But no one expected the merchant councilors to start from the very beginning.
“Since the Divine Prohibition Day, the Supreme One has begun his grand plan,” said the old councilor, who clearly loved telling stories of the past. The Supreme One he mentioned was none other than the leader of the Senate, the enemy of Yang Hao and Hun Yuanzi.
“The Supreme One gathered all the cultivators and martial artists across the world and established the Senate.”
“He also declared that all cultivation must be approved by the Senate, and anyone who cultivates secretly violates the taboo and must be executed.”
“All cultivation manuals were confiscated, and all cultivation sects were destroyed.”
“The Supreme One then supported the imperial royal family and began to vigorously develop technology. During this period, aerospace technology advanced rapidly.”
“Shameless.”
“Utterly shameless.”
“With the support of the Senate and the Ten Sword Streams, the Galactic Empire began a centuries-long expansion and unified the universe.”
“However, each conquered star system must be handed over to nobles for governance and management.”
“Therefore, the true power in the Galactic Empire lies with these small nobles. Whoever controls these nobles is the master of the empire.”
“The Supreme One controls the Senate, the Senate controls the Ten Sword Streams, and the Ten Sword Streams take noble offspring as disciples, who are then sent out to govern the star systems…”
“Therefore, in the Galactic Empire, the most powerful person is not the emperor, but the Senate.”
The councilors took turns speaking, and their explanation was quite coherent. Yang Hao understood about eighty to ninety percent of it. Still, he had some questions: “At school, they all said the imperial emperor was the most powerful. Why does he have to listen to the Senate instead?”
The councilors didn’t mind Yang Hao interrupting them; it seemed they even took it as a sign that Yang Hao had joined their rhythm of speaking and thinking.
“The imperial emperor indeed has power, but that power was given by the Supreme One.”
“The Senate was left by the Supreme One to balance the emperor’s power.”
“The Senate controls the nobles through the Ten Sword Streams, while the emperor controls the military through the Privy Council. They are both the most powerful forces.”
“What about you all?” Yang Hao asked. Unconsciously, he was truly drawn into the rhythm, finding this way of speaking quite amusing.
“We are just rich merchants.”
“We control money, all the economy, and commodities in the universe.”
“The Merchant Guild controls all merchants, and the goods and resources transported by merchants are the lifeblood of the empire. Without us, the empire couldn’t last three days.”
“Two days…”
“One day.”
“Negative one day.”
“You’re just arguing.”
As they spoke, two old councilors began to bicker, clearly ready to fight to the death.
Yang Hao tried hard to suppress his laughter and flattered them, “In other words, the Merchant Guild is the third most powerful force in the universe, second only to the Senate and the imperial emperor, right?”
“That’s reasonable!”
“Not so dumb after all!!”
“Are you married? I have a daughter. Want to consider it?”
Yang Hao coughed repeatedly, looking at the old councilor who was already over ninety years old. His daughter must be around sixty. Marrying her would be like marrying a grandmother. Seeing that this method worked, he continued to flatter them: “So you nine councilors are also the most powerful people in the Galactic Empire.”
“That’s natural.”
“Each of the nine councilors can mobilize resources from any merchant.”
“As long as we are willing, we can mobilize tens of thousands of cargo ships, invest thousands of billions of imperial credits, and deploy tens of thousands of merchant armed forces.”
“And we also have our sword masters, great sword masters, sword saints…”
“You’re getting old and confused.”
“Damn!” He raised his middle finger.
“That’s not right.”
“You’re right, this kid is flattering us.”
“There’s a plot, an intention.”
Yang Hao finally couldn’t help himself and burst into laughter. These old guys were just too funny. The key was that they weren’t just amusing—they were also truly wise and powerful. To reach such a level of power, where they could rival even the Senate or the imperial emperor, as long as these nine people were willing, the Galactic Empire could collapse in a single day.
True power doesn’t lie in military might, but in wisdom.
“I don’t have any schemes,” Yang Hao said sincerely. “I just want to know why you, with such power, are helping me. What can I do for you?”
“What can you do?”
“Do odd jobs, sweep the floor.”
“Be my son-in-law.”
“Your daughter died last year.”
“I had another one a few days ago.”
“Everyone, everyone,” Yang Hao blinked sincerely. “I’m really grateful for your help, but I feel like I really can’t do much. I don’t have as much money as you all, not as many people, not even as many daughters. So I’ll just leave first. You all keep chatting.” Saying this, Yang Hao turned to leave.
“Stay!”
Sure enough, all nine of them shouted together.
Yang Hao scratched his head and slowly turned around. He had already expected it. These nine old guys definitely didn’t call him here just for idle chat—they must have something important in mind. But these councilors were all business geniuses who clearly understood that they couldn’t let Yang Hao feel like he was being taken advantage of, so they had first humbled him a bit.
“Well… there is indeed something we need you to do.”
“Since you’re already getting along so well with the Ten Sword Streams, just keep going.”
“That, that… you promised us three percent of the Dan Ding Group’s shares, right? Keep your word, okay?”
“Love potions are still pretty good. Leave the recipe with us first.”
Yang Hao pondered the meaning of these words and asked, “You want me to continue fighting the Ten Sword Streams? But I’ve already been beaten down by them. What if they kidnap my people again?”
“What’s there to be afraid of? We’ve got your back.”
“That’s right. From today on, you’re part of the Merchant Guild. Who would dare to fight you recklessly?”
Yang Hao nodded, understanding: “So, the Merchant Guild wants to weaken the Ten Sword Streams’ power but doesn’t want to start a conflict directly, so you’re bringing me in and using me as a weapon.”
“More or less.”
“Somewhat close.”
“But you’re still missing something.”
“You want me to continue developing the Dan Ding Sword Sect, using the Dan Ding Sword Sect to attract noble offspring and compete with the Ten Sword Streams for control of the nobles, effectively competing for control of various star systems.” Yang Hao figured it all out. These old guys were indeed incredibly smart, having calculated every step. “You’re locked in a balance of power with the Senate and need me as a catalyst to completely stir up the waters of the empire.”
Suddenly, a strange thought arose in Yang Hao’s mind. He felt that this was an opportunity—an excellent one—that could instantly grant him immense power. But the key was that he had to negotiate carefully with these old councilors.
“I agree,” Yang Hao said, his eyes gleaming with cunning.
But the nine councilors simultaneously fell silent. It was rare for none of them to speak, and they exchanged glances for a long time. Several of them exchanged subtle signals before one old man finally asked with difficulty, “You agree? What do you want in return?”
Yang Hao smiled and began counting on his fingers: “First, the entire Dan Ding Group will belong to the Merchant Guild. One hundred percent of the shares will be given to you. Of course, the management rights will still be mine.”
The old men’s expressions didn’t show pleasure but instead became even more serious.
“Secondly, the Dan Ding Sword Sect and the Hao Sword Group will also belong to the Merchant Guild. They will be part of your private armed forces from now on.”
The old councilors started to wipe sweat from their brows, and some even sighed, as if Yang Hao had given them a major challenge.
“Finally…” Yang Hao stood up and loudly announced, “In my capacity as the Lord of Shen Yu Autonomous Territory, I hereby declare that the Shen Yu Autonomous Territory also belongs to the Merchant Guild and will henceforth be incorporated into the Guild’s sphere of influence.”
The nine councilors’ mouths opened wide enough to fit a melon inside, and their nearly missing teeth were clearly visible. What Yang Hao had just said was simply too shocking, too unimaginable. The councilors naturally wouldn’t be happy. These old foxes clearly understood that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. The more Yang Hao gave them, the more he would inevitably demand in return.
They breathed heavily for a long time before one of them finally asked, “What do you want?”
This was the key point.
Yang Hao said casually, “Me? It’s simple. Just leave me a seat at this table.”
It was like a thunderclap.
It almost scared the nine old guys to death.
“You want a seat at this table?”
“You also want to become a councilor of the Merchant Guild?”
“Is it that easy to become a councilor? We can mobilize billions of assets, hundreds of thousands of ships, and tens of thousands of armed personnel. We are…”
“There are only nine councilors. What would you be inserting yourself as? A third party intruding?”
Yang Hao sat back down, crossing his legs, and said, “The Senate has nine directors, and you are nine councilors. You have the same number, which isn’t impressive enough. Adding me to make ten would outnumber the Senate by one. We can outmatch them in numbers.”
“That’s also true.”
“What nonsense!”
“I’ve worked for decades to earn this position. He just came and wants it? Dream on.”
“You raised your daughter for seventy years and still wanted to marry her to him.”
“Damn!” He raised his middle finger again.
They argued for a long time before finally reaching a conclusion: “That’s impossible, Yang Hao. You’re not that important. The Merchant Guild can still survive in the Galactic Empire without you. We can’t give you that much. It’s simply absurd.”
