Chapter 159: The Exchange

Qian Ye’s strength had already surpassed the control of these aristocratic families. An ordinary family would have to send out all their forces and set an ambush in advance to kill him. Moreover, from his past battle records, it was clear that a swift raid was one of Qian Ye’s specialties. Even if many experts chased after him, they might still return empty-handed. Once Qian Ye couldn’t be killed, the seeds of destruction would be sown, and he could launch constant sneak attacks and assassinations, possibly leading to the complete annihilation of lower-ranking families.

Therefore, the few families present quickly coordinated their stances and turned to showing goodwill. Even if they couldn’t win him over, they must not offend him.

Qian Ye cast a glance at Li Weishi and smiled, “Is Senior Manager Li also startled?”

Li Weishi sighed with a bitter smile, “Ever since I met you, this isn’t the first or second time. What do you plan to do now?”

Qian Ye replied, “With Senior Manager Li here, I shouldn’t need to worry about this place. I’ll take this opportunity to go meet a few people.”

Li Weishi nodded, “Very well, leave it to me.”

After bidding farewell to Li Weishi, Qian Ye turned and left the military merit exchange area.

Someone like Li Weishi, who had seen countless storms, and had personally seen Qian Ye’s pile of military merit certificates, would hardly be so startled as to drop the register. He did it to show the onlookers, letting everyone from the various families see the amount of military merit Qian Ye had counted. This way, there would be witnesses. Afterward, even if Li Tianquan wanted to do something, he wouldn’t dare to tamper with the number of military merits.

This was a small but significant favor, and Qian Ye kept it in mind. His attitude towards the Li family became divided, depending on the specific person and matter, no longer making general judgments.

When he left the military merit exchange area, many people followed, inviting Qian Ye to stay for a while at their camps. Some, more impatient, started offering deals on the spot, painting rosy pictures of the future for Qian Ye.

For these attempts by the families to win him over, Qian Ye neither refused nor accepted. He simply said he would stay in the base for a few more days, and there would be time to discuss things slowly. This was a tactic he learned from Song Zining. As long as he remained a valuable asset, those family members would likely raise their offers. Even if Qian Ye didn’t intend to accept any of the offers, he could listen and get a clearer idea of his current worth.

Qian Ye then walked around the main hall, checking the latest battle reports and understanding the battlefield situation. After listening to the idle chatter of the other strong figures, he headed toward the main camp.

At that moment, Li Tianquan was preparing a pot of good tea, but for some reason, he felt restless, and the brewing process went wrong several times. The final pot of tea looked no different from usual, but the taste was clearly off. For Li Tianquan, the slight difference was like chewing on vinegar.

In his agitation, he raised the teapot, intending to smash it against the wall. But his hand paused mid-air. He had already broken many teapots this month, and the only remaining good one was in his hand. If he broke this one, he would have nothing left.

Li Tianquan barely suppressed the surging rage in his heart and slowly put down his hand. At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and the gentle voice of the female secretary came, “Elder, Qian Ye requests an audience.”

With a clatter, the teapot fell to the ground and shattered.

Qian Ye didn’t wait for permission, pushing the door open and walking in. He glanced at the broken teapot on the floor and said with a faint smile, “It seems Elder Li is not in a good mood?”

Li Tianquan had no patience to hide his feelings and snorted coldly, “How can I be in a good mood when I see you?”

Qian Ye pulled over a chair and sat down calmly, saying, “But now, seeing Elder Li, my mood is quite good.”

Li Tianquan’s face darkened, but he didn’t immediately lash out. Instead, he turned to the female secretary and ordered, “You go out first and close the door. No one is to enter without my orders.”

The female secretary’s face showed a hint of unease. The Second Elder usually liked tidiness, but to leave a mess of broken teacups and spilt tea was unusual. However, she knew better than to be curious about such matters and obediently left, closing the door behind her.

Li Tianquan coughed and returned to his desk, sitting down calmly before asking, “What does General Qian Ye want with me?”

Qian Ye looked straight at Li Tianquan and said coolly, “Lu Sha and the others are dead.”

Li Tianquan’s body jolted, and he lost his composure. After a moment of silence, he asked, “How did they die?”

“Naturally, I killed them. Not one escaped.”

Li Tianquan suddenly smiled, “What does this have to do with me?”

Qian Ye sneered, “They came after me because a ‘big shot’ wanted me dead.”

Li Tianquan’s expression remained unchanged as he stroked his beard, “That’s quite normal. Lu Sha and his kind were desperate men. They wouldn’t move unless there was a benefit.”

Seeing Li Tianquan’s attempt to distance himself, Qian Ye didn’t argue further, “In that case, I will take my leave.”

Li Tianquan was taken aback, “You came here just to tell me this?”

Qian Ye continued, “Elder Li is a smart man, and I thought this would be enough. But since Elder Li insists, I will be blunt. Elder Li, do you think Lu Sha and his men were more capable, or am I more capable?”

Li Tianquan’s face changed slightly, and he angrily retorted, “What do you mean? Are you threatening me?”

Qian Ye’s expression remained calm, “Lu Sha and his men died by my hand. So, anything they could do, I can do, and I can do it better. Don’t forget, there were three of them, and I was alone.”

