Things Have Come to This, Let's Have a Meeting First

The mangled Mount Iron Enclosure collided once more with Lieque, sending rolling shockwaves billowing outward. Above the Endless Sea, the Celestial-Humans went at each other with everything they had. In an instant, they traveled thousands of miles and vanished from sight... Yes, Xu Youquan had fled. He turned tail and bolted, as if he had made up his mind. He had no choice but to run. He had lost the initiative again and again, his defenses had shattered repeatedly, and his wounds had compounded one after another... Before the real fight even started, half his health bar was gone. Facing an old bastard who had clearly come just to shake him down and extort him, if he didn't run now, was he supposed to stay and throw his life away? God only knew what other traps were waiting. With such a vast clan and massive enterprise behind him, why throw his life away for nothing when he had nothing better to do?! Better to pull out first. Thus, the situation turned bizarre—a textbook case of one running, the other chasing, and the runner having no hope of shaking him off. There was no helping it; Lou Suwen was acting completely insane, looking as if one of them had to die today. Anyone caught in that would have felt dread. If not for the cursed effigy earlier, the old geezer might have dragged things out with Xu Youquan to see if another opportunity arose. But now that he had saved half a day's effort, why wouldn't he beat a dog while it was down? What else was he supposed to do? Wait until he died so this prick Xu Youquan could strut around and stomp on his grave? Both were in Ascension, both transformed into spiritual bodies, capable of roaming to the Northern Sea in the morning and lodging at Cangwu by dusk. If one was fast, so was the other. Xu Youquan fought as he retreated, and Lou Suwen fought as he gave chase. In the span of a few finger-snaps, they covered several thousand miles. They traded over a dozen dazzling exchanges, surrounded by so many sound, light, and lightning effects that Ji Jue couldn't see a single thing clearly through the satellite feed. Meanwhile, violent shockwaves rippled across the Endless Sea, drawing countless eyes... and no shortage of bloodthirsty spectators! Ether probes from the Federation, the Thousand Islands, the Mid-Continent, and even the Empire stretched over to watch the fun. "Huh?!" "Isn't that Old Lou and Little Xu?" "They're fighting?!" "Holy crap, that's awesome! What are you standing around for? Go for the crotch, smash his skull! Yes, yes, just like that—pull his hair, kick him in the balls!" "What the hell are they mumbling about? Hurry up and let me see a river of blood!" "Whoa! That move with Lieque—the old blade's still got it!" "Xu Youquan, you coward, can you do it or not? Fight him head-on!" "Well, well, if it isn't Little Xu. Haven't seen you in days, how'd you get so pathetic?" "Old dog fighting a young dog, dog eat dog! What a show, haha!" "Old Lou, I'm not one to stir up trouble, but the Xu family has been pulling shady crap for years. If I were you, I wouldn't stand for it..." "Stop fighting, stop fighting! You can't kill anyone fighting like that!" "Hey! I've got an idea. Little Xu, go kowtow at Wulou Temple. Maybe after welcoming a Great Sin, you'll go super-saiyan!" "Hold on a sec, our Church of Chongguang will definitely come help back you up~" "The Church did NOT say that last line!" "Look, here's an honest fellow..." It proved once again that onlookers never thought the drama was big enough, and nobody felt bad when it was someone else's kid getting hurt. Across the void, senses crisscrossed, filled with an endless stream of jeering, mocking, shit-stirring, and cheering. There were even damn trolls! One could only say that high cultivation and exalted rank had absolutely nothing to do with moral character... but people without morals or manners were certainly having a lot more fun! Amid the irrelevant ruckus, the two combatants escalated toward a true fight to the death. Murky torrents surged between sea and sky, light and darkness flashing in continuous turmoil. As the clamor gradually receded, some of the watchers broke into cold sweats in the ensuing silence. The Lou family's old dog was truly vicious! Did that look like someone on the brink of death? The way he leaped and bounded, he looked likely to outlive all of them! The thunderbolts of Lieque came and went