The one who should have complaints is probably your son, right? And you've already declared his death sentence on his behalf, aren't you being a bit too "fatherly like a mountain"?
Chen Kuang couldn't help but inwardly comment on Chang Zhen's decisiveness and clean execution.
It was so fast and resolute, it was as if Chang Yao wasn't his own son but merely an old coat he disliked and discarded without hesitation.
This Chang Zhen really did live up to his position as the branch manager of one of the largest cultivator merchant guilds. He embodied the essence of a true merchant to the fullest.
Even if it was his biological son, as long as that son stood in the way of his interests, then no matter how close they once were, he could cut him off cleanly at a moment's notice.
Chang Yao's arrogance couldn't have come from nowhere. Clearly, his father must have indulged him a lot, which is why he grew up with such a reckless and unrestrained character.
Yet now, Chang Zhen could still so easily offer up his son's life.
Of course... it was also possible this was a tactic: retreat in order to advance.
Such an understanding and self-abasing attitude, paired with his status as a branch master, would usually make any aggressor hesitate. They'd start thinking about whether they could milk some benefit from the situation rather than escalate things.
Unless someone was truly determined to offend the entire Wanlin Merchant Guild, killing both father and son outright wouldn't be a wise move.
Or perhaps Chang Zhen had guessed: if the person truly bore a life-or-death grudge, he would've already received news of Chang Yao's death by now.
Since that hadn't happened, it meant there was still room for negotiation. Why not preemptively grovel and gain some favor?
Either way, one had to admit: this maneuver of Chang Zhen's was both decisive and effective.
Chen Kuang had never intended to kill anyone in the first place.
Chang Yao had been lust-driven, trying to pressure Xuni Pavillion into handing over Lian Mi's contract under the excuse of "investigating a theft." While disgraceful, it hadn't yet reached the level of "deserving death."
As long as... he could be as tactful as his father.
Chen Kuang stepped in front of Chang Zhen, looked him in the eyes, and smiled:
"Branch Master Chang, you exaggerate. You're a businessman, you ought to understand, this world isn't just about killing and fighting. The most important thing is knowing how to manage human relationships.
As long as things are resolved properly, everything can be discussed. Why resort to violence so easily?"
Chang Zhen secretly let out a breath of relief, but dared not slack off in the slightest as he quickly said:
"True Lord, if you have any requests, I shall spare no effort to fulfill them! I've been too busy with guild matters lately and have neglected my son's discipline. I truly don't know what foolish thing he has done this time..."
Chen Kuang said flatly:
"Do you really not know what he did?"
Chang Zhen's thoughts moved quickly. He ran through Chang Yao's recent activities.
To be honest, Chang Yao had seemed fairly well-behaved lately, mostly focused on his duties aiding the prefectural office in hunting demons. Almost abnormally obedient.
Even so, there was one matter that stood out in Chang Zhen's memory.
Chang Yao had recently taken a liking to Liu Qingcheng's maidservant and wanted to buy her as a concubine.
At the time, Chang Zhen had been displeased, not because of the method, but because the target was beneath their status.
A maidservant from a brothel? How shameful.
Still, in the end, he had tacitly agreed, thinking that perhaps it was good for his son to finally settle down.
Could this be... about that?
But the moment that idea surfaced, Chang Zhen immediately rejected it.
Impossible!
How could someone holding a Wanlin Merchant Guild VIP jade token, likely a person of terrifying background, go to such lengths over a lowly maidservant?
There had to be another reason.
Chang Zhen's mind raced. He quickly saw through the illusion to the truth and had a sudden realization.
The biggest incident recently was the robbery of the disaster relief silver by a demon, and how Wang Yangbo had ordered an intense investigation.
Chang Yao had taken advantage of that to put pressure on Xuni Pavillion.
He'd told Wang Yangbo that he suspected Xuni Pavillion was harboring the stolen silver, and possibly the demon.
Then... what if the suspicion was actually correct?
What if, by pure chance, Chang Yao had truly uncovered the demon's hiding place?
And as for this cloaked man in front of him, calling himself "White Dragon True Lord"?
White Dragon... True Lord...