“Surviving doesn’t mean winning,” Yang Hao pointed out their weakness bluntly. “You’re always arguing together. Isn’t it precisely to outdo the Senate?”
“That’s still not possible. Without you, we can find someone else. No matter how strong you are, you’re still just a child. We have plenty of sword saints at our disposal…”
As soon as this councilor finished speaking, people around him started winking and giving him signals. The councilor realized he had said the wrong thing, covered his mouth, and stopped talking.
Yang Hao pretended not to hear. He reasoned with them emotionally: “You found me, of course, because you know me well enough. You know that I possess something the Senate also fears. The Starflower behind me, the divine power within me, and the ancient inheritance are all unique.”
The councilors’ expressions became serious, clearly indicating that Yang Hao’s secrets were already completely exposed before these old foxes who could eat tigers.
“The things I’m giving you are no less valuable than the power you’re giving me.”
Yang Hao analyzed, “The Dan Ding Group’s assets are in the billions. After joining the Guild, they can at least multiply a hundredfold. Even if the Dan Ding Sword Sect and the Hao Sword Group aren’t strong enough now, they can later control noble offspring with love potions, which is a benefit money can’t buy. As for the Shen Yu Autonomous Territory, it goes without saying. It has one-tenth of the empire’s territory and planets, countless population and resources, and even a technological center in the Tri-Crystal Sea star system. Such assets, given to you all at once, would be foolish not to accept.”
The councilors frowned, closed their eyes, and secretly calculated in their hearts. What Yang Hao had just said was indeed tempting. Even if he couldn’t actually control the Tri-Crystal Sea, Yang Hao still held the title of Lord. In the future, the Merchant Guild could send people to help take control of the entire autonomous territory, which would indeed not be a problem.
Thus, this deal started to become worthwhile. The Merchant Guild’s strength would at least increase by one-tenth, and adding Yang Hao as a councilor was just adding fresh strength rather than weakening it.
Although the councilors didn’t say anything, they were already secretly moved.
Yang Hao added more fuel to the fire: “I also have a secret agreement with the ancient gods. They will lend me divine power. When I get this power, not only the Senate, but even the Supreme One…”
“Could it be that power…” one councilor asked suddenly.
Yang Hao was also startled. He didn’t expect these people to know about the Creator’s power. Then, what in this world didn’t they know? Yang Hao answered boldly: “That’s right. That power. Besides, I also have an ancient goddess beauty as my little lover. As long as I want, she can come out to help me anytime.”
The nine councilors took a deep breath. They looked at each other, thinking for a long time before finally making their final decision.
The councilors of the Merchant Guild were equal in status, and each could mobilize all the forces within the Guild. If Yang Hao joined, he would instantly become one of the highest power holders in the empire, no less than the Chief Minister of the Privy Council, who commanded all the empire’s military forces.
This was no simple decision. Their words from the nine people could likely affect the entire empire’s development trajectory.
At the very least, it would make the empire’s murky waters even more turbulent.
Yang Hao stayed at the Merchant Guild for two days. Two days later, he took Long Yun and the Promise Squad back home. The few people who had narrowly escaped disaster were naturally overjoyed, completely unaware of the faint concern in Yang Hao’s eyes.
“Old Long,” Yang Hao let the four couples of the Promise Squad go to the side to flirt and talk love, and chatted with Long Yun himself, “On the day the incident happened, Zhuge Jian asked you to take people to support him. What happened?”
Long Yun slapped his head. After being captured, he had completely forgotten this important matter: “It’s tricky. Old Master Zhuge also felt it was tricky. Our business was doing too well. Many busy streets had more than half of Dan Ding Group’s shops, which annoyed some merchants. Those days, merchants kept bringing their armed forces to disrupt Dan Ding Group’s shops. Old Master Zhuge couldn’t handle it, so he asked me to go help maintain order.”
Yang Hao frowned. Merchants causing trouble was indeed a bit strange. A week ago, even though Yang Hao hadn’t yet finalized the deal with the Merchant Guild, why would they oppose him?
Long Yun looked at Yang Hao’s pensive expression and assumed he also found the situation challenging:
“Speaking of it, those swordsmen hired by the merchants are really impressive; they’re all at the level of sword masters, which must have cost a lot of money.”
“All of them are sword masters?” Hun Yuanzi suddenly spoke up. He had been cultivating all along and had not spoken much in the past few days. “Do any of them resemble nobles?”
“A bit,” Long Yun nodded. “They indeed somewhat resemble nobles. But it’s strange—why would noble offspring help merchants in a conflict like this?”
Yang Hao began to sneer. He had grasped a crucial point of the matter. More importantly, something he had once feared no longer scared him at all.
Returning to the Dan Ding Sword Sect, Yang Hao summoned all the senior members for a meeting. During their absence, many events had unfolded in the capital.
The news of Dan Ding Sword Sect’s troubles and the collective injuries of the Hao Sword Group had spread throughout the noble circles of Earth in just one day. Seeing Yang Hao’s apparent loss of power, all the noble disciples recently accepted into the sect had fled, leaving only a handful behind in just a few days. Now, the Dan Ding Sword Sect was nearly deserted, and the bustling days of the recent past were gone forever.
Even more significant was the news that the Ten Sword Sect had suddenly launched its largest recruitment drive in history. They were taking in apprentices indiscriminately, accepting anyone from a noble background, albeit at a steep cost.
These noble youths might lack many things, but certainly not money. They had always desperately wanted to join the Ten Sword Sect but were unable to find a way in, so they had settled for joining the Dan Ding Sword Sect instead. Now, the most orthodox and promising sect in the empire was opening its doors on an unprecedented scale, a rare opportunity that no one wanted to miss.
In just a few short days, the entire noble circle on Earth had mobilized. Joining the Ten Sword Sect had become a matter of honor, while not joining it was considered shameful. As for the Dan Ding Sword Sect, it had been completely discarded, to the point where not even a single application form could be distributed.
Meanwhile, Dan Ding Group’s commercial expansion had encountered major setbacks. Merchants in the empire’s twenty most prosperous cities, seemingly incited by someone, had banded together to launch a series of commercial countermeasures against the Dan Ding Group. On one hand, they were lowering the prices of their goods, while on the other, they were increasing the cost of shop rentals, preventing Dan Ding from acquiring prime locations. More seriously, they had even deployed private armed forces to surround Dan Ding’s chain of spring pharmacies.
The sheer number of these private armed forces was overwhelming, and with only a handful of members in the Hao Sword Group, defense was impossible. As a result, the group’s revenue was predicted to drop by hundreds of times this month.
After hearing these reports, Yang Hao couldn’t help but sneer.
It was indeed a well-planned trap. The Ten Sword Sect had first dealt a heavy blow to the Hao Sword Group and kidnapped members of the Dan Ding Sect, humiliating Yang Hao, the new generation’s top expert, and prompting nobles to flee the Dan Ding Sword Sect. Then, they aggressively expanded, luring all the promising noble youths in the capital into their fold. Finally, they delivered a decisive blow by crippling Dan Ding Group’s business, leaving Yang Hao without income and forcing him to retreat in disgrace to his territory.
Ultimately, it all boiled down to one word—face.
The nobles of the empire valued face above all else. With face and status, people would fawn over and flatter you. Naturally, people would join your sword sect. Conversely, if you lost face, you would be unable to survive within these circles.
The core of the struggle between Yang Hao and the Ten Sword Sect was control over noble youths. Whoever controlled these youths effectively controlled the power structure of the Galactic Empire. The primary requirement for attracting noble youths was face. Previously, Yang Hao had repeatedly defeated the Ten Sword Sect and seized their sacred swords, stripping them of face. Now, the Ten Sword Sect had turned the tables, seizing the noble resources in a predictable move.
After a quiet discussion with Hun Yuanzi, master and apprentice devised a clever countermeasure.
Yang Hao turned to Zhuge Jian, who was deeply worried and nearly plucked all the feathers from his fan:
“Starting tomorrow, for the next month, all businesses under the Dan Ding Group will operate at half price.”
“Half price!” Zhuge Jian was shocked. Though the profit margins on spring medicine were high enough that even reducing prices to a tenth wouldn’t incur losses, other businesses couldn’t sustain such a drastic cut. It was clearly throwing money away. “Boss, are you out of your mind? This will incur massive losses!”
“Exactly, I want to lose—lose big and lose hard.”
Zhuge Jian was clever enough to realize Yang Hao might be planning to hurt the troublemaking merchants financially, but he was still concerned: “The merchants are already targeting us. If we do this, they’ll definitely erupt in anger. Within two days, someone will surely cause trouble.”
