Chapter 476: Took advantage of the Miao family

As he spoke, images of Wu Jinliang in various kneeling poses flashed through his mind – either dropping to his knees to call someone "Dad" or dropping to his knees to call someone "Mom."

For this one sentence, he had already considered all the potential consequences during the brief silence.

When he uttered these words, he quickly weighed the pros and cons: was his "arm" more important, or was it more important to appease the other party? After considering their value, he clearly chose the former.

In fact, Wu Jinliang's resolute stance had forced him into a choice; he could only pick one of the two options.

The moment these words left his mouth, the scene became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Feng Chi was astonished. Was he really going to stand up to Gong Shaoci? Could he afford to provoke him? Could he afford to offend him?

However, she quickly regained her composure and had no intention of mediating. She believed Shi Chun was not easily impulsive, but rather a pragmatic person who could discern advantages and disadvantages. Since Shi Chun had decided to act this way, she trusted he had his own reasons and confidence.

The one truly anxious was Xiang Lan'er, who was watching from the periphery. She wondered if Shi Chun had lost his mind today; not only had he just desecrated her, but now he was being tough with Gong Shaoci. Had he taken the wrong medicine?

The matter of the 'Wilderness Breaking Blade' was on the verge of being resolved. What if such a conflict at this critical juncture ruined everything?

She considered whether to intervene, but it went against her usual public persona. Hesitating and pondering, she wondered what to do.

The Ming Mountain Sect group was also momentarily stunned, then collectively responded. Chu Jing-tang was the first to draw his weapon, and the others immediately followed suit, gathering around again.

In this situation, Duan Xiangmei looked around. Half her face was so swollen that one eye was almost shut. As if too ashamed to be seen, she instinctively shrank behind Wu Jinliang, fearing being noticed. She clutched the corner of Wu Jinliang's clothes behind him, her fingers tightly intertwined, and large tears rolled down her face like beads.

She was crying, but dared not make a sound.

Before meeting Wu Jinliang, she was merely a hired errand-girl, constantly ordered around and frequently subjected to humiliation and abuse, with no one to stand up for her.

Today, the person she loved was standing in front of her.

And a group of people were standing up for her—a scene she had never dreamed of before. It turned out she was important in some people's eyes.

She was on the verge of sobbing uncontrollably. Afraid of being seen, she bowed her head as low as it would go, but the falling tears could not be hidden.

She also felt deeply remorseful, knowing she might have caused everyone a great deal of trouble this time.

Wu Jinliang's breathing became unsteady. He clenched his jaw, feeling ashamed that Shi Chun had stood up for him so forcefully. He knew he had caused his leader significant trouble this time.

Yet, he was also touched that, at the true critical moment, his leader was still on his side. His lips were tightly pressed together.

Gong Shaoci's group, now in a standoff, was also stunned, especially Lei Ying. He never expected Shi Chun to be so audacious, daring to publicly disrespect Young Master Gong. Didn't he know Young Master Gong's family background? Impossible.

Shi Chun personally stepping forward was different from others doing so; the impact was incomparable.

Without permission, Lei Ying dared not act rashly against Shi Chun. After all, he knew of Shi Chun's good relationship with the Miao family, and the Miao family knew that he knew. If he were to recklessly harm Shi Chun with this knowledge, it would be seen as a blatant disrespect to the Miao family. He feared it might jeopardize his master's good relations with them, especially since Miao Dingyi had not yet agreed to the marriage proposal. Even a minor misstep could be disastrous.

Furthermore, Young Master Gong still referred to Shi Chun as a brother. To move against Shi Chun, Lei Ying had to act on Young Master Gong's instructions.

So he turned to look at Gong Shaoci.

At this moment, Gong Shaoci's face darkened again. He also hadn't expected Shi Chun to repeatedly disrespect him. Refusing to disclose the buyer was one thing, but now daring to directly challenge him? What insolence! Did he really think Gong Shaoci wouldn't act?

He remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, "I didn't quite catch that. What did you say?"

Shi Chun flipped his hand and a crimson blade appeared. Its surface shimmered with azure clouds. The moment the blade was drawn and he cast a spell while gripping it, many present felt their vital energy stirring and their spirits wavering.

This drew numerous gazes, and everyone realized the blade was extraordinary.

Simultaneously, the 'Immortal Strangling Silk' scarf was clutched in his other hand, ready to unfurl and ensnare the group opposite him at any moment.

