Li Tianquan impatiently said, “Of course! Go quickly!”
“Yes, sir.” The female scribe’s body visibly trembled as she left, clearly reluctant to come into contact with those individuals.
After leaving the base, Qian Ye did not wander far. He found a blind spot and, ensuring that he wouldn’t be spied upon, tossed the ammunition box into Andua’s space. He then retrieved two equipment cases. Qian Ye coated the outside of the cases with a thin layer of giant tree sap before placing them on top of the tree canopy.
The sap from the giant tree could make the strange forest feel that the cases were part of the tree, thus avoiding being consumed. This was a discovery Qian Ye made by chance. However, this method of storage couldn’t last too long, as the effect of the giant tree sap lasted only a few days at most.
After setting everything up, Qian Ye checked the time and turned to head for the Li family base. This time, he stopped at the edge of the Misty Forest. Under the dim sky, he could faintly see about ten people standing nearby, as if waiting for something.
Qian Ye observed for a while, then stepped out of the Misty Forest and approached the group.
Leading the group was a slightly plump middle-aged man. Upon seeing Qian Ye, his eyes lit up, and he immediately stepped forward, warmly saying, “General Qian Ye truly is a man of his word, arriving right on time. Haha, it’s really unpleasant to wait in such a ghastly place!”
Qian Ye did not engage in much pleasantries, simply saying, “Follow me.”
He led them through the twists and turns of the Misty Forest. After about an hour, they arrived at the giant tree where he had previously stashed the two equipment cases. Qian Ye leaped to the treetop, retrieved the cases, and placed them in front of the plump man.
The man eagerly opened the cases, his face lighting up with delight. He rubbed his hands together, exclaiming, “Good, good! These are all excellent items!”
Although Qian Ye’s highest kill record this time was just a first-rank viscount, they were all elite members of Evernight. Among them were even scions of various races’ noble families. Their equipment was not easy to carry, so what remained were all top-notch items.
The plump middle-aged man picked up a blood-drinking blade, examined it carefully, and praised, “This craftsmanship, this material, I haven’t seen anything like this in a long time! Look at this design; you don’t see such detail just anywhere. This blood-drinking blade should be from the Larkin clan of the Blood Race, and it belongs to the main lineage. Just this design alone can increase its value by thirty percent!”
To Qian Ye, blood-drinking blades were only distinguished by their materials and functions. The decorative patterns all looked similar, so how could he discern such nuances? He was genuinely impressed, saying, “Mr. Lu has a keen eye.”
The plump middle-aged man chuckled, “Our Yinyuan Lu family has been in this business for hundreds of years. It’s just some inherited skills for making a living. Haha, but unlike Brother Qian Ye, who can achieve great things single-handedly! Have you considered my proposal from yesterday? Our Lu family is in dire need of someone like you as a core pillar. If you join us, not only will our family head’s only granddaughter be promised to you, but also the pair of twin sisters I mentioned would be included as concubines.”
Qian Ye was slightly surprised, “Aren’t those girls the granddaughters of your elders?”
“Elders or not, this concerns the future development of the Lu family for the next hundred years. Offering these girls as concubines isn’t even a sacrifice. If you find any other girl in the clan suitable, they can also be included in the dowry.”
Qian Ye smiled. Most of the family people he encountered shared this attitude: anything for the sake of the family. Of course, the sacrifices were often made by the lower ranks and collateral branches, while the true upper echelons enjoyed the fruits of these sacrifices. The Lu family’s willingness to offer the elders’ twin granddaughters as concubines was indeed a significant investment.
“The Lu family is truly thoughtful, but is it worth it just for a military achievement list?” Qian Ye didn’t fully understand the function of the Heavenly Wind and Cloud Pearl, but he presumed that although it was more valuable than the Mirror Water Purification, there must be a limit. Otherwise, how could it be put up for grabs? Such treasures were typically decided behind the scenes by the big players, without a shred of news leaking out.
The Lu family, despite being a lower-class family, still had centuries of accumulation. Qian Ye felt that the Lu family shouldn’t need to make such a significant investment just to recruit a civilian of unknown origin and use the concubine marriage system so grandly.
Hearing Qian Ye’s question, the plump middle-aged man smiled, “What’s the military achievement list? We’re just here to see if we can get some benefits, mainly to do some business during this gathering. The Mirror Water Purification is fine, but the Heavenly Wind and Cloud Pearl is too hot to handle. I don’t intend to get involved. Even if you manage to get such a thing, you won’t be able to keep it, General Qian Ye. But you are different!”
The middle-aged man’s eyes shone brightly as he scrutinized Qian Ye from head to toe, as if examining a rare treasure. A chill ran down Qian Ye’s spine; he felt that if the man wasn’t wary of his strength, he might have pounced on him.
Even so, the slightly plump man examined Qian Ye like one would examine a treasure under a magnifying glass, before saying, “General Qian Ye, marriage is just a foundation. If you sincerely work for our Lu family after joining, not only will you enjoy the treatment of the main branch, but accumulating merit can get you into the council of elders, and your offspring will have the right to inherit your position. After three generations, you will be no different from any Lu family member and can compete for the head of the family.”