“That’s exactly what I’m afraid they won’t do,” Yang Hao sneered. “You should immediately challenge the enraged merchants, inviting them to the capital’s most bustling commercial plaza in three days. I’ll give them a proper reckoning.”
Turning to Xie Fengting, who had remained at the Dan Ding Sect, Yang Hao said, “Do me a favor—spread the word that in three days, there will be a historic showdown at the commercial plaza, and invite all the young nobles and aristocratic descendants to come and watch.”
“What are you planning?” Xie Fengting asked, puzzled.
“They want to make a big splash, so I’ll make an even bigger one,” Yang Hao said, drawing a deep breath, his eyes gleaming coldly.
Niko Commercial Prefecture, the most prosperous commercial city on Earth, was almost entirely composed of shopping malls. Located only over five thousand kilometers from the capital, it was connected by a global instantaneous transportation network, handling millions of people daily.
The city center of Niko Commercial Prefecture featured a massive plaza, with twelve of the city’s busiest commercial streets radiating outward and converging here.
In the past six months, the price of shops in Niko Commercial Prefecture had skyrocketed, quadrupling within just a few months. It was rumored that an outsider, the Dan Ding Group, had come in and aggressively bought up properties. The group’s general manager, Zhuge Jian, was particularly cunning, using every trick in the book to acquire entire blocks of shops along six streets.
This was simply outrageous.
Everyone knew that Niko Commercial Prefecture housed the Niko Merchant Association, a direct branch of the Merchant General Assembly, which had governed the city’s commercial order for decades. Anyone wishing to do business here had to obtain approval from the Niko Merchant Association; otherwise, they would be driven out within three days.
Yet the Dan Ding Group had been audacious, brazenly buying and selling properties without going through the association, backed by the Dan Ding Sword Sect. Overnight, they had taken over nearly every sector of the local economy, shattering the city’s decades-long stability.
Therefore, it was obvious to any keen observer that a conflict between the Dan Ding Group and the Niko Merchant Association was inevitable.
No one had expected the war to erupt so quickly and violently.
A week earlier, the Niko Merchant Association had dispatched nearly a thousand private armed forces to occupy the six commercial streets controlled by the Dan Ding Group, barring anyone from entering. Though the Dan Ding Sword Sect had sent reinforcements, news of an attack on their headquarters had soon emerged, forcing them to retreat. Thus, the Niko Merchant Association had dominated the city, leaving the Dan Ding Group unable to conduct business.
Still, it puzzled many observers how the Niko Merchant Association, though the local merchants’ leader, had suddenly gained so many powerful sword masters seemingly overnight.
Nevertheless, the Niko Merchant Association maintained this victorious posture for several days until three days ago, when the Dan Ding Sword Sect suddenly launched a full-scale assault, reclaiming three commercial streets.
The Dan Ding Group then issued a public announcement stating that all its businesses would operate at half price for a month.
This time, everyone realized that the battle was far from over—it had only just begun.
Yet today was indeed strange. The vast central plaza, which usually saw no more than ten thousand people even during the busiest seasons, was already filled with hundreds of thousands of people lingering about, with more pouring in from the outskirts. It seemed the gathering would soon exceed a million.
Even more astonishing was that nearly all these million people appeared to be noble youths of high status. In the empire, nobles were divided into collateral, minor, and direct lines. Some collateral nobles, despite holding titles, rarely attained good positions and were considered low-ranking nobles, barely better than commoners.
However, the offspring of imperial officials, sword sect families, and military generals were not only titled nobles but also had promising futures, often destined to govern entire star systems. These individuals with bright prospects were undoubtedly high-ranking nobles.
A million high-ranking noble youths gathered here—nearly all the elite of Earth. They had not come for Yang Hao’s sake but had been invited by the Niko Merchant Association and the Ten Sword Sect.
Today was the day Yang Hao had challenged them, and also the day the Ten Sword Sect planned to deliver its final blow to Yang Hao.
Fuji Akihito was the chairman of the Niko Merchant Association, a middle-aged merchant in his prime and at the peak of his ambition. He now stood in the center of the plaza with a full thousand-man sword master squad.
“Is everything ready?” Fuji asked a middle-aged man beside him, who wore a cross-shaped golden sword.
This middle-aged swordsman exuded an unusual aura; anyone approaching him instinctively lowered their gaze, unable to meet his eyes directly. Only Fuji could stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
The swordsman was none other than the leader of the Ten Sword Sect’s Divine Pardon Sword Group, and also the elder brother of the former deputy leader of the same group, who had been killed by Yang Hao’s “Thousand Mile Lethal Strike.” His name was Haik, one of the rising stars among the Ten Sword Sect’s middle generation. According to estimates by the Elder Council, Haik would be qualified to join the Elder Council within a year.
Upon hearing Fuji’s question, Haik’s face curled into a contemptuous smile:
“They won’t leave once they come. The Ten Sword Sect has deployed twelve sword master squads, with thousands of sword experts hidden in various places. Today, we will deliver a fatal blow to that Yang Hao.”
“The key is to let the Dan Ding Group know that Niko Prefecture is not a place where they can act recklessly,” Fuji frowned. Though he regretted having to ally with the Ten Sword Sect against the Dan Ding Group, he had no choice. Everyone understood that the merchant groups and the Elder Council were two independent powers, like well water and river water never mixing. But to preserve his position, he had no choice but to rely on others.
“Don’t worry. Yang Hao is as good as dead. How can his group survive without him?” Haik had no fondness for these merchants either. “You can just wait to take over their business.”
This reassured Fuji somewhat, though he added a reminder: “Remember to have your men change into civilian clothes. Under no circumstances should they wear the Ten Sword Sect’s uniforms. If people discover I hired you, even my position as chairman might be in jeopardy.”
Fuji’s concerns were valid. By inciting the Merchant Association to oppose the Dan Ding Group, if his use of Elder Council forces were exposed, the merchants would surely rebel. After all, the merchants and the Ten Sword Sect had a deep-seated enmity.
Long Yun observed Yang Hao’s pensive expression and assumed he also found the situation challenging:
“Speaking of which, those merchants hired some truly impressive swordsmen—all at the Sword Master level. That must have cost them a fortune.”
“All Sword Masters?” Hunyuanzi suddenly interjected. He had been deep in cultivation these past few days and hadn’t spoken much. “Do they carry themselves like nobles?”
“A little,” Long Yun nodded. “They do resemble nobles somewhat. But it’s strange—if they’re noble-born, why would they step in to help merchants?”
Yang Hao began to smirk. He had grasped a crucial detail. More importantly, what he had once feared no longer held any power over him.
Upon returning to the Danding Sword Sect, Yang Hao called a meeting of all high-ranking members. In their absence, the capital had indeed seen many upheavals.
News of the Danding Sword Sect’s troubles and the collective injuries suffered by the Hao Sword Group had spread like wildfire through Earth’s noble circles in just a single day. Seeing Yang Hao’s decline, all the newly recruited noble disciples fled the sect. Within days, only a handful remained. The once-bustling Danding Sword Sect now stood deserted, a far cry from its former glory.
The more significant development was that the Ten Sword Streams had suddenly launched an unprecedented recruitment campaign. They were accepting disciples en masse, regardless of talent, as long as they were of noble birth—though the fees were exorbitant.
But noble youths lacked everything except money. They had once been desperate to join the Ten Sword Streams, only settling for the Danding Sword Sect when they couldn’t gain entry. Now, with the Ten Sword Streams—the most prestigious and promising faction in the empire—opening their doors in a once-in-a-century expansion, who wouldn’t rush to join?
In just a few short days, Earth’s entire noble class had mobilized. Joining the Ten Sword Streams became a matter of pride, while staying with the Danding Sword Sect was now a disgrace. The Danding Sword Sect had been utterly forgotten, not even able to distribute a single application form.
Meanwhile, the Danding Group’s commercial expansion had also suffered severe setbacks. Merchants from the empire’s twenty most prosperous cities, seemingly incited by certain parties, had banded together to launch a coordinated assault on the Danding Group. They slashed prices while simultaneously inflating shop rents, preventing the Danding Group from securing prime locations. Even worse, they deployed private armed forces to surround the Danding Group’s chain of aphrodisiac shops.
With so many private forces mobilized, the few members of the Hao Sword Group couldn’t possibly defend all fronts. As predicted, the group’s revenue was set to plummet by a hundredfold this month.
Listening to these reports, Yang Hao couldn’t help but sneer.
This was indeed a meticulously crafted trap. First, the Ten Sword Streams had crippled the Hao Sword Group and kidnapped members of the Danding Sect, stripping Yang Hao—the rising super-expert—of his prestige and driving nobles away from the Danding Sword Sect. Then, they launched a frenzied recruitment campaign, drawing all promising nobles in the capital into their ranks. Finally, they delivered the coup de grâce by sabotaging the Danding Group’s business. Without income, Yang Hao would have no choice but to slink back to his territory in disgrace.