at his beck and call. With one hand, he met the Wheel of Iron Enclosure and the Great Darkness head-on. In the other hand rested the Five Towers and Twelve Cities, lightning tribulations bursting incessantly, beating the Xu family's Great Demon Lords of the Five Thearchs like a stray dog! An old hound was an old hound after all. The older he grew, the more vicious he became; the more vicious he became, the more stubborn his years. Without a single word, he gnawed his foe toward the grave, seizing any chance to beat an enemy who fell into a pit half to death. The strike parted the billows of the ocean and rattled the firmament, sending shivers through the watchers' spines. They fought until Xu Youquan's brains were nearly splattered out. Unfortunately, he couldn't be killed. No matter what, the Federation wasn't foolish enough to let its own Celestial-Humans slaughter each other to the bitter end... Just as life was about saving one coin to earn two, losing one Celestial-Human meant a loss of two. Under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Overseer, even blood feuds had to follow rules. Once victory and defeat were settled, that was enough. Just as Lieque slashed down to sever Xu Youquan's neck, a glint of metallic light streaked across, annihilating Lieque alongside itself. The lightning cascading from the Five Towers and Twelve Cities was caught neatly in a white vase. The distance between the two seemed stretched to its absolute limit in an instant—close enough to touch, yet as distant as the ends of the earth. "Stop fighting, stop fighting! Any more and someone's going to die!" "Come on, it's not easy for either of you. Forget it, forget it!" "Sigh, Little Xu, listen to me. Let me give you a talking-to today..." "How about this—everyone give me some face." Having seen their fill of Lou Suwen thrashing Xu Youquan, several Huangzhou Celestial-Humans who arrived first began pulling them apart. Without anyone noticing when, an aged figure appeared between the two combatants. Caught off guard by the sudden incident, he had rushed over in a hurry with only half his beard shaved. Pang Pei! Saying nothing, he glanced at the two and couldn't help sighing. *Your two families are at it again? No, you two sides...* After looking through the ether record ledger handed over by the others and grasping the whole cause and effect, a headache began to throb in his temples. Haizhou again? Dongcheng again? Again? And how the hell was that kid Ji Jue involved yet again?! *Are you people just using him to initiate team fights?* *Can't you pick someone else for once?!* "Alright, tidy yourselves up. You're Celestial-Humans, what does this look like?" The old man waved his hand, telling the two to fix their appearance and stop acting. Then he turned his hand and pulled open a door from the void. Resorting to the standard Tianyuan custom... "Things have come to this. Let's have a meeting first." In the conference room behind the door, Lyu Yingyue, who had arrived a step earlier, was smiling as she organized the documents and records on the table. She looked at the row of utterly soul-drained faces across the long table. Time to convene! Now that the life-and-death struggle outside had ended, the clash of blades would continue inside the conference room. *** After the thunderous roars between sea and sky faded away, the devastated arena was left in dead silence. In the prolonged quiet, nobody spoke. Only Saino lay on the ground, foaming at the mouth, his eyes rolled back, clinging to his last breath. After a long while, urged by everyone's expectant gazes, Minkler finally broke the silence. He coughed twice and asked solemnly, "Is it over?" "It's over." Ji Jue sat on the steps and flicked away a slowly drifting cinder with his finger. "Hasn't it been over for a while? Gentlemen, the Blood Feud Trial is decided." With that, he pointed into the arena at the lifeless two-headed corpse. "I assume it won't be an issue for the family to collect the body?" "O-Of course," the others nodded repeatedly. Ji Jue smiled and turned toward the few half-dead figures beside Saino. "What are you standing there for? Didn't you hear?" He said, "Collect the body!" After a flurry of panicked scrambling, the corpse was meticulously wrapped up and delivered to Ji Jue to serve as a footrest. Now Ji Jue looked at the expressionless Fernand, his smile unchanging. "You may deliver the verdict." "..." Fernand stared at Ji Jue, suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to curse. *What the hell am I supposed to deliver?!