Many clans today used the practice of bringing in skilled outsiders through marriage, but the highest achievement for a son-in-law was to establish a new collateral branch, with no possibility of competing for the head of the family. The Northern Zhang clan, sharing the same roots as the Qingyang Zhang, separated and established their own ancestral hall partly due to this. The Lu family’s willingness to make such a commitment showed their sincerity.
Still, Qian Ye shook his head, “This is too far in the future. Let’s talk about it later.”
Facing the gentle refusal, the middle-aged man neither regretted nor gave up, chuckling, “Indeed, no rush. You can take more time to consider. If you have the opportunity, visit our Lu family and meet the family head’s granddaughter and the pair of twin sisters. Maybe you’ll change your mind then.”
As he chatted with Qian Ye, his subordinates were not idle. Led by three elderly managers, they inspected and appraised each piece of equipment, handling it with expert ease. Once the prices were agreed upon by Qian Ye, they recorded the item, repackaged it, and set it aside.
These items had not been tidied up since they were acquired and were haphazardly piled together. The managers, heartbroken at the sight, meticulously cleaned and maintained each piece until it shone again, then stored it in specialized weapon cases.
Qian Ye glanced over a few pieces, finding the prices fair, and let them handle the rest.
The plump middle-aged man continued to persuade Qian Ye to join the Lu family. Seeing that Qian Ye remained unmoved, he changed the subject, smiling, “Lord Qian Ye, if you are satisfied with our cooperation this time, perhaps you can entrust your future hauls to me? I guarantee fair prices and impeccable service, certainly not like the Li family!”
This plump man was thick-skinned. Now that he needed something, he addressed Qian Ye as ‘lord’ instead of ‘brother’.
Qian Ye thought about it and, finding it convenient to have a fixed buyer for his loot, nodded in agreement.
Soon, all the equipment was inventoried, and Qian Ye’s wealth increased by several tens of thousands of gold coins. Of course, the plump man paid entirely in high-purity black crystals, as the volume of so many gold coins would have been quite large.
With the transaction complete, Qian Ye pointed them in the direction back to the base and left, quickly disappearing into the mist. When Qian Ye’s figure was out of sight, the plump man broke into a cold sweat, nearly losing his balance.
A follower rushed to support him, then asked in a low voice, “Sir, are we just letting him go like this?”
A significant part of the Lu family’s underground business was in weapons of the dark races, operating across various continents. They had sometimes resorted to robbing others. This follower, formerly a bandit, was quite ruthless, having taken many lives. The amount of gold coins, equivalent to the trade volume of an entire caravan for two to three months, made him envious.
But his question earned him a slap. The plump man shouted, “Are you stupid? Do you think someone who can produce this much equipment is someone your Third Liu can afford to provoke? Even in the Misty Forest, ten of you wouldn’t be enough for one of his hands!”
Third Liu, stunned by the slap, asked, “Sir, are you saying he acquired all this equipment himself? How is that possible? Is he even human?”
The plump man sneered, “Didn’t you see the Li family couldn’t handle him? Otherwise, why would it be our turn to benefit?” The Lu family offered a price twenty percent higher than the Li family, but some special equipment, when traded with the Li family, could count towards military merit, making it hard to say who was getting the better deal.
The followers were all silent, even those who had similar thoughts now completely dispelled them.
The plump man barked, “Stop thinking nonsense. Pick up the stuff, and let’s go. Stay alert on the way. If you get killed by those dark-blooded bastards, it’s your own fault!”
The subordinates meekly complied, quickly gathering their things and departing. Thinking of the hefty profit and the generous dividends awaiting them, their steps were unusually light and eager.
As the Lu family’s group gradually moved away, none of them noticed Qian Ye perched atop a giant tree a few hundred meters away, listening to their conversation clearly. At the amusing parts, Qian Ye couldn’t help but smile. This plump man from the Lu family seemed sensible and interesting; perhaps more cooperation could be expected in the future.
Qian Ye leaped, gliding through the mist like a bird. As he descended, he landed on another branch extending from a giant tree. With a single push, he soared again, quickly disappearing into the distance.
The former battle fortress site of the Bai Clan had been completely occupied by a dark race stronghold. Inside the grand main building, Elder Pales of the Dark Abyss, a demon lineage, read through a stack of casualty reports, his face grim.
This month, his troops had suffered heavy losses, with over a thousand regular warriors and even a few of their kin dead.
For the Dark Abyss, a prominent demon family, the core disciples sent out for training were at least barons. A baron from a noble family could easily kill a third-rank viscount from a common family, and their secret techniques ensured their escape and survival when faced with superior opponents.
Yet, now, there were three death reports on the table. This meant three kin had returned to the deepest darkness. Demons reproduced slowly, and every individual with high-ranking bloodline had potential. The loss of even one was significant.
In the past ten years, even during major battles against the Great Qin Empire, such a rapid loss of so many kin was rare.
Pales set the death reports aside and picked up another document, detailing Aden’s military achievements. Looking at the solid and substantial records, Pales finally smiled. Aden, though ashamed, had shown courage and, in less than a month, was almost catching up to his brothers in terms of military achievements.
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