Kong Fangyuan, with his lofty self-regard, naturally felt that his life was beyond monetary measure. However, for millennia, an unwritten rule had formed: the scions of various noble families often had a price. This made it convenient for these families to ransom their own during conflicts, and kept the rivalries among human clans from escalating too far, preventing excessive internal strife. Of course, this only applied when the enmity could be managed.
Kong Fangyuan knew his worth and the approximate price. A Wind and Smoke Cold saber, along with a sum of money, was indeed enough to show “sincerity.”
Qian Ye did not know this rule, but he felt that Kong Fangyuan’s sincerity was genuine. Squeezing him further might lead to a real feud with the Kong family. After all, there was no deep-seated enmity between them; a minor reprimand would suffice.
Without waiting for instructions, Kong Fangyuan’s subordinates stripped Lu Sha and the others, inventoried their equipment, and estimated its value. According to Kong Fangyuan’s intention, the price offered was not just fair—it was 30% higher than the market rate. If Qian Ye were to sell, he’d be lucky to get 80% of the market price. The extra 50% would serve as the ransom for their lives.
Qian Ye had no objections. He wasn’t inflexible, and considering that Kong Fangyuan owed him two lives, some sacrifice was expected.
With all these factors, the final valuation of the equipment on Lu Sha and the other two turned out to be worth tens of thousands. Kong Fangyuan, having gone out for a hunt, did not carry that much money. He gathered funds from his subordinates, using black crystals and special ammunition to cover half the amount, while writing a promissory note for the rest. The note stipulated that part of the debt would be settled with an estate, and the remainder could be claimed at any Kong family property at any time.
Kong Fangyuan’s plan was clever. It would bind Qian Ye to the Kong family. On one hand, mutual exchanges fostered relationships, so owing money was not necessarily bad, as long as it was repaid. On the other hand, more interactions would provide opportunities to draw Qian Ye closer. Qian Ye had already shown value to the Kong family, and even if he couldn’t be persuaded, the Kong family could still request his assistance in the future.
Qian Ye didn’t pay much mind to Kong Fangyuan’s machinations. He found Kong Fangyuan’s current actions quite sincere, and future interactions could provide additional channels. With his trove of loot filling his spatial necklace, Qian Ye needed ways to dispose of it. Relying solely on the Lu family in Yuanyin was insufficient, and he didn’t want to put all his eggs in one basket. As for the pair of sisters, Qian Ye, having already acquired Ye Tong, paid them no heed.
The resolution was satisfactory. Qian Ye bid farewell to Kong Fangyuan and entered the Misty Forest, separating from the group. Only after he left did the Kong family members breathe a sigh of relief, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Once Qian Ye was far from the Kong family, and certain no one followed, he stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. The wound on his waist reopened, and blood gushed like an arrow.
Qian Ye’s injuries were far more severe than they appeared. The knife wound on his waist was particularly grave. The assassin had injected all his primal energy into Qian Ye, equivalent to detonating a primal energy grenade inside him. This attack, invisible and traceless, was devastating. An ordinary warlord would have been torn apart by such a strike, leaving no chance for retaliation.
However, Qian Ye, with his bloodline, possessed a body that was almost inhuman. Each part of his body was stronger than that of a warlord of the same level, confining the damage to the vicinity of the wound. The subsequent primal energy lance further injured him, leaving him unable to fight again.
Yet, Qian Ye remained composed. Not only did he treat his wound in front of the Kong family, but he also searched the bodies and haggled with Kong Fangyuan, always appearing to have plenty of strength in reserve. Otherwise, if the Kong family discovered his serious injuries, unforeseen consequences might arise.
After successfully escaping, healing was just a matter of time for Qian Ye. The Misty Forest provided tree sap and exotic beasts, ensuring an abundance of everything needed. With these resources, Qian Ye recovered exceptionally fast, his injuries fully healed in just a day and a night.
As soon as he recovered, Qian Ye set out on his return journey. This time, he planned to have a serious talk with the “big shot.”
Returning to the Li family base, he saw a bustling crowd, but with many more injured soldiers, indicating the war’s increasing brutality. Inside the base, Qian Ye noticed a newly cleared area for storing the coffins of fallen soldiers. Coffins were placed silently, awaiting shipment back to the empire.
