Chapter 153: I Don’t Want To Negotiate!

It was a kill that filled everyone’s hearts with stupefaction, and even Wanyan Gu was stupefied by the instant kill.

Wanyan Gu’s gaze turned deep as she made a sidelong glance at Ye Guan. She came to the conclusion that Ye Guan had become even stronger compared to when she fought him in Qingzhou.

His improvement speed was out of this world!

The remaining riffraff didn’t even bother to say anything. They whipped around and ran for their lives!

He’s too strong for us to handle! We can’t beat him even if we gang up on him!

Ye Guan didn’t bother to chase after the riffraff. He examined Mo Gan’s storage ring and found twenty million gold spiritual crystals inside of it!

“He’s filthy rich!” he exclaimed.

Wanyan Gu explained, “That amount is probably what he had earned so far.”

Ye Guan nodded and handed over ten million gold spiritual crystals to Wanyan Gu.

“These are yours, Lady Wanyan!” he said.

However, Wanyan Gu only stared at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Wanyan Gu shook her head.

She accepted the storage ring and stored it away.

“Let’s go!” she said.

“All right, let’s go!” Ye Guan answered with a nod.

The two walked down the street, and they soon realized that the surroundings had gone abnormally quiet. However, Ye Guan could feel powerful auras within the dark alleys.

Wanyan Gu pointed out. “You were too high-profile!”

Ye Guan smiled sheepishly.

Wanyan Gu suddenly frowned. An old man was standing in the distance.

Wanyan Gu’s face fell upon recognizing the old man.

“He’s Zhang Qi, the Southern Gang’s leader!” she exclaimed.

Zhang Qi was a Seal Shattering Realm cultivator! It seemed that Dark City truly had many hidden powerhouses.

Zhang Qi smiled at Ye Guan and said, “Whatever happened just now was the Southern Gang’s fault, Young Lord. Let me apologize to you and to Lady Wanyan Gu!”

Wanyan Gu was stunned.

Ye Guan replied, “I didn’t mean to make an enemy out of your gang. I was just passing by.”

Zhang Qi cupped his fist and said respectfully, “I understand! I hope we see each other again, Young Lord!”

Zhang Qi turned around and left.

Ye Guan glanced at Wanyan Gu and said, “All right, let’s continue.”

With that, the two continued on their journey.

However, Wanyan Gu couldn’t resist her curiosity and asked, “Did you kill Mao Gan to intimidate the Southern Gang?”

Ye Guan replied, “Strength is everything in this kind of place. The Southern Gang would have kept coming to find trouble for us if I hadn’t moved decisively. The grudges between us could have eventually become a death feud.

”I had no choice but to show them my strength by killing that man. They would then have two choices: they could either come at me with everything they have to avenge their fallen member, or they could settle the grudge with me.”

“They chose the latter!” Wanyan Gu pointed out.

Ye Guan nodded and said, “Strength begets respect. It is better to act decisively when necessary, as it would most likely prevent future troubles. Of course, it wouldn’t have been a big issue if they had chosen the former.

”I would have just killed them all, so it’s very simple.”

It’s very simple?! Wanyan Gu was astonished by how calm Ye Guan sounded. He sounded as if he were talking about stomping on a few ants rather than reaping the lives of many people.

Wanyan Gu sighed while surreptitiously looking at Ye Guan. He was indeed not just a simple young man; it was no wonder he became a Great Sword Sovereign at such a young age. He turned out to be a heaven-defying talent.

The two soon disappeared at the end of the street.

Zhang Qi watched with heavy eyes as Ye Guan and Wanyan Gu walked away.

A young man standing next to him couldn’t help but ask, “Grandpa, why did we let that swordsman go?”

Zhang Qi chuckled and replied with a question, “Is our Southern Gang powerful?”

“Of course!” exclaimed the young man with a nod.

Zhang Qi shook his head and said, “We’re mere ants—whether it is in the outside world or in the Dark City. They could have easily gotten rid of us. They just need to say the word, and we’ll be reduced to ashes.”

The young man was both horrified and shocked.

