With that, his voice paused briefly before he continued, speaking no further, only gazing seriously at Zhu Yuyan. He looked like he was waiting for her answer on whether to continue negotiating or not. His expression was earnest, yet composed and unhurried—he truly wasn't in a rush, and it wouldn't be him who was.
As Li Daoqiang had said, the situation seemed somewhat complicated, but to the sharp-minded, all sorts of scenarios could be inferred. Everyone understood the state of affairs. For instance, Li Daoqiang himself wouldn't easily touch the Demon Zither. Once he held it, he'd become a target for everyone. Even with his supreme-level strength, with so many grandmasters in the open and shadows, if they truly ganged up on him, he couldn't withstand it. The stronger he appeared in a fight, the greater the chance they'd surround him if he had the zither. Most importantly, he wanted profit, not the zither. Without enough gain, he wasn't keen on being besieged. So, Li Daoqiang wouldn't just take the zither and leave, planning to trade later. That would only make his real goal seem like stealing it. Getting surrounded and facing unpredictable outcomes would ruin his beloved "money-loving" persona, harming his future greatly. It wasn't worth it to him.
And precisely because he appeared to care only about money, not the zither, even though he was clearly causing trouble, robbing, and extorting, he wasn't the primary enemy of the many experts. Coupled with his formidable strength, he could remain calm and composed. Just like Zhu Yuyan, furious as she was, she still chose not to fight. A big reason was this: he didn't want the zither, so why rush? Only those who wanted to snatch it would be anxious.
As expected, Zhu Yuyan suppressed her anger again and coldly asked, "What method?"
"First, you, the Yin Queen, help me hold off these experts while I leave with the Demon Zither. Then we'll trade later. I'll give you enough time to raise the money," Li Daoqiang said seriously. With her help blocking, he was confident he could escape with the zither. And by setting up a future trade, as long as he followed through, it wouldn't damage his money-loving image. But he didn't expect her to agree.
Sure enough, Zhu Yuyan flatly refused: "No. How do I know you're not using me, with the real goal being the zither? Even if you genuinely want to trade, who's to say someone won't offer a higher price? I don't trust you either." Her words were firm, a small counter to his earlier distrust.
Li Daoqiang had anticipated this but still felt a bit helpless. Zhu Yuyan, that old fox, wasn't easy to fool. She wouldn't act without seeing the goods; empty promises wouldn't make her help block. He was genuinely frustrated and wronged—he really didn't want the zither, just the money. But she didn't believe in his credibility, and he couldn't help it. It showed he still had a long way to go in building his trustworthy persona. With so many martial artists around, he had to defend himself. Slightly annoyed, he said, "Yin Queen, my reputation is known throughout the world—fair and honest. Besides, what would I do with the Demon Zither? I want money."
Nearby, Bian Bufu and the Blood Saber Old Man sneered inwardly, cursing silently. Huang Xuemei glanced at the zither in her arms, also displeased. She was already annoyed that Li Daoqiang had dismissed her, acting as if he decided the zither's fate. Now his blatant indifference to it irked her further, making her doubt his sincerity. Zhu Yuyan just sneered; trusting him was impossible unless she was insane.
Seeing this, Li Daoqiang didn't dwell on it. He'd proposed the first method, knowing she'd reject it, just to pave the way for others. "Fine, since you don't agree to the first, here's the second. Let me inject a strand of true energy into your body, and hand over Bian Bufu, the other two, and your disciple Wanwan to me. Then I'll trust you, help you get the zither first, and take the money later," he stated.
"Impossible," Zhu Yuyan refused without hesitation, her face darkening, along with Bian Bufu and the others.
"Why not?" Li Daoqiang frowned, speaking frankly. "Injecting true energy into you would at most injure you, not kill you. With Wanwan and the four of them as collateral, I believe you won't back out. And I'd never give up seven million taels for them. It's a good plan—I've shown plenty of sincerity."
"Hmph." Zhu Yuyan snorted coldly. "Sincerity? Ridiculous. Injecting true energy into me, plus holding Wanwan and the others, you could wipe out my Yin Sect if you wanted. I'll never agree."
