Under these circumstances, Haizhou's intricate river systems became invaluable, functioning like highways: straightforward and convenient.
Unfortunately, rivers wide and deep enough had long since been incorporated into the perimeters of various core cities, even garrisoned by heavy forces.
Under such conditions, did any river exist that offered easy access, remained unguarded, and drew no attention?
The answer was yes.
And it sat right beneath Ji Jue's backside!
—Quancheng, which had lain fallen for sixty or seventy years!
When it had been shrouded in corruption, sealed from within and without, the occasional stray miasma that leaked out posed little threat. Dangerous though it was, nothing fatal ever came charging out; at worst, people simply took a detour around it.
Life had gone on smoothly, settling into an established norm that everyone had grown accustomed to and accepted over the years. Yet against all odds, some Celestial-Human with nothing better to do just couldn't let it go even after all this time, wagering his very life to drag Quancheng back into the light.
Well, fine. The fall was resolved. But what about the passage?
The route was gone too!
Occupied by Xinquan, built up by Haian Industries!
The disgust and rage gnawing at maritime flotillas large and small were fouler than swallowing a housefly—a route where they used to come and go as they pleased had now been slapped with a goddamn checkpoint!
Going in might be fine, but if you were being chased and trying to flee, only to get held up at the bottleneck...
The agonizing misery of that scenario went without saying.
If they wanted to seize the rainy season to make a killing in the Federation and reap illicit windfalls, their most urgent priority was figuring out how to move this stumbling block aside.
Either smash it to pieces, or turn him into their own gatekeeper.
Otherwise, how else could Xinquan have become such a thorn in the side and a needle in the eye to so many?
Hearing Tu Sihai's pitch, Ji Jue instantly understood—ah, so it's a bunch of stinking out-of-towners coming to beg for scraps in our Federation!
Who do you think you're looking down on?
A lord of the Federation is a real lord!
You think such piddling trinkets can buy my services?
"So, if I don't agree... does that mean you're going to launch a full-scale assault?"
Ji Jue laughed, eyeing them up and down.
"Have you thought this through?"
Tu Sihai acted 'shocked' and shook his head emphatically. "What a thing to say! Even if the deal falls through, the friendship remains. How could we possibly resort to blades and guns? We're here to make friends, not enemies!"
Even though not a single dog would believe such drivel, he certainly couldn't nod and admit, 'You got that right; if you know what's good for you, drop to your knees and welcome the royal army, or else your blood will splatter the city walls tomorrow!'
Besides, hadn't they already prepared for both eventualities?
Even if Ji Jue refused, it hardly mattered. None of them were useless freeloaders. If so many settlements across Haizhou could be plundered, could Xinquan truly be untouchable?
Even if Ji Jue had gods on his side and could summon the Security Bureau, so what?
Thieves could plot for a thousand days, but who could guard against thieves for a thousand days? Were Security Bureau agents going to squat here forever? Besides, the annual rainy season brought constant disasters and roaming calamity beasts—was the Security Bureau supposed to abandon all other duties?
As for the Wild Gathering... could this affair really be without a hand dipped in by the Wild Gathering elsewhere?
Back when that old dog Lei Wuye was still alive, he was the most active of all each year, wasn't he? Exploiting the stretch between Yacheng and Quancheng, he demanded a full thirty percent cut for himself!
This year, Chen Xingzhou had yet to secure his footing and had no leisure to attend to other matters. It was prime time for everyone to reap enormous profits—how could they let Ji Jue block their path?
"In matters like this, cooperation benefits both sides, Mr. Ji,"
Tu Sihai urged earnestly. "Why not lift your noble hand?"
"Lift? My noble hand?"
Ji Jue gave a scoff, tapping the box before him. "I'd be willing, but... with just this pittance, it's hard for me to put in a good word with your friends, isn't it?"
"This is merely a greeting gift! If we can cooperate, the General will never be stingy with friends!"
Tu Sihai made a firm promise. "Beyond this, according to the General's intentions, we are willing to hand over an additional ten percent cut of all our spoils and gains from this hunt... Of course, should you wish to take part directly, you would be more than welcome.
"Friends make money together!"
Saying so, he made solemn vows to heaven and earth, fearful that Ji Jue might doubt him, and was even willing to submit to a lie detector test.
Because everything he said was the truth.
If they could genuinely cooperate and keep him in hand, the water ghosts certainly wouldn't skimp on rewards. Everyone knew the difference between one full meal and a lifetime of meals; besides, how much could Ji Jue realistically pocket on his own?
Furthermore, artisans were rare talents anywhere. If they could win him over, who would object to having an extra route of retreat?
The underlings could wage life-and-death fights with cleavers, but only the real bosses and managers understood the immense value of harmony bringing wealth.
A living Ji Jue could be a partner. A dead Ji Jue could bring only trouble.
At his current status and height, there were few people left who could decide his life or death with a word, and few who could manipulate him at will.
"A fine idea indeed."
Hearing this, Ji Jue couldn't help clapping his hands in admiration, exuding delight. "Indeed, friends make money together. I've truly felt the General's generous esteem and sincerity!
"After all, running such a large outfit means heavy expenses, and an artisan's funds are never enough. With the General being so generous, naturally I have no reason to refuse."
He smiled warmly, radiating enthusiasm. "So as things stand, there's just one tiny problem left to solve."
"Not a problem! Our chamber exists precisely to relieve our guests of their worries and troubles!"
Tu Sihai grinned. "Please, speak your mind!"
