Chapter 730: The Business World (I)

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

A scream echoed through the desolate valley, its sound lingering in the air before fading into silence. Moments later, a weak, trembling groan followed.

"I kind of miss Chu Liang..." Huyan Bin muttered under his breath. "If we hadn’t schemed against him... and even if we couldn’t take down Red Cotton Peak, we could’ve at least lived comfortably off the dividends. Why did we have to end up suffering like this?

"Father..."

Half-covered in blood and miserably bound to a thorn pillar nearby, Huyan Bin muttered incessantly.

His father, Huyan Dong, was standing before him. The Mount Mang rebels had sealed Huyan Dong’s cultivation power for a long time as well, yet his robes remained relatively neat. Perhaps the rebels of Mount Mang recognized that, while he lacked exceptional combat strength, he was still a seventh-realm cultivator whose unwavering dedication to the Dao made him impervious to their methods. Thus, they didn’t bother to lay a hand on him.

They focused all their efforts on torturing Huyan Bin. At this rate, they were practically demoting him from son to grandson[1]. Meanwhile, Huyan Dong, untouched and unscathed, skipped straight to great-grandpa status without lifting a finger.

"The world’s conflicts have always followed the same brutal logic—victors reign as kings, while the defeated are branded as thieves. The strong prey on the weak, and once you step into the game, emerging unscathed is anything but easy," Huyan Dong said as his eyes narrowed slightly.

His expression remained aloof as he continued his lecture, "We cannot win against Red Cotton Peak, and beyond them, many others are just as eager to tear us apart. The rebels of Mount Mang are merely the most barbaric among them. Falling into their hands is simply an unavoidable calamity—one that fate has dealt to both you and me."

"It’s clear that fate has dealt me this calamity, but you... you’re still eating well and sleeping soundly," Huyan Bin muttered, his expression growing even more sorrowful.

Huyan Dong continued to take the opportunity to impart a lesson. “It’s because you are weak. The weaker you are, the more control others have over you.”

“Enough already! It’s obvious they’re leaving you alone because you have something they want. If they’re after information, just tell them. As long as they let us go, we’ll still get a share of Red Cotton Peak’s earnings for the next few years—more than enough to live comfortably for the rest of our lives.”

“Absurd,” Huyan Dong retorted. “Our ancestors spent a thousand years building our family business. How could we abandon it simply because of our own incompetence? Even if we die here, I will never surrender the family’s treasure.”

“You...” Huyan Bin’s lips twitched twice before he finally snapped, shouting, “You just want to leave everything to that unborn baby! If both of us die here and the bloodline is severed, what’s the point of a legacy? You’re only acting so recklessly because you have another son out there! You think I’m useless, so you’re fine with letting me die!”

"Yes." Huyan Dong nodded. His expression was calm, as if to say,

So, you knew all along.

Huyan Bin fell silent for a long time, stunned by his father’s blunt honesty. Only then did he realize that sometimes, sheer sincerity was the most devastating weapon of all.

...

The mountain wind howled, carrying with it the wild, rancid stench of the rebels of Mount Mang—a foul scent thick with the presence of barbaric demons.

At first, when the group departed from Mount Mang, the lingering trace of humanity still outweighed the taint of the demonic. But now, the scent of demons had unmistakably overpowered that of humans.

Not long after the rebels of Mount Mang began their uprising, Taotie City, acting under the Penglai Supreme Sect’s orders, provided them with aid.

The Penglai Supreme Sect had done that with a clear motive—they sought to extend their influence into the lands of the nine provinces. However, both the Yu Dynasty’s imperial court and the major sects of immortal cultivation opposed them, obstructing their ambitions through both open resistance and covert maneuvers.

Over the past few years, the Penglai Supreme Sect had spared no effort in expanding its influence. They not only forged alliances with cultivation sects like Thunderbolt Stronghold and Taotie City but also secretly funded rebel forces such as the rebels of Mount Mang.

However, the aid they provided to the rebels of Mount Mang only ensured they wouldn’t starve to death. When they offered the support, they made it clear that if any of the people transformed into demons, the Mount Mang rebels had to sever all ties and show no mercy.

In simple terms, Taotie City had wanted to stir up some chaos in the land of the Yu Dynasty to reap some benefits from this chaos, but they never expected the rebels of Mount Mang to grow into the formidable force they had become today.

To some extent, Taotie City had unknowingly played a hand in its own downfall.

...

Moments later, Lu Jiangtong arrived with a few others. The moment Huyan Bin laid eyes on this demon, a shudder ran through him—not once but three times.

Lu Jiangtong was nothing like the top prodigies of the immortal sects Huyan Bin had encountered before. He was undoubtedly talented, yet he hadn’t been nurtured in the refined, disciplined halls of an immortal sect. He was not one of the cultured and civilized men. Instead, he was a barbaric person of demonic descent, one who had fought his way to survival through mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.

In some ways, he was even more ruthless than the cultivators of the diabolical sects.

To the surprise of both father and son, it was not Lu Jiangtong who walked at the forefront of the approaching group.

A few of the high-ranking rebels of Mount Mang, led by Lu Jiangtong, crowded around a small, slender figure at the forefront. The figure, frail and childlike in appearance, walked straight toward the father and son.