At the heart of it all was one word: face.
Nobles in the empire valued face above all else. With prestige and status came flattery and followers, ensuring a thriving faction. But lose face, and one couldn’t even survive in noble circles.
The crux of the struggle between Yang Hao and the Ten Sword Streams was control over noble youths. Whoever commanded them held the key to the Galactic Empire’s power. And the first rule of attracting noble youths? Face.
Previously, Yang Hao had humiliated the Ten Sword Streams by defeating them repeatedly and seizing divine swords, stripping them of their dignity. Now, they were returning the favor, seizing noble resources in kind.
After a quiet discussion with Hunyuanzi, master and disciple devised a brilliant countermeasure.
Yang Hao turned to Zhuge Jian, who was so anxious he’d nearly plucked all the feathers from his fan:
“Starting tomorrow, all Danding Group businesses will operate at half-price for an entire month.”
“Half-price!” Zhuge Jian was stunned. While aphrodisiacs had high profit margins and could sustain even a 90% discount, other businesses couldn’t. This was essentially burning through capital. “Boss, have you lost your mind? We’ll lose a fortune!”
“That’s the point—lose it, and lose it spectacularly.”
Zhuge Jian, ever sharp, guessed that Yang Hao might be trying to undercut the troublesome merchants, making them feel the pain. But he was still concerned: “The merchants are already targeting us. This move will provoke them further. Within two days, they’ll riot.”
“I’m counting on them rioting,” Yang Hao chuckled darkly. “Go challenge those furious merchants. Tell them to meet me in the capital’s busiest commercial square in three days. I’ll give them an answer.”
Yang Hao then turned to Xie Fengting, who had remained with the Danding Sect: “Do me a favor—spread the word that in three days, there’ll be a showdown of the century in the commercial square. Make sure all those pampered nobles and their heirs come to watch.”
“What are you planning?” Xie Fengting was baffled.
“They want to escalate? I’ll escalate even harder.” Yang Hao took a deep breath, his eyes glinting coldly.
—
Nico Commercial Prefecture, Earth’s most bustling commercial city, was almost entirely composed of towering malls. Located just over 5,000 kilometers from the capital and connected by a global teleportation network, it handled tens of millions of visitors daily.
At its heart lay a massive central square where twelve of the busiest commercial streets converged in a radial pattern.
Over the past six months, property prices in Nico Commercial Prefecture had skyrocketed, quadrupling in just a few months. Rumors attributed this to the Danding Group, an outsider aggressively acquiring real estate. The group’s tactics, especially under the cunning management of Zhuge Jian, had allowed them to seize every shop on six entire streets.
This was unprecedented.
Everyone knew of the Nico Merchants’ Alliance, a branch of the larger Merchants’ Guild that had governed the city’s commercial order for decades. Any merchant operating here required the alliance’s approval—or faced expulsion within three days.
Yet the Danding Group, backed by the Danding Sword Sect, had flouted the alliance’s authority, buying up properties overnight and dominating nearly every industry. Decades of stability had been shattered.
Observers knew war between the Danding Group and the Nico Merchants’ Alliance was inevitable.
But no one expected it to erupt so swiftly or violently.
A week prior, the alliance had dispatched nearly a thousand private enforcers to occupy all six of the Danding Group’s commercial streets, barring entry to anyone. Though the Danding Sword Sect sent reinforcements, news of their headquarters’ attack soon spread, leaving the alliance unchallenged in Nico. The Danding Group’s operations ground to a halt.
Yet something felt off. The alliance, while dominant, had never fielded so many elite swordsmen before. Where had these powerful Sword Master teams come from overnight?
Regardless, the alliance maintained its triumphant stance for days—until three days ago, when the Danding Sword Sect launched a full-scale counterattack, reclaiming three streets.
The Danding Group then announced a month-long half-price sale across all businesses.
Now, everyone understood: this war was far from over. It had only just begun.
But today was peculiar. The vast central square, usually bustling with tens of thousands even at peak times, now hosted hundreds of thousands—with more pouring in from the periphery. Estimates suggested over a million might gather.
Even more astonishing, the crowd seemed composed entirely of high-ranking noble youths. In the empire, nobles were stratified into branches, offshoots, and direct lines. Some peripheral nobles, despite their titles, held no significant positions, barely ranking above commoners.
But the offspring of imperial officials, sword sect families, and military commanders not only bore noble titles but also enjoyed bright futures, often destined to govern entire star systems. These were the high nobles.
A million high-ranking noble youths represented nearly all of Earth’s elite. Their presence in Nico wasn’t for Yang Hao’s sake—they’d been invited by the Nico Merchants’ Alliance and the Ten Sword Streams.
Today was Yang Hao’s appointed day of reckoning, and the Ten Sword Streams’ moment to deliver the final blow.
—
Teng Bowen, the forty-something chairman of the Nico Merchants’ Alliance, stood at the square’s center with a thousand-strong Sword Master team. In his prime and brimming with ambition, he turned to a middle-aged swordsman adorned with a golden cross-shaped sword.
The swordsman exuded an aura that made others instinctively lower their heads in his presence—except Teng Bowen, who stood beside him as an equal.
This was Haike, leader of the Ten Sword Streams’ Divine Mercy Sword Group and elder brother to the deputy leader Yang Hao had slain with “Thousand-Mile Slaying.” A rising star among the Ten Sword Streams’ mid-generation experts, Haike was projected to join the Elder Council within a year.
At Teng Bowen’s question, Haike smirked disdainfully:
“They won’t leave alive. The Ten Sword Streams have deployed twelve Sword Master teams—thousands of elite swordsmen hidden throughout. Today, we end Yang Hao.”
“The key is making the Danding Group understand Nico isn’t theirs to meddle with,” Teng Bowen frowned. Allying with the Ten Sword Streams was a last resort. Though merchants and the Elder Council traditionally kept their distance, desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Relax. With Yang Hao dead, his group won’t survive,” Haike said, equally dismissive of the merchants. “You’ll take over their business soon enough.”
Teng Bowen relaxed slightly but added, “Make sure your men change out of Ten Sword Streams uniforms. If anyone learns I enlisted your help, I’ll lose my chairmanship.”
His concern was valid. Having rallied the alliance against the Danding Group, any hint of collaboration with the Elder Council would spark rebellion. The blood feud between merchants and the Ten Sword Streams ran deep.
Haike changed the subject: “I heard your Merchants’ Guild added a secret director recently?”
Teng Bowen’s face darkened. Three days ago, the guild had announced its nine directors would become ten—with the new member’s identity kept secret.
A guild directorship was no small matter, granting authority over not just Nico’s commerce but the entire cosmic trade network. Teng Bowen had coveted the tenth seat, only to see his hopes dashed.
“That’s guild business. None of yours,” Teng Bowen said flatly.
He scanned the square. Haike’s thousands of swordsmen blended seamlessly into the crowd, while 200,000 Nico merchants, incited by Teng Bowen, formed a central ring. Beyond them swarmed the million high-ranking noble youths—the elite core the Ten Sword Streams aimed to recruit.
The Ten Sword Streams wanted these nobles to witness Yang Hao’s downfall firsthand.
Everything was ready. Only Yang Hao was missing.
—
Yang Hao arrived precisely on time.
From the three streets still under Danding Sect control, over 500 people filed out—the last remnants of the Danding Group and Danding Sword Sect, mostly orphans Yang Hao had taken in on Remon Star.
The entire force mobilized. Long Yun, Maya, and Zhuge Jian each led a vanguard, while Yang Hao lagged behind with Xie Fengting in tow.
Xie Fengting hadn’t planned to attend, but Yang Hao insisted, claiming every expert counted for morale.
As Yang Hao’s group entered the square, the crowd erupted—especially the Nico merchants, already incensed by the Danding Group and further provoked by Teng Bowen. They jeered at Yang Hao, some even resorting to violence in their fury.
Long Yun saw Yang Hao deep in thought and assumed he also found the situation tricky:
“Speaking of which, those merchants hired some really skilled swordsmen—all at the Sword Master level. Must’ve cost them a fortune.”
“All Sword Masters?” Hunyuanzi suddenly interjected. He had been focused on cultivation lately, so he hadn’t spoken much these past few days. “Do they carry themselves like nobles?”
“A bit,” Long Yun nodded. “They do resemble nobles. But it’s strange—if they’re noble-born, why would they fight for merchants?”
Yang Hao sneered coldly. He had grasped a crucial point. More importantly, there were things he used to fear, but now, he no longer did.
Upon returning to the Danding Sword Sect, Yang Hao called a meeting of all high-ranking members. In the few days they had been away, the capital had indeed seen many upheavals.
