Facing Lin Cang's ultimatum-like threat, the air in the Great Hall seemed to solidify.
Sitting on the bone throne, a trace of gloom, hard to detect, flashed in Li Mang's cloudy old eyes.
He didn't rush to refute, nor did he quibble hysterically. Instead, he let out a long, gloomy sigh, appearing to age ten years in an instant.
"Lin Cang, we've fought for decades. We know each other's roots and bottoms."
Li Mang spoke slowly, his voice hoarse. "Since there are no outsiders here, let's stop playing these children's games of Demonic and Righteous paths."
"This attack... was indeed not authorized by me, nor was it the doing of my son. It was... someone else."
He raised his hand and clapped gently twice.
"Bring him up."
With his order, from the shadows of the side hall, two expressionless deathsworn dragged out a man bound tightly with ropes, a rotten cloth stuffed in his mouth.
The man was limp all over, eyes filled with despair and terror. It was the trusted subordinate who had taken the initiative to contact "Green Snake" to curry favor with Li Huang.
"Unfortunate for the family."
Li Mang pointed at the subordinate kowtowing madly on the ground, revealing an expression of heartache and regret, his tone forest-cold:
"To claim credit, this vile spawn hid it from me and Huang-er, privately misappropriated warehouse supplies, and colluded with that Demonic Path scum Green Snake."
"He thought killing Lin Feng would establish great merit for White Bone Stockade, not knowing he was pushing the clan into a fire pit!"
"Mmph mmmph!" The subordinate struggled desperately, wanting to explain something, but under Li Mang's pressure, he couldn't transmit a single sound.
"Committing such a disaster, yet you still have the face to beg for mercy?"
Li Mang didn't give him any chance to speak. The Bone Spine Staff in his hand raised abruptly. Without any fancy movements, not even activating Gu worms, relying solely on the hardness and weight of the bone staff itself, he smashed it down ruthlessly.
Bang!
A tooth-aching, crisp sound.
The subordinate's skull caved in instantly. Red and white matter splattered out, dyeing the ghastly white floor tiles red. His body twitched violently once, then fell silent completely.
Dead men tell no tales.
Li Mang took out a silk handkerchief, slowly wiping the blood from the bone staff. His expression was indifferent, as if he had just swatted a fly.
"Clan Leader Lin, the chief culprit is executed. Is this explanation enough?"
Dead silence in the hall.
Lin Cang watched all this coldly. Looking at the still-warm corpse, a mocking sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.
He knew clearly this was a scapegoat. But for Li Mang to be ruthless enough to kill his own man in front of him indeed showed a very low posture.
But this didn't mean he was satisfied.
"Hmph."
Lin Cang picked up the cup of hot tea before him that he hadn't touched. But he didn't drink. His fingers exerted slight force.
Snap!
The exquisite bone china teacup exploded in his hand. Scalding tea mixed with shards spilled over the table. The terrifying aura of Rank 4 pressed down like a tide again, shaking the wreckage on the table.
"Old Ghost Li, you take me for a three-year-old child to coax?"
Lin Cang stood up, looking down at Li Mang from above. The killing intent in his eyes didn't dissipate; instead, it grew three points stronger.
"The life of a dog to offset the account of my clan being attacked and territory invaded? You look down on my Black Blood Stockade too much!"
He approached step by step, voice like thunder:
"Your scouts go in and out of my Black Blood Stockade's 'Copper Stone Gully' and 'Black Blood Forest' as if entering an uninhabited land."
"The so-called 'cutting flesh with a blunt knife' has cut my clansmen until they are dripping with blood. What, now killing a family slave settles this matter?"
"Are you bullying my Black Blood Stockade for having no people? Or do you think my Rank 4 is made of paper?!"
Attitude extremely tough. He even assumed a posture ready to strike at any moment.
If substantive compensation wasn't given enough, this matter today wasn't over.
Facing Lin Cang's aggressive momentum, Li Mang's face stiffened. A trace of panic at being exposed flashed in his eyes, but it vanished instantly, turning into deep helplessness and bitterness.
"Clan Leader Lin, why press so hard?"
Li Mang sighed, putting down the bone staff in his hand. He slumped back into the chair, as if giving up resistance.