* Yet things had come to this—what else could he do? For the dignity and rules of the Seven Cities, and to bring an end to this farce, he had to step forward and wrap things up. The old man sighed and stated bluntly, "Victory and defeat are decided. The Sukarno family violated the iron laws of the Seven Cities by cheating and deploying underhanded means during the Blood Feud Trial. Therefore, they are judged the losers, and the victor is the Chopra family. "The transfer of wagers between both parties must be completed within seven days. In addition..." He paused and looked at Ji Jue. Ji Jue was looking back at him. "The rules of the Seven Cities cannot be discarded," he said resolutely. Ji Jue nodded. "The Sukarno family brought about their own destruction. It is only right that they be expelled from the Seven Cities. Naturally, I will abide by the rules of the Seven Cities. However, whether the Chopra family seeks further retribution afterward falls outside the jurisdiction of the Seven Cities Council, does it not?" "And besides that?" Fernand's expression darkened as he pressed on. "Besides that, I'll have to trouble everyone present to serve as witnesses." Ji Jue smiled and raised his hand, displaying the contract. "The contract states it clearly. The Sukarno family transfers all rights and interests on Luo Island to me from now on. Moving forward, everything on Luo Island will be under my, Ji Jue's, authority... Seeing as this was done before the Seven Cities issued its sentence, it shouldn't count as violating the rules, right?" Silence fell over the room once more. Nobody spoke. What could they say? Demand that Luo Island be reclaimed by the Seven Cities? Why don't you look at Lou Yanyue, Lou Zhaoye, and Lou Yuling standing behind Ji Jue before opening your mouth! The blood on those three's faces hadn't even dried while they bared their teeth at you! Yet what did he expect everyone to say? "Welcome aboard"? Where on earth was there such logic? Barging onto someone else's table to steal their seat, and then expecting them to say thank you! Of course, the Seven Cities could follow procedure, deny the validity of the contract, forcibly reclaim Luo Island, and refuse to recognize Ji Jue's sovereignty. In that case, Ji Jue would simply dust off his pants and walk away. And next, the Lou family would pat the heads of the Seven Cities' leaders and ask: *What exactly did you mean by teaming up to set a trap to hurt our family?* Fernand's face twitched violently, veins bulging on his forehead. It felt as if a shit-stirring stick were prodding him in the forehead over and over again... *You bastard, what the hell are you stirring up?!* At its core, this was still a multiple-choice question. In fact, it was the bonus question that came attached to the one Saino had just answered. Only now, it was left for Fernand to solve. Choose, Fernand! Choose Ji Jue, or choose the Lou family? Between two evils, you have to pick the one you prefer, right? As Fernand stayed silent, the others grew frantic. *Old bastard, don't you dare do something stupid! You need to clearly distinguish whether the Lou family is harder to deal with or Ji Jue is!* *Ji Jue might stir up a ton of shit, but at least he can be reasoned with. If the Lou family actually muscles in, it'll be too late for everyone to cry!* Fernand knew it, even more clearly than they did. It looked like a choice, but in reality, there was no choice at all. Between these two options, there had only ever been one available to them. "...Although there is no precedent, the transfer was completed before the verdict was delivered. Therefore, under the laws of the Seven Cities, it is undeniably valid." Fernand let out a soul-weary sigh, taking the blame upon himself. "However, Mr. Ji, since you are taking over the Sukarno family's seat and assuming this position, then the actions of the Sukarno family... must be accounted for, correct?" In the end, he still chose Ji Jue. Yet even after being forced into this sole option and taking an active step back, it didn't mean Ji Jue could take everything for granted. Just like inheriting an estate, you either took nothing, or you accepted it all. Where was the sense in taking the assets while refusing the debts? There had to be an explanation! "Naturally, I will abide by the rules of the Seven Cities." Ji Jue smiled, then turned to glare at the terrified Saino, his expression suddenly darkening into wrath. "Breaking the rules, betraying your own, an offense against heaven and earth—kill them all!" *Thud.