Chapter 71: No Next Time
Zhang Yuanqing gritted his teeth, a feeling of helplessness welling up in his heart. Damn it, why won't they just quit? Will they keep going until they get what they want?
He forced himself to show a polite and gentle smile. "Misters Xiahou, is there something else?"
Xiahou Xin sat upright in his seat, tilting his head slightly to regard Zhang Yuanqing as he stood by the roadside.
"Back at the Public Security Bureau, there were things that couldn't be discussed openly," he said, his tone was warm and measured. "If you're willing to help lure out Wang Qian, I will personally give you an item as thanks. Additionally, the Xiahou family holds considerable influence within the Five Elements Alliance. My young friend, you're clearly talented. With the Xiahou family's support, your career would skyrocket."
Beside him, Xiahou Tianyuan lounged lazily against the leather seat, scrolling through his phone. Gone was the arrogant, volatile temper he had displayed in the office.
Zhang Yuanqing blinked, then understood. This father and son had made demands without mentioning any compensation back at the Bureau because they had never intended to negotiate there in the first place.
Was that just them testing the waters because Guan Ya and Li Dongze had been present? And only now are they bringing out the offer of items to create a contrast, hoping to surprise me? he grumbled inwardly.
Zhang Yuanqing declined politely. "Mister Xiahou, please don't put a small fry like me in a difficult position. My squad leader's stance is also my stance. I can't afford to provoke Slaughter Cessation Palace."
Xiahou Xin's gaze didn't waver and he said slowly, "Two items."
As expected of a noble family of Scholars. They are truly wealthy, Zhang Yuanqing marveled inwardly.
The Xiahou family was a family of the Scholar class, and high-level Scholars commanded the skills to craft items, much like blacksmiths in a game. Although producing a single item was enormously costly, constrained by materials and skill requirements, the Xiahou family's mastery of forging gave them an advantage no other faction could match. That was how they had stood firm for so long, with their roots reaching deep into both the Taiyi Sect and the Five Elements Alliance.
"I'm sorry," Zhang Yuanqing said with a shake of his head as he pushed his bicycle forward, intending to leave.
The next moment, the wheels seemed to catch on something.
He looked down. Green vines had erupted from the surface of the bike lane, coiling around the wheels like chains.
"Tianyuan, take his phone," Xiahou Xin said flatly.
Xiahou Tianyuan's lips curled upward. He pushed open the car door and placed a shimmering, dreamlike crystal orb on the roof of the vehicle.
In an instant, Zhang Yuanqing felt an invisible membrane envelop the surrounding area. The vehicles and pedestrians beyond warped and distorted, and all outside sound was cut off entirely.
His expression shifted. "You—!"
This was way too overbearing.
Xiahou Tianyuan licked his lips, sauntering forward with a grin. "Yuanshi Tianzun. I hear you cleared two S-rank Spirit Realms and have been called a genius by the official Walkers. What a coincidence. I'm a petty man with no room in my heart for others, and my favorite hobby is beating up geniuses."
The moment the words left his mouth, his shoes erupted in roaring flames, and he shot forward like an arrow, leaving a trail of afterimages behind him.
His speed was blinding, and Zhang Yuanqing just barely managed to cross his arms in front of his chest before a vicious barrage of kicks lashed against his arms like whips, one after another, burning his sleeves to ash and leaving angry scorch marks across the skin of his forearms.
Was his opponent a Level 3 Walker? A chill ran through Zhang Yuanqing's heart. After blocking the first savage wave of attacks, he activated Night Wandering without hesitation and slipped into stealth.
His figure vanished instantly, as if erased from existence.
Xiahou Tianyuan stood his ground, flames roaring beneath both feet like he was riding on wheels of fire. His sharp gaze swept the area.
Suddenly, the membrane on the left side of the barrier took a violent impact, ripples emanating outward from the impact point like the surface of a lake that had been disturbed.
Xiahou Tianyuan launched himself toward it. Pivoting on his left foot, he swept his right leg in a wide arc that split the air with a rushing sound. His kick connected, sending a figure tumbling into the open.
It was Zhang Yuanqing.
Xiahou Tianyuan snatched at the empty air with his right hand, pulling a pair of dark gold shackles from his Inventory and flinging them out with a flick of the wrist. The shackles clamped onto Zhang Yuanqing's ankles with a sharp click, locking automatically.