He adopted a fighting stance and explained to Gong Shaoci, "Brother Gong, this fellow came here and assaulted someone, injuring my man. I need an explanation. Out of respect for you, Brother Gong, if he offers a sincere apology, this matter can be dropped. Otherwise, we'll have to fight until one of us is utterly destroyed."

Seeing this, Wu Jinliang flipped his hand again, producing a large gourd, which he held defensively, ready to assist Shi Chun at any moment.

Gong Shaoci's gaze turned cold, his lips pressed into a thin line as he stared intently at Shi Chun.

He truly hadn't expected that this lowlife, whom he had previously disdained, would actually dare to challenge him.

Lei Ying, observing the situation, smirked and taunted, "Utter destruction? Aren't you overestimating yourself?"

Shi Chun said indifferently, "You've never been to the land of exile. I'm not afraid of death; I've lost count of how many times I've crawled out of piles of corpses. I'm best at fighting with my life on the line. I'm laying it out plainly today: either offer a proper apology, or you kill me. If you don't kill me today, I won't hesitate to use the secret method for finding divine fire as a bounty on your entire family's lives. I won't stop until every last one of them is dead!"

At these words, Feng Chi's eyes sparkled. This was the demonic path she envisioned: not weakening in the face of strength.

Upon hearing this, the Ming Mountain Sect group's slight trepidation vanished instantly. Their morale soared, becoming incredibly unified and fearless at that very moment.

Lei Ying's face, however, changed color three times in quick succession.

The secret method for finding divine fire? He certainly understood how valuable that was to certain people. Some individuals dared to slap the face of someone like Qian She; killing his entire family wouldn't be a big deal for them.

A murderous intent flickered in his eyes as he looked at Shi Chun, because he genuinely felt threatened.

He had not anticipated that such a minor figure could threaten him, or even his entire family's lives.

If he had, even with the slightest reservation, he wouldn't have acted so decisively before.

The reason for his recklessness was simply the belief that the other party posed no threat to him.

But he still didn't dare to make any rash moves; he had to wait for Gong Shaoci's decision.

Standoff, silence.

One of Young Master Nan's men quietly retreated to the side, took out a parent-child talisman, and urgently contacted Young Master Nan.

After staring intensely at Shi Chun for a moment, Gong Shaoci suddenly spoke, "Apologize!"

Lei Ying turned to look at him, suspicious, unsure who he was addressing.

Gong Shaoci's gaze fixed on him as he said coldly, "I told you to apologize. Didn't you hear?"

Lei Ying was startled. Though his mind was still in a whirl, he dared not hesitate, for he knew his master well. Publicly shaming him or disrupting his decorum was the biggest offense.

He immediately turned to Shi Chun and said, "I'm sorry, I was wrong!"

Shi Chun immediately turned sideways, reached behind Wu Jinliang, pulled Duan Xiangmei by the arm, and brought her forward. Pointing to her tear-streaked, swollen face, he declared, "Not to me, apologize to her!"

Lei Ying didn't hesitate, immediately changing his address: "Miss Duan Xiangmei, I'm sorry, I was wrong!"

To name Duan Xiangmei directly, despite never having met her, was undeniably a subtle threat.

Was the apology sincere? Shi Chun didn't press the point. The other party had already lowered their stance, and he knew this was the best possible outcome for now. Pushing further would be beyond their capacity to handle. He immediately chided his own people, "Why are you still blocking? Make way!"

The Ming Mountain Sect group quickly cleared the path.

Gong Shaoci's group had no intention of lingering and simply left. However, as he passed Shi Chun, Gong Shaoci paused briefly, casting a sidelong glance. "You benefited from the Miao family's influence today," he said.

Shi Chun nodded slightly, admitting readily, "I know."

He knew, of course, that his minor threat was useless against Gong Shaoci. It might intimidate Lei Ying, but not Gong Shaoci.

He also knew that Gong Shaoci's entourage consisted of masters whose cultivation levels were far beyond those of the various sect disciples in the Divine Fire Domain. Any one of them could easily overwhelm him and his group.

His confidence in standing firm stemmed from the other party's consideration for the Miao family's prestige and their interest in the 'Wilderness Breaking Blade'.

If all else failed, his only option would be to unleash all his magical artifacts and fight with everything he had.

He also believed that the Demonic Path would not stand idly by before acquiring the 'Wilderness Breaking Blade'.

Gong Shaoci said nothing more, his face grim, and led his people directly away.

Many present breathed a sigh of relief.