Zhang Qi continued. “The young man’s aura was extraordinary, and he’s a swordsman as well. One look is enough for anyone to tell that he’s a monstrous talent. I’m sure he killed Mo Gan to warn us that if we were to pursue the matter, he would wipe us out, not just one of us.”

Zhang Qi ruffled the young man’s hair and added, “Small fries like us have to be meticulous and cautious if we want to survive in this world. We must be aware of those we can afford to offend and those we cannot afford to offend at all costs.

“Otherwise, we’ll be doomed the moment we provoke those we cannot afford to provoke. Do you understand?”

The young man nodded slightly and said, “I understand.”

Zhang Qi smiled and said, “Let’s go.”

The grandfather and grandson pair walked down the street and soon vanished.

…

Wanyan Gu soon brought Ye Guan to a large square filled with thousands of teleportation arrays.

A black-robed old man walked toward them and asked, “Destination?”

Wanyan Gu replied, “The Guanxuan Universe!”

The Guanxuan Universe? The black-robed old man frowned.

“What’s wrong?” asked Wanyan Gu.

The black-robed old man said, “Twelve million gold spiritual crystals for both of you!”

Twelve million?! Ye Guan’s face changed. Fuck! That’s too expensive!

Wanyan Gu stared with narrowed eyes at the black-robed old man and said in a low voice, “The journey to the Guanxuan Universe only costs five million gold spiritual crystals at most per head!”

The black-robed old man casually retorted, “The decision is yours.”

Wanyan Gu’s brows furrowed.

Ye Guan handed a storage ring over to the black-robed old man.

The black-robed old man examined the storage ring and found twelve million gold spiritual crystals in it. He nodded and put it away before saying, “Follow me.”

Ye Guan and Wanyan Gu followed him.

“He extorted us,” said Wanyan Gu using profound sound transmission.

Ye Guan smiled and used profound sound transmission to reply, “He definitely saw that we’re in a hurry, so he arbitrarily raised the prices.”

Wanyan Gu made a sidelong glance at Ye Guan and asked, “Are you not angry?”

“Why should I?” Ye Guan smiled wryly and said, “It’s a free market. He said the price and the decision was up to us.”

Wanyan Gu nodded slightly. She still felt indignant, but she remained silent.

The black-robed old man soon brought them to a teleportation platform. A massive teleportation array was sitting on top of the platform. The teleportation array was so big that it seemed at least ten times larger than the other teleportation arrays.

Ye Guan and Wanyan Gu walked up the platform.

“Wait!” the black-robed old man called out to them.

Ye Guan turned to look at the black-robed old man.

“There’s a service fee, and it’s one million gold spiritual crystals!” said the black-robed old man.

A service fee of a million gold spiritual crystals? Ye Guan frowned.

“I’ve never heard of such a fee, Your Excellency,” said Wanyan Gu.

The black-robed old man remained expressionless as he said, “Yes, it’s a new rule that I had just established. What, unhappy?”

Wanyan Gu’s expression turned cold.

Ye Guan smiled and said, “We’re only passing by, and we have no ill intentions, Senior. We—”

“Shut up!” The black-robed old man interrupted Ye Guan and opened his hand. “A service fee exists, and it’s one of Dark City’s rules. Pay it if you want to use the teleportation array. Otherwise, scram! Stop wasting my time!”

Ye Guan pondered briefly before asking, “How did we incur a service fee?”

The black-robed old man calmly said, “I brought you here myself, so you have to pay a service fee.”

Wanyan Gu was furious.

The black-robed old man glared at Wanyan Gu and asked, “What? Are you going to fight me here?”

“Your Excellency, you better not cross the line,” warned Wanyan Gu.

The black-robed old man scoffed, “Cross the line? I’m just doing my job, so how am I crossing the line? Pay the fees if you want to use the teleportation array. If you can’t afford it, then scram!”

Wanyan Gu’s expression had become as dark as the bottom of a pot.

“All right.” Ye Guan chuckled and said, “We won’t use your teleportation array, then. Please return our money to us, Your Excellency.”

