Chapter 397: Sudden Wealth
"Father... save... save me... save me... I don't want to die... Father... save me... save me!!"
Xiao Kuangyun clung tightly to Xiao Juetian's thigh, his entire body trembling, his limbs long since gone limp from extreme fear, unable to stand. As a young master of the Xiao Sect who had always enjoyed everything, he was undoubtedly extremely afraid of death. Before now, nothing had ever made him feel the threat of death—only others' fear of him.
Xiao Juetian looked at his son, who had been so frightened that he had lost control of his bladder and bowels, and his face turned purple with rage. He wished he could kick him away. But this was still his own biological son, and the one he doted on the most. No matter what, he couldn't just watch him die at Yun Che's hands. He took a deep breath, cupped his hands toward Yun Che, and said, "Brother Yun, I am well aware of the grievances between you and my son. Although what my son did back then was a shameful and disgraceful act... but fortunately, you and your family emerged unscathed. My son's transgression, while serious, does not warrant death. I beg you, Brother Yun, to be magnanimous and show leniency toward my son. I, Xiao, will be forever grateful and will surely repay you handsomely."
"Does not warrant death?" Yun Che sneered coldly. "Then do you know why the Fen Tian Gate was annihilated? In comparison, their crimes were much lighter than your son's! And yet, the result... from their Supreme Elder Fan Yijue and Sect Leader Fan Duanhun, to all the disciples bearing the surname Fan—over seventy thousand people in total—every single one died without even a place to be buried!"
Yun Che's words sent a chill through everyone present from the Xiao Sect. Some... couldn't even control their trembling, and even Xiao Juetian's face turned deathly pale... He knew very well that back when Yun Che had his grand wedding a few months ago, Yun Che's strength had already grown immensely compared to when he annihilated the Fen Tian Gate. With his terrifying rate of growth, his current power was surely even more unfathomable... more than enough to wipe out the entire Xiao Sect. After all, the Xiao Sect's strength was roughly on par with the Fen Tian Gate.
If he truly flew into a rage and struck out against the entire Xiao Sect...
This worst-case scenario had crossed Xiao Juetian's mind many times. Now that he was finally facing Yun Che, who had come to collect the debt, he didn't dare think about it any further. He put himself in the humblest posture and pleaded, "Brother Yun, my son's fault is indeed unforgivable, and I am deeply ashamed of my failure to teach him properly. But given your current status and stature, even if my son were ten times stronger, he could no longer pose any threat to you, nor would he ever dare to offend you again. If you were to strike against my son, I fear... I fear it would tarnish your reputation... If you could show mercy today and spare my son, the Xiao Sect will be eternally grateful and will henceforth regard you as our honored superior. Whatever you command, as long as it is within our power, we will carry it out even if it means death!"
Although Xiao Juetian's words were ostensibly pleading for Xiao Kuangyun, everyone knew he was actually pleading for the entire Xiao Sect. With the precedent of the Fen Tian Gate, Yun Che might very well, in his fury, annihilate the Xiao Sect as well... After all, what Xiao Kuangyun had done had offended Yun Che even more deeply than the Fen Tian Gate. In that case, although two of Yun Che's family members had been abducted by the Fen Tian Gate, they were immediately rescued and unharmed. But Xiao Kuangyun had caused Yun Che to be driven out of his home, and his two family members had been confined for three whole years.
Yun Che's next words made Xiao Juetian almost unable to believe his ears.
"Hmm... what the Sect Leader Xiao says does seem reasonable. If I kill your son, it would not only dirty my hands but also net me nothing. But if I don't kill him..." Yun Che propped his chin on his hand, putting on a thoughtful expression.
Xiao Juetian felt as if he were hearing celestial music. These words from Yun Che clearly indicated that he was willing to spare Xiao Kuangyun and the Xiao Sect... but naturally, he would want to reap huge benefits in return. At this point, Xiao Kuangyun's life or death had become secondary; the key was the safety of the Xiao Sect! If he could use sufficient "benefits" to pacify this Grim Reaper and free the Xiao Sect from his shadow, then no matter how great the cost, he could accept it... After all, any cost was infinitely better than the annihilation of the sect.
"As long as Brother Yun is willing to spare my son, even if it means going through fire and water, the Xiao Sect will not hesitate!" Xiao Juetian said urgently.
"Heh, Sect Leader Xiao is too serious. I am merely a junior; how could I make your great Xiao Sect go through fire and water for me? I can spare your son's life, but..." Yun Che half-closed his eyes. "It depends on how much the Xiao Sect is willing to spend to buy his life!"
Money?
Xiao Juetian was slightly taken aback. He had never expected that what Yun Che wanted was money. But then, he quickly realized... Yun Che was now clearly on his way to the Shenhuang Empire, which housed the headquarters of the Black Moon Merchant Guild and countless rare treasures that could not be obtained in the Cang Feng Kingdom. To acquire these things, the most important resource was sufficient money!
If this disaster, which had cast the shadow of annihilation over their sect, could be averted with mere money, Xiao Juetian was naturally overjoyed. However, he couldn't be sure whether the amount Yun Che demanded would be an astronomical figure that the Xiao Sect simply couldn't afford. He held his breath and asked extremely cautiously, "May I ask... how much money would the Xiao Sect need to pay to buy my son's life?"
Yun Che looked at Xiao Juetian and slowly raised one finger.
Xiao Juetian's heart leaped into his throat. He asked with great care, "T-ten thousand... purple profound coins?"
Ten thousand purple profound coins... that was one hundred million yellow profound coins—an astronomical figure that the common people of the Cang Feng Kingdom could never dream of in a lifetime.
Yun Che sneered. "Your son's life is worth a mere ten thousand purple profound coins? It's ten million!! Ten million... purple profound coins!"
