A crowd of Emperor Realm cultivators stared at him in slack-jawed disbelief. The dark-faced big man clearly hadn't expected the Palace Master to give such an answer, his mouth hanging open in a vacant daze.
Li Jiao said, "I don't even know when this trash sneaked in. He dared impersonate an Elder of our Li Dragon Palace. Palace Master Yang is magnanimous and won't hold it against him — don't lower yourself to his level."
Yang Kai said coldly, "If he's trash, he should be cleaned up."
Li Jiao hastily agreed: "Palace Master Yang is absolutely right."
The moment the words left his mouth, he raised his hand and brought it crashing down toward the dark-faced man. In an instant, a violent storm of energy surged through the great hall.
When the enormous palm print slammed down, the dark-faced man still hadn't reacted. Not that it would have mattered — with his first-level Emperor Realm cultivation, he stood no chance against Li Jiao whatsoever.
A miserable scream rang out as the dark-faced man was driven into the floor. Countless bones shattered, blood streamed from his mouth and nose, and he passed out cold on the spot.
The hall fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. Every Elder of the Li Dragon Palace felt their minds go blank, absolutely thunderstruck that their own Palace Master had struck one of their own. A chill crept through their hearts, freezing them to the core.
Li Jiao was not a man given to random fits of temper. Every Emperor Realm Elder present had followed him for at least a century, contributing greatly to the Li Dragon Palace. Yet to curry favor with an outsider, Li Jiao had turned on his own people with such ruthless force — it was enough to leave anyone disheartened.
The dark-faced man had taken a devastating blow. Even if it hadn't killed him, the injuries were severe. He would need at least one or two months of recovery.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Li Jiao raised his hand again and simply tossed the dark-faced man out of the hall. His cold gaze swept across the room as he gave a faint snort. "Being blind at home only brings embarrassment. Being blind out there will cost you your lives. I suggest you all remember that."
The veiled warning struck every ear, sending a fresh shiver through the assembly. Expressions varied from face to face.
Li Jiao turned back to Yang Kai with an ingratiating smile. "Does Palace Master Yang find this satisfactory?"
Yang Kai chuckled lightly. "Brother Li is handling his own household affairs. Whether I'm satisfied has nothing to do with it."
Only then did Li Jiao breathe a visible sigh of relief. "May I ask what brings Palace Master Yang here?"
Yang Kai replied with a grin, "Collecting payment, of course. Brother Li just guessed as much — why ask what you already know?"
Li Jiao's face drained of color. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Palace Master Yang, surely you're joking. Surely you're joking…"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Yang Kai regarded him evenly.
Li Jiao was no longer certain why Yang Kai had come. In theory, an annual debt of forty million high-grade Source Crystals hardly warranted Yang Kai making such a grand appearance in person. But the man's expression didn't seem like a joke at all, which set Li Jiao's heart pounding.
Owing someone that much money made him feel a head shorter. He couldn't even speak with confidence. If the Lingxiao Palace hadn't been so powerful, the Li Dragon Palace might have put up some resistance — but Li Jiao, who knew full well the depth of Lingxiao Palace's strength, couldn't even muster the thought of defiance.
They had ties to Master Ji Ying, three great Monster Kings standing guard, and a member of the Dragon Clan… How could the Li Dragon Palace possibly compare? If they truly provoked them, the fate of the Wenqing Sect would be the Li Dragon Palace's tomorrow.
For a long moment, Li Jiao wore a strained smile, unsure of what to do.
Yang Kai suddenly asked, "Brother Li, can't you come up with it?"
Li Jiao said awkwardly, "I'll have to ask Palace Master Yang for more time!"
"How much time?"
"Half a year… No, no, no — three months. Three months will do." Li Jiao said in a rush.
"Three months? That's far too modest of Palace Master Li," Yang Kai said with a slight smile. "How about I give you three years?"
"What?" Li Jiao froze, not quite understanding.
Yang Kai said, "I'll give you three years. During those three years, the Li Dragon Palace need not send any more tributes to my Lingxiao Palace. After three years, everything returns to normal. With three years of breathing room, life at the Li Dragon Palace should improve considerably."
Li Jiao didn't feel delighted. Instead, his face took on the look of a man who'd just received a fright. He asked cautiously, "Palace Master Yang… what would you ask in return?"
There was no such thing as a free lunch. This Lingxiao Palace Master couldn't possibly be that generous. Li Jiao had lived long enough to know basic common sense.
Yang Kai smiled softly. "I need Brother Li to accompany me somewhere."
Li Jiao's wariness sharpened instantly, his expression shifting rapidly. "Where?"
Yang Kai transmitted his voice privately, uttering just two words.
Li Jiao's face changed dramatically, as though he had just heard some shocking piece of terrible news. He shook his head so hard it nearly fell off. "Palace Master Yang, it's not that I'm unwilling to help you, it's just…"
"Then pay up now." Yang Kai cut him off before he could finish, extending his hand.