Chapter 18 Zhao Xiang's Apology

Half an hour later, Yun Bai took Yun Qian by the hand and left the old house they had lived in for many years.

Walking from the west of the city to the south, they passed by the market, and Yun Bai bought another fish while holding Yun Qian's hand.

In the south of the city, Yun Bai's new residence.

The residence occupied a fair amount of space and had all the necessary facilities, roughly resembling a small courtyard house. It had a main room, east and west wing rooms, and a gatehouse. It felt a bit empty for just the two of them. The decor was simple, with neat bricks and tiles; while it lacked ornate carvings, it was elegant and clean.

The rooms were already furnished with beds, tables, chairs, and bedding. Although they weren't expensive or elaborate items, they were thoughtful and appropriate.

"Wow!" Although it wasn't the first time Yun Qian had seen the residence, her excitement remained undiminished. "Brother, look, there's even a backyard that can be used as a place for martial arts practice. The left wing room has been converted into a training room. Brother Zhang Huai said only a Cultivator can enter there, so I haven't seen it. You should stay in the main room, and I'll take the right wing room. The remaining empty rooms can be used for your equipment."

The chicken was tossed into the courtyard.

It was clear that it was no longer as afraid of Yun Bai; it didn't keep shivering on the ground and soon began wandering around the courtyard.

Yun Bai was also very satisfied. Just then, the gate of the residence was knocked upon.

"Who is it?" Yun Bai asked, puzzled, as he pushed open the gate.

Standing outside was a burly man with a scarred face, bowing his head and hunching his waist with a respectful expression.

"Greetings, Lord Yun. I am Zhao Xiang. I would like to invite you to a nearby restaurant to talk."

"I have come to offer my apologies and hope to receive your forgiveness."

Yun Bai frowned. He could sense a bit of rogue-like aura from this person.

"Sorry, my sister and I are about to cook," Yun Bai said bluntly.

"I can have someone deliver a meal to your residence," Zhao Xiang said respectfully. "What I wish to discuss with you concerns your time in the Black Prison."

"Oh?" Yun Bai raised an eyebrow, immediately interested.

"I harbor no malice toward you; I am here to apologize," Zhao Xiang repeated his purpose.

"Fine, let's go." Yun Bai looked back at Yun Qian and nodded in agreement.

He told his sister he would be right back and asked her to wait a moment. The residence provided by the State Religion was protected by a Formation; even an ordinary Cultivator at the Late Stage of the First Realm would find it difficult to enter without the owner's consent. Therefore, Yun Qian was relatively safe.

Led by Zhao Xiang, Yun Bai arrived at the nearest restaurant—Fengtian Restaurant.

The restaurant was quite famous, and the name "Fengtian" spoke to its ambition. It was arguably one of the most expensive places to dine in Chu Prefecture.

But Yun Bai didn't care about that; he followed Zhao Xiang into a private room. They ordered some dishes, and while waiting for the food to be served, Yun Bai got straight to the point.

"Speak," Yun Bai said with a grin, looking at Zhao Xiang opposite him.

Zhao Xiang's heart skipped a beat. He calmed himself and said, "Lord Yun, I have come to make a sincere apology. Regarding this incident... sigh, it is shameful to speak of."

Yun Bai poured himself a drink, listening in silence.

This wine was not cheap. He had just heard the waiter say it was the signature drink of Fengtian Restaurant, a fine wine that even the Human Emperor had praised.

Seeing Yun Bai looking so composed, Zhao Xiang had no choice but to continue: "The incident in the Black Prison was arranged by my men. But I had no idea about your situation beforehand; it was all told to me by Chen Qiang and Li Pazi. They offered the highest price, and in a moment of greed, I committed a grave error! I hope you can be magnanimous and spare me."

"Oh?" Yun Bai looked at him with a smile.

"This is a small token of my sincerity; I hope you will accept it." Zhao Xiang took a silver note from his pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Yun Bai. "This is my apology. This note can be cashed at any bank within the Human Race's territory. It is all my savings from these years; I only ask for your forgiveness."

Yun Bai picked up the Spirit Stone note and took a look.

Fifty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Fifty thousand Spirit Stones... The currency currently circulating among the Human Race, controlled by the State Religion, was the Spirit Stone. Spirit Stones were divided into three grades, with value decreasing from High to Medium to Low. One High-Grade Spirit Stone was equivalent to 100 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, and one Mid-Grade Spirit Stone was equivalent to 100 Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

The currency circulating in the market was mainly Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Low-Grade Spirit Stones were sufficient for the daily transactions of commoners and ordinary Cultivators, so people were accustomed to abbreviating "Low-Grade Spirit Stone" to simply "Spirit Stone."

Fifty thousand Spirit Stones was basically the expenditure of an ordinary Family for many years. That was quite a significant amount.

However, regarding a person who had nearly threatened his life, Yun Bai did not want to let it go just like that. "How much money did Chen Qiang and Li Pazi give you?"

