126: Please let me hit myself

As soon as he spoke, he voiced the inner thoughts of the other Heavenly Venerables present.

Indeed!

It was too stifling!

"It's all the fault of those worthless brats! If they hadn't been so reckless and come to this Zhilan Domain to cause trouble, how could we have ended up in such a passive position?"

"Once we've ransomed them back, hmph! If I don't make them face the wall for a thousand years and recite the Heart-Cleansing Incantation day and night, I will not rest!"

Everyone looked at the twisted handwriting in their hands, filled with various miserable blood letters, their expressions darkening one by one.

That damned Demon Dragon!

He was simply a hundred times more hateful than that Han Qing!

Regarding the matter with Han Qing, in the end, it was their Tianxuan Domain that was in the wrong first; it was Lu Mingxuan and the other Juniors who had taken the initiative to provoke him, injuring his Dao Companion's Revered Master and running wild on his territory.

Although Han Qing had made an exorbitant demand, he only asked for three rare treasures and didn't make any other requests that would further disgrace their reputation.

But the Prodigy who had kidnapped Lu Mingxuan and the others was completely different!

They not only kidnapped and blackmailed them, forcing them to write blood letters, but also asked for an astronomical price, extorting a mountain of Cultivate resources!

If they truly satisfied the other party's greed according to the items listed in those blood letters, their Tianxuan Domain would likely suffer a severe blow and a great loss of Origin Qi!

More importantly, once such a precedent was set, the prestige and face of their Tianxuan Domain would truly plummet, and they would completely become the laughingstock of the surrounding domains!

Just as everyone was filled with righteous indignation but also at their wit's end, one person's eyes suddenly lit up with a brilliant light!

"Fellow Daoist brothers! This humble one Wang has a plan!"

The speaker was a slightly hunched figure who was usually quite taciturn...

"Oh? What brilliant idea do you have, Fellow Daoist Wang? Please, speak freely!" Lu Jinbei's spirits lifted slightly as he hurriedly asked.

In this predicament, as long as a sliver of Opportunity to break through could be found, even if it was just an incomplete idea, it was worth a try.

The Heavenly Venerable surnamed Wang chuckled and said slowly, "Have you all heard of the strategy of 'driving the tiger to swallow the wolf'?"

Driving the tiger to swallow the wolf?

As soon as these words were spoken, the Heavenly Venerables present were all slightly stunned, immediately falling into deep thought.

Lu Jinbei was the quickest to react; a sharp light flashed in his eyes as he instantly grasped the key point!

"Brother Wang! You mean..."

Lu Jinbei asked tentatively, with a hint of uncertainty, "Are you thinking of asking that malevolent deity Han Qing to take action and deal with the Demon Dragon that kidnapped Mingxuan and the others?"

"But..."

He then furrowed his brows and hesitated, "Why would Han Qing help us? Don't forget, the grievances between us and him haven't been settled yet!"

"Furthermore, with his vengeful nature, it would be a stroke of luck if he didn't kick us while we're down and take the Opportunity to extort us again. How could he possibly be kind enough to deal with other Prodigies for us?"

Hearing this, the Heavenly Venerable surnamed Wang stroked his beard and smiled confidently, saying, "Brother Lu, you are mistaken!"

"As the saying goes, one doesn't worry about debts when they are many, and one doesn't itch when there are too many lice!"

"That fellow Han Qing may have a bit of a temper and act eccentrically, and he certainly doesn't look like a kind soul."

"But in the end, he still has a bit of a bottom line."

"At least he didn't go straight for the kill, but chose to negotiate with us and demand compensation."

"What does this show? It shows that this person still values 'profit' in his actions!"

"Compared to that Demon Dragon who directly kidnaps and extorts with even more despicable and shameless methods, Han Qing actually seems slightly more 'reasonable' by comparison."

"The world bustles for profit; the world hurries for gain."

"As long as we can offer a bargaining chip enticing enough, this humble one Wang doesn't believe that Han Qing will remain indifferent!"

Lu Jinbei's eyes suddenly brightened as he had a sudden realization!

"That's right! Brother Wang is absolutely correct!"

He slapped his thigh, his face showing a long-absent glow of excitement!

"No matter how greedy Han Qing is or how exorbitant his demands are, he still has to consider his face and reputation as a cultivator. The 'compensation' he demands will surely be much less than the resources extorted by that group of Demon Dragons that appeared out of nowhere!"

"Furthermore..." A profound light flashed in Lu Jinbei's eyes, "If we can successfully persuade Han Qing to fight it out with that group of Demon Dragons..."

"No matter which side wins in the end, or even if both sides suffer, it would be a wonderful thing for us!"

"Marvelous! Marvelous!"

Another Heavenly Venerable also realized, clapping his hands and laughing loudly, "If they fight until the fish die and the net breaks, or even perish together, wouldn't we then not have to pay even a single bit of a price?"

All the Heavenly Venerables present had eyes bursting with excitement and anticipation!

This plan is truly ingenious!

"Good! Let's proceed according to this plan!"

Lu Jinbei made a prompt decision, "We shall return immediately to meet with Fellow Daoist Han again and have a good 'discussion' with him!"

"We need to carefully deliberate on what conditions to offer to move that fellow, so that he will willingly become our 'borrowed blade' to fight that 'vicious wolf'!"

...Two hours later.

Inside the Discussion Hall of the Hundred Flowers Valley.

Han Qing looked at Lu Jinbei and the other eight Deity Transformation Heavenly Venerables who had returned, his brows arching slightly.

"Oh? Fellow Daoists, you've returned so soon?"

He picked up the Spiritual Tea that Liu Shishi had just brewed for him, took a small sip, and asked unhurriedly, "Could it be that you have already found suitable Heaven Rank Cultivation Techniques and top-grade Spirit Pills for this venerable one?"

