Tie Can staggered away from his father's presence, his mouth tasting of bitter ash. He had finally come to understand that his father was thoroughly, genuinely dissatisfied with the way he had been conducting himself all this time.
More than dissatisfied—his father was practically on the verge of casting him aside for the sake of righteousness!
Cold sweat drenched Tie Can's head, his entire back soaked through, the perspiration seeping into his undershirt.
He had always believed himself to be his father's only remaining son, the favored child of heaven, entitled to run roughshod through the sect and beyond as a matter of course.
And in truth, that was exactly what he had been doing.
His usual petty misdeeds and shady little schemes—Tie Long had simply turned a blind eye and let them slide.
But the trouble he had stirred up this time was no ordinary affair.
Tie Dazhi had been dragged into the mess as well. It was no wonder Tie Long had flown into a towering rage.
Thankfully, Tie Dazhi was still alive. If Tie Dazhi had actually died, Tie Can could not even begin to imagine what his father would have done to him.
Tie Can now also understood that his standing in his father's heart—his own biological son—had probably fallen below that of Tie Dazhi, his grandson.
"Jiang Chen! It's all that beast Jiang Chen!" Tie Can thought it over carefully and concluded that Jiang Chen was the root cause of everything. If not for Jiang Chen, where would all this filth and chaos have come from?
Tie Can's hatred gnawed at his very teeth, his eyes shooting fire. He wished he could tear Jiang Chen apart limb from limb.
But he also knew that no matter how deep his hatred ran, this time he had no choice but to swallow his pride and bow his head. Revenge against Jiang Chen would have to wait for another day.
"It's all that old fossil Ye Chonglou. If he weren't backing Jiang Chen, what capital would that brat have to act so arrogantly?" Tie Can's fury toward Ye Chonglou was equally intense.
His heart seethed with clenched-tooth resentment, but the situation was stronger than the man. He had no choice but to hurry to the Royal Capital and negotiate.
He knew that if he couldn't resolve this quickly—if he couldn't get those people out in time—and the Enforcement Hall discovered that their enforcement disciples had gone missing, that would only add yet another layer of trouble out of nowhere.
……
At the Jiang residence, Jiang Chen sat leisurely outside in the courtyard.
Tie Can, meanwhile, sat across from him accompanied by several trusted subordinates.
These two parties clearly despised each other to the point where every one of them wished they could blast the other side to bits on the spot, yet at this moment they had no choice but to sit together.
Tie Can was, of course, there because circumstances left him no alternative.
Jiang Chen, for his part, fully intended to drive a hard bargain and squeeze a fortune out of the Tie family.
"Jiang Chen, I'll admit it—I underestimated you before. I've come here this time under my father Tie Long, the First Seat's, commission to talk with you. If you're willing to give a little on this matter, my father will certainly remember the favor. Moreover, when you want to enter the Treasure Tree Sect in the future, my father can put in a word—and even arrange your promotion!"
"Your father's favor? Promote me?" Jiang Chen smiled faintly. This Tie Can wasn't quite as stupid as he'd thought—he knew force wouldn't work, so was he planning to try a softer approach? It was just that the performance was so clumsy it couldn't have fooled a three-year-old.
If someone else had come to negotiate, Jiang Chen might have been willing to listen. But Tie Can—narrow-minded and vindictive over the slightest grudge.
How could a person like this simply reconcile? How could they share a smile and let bygones be bygones? That was never Tie Can's style.
This was nothing more than a little trick forced upon him by circumstance.
If Jiang Chen handed the people back, he could guarantee that Tie Can would turn on him in an instant.
Tie Can forced out a thin smile, trying his best to make his gaze appear gentle and warm.
"Yes, my father has always valued talent, and there aren't many he'd personally promote. Jiang Chen, this is your chance to turn over a new leaf, your chance to stand out. You know how it is—in the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance, how many people are scrambling to perform before my father, hoping to win his favor and his patronage?"
Jiang Chen smiled lazily. "So what you're saying is, I should be flattered and touched, then graciously agree, and pretend to be enthusiastic about turning from enemy to friend. Is that about right?"
Seeing Jiang Chen's half-amused expression—not a trace of genuine emotion—Tie Can knew his words had been entirely wasted.
"Jiang Chen!" Tie Can's face darkened. "Are you dead set on opposing our Tie family no matter what? Have you even considered what you stand to gain from this? Offend the Tie family, and even if you manage to enter the Treasure Tree Sect, how far do you really think you'll go?"
The words were a threat, but at first glance they did carry a certain logic.
For an ordinary mortal genius, hearing such words would give anyone pause.
But Jiang Chen was, after all, Jiang Chen. This kind of threat—Jiang Chen's ears had grown calluses from hearing it long ago.
"Tie Can, I understand your superiority complex. But if you're planning to use the Tie family to threaten me, save your breath."
Jiang Chen's tone was mocking, but then his expression suddenly turned cold and his voice dropped: "If your next bit of nonsense has nothing to do with ransoming the prisoners, then get out! The negotiation is over! Go home and prepare their funerals!"
"You—"
Throughout the journey, Tie Can had devised numerous strategies, and in the end he'd settled on this approach—feign conciliation to disarm Jiang Chen and make him submit.
Instead, he discovered once again just how naive he'd been.
Jiang Chen was completely impervious—completely unfazed by the so-called power of the Tie family.
Fighting down the urge to explode in fury, Tie Can knew he had no right to lose his temper now. If he walked away from the negotiation, Jiang Chen would very likely kill someone on the spot!
His face flushed deep red, and after holding it in for a long time, Tie Can finally forced out a single sentence: "Name your price!"