The guy was quite straightforward about it — he'd clearly thought it through. When you're living under someone else's roof, you have no choice but to bow your head. Now was not the time for him to play tough.
But though he bowed his head, Jiang Chen wasn't buying it. Behind Kuang Rong's seemingly earnest exterior, the pride of one of the Eight Great Houses' scions was all too poorly concealed.
Jiang Chen was absolutely certain that if he actually let this man go, Kuang Rong would spare no effort in finding ways to come after him.
After all, Jiang Chen was the only person who had witnessed this so-called genius at his most pathetic.
Of course, Jiang Chen had no intention of making his move just yet. Kuang Rong still had obvious value as a tool. Since the other party wanted to play games, Jiang Chen would simply play along.
He offered a cool smile. "Kuang Rong, a wise man knows the times. You're at least smarter than Xuan Rui. So tell me — what do you suppose is the thing I want most right now?"
"The thing you want most?" Kuang Rong blinked, stared at Jiang Chen for a moment, then seemed to realize something. Muttering almost to himself, he said, "I don't know your true identity. If you really are a trial participant from Dongyan Island, then with your talent and strength, you shouldn't have ended up as prey for our Eight Great Houses. But if you're not a trial participant from Dongyan Island, how did you get into the Black Nightmare Mountains?"
This was what confused Kuang Rong the most. If this person was a trial participant from Dongyan Island, then how on earth was he this powerful? It defied common sense.
Jiang Chen said calmly, "You guessed right. I am the prey you're hunting — the prey worth five points."
By now, Jiang Chen's tone carried not a trace of indignation. Only indifference.
Kuang Rong's heart sank. "You… you really are a trial participant from Dongyan Island? How is that possible? Are the Huichun Island Domain people blind? To let a talent like you fall inside Dongyan Island — that's strangling genius in the cradle! A colossal waste!"
Kuang Rong's eyes blazed with fervor. "Sir, since that's the case, I think we have even more reason to talk this out. Even if you kill all of us here on Dongyan Island, in the end you'll still die. You know as well as I do — we young geniuses are all reserve talent for the Eight Great Houses. If too many of us die in a backwater like Dongyan Island, the upper echelons of the Eight Great Houses will be furious beyond measure. They could flatten the entire Black Nightmare Mountains. Think about it — if it comes to that, you may be strong, but how will you escape? Do you honestly believe you can get away alive while being hunted by the elites and leaders of the Eight Great Houses?"
"Besides, I've heard that Dongyan Island allows entry but not exit. The entire perimeter is ringed with lethal prohibitions. Nobody has ever escaped from Dongyan Island. If you can't even flee, then won't you be a turtle in a jar? When the Eight Great Houses want to catch you, won't it be as easy as reaching into a bag?"
Kuang Rong was truly silver-tongued. In such a short span, he'd managed to produce all these arguments — articulate, impassioned, and seemingly well-reasoned.
But to Jiang Chen's ears, it failed to stir even the slightest ripple.
Jiang Chen cast an indifferent glance at Kuang Rong, and the killing intent in his eyes didn't diminish — if anything, it grew subtly stronger.
Kuang Rong saw this and felt a jolt run through his entire body. Hadn't his argument been perfectly reasonable? Why was this man unmoved?
Could it be that this fellow was truly audacious beyond all measure?
"Kuang Rong, are you trying to give me a reason to kill you?" Jiang Chen's voice turned cold as iron.
Kuang Rong shuddered and hastily blurted, "No, no, no, sir — whatever you're thinking, just say it. As long as you have any use for me, Kuang Rong, just name your terms!"
"I want to leave Dongyan Island," Jiang Chen said evenly. "If you can come up with a workable method, I don't mind letting you off."
"Leave Dongyan Island?" Kuang Rong's face lit up with joy. "Isn't that simple? Just disguise yourself as one of my retainers, and you can walk right out without a fuss. Our stated mission this time is a culling operation, but if I say I was impressed by your potential and want to recruit you into my service, that's perfectly plausible."
For a fleeting instant, this proposal genuinely tempted Jiang Chen.
But after a moment's deliberation, he firmly rejected it. The proposal sounded attractive, yet it had one fatal flaw — the moment he agreed, his fate would no longer be in his own hands. It would be entirely controlled by someone else.
If Kuang Rong let even the slightest slip, dropped even a subtle hint, everything could unravel. At that point, Jiang Chen would become a juicy morsel on the lips of the Eight Great Houses. Even with all his confidence, he didn't believe he could escape from a group of Celestial realm cultivators.
Moreover, as Kuang Rong himself had said, Dongyan Island was large but inescapable. They really would be closing in on a trapped turtle — effortlessly.
He could run and hide all he wanted, but Dongyan Island was only so big. As long as he couldn't leave the island, it was only a matter of time before they caught him.
Jiang Chen understood this with crystal clarity. He felt that no matter what, his fate had to remain firmly in his own hands. Even if it meant taking on a bit more risk, it was worth it.
Under Kuang Rong's plan, the surface risk might seem lower, but the unknowns were simply too numerous. If a single link in the chain broke, his destiny would slip entirely out of his control.
That was a deal Jiang Chen would never make.
Kuang Rong noticed that Jiang Chen had seemed briefly interested but then gone silent, and knew his persuasion had failed. Growing anxious, he pressed on.
"Sir, if you think my proposal won't work, then whatever ideas you have, we can discuss them. If all you want is to leave Dongyan Island, I, Kuang, certainly have many ways to arrange it."
Jiang Chen believed the man had ways. What he didn't trust was Kuang Rong's character. Even if Kuang Rong swore a blood oath, there was nothing stopping him from subtly dropping hints behind the scenes. The faintest crack in the façade, and Jiang Chen would be dead beyond burial.
Jiang Chen steadied himself and thought, I already had a plan. Kuang Rong is nothing more than an unforeseen variable. I captured him to extract intelligence, not to sit here and listen to his sales pitch. I need to hold fast to my original resolve.
His thoughts cleared once more.
"Kuang Rong, I've heard enough of your drivel. The best thing you can do for me is lay out every single person the Eight Great Houses sent into this place — the web of relationships between them, and the relationships between the Eight Great Houses themselves. Lay it all out clearly. If your information is good enough, I might consider not killing you."
Jiang Chen had finally locked in his resolve, refusing to let stray thoughts pull him off course.
Since he had already decided to disguise himself as Xuan Rui and leave, changing plans at the last minute would be a fatal mistake.