In the grand hall, as those few members of the Mo Clan were burned into nothingness, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became eerily silent. Cold sweat slowly dripped from his forehead; Luo Bu sat rigidly on his chair, daring not to move a muscle. He stole a glance at the grim face of the black-clad youth, and once again, his entire body was enveloped by a chill. The only remaining man from the Mo Clan stood stiffly in place, his face turning deathly pale in that instant. His lips quivered, and his eyes were filled with terror. Earlier, if that white flame had moved just a little closer, he would have been reduced to ashes, leaving no trace behind.
“You… You’re provoking our Mo Clan!” The man’s voice trembled, trying to sound intimidating despite his fear.
“I’m not just provoking you, I’m going to crush that damn Mo Clan!” Xiao Yan said with a cold, sinister smile.
“Don’t be too arrogant! Our Mo Clan is backed by the Yun Lian Sect!” The man shouted angrily, as if trying to boost his own morale, his voice booming.
“Take me to the Mo Clan, or suffer the same fate as your companions. It’s your choice,” Xiao Yan said, crossing his fingers and placing them in front of him, giving the trembling man a sidelong glance with a faint smile.
“The Mo Clan has not betrayed…” The man tried to suppress his fear, still sounding rather firm. However, this time, Xiao Yan seemed to have lost all patience. With a light wave of his hand, a wisp of ghostly white flame shot out from his fingertips like lightning, burning the man into nothingness amidst his horrified expression.
“The headquarters of the Mo Clan is in Yancheng, the largest city in the eastern provinces of the empire,” Xiao Ding said softly behind Xiao Yan. “From Shimoc City to Yancheng, it would take about eight days on foot, but flying would get you there in a day and a half.”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, then turned to look at Luo Bu. Smiling, he said, “Leader Luo Bu, it seems we should now discuss our issues. Regardless of who incited you, your actions have indeed caused significant losses to our Molten Iron Mercenary Group, which is a fact.”
Hearing this, Luo Bu’s face immediately turned pale, and cold sweat trickled down. Without bothering to wipe it away, he stammered, “Our Sand Mercenary Group will compensate your group with around 100,000 gold coins. Is that acceptable?”
Xiao Yan smiled and shook his head.
“Then 200,000?”
“300,000?”
Seeing Xiao Yan still shaking his head, his smile growing colder, Luo Bu finally cried, “What does Master Xiao Yan really want? Just say it straight. With your strength, our Sand Mercenary Group has no chance of resisting.”
By now, Luo Bu had truly given up. With Xiao Yan’s terrifying power, the Sand Mercenary Group had no right to negotiate.
“Let the Sand Mercenary Group merge into the Molten Iron Mercenary Group. The lower-level members will be given some money and removed. Members above the rank of Seven Star Fighter can stay. If they are Dou Shi, they can keep their original status,” Xiao Yan said, tapping his fingers lightly on the back of his hand.
Hearing this, everyone in the hall was stunned, their expressions varied. Xiao Ding and Xiao Li exchanged a glance, feeling somewhat intrigued. If the Molten Iron Mercenary Group really merged with the Sand Mercenary Group, not only would they dominate Shimoc City, but even other nearby cities’ forces would struggle to compete. At that point, the development of the Molten Iron Mercenary Group would definitely skyrocket!
However, while the benefits of such a move were considerable, the drawbacks were also very apparent. The Sand Mercenary Group was, after all, stronger than the Molten Iron Mercenary Group. If they merged, there could be a risk of a power struggle, which might cause internal chaos within the Molten Iron Mercenary Group, making it a potentially unprofitable endeavor.
As Xiao Ding and Xiao Li weighed the pros and cons, Luo Bu’s face twisted with bitterness. Although he had no great ambitions for dominance, he didn’t want to be under someone else’s command. Moreover, his strength far exceeded that of Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, so taking orders from them naturally felt uncomfortable.
“The Molten Iron Mercenary Group was founded by us three brothers, so I can also be considered the leader of the Molten Iron Mercenary Group. Working under me shouldn’t be degrading, right?” Xiao Yan said, seemingly understanding Luo Bu’s unease.
Xiao Yan’s words made Luo Bu and the nearby Dou Shi feel a bit better. Working under a possibly Dou Wang-level expert, they wouldn’t feel degraded; instead, they would feel honored.
“Leader Luo Bu, whether you choose to merge or let me clean up, it’s your decision,” Xiao Yan said, pausing and adding with a smile, “I hope you won’t disappoint me.”
Staring into those pitch-black eyes, Luo Bu’s lips twitched involuntarily. Taking a deep breath, his face rapidly changed.
As Luo Bu remained silent, the hall fell into silence once more. The only sound was the faint tapping of Xiao Yan’s fingers on the table.
