I Can See Your Combat Power

As the negotiation seemed on the verge of turning into a martial skirmish, an irate elder sternly warned, “Is this how you dare to conduct yourselves in my presence!?”

The one who spoke belonged to the Mi Clan’s second elder, but he wasn’t directing his words at Xiao Qi’s party. Instead, he was glaring at the three martial ancestors brought by another member of the Mi Clan.

The three martial adepts who had just unleashed their vigor suddenly froze upon the elder’s reprimand. Their gathered aura dissipated, but the elder remained unsatisfied, glaring as he commanded, “Has the head of the Xiao Clan failed to provide you with chairs? Sit down!”

Being so publicly scolded was humiliating for these powerful martial ancestors, but they knew they couldn’t retaliate against the elder’s reprimands.

Those chosen as elders are greatly respected within the clan. Moreover, before becoming an elder, this man was the chief instructor of the Mi Clan’s martial artists, including these martial ancestors, who were personally trained by him. Their conditioning compelled them to sit in submission, even in the face of the clan leader.

Moreover, they had launched their displays of vigour without being ordered to, and another member of the Mi Clan’s silence only depleted their will even further. So, they reluctantly sat down.

Seeing the three of them sit down, the riled-up elder finally let go of his anger and turned to Xiao Jinlin with a regretful expression, saying, “I apologize for the youthful exuberance of our clan’s junior members. Second son, please lower your aura.”

Three towering martial ancestors, still in their prime at nearly fifty, were ironically being called young men. A hint of embarrassment flashed across their faces, quickly replaced by helplessness.

But maybe to the hundred-year-old elder and the nearly ninety-year-old Xiao Jinlin, they were indeed young.

However, the atmosphere within the tent eased with the elder’s intervention, allowing the two spokesmen some respite for deliberation and reconsideration.

At the moment, the disagreement between the two revolved around the massive stash of spiritual herbs and treasures. The Mi member was aware that this treasure was obtained through transactions between the Ji Clan and the Tang Clan. However, Xiao Jinlin adamantly denied it, leaving him with no recourse.

Unwilling to allow the Xiao Clan to easily carry away such wealth, he was forced to come to terms with the fact that the entire Mi Clan army was amassed in Xiangyun Valley. Now, with Xiao Jinlin’s tough stance, they would either have to resort to their martial skills or concede; the Mi member sat racking his brain, weighing his chances against the victorious Xiao Clan and Red Cloud Mountain factions in the struggle for the three million spiritual herbs and treasures.

In deep thought, a sudden resolution came to him. He sighed at the seated Xiao Jinlin, “Clan leader Xiao certainly chose a good timing.”

Xiao Jinlin chuckled lightly and nodded in acceptance of the compliment.

With the Tang Clan’s secluded followers yet to emerge, the Mi clan’s secret weapons were naturally not to be squandered foolishly. If used to attack Red Cloud Mountain, they would face an inexhaustible surge of opposition, and the Mi Clan would end up losing men in exchange for nothing.

The wise Mi member was bound to make a decision, no matter how painful it would be.

However, Xiao Jinlin had underestimated the Mi member’s determination to gain the profit. As the leader of the Mi Clan, which stretched across West Longzhou, these spiritual treasures were critical!

“I wonder, are the men from your clan skilled in underwater combat?” The Mi member inquired, his face stoic, “The Mi Clan’s allied forces will breach Xiangyun Valley within three days. I wonder, will three hundred elite fighters skilled in underwater combat and three martial ancestor teams be enough to delay the Xiao Clan’s ships in the territory of Xiling for three days?”

His nonchalant question took Xiao Jinlin by surprise, his face suddenly darkening while his eyes filled with fierce light.

However, killing intent wasn’t enough to cow a clan leader. The Mi member just looked at Xiao Jinlin and laughed, showing no fear in his eyes.

The hard-won composure was once again filled with tension. When it comes to matters of interest, agreement is seldom found between clans.

Most competitions among prominent families are zero-sum games, signifying that one’s gain is another’s loss. In this kind of relationship, the competition is quite brutal.

‘You gain one, I lose one,’ because the total remains the same.

Hence, the common outcome is the winner taking it all while the loser ends up with nothing. However, most of the time, families would leave some leeway in their disputes.

No matter how vicious the words or fierce the tension, it’s only aimed at gaining an advantage. After all, the relationships between the great clans are not just about fighting and killing, but also about human relations.

The Mi member knew that once he showed a strong attitude, Xiao Jinlin would have to give in, as he wouldn’t gamble the lives of his people for some spiritual herbs.

After a long face-off, Xiao Jinlin sighed, saying “Clan Leader Mi possesses an audacity rarely seen, I admire that.”

Hearing this admission, the Mi member finally relaxed and responded, “Clan Leader Xiao’s strategies are also exceptionally rare, I admire them.”

The atmosphere in the tent finally returned to its initial cordial state, greatly relieving the severely distressed Mi Clan elder.

With a friendly mood re-established, Mi Clan Leader and Xiao Clan Leader began a unique negotiation.

The two clans started a war of words over the two ships of spiritual herbs and treasures, neither willing to concede. Whenever one side seemed to falter, the other contended fiercely, threatening to overturn the table, only for the opposing party to placate and retreat.

After several rounds of negotiation, Mi Clan Leader and Xiao Clan Leader finally reached a consensus.

The Xiao Clan would give the Mi Clan 500,000 spiritual herbs and Xiao Jinlin would lead twenty martial ancestors to assist in an alliance with the Mi Clan, in their attack on the Tang Clan’s defenses in Xiangyun Valley.

The Mi Clan would, in turn, escort the Xiao Clan’s ships as they sailed against the current through Lingjiang, the big river, and back to Longjiang.

The Mi leader was content with this condition, as 500,000 spiritual herbs and treasures were enough to offset the losses of this war. Most importantly, with the participation of the Xiao Clan, the Mi Clan’s allied forces had filled the last gap in their plan.

It was clear that once the defensive array of Xiangyun Valley was breached, a fierce battle would ensue between the Tang Clan’s defense forces and the allied forces. At that point, the Tang Clan’s missing martial ancestors would definitely emerge.

The size of the allied forces could hardly withstand such pressure, resulting in a casualty rate that was predestined.

However, adding Xiao Jinlin to the equation would change everything. As the number one warrior in Xiling, he would foil the Tang Clan’s plans regardless of their forces. With him participating in a single battle, the Xiao Clan’s warriors would undoubtedly be the strongest in Xiling. This was because, from the onset, the Monument Dragon Diagram was a secret method designed for one-to-one combat with ferocious beasts, win or die.