Li Tianquan’s face turned dark, and his clothes moved as if by an unseen wind, “Do you think your current cultivation level makes you a match for me?”

Qian Ye sneered again, “I may not be a match for Elder Li now, but killing me won’t be easy. Although you are highly cultivated and in a high position, there will be times when you are careless, times when you eat and rest. I happen to know a bit about sniping. Unless you stop appearing in public, within three years, five years, ten years, I will find an opportunity.”

Li Tianquan’s face darkened dreadfully. Being targeted by someone like Qian Ye was indeed a thorny problem.

At this point, Qian Ye added, “Even if Elder Li chooses to stay at home, you still have a family.”

Li Tianquan, enraged and alarmed, stood up and shouted, “How dare you!”

Qian Ye faced Li Tianquan unflinchingly, “Since you want my life, what else do I have to fear?”

Li Tianquan stared at Qian Ye, his primal force surging, and six vortexes of primal force shone like six small suns, blindingly bright.

Qian Ye remained seated, revealing only two vortexes of primal force, but the light, though weak, did not diminish under the heavy pressure, not even wavering.

Li Tianquan’s face fluctuated between anger and hesitation, his internal struggle evident, ready to strike at any moment.

Qian Ye, however, sat calmly, clearly prepared for a direct confrontation.

But Li Tianquan, a man of power, quickly regained his composure and said firmly, “Are you so confident that you can escape from me? Even if you do escape, what good will it do? If you harm my family, do you think the Li family will let you go? Even if you flee to the depths of the void, the Li family will hunt you down to the end!”

This was the proper way for noble families to handle such situations. If they were caught unawares and lost family members to a lone outsider, they would relentlessly pursue, sparing no effort, until they saw the living or the dead. Some families were even harsher, vowing to exterminate the entire family of the opponent, to serve as a deterrent to other poor but powerful individuals.

However, Qian Ye remained unperturbed, “That is possible. But by then, how many of your descendants will remain? And if such an incident spreads, how much of the Li family’s reputation will remain? Even if the Li family doesn’t let me go, what good will it do for Elder Li? You will likely lose your family, your power, and your status.”

Li Tianquan’s face turned grim. In the matter of Qian Ye, his actions were not honorable. Such a scandal, if it got out, would tarnish the Li family’s reputation. As the root cause, Li Tianquan would face severe punishment, losing all his power and being sent to the battlefield until he died, serving his family to the very end.

Reaching a high position was easy, but stepping down was difficult. For someone like him, losing power was worse than death. Even if the family head was lenient and allowed Li Tianquan to live out his days in peace, it would be a living hell. Such an outcome, even if Qian Ye eventually died in the Li family’s pursuit, would be akin to dying alongside him for Li Tianquan.

Such an ending was unacceptable to Li Tianquan. He was a man of great power; how could he, a man of such standing, be brought down by someone like Qian Ye?

Li Tianquan calmed himself and said, “What do you want? Say it directly.”

Qian Ye smiled faintly, “Lu Sha and the others, although not decent people, were quite professional this time. They risked their lives for the mission. So, even though I’m still alive, they deserve their reward. I’ll reluctantly collect it on their behalf.”

Li Tianquan was dumbfounded, not expecting Qian Ye to make such a demand. His first reaction was that Qian Ye was incredibly shameless, asking for the reward after killing them. But he quickly realized that if Qian Ye wanted money, the matter was easily resolved.

As Li Tianquan was thinking, Qian Ye added, “Oh, and according to the industry rules, there should also be an additional compensation for their sacrifice.”

Li Tianquan, just regaining his composure, felt a surge of bitterness in his throat, nearly spitting blood.

“Qian Ye! Don’t push me too far!”

Qian Ye’s expression turned cold, “If Lu Sha and the others were alive, who knows what they would do if they didn’t get their money. Besides, exchanging money for blood is the most cost-effective thing for Elder Li. For you, money can be earned again, but we value our lives more than money.”

Li Tianquan’s face turned pale and then green, finally biting his lip, “I’ll give you the money. Let this be the end of it!”

Qian Ye smiled brightly, “Let this be the end of it.”

He emphasized the word ‘this,’ believing Li Tianquan understood.

Li Tianquan stood up, moved a painting on the wall, and tapped a hidden panel, revealing a secret compartment. He took out a briefcase, placed it in front of Qian Ye, and gritted his teeth, “It’s all here.”

Qian Ye opened it and found neatly stacked high-purity black crystals, estimated to be worth around 50,000 gold coins. The total value of the equipment he had stripped from Lu Sha and sold to Kong Yuanfang was less than this. Li Tianquan’s payment was close to the entire net worth of Lu Sha’s team, which explained why they had taken such risks, even at the risk of offending the Kong family.

Qian Ye closed the briefcase, patted it, and said, “Thanks,” before heading out. As he reached the door, Qian Ye turned back and said, “By the way, Elder Li, I almost forgot to tell you. I’ve brought a lot of military merits this time. It’s best to prepare in advance, so the bet between us can be fulfilled, and the Li family’s reputation remains intact.”