Chapter 190: Chapter 122: The Fisherman (2)

When Liu Han saw Shen Xiuyong, his brows knitted even tighter.

He had, of course, heard of Shen Xiuyong. An Elder of the Wutai Sect’s Li Fire Institute, his strength was unfathomable. He was also greedy and cunning; Liu Han knew he couldn’t hope to gain any advantage over him.

At this thought, he took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the rage in his heart.

“So it is Elder Shen.”

Liu Han cupped his fists, his tone softening slightly. “This whole affair is a misunderstanding. My subordinate was insolent and offended your sect’s Steward. I apologize on his behalf.”

His gaze shifted to Chen Qing. “I ask that you be merciful, Brother. Let him go, and the Liu Family will be sure to compensate you.”

Shen Xiuyong chuckled slyly and looked at Chen Qing. “Nephew, Young Master Liu has spoken. Why not show him some courtesy?”

Chen Qing remained expressionless as he relaxed his grip.

The Steward collapsed to the ground like a sack of mud, clutching his throat and coughing violently. His eyes, when they looked at Chen Qing, were filled with terror.

Without so much as a glance at the Steward, Liu Han addressed Shen Xiuyong directly. “Elder Shen, let’s consider this matter closed. The Liu Family is here in response to the bandit suppression order. Everything on this ship was obtained through legitimate means. There are absolutely no Demon Sect remnants or contraband aboard. We are short on time, so please allow us to pass.”

“Of course, we can make things convenient for you.”

Shen Xiuyong rubbed his hands together with a brilliant smile. “My nephew has been guarding this place, braving the elements, living in constant fear. It’s all to prevent any fish from slipping through the net and to stop things that shouldn’t leave from getting out. The Liu Family is a great and noble house; your harvest must have been quite bountiful, yes? Leave thirty percent behind. Consider it a little something to calm my nephew’s frayed nerves…”

He was directly invoking the authority of the Wutai Sect’s leadership, leaving Liu Han no room to negotiate.

Liu Han’s expression flickered between anger and indecision. Thirty percent was no small sum, especially since the haul from this trip was exceptionally valuable.

But he also knew that now that Shen Xiuyong had shown himself, he would not let them pass easily.

A direct confrontation was not only unwinnable, but the consequences would also be unthinkable.

Thinking of his family’s interests and the more important objective of his journey, he finally made his decision.

“Fine! Elder Shen is certainly a straightforward man!”

Liu Han said in a low voice, a flicker of pained reluctance in his eyes. “Thirty percent it is! We’ll consider it the price of making a friend and a thank you to the Wutai Sect for taking charge and eliminating the bandit scourge! Men!”

Immediately, guards from behind him brought out several heavy, metal-bound chests and placed them on the deck.

Shen Xiuyong gave Chen Qing a look.

Chen Qing understood the signal, stepped forward, and opened one of the chests.

Instantly, a dazzling radiance of jewels and a rich, medicinal aroma washed over them!

The chest contained not only large ingots of gold and silver, exquisite jade artifacts, and fine gemstones, but also several stalks of Treasure Medicine brimming with Spiritual Qi. Among them was a crimson, Lingzhi-shaped Treasure Medicine that was clearly over fifteen years old!

Another chest was filled with neatly stacked rare ores that glinted with a metallic sheen.

Even for someone as worldly as Shen Xiuyong, a sharp glint of light couldn’t help but flash in his eyes. He clicked his tongue in admiration. “Such a grand gesture! The Liu Family truly lives up to its reputation! Young Master Liu, please, proceed!”

He stepped aside, clearing the waterway and making an inviting gesture.

Liu Han gave Chen Qing one last, deep look, as if to burn his face into his memory.

Then, without another word, he turned and strode back into the cabin.

The Liu Family Treasure Ship slowly began to move, departing the waterway under a heavy atmosphere.

As he watched the Liu Family Treasure Ship disappear into the wind and snow, the smile on Shen Xiuyong’s face grew even wider.

With a wave of his hand, he divided the contents of the metal chests into two portions. He pocketed the clearly more valuable half and pushed the other toward Chen Qing.

“Take it, Nephew. It’s what you’ve earned. That Liu Family brat… he’s no simpleton.”

Shen Xiuyong clicked his tongue, his gaze still fixed on the direction where the Liu Family Treasure Ship had vanished. “In that little exchange earlier, he used fifty percent of his strength at most. With the Liu Family’s Thundering Wave Sword Technique combined with his Nine Forms Root Bone… if you two had really fought, you wouldn’t have lasted three moves.”

He paused, his voice dropping to a low whisper tinged with unconcealed envy. “Besides, you were close to him. Didn’t you feel it? That layer of Inner Armor under his clothes… Heh! *That’s* the real prize! It’s one of the Liu Family’s clan-protecting treasures. No wonder that kid dared to venture into this lion’s den with so few men. With that thing protecting him, he’ll be safe as long as he doesn’t run into some old fossil in the Astral Force realm!”

He clapped Chen Qing on the shoulder and said pointedly, “Alright, Nephew, get back to guarding your Golden Water Path. This toll money from Liu Han is a fat purse. This little venture of ours wasn’t for nothing.”

“But be careful. That kid holds a grudge, and the look he gave you was anything but friendly.”

With that said, his figure flickered, and he vanished with the treasure into the wind and snow, returning to his own main waterway.

Chen Qing looked at the treasure before him, then gazed out at the vast expanse of water where the Liu Family Treasure Ship had vanished.

’Should I go after them?’ he wondered.

Liu Han had opened all Eight Orthodox Meridians and was already at the Late-stage of Embracing Pill. Combined with his Top-Grade Treasure Armor, he was indeed a troublesome opponent.

Chen Qing put away the valuables Liu Han had left behind and resumed his cross-legged meditation on the Treasure Ship.

A Bone-Eroding Spider crawled silently along the ship’s gunwale, its fine web trembling slightly in the wind and snow.

Less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had passed.

Two figures came running quickly, stumbling through the deep snow along the rocky shore of the waterway.

They wore the standard-issue crimson Martial Attire of the Li Fire Institute, but their robes were tattered and stained with large patches of dark brown blood and mud.

The man in the lead was tall, his features vaguely recognizable as those of the Li Fire Institute’s Chief Disciple, Xiao Ruize, but his face was pale and his breathing was ragged.

The one half a step behind him had an ordinary face; it was none other than Junior Brother Wang, another disciple from the Li Fire Institute. He kept his head down and appeared to be lightly injured as well.

A faint tremor traveled through the Bone-Eroding Spider Silk, and Chen Qing had already sensed their approach.

He stood up impassively, his hands hanging naturally at his sides. Hidden within his sleeve, his fingertips quietly closed around a cold, heavy Thunder Fire Bomb.

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