The Deal

This tempting siren made Li Yi involuntarily take a few more glances, but fortunately, his face was well-concealed, so Wu Xinyu couldn't discern his expression. Taking a deep breath to suppress the stirrings in his heart, Li Yi spoke in a restrained voice, "Miss Wu, I'm afraid this isn't the place to talk."

"Of course," Wu Xinyu covered her mouth and chuckled softly, "Please follow me."

Li Yi nodded noncommittally, agreeing to her suggestion. Amidst the bewildered gazes of the bystanders, he followed Wu Xinyu into Fenglou. The first thing that caught his eye was a spacious hall, where dignified-looking individuals were chatting and laughing. Holding wine glasses in their hands, they all showed a respectful smile and raised their cups as they saw Wu Xinyu approaching. Li Yi found this scene in such a place quite surprising.

Perhaps noticing Li Yi's curiosity, Wu Xinyu smiled and whispered, "The people here are the so-called elite of Bloodwolf Town and its surroundings... Our business at Fenglou is to provide services for these elites. Whatever they desire, we make every effort to fulfill, and for whatever they want to sell, we ensure the best price. In Fenglou, there's nothing that can't be bought or sold, as long as you can afford the price."

Li Yi glanced at Wu Xinyu, feeling somewhat shocked. Such operations usually couldn't be managed by ordinary forces, but she made it sound so effortless, indicating her backing was not simple... No wonder Yin Tianjie, with his disposition, had to tolerate such a power in Bloodwolf Town. It was not out of willingness but necessity.

As Li Yi was pondering, Wu Xinyu had already led him to the second floor and into an elegant pavilion. After signaling the attending guards to leave and closing the door, she smiled and said, "Alright, sir... This pavilion is the safest place in Fenglou. I can assure you that our conversation here will remain private. So, what can I do for you?"

Li Yi looked at her seriously and said, "Yin Tianjie is dead. I presume you already know?"

Unfazed, Wu Xinyu replied with a light laugh, "Naturally, we've been in Bloodwolf Town for many years and are well-informed. We also know that not only is Yin Tianjie dead, but he probably died at your hands..."

Li Yi nodded, "Indeed, I killed him."

"So, what brings you here today? Surely not to claim a reward for killing Yin Tianjie?" Wu Xinyu joked lightly, mixing seriousness with playfulness.

Li Yi shook his head and after a moment said, "With Yin Tianjie's death, the Bloodwolf Mercenary Group has dissolved, creating a power vacuum in Bloodwolf Town. This can't be good for either of us, can it?"

Wu Xinyu smiled and played with her hair, "Honestly, it doesn't affect us much. Other powers will fill the vacuum left by the Bloodwolf Mercenary Group, but I believe none would dare confront us. We have no interest in such power struggles."

Li Yi frowned, examining her closely, "Has Fenglou never thought of taking over this power vacuum?"

Wu Xinyu replied cheerfully, "Of course not, we're not interested in such troublesome matters."

"What if I want you to take over this power vacuum?" Li Yi's sudden proposal hung in the air.

After a pause, Wu Xinyu said softly, "Truthfully, even if you ask, we wouldn't. You should know better than us that the Long family has appeared in Bloodwolf Town and has an 80-90% chance of filling this power vacuum. If it was just the Long family, competing with them wouldn't be an issue. But they have the Ye family from the capital and the ambiguous stance of the Beidou Sect behind them. With such forces, no one in this vast empire would want to offend them."

Li Yi nodded, understanding her point. With Long Fei's ambition, it was only natural for him to incorporate Bloodwolf Town into the Long family's territory after taking down Bloodwolf Fortress. His brazen actions were, in a way, helped by Li Yi himself. Ye Qingma's death would surely cause a stir in the Ye family and Beidou Sect, allowing the Long family to expand their power under this pretext. About this, even the Li and Mo families could only watch. Neither would be foolish enough to interfere unnecessarily.

Li Yi sighed inwardly, then tapped his finger on the table and after a moment said, "I know Fenglou wouldn't want to offend the forces behind the Long family, but... perhaps we can put it another way... Don't let the Long family take advantage of Bloodwolf Town. How about we jointly support a new power to occupy the power vacuum in Bloodwolf Town?"