"Just as you said, you were in seclusion charging for Rank 4. During this time, I couldn't sleep at night on White Bone Mountain."
He looked at Lin Cang, eyes revealing a fear only the weak possess:
"I was afraid! I was afraid the first thing you'd do upon exiting seclusion was to use my White Bone Stockade as a sacrifice to the flag! After all, our two families have fought for so many years; grudges run deep."
"So... I resorted to this inferior strategy."
Li Mang pointed at the map on the table, his tone sincere:
"I sent people to the periphery of your territory not to steal those worthless ores, nor to snatch those few herbs. I was setting up a formation."
"Underground at those junctions, I buried a large number of 'Earth-Listening Gu' as reconnaissance warning, and arranged 'Stone-Hardening Gu' as defensive formation bases."
"I thought to push the defense line forward thirty miles. Once your great army presses the border, I can know in advance, giving me time to react."
Speaking here, he laughed at himself and shook his head:
"However, now that things have come to this, my under-the-table methods have turned me into a clown before a Rank 4 expert. This round, I lost. Lost thoroughly."
These words were seventy percent true, thirty percent false. The logic was seamless.
Using "fear of Rank 4" to cover up the truth of "searching for inheritance." It satisfied Lin Cang's vanity and perfectly explained why White Bone Stockade people frequently operated in those specific areas.
Indeed.
Hearing his old rival "candidly" admit fear of him, the pent-up frustration in Lin Cang's heart dissipated by half instantly, replaced by extreme comfort.
"Hmph. A dignified Clan Leader actually doing such thieving acts. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at if word gets out?"
Lin Cang sat back down. The killing intent in his eyes instantly turned into naked greed. Since you admit you are the weak one seeking self-preservation, this is easy to handle.
Weak countries have no diplomacy; losers have no rights.
"Since it was for seeking wealth and peace, then use money to buy life."
Lin Cang extended a hand, five fingers splayed. The lion opened its mouth wide:
"Fifty thousand Primeval Stones! As compensation for disturbing my clan and injuring my clan disciples!"
"What?!"
Li Mang's face turned green hearing this. This time the pain was real.
He jumped up from the chair, pointing at Lin Cang and cursing: "Fifty thousand?! Why don't you go rob?!"
"Southern Border has had droughts these years, harvest is poor. Even the rats in my warehouse starved to death! Where would I get so much cash?!"
"None?"
Lin Cang sneered, unmoved. "Then offset with supplies. I know you still have a batch of unused 'Black Jade Bone Marrow' in your hands."
"That is a Rank 2 rare resource, miraculously effective for my Black Blood Stockade's body refinement Gu Masters. I want thirty jars! One jar less, and I dismantle your mountain gate!"
"As compensation, I also need your formation blueprints, or pay a huge demolition fee!"
"You are drinking my blood!"
Li Mang trembled with rage, beard shaking. "Black Jade Bone Marrow is my strategic material. Giving you thirty jars, what will my clan's sons use?"
"At most... at most twenty thousand Primeval Stones, plus ten jars of marrow!"
"Forty thousand! Twenty-five jars!"
"Twenty-five thousand! Fifteen jars! Any more and just kill me!"
"Thirty thousand! Twenty jars! This is the bottom line, or I go out now and order the attack!"
Inside the Great Hall, two Clan Leaders pivotal in their clans argued red-faced like market hawkers over every Primeval Stone and jar of resources, spittle flying.
An hour later.
This extreme tug-of-war finally settled.
Both sides agreed on the terms: "Thirty thousand Primeval Stones, twenty jars of Black Jade Bone Marrow, and partial formation blueprints, plus recognizing Black Blood Stockade's absolute control over the border buffer zone."
Lin Cang looked at the compensation contract in his hand, satisfied. He felt he not only won face but squeezed White Bone Stockade dry of oil and water. This wave was a huge profit.
And although Li Mang looked pained as if his heart flesh had been cut, deep in his lowered eyes, a glint of success flashed.
Although the price was heavy, he successfully preserved the secret of the "Black Bone King Inheritance" and bought the most precious development time for White Bone Stockade.
This was severing the arm to survive.
As long as the foundation remained, what was lost today could be taken back a thousand times over in the future.