Seeing this, Xiahou Tianyuan's lips curled in satisfaction. But in the next instant, Zhang Yuanqing's body shattered like a broken reflection and vanished.
An illusion! he realized belatedly.
Suddenly, he heard a crunching sound, and Xiahou Tianyuan turned to see a figure materializing not far away, stomping a phone to pieces underfoot, grinding it into the pavement again and again.
His brows knotted together at the sight. That bastard would rather do that than compromise with the Xiahou family?
Zhang Yuanqing let out a slow breath, his face expressionless. "If this continues, it won't end until one of us is dead."
Feeling the roaring heat beneath his soles, Xiahou Tianyuan's temper burned even hotter than usual. "You're asking for it!"
"That's enough." Xiahou Xin glanced at the shattered phone from inside the car, his voice flat. "Tianyuan, come back."
He fixed Zhang Yuanqing with a deep, penetrating stare, then offered an apologetic nod. "My son is combative by nature. Please don't take offense."
Veins bulged on Xiahou Tianyuan's forehead. After a visible struggle, he forced down the fury that blazed hotter with every passing second and extinguished the flames beneath his shoes.
In an instant he reverted to his lazy, languid posture, a completely different person from the explosive fighter of moments ago.
"Not bad. You have tough skin and a thick hide. Beating on you was pretty satisfying." He snorted out a laugh, returned to the black sedan, collected the crystal orb from the roof, and climbed inside.
The sedan sped off and merged into traffic. As it did so, Xiahou Tianyuan stuck his head out of the window and drew a finger across his throat at the figure behind them.
"Dad, that kid's pretty strong. He’s really talented." He said with a grin as he sprawled lazily across the leather seat. "Since when does some bottom-rung nobody dare to disrespect the Xiahou family? Tsk tsk. A stubborn bone like that is only satisfying once you crack it open."
"You can use family connections to suppress him. Crush him within the rules. But don't do anything stupid. He has earned substantial merit," Xiahou Xin replied, his tone cool and even.
The young man had earned substantial merit. Minor scuffles like this were fine, and the Five Elements Alliance would do no more than issue a reprimand. But if they seriously injured or even killed him, the White Tiger Legion would not let it go.
Killing an official Walker who carried merit was the same as tearing up whatever agreement they had with the Five Elements Alliance entirely. The consequences would be far more severe than harming an ordinary person.
That was why Xiahou Xin had called a stop the moment the young man had crushed the phone.
Xiahou Tianyuan's smile turned cold. "I know."
Xiahou Xin's expression darkened. "Shift focus to the other Slaughter Cessation Palace members. That woman extracted too many secrets from your elder brother. She can't be left alive. This time, she has to be eliminated no matter what."
Xiahou Tianyuan scoffed. "Bro is useless. He can't think straight the second he sees a woman. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be in this mess."
Just then, Xiahou Xin caught sight of blood on his son's ankle and frowned. "You're injured?"
Xiahou Tianyuan blinked, glanced down, and only then noticed the scratched and broken skin around his ankle.
He shrugged it off. "It's nothing. A minor issue."
***
Zhang Yuanqing watched the black sedan vanish from sight, then pulled his gaze back with a grumble. "The Xiahou family is way too overbearing. All this over Wang Qian? Anyone who didn't know better would think I was having an affair with the Palace Master."
He looked down at the vicious scorch marks on his forearms, and his expression darkened.
No matter how overbearing the Xiahou family was, they wouldn't dare kill him. Not unless they wanted open war with the Five Elements Alliance. If a member carrying merit died at the hands of someone from a noble Spirit Realm Walker family, the Alliance would make them pay in blood. No amount of connections could save them then. How else would they maintain authority? What would the mid- and low-level official Walkers think?
That was exactly why Zhang Yuanqing had destroyed the phone without hesitation, ending the conflict on his own terms.
But that didn't mean it was over.
The Xiahou family was too overbearing. First came the bribe, and when that failed, they resorted to force. If he wasn't someone with substantial merit, if he had been nothing but an ordinary low-ranking member, would the Xiahou family have shown any restraint?
Even as things stood, given the attitude this father and son had displayed, a quiet and vicious retaliation would almost certainly follow.
Zhang Yuanqing pulled out a tissue and carefully wiped away the traces of blood from beneath his fingernails. He folded it with care and tucked it into his pocket.
"There won't be a next time," he murmured to himself.