The silence stretched on for a long time. As Xiao Yan’s smile began to fade, Luo Bu finally sighed bitterly and looked up at Xiao Yan, saying, “If I don’t agree today, the Sand Mercenary Group will probably have to disband immediately.”
Xiao Yan smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
“Do I have any other choice?” Luo Bu asked bitterly.
“It seems not,” Xiao Yan said with a smile. Seeing Luo Bu’s bitter expression, he shrugged, knowing his choice. Flipping his palm, a small jade bottle appeared in his hand. Glancing at Luo Bu and the three Dou Shi behind him, he tilted the bottle and poured out four red pills. With a flick of his finger, the four pills flew into the hands of the four startled men.
“Don’t say I don’t trust you. Of course, if I said I trusted you now, you probably wouldn’t believe me either,” Xiao Yan said with a somewhat convoluted sentence and then laughed, “This isn’t a deadly poison, but if it were to activate, I believe only Leader Luo Bu could last a little longer. The other three would probably die on the spot.”
Turning to look at Luo Bu, Xiao Yan added, “Remember, I said ‘last a little longer,’ not ‘resist the poison.'”
Seeing the slightly stiff expressions on the faces of Luo Bu and the others, Xiao Yan smiled and said, “This is just a precaution. I can’t completely trust you. I’ll give the antidote to my eldest brother in installments. As long as you don’t try any tricks, you’ll be fine. Once you gain true trust, I’ll detoxify you.”
“Seems like we have no choice but to take it, huh?” Holding the red pill in his hand, Luo Bu fell silent for a moment and then sighed. He knew that if they didn’t take the pill, Xiao Yan would never trust them enough to willingly merge.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly and said softly, “Leader Luo Bu is a smart man and should know that I’m doing this for safety’s sake.”
Sighing bitterly, Luo Bu looked up and stared intently at Xiao Yan. Though there was still a hint of a smile on that face, the black eyes were still cold and indifferent. Under that icy gaze, Luo Bu shivered slightly. He believed that if they refused to take the pill, their fate would be the same as the Mo Clan members earlier.
With another sigh, Luo Bu turned to look at his three subordinates. They all shared a bitter smile and shook their heads, then reluctantly swallowed the red pill. No matter what, their lives were at least preserved for now.
Seeing the four of them take the pills, Xiao Yan nodded slightly and slowly stood up, saying, “Start preparing for the merger. Clear out the internal pests. Remember, the Molten Iron Mercenary Group doesn’t need people who only pretend to be powerful.”
With that, Xiao Yan turned and walked out of the hall. Xiao Ding glanced at the despondent Luo Bu and followed closely behind.
Following Xiao Yan, the members of the Molten Iron Mercenary Group looked at the slender figure in front of them, feeling a bit dazed. In just half a day, the strongest force in Shimoc City had been forcibly merged into the Molten Iron Mercenary Group. This dramatic scene felt like a dream.
Slumped in his chair, Luo Bu watched the people file out, sighing and waving his hand listlessly. “Start cleaning out the useless ones.”
“Leader, are we really being absorbed into the Molten Iron Mercenary Group?” A Dou Shi behind him asked bitterly.
“What else can we do? You saw Xiao Yan’s strength. If he wanted to destroy our Sand Mercenary Group, it would be a simple matter. Plus, joining a mercenary group with a Dou Wang-level protector means greater safety, doesn’t it?” Luo Bu said, rubbing his forehead.
Hearing this, the three Dou Shi could only exchange a bitter smile and remain silent.
Exiting the hall, Xiao Yan and his group slowly headed outside. Turning a corner, Xiao Yan slowed his pace and, turning to Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, smiled and said, “Although forcibly merging the Sand Mercenary Group into the Molten Iron Mercenary Group is risky, I’m sure my elder and second brothers can handle it well.”
“Indeed, it’s a bit troublesome, but with what you did just now, I’m confident I can keep Luo Bu in check. As for the mercenaries transferring from the Sand Mercenary Group, I have ways to deal with them,” Xiao Ding said with a smile.
“That’s good.” Seeing Xiao Ding’s confidence, Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll go to the city where the Mo Clan is. I’ll leave things here to you.”
“Going to the Mo Clan?” Xiao Li, standing beside, frowned and, after a moment, nodded, reminding, “Be careful. The Mo Clan is a local hegemon in Yancheng, and they have a good relationship with the Yun Lian Sect.”
Nodding with a smile, Xiao Yan waved to Hai Bo Dong, and his back trembled slightly as the Purple Cloud Wings unfolded, lifting him into the air. He waved to the astonished Xiao Ding and the others below, then soared into the sky with Hai Bo Dong, their figures transforming into two streaks of light, quickly disappearing over the horizon.
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