"Ridiculous? First, do I even have that ability? Second, why would I wipe out your Yin Sect? Am I bored out of my mind? I'll say it again: I want money. I have zero interest in your lives." Li Daoqiang's tone lost some politeness, turning testy.
"Heh." Zhu Yuyan sneered mockingly. "Fine, even if you want money, once you control our lives, wouldn't all the Yin Sect's wealth be yours? Do you think I should trust you?"
Li Daoqiang paused, a bit speechless. Zhu Yuyan had thought deeper than he had. She truly didn't trust his reputation at all, and he inwardly snorted. "Of course you should," he said, straightening his face with righteous firmness. "Yin Queen, I'll remind you one last time: we may be friends, and you can choose not to trust me. But that doesn't give you the right to slander my reputation before the world's heroes. I conduct business with the entire world, not just your Yin Sect. Reputation is my foundation. If you keep slandering without proof, don't blame me for forgetting our friendship."
The Yin Sect was a behemoth, and Zhu Yuyan was a renowned top-tier expert with vast influence. In front of so many people, her repeated doubts were too much for Li Daoqiang. He had to warn her. Don't think just because he wanted her money, he'd stay patient. He was a bandit, not a good man who followed reason or morality.
Zhu Yuyan felt even more disdain. Friendship? Reputation? Did he have any? But seeing the cold glint in his eyes, she held back, not wanting to provoke him. The Demon Zither was paramount. So she just snorted and stayed silent.
The others found his words awkward. "Conducting business with the entire world"—wasn't that just wanting to rob everyone? How could he say it so brazenly? What stung more was that no one dared mock him. Even the prestigious sects' representatives—like Diancang Sect's elder Sun Lutang, Divine Marquis Estate's Wuqing and Zhui Ming, and Six Doors' divine constable Zhu Xiawu—all stayed silent. The reason was simple: Li Daoqiang was too strong. Strong enough that they wouldn't risk offending him over mere words.
Seeing Zhu Yuyan silent, Li Daoqiang knew she'd backed down and didn't push further. Sternly, he said, "Since you reject both methods, there's only the third. We wait here. With your help, I'm confident no one can take the zither. Meanwhile, the Yin Sect can raise the money. Once it's here, we trade." For seven million taels, he was willing to take a risk.
"No." Zhu Yuyan refused again, her voice heavy. "More experts will come for the zither. Delays breed trouble. You're confident, but I'm not."
Li Daoqiang's face turned cold, and an imposing aura rose. Instantly, many felt as if a mountain had appeared, inspiring awe. The earlier dismissive, amused moods vanished, replaced by reverence. This was a young top-tier expert and a ruthless bandit. He would kill if he said so. Even the grandmasters, including Zhu Yuyan, grew more solemn, eyes fixed on him.
"This won't work, that won't work. What do you want, Yin Queen? Did you agree to trade just to trick me?" After a pause, Li Daoqiang said coldly, his smile unchanged but his presence fierce and menacing. Now he truly suspected Zhu Yuyan was faking agreement. He'd had doubts before, but now they grew.
Feeling his pressure, Zhu Yuyan's wariness deepened, but she didn't back down. "Your methods are bad, so how can I agree? As for tricking you, I have no interest."
"Do you think I can only trade with you? I chose you first out of friendship," Li Daoqiang said flatly.
At that, Zhu Yuyan blinked and smiled. Her stunning smile, like a starry night, drew countless gazes. Whatever her nature, she was undeniably beautiful. And men... Zhu Yuyan ignored the worthless stares, her smile sweeping over Geshu Tian and the others. "You're wrong about one thing, Chief Li. If you want money, you can only trade with us." She paused, confident and unafraid. "Among those here, the righteous sects—Diancang, Mingjian Manor, Feiyu Manor—won't deal with you. Divine Marquis Estate and Six Doors don't have that kind of money. As for Geshu Tian, haha, I'm not belittling him, but even if he sold the entire Tianyu Palace, he couldn't scrape together seven million taels, let alone five."
(Thank you for your support. I'm really begging for votes and support. Over 270,000 free words, less than 10,000 collections, no recommendations, and no release date in sight. Though the main reason is my own doing, and I'm mentally prepared to persevere, it's truly hard to bear.)