* Saino, who had just scrambled up, collapsed limp to the floor, nearly letting out a shriek of terror. Right after, Ji Jue's laughter rang out. "Just kidding." Ji Jue smiled and patted Saino's head. "Sacrificing kinship for righteousness is never easy. To forsake darkness for light and turn back from the brink—the Sukarno family can be considered to have mended the pen after losing the sheep, avoiding a catastrophic error. "I am sure Clan Head Saino never wanted things to turn out this way either." "Yes, yes, exactly, exactly!" Saino nodded frantically, tears and snot streaming down his face. "It was all the subordinates acting on their own! How could we ever dare commit such an outrageous act and sever ourselves from the Seven Cities?" As he spoke, he casually pointed to one of the corpses Ji Jue had slain. *He did it all!* Fernand's fists clenched tight. *You motherfucker...* *Who was the one stubbornly insisting earlier that they wouldn't necessarily be the ones to lose?!* "Please rest assured, regarding this matter, our Luo Island will definitely give the Seven Cities a proper explanation!" Ji Jue guaranteed decisively, "Given that the chief culprit has been executed and no excessive damage was caused, I believe there's no need for ruthless extermination, right? "Of course, an affair of this scale cannot simply be swept under the rug. Luo Island will conduct dedicated negotiations and provide compensation for each family's losses... Please rest assured, everyone. I, Ji Jue, have always prided myself on integrity and honesty. My word is as good as iron; what I promise, I deliver. "However, when it comes to negotiations and conferences, I'm afraid Council Speaker Fernand will need to take the lead." He paused, then asked abruptly: "It shouldn't be too much trouble, should it?" Fernand had no desire to speak, but the others began nodding their heads frantically. *No trouble, no trouble, no trouble at all!* *With benefits being handed to our doorstep, what trouble could there be?* Yet Ji Jue merely kept smiling, saying nothing and offering no reply. He only looked at Fernand. And so, the pressure shifted entirely onto Fernand. Everyone turned to stare at him, silently urging him on. *Fernand!* *Fernand, say something!* *If you don't speak, he won't budge...* Fernand didn't want to speak. In fact, he felt like dying. One moment ago, he had tried to use the rules of the Seven Cities and the will of the other families to force Ji Jue to yield a share of the spoils. The next moment, Ji Jue casually turned those very spoils around, taking the other families and the Seven Cities' rules hostage to force Fernand into nodding along. How could he not know what kind of vermin these people were?! As long as Ji Jue produced enough to stuff their mouths, they would happily sell out the ownership of Luo Island and the collective interests of the Seven Cities without a second thought. What Ji Jue wanted was the endorsement of the Seven Cities Council and the rules of the Seven Cities! What he wanted was for Fernand, as the Council Speaker representing the core entity of the Seven Cities, to negotiate with him! Once negotiations began, who knew how long they would drag on? But no matter the outcome, Luo Island would genuinely belong to Ji. At this rate, there might not even be a Luo Island left—only Ji Island! Yet what could he say? *Just look at the Lou family behind Ji Jue, people!* Fernand could only let out an exhausted sigh and close his eyes. He nodded helplessly. "Fine." With that, the dust over the Seven Cities finally settled. Ji Jue taking control of Luo Island and entering the Seven Cities Council was now a foregone conclusion! *** Ji Jue arrived on Luo Island that evening. The purges had started in the afternoon, while the Seven Cities Joint Defense Fleet had already encircled the entire island by noon. The moment Ji Jue departed the arena, the security force marched onto Luo Island in broad daylight with Riot Cats, taking over law enforcement. From the very beginning, Ji Jue had never planned on settling this amicably, nor did he expect the Sukarno family to accept defeat gracefully. What a joke—once the lights went out and masks went on, everyone