Huyan Dong lifted his gaze and frowned. It was clear the real challenge had just arrived.

As the figure approached, they lifted their hood, revealing a youthful face that still carried the traces of adolescence. He was undeniably handsome, with delicate features, and looked no older than twelve or thirteen.

This is the true mastermind behind the rebels of Mount Mang?

Huyan Dong thought.

Even Huyan Dong, who had witnessed much in his lifetime, couldn’t hide his astonishment—let alone Huyan Bin. He had always known that there was a hidden hand pulling the strings behind the rebels of Mount Mang, but he never expected it to be such a small hand.

“Wait a minute...” Huyan Bin suddenly frowned. “I think I’ve seen you before. Aren’t you that little boy who used to roam around Red Cotton Peak...?”

He had often been in close contact with Red Cotton Peak and had frequently gone there on errands, so he naturally knew of Chu Yi, the one who held real power under the guise of being a messenger.

“Big Brother Huyan, you’ve got a good memory!" Chu Yi replied in a crisp voice, a harmless smile playing on his lips. “I’m Chu Yi. We’ve exchanged greetings a few times.”

Huyan Bin felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing the smile, for it was exactly the same as Chu Liang’s signature grin.

“How did you end up here?” Huyan Bin asked, “Did Chu Liang send you to rescue us?”

Huyan Dong scolded, “Stop embarrassing yourself."

Anyone with a sharp eye could tell that this child was the one in charge of the rebels of Mount Mang, yet Huyan Bin was still clinging to unrealistic hopes. As his father, Huyan Dong could no longer stand to watch his naivety.

It’s truly sad how this child seems far more intelligent and composed than my own son,

Huyan Dong thought.

“Big Brother Huyan,” Chu Yi replied with a faint smile, “it’s a pity, but what’s happening now is the complete opposite of what you guessed. I was the one who had Lu Jiangtong invite you and your father here.

"As for Red Cotton Peak... I’ve completely severed ties with them.”

Upon hearing this, Huyan Bin's face turned ashen.

I knew it,

Huyan Dong thought before speaking. “You severed ties with Red Cotton Peak? Yet, you were still willing to act against Taotie City for the Mount Shu Sect? Could it be... you did it out of loyalty, because you value the bond and connection?”

"There’s no need for you to concern yourself with that, City Lord. I have my own reasons," Chu Yi replied calmly.

He then turned his gaze to Huyan Bin, scrutinizing him briefly, before casting a frowning look at Lu Jiangtong. “I didn’t expect them to treat you like this. I only asked him to ask a few questions. How did it end up like this?”

The sinister leader of the rebels of Mount Mang immediately took a step back and knelt on one knee. "I am willing to accept my punishment."

Instead of responding, Chu Yi simply had Lu Jiangtong remain kneeling as he turned to Huyan Dong.

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"I’m not after the treasures the ancestors of Taotie City left behind," he said casually. "That’s just something that came up since we’re all here together. I’m sure you two can tell that the treasures I’ve given the rebels of Mount Mang are far more valuable than anything Taotie City has hidden away. What I really want... is something else."

As Huyan Dong stared at the calculating expression on this child's face, he couldn't help but feel a sense of uncertainty. He had no idea what Chu Yi was about to say.

"I know that Taotie City once pledged allegiance to the Noble Dharma’s sect before you joined the Penglai Supreme Sect," Chu Yi said, speaking deliberately. "If I wanted to arrange a meeting with the Noble Dharma, would you be willing to help facilitate it? In exchange, I will set you and your son free after the meeting. Will you agree to this?"

Being located in the Northern Regions and lacking eighth-realm cultivators, Taotie City naturally relied on external support. For the past few centuries, the Noble Dharma of the Holy Mountain in the Northern Regions had been their honored ally, sending vast resources to the Holy Mountain every year.

In the Northern Regions, as long as a person paid proper homage to the Noble Dharma, peace and stability would follow them. When an individual's power reached a certain level, even sects in the Divine Nine and the Terrestrial Ten had to show them respect.

However, when Taotie City sought to compete with Red Cotton Peak, they had to expand beyond the Northern Regions and the influence of the Northern Regions alone was no longer enough. And so, they turned to Penglai Supreme Sect. With the protection of Penglai Supreme Sect's powerful cultivators, they were able to accomplish much more and gradually distanced themselves from the Holy Mountain.

Yet, their centuries-old connection meant that even though Taotie City drifted away, they never completely severed ties. Had the rebels of Mount Mang not struck Taotie City so swiftly, the Holy Mountain of the Northern Regions might have intervened.

"Are you also seeking the Noble Dharma's protection?" Huyan Dong asked in a deep voice. "A group of rebels of demonic descent—"

Chu Yi interrupted him. "I simply wish to talk. Without the protection of an eighth-realm cultivator, one cannot stand firm in this world. City Lord Huyan, there's no need for you to worry about what I plan to do. Just tell me—do we have a deal or not?"

Huyan Dong answered without hesitation, "Deal."

...

1. Calling someone a grandson is just a phrase used to describe how someone is humiliated and degraded. ☜