"Thirty thousand," Zhao Xiang said.

"Do they already know I've come out?" Yun Bai asked.

"I haven't told them. As soon as I learned of your news, I rushed over to apologize to you."

"You are certainly well-informed," Yun Bai said, the smile never leaving his face.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. If you ever need anything done in Chu Prefecture in the future, you can look for me. I will do my utmost. Although you have become a State Religion Cultivator, some troublesome matters might be more convenient for us to handle." Zhao Xiang felt increasingly uneasy.

"Coming here like this, aren't you afraid I'll kill you?" Yun Bai pressed him step by step.

"Er, this..." Although Zhao Xiang was not short, he felt like a little kitten in front of Yun Bai.

"You just said you could have meals delivered to my sister," Yun Bai drank the wine in his cup and poured himself another. "If you died, your subordinates would target my sister. Or... even though the residence is safe, Qianqian cannot stay inside forever. As long as she goes out, you would have an opportunity. Am I right?"

Zhao Xiang's expression finally changed.

What Zhao Xiang didn't know was that ever since his Breakthrough, Yun Bai could sense the environment within a certain distance around him with perfect clarity without needing his eyes, nose, or ears.

Every move he made, every muscle twitch, every shift in his gaze, could not escape Yun Bai's observation. When he proposed delivering the meal to Yun Qian, Yun Bai could clearly sense the fluctuation in Zhao Xiang's Qi. Everything he said afterward was seven parts true but not entirely, with three parts false.

Since Zhao Xiang could find out so quickly that Yun Bai had arrived at his new residence, he certainly had the ability to catch Yun Qian off guard and abduct her.

Yun Bai had to guard against such a potential threat. Since being stabbed in the Black Prison, Yun Bai's caution had reached its peak.

"Chen Qiang and Li Pazi already know I've come out, don't they?" Yun Bai said indifferently.

"Yun Bai, you cannot kill me! Although you are a State Religion Cultivator, you do not have the right to indiscriminately kill civilians in Chu Prefecture," Zhao Xiang said in a low voice.

The laws of the Human Race were strict, which was why Yun Bai hadn't directly killed Chen Qiang and Li Pazi back then, and it was unlikely he would kill Zhao Xiang directly now.

"Tell me, who is behind Chen Qiang and Li Pazi?" Yun Bai asked. Zhao Xiang was merely a local thug; he wouldn't offend a rising State Religion Cultivator for the sake of those two.

"..." Zhao Xiang remained silent.

"If you don't say it, do you think the State Religion won't be able to find out?" Yun Bai said. "My patience is limited."

"It's Chen Qiang. Chen Qiang is from the Chen Family. His uncle, Chen Yuan, is a powerhouse with a cultivation at the Late Stage of the First Realm and is the captain of a squad in the Huben Army of the Northwest Army." Zhao Xiang finally gave in. "The poison on the weapons when they ambushed you was obtained by Chen Qiang from his uncle."

"The biggest Family in Chu Prefecture, the Chen Family?" Yun Bai sighed inwardly. It was truly bad luck; he beat the small one, and the old one came.

There were three great families in Chu Prefecture: the Chen, Wang, and Jiang Families. The Wang and Jiang Families had long since declined, leaving only the Chen Family standing tall, which had been flourishing in recent years.

The Chen Family had operated in Chu Prefecture for many years, and many in both the underworld and the legitimate world had intricate connections with them.

In the end, people like Zhao Xiang were common in the Jianghu; they were local thugs with wide connections who took money to get things done. Even if Chen Qiang and his companion didn't find Zhao Xiang, they would find someone else. Although he wasn't a good person, he was indeed a hard nut to crack.

At least for now, Yun Bai couldn't touch him. But shaking him down for a sum was no problem.

Thinking of this, Yun Bai spoke up: "I can let you go. I presume you have no intention of getting involved in the feud between me and the Chen Family. However, I want one of your hands, one hundred thousand Spirit Stones, and for you to do one thing."

Zhao Xiang was also a ruthless man. Upon hearing Yun Bai's conditions, he only asked one question: "What is it that you want me to do, my Lord?"

Yun Bai gave him a few instructions. After listening, Zhao Xiang was stunned.

One hand, one hundred thousand Spirit Stones, and one task. Yun Bai had placed this task last, and he had thought it would be some difficult matter involving going through fire and water. He hadn't expected it to be so simple.

"Can you get it done by tomorrow night?"

"Yes, yes, definitely," Zhao Xiang nodded repeatedly.

Yun Bai nodded with satisfaction and rose from the dining table. "I want to see these three things tomorrow."

As he left the private room, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to say to Zhao Xiang, "By the way, have these dishes delivered to my place."

When he ordered the dishes earlier, he had specifically ordered the ones his sister liked. This couldn't be wasted; he had to let his sister enjoy them too.