The news of the Danding Sword Sect’s troubles and the collective injuries suffered by the Hao Sword Group had spread like wildfire through Earth’s noble circles in just one day. Seeing Yang Hao’s decline, all the newly recruited noble-born disciples fled the sect. Within days, only a handful remained, leaving the once-bustling Danding Sword Sect deserted.
More importantly, the Ten Sword Streams had suddenly launched their largest-ever recruitment drive in recent days. They were accepting disciples en masse, regardless of talent—as long as they were of noble birth, they could join, though the fees were steep.
But these noble youths lacked everything except money. They had once been desperate to join the Ten Sword Streams but settled for the Danding Sword Sect when they couldn’t gain entry. Now, with the most prestigious and promising Ten Sword Streams opening their doors on an unprecedented scale, they rushed to enlist.
In just a few short days, Earth’s entire noble class had mobilized. Joining the Ten Sword Streams became a matter of pride, while staying with the Danding Sword Sect was seen as shameful. The Danding Sword Sect was now as good as forgotten, not even able to distribute a single application form.
Meanwhile, the Danding Group’s commercial expansion had also suffered major setbacks. Merchants from the Empire’s twenty most prosperous cities, seemingly incited by certain parties, had banded together to launch a series of business maneuvers against the Danding Group. They slashed prices on goods while inflating shop rents, preventing the Danding Group from securing prime locations. Worse yet, they deployed private armed forces to blockade the Danding Group’s chain of aphrodisiac shops.
With so many private forces, the few members of the Hao Sword Group couldn’t possibly defend all fronts. As predicted, the group’s revenue was set to plummet by a hundredfold this month.
Hearing these reports, Yang Hao couldn’t help but sneer.
This was indeed a well-laid trap. First, the Ten Sword Streams crippled the Hao Sword Group and kidnapped Danding Sect members, stripping Yang Hao—the rising super powerhouse—of his prestige and driving nobles away from the sect. Then, they launched a massive recruitment spree, drawing all promising nobles under their banner. Finally, they delivered the coup de grâce by sabotaging the Danding Group’s business. Without income, Yang Hao would have no choice but to slink back to his territory in disgrace.
At the heart of it all was one word—face.
Nobles in the Empire valued face above all. With prestige and status, one would naturally attract flatterers and followers. A newly established sect would gain members effortlessly. But lose face, and one wouldn’t even survive in noble circles.
The crux of the struggle between Yang Hao and the Ten Sword Streams was control over noble-born disciples. Whoever commanded them would dictate the power dynamics of the Galactic Empire. And the key to attracting noble youths? Face.
Previously, Yang Hao had repeatedly defeated the Ten Sword Streams and seized divine swords, humiliating them thoroughly. Now, they were returning the favor, seizing noble resources—a move that made perfect sense.
After a quiet discussion with Hunyuanzi, master and disciple devised a brilliant countermeasure.
Yang Hao turned to Zhuge Jian, who was so anxious he’d nearly plucked all the feathers from his fan:
“Starting tomorrow, for one full month, all Danding Group businesses will operate at half price.”
“Half price!” Zhuge Jian was stunned. While aphrodisiacs had high profit margins—even a 90% discount wouldn’t incur losses—other businesses couldn’t sustain such cuts. This was essentially burning capital. “Boss, have you lost your mind? We’ll lose a fortune!”
“That’s the point—lose, and lose spectacularly.”
Zhuge Jian, sharp as ever, guessed Yang Hao might be trying to undercut the troublemaking merchants, making them feel the pain. Still, he worried: “The merchants are already targeting us. This move will provoke them further. Within two days, there’ll be riots.”
“I’m counting on them to riot.” Yang Hao grinned slyly. “Go challenge those angry merchants. Tell them to meet me in the capital’s busiest commercial square in three days. I’ll give them an answer.”
Yang Hao then turned to Xie Fengting, who had remained with the Danding Sect: “Do me a favor—spread the word that in three days, there’ll be a showdown of the century in the commercial square. Make sure all those spoiled noble brats come to watch.”
“What are you planning?” Xie Fengting was baffled.
“They want to escalate? I’ll escalate bigger.” Yang Hao took a deep breath, his eyes glinting coldly.
Nico Commercial Prefecture, Earth’s most bustling commercial city, was almost entirely composed of shopping complexes. Located just over 5,000 kilometers from the capital and connected by a global teleportation network, it handled tens of millions of visitors daily.
At its heart lay a massive central square where twelve of the busiest commercial streets converged in a radial pattern.
Over the past six months, property prices in Nico Commercial Prefecture had skyrocketed, quadrupling in just a few months. Rumors attributed this to the Danding Group, an outsider entity aggressively acquiring properties. The group’s tactics, especially under the cunning management of Zhuge Jian, had secured them ownership of all shops on six entire streets.
This was outrageous.
Everyone knew of the Nico Merchants’ Alliance, a direct subsidiary of the Merchant Guild that had governed the city’s commercial order for decades. Any merchant operating here required the Alliance’s approval—otherwise, they’d be driven out within three days.
Yet the Danding Group, backed by the Danding Sword Sect, had flouted the Alliance’s authority, buying up properties overnight and dominating nearly every trade. Decades of stability in Nico Commercial Prefecture had been shattered.
Observers knew war between the Danding Group and the Nico Merchants’ Alliance was inevitable.
But no one expected it to come so soon—or so violently.
A week earlier, the Nico Merchants’ Alliance had dispatched nearly a thousand private armed forces to occupy all six of the Danding Group’s commercial streets, barring entry to anyone. Though the Danding Sword Sect sent reinforcements, news of their headquarters’ attack soon spread, leaving the Alliance unchallenged in Nico City. The Danding Group’s businesses were paralyzed.
Yet sharp-eyed observers found it odd. While the Nico Merchants’ Alliance ruled the local merchants, they’d never before fielded so many elite swordsmen. Overnight, multiple powerful Sword Master teams had appeared.
Regardless, the Alliance maintained their victorious stance for days—until three days prior, when the Danding Sword Sect launched a full-scale counterattack, reclaiming three commercial streets.
The Danding Group then announced a month-long half-price sale across all businesses.
Now, everyone knew this battle was far from over—it had only just begun.
But today was peculiar. The vast central square, which even at peak season rarely saw more than ten thousand visitors, now hosted hundreds of thousands, with more flooding in from the periphery. Estimates suggested over a million would gather here.
Even more astonishing was that these million attendees appeared to be high-ranking noble youths. In the Empire, nobles were stratified into collateral, branch, and direct lines. Some collateral descendants, despite holding titles, received no prestigious appointments, making them little better than commoners.
But the offspring of imperial officials, sword sect families, and military generals not only bore noble titles but also enjoyed bright futures—some destined to govern entire star systems. These were the high nobles.
A million high noble youths represented nearly all of Earth’s elite. Their presence in Nico Prefecture wasn’t for Yang Hao’s sake—they’d been invited by the Nico Merchants’ Alliance and the Ten Sword Streams.
Today was Yang Hao’s appointed day of reckoning—and the Ten Sword Streams’ final strike against him.
Fujimoto, the forty-something chairman of the Nico Merchants’ Alliance, stood at the square’s center with a thousand-strong Sword Master team. In his prime and brimming with ambition, he turned to a middle-aged swordsman adorned with a golden cross-shaped sword.
This swordsman exuded an imposing aura that made others instinctively lower their gaze—only Fujimoto dared stand beside him.
He was Haike, leader of the Ten Sword Streams’ Divine Mercy Sword Group—and elder brother to the deputy leader Yang Hao had slain with “Thousand-Mile Slaughter.” A mid-generation powerhouse, Haike was reportedly a year away from qualifying for the Elder Council.
At Fujimoto’s question, Haike smirked disdainfully:
“They won’t leave alive. The Ten Sword Streams have deployed twelve Sword Master teams—thousands of experts lying in wait. Today, we end Yang Hao.”
“The key is making the Danding Group understand Nico Prefecture isn’t theirs to meddle with,” Fujimoto frowned. Allying with the Ten Sword Streams was a last resort. Though merchants and the Elder Council traditionally kept their distance, desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Relax. With Yang Hao dead, his group won’t survive,” Haike said, equally dismissive of the merchants. “You’ll take over their business.”
Somewhat reassured, Fujimoto added, “Just make sure your men change outfits—no Ten Sword Streams uniforms. If people learn I enlisted you, even my chairmanship won’t save me.”
His concern was valid. Having rallied the Alliance against the Danding Group, being exposed for borrowing the Elder Council’s strength would turn merchants against him—given their bloody history with the Ten Sword Streams.
Haike changed the subject: “Heard your Merchant Guild added a secret director recently?”
Fujimoto’s face darkened. Three days ago, the Guild had announced its nine directors would become ten—with the new member’s identity kept secret.