The black-robed old man narrowed his eyes and asked, “What money?”

Wanyan Gu was furious. “What? Are you going to steal our money?”

The black-robed old man remained expressionless as he said, “I never took your money.”

Ye Guan’s pupils constricted upon sensing powerful auras around them.

Ye Guan whipped around, and a sword flew out.

Slash!

The sword orbited Ye Guan once, and more than ten heads went flying at the same time.

The black-robed old man’s face instantly changed. He tried to retreat, but Ye Guan’s sword was quicker. A sword pierced the old man’s head and pinned him to a nearby stone pillar.

The wound was definitely critical, but the black-robed old man remained fierce as he glared at Ye Guan and roared, “You’re dead… you’re a dead man walking! How dare you make a move here! Don’t you know who my backer is?!”

“How ludicrous!” a voice reverberated throughout the starry skies, and a powerful aura made a beeline for Ye Guan.

Ye Guan pointed at the powerful aura.

Rumble!

The void was split open, and the head of an old man went flying about a hundred meters away from Ye Guan. Blood haphazardly sprayed out of the stump, pouring down like rain upon the city!

The black-robed old man’s expression changed.

He had provoked someone he couldn’t afford to provoke!

The space above Ye Guan was torn open, and an old man walked out of the rift in space.

Ye Guan waved his sleeve, and a ray of sword light flew out.

Shwik!

The old man had just taken one step out of the rift when his head exploded, scattering blood and brain matter everywhere.

Ye Guan turned to look at the black-robed old man who was still alive, despite the critical wound he had suffered. The black-robed old man stared incredulously at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan smiled blandly and urged, “Call for backup!”

The black-robed old man stared at Ye Guan as if he were staring at a ghost.

His voice was trembling as he stammered, “Y-You’re… You’re a swordsman!”

Rumble!

Space was torn open on the horizon, and a middle-aged man walked out of the rift in space.

A flying sword came hurtling toward him just a second after he had stepped out of the rift. The middle-aged man’s eyes narrowed, and he put his palms together. A golden light surged and covered him, allowing him to nullify Ye Guan’s attack.

The middle-aged man was still reeling from the shock, but another sword was already flying toward him.

Clang!

The sword struck the middle-aged man’s golden barrier, but the golden barrier was like an egg that had been struck by a hammer. It shattered the moment it made contact with the sword.

Slash!

The sword slashed out and sent the middle-aged man’s head flying.

The black-robed old man was beyond pallid.

Sword Sovereign! He’s a fucking Sword Sovereign! Damn it! I wouldn’t have extorted you if you had told me that you’re a Sword Sovereign!

Why are you acting all gentle and polite as if you were a scholar when you’re a Sword Sovereign? Was this all according to your plan? If you had been a bit fiercer to me earlier, I wouldn’t have been so unscrupulous!

Ye Guan slowly looked around. He put his right arm behind him and shouted, “I still haven’t killed enough. Send more people here!”

A beautiful woman abruptly appeared about thirty meters away from Ye Guan.

Swoosh!

Ye Guan’s sword flew toward the beautiful woman.

“Young Lord, I’m here to negotiate!” shouted the beautiful woman.

The flying sword stopped a few inches away from the beautiful woman’s forehead!

“Sigh—” The beautiful woman was just about to sigh in relief, but the flying sword moved and slashed out.

Slice!

The beautiful woman’s head flew into the air. A look of incredulity was etched on her face as she stared wide-eyed at Ye Guan. She couldn’t believe that Ye Guan had killed her just like that!

Ye Guan shook his head and said, “I don’t want to negotiate!”

The black-robed old man’s voice was trembling as he pleaded, “Young Lord… It’s all my fault, I’ll return your twelve million gold spiritual crystals…”

Ye Guan frowned and said sarcastically, “Twelve million? I gave you 120 million gold spiritual crystals. How come you said I gave you twelve million? You forgot to multiply it by ten, old man!”

The black-robed old man’s jaw dropped.

He stared blankly at Ye Guan and asked himself. Have I been living an unscrupulous life?