Chapter 83: The Conditions

Qian Ye had the heart to defend himself, saying that it wasn’t easy for him to use primordial force to assist her in flying, but with this young lady’s temper and sharp tongue, there was no point in arguing. He might as well stay silent.

After a brief rest, Ji Tianqing said, “What were you doing in the city, ending up in such a chase? If it weren’t for me waiting there, you would have already been captured by that city lord.”

“I originally wanted to interrogate Rui Xiang to find out Zi Ning’s whereabouts. I didn’t expect that old man to be so cunning; he managed to escape and trigger the alarms throughout Tingchao City.”

“Did you get anything out of him?”

Qian Ye shook his head, “No, but I broke another one of his legs. I’m sure if he falls into my hands again, he will speak honestly.”

Ji Tianqing glared at Qian Ye, “You still want there to be a next time!”

Qian Ye smiled, “There’s no other way.”

Ji Tianqing leaned forward, poking his chest with her finger, “Your ability to escape is indeed strong, but it isn’t invincible. This time, the city lord found your position after you used the void jump. Do you think you can escape his eyes next time?”

“I still have the strength for one more use.”

“And then? Find a place to hide?”

Qian Ye admitted, “Exactly.”

Ji Tianqing said irritably, “Even if you escape once more, what good will it do? You can only run ten thousand meters. The city lord, with his fire-throwing eyes, can just stand in the air and let his men search the ground inch by inch. How long do you think you can hide?”

This question hit home. In fact, Qian Ye had thought about it himself, but he couldn’t bring himself to give up on rescuing Song Zining.

Entering the city, the worst-case scenario Qian Ye had anticipated had come true. Although he successfully teleported away from Luo Bingfeng, he was immediately detected by Luo Bingfeng.

After the first teleportation, Qian Ye had planned to perform another immediately, then find a hidden spot to conceal himself. The danger of this was self-evident. If Luo Bingfeng followed the method Ji Tianqing suggested, he could trap Qian Ye in place, and eventually, find him.

The void flash was indeed powerful, but Qian Ye’s current strength was still insufficient, both in terms of the number of flashes and the distance. When An Duye left the void flash, it could send Qian Ye over a hundred kilometers away in one go.

Seeing Qian Ye’s silence, Ji Tianqing pressed the question again.

No matter how many times she asked, Qian Ye couldn’t answer. Ji Tianqing knew this, so she sighed and said, “Alright, promise me you won’t enter Tingchao City again. Can you do that? If you die, Song Qi is finished too.”

Qian Ye finally nodded, “Alright, I promise you.”

A smile appeared on Ji Tianqing’s face as she placed down several packages of food and ammunition. “I have to leave for a while. You must rest properly before taking any action. Maybe things will turn around in a few days.”

Qian Ye was slightly taken aback and asked, “Where are you going?”

“To find strong reinforcements, of course! How can we possibly save that fool Song Qi without help?”

After Ji Tianqing left, Qian Ye sat quietly, cultivating and patiently waiting for his strength and primordial force to recover. Setting aside Luo Bingfeng’s formidable power, there were few in the Empire who could match him, so Qian Ye was skeptical about the kind of reinforcements Ji Tianqing could find. On the other hand, even if she did find them, they would need to apply continuous pressure to ensure safety.

However, after rousing Luo Bingfeng, Qian Ye was not in a rush. For now, he only needed to show that he was still alive and unscathed.

In Nan Qing City, an unexpected visitor arrived.

Dressed in ordinary mercenary attire, Luo Yun, after showing his token, moved freely and directly to the Dark Flame headquarters, where he met Li Kuanglan.

Li Kuanglan sat upright in his chair, his demeanor calm and composed, like a prince. His slender, jade-like fingers picked up a teacup, sipped gently, and then said, “Manager Luo, I presume you bring good news?”

Luo Yun was slightly surprised. The Li Kuanglan in front of him was different from the last time. Previously, he was like a drawn sword, sharp and somewhat rude. But now, he was elegant and poised, every move perfect, even the way he drank tea was impeccable.

If the previous Li Kuanglan was a peerless swordsman, then now he was the master of a deep palace. The former could rely on himself, but the latter exuded a noble aura cultivated from childhood. This was why Luo Yun was even more shocked.

Suppressing his surprise, Luo Yun respectfully said, “Mr. Li, I am here on the city lord’s orders to discuss the exchange of secret arts once more.”

Li Kuanglan calmly replied, “Wasn’t this already settled last time? Why bring it up again?”

“The city lord is determined to make this exchange and has proposed a new plan for your consideration.”