*Motherfucker, artisans are all insatiable mad dogs!*
*We already offered a ten percent cut, and the bastard still wants to hike the price!*
"You might have misunderstood me."
Ji Jue let out a melancholy sigh. "If you call it troublesome, it isn't really that troublesome. But if you call it simple, it's not that simple either. The problem isn't big, yet it isn't small. I'm only afraid you have no solution for it."
"Don't worry, a friend's business is our business."
Tu Sihai settled his mind, pledging with utmost sincerity, "Rest assured, we are professionals. We will never leave you with lingering hazards. Please give us a chance and tell me: where is the problem?"
"The problem is right here."
Ji Jue shrugged with a regretful smile, no longer concealing the mockery and disdain in his eyes.
"—I don't want to."
In an instant, the office plunged into dead silence.
Tu Sihai's face twitched. Behind him, Gold Tooth and Feng Ming jerked violently; had it not been for Tu Sihai's earlier orders, they would have erupted in furious curses on the spot.
Even so, they glared with unfiltered rage.
Only then did they feel the bone-piercing chill that came when those pitch-black eyes swept over them!
Their hearts spasmed in an instant, nearly seizing up.
"To be frank, Mr. Tu, I really admire you all, and I really admire that... heh, that 'General' of yours."
Ji Jue rested his chin in his hand, a half-smile playing on his lips. "You always indulge in such beautiful fantasies, like kindergarten toddlers clinging to baseless hopes and desires from others.
"So much so that the whole world looks like a lovely garden to you, ripe for the taking, free for you to pluck whatever you please.
"Others might tolerate it, but I can't."
He said coldly, "I can't stand the sight of it."
"I despise brats—especially giant adult babies who pretend to be sweet and well-behaved, yet point brazenly at other people's belongings and demand them, and when rejected, throw tantrums, roll on the floor, and make an ugly scene!"
"This world could have been a fine place. It's precisely because of people like you that it turns as repulsive as a quagmire. The mere thought of you crawling into Haizhou to breathe the same air as me sickens me with stench."
Ji Jue paused. Reaching out, he closed the lid of the case, shoved it back in front of Tu Sihai, and delivered his final message: "So, do me a favor and pass this on to him—if he wants to die, go die outside of Haizhou. Don't come prancing before my eyes to be an eyesore. Understood?"
In the dead silence, Tu Sihai's face froze, his pupils trembling uncontrollably.
Behind him, the two men had long lost the ability to make a sound.
Though he was merely arm's length away,
the instinctual chill and dread had seized control of their limbs, making it difficult even to part their lips.
Until Tu Sihai rallied every scrap of reason and restraint, slowly rising to his feet.
"Then, since our conversation has reached an impasse, I shall take my leave." He picked up the case and gave Ji Jue one last look. "As for the consequences that follow, I doubt I need to repeat them. I hope you will watch yourself, Mr. Ji."
"Hold on—"
At that moment, hearing Ji Jue's voice, Tu Sihai whipped his head around.
Yet there was no dagger revealed at the end of the scroll, nor any signal cup shattered upon the floor.
Only a radiant, smiling face.
"As the saying goes, a guest is a guest. Since you've come all this way, leaving without even a meal would make people think Xinquan is so destitute we can't keep the pot boiling."
He pondered for a second, then suddenly suggested, "How about taking some local specialties back with you?"
"..."
Tu Sihai shook his head without thinking, about to refuse. But the words he attempted to speak died in his throat, swallowed as if by something unseen.
"Allow me to do you a small favor!"
Ji Jue suddenly clapped his hands and pointed at Tu Sihai. "Let me guess: someone from your group went missing, didn't they?"
Tu Sihai's eyes widened slightly.
"Old Gou!"
At Ji Jue's call, the middle-aged man who had been waiting outside pushed the door open and stepped in. He carried a case in his hand as well, which he set on the table and opened right before their eyes.
Displaying the gifts within.
"Come, take a good look—" Ji Jue draped an arm over Tu Sihai's shoulder and asked, "Could you tell me: is the one you lost this person? This person? Or this person?"
Inside the case lay only three skulls.
One was covered in cracks, half an axe blade still wedged into its caved-in crown, bearing clear signs of excruciating torment.
The second was long since shattered into pieces, the cuts cleanly sliced, glued back together in a crude patchwork. And the last was mottled in streaks of crimson and pitch-black; just laying eyes on it conveyed a harrowing agony that chilled one to the bone.
Feeling the faint traces of residual spiritus clinging to them, Gold Tooth and Feng Ming gasped.
Only Tu Sihai remained expressionless, unmoving as a rock.
"You're mistaken," he squeezed out between clenched teeth. "These... are not our people."
"Bingo!"
Applause rang out without restraint.
"What an honest boy."
Ji Jue praised. "Therefore, I've decided to give you all three!"
With that, he lifted the case, shoved it into Tu Sihai's arms, and took his stiff fingers, pressing them down one by one as if terrified it might drop to the floor.
"Mind you keep a good grip on it."
He gave the bearded man's shoulder a final pat, smiling with profound implication.
It was the exact same smile as before.
Except that undisguised malice now surged forth like a raging tide!
Tu Sihai's hands trembled, tightening instinctively. Unable to utter another word, he cast one last look at Ji Jue, then turned and strode away in haste.
The way out was clear; not a single person barred their path.
Xinquan threw wide its gates, letting that beat-up vehicle speed away into the distance.
Yet even after traveling far away, looking back toward the town behind them, they could still see the brightly lit office in that building.
And that spectral silhouette before the window.
Quietly watching them.
Safe travels.
Chapter 406