Wu Xinyu took a slight breath, her full chest moving gently with her breathing: "If it's about a deal... naturally, it's possible. But sir, you must understand, such matters are extremely troublesome and exhausting... Without a very good price, I'm afraid..." Saying this, Wu Xinyu glanced at Li Yi, the meaning in her eyes clearly understood by both parties. With a light sneer, Li Yi spoke calmly, "I indeed can't afford the price... To accomplish this, it would probably take close to a million gold coins, wouldn't it? However, I do have something that can match the price of this matter, it's just whether or not you dare to accept it!" As he spoke, Li Yi flipped his hand, revealing a scroll emitting a cyan glow, lightly quivering with his Qi.

Wu Xinyu's pupils contracted sharply, looking at Li Yi with a hint of surprise, then she spoke in a low voice, "Sir, with this item, not just the previous deal, even if we have to give up Bloodwolf Town, the price is enough..."

Li Yi, holding the scroll, gave a cold smile, then tossed the scroll onto the table, speaking indifferently, "No worries... If you can support a power to take over this position, this item will be my payment. But if you fail... I'm afraid Fenglou won't have a future..."

"Hehe, who would miss such a deal?" Wu Xinyu slightly lifted her fair chin and said, "With this item, not just offending the Ye family from the capital, even a deal that offends the Martial Deity Hall would be worth it... But, what power do you have in mind for us to support?"

Li Yi shook his head slightly and after a moment spoke lightly, "I don't care what power you support, but I only need one thing: in the future, this power should only have one master, that's enough." Saying so, Li Yi slapped his hand, and this time, a parchment scroll was spread on the table.

Wu Xinyu glanced at it briefly, then chuckled, "Sir, your task seems quite challenging."

Li Yi replied calmly, "If it weren't difficult, would I need to pay such a high price? How rare that item is, you probably know better than us, right?"

"Alright, I have other matters, so I won't stay any longer. As for this matter, I hope you complete it soon." Li Yi nodded slightly and stood up to leave the pavilion. Watching Li Yi's departing figure, Wu Xinyu didn't chase after him, but her hand lightly pressed on the scroll on the table, her eyes filled with uncertainty. After a moment, she gently rubbed her smooth forehead and spoke softly, "Uncle Ni Cheng, did you figure out the level of that man in black?"

From a hidden corner of the pavilion, a secret door slowly opened, and a middle-aged man in a white robe walked out. He appeared extremely puzzled, frowning for a moment before saying, "Strange, his Qi is well-concealed. At a glance, he seems to be just a Fighter, but under that aura, there seems to be a powerful presence hidden. I fear, the Qi of a Fighter is just what he deliberately emits, his real strength must be terrifyingly formidable. Miss... you're right, we should try to win over such a person, not offend him. After all, a King-level fighter could bring us great benefits, let alone him, who is likely not just a King... Remember, Yin Tianjie's strength was comparable to mine, but he couldn't withstand even one move against him..."

Wu Xinyu remained silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "So, you mean, we have to agree to this deal? And even help him support this nobody... It won't be easy!"

"With this item, the higher-ups won't refuse the deal," Ni Cheng glanced at the scroll emitting a cyan glow on the table, his eyes flashing with eagerness, then spoke softly, "Moreover, supporting this nobody isn't without benefits. At least, compared to Yin Tianjie, he's easier to deal with. It seems the mysterious person has no interest in Bloodwolf Town's foundation; perhaps supporting this nobody is just a whim. We might gain other benefits in this matter. Plus, if we want to investigate this mysterious person in the future, having this nobody might provide us with a clue..."

"Let's hope so..." Wu Xinyu murmured, then casually picked up the scroll, glancing at it briefly before her face suddenly changed, the scroll dropping onto the table.

"It's... it's this item..." Wu Xinyu looked astonished, her expression complicated.

"What's so surprising? Even if it's a high-level Vermillion Bird technique, it shouldn't be this shocking, right? Miss, you yourself practice a high-level Vermillion Bird technique, don't you?" Ni Cheng, seeing her expression, couldn't help but say.

"No... it's not that..." Wu Xinyu took a deep breath and said with a wry smile, "Just see for yourself, Uncle Ni Cheng."

Ni Cheng, looking puzzled, picked up the scroll and after briefly glancing at it, exclaimed in disbelief, "The Wanmu Decree? Isn't this the long-inherited technique of the Ye family? How could it be..."