Li Kuanglan did not ask about the details of the plan, but rather mused, “Determined…”

At this moment, someone beside Li Kuanglan snorted coldly, “What a boastful claim.”

Luo Yun was startled and realized there was an elderly man sitting beside Li Kuanglan. He was ordinary and unremarkable, yet he was the one who had spoken. However, since entering the room, Luo Yun had not noticed his presence! The shock sent a chill down his spine.

After speaking, the elder lowered his eyes and remained silent. Luo Yun dared not look at him and shifted his gaze to the ground. But as soon as he looked away, he found his memory of the elder’s appearance rapidly fading, and in a moment, he couldn’t remember what the elder looked like.

He wanted to take another look but feared offending the elder. Luo Yun was not afraid of death, but he feared delaying the city lord’s important matters. And Li Kuanglan was also regal and imposing, making it hard to stare at him, so Luo Yun didn’t want to be rude.

Fortunately, Li Kuanglan finally said, “What is the city lord’s new plan? Tell me.”

Luo Yun said, “The city lord wishes to exchange Song Zining for the secret art in Mr. Qian Ye’s possession.”

Li Kuanglan showed a slight reaction, not expecting Luo Bingfeng to offer such a condition. After a brief pause, he said, “How is Song Qi now? If he is just a useless person, tell the city lord to forget about it.”

Luo Yun said, “Given Mr. Qian Ye’s nature, if Song Qi is still alive, he will agree to the trade. Can you really make the decision on his behalf?”

This question was sharp, but Li Kuanglan did not get angry. Instead, he said, “I thought Manager Luo had insight, but it seems you are shortsighted. It seems the neutral grounds are not a good place.”

Luo Yun’s eyes flashed with anger, and he said, “I don’t understand where I am shortsighted. Please enlighten me.”

Li Kuanglan calmly said, “A secret art that can cultivate the Dawnlight Awakening is invaluable, and Qian Ye’s Dawnlight Awakening is much purer than your lady’s. Such a complete secret art would even tempt a Heavenly King. Do you think I might exchange it for a powerful figure to erase Tingchao City? Do you think Zhang Buzhou would dare obstruct a real Heavenly King?”

Even the calm Luo Yun changed his expression. After a moment, he said, “But this way, Song Qi cannot be saved.”

Li Kuanglan said, “If Song Zining dies, everyone related to him will be buried with him. It would be worth it.”

Luo Yun said, “This is the neutral grounds, not the Empire. Even the Song clan may not be able to reach here.”

Li Kuanglan said, “As I said, if a Heavenly King comes, he will do his job and leave. Do you think the Blood Throne will intervene?”

“Heavenly King or not, it’s not easy to destroy a city and kill everyone. Before the Heavenly King arrives, Mr. Li and Mr. Qian Ye should be worried about their own safety.”

Luo Yun’s words were firm, but the elder beside Li Kuanglan suddenly opened his eyes and glanced at Luo Yun. As the elder’s gaze fell on him, Luo Yun felt like a heavy hammer had struck his mind, and he nearly fainted from the pain!

The pain disappeared quickly, and Luo Yun gasped for breath, sweat drenching his clothes. He barely managed to keep from falling.

The elder finally gave him a proper look and said, “You didn’t faint; your foundation is solid. Since you can still stand, I’ll say a few more words. If anyone wants to move against Kuanglan, let the city lord and his lady come. We’ll see if they can even enter Nan Qing City.”

Luo Yun hesitated, still shocked. He didn’t know when such a fearsome expert joined Li Kuanglan. But considering Li Kuanglan’s elegance, it wasn’t so surprising. Combined, it made him wonder about Li Kuanglan’s true identity.

Li Kuanglan then said, “Manager Luo, enough talk. How is Song Qi now? If you won’t say, go back and don’t return.”

Luo Yun said, “Song Qi is fine. The city lord promises he will not be disabled or have any hidden ailments that affect his future potential.”

Li Kuanglan nodded, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Luo Yun smiled bitterly, “I thought I could use my silver tongue to secure more benefits for the city lord.”

Li Kuanglan said coldly, “Without strength, what can you achieve with just words?”

Luo Yun was speechless.

Li Kuanglan sipped his tea and said, “These terms are not enough. To get the secret art, you must offer the ‘Worldly Insight’ and Song Qi.”

Luo Yun was startled, “This is not appropriate! Let Mr. Qian Ye decide.”

“This is the final condition. If you don’t agree, there’s nothing more to discuss.” With that, Li Kuanglan waved his left hand, indicating it was time to leave.