Chapter 134: Relentless Provocation, Clear Wind the Ninja

Qin Xiao was baffled. Why had that old bastard Clear Wind agreed so readily?

“Since you agreed, that makes things easier. First hand over the plundered supplies and people. Let me see your sincerity first.”

Qin Xiao had to adapt on the fly, demanding that Clear Wind Ancestor hand over the captives and supplies before they could discuss compensation.

“I can no longer return the men, but I can give you the goods. What if you take them and refuse to release my people?”

Clear Wind Ancestor was no fool; he did not dare step out of the Formation. If Qin Xiao went back on his word and refused to release the captives, he would have no recourse.

“What do you mean the men can no longer be returned? What about those transport disciples?”

Seeing that Clear Wind was only willing to return the supplies, Qin Xiao felt an immediate sense of foreboding.

“They’re all dead, of course. But I’ll compensate you at a thousand Spirit Stones per person.”

Clear Wind Ancestor had long since ordered those stewards to clean up all the witnesses precisely to leave no evidence behind. Where would he find people to return to Qin Xiao now?

Although he had agreed to help Chen Shunyi, the Clear Wind Ancestor did not want to go to war with the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion too soon. He was only supposed to help, not become the main force. He knew what Chen Shunyi was after, but Qin Xiao hadn’t played by the usual rules and had forced this situation.

He had been careless too, sending only the Second Elder to attack the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion’s Fifth Elder. He had expected the higher cultivation realm to make her easy to kill, but she had escaped.

“All killed? One thousand Spirit Stones per head?”

Qin Xiao felt a genuine surge of anger, but he forced himself to remain calm. He could not deal with the Clear Wind old ghost by himself right now. If he could not lure the old fellow out, Master’s wife would not be able to capture him.

“Fine. Since you brought up compensation, I estimate this convoy had at least one thousand people. Ten thousand Spirit Stones per head makes ten million, plus the cargo, which is worth around another ten million. Give me these twenty million first.”

Qin Xiao spoke directly, figuring that the Clear Wind Sect should be capable of coughing up these Spirit Stones, so he was unconcerned that the other party would break off negotiations.

“How could there possibly be a thousand people? There were only a hundred or so, and that cargo is utterly worthless-not even worth one hundred thousand Spirit Stones!”

Before Clear Wind Ancestor could reply, one of the stewards kneeling nearby blurted out in panic.

He had to explain himself. If the Ancestor suspected he had pocketed the difference, he would still be dead either way.

“So you were one of the ones who did it?”

Qin Xiao looked coldly at the man who had just spoken.

“Kill him.”

Without wasting words, Qin Xiao directly ordered Yun Man to execute the man.

Out of the fourteen stewards, only ten now remained.

“Who else among you participated?”

Once the execution was done, Qin Xiao continued his questioning.

None of the remaining ten stewards dared look up at Qin Xiao. Two were particularly evasive.

“Kill those two as well.” This chapter was copied from NovelPing without permission.

One glance at their guilty demeanor told Qin Xiao all he needed to know, and he ordered their deaths without hesitation.

Yun Man did not hesitate in the slightest. With two casual sword strikes, two more lives were snuffed out.

Only eight stewards were left now, and none of them dared utter a single sound. Even Duan Mingfei remained completely silent.

“Alright. Now that you have killed them, twenty million is truly excessive. Ten million! My Clear Wind Sect is willing to pay ten million to settle this matter. How about it?”

The Clear Wind Ancestor was almost at his limit, but still forced himself to hold back.

“Fine. Hand over the Spirit Stones first.”

Having executed several of the perpetrators, Qin Xiao felt much more vindicated, so he decided to swindle ten million first.

“You release the prisoners first. Naturally, this old man will keep his word.”

Seeing that Qin Xiao had agreed to terms, Clear Wind Ancestor demanded the release of the captives first.

“That’s not how it works. Pay up. If you won’t pay, we have nothing to discuss.”

Qin Xiao was not stupid. Release the prisoners first? What was the old man dreaming of?

“Fine. I’ll pay first. But deceive me and you’ll learn the consequences. Mingda, make the exchange.”

Clear Wind Ancestor knew that this brat Qin Xiao was just as unreasonable as Ye Qiuyue, leaving him with no choice but to agree to pay upfront. Besides, ten million to buy back a Soul Formation stage expert and eight Nascent Soul stage cultivators was not an outright loss.

“Understood, Ancestor.”