Tsssss-
Chang Zhen's heart jolted.
It was highly likely that this man was one of the demons who had stolen the relief silver!
Chang Yao, it seemed, had accidentally obstructed this man's path.
Chang Zhen wasn't surprised that a demon would hold a Wanlin Merchant Guild VIP token.
In Yang Kingdom, which, unlike the Shennong Department's headquarters, didn't persecute demons to the extreme, it wasn't uncommon for even human merchants to deal with them.
The Wanlin Merchant Guild, which sold Divine Spiritual Treasures, certainly did business with demons, after all, profit is profit.
And some demons were actually more reasonable and civilized than humans.
Still, a demon who had received VIP status was quite rare.
Chang Zhen didn't know exactly who had been given VIP tokens, but he vaguely recalled that only one demon had ever received one.
Maybe the person in front of him was that one.
With the situation finally clear in his mind, Chang Zhen slapped his forehead and exclaimed:
"Ah, my memory is failing me! I'll immediately have that fool of a son stop pressuring Xuni Pavillion. That young lady will never be harassed again!"
He referred to Lian Mi vaguely as "that young lady," not out of caution, but simply because he'd forgotten her name.
Chang Zhen sighed, feigning sorrow:
"That foolish boy, blinded by beauty, lacking in cultivation, he's truly made a mistake."
"From now on, I'll put him under house arrest for one year, so he can properly reflect!"
Naturally, he never once brought up the possibility that the other party was the one who had stolen the silver.
That was a massive piece of leverage.
But to use that leverage would require the strength to match it and Chang Zhen knew full well he didn't have it.
The man before him had an aura so obscure it was impossible to determine his cultivation, but the fact that he had entered the merchant guild's branch hall silently and stood within a meter of him without being noticed, that was terrifying.
If he were to offend this person, even if the Wanlin Merchant Guild didn't act, Chang Zhen's head would already be in danger.
To name the crime aloud would be to declare enmity.
If Chang Zhen still wanted to remain in the Wanlin Merchant Guild, he absolutely couldn't do such a foolish thing.
So since the man didn't bring it up, Chang Zhen pretended not to know.
Chen Kuang, if he knew the extent of Chang Zhen's inner deductions, would probably applaud him for nearly arriving at the full truth through sheer mental gymnastics.
Still, Chang Zhen's pledges had already achieved Chen Kuang's goal.
Even if he had tried to minimize Chang Yao's punishment, Chen Kuang didn't particularly mind.
If Chang Yao tried anything again, or escalated the situation, Chen Kuang would make sure he never left Xuni Pavillion alive.
Outwardly, however, Chen Kuang remained noncommittal.
"Is that all?" he asked indifferently.
Chang Zhen sighed inwardly.
As expected, there was no such thing as escaping a disaster without paying a price.
He gritted his teeth and said:
"With my authority, I can open the access rights to all 'Moon-tier' Spiritual Treasures in this branch for you to choose one freely. It'll be recorded under my name.
Only now did Chen Kuang learn about the merchant guild's official classification system for Divine Spiritual Treasures:
"Star," "Moon," and "Sun", from lowest to highest, corresponding to Lower, Middle, and Upper Third Grade treasures.
This branch only stored Moon-tier treasures. Sun-tier ones existed only at the guild's headquarters and were considered the treasures of the guild itself, rarely sold and only rented.
Chen Kuang said nothing.
Merchants, after all, were best at haggling.
Though Chang Zhen acted like he was bleeding, this was probably the cheapest price he could offer.
Chang Zhen, recognizing the silence for what it was, wasn't the least bit flustered. Instead, he smoothly added:
"But that's just the compensation I can authorize as branch master. I can also pay out of pocket to buy a second Moon-tier Spiritual Treasure and present it to True Lord as a personal gift!"
"Each 'Moon-tier' item costs at least a thousand gold taels!"
Chen Kuang, half smiling, replied:
"Strange. I seem to recall that this jade pendant grants a 90% discount when purchasing from the guild."
"Branch Master Chang... you're not trying to count that so-called 'personally purchased' Spiritual Treasure as something I bought using the jade pendant's privilege, are you?"