Nearly a thousand coffins lay on the ground, exuding a desolate and grim atmosphere. After encountering the Kong family’s team, Qian Ye realized that even a noble team couldn’t bring back all their dead in dire situations. Even the main branch’s warriors had to be left behind in critical moments.
The nearly thousand coffins here suggested that ten times as many had died in the Misty Forest. Qian Ye suddenly realized how the scale of the war had grown.
Having had several unpleasant experiences, Qian Ye sought out Li Weishi before submitting his military achievements. Li Weishi accompanied him to the exchange area.
On the way, Li Weishi smiled and said, “You don’t need to worry. The last incident caused a huge uproar. The family head sent someone to severely reprimand the second elder, who has since become much more cautious. At least he won’t repeat the same mistake. If he did, the family head would have grounds to remove him from his position.”
Qian Ye nodded, though he knew that Li Tianquan now hated him, and the Li family’s overall view of him was likely negative. The family head’s reprimand was mainly due to the impact on the Li family’s reputation, not any genuine remorse. In other words, Li Tianquan was punished for incompetence, not injustice.
Qian Ye didn’t reveal his understanding and followed Li Weishi to the military merit exchange area. There, he dropped the large chest, instantly drawing the attention of everyone. Many forgot about exchanging merits and crowded around.
Li Weishi looked at the crowd, ruefully saying, “Brother Qian Ye, must you be so ostentatious?”
He intended to take Qian Ye to a private area, but Qian Ye stopped in the public exchange zone.
“No problem,” Qian Ye replied nonchalantly.
Seeing Qian Ye’s determination, Li Weishi relented and called for more quartermasters. The chest was heavy, and with so many military merit certificates inside, more hands were needed.
When the chest opened, a cascade of diverse military merit certificates spilled out.
It took over an hour for a dozen quartermasters to tally the certificates, and another hour to verify them. By mid-afternoon, they finally finished, recording the merits.
Li Weishi, glancing at the manual, nearly leaped, exclaiming, “This, this… how is this possible?”
“Too little?” Qian Ye asked.
Li Weishi’s face twitched, “Too little? It’s too much! Did you raid a powerful marquis’s lair?”
“Something like that.”
Qian Ye’s response left Li Weishi speechless. He doubted Qian Ye could actually raid a marquis’s lair, let alone find one in the Misty Forest.
Yet, the record of the second-class merit, crimson and striking, remained etched in Li Weishi’s mind.
Who could achieve a second-class merit so quickly?
Dark races weren’t sheep, waiting to be slaughtered. They were more ferocious than wolves and tigers. Many imperial strongmen, seeking military merits, met their end at their hands. Li Weishi, in a key position, knew many secrets. The recent major battle, including the Blood Battle and the Floating Land Battle, awarded Bai AoTu first-class merit, and Zhao Jundu, second-class merit.
Reflecting, Qian Ye had achieved a full first-class merit in just two months, which was truly terrifying.
Li Weishi shivered, realizing he had still underestimated Qian Ye. The fact that Qian Ye could submit such a significant merit meant he could outmatch most noble teams in the Misty Forest.
By this standard, Qian Ye might already be at Zhao Jundu’s level, with the potential for a godly general.
Li Weishi, lost in thought, dropped the manual. Embarrassed, he picked it up, saying, “I’m ashamed, I was shocked.”
But the surrounding crowd fell silent, their expressions complex, staring at the manual.
The second-class merit had caught everyone’s eye.
Many eyes now fixed on Qian Ye, mostly with a mix of jealousy, fear, and contemplation. A second-class merit was beyond mere envy.
Now, with the arrival of many noble teams, the dark races were also increasing their forces, making military achievements harder to obtain. The number of coffins testified to the high casualty rate.
Qian Ye’s previous second-class merit might have been a fluke, but this one was of a higher caliber. Most present, being from noble teams, compared their merits and felt a chill.
Qian Ye, a free agent, was not bound by any noble family. His military rank was nominal. Such a person, highly capable and unrestrained, was feared by nobles. If pushed too far, such a person could do anything, and the noble families, with their vast holdings, had vulnerabilities. A lone, powerful individual could cause significant trouble.
Even ordinary noble scions might dare challenge Zhao Jundu, knowing he had the Zhao clan as both support and restraint. But Qian Ye, potentially volatile, was the most feared type.
Those present, the backbone of noble families, recognized Qian Ye’s true nature. They exchanged glances and, looking back at him, smiled.
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