A Guild directorship was no small matter—commanding not just Nico’s commerce but the entire cosmic trade network, its status was untouchable. Fujimoto had hoped to be the tenth director. Now, that dream was dust.
“Guild affairs are none of your concern,” Fujimoto said flatly, scanning the square. Haike’s thousands of swordsmen blended seamlessly into the crowd, while 200,000 Nico merchants formed a ring around him. Beyond them swarmed the million high noble youths—the Ten Sword Streams’ latest recruitment targets.
The Ten Sword Streams wanted these elites to witness Yang Hao’s downfall firsthand.
Everything was ready. Only Yang Hao’s arrival remained.
Yang Hao arrived punctually. From the three streets under Danding Sect control, over five hundred filed out—the last remnants of the Danding Group and Sword Sect, orphans Yang Hao had recruited on Remon Star.
With his forces fully deployed, Long Yun, Maya, and Zhuge Jian led their teams ahead while Yang Hao dawdled behind with Xie Fengting.
Xie Fengting hadn’t planned to attend, but Yang Hao insisted, claiming every expert counted for morale.
As Yang Hao’s group arrived, the square erupted. The Nico merchants, already resentful and further incited by Fujimoto, hurled abuse at Yang Hao. Some grew so agitated they began throwing punches.
Long Yun observed Yang Hao’s pensive expression and assumed he also found the situation challenging:
“Speaking of which, those merchants hired some truly impressive swordsmen—all at the level of sword masters. That must have cost them a fortune.”
“All sword masters?” Hunyuanzi suddenly interjected. He had been deep in cultivation these past few days and had spoken little. “Do they carry themselves like nobles?”
“A bit,” Long Yun nodded. “They do resemble nobles. But it’s strange—if they’re noble-born, why would they step in for mere merchants?”
Yang Hao began to smirk. He had grasped a crucial detail. More importantly, things he once feared no longer held any power over him.
Upon returning to the Danding Sword Sect, Yang Hao convened a meeting with all the senior members. In their absence, the capital had indeed seen many upheavals.
News of the Danding Sword Sect’s troubles and the collective injuries suffered by the Hao Sword Group had spread like wildfire through Earth’s noble circles within a single day. Seeing Yang Hao’s decline, all the newly recruited noble disciples fled, leaving only a handful behind. The once-bustling sect now stood desolate, its former glory a distant memory.
More significantly, the Ten Sword Streams had launched an unprecedented recruitment drive, accepting disciples regardless of talent—so long as they were of noble birth, they could join, albeit at a steep price.
But these noble youths lacked everything except money. They had once been desperate to join the Ten Sword Streams, settling for the Danding Sword Sect only because they couldn’t gain entry. Now, with the most prestigious and promising Ten Sword Streams opening their doors on a scale unseen in centuries, they rushed to enlist.
In just a few days, Earth’s entire noble class had mobilized, viewing membership in the Ten Sword Streams as a badge of honor and exclusion as a disgrace. The Danding Sword Sect? It had been relegated to obscurity, not even worth a second glance.
Meanwhile, the Danding Group’s commercial expansion faced severe setbacks. Merchants from the empire’s twenty most prosperous cities, seemingly incited by certain parties, had banded together to launch a coordinated assault. They slashed prices while inflating property costs, denying the Danding Group prime locations. Worse, they deployed private militias to blockade the group’s chain of aphrodisiac shops.
With the Hao Sword Group’s limited numbers, defense was impossible. Projections showed the group’s monthly revenue plummeting by a hundredfold.
Hearing these reports, Yang Hao couldn’t help but sneer.
This was indeed a meticulously crafted trap. The Ten Sword Streams had first crippled the Hao Sword Group and kidnapped Danding Sect members, stripping Yang Hao—the rising super talent—of his prestige and driving nobles away. Then they launched a massive recruitment spree, co-opting the empire’s most promising noble youths. Finally, they aimed to cut off the Danding Group’s lifeline, forcing Yang Hao to retreat in disgrace once his income dried up.
At its core, this was all about one thing—face.
Nobles in the empire prized face above all. With prestige and status came flattery and followers; without it, one couldn’t survive in their circles.
Yang Hao and the Ten Sword Streams were locked in a battle for control over noble disciples—whoever commanded them held the key to the Galactic Empire’s power. And the first rule of attracting nobles? Face. Yang Hao had once humiliated the Ten Sword Streams with his victories and stolen their divine swords, stripping them of their dignity. Now, they were returning the favor, seizing the noble resources that rightfully belonged to them.
After a quiet discussion with Hunyuanzi, master and disciple devised a brilliant countermeasure.
Yang Hao turned to the visibly distressed Zhuge Jian, who had nearly plucked his feather fan bare:
“Starting tomorrow, all Danding Group businesses will operate at half-price for an entire month.”
“Half-price!” Zhuge Jian was stunned. While aphrodisiacs had high profit margins and could sustain even a 90% cut, other ventures would hemorrhage money. “Boss, have you lost your mind? We’ll lose a fortune!”
“That’s the point—let’s lose, and lose spectacularly.”
Zhuge Jian, ever sharp, guessed Yang Hao intended to undercut the troublemaking merchants, forcing them to feel the pain. Still, he worried: “The merchants are already targeting us. This will provoke them further. Within days, they’ll riot.”
“I’m counting on it.” Yang Hao grinned slyly. “Issue a challenge to those furious merchants. Tell them to meet me in the capital’s busiest commercial square in three days. I’ll give them an answer.”
Yang Hao then turned to Xie Fengting, who had remained with the Danding Sect: “Do me a favor—spread the word that a battle of the century will take place in the square in three days. Make sure all those pampered nobles and their heirs come to watch.”
“What are you planning?” Xie Fengting was baffled.
“They want to escalate? I’ll escalate bigger.” Yang Hao took a deep breath, his eyes glinting coldly.
Nico Commercial Prefecture, Earth’s most bustling trade hub, was a sprawling metropolis of skyscrapers. Located just over 5,000 kilometers from the capital and connected by a global teleportation network, it handled millions of visitors daily.
At its heart lay a colossal central square where twelve major commercial avenues converged like spokes.
Over the past six months, property prices in Nico had skyrocketed, quadrupling in mere months—thanks largely to the Danding Group’s aggressive acquisitions. Led by the cunning CEO Zhuge Jian, they’d snapped up entire blocks through a mix of shrewd deals and outright trickery.
This was unacceptable.
Everyone knew the Nico Merchants’ Alliance, a branch of the broader Merchants’ Guild, had governed the city’s commerce for decades. Any business operating here required their approval—or faced expulsion within three days.
Yet the Danding Group, backed by the Danding Sword Sect, flouted the alliance, seizing control of entire industries overnight and shattering decades of stability.
Observers knew war between the Danding Group and the Nico Merchants’ Alliance was inevitable.
Few expected it to erupt so swiftly and violently.
A week prior, the alliance deployed nearly a thousand private guards to occupy the Danding Group’s six commercial streets, barring all entry. Though the Danding Sword Sect sent reinforcements, news of their headquarters’ attack left the alliance unchallenged in Nico, crippling the group’s operations.
Yet something felt off. While the alliance ruled Nico’s merchants, they’d never fielded so many elite swordsmen before. Overnight, multiple powerful swordmaster regiments had materialized.
Regardless, the alliance maintained their dominance for days—until the Danding Sword Sect launched a full-scale counterattack, reclaiming three streets in one stroke.
The Danding Group then announced their month-long half-price sale, signaling that this war was far from over—it had only just begun.
Today, however, was peculiar. The vast central square, usually hosting tens of thousands at peak times, now teemed with hundreds of thousands, their numbers swelling by the minute.
Even more astonishing, these hundreds of thousands appeared to be high-ranking noble scions. In the empire, nobles were stratified—lesser branches held titles but little power, while the offspring of officials, swordmasters, and military leaders enjoyed bright futures, often destined to govern entire star systems.
A million such elite nobles represented Earth’s crème de la crème. Their presence in Nico wasn’t for Yang Hao’s sake—they’d been invited by the Nico Merchants’ Alliance and the Ten Sword Streams.
Today was Yang Hao’s appointed duel date—and the Ten Sword Streams’ final strike.
Teng Bowen, the forty-something chairman of the Nico Merchants’ Alliance, stood at the square’s center with a thousand-strong swordmaster regiment.
“Everything ready?” Teng asked the middle-aged swordsman beside him, who bore a golden cross-shaped sword.
This swordsman exuded an aura that made others avert their gaze—only Teng could stand beside him unflinching.
He was Haike, leader of the Divine Mercy Sword Regiment from the Ten Sword Streams, and elder brother to the deputy leader Yang Hao had slain with his “Thousand-Mile Slaying Strike.” A rising star among the Ten Sword Streams’ mid-generation, Haike was projected to join their Elder Council within a year.