threw shame to the wind. Who was going to observe chivalric codes? If Saino cooperated, great; if he didn't, Ji Jue had plenty of ways to deal with him! Where he had been discreet before, now Deus Ex Machina took over Luo Island completely. From communications to transportation, from finances to logistics, everything had fallen into Ji Jue's hands the moment Saino signed the contract. Under these circumstances, coupled with Saino's orders and cooperation, the transition proceeded smoothly. The occasional diehard resisters were promptly strung up and pummeled to death by Liang Mo and the others, who were on an absolute roll. Calm and undisturbed. To most people, nothing seemed out of the ordinary; silently and without fanfare, Luo Island had already changed masters. Next came Ji Jue's DIY time. Those who needed arresting were arrested, those who needed killing were killed, those who needed locking up were locked up, and those who needed smashing were smashed! Despite the prior agreement, the entire human trafficking pipeline was purged from top to bottom by Ji Jue. Those who would be a waste to kill were reassigned and retrained, ensuring they could start fresh and squeeze out their final bits of value for the world. Saino's greatest contribution was guaranteeing a smooth handover of power, up to and including the complete transfer of the Sukarno family's assets. It had to be said: no man grew rich without windfall gains. Just the clean, laundered money that could see the light of day was enough for Ji Jue to fund massive construction projects and lavish upgrades for a long time. As for the illicit assets that couldn't be exposed, Ji Jue directed them all into expanding his material vault. His heart felt warm, his body felt warm, and his hands felt warm too. Yes—smilingly patting the dog's head. In the family patriarch's office, Ji Jue sat in Saino's chair, stroking Saino's head while listening to his report: liquid funds, real estate, investments and enterprises across the Federation and the Empire, along with shares, antiques, and precious metals... Ji Jue cross-referenced the server's aggregated data and estimates, nodding slowly as he listened item by item. Yet even after Saino finished speaking, his hand never stopped stroking the man's head. He merely smiled and asked slowly: "And besides that?" "..." Saino's body froze. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he stammered, "B-Besides that, there are some... from before... but they're just minor things, private property belonging to individual clansmen. It wasn't possible to forcibly..." His words cut off abruptly. All because of a soft sigh from Ji Jue. Silence fell like death. Saino knelt on the ground, not daring to utter a sound. He felt that cold palm resting intermittently against his skull, as though gripping his very soul. "Clan Head Saino, you need to understand one thing—" Ji Jue said slowly, "There has only ever been dying on your feet or living on your knees. If you stand, stand straight; if you kneel, kneel completely. Otherwise, you're just kneeling to wait for death. Do you understand?" "If you're going to be a dog, be a thorough one." Ji Jue looked down, warning him for the first and last time: "—Only what I give you is truly yours!" "Yes!" Saino slammed his forehead against the floor without a second thought. Cold sweat poured down his forehead and back as he gasped in terror. "Good that you understand." Ji Jue wiped his hands clean, then picked up his teacup. "Go ask around again to see if anything was missed. Then organize your words and report back. "My time is limited, so don't waste too much of it." "Yes, yes." Saino stumbled to his feet, downed two pills to force himself awake, and scurried off in a panic. Behind the open door, Lou Yanyue sauntered in. "Hey, you're really enjoying yourself." Lou Yanyue sat opposite him, propping his feet up onto the desk and swinging them back and forth in a carefree slouch. "This estate is pretty sweet." "Want it? It's yours," Ji Jue replied nonchalantly. "Forget it." Lou Yanyue waved his hand. "You took it by your own ability. What would I take it for? I'm not that shameless." "Have some tea. At least the tea leaves are good." Ji Jue slid a teacup over, asking with a smile, "Rushing over in such a hurry... does the Federation side have a result?" The meeting on this end had just concluded. And the meeting on the other end was finished as well.