"Wh-what?!" Even Xiao Juetian, a figure of dominant status in the Cang Feng Kingdom with extraordinary psychological resilience, was so shocked that he lost his voice on the spot. The Xiao Sect disciples behind him were also stunned senseless by the number.
Ten million... and purple profound coins at that! That was one billion cyan profound coins, or one trillion yellow profound coins!
"What? That reaction... Do you think your son's life is not worth that much?" Yun Che said blandly.
Xiao Juetian said in a pained voice, "Brother Yun has given my son a chance to live, and I am deeply grateful. But ten million purple profound coins... that figure... my Xiao Sect is small and humble, truly..."
"You'd better not tell me that the Xiao Sect cannot afford it." Yun Che's sinister voice cut off Xiao Juetian's words. "If you tell me that a sect with a thousand years of accumulated wealth cannot produce ten million purple profound coins, then you are insulting my intelligence! Your son's life may not be worth that much, but... what about your Xiao Sect? Is it worth ten million?!"
Xiao Juetian's heart twisted violently, and his breath caught in his throat. Cold sweat instantly broke out all over his forehead.
Ten million purple profound coins—the Xiao Sect could indeed afford it. Given the Xiao Sect's strength, influence, and power, their annual income was an astronomical figure. However, their expenses were also enormous. To maintain the peak strength of the sect, they spent a huge sum every year to train their members, especially those with exceptional talent or special status among the younger generation. After income and expenses, the Xiao Sect's annual surplus was only a few hundred thousand purple profound coins. Yun Che's opening demand of ten million purple profound coins... was wealth it would take the Xiao Sect decades to accumulate!
But now, facing this astronomical figure, Xiao Juetian dared not utter a single word of refusal, nor even show hesitation. Because Yun Che was clearly threatening the entire Xiao Sect. He glanced down at Xiao Kuangyun at his feet, his chest swelling as if it would burst, veins bulging all over his body. He almost wished he could tear his son to pieces with his own hands. He also hated himself for doting too much on this youngest son, turning him into a lustful good-for-nothing glutton... who had ultimately caused such a catastrophic disaster.
As Xiao Kuangyun's father, he, the Sect Leader, had no face left to remain in his position.
"Sigh..." Xiao Juetian let out a long sigh and said, "If these ten million can make Brother Yun willing to befriend our Xiao Sect, then my Xiao Sect..."
"Forget about being friends. I, Yun Che, am merely a nobody from the small city of Liuyun. How would I dare to be friends with your illustrious Xiao Sect? As for the grudges, I can forget them. As long as I never see Xiao Kuangyun's face again, I can pretend nothing ever happened, including that man I accidentally killed... Xiao Wuyi!"
As soon as Yun Che's final words fell, the expressions of everyone in the Xiao Sect shifted drastically. Xiao Juetian, in particular, stiffened and dared not say another word. He turned around and transmitted to the elder behind him: "Immediately... no matter what method, within a quarter of an hour, gather ten million purple profound coins and bring them here... Go now."
The elder nodded at once, not daring to say a word, and left swiftly... In less than half a quarter of an hour, he hurried back, holding a purple-gleaming platinum card. Clutching a hundred billion in assets, this elder, who had weathered a hundred years of storms, trembled uncontrollably, as if the card in his hands weighed ten thousand mountains.
Yun Che reached out his hand and instantly sucked the purple-gold card into his palm. He swept his consciousness over the amount inside...
It was exactly ten million purple profound coins... not a single coin less!
This was an undeniable astronomical figure even for the four great sects of the Cang Feng Kingdom, let alone for an individual! If not for the fact that he was still facing the large crowd of the Xiao Sect, Yun Che would have been unable to resist throwing his head back and roaring with laughter. This amount of money, even in the Shenhuang Empire, would be enough for him to squander to his heart's content.
A good-for-nothing's life brought him such a harvest—it was truly worthwhile. In truth, he had never intended to annihilate the Xiao Sect from the start. Although they had also crossed his taboo, it was different. In the case of the Xiao Sect, those who had harmed him, his grandfather, and his little aunt were only Xiao Kuangyun. He wouldn't go so far as to take it out on the entire Xiao Sect. But the Fen Tian Gate was not the same! They had abducted his family and tried to kill him by any means necessary—this was the decision of the entire sect's high echelons! They had repeatedly pushed him to the limits of his endurance. If he hadn't annihilated them, they would likely have bitten back in the future. As for the Xiao Sect, regardless, their attitude was still good, and they had been scared witless, never daring to oppose him.
Yun Che put away the purple-gold card, then suddenly thrust out his palm. With a dull thud, Xiao Kuangyun was blasted through the air, spouting blood wildly. When he landed, he was completely unconscious.
"Kuangyun!" Xiao Juetian, despite his extreme anger at Xiao Kuangyun, was still his biological son. He rushed over quickly and saw that Xiao Kuangyun was covered in blood, with who knew how many bones broken.
Yun Che had already taken to the air on his Snow Phoenix Beast, his arrogant voice echoing from midair: "Don't worry, he won't die. But he'll have to spend the next few months in bed, and from now on, he'll never be able to function as a man again! A scum like this doesn't deserve to have offspring! Your Xiao Sect had better never let him set foot outside the sect again. If I ever see his face again, you'd better be ready to pay even more money to ransom his life!"
The Snow Phoenix Beast was extremely fast. Yun Che's voice quickly faded away. Xiao Juetian swayed and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Sect Leader!" The surrounding elders quickly gathered around.
"Hah... I'm fine." Xiao Juetian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and waved his hand. He closed his eyes and said weakly, "At least... the Xiao Sect is saved. I can finally sleep peacefully... Carry Kuangyun to Elder Wuji for treatment."
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