Duan Mingda stepped forward and received a Storage Bag from Clear Wind Ancestor’s hand.

Seeing that only one person was approaching, Qin Xiao remained unbothered. He would fleece them of ten million first; that old ghost could choke on his own rage later.

“This is ten million Spirit Stones. Release the prisoners immediately.”

Duan Mingda reluctantly handed over the Spirit Stones. But this was to save his younger brother, so he couldn’t dwell on the cost.

Qin Xiao promptly put the Spirit Stones into his System Space and opened it to check. Sure enough, the total had risen by ten million.

“Alright, two conditions, and one is fulfilled. I will release half of the prisoners now. Once the second condition is agreed to as well, I will release the rest.”

Qin Xiao said this after taking the Spirit Stones.

“What do you mean? Do you dare toy with me?”

Duan Mingda had not expected Qin Xiao to go back on his word and only release half the captives.

“You five at the early Nascent Soul stage, scram right now.”

Ignoring Duan Mingda entirely, Qin Xiao pointed at the five early Nascent Soul stewards kneeling nearby. Read this novel at novelping . com for the best experience.

The five quickly got up and ran back to the Clear Wind Sect.

“Are you leaving or not? If not, you can go kneel over there as well.”

Seeing Duan Mingda still standing there, Qin Xiao asked.

“Fine, fine, fine… I will remember this.”

Duan Mingda dared not act presumptuously, knowing that Qin Xiao still had two mid-Soul Formation protectors by his side. If he tried anything, he would likely end up detained as well.

“Plenty of people remember me. Who do you think you are?”

Qin Xiao dismissed Duan Mingda’s threat with utter indifference.

“Qin Xiao, what do you mean by this? I’ve paid compensation. Why did you release only these few?”

The Clear Wind Ancestor asked, struggling to hold himself back.

“I already said-two conditions, and you only fulfilled one, so naturally I only released half. I even gave you an extra person: nine were held, and I let five go. Are you still unsatisfied?”

Qin Xiao put on a thoroughly shameless expression.

He had kept the Soul Formation stage Duan Mingfei, a mid-Nascent Soul steward, and two early Nascent Soul stewards. There had originally been two mid-Nascent Soul stewards, but one had served as an executor for the convoy raid and was already dead.

“Now, let us discuss the final condition. Your sect plundered my Heavenly Clothes Pavilion Fifth Elder’s Storage Bag, which contained the business profits of various shops-estimated at one hundred million. Furthermore, you injured our Fifth Elder. Pay another one hundred million in compensation. That is hardly unreasonable, is it?”

Qin Xiao ignored the Clear Wind Ancestor’s displeasure and went on stating his second condition.

“Qin Xiao, do not push this old man too far! Do you truly believe my Clear Wind Sect does not dare go to war with your Heavenly Clothes Pavilion?”

Clear Wind Ancestor finally snapped.

Since this brat insisted on toying with him, then so be it-let war come!

“Oh? War? Then come ahead and start your war. I am shivering in my boots.”

Qin Xiao rolled his eyes. If that old bastard had the courage, would he still be standing there barking empty threats for half a day?

If the Clear Wind Sect hunkered down inside their grand defensive Formation, they might prove a tough nut to crack, but the moment they dared step outside, he would show them what a true Body Integration stage mighty figure could do.

“Boy, you win! I don’t want these people anymore. But I’ll remember this. You won’t be strutting around for long. When the time comes, I’ll pay you back a hundredfold!”

At the last instant before he erupted, the Clear Wind Ancestor held himself back. He was almost a Ninja Turtle of endurance. Even this he could bear! But unless Ye Qiuyue showed herself, he would not leave the formation.

Qin Xiao’s party numbered only four, and only two of them were mid Soul Formation bodyguards. The Clear Wind Ancestor could send his ten Soul Formation subordinates to capture him. But what if Ye Qiuyue struck and captured all ten? He would have no one left to command.

Since any action seemed fraught with risk, he decided to do nothing at all. He no longer trusted a single word out of Qin Xiao’s mouth. Leaving aside the fact that he did not possess two hundred million Spirit Stones, even if he did, he would never trade with Qin Xiao again. Besides, those four captives were simply not worth that exorbitant price.

Once Qin Xiao took them away, he would go back and activate the restrictions to kill them.

Language Note

The original turns the Chinese name for the Ninja Turtles into a joke about endurance: ren (忍) means to endure and also appears in the Chinese word for ninja.