Lu Jinbei's old face warmed imperceptibly as he hurriedly cupped his hands and squeezed out a smile, "Fellow Daoist Han, you must be joking. Heaven Rank Cultivation Techniques and top-grade Spirit Pills are so rare; how could they be found in just two hours?"

"Our return this time is actually because of another important matter we wish to discuss with Fellow Daoist Han."

"Oh?" Han Qing set down his teacup and glanced at them with interest, asking indifferently, "What is it?"

Lu Jinbei and the other Heavenly Venerables quickly exchanged glances, and he spoke, "Fellow Daoist Han, to be honest, just now we received news that Mingxuan and that group of worthless Juniors have been kidnapped by a Demon Venerable of the Spirit Transformation Realm with unfathomable cultivation!"

"That Demon Venerable acts ruthlessly, not only forcing the children to write blood letters but also asking for an astronomical price, extorting a massive amount of Cultivate resources from the various families of our Tianxuan Domain!"

"We would like to request Fellow Daoist Han to lend a helping hand and assist us in rescuing those children from the clutches of that Demon Dragon!"

After speaking, Lu Jinbei and the others all held their breath, staring intently at Han Qing, waiting for his decision.

After hearing Lu Jinbei's words, the expression on Han Qing's face didn't fluctuate at all; he still wore that same faint, half-smiling, indifferent expression.

His long fingers tapped lightly on the smooth jade tabletop, making a "thump, thump, thump" sound, as if he were weighing something.

Inside the hall, the atmosphere became somewhat stagnant, so quiet that a falling needle could be heard.

After a moment, Han Qing slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the faces of Lu Jinbei and the others one by one, and spoke unhurriedly:

"Your meaning is..."

"You want this venerable one to act as your muscle, to deal with a Spirit Transformation Realm Demon Venerable of unknown origins and help you rescue those worthless Family descendants?"

"Who do you all take This humble one Han for?"

Feeling the chilling coldness in Han Qing's tone, Lu Jinbei hurriedly bowed and said anxiously, "Fellow Daoist Han, please calm your anger! Fellow Daoist Han, please calm your anger! We absolutely have no such intention! We have come with full sincerity to discuss this matter with you!"

Han Qing only gave him a faint glance, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, signaling him to continue.

Lu Jinbei secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing there was still room for negotiation.

He hurriedly continued, "Fellow Daoist Han, we know that asking for your presence in this matter is indeed... a bit much."

"But please believe that we definitely do not want you to take action for nothing!"

"As long as Celestial Venerable Han can successfully rescue the descendants of our families safely from that Demon Venerable's hands..."

Lu Jinbei took a deep breath, a look of determination flashing in his eyes as he threw out the first heavy bargaining chip!

"Then, the various families of our Tianxuan Domain will jointly and formally invite your Four Seas Immortal Alliance to establish itself in our Tianxuan Domain!"

"Within a hundred years after the Four Seas Immortal Alliance enters the Tianxuan Domain, all our families will, within the scope of our abilities, provide all necessary convenience and full support for the Immortal Alliance's establishment and development!"

As soon as this condition was mentioned, even with Han Qing's state of mind, his eyes couldn't help but flicker slightly!

Tianxuan Domain!

That is one of the most central and prosperous major domains within the Human Race's territory!

The abundance of its Cultivate resources and the prosperity of its immortal cultivation civilization are far beyond what remote borderlands like the Zhilan Domain and Tianhuang Domain can hope to match!

If the Four Seas Immortal Alliance could truly enter the Tianxuan Domain smoothly and receive a hundred years of support from these local top-tier powers... it would undoubtedly be a once-in-a-lifetime, monumental Opportunity for the entire Immortal Alliance's future rise!

Its significance is even more profound than a few Heaven Rank Cultivation Techniques and some top-grade Spirit Pills!

However, Han Qing's face remained as calm as ever, not showing the slightest sign of surprise.

He simply picked up his teacup, unhurriedly blew on the floating tea leaves, and faintly uttered two words:

"Not enough!"

Two simple words, yet they were like two giant mountains, weighing down on the hearts of Lu Jinbei and the others, making them almost unable to breathe!

Still not enough?

The appetite of this "heavenly desolation sword devil" is surely a bit too large, isn't it?

Having the top powers of their Tianxuan Domain protect an emerging Four Seas Immortal Alliance for a hundred years was already the most substantial sincerity they could offer!

Lu Jinbei gritted his teeth inwardly, knowing that if he couldn't get this man to nod today, this matter would likely be difficult to resolve.

He and the other Heavenly Venerables quickly exchanged glances again, and then, as if making a desperate decision, he said in a deep voice, "Fine! Since Fellow Daoist Han feels it is still insufficient, then we... will add more!"

"In addition to the previous conditions, our Tianxuan Domain is willing to offer another excellent paradise!"

"This place is located in the eastern part of our Tianxuan Domain, named 'Nine Dragons Holding the Moon Valley.' It spans a full hundred miles, and the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within is at least six times richer than that of your Hundred Flowers Valley!"

"The scenery of this valley is exquisite, with exotic flowers and rare herbs everywhere, and a rare high-grade Spiritual Vein runs through it. It is one of the few cultivation holy lands in the entire Tianxuan Domain!"

"As long as Fellow Daoist Han agrees to take action, this 'Nine Dragons Holding the Moon Valley' will belong to you forever as your private Dao field in the Tianxuan Domain!"

Hiss!

A paradise spanning a hundred miles! Spiritual Qi six times richer than Hundred Flowers Valley! And even a high-grade Spiritual Vein!

This condition is undeniably shocking!

Even Han Qing, upon hearing this, couldn't help but have a faint, imperceptible light flash in his eyes.