129: We're best buddies.

Liu Chengcai's face was as pale as if it had been brushed with lime, cold sweat soaking the back of his luxurious brocade robe, and his tongue felt as though it were knotted:

"Leave... we will leave right now, immediately. We will not touch this place in the slightest. Another day... another day, my Liu Family will certainly... certainly prepare generous gifts, visit the gates of Black Wind Stockade, and offer our apologies to the Stockade Master and you, Fourth Leader. I only ask... I only ask that you, Fourth Leader, raise your hand high and let us live."

Right now, he only wished for the wind to rise beneath his feet, to escape this deadly killing field and get as far away from the Lin Family's death trap as possible.

"Leave? Raise your hand high?"

Gong Yunyu seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world; he snorted slowly through his nostrils, leisurely twisted his neck, and his cervical vertebrae emitted a series of teeth-grinding 'crack' sounds.

He had meticulously set this trap and specifically allowed the Lin Family to live a few extra days, wasn't it all to ruthlessly extort the Liu Family, this fat fish that had cast itself into the net?

How could he let a cooked duck fly away?

Black Wind Stockade plucked feathers from every goose that passed by; how could they possibly let this go? Was the Liu Family Young Clan Leader's brain pinched by a door?

Naive to the point of being ridiculous!

The cruel, cat-and-mouse smile just surfacing at the corner of his mouth had not yet had time to turn into vicious mockery... before it was interrupted by a clear, pained voice.

"Hey? Young Clan Leader Liu! My good brother! We are an Alliance Family that signed a contract to share life and death!"

Like an ice pick piercing boiling oil, it instantly tore through Liu Chengcai's humble pleas.

Lin Jingyu pushed aside a few clansmen who were scared out of their wits and standing there like wooden chickens, and walked out leisurely.

His face wore an expression of near-innocent, immense confusion, as if he were truly heartbroken and devastated by a close friend's 'betrayal.'

"For you to say that... is simply too distant. It truly wounds my heart as a brother."

The previous tension, where they were pointing fingers and cursing, seemed to have become passing smoke in his mouth, as if it had never happened.

His voice was not loud, but it easily pierced through the dead, solidified air, clearly drilling into everyone's ears:

"A hundred years ago, our ancestors swore an oath with drops of blood, pledging to watch over each other and fight side-by-side to carve a bloody path out of the Black Mountain Yao Beast horde—a friendship forged in life and death. This friendship is as high as the mountains and as deep as the seas! Is that something to be treated as a child's game?"

His gaze was burning, like two small suns, fixed tightly on the face of Liu Chengcai, who was as pale as a ghost.

He then swept his gaze over the god of death on horseback, Gong Yunyu, his tone suddenly becoming resolute and iron-clad, carrying an unquestionable power:

"Today! With white paper, black ink, and red handprints as proof, you and I established an offensive and defensive Alliance, a vow to stay together until our hair turns white. Can this contract, this vow written in blood, be wiped away by a single, light sentence of 'void' from the Lin Family? What was said earlier was merely angry words from our Clan Chief; the Liu Family shouldn't take it to heart!"

Lin Jingyu suddenly took a large step forward, the soil beneath his feet seemingly trembling, his voice suddenly rising an octave with a kind of tragic heroism, his gaze sweeping like lightning over the fierce bandits of the Black Wind Stockade:

"United in heart and effort, our strength can cut through metal. Black Wind Stockade is strong, but our two families, the Liu and Lin, have been friends for a hundred years. If we join forces, is that not enough to make them—carefully weigh the consequences of provoking us? Young Clan Leader Liu, straighten your back, do not be afraid. Let them see that the blades of our Liu and Lin families are not without sharpness! They are not incapable of drinking blood!"

These words, resounding and passionate, directly nailed the Liu Family, who were desperately trying to crawl out of the mire, firmly into the role of the Lin Family's die-hard ally of life and death.

"You... you... you motherfucking bullshit!"

Liu Chengcai felt a surge of blood rush to his head, his vision blackening in waves, his breathing as rapid as a broken bellows, his eyes spitting fire, wishing he could swallow Lin Jingyu alive.

If these words were heard by the Cultivators of the Black Wind Stockade, their entire Liu Family would be finished here.

This Lin Jingyu's intentions were truly vicious; the Lin Family was doomed, yet he still wanted to drag the Liu Family down with them.

Harming others without benefiting himself, it was truly the behavior of a little beast.

His body shook like a sieve for a long time before he squeezed a hoarse roar through his teeth:

"Stop talking such bullshit. What kind of friendship does my Liu Family have with your Lin Family? If it weren't for that immortal old thing, the Grand Elder, kneeling and licking like a mangy dog, bringing the Lin Family's assets to our door, crying and begging to form an Alliance, my Liu Family wouldn't even have glanced at a poor, dilapidated house like yours."

He simply tore off the last shred of hypocritical fig leaf, pointed at Lin Jingyu's nose, and cursed, spittle flying everywhere:

"Alliance? What kind of Alliance? To put it bluntly, it was to break your bones and suck the marrow, to eat you clean. The spirit fields, the mineral veins, and the spirit lands... in the end, they would all have to change their surname to Liu. Where is this bullshit about mutual support and watching over each other? Fourth Leader, your honored self is clear-sighted. Please, do not be deceived by this little beast's glib tongue. The Lin Family and my Liu Family have only hatred! Deep, bitter hatred, not a shred of kindness or righteousness!"

Once these words were laid out in the open, the lower-level Cultivators of the Lin Family immediately gritted their teeth in hatred.

With blood-red eyes, they looked at the Grand Elder, who was collapsed on the ground, and cursed angrily:

"Lin Chenghai, you old beast, you bear the surname Lin, is your blood cold?"

"What benefits did the Liu Family give you that made you rush to lick their boots, even wanting to hand over the entire Family?"

"Fuck your xxx, I'll kill you xxx..."

Facing the angry curses of his clansmen, Lin Chenghai lowered his head, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Even now, he still felt he hadn't done anything wrong.

It was just that Heaven was not on his side.

As long as he could reach the Late Stage Qi Refining, what did it matter if he handed over the entire Family?

He only hated himself now for not being ruthless enough.

He should have struck a few days ago to kill Lin Jingyu and the heavily injured Lin Lingshan.

Gong Yunyu sat upright on his horse, a faint, cold arc hanging at the corner of his mouth, laughing mockingly in his heart.

Idiots! Complete and utter idiots!

Did they really think that bringing up a mere Liu Family would make the Black Wind Stockade afraid? Would make him, Gong Yunyu, show mercy?

Simply naive to the point of being ridiculous.

Today, even if the King of Heaven himself came, the Lin Family would be wiped out.

However... watching this little mouse, Lin Jingyu, jumping around in a desperate situation, struggling with all his might, trying to use those pathetic sophistries to delay time—this pleasure of playing with his prey in the palm of his hand made him feel as if he were drinking fine wine, addicted and unable to stop.

Therefore, he was not in a hurry at all, his hands leisurely crossed in front of his chest, his scarlet tongue occasionally licking his somewhat chapped lips.

A cruel, bloodthirsty light flickered in his sinister eyes; he was enjoying the scene as if watching a meticulously choreographed death drama, watching with great relish as events "developed" in the direction he had envisioned.