Chang Zhen gave a dry cough, this time, truly embarrassed.
He chuckled apologetically:
"How could I possibly? That's a personal purchase from me, absolutely nothing to do with the VIP token!"
Chen Kuang considered, then said:
"Since you know the rules so well... I've got a sure-win, zero-loss business proposal for you.
Care to hear it?"
Chen Kuang briefly explained his idea.
That is: Chang Zhen would first sponsor him some money. Then Chen Kuang would use his VIP jade pendant to purchase Divine Spiritual Treasures at a 90% discount. Afterward, he would sell those items back to Chang Zhen at 80% of the original market price. The treasures would then belong to Chang Zhen, who could find his own channels to resell them.
Chang Zhen was dumbfounded.
Truly shocked to his core.
In this world... was there really such a generous and broad-minded demon?
This trick was simple in theory, it was essentially embezzlement disguised as a legal loophole. The problem was, those who qualified for a VIP jade pendant were almost always big names among cultivators.
Naturally, those people disdained engaging in such slippery and underhanded dealings.
Yet this White Dragon True Lord had proposed the idea without the slightest hesitation or shame.
Chang Zhen swallowed hard. His first instinct was: Could this "True Lord" be someone sent by the guild's higher-ups to test my loyalty?
But the next moment, he rejected that thought.
He had never heard of any such person as White Dragon True Lord. If he were truly trusted by the guild's leadership, surely he'd have caught wind of it somehow. And besides, even the higher-ups wouldn't place this much trust in a demon.
More importantly, every single step of this transaction was within the rules. Entirely above board. Not a single thing was technically illegal.
It was Chang Zhen's earlier attempt at padding the bill that had been the underhanded move.
By comparison, Chen Kuang's proposal was practically righteous.
It was just that no VIP guest had ever stooped so low before...
Chang Zhen did a quick mental calculation, and suddenly his heart began pounding like a drum, so violently it felt like it might leap out of his chest.
This... this... this... this was profit on a divine level!
It was like a trap falling from the sky, one that nearly knocked him unconscious with its sheer luck.
He had thought a vengeful enemy had come knocking.
Turned out, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Chen Kuang now put on a show of impatience.
"Time is short. Has Branch Master Chang made up his mind? If you're unwilling, then-"
"Willing! Of course I'm willing!"
Chang Zhen quickly interrupted.
He gritted his teeth, calculated the maximum funds he could put together, and held up a hand indicating the figure.
"This is all I can afford at most!"
Chen Kuang finally got a sense of Chang Zhen's financial baseline, and was inwardly speechless.
That number... wasn't even one-tenth of his true capacity.
Truly a cutthroat merchant.
Of course, Chang Zhen was also inwardly cursing at Chen Kuang's scheming.
Such a smooth talker, pulling off daylight robbery with an empty hand!
Still, Chang Zhen led Chen Kuang through the branch's selection of Moon-tier Spiritual Treasures, explaining each item's function in detail.
Chen Kuang said thoughtfully:
"There are a few here that I need. Branch Master Chang has no objections, I hope?"
"Of course not! True Lord may take as you please!"
In the end, Chen Kuang selected five Divine Spiritual Treasures in total, two Moon-tier, and three Star-tier.
Altogether, the cost far exceeded Chang Zhen's original psychological threshold.
Yet this time, Chang Zhen had no complaints whatsoever. In fact, he felt like he had just made a massive profit.
When Chen Kuang left, Chang Zhen was even reluctant to see him go.
He couldn't help but say:
"True Lord, should you have any further need for Spiritual Treasures in the future, please do not hesitate to come find me! I shall always be at your service!"
Chen Kuang casually nodded, then vanished into the crowd.
Even though Chang Zhen had watched him walk away with his own eyes, by the time he blinked, the man had completely disappeared, not a trace of his presence remained.
Once again, he was awestruck and more than a little afraid.
...
Returning home, Chang Zhen wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed.
"I used to think demons weren't that clever... but this White Dragon True Lord feels even more cunning than I am..."
"Still, this time's gains were truly extraordinary!"