At Teng’s question, Haike smirked disdainfully:
“They won’t leave alive. The Ten Sword Streams have deployed twelve swordmaster regiments—thousands of elite swordsmen lie in wait. Today, Yang Hao meets his end.”
“The key is making the Danding Group understand Nico isn’t theirs to trample,” Teng frowned. Allying with the Ten Sword Streams was a necessary evil. Though merchants and the Elder Council traditionally kept their distance, desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Relax. With Yang Hao dead, his group won’t survive,” Haike said, equally dismissive of the merchants. “You’ll inherit their business soon enough.”
Teng relaxed slightly but added, “Make sure your men change clothes—no Ten Sword Streams uniforms. If people learn I enlisted your help, even my chairmanship won’t save me.”
His concern was valid. Having rallied the alliance against the Danding Group, any hint of collusion with the Elder Council would spark rebellion—merchants and the Ten Sword Streams shared a bloody history.
Haike smiled and changed topics: “Heard your guild added a secret new director recently?”
Teng’s face darkened. Three days prior, the Merchants’ Guild had announced its nine directors would become ten—with the new member’s identity kept secret.
A guild directorship was no small matter—it commanded not just Nico’s commerce but the entire cosmic trade network, a position of unimaginable prestige. Teng had hoped to be the tenth. Now, his dreams were dashed.
“Guild affairs are none of your concern,” Teng said flatly. He scanned the square—Haike’s thousands of swordsmen blended seamlessly into the crowd, while 200,000 Nico merchants formed a ring around him. Beyond them stood the million noble scions, the Ten Sword Streams’ latest recruitment targets.
The Ten Sword Streams wanted these elites to witness Yang Hao’s downfall firsthand.
Everything was set. Only Yang Hao’s arrival remained.
Yang Hao arrived punctually. From the three streets still under Danding Sect control, 500-odd figures emerged—the last remnants of the Danding Group and Sword Sect, orphans Yang Hao had recruited on Remon Star.
With his full force deployed, Long Yun, Maya, and Zhuge Jian led their teams ahead while Yang Hao lagged behind with Xie Fengting in tow.
Xie Fengting had initially refused to attend, but Yang Hao insisted, claiming every expert counted.
As Yang Hao’s group arrived, the square erupted. The Nico merchants, already incensed by the Danding Group and further provoked by Teng, hurled insults—some even resorted to violence.
Long Yun noticed Yang Hao’s pensive expression and assumed he also found the situation challenging:
“Speaking of which, those merchants hired some truly skilled swordsmen—all at the Sword Master level. That must have cost them a fortune.”
“All Sword Masters?” Hunyuanzi suddenly interjected. He had been deep in cultivation these past few days and hadn’t spoken much. “Do they carry themselves like nobles?”
“Somewhat,” Long Yun nodded. “They do resemble nobles. But it’s strange—if they’re noble-born, why would they fight on behalf of merchants?”
Yang Hao began to smirk. He had grasped a crucial detail. More importantly, there were things he had once feared, but now, he no longer did.
Upon returning to the Danding Sword Sect, Yang Hao called a meeting with all the senior members. In their absence, the capital had indeed seen many upheavals.
The news of the Danding Sword Sect’s troubles and the collective injuries suffered by the Hao Sword Group had spread like wildfire through Earth’s noble circles in just a day. Seeing Yang Hao’s decline, all the newly recruited noble disciples fled, leaving only a handful behind. The once-bustling Danding Sword Sect was now deserted, a far cry from its former glory.
Even more significant was the sudden, unprecedented expansion effort by the Ten Sword Sects. They were recruiting disciples en masse, regardless of talent—any noble-born individual could join, albeit at a steep price.
But these noble youths lacked everything except money. They had once been desperate to join the Ten Sword Sects but had settled for the Danding Sword Sect when denied entry. Now, with the most prestigious and promising Ten Sword Sects opening their doors in a once-in-a-century recruitment drive, they rushed to enlist.
In just a few days, Earth’s entire noble class had mobilized. Joining the Ten Sword Sects became a matter of pride, while affiliation with the Danding Sword Sect was now a disgrace, relegated to obscurity.
Meanwhile, the Danding Group’s commercial expansion faced severe setbacks. Merchants from the Empire’s twenty most prosperous cities, seemingly incited by certain parties, banded together to launch a coordinated assault on the Danding Group. They slashed prices while inflating property costs, preventing the Danding Group from securing prime locations. Worse, they deployed private armed forces to blockade the Danding Group’s chain of aphrodisiac shops.
With the Hao Sword Group’s limited manpower, they couldn’t defend against such overwhelming numbers. Projections indicated the group’s revenue would plummet by a hundredfold this month.
Hearing these reports, Yang Hao couldn’t help but smirk.
This was indeed a well-orchestrated trap. The Ten Sword Sects first crippled the Hao Sword Group and kidnapped Danding Sect members, stripping Yang Hao—the rising super-swordsman—of his prestige and driving nobles away. Then, they launched a massive recruitment campaign, absorbing all promising noble youths. Finally, they cut off the Danding Group’s revenue, forcing Yang Hao to retreat in disgrace.
At its core, this was all about one thing—face.
Nobles in the Empire valued face above all. With prestige and status, one attracted flatterers and followers. A respected swordsman’s sect would thrive, while a disgraced one would wither.
Yang Hao and the Ten Sword Sects were locked in a battle for control over noble youths—those who held the future of the Galactic Empire’s power. The key to attracting them was prestige. Previously, Yang Hao had humiliated the Ten Sword Sects by defeating them and seizing divine swords. Now, they retaliated in kind, poaching noble resources.
After a private discussion with Hunyuanzi, master and disciple devised a countermeasure.
Yang Hao turned to Zhuge Jian, who was so anxious he’d nearly plucked all the feathers from his fan:
“Starting tomorrow, for the next month, all Danding Group businesses will operate at half-price.”
“Half-price?!” Zhuge Jian was stunned. While aphrodisiacs had high profit margins—enough to sustain even a tenth of their price—other ventures would hemorrhage money. “Boss, are you out of your mind? We’ll lose a fortune!”
“That’s the point—let’s lose, and lose spectacularly.”
Zhuge Jian, sharp as ever, guessed Yang Hao aimed to undercut the merchants’ profits, forcing them to feel the pain. Still, he worried: “The merchants are already targeting us. This will provoke them further. Within days, they’ll riot.”
“I’m counting on it.” Yang Hao grinned slyly. “Go challenge those angry merchants. Tell them to meet me in three days at the capital’s busiest commercial square. I’ll give them an answer.”
Yang Hao then turned to Xie Fengting, who had remained with the Danding Sect: “Do me a favor—spread the word that in three days, a historic duel will take place at the commercial square. Invite all those spoiled noble brats to watch.”
“What are you planning?” Xie Fengting was baffled.
“They want to escalate? Fine, I’ll escalate harder.” Yang Hao took a deep breath, his eyes glinting coldly.
—
Nico Commercial Prefecture, Earth’s most bustling trade hub, was a sprawling metropolis of skyscrapers. Located just over 5,000 kilometers from the capital and connected by a global teleportation network, it handled millions of visitors daily.
At its heart lay a colossal central square, where twelve of its busiest commercial streets converged like spokes.
Over the past six months, property prices in Nico had skyrocketed, quadrupling in mere months—thanks largely to the Danding Group’s aggressive acquisitions. Their shrewd manager, Zhuge Jian, had outmaneuvered competitors to monopolize six entire streets.
This was unprecedented.
The Nico Merchants’ Alliance, a branch of the Empire-wide Merchants’ Guild, had ruled the city’s commerce for decades. Any business operating here required their approval—or faced expulsion within three days.
Yet the Danding Group, backed by the Danding Sword Sect, flouted the Alliance, disrupting decades of order overnight.
A clash was inevitable.
A week ago, the Alliance deployed nearly a thousand private guards to blockade the Danding Group’s six streets. Though the Danding Sect sent reinforcements, news of their headquarters’ attack left them outmatched. The Alliance reigned supreme, crippling the Danding Group’s operations.
Oddly, the Alliance—though dominant—had never fielded so many elite swordsmen before. Where had these formidable Sword Master teams come from?
Regardless, the Alliance maintained their upper hand—until three days ago, when the Danding Sect counterattacked, reclaiming three streets.
Then came the Danding Group’s announcement: half-price sales for a month.
The war was far from over—it had only just begun.
Today, however, was peculiar. The central square, usually hosting tens of thousands at peak times, now teemed with hundreds of thousands—nearly a million—of spectators.
