Choosing One

Chapter 118: Choose One

“What are you all thinking? Say it plainly. I’m tired of playing games,” Han Li said coolly, seemingly completely unaffected by Madam Yan.

Madam Yan’s brow furrowed. This young man was far more troublesome than she had anticipated. Neither softness nor hardness worked on him, and she felt as if she had no entry point at all.

“Do I really have to reveal my bottom line and lay everything out for him?” she thought with reluctance. After holding the reins of the Flood Dragon Society for so many years, when had she ever negotiated without gaining a single advantage before showing her hand?

She glanced back at Fifth Lady Wang. Of all the sisters, only Wang was capable of opposing her decisions. She wanted to see if Wang had any better suggestions.

“Handle the negotiations with this man as you see fit, Fourth Sister. I have no objections,” Wang said coldly, reading Yan’s intention.

Relieved by these words, Madam Yan steadied herself.

“Fine. Since you don’t wish to beat around the bush, we sisters will lay out our terms directly.” As she spoke, she fully regained the demeanor of one of Jiayuan City’s three major gang leaders. The fragile, helpless little woman was gone, replaced by the commanding authority of one long accustomed to power.

“Good. This is the opponent I want to negotiate with,” Han Li said with a faint smile.

“You will eliminate the Flood Dragon Society’s archenemies—the Five Colors Sect and the Overlord Villa—so that the Mo Estate has nothing to fear from the rear. In exchange, I will present the Warm Yang Jade to you with both hands, and you may choose any one of Cailuan’s sisters as your wife.”

“But if you plan to take it by force or hold us sisters hostage, you have miscalculated. I have already entrusted the jade to a trusted confidant. At the slightest sign of trouble, it will be destroyed, and we will all go down together.” Madam Yan’s expression was stern.

“Madam Yan, don’t bite off more than you can chew! Have me destroy the Five Colors Sect and Overlord Villa single-handedly? You really know how to dream,” Han Li said, unfazed, as if he had anticipated her threat.

He had known all along that the Warm Yang Jade would not be obtained through brute force alone. Aside from the threats she had voiced, she surely had countless other contingencies hidden. Taking them hostage and forcing the jade’s location out of them was the worst possible plan. It was far better to make them hand it over willingly.

“Isn’t Brother Han an immortal master? How could these Jianghu thugs possibly be a match for you? Besides, we aren’t asking you to kill all their members—just to make their top leaders disappear.” This time it was the seductive Third Lady, who gave Han Li a bewitching smile before speaking in a honeyed voice.

“So what if I’m an immortal master? I don’t know about other cultivators, but I know my own limits well enough not to be stupid enough to fight tens of thousands of gang members alone. Besides, do you really think immortal masters can go around slaughtering ordinary people without any consequences?”

Han Li gave the Third Lady a cold look. The sheer chill in his eyes froze her smile in place. With the Eternal Spring Art running and his guard up, how could any charm technique hoping to bewilder him have any effect?

“What do you mean, sir? Are there restrictions on immortal masters when it comes us ordinary folk?” Madam Yan asked, somewhat surprised.

“I don’t know the specifics. I haven’t been a cultivator for long, so I haven’t truly encountered these rules,” Han Li said lightly. Seeing that Madam Yan seemed about to speak again, he raised a hand to stop her and continued coldly, “But if you use your head, it’s obvious. If cultivators could act against ordinary people at will, do you think your so-called three overlords of Lan Province, or the three great gangs of Jiayuan City, would still exist today? You’d have been wiped out countless times by immoral cultivators. Those beauties of yours might have become their playthings long ago.”

Han Li’s final words were utterly blunt, causing the women across from him to blush, though fear flickered in their eyes.

“But that’s only your guess. It isn’t necessarily true,” Madam Yan said, unwilling to give up and still trying to persuade him.

“As long as there’s even a one percent chance, I’m not going to walk to my own death,” Han Li said ruthlessly, leaving her no room for illusions.

“So you intend to take our daughter’s dowry for nothing, without lifting a finger?” Madam Yan’s expression turned ugly, her voice heavy on the word ‘dowry.’

Hearing this, although his expression did not change, Han Li felt a surge of frustration.

“The Yin poison on my body was planted by your husband in the first place. You should be grateful I’m not settling accounts with you,” he thought bitterly.

But he knew that saying such things out loud would be pointless. These women would never hand over the Warm Yang Jade without getting something in return.

After a moment’s deliberation, Han Li raised his head, cleared his throat, and declared, “I’ll give you two paths. Choose one.”

“One: everyone in the Mo Estate immediately packs up and leaves Lan Province. Find a place beyond the reach of your enemies, live out your days as an ordinary, wealthy family, and completely sever yourself from the wars of the Jianghu. I can guarantee your safety during the journey. No pursuers will harm you.”

He paused to gauge the women’s reactions.

Only Second Lady Li seemed somewhat tempted. Madam Yan and Third Lady Liu remained silent, clearly opposed to the idea. As for Fifth Lady Wang, Han Li didn’t bother to look. With her iceberg demeanor, he wouldn’t glean anything useful.

Seeing this, Han Li sneered inwardly. Yan and Liu were both ambitious. Giving up their power over the Flood Dragon Society to become village women was something they would never willingly accept. He had known this the moment he proposed the option.

“And the other choice?” Third Lady asked, unable to contain herself when he didn’t continue.

“The other path…”

Han Li stood up from his chair, looked up at the ceiling, and slowly voiced the option he knew Madam Yan and the others would inevitably take.