He couldn't calm down for a long while.
The official pricing displayed for Moon-tier Divine Spiritual Treasures was never the actual transaction price.
In reality, they were almost always auctioned.
Final sale prices often reached three times the marked amount, or more.
So although he had nearly emptied out all his personal savings, Chang Zhen now held what was essentially a mountain of gold. As long as he could resell these treasures, he would soon be worth nearly 100,000 gold taels.
This wasn't just a good deal, it was exponential profit.
Were it not for his many years of professional self-discipline, Chang Zhen might have burst into joyous laughter right then and there.
But when he returned home, he found that scoundrel son of his, Chang Yao, had just arrived back from outside.
He was looking quite pleased with himself, and judging from the direction he came from, it wasn't the prefectural yamen.
Chang Zhen's heart suddenly sank and he immediately called out:
"Chang Yao, stop right there!"
Chang Yao froze and turned around with a cheeky smile:
"Father? What is it?"
Chang Zhen asked, his face darkening:
"Where did you just go?"
Chang Yao, seeing his father's ugly expression, started to get nervous. But then he remembered, he hadn't done anything that would seriously anger his father.
So he replied lightly:
"Oh, nothing serious. Just that little maid girl I told you about before... She kept refusing me, and I figured that Xuni Pavillion-"
"I figured these past few days they'd finally cave in. But to my surprise, that Xuni Pavillion seems to have gone completely insane, they rejected me again."
"So I thought, maybe it's because I've been all bark and no bite lately, and Xuni Pavillion still thinks I wouldn't dare act. I might as well scare them a little."
"So I went to see Chief Constable Wang and told him, there's something fishy about Xuni Pavillion. We need to bring people over for a proper inspection-"
"BANG!"
Before he could finish, Chang Zhen's pupils trembled. He took two steps forward, rage flaring to his crown, and instinctively gathered his Spiritual Energy.
Swinging his arm in a wide arc, he slapped the unguarded Chang Yao across the face!
This strike held nothing back.
Chang Yao's head was knocked askew, and his entire body flew backward, crashing hard into a decorative screen nearby!
Servants passing by instantly fell to their knees, trembling in fear, not daring to make a single sound.
Though merely a branch manager of a merchant guild, Chang Zhen himself possessed cultivation at the Tower Ascension Realm's Peak, and this slap, enhanced by his Divine Spiritual Treasure, was a full-force blow.
Chang Yao was stunned, his cheek and jawbone completely misaligned. As he struggled to rise, tears and snot poured from his face as he babbled incoherently:
"F-Father... What did I do... Have you gone mad?!"
Chang Zhen's face was ashen, devoid of expression.
Madam Chang, alarmed by the commotion, rushed in and immediately knelt at Chang Zhen's legs, crying:
"My lord, what are you doing?! Yao'er is your son! Are you going to kill your own child?!"
Chang Zhen took a deep breath, shook her off, and stepped slowly toward his son.
Chang Yao, terrified and wounded, began to plead:
"Father, no! Please don't kill me! Have mercy! Mother, Mother, save me!"
Madam Chang threw herself in front of him again.
Chang Zhen looked down at his wife, sighed, and began to peel her fingers off his legs one by one.
"Madam, if we lose a son, we can always have another."
Madam Chang froze, collapsing to the floor in a daze.
Chang Yao was scared out of his wits. Coupled with his grievous injuries, he even lost control of his bladder.
He never imagined, not even in his worst nightmares, that his own father would suddenly want him dead!
Chang Zhen placed his hand atop his son's head.
Had it been an enemy or rival, he might have tried to protect his son through diplomacy.
But now?
He was on the verge of an opportunity, one that could multiply his wealth a hundredfold, a thousandfold.
And for that...
One son was expendable.
A glint of cruelty flashed through Chang Zhen's eyes.
His fingers clenched and he crushed his own son's skull.
...
Meanwhile...
Chief Constable Wang Yangbo stood before Xuni Pavillion, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the establishment's signboard.
Behind him stood a dozen subordinates.
He was a man of upright, rugged features.