Even more startling, the crowd consisted almost entirely of high-ranking noble youths. In the Empire, nobles ranged from minor branches with hollow titles to scions of officials, military leaders, and sword clans—those destined to govern star systems.
A million such elites—Earth’s crème de la crème—had gathered. They weren’t here for Yang Hao, but at the invitation of the Nico Merchants’ Alliance and the Ten Sword Sects.
Today was Yang Hao’s appointed duel—and the Ten Sword Sects’ final strike.
Teng Bowen, the Alliance’s forty-something chairman, stood at the square’s center with a thousand-strong Sword Master team.
“Everything ready?” he asked the middle-aged swordsman beside him, who bore a golden cross-shaped sword.
The swordsman exuded an aura that made others avert their gaze—except Teng Bowen.
This was Haike, leader of the Ten Sword Sects’ Divine Mercy Sword Group—and elder brother to the deputy leader Yang Hao had slain with “Thousand-Mile Slaughter.” A rising star, Haike was a year away from qualifying for the Elders’ Council.
Haike smirked. “They won’t leave alive. Twelve Sword Master teams—thousands of experts—are hidden here today. We’ll finish Yang Hao.”
“Just ensure the Danding Group learns Nico isn’t theirs to exploit,” Teng Bowen said tersely. Allying with the Ten Sword Sects was a last resort—the Merchants’ Guild and the Elders’ Council were historically separate powers.
“Once Yang Hao falls, his group collapses,” Haike replied dismissively. “You’ll take over their trade.”
Teng Bowen relaxed slightly but warned, “Make sure your men aren’t in Ten Sword Sect uniforms. If the merchants discover I enlisted you, my chairmanship’s forfeit.”
His concern was valid. The merchants, long at odds with the Ten Sword Sects, would revolt if they learned of the alliance.
Haike changed the subject: “Rumor says your Guild added a secret tenth director?”
Teng Bowen scowled. Three days ago, the Guild had announced its nine directors would become ten—with the new member’s identity concealed.
A Guild directorship commanded unimaginable power, overseeing commerce across the galaxy. Teng Bowen had coveted the position—only to be denied.
“That’s Guild business,” he said coldly.
Around them, Haike’s hidden swordsmen blended into the crowd, while 200,000 Nico merchants formed a ring at the center. Beyond them stood the million noble youths—the Ten Sword Sects’ recruitment targets, gathered to witness Yang Hao’s downfall.
All was set. Only Yang Hao was missing.
Right on time, Yang Hao arrived. From the Danding Sect’s three streets emerged 500-odd fighters—the last remnants of the Danding Group and Sect, orphans Yang Hao had recruited on Remon.
Leading the vanguard were Long Yun, Maya, and Zhuge Jian, while Yang Hao lagged behind with Xie Fengting in tow.
Xie Fengting had resisted attending, but Yang Hao insisted: “Every strong fighter counts.”
As Yang Hao’s group entered the square, the crowd erupted. The Nico merchants, already incensed by the Danding Group and further provoked by Teng Bowen, began hurling insults—some even lunged to attack.
“This is none of your business,” Fuji said expressionlessly. He glanced around. Haik’s thousands of swordsmen were hidden among the crowd, completely undetectable. Meanwhile, the twenty thousand merchants from Niko Prefecture that he could incite had already arrived, forming a circle around him. Outside this circle were the million high-ranking noble youths, the elite backbone the Ten Sword Sect aimed to recruit.
The sword sects wanted these youths to witness Yang Hao’s downfall, hence gathering them all together.
Now, everything was ready, except for Yang Hao—the final piece of the puzzle.
Yang Hao indeed arrived right on time. From the three commercial streets currently controlled by the Dan Ding Sect, over five hundred people emerged in a steady stream. These were the last remaining forces of the Dan Ding Group and the Dan Ding Sword Sect—orphans Yang Hao had taken in during his time on Rayman Star.
Yang Hao’s forces came out in full force. Long Yun, Maya, and Zhuge Jian each led a team appearing first, while Yang Hao dragged Xie Fengzhen behind, lagging behind slowly.
Xie Fengzhen had originally not planned to come to such an occasion, but Yang Hao insisted on bringing him along to bolster their presence, saying that every expert counted.
As Yang Hao and his group arrived, the central plaza instantly erupted into a cacophony of voices. Especially among the hundreds of thousands of Niko merchants, who already harbored deep resentment against the Dan Ding Group and had been heavily incited by Fuji, many began shouting at Yang Hao. Some were so agitated that they even started attacking him physically.
Yang Hao made a hand gesture. Over a hundred flying swords from the Hao Sword Group shot forth simultaneously, creating a spectacular sight. The merchants, who knew nothing of martial arts, were greatly frightened, quickly retreating dozens of meters backward and leaving a large open space for Yang Hao.
Fujimoto Hiroshi, seeing his men driven back, hurriedly glared at Haik.
Hake issued a command, and the swordsmen hidden within the merchant caravan stepped forward one by one, standing in opposition to the Hao Sword Group.
“I’m here,” Yang Hao said in a powerful voice as he leaped onto a high platform, addressing the crowd below. “I heard some people here greatly admire me and insist on worshipping me, so I came to ‘let out a fart!'”
“Go back to where you came from, you bastard!!”
“You damned commoner actually dared to come to the base of my business!”
Below, a chorus of curses rose and fell, the vulgarities making the young girls in Hao Sword Group cringe.
But Yang Hao seemed to have heard nothing at all. He was immersed in his own satisfaction:
“Although I am indeed a bit handsome, and my love potion is indeed a bit effective, there’s no need for all of you to get so worked up or be extremely adoring of me.”
When Yang Hao said that, Xie Fengmo couldn’t help rolling his eyes. He thought to himself that this thick-skinned guy was being way too narcissistic.
Although Yang Hao was conceited, his arrogance couldn’t sway the angry merchants below, and it nearly sparked another wave of violence.
Fortunately, Ito Hirobumi, fearing the situation might spiral out of control, wanted to resolve the matter quickly. With a wave of his hand, he stepped forward and pointed at Yang Hao, saying, “Are you that little brat from the foreign lands?”
“Little brat?” Yang Hao felt amused inside. Since the battle at the Beast Temple, no one on Earth had dared to address him this way. It seemed the merchant before him was indeed someone who knew nothing about martial arts.
“On behalf of the Nico County Merchants’ Alliance, I order you, the Danding Group, to withdraw from Nico County immediately and crawl back to the Outer Regions,” Teng Bowen emphasized the word “crawl” with particular venom. “Otherwise, we’ll make sure every last one of you leaves on your hands and knees.”
The merchants burst into cheers.
“In what capacity?” asked Yang Hao.
“Nioko County Merchants’ Association.” Teng Bowen scolded angrily, “I am the chairman of the Association, and I order you to leave immediately.”
“Is there such a meeting?” Yang Hao asked Xie Fengting with feigned ignorance. Xie Fengting rolled his eyes dramatically and looked up at the sky, pretending to admire some distant clouds. He had already been dragged along unwillingly today, and now he really didn’t want to get involved in the merchants’ disputes. Although Xie Fengting was part of the Merchants’ General Association, ordinary merchants wouldn’t actually recognize him.
Seeing Yang Hao underestimate him, Fujimoto Fumihiro felt not anger but joy inside. This was exactly the fighting spirit he was looking for today. If Yang Hao simply obeyed and left quietly, it would actually make things difficult for Fujimoto. Waving his hand, Fujimoto incited the merchants, saying, “This arrogant newcomer actually looks down on us, the Merchants’ Union! He has broken our rules and monopolized the market. Are we going to let him get away with this?”
“Kill him!”
“Kill him!!”
“Kill him!!!”
The merchants below indeed became agitated at the slightest provocation, naturally aided by the instigation of the Ten Sword Stream’s hidden agents. In any case, with over a hundred thousand people shouting in unison, demanding Yang Hao’s death, the momentum was like a tidal wave toppling mountains and shaking the earth, leaving the Dan Ding Sword Sect members pale with fear. Although these merchants weren’t particularly strong in martial power, if a hundred thousand people charged forward together, they could crush the sword sect members simply by trampling them underfoot.
Seeing his side gaining momentum, Tengu Hirofumi became even more smug. He sneered menacingly, “Yang Hao, order your people to lay down their weapons and obediently withdraw from the Imperial Business District. Otherwise, I’ll raze all your properties to the ground and slaughter every last one of your men.”
A thunderous cheer erupted across the square, as if everyone were treating Yang Hao like a drowning dog. Fujihiro and Haik were greatly surprised, as they had only exchanged a few words, yet managed to completely humiliate Yang Hao. Their goal today was to ensure that the Dan Ding Sect would no longer have any standing in front of so many nobles.
“Want to wipe out my people? On what grounds?” Yang Hao’s expression remained unchanged as he asked with a smile.
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