Confirming they had left, Shi Chun glanced at Wu Jinliang, said nothing, put away his weapon, and returned to his room.

As a result, a crowd followed him in. Even Xiang Lan'er, who had been furious after having her trousers pulled down earlier, put aside her previous grievances and voluntarily entered Shi Chun's room.

With so many people entering at once, the room became quite crowded.

Shi Chun slowly sat down, remaining silent.

The crowd parted, and Wu Jinliang and Duan Xiangmei entered last.

Duan Xiangmei, her face swollen, walked directly to Shi Chun, wiping away tears and apologizing tearfully, "Leader, I'm sorry, I caused trouble."

Shi Chun, however, offered her a smile and a faint, comforting grin. "It's alright, you didn't do anything wrong, it has nothing to do with you. You should go back and rest. Jinliang, take her back to rest and tell her not to overthink things." He then waved his hand at the others. "Why are you all crowding in here? Disperse."

So the group gradually dispersed, with only Xiang Lan'er and Feng Chi remaining.

Not only did they stay, but after the others had left, Feng Chi quickly closed the door.

Shi Chun's gaze, however, lingered on Xiang Lan'er, scrutinizing her as if his eyes held poison. It made Xiang Lan'er feel utterly uncomfortable, as if she had swallowed a fly.

After listening at the door for sounds from outside, Feng Chi quickly approached Shi Chun and asked in a low voice, "He was smiling when he arrived, then suddenly got so angry. What happened?"

Shi Chun replied, "He came to buy the 'Wilderness Breaking Blade' from me, but I didn't sell it."

"Huh?" the two women exclaimed in unison.

Xiang Lan'er, forgetting their previous conflict, urgently asked, "Why would he buy that?"

"How should I know?" Shi Chun said, standing up. He peered out the window, then pulled back and returned, saying softly, "He offered two billion, but I wouldn't sell. I told him I'd already sold it for five billion. Then he asked me to reveal the buyer's identity, which I also refused. He felt I had disrespected him, and that's how it escalated."

The two women exchanged thoughtful glances; so that was what had happened.

Shi Chun continued, "He's very likely going to investigate who the buyer is. You two should contact your superiors immediately and tell them to quickly prepare the people and money for the transaction with me. The amount and origin of the money must be verifiable and match. Later, I can simply admit I can't afford to offend the Gong family, proactively go to them to apologize, and conveniently expose the buyer. That way, you won't have to expose them yourselves. Your superiors just need to eliminate the buyer before he finds them. You should be quite adept at this sort of thing, right?"

Feng Chi nodded, then added, "Tell Young Master Nan to withdraw his people. His good intentions are understandable, but his men openly following you makes it difficult for me to contact our superiors."

Shi Chun said, "I'll tell him. By the way, I suspect the Gong family is connected to the Demonic Path. Why else would they suddenly show interest in the 'Wilderness Breaking Blade'? See if you can get our superiors to deal with the Gong family."

"Right Aide Marquis, the third most powerful figure on the Jambudvipa continent. If his family could be easily dealt with, what would become of anything? I'll report the situation to our superiors..." Before Feng Chi could finish, rapid footsteps were heard outside.

Soon, a knock came at the door, followed by Young Master Nan's voice, "Brother Chun, are you there?"

Shi Chun gave the two women a look, and they immediately left, opening the door to welcome the visitor as they exited.

Young Master Nan nodded slightly to the departing women, closed the door behind him, then quickly approached Shi Chun and asked in a low, serious voice, "What happened? How did you suddenly get into a conflict with Gong Shaoci?"

He had already heard the situation from his subordinates, but didn't know the cause of the incident.

Shi Chun didn't hide the reason from him and recounted Gong Shaoci's arrival for the transaction.

Young Master Nan found it odd. "Isn't the item with me? Why did you say it was sold?"

Shi Chun replied, "Someone offered five billion. I couldn't sell it for two billion."

"How much? Five billion? For a piece of scrap metal, two billion was already ridiculous. Who's so generous?" Young Master Nan exclaimed in shock. Seeing that Shi Chun didn't want to elaborate for now, he sighed, "If you thought it was too little, we could have negotiated further. Why escalate things to a standoff? Offending him will cause a lot of trouble. Asking for his help might not be easy, but if he wants to harm you, it's impossible to guard against. There are plenty of reckless people who want to curry favor with him. Let me tell you, the more peripheral figures from influential families are, the more they care about 'face.' No respectable figures from the top echelons would associate with us. Losing face is a big deal for them..."