Dressed in a clean, deep-blue robe, he had a square face, strong jawline, thick brows like blades, and neatly trimmed facial hair and his gaze was sharp and profound.
Anyone seeing this man would instinctively feel he was dependable, someone who could safeguard an entire region's peace.
Demonic creatures feared his name, and criminals dared not act recklessly under his watch.
At this moment, with Wang Yangbo leading a team at Xuni Pavillion's gates, the entire Hua Street fell into a tense silence.
Passersby and those who were watching from across the street began whispering.
Naturally, they were talking about the rumors Chang Yao had been spreading in recent days, that Xuni Pavillion was harboring demonic creatures... and hiding the stolen government silver.
Before Wang Yangbo could speak, the madam of Xuni Pavillion, Yu Xiangsi, had already come forward with a fawning smile:
"What wind has blown the great Lord Wang here? Please, please, come inside! The sun is blazing today!"
Wang Yangbo returned a polite smile:
"Thank you for the kind offer, Madam Yu, but, today I'm here on business. I won't be sitting."
Yu Xiangsi's expression shifted slightly but quickly recovered:
"Of course, of course! If there's anything Lord Wang needs, we'll fully cooperate."
"I received word from one of my men," Wang Yangbo said evenly.
"They said the thieves who stole the government silver are hiding here, in Xuni Pavillion."
He swept his eyes across the premises.
"So today I'm here for one thing only, to conduct a full inspection of this establishment."
Yu Xiangsi quickly said:
"But... didn't we already undergo an inspection a few days ago?"
Wang Yangbo stepped forward and shook his head.
"That was different. Last time, we were checking for physical evidence. Today... we're checking for demons."
Yu Xiangsi froze:
"But we only have the same people here... how could there possibly be demons?"
Wang Yangbo chuckled:
"Is that so?"
He waved his hand.
"Bring out the Mirror-Stone of Illumination. I want this entire Xuni Pavillion scanned, inside and out, not a single person is to be spared."
Yu Xiangsi's face darkened.
She lowered her voice and said coldly:
"Lord Wang, are you really going to do this? Are you not even going to consider the Pavilion Master's wishes?"
Wang Yangbo's gaze sharpened, and he too lowered his voice:
"Here in Zangfeng Prefecture, this is my turf. If you want to do business here, you follow my rules. If I'm displeased, you'll just have to deal with it!"
Yu Xiangsi's expression became ugly.
She could see now, Wang Yangbo knew full well there were no demons or stolen silver here. He was just looking to save face.
He was here for a power play.
At his order, the officers behind him immediately pulled out Mirror-Stones.
Blinding beams of light swept through the air, scanning every servant nearby. A wave of panic rippled through the courtyard.
The officers fanned out to search every room. If any servant tried to avoid the light, they were pinned down and scanned.
Before long, the search reached the servants' quarters.
But just then, amid the chaos, one constable accidentally turned his Mirror-Stone toward Yu Xiangsi herself.
He then froze, stunned.
In the stone's reflection, he saw a three-tailed fox baring its bloody fangs at him.
He pointed in terror:
"A demon! She's a demon!"
"Whaaaat!"
In that instant, everyone was stunned, both Xuni Pavillion's people and the constables alike.
They had searched this place countless times already. But each time, they had overlooked the one person everyone assumed was beyond suspicion, the madam who had run Xuni Pavillion for decades.
Yu Xiangsi's once-beautiful face was now expressionless.
Wang Yangbo smiled. Clearly, he had been expecting this.
In truth, he hadn't come to find the real culprit, he had come to find a scapegoat.
He waved his hand:
"Seize her!"
But no one moved.
Wang Yangbo frowned and looked back at his men.
"What are you waiting for?!"
His subordinates' eyes were wide with terror as they pointed behind him.
Wang Yangbo turned around, only to see a blindfolded man with jade plugs in his ears standing behind him.
The man opened his mouth, but was mute, he simply made a few gestures.
Wang Yangbo, confused, took a step forward.
"Who are you? Don't get in the-"
Before he could finish, his head tilted... and fell off his shoulders.
The blind man sighed and lowered his sword.
"Those who obstruct... Kill without mercy."