Since the incident had already occurred, saying more was useless. After the two communicated and clarified, Young Master Nan got up again to find Gong Shaoci, intending to discreetly gauge his mood.

The room remained quiet for a short while before Wu Jinliang knocked and re-entered.

He quietly sat down in the spot where Young Master Nan had just been, remaining silent. He genuinely knew he was wrong.

He truly wanted to admit his mistake but couldn't bring himself to say it. If he weren't genuinely remorseful, he would have spoken up without a second thought.

Shi Chun suddenly broke the silence, "The cost could be significant."

Wu Jinliang grunted, "I was impulsive."

Shi Chun didn't pursue the topic. Leaning back on the chair's armrest, he rubbed his forehead, reflecting on what had truly happened.

Because it wasn't just Wu Jinliang who was acting unusually today; he himself was. In the past, he would never have forced Xiang Lan'er by pulling down her trousers.

After much thought, he found the crux of the problem: ultimately, he felt he had gained confidence and strength. In the past, if Duan Xiangmei had received that slap, Wu Jinliang wouldn't have been able to stand up for her, lacking any ability to resist. He wouldn't even have dared to think about it, let alone have the courage.

On the sea, a boat awaited. Two figures emerged from the waves and boarded the vessel: Xiang Lan'er and Feng Chi.

The person on the lone boat was the man in green.

The three met. The man in green first conveyed their superiors' attitude, expressing delight at the acquisition of the 'Wilderness Breaking Blade' and great admiration for Shi Chun. He then instructed them to arrange the handover of the 'Wilderness Breaking Blade' and to guard against the Stargazing Pavilion potentially playing a long game or fishing for bigger prey.

In short, the implication was that this handover might entail significant risks, but these risks absolutely had to be taken.

Feng Chi then recounted the conflict between Shi Chun and Gong Shaoci, praising Shi Chun's quick and clever handling of the situation. He had not only dealt with Gong Shaoci but also paved the way for their superiors to acquire the treasure.

The man in green frowned upon hearing this. "How did he know that the 'Wilderness Breaking Blade' among the three treasures was what we wanted? Did you tell him?"

The two women exchanged glances. Xiang Lan'er said, "It certainly wasn't us. Wasn't it the people sent by our superiors to assist him in the Divine Fire Domain who told him?"

The man in green thought for a moment, then nodded. "It must have been them. The specifics are unclear. Everyone sent to assist him has perished, with no survivors. Our superiors have limited information, only knowing that they indeed cooperated with the dispatched personnel after entering and experienced many challenges together, but the details are unknown. This is also one of the tasks for you this time: you must have him write a detailed account of his experiences within the Divine Fire Domain. Our superiors want to review it."

Feng Chi's eyes flickered. She glanced at Xiang Lan'er, then suddenly said with difficulty, "I'm just afraid he might not be willing to cooperate with us anymore."

The man in green said gravely, "What's wrong?"

"What else could be wrong?" Feng Chi said, after recounting Shi Chun's indecent behavior towards Xiang Lan'er, sighing, "Shi Chun believes that Miss doesn't keep her word. He seems to think we're just using him. He's clearly become alienated, and things might be difficult to manage from now on."

Xiang Lan'er gave her a sidelong glance, secretly gritting her teeth. She hadn't wanted to report this to their superiors, fearing they might order her to comply with Shi Chun. After all, to their superiors, this was hardly an issue; otherwise, they wouldn't have placed her in a brothel, effectively preparing her to offer herself at any time, regardless of the man.

She hadn't wanted to say anything, but Feng Chi had revealed it. If their superiors later ordered her to act, would she have to apologize to Shi Chun and then offer herself to him?

Of course, it was normal for the other person to report truthfully at this time, and she couldn't say anything against it.

"I see..." the man in green muttered, giving Xiang Lan'er a few more glances before finally grunting, "Let our superiors decide."

Feng Chi continued, "The five billion and the personnel for the transaction will definitely be investigated by the Gong family. Shi Chun is right; we need to request our superiors to arrange the necessary support as quickly as possible. Also, the Gong family's immediate interest in that treasure is indeed unusual, and Shi Chun's judgment has always been very accurate. Could the Gong family be connected to the other two factions? The item being in Shi Chun's hands is now public knowledge, and the other two factions might not be able to resist making a move. There's no time to lose; delays can lead to complications. The handover must be done swiftly, without delay. Master Qing, you must urge our superiors to act quickly."