Zhang Wen's voice echoed through the spatial ring with calm indifference.
"Leave her like that. It seems someone is capable of suppressing my poison… but only suppressing it."
"I can still sense the remnants of the toxin inside her body. There's no need to do anything for now. She will remain unconscious for several days. Keep watch over her. Make sure no one completely removes the poison from her body. And try to shift all hatred toward the Cloud Merchant Hall."
Kang Hao slowly closed his eyes before replying through spiritual transmission.
"Understood."
The connection was severed.
Silence returned to the room once more.
At that very moment, Chen Yao's body, which had just forced itself to suppress the poison, trembled violently.
Pffft!
Bright red blood burst from her mouth like a fountain, spilling onto the floor and forming a dark pool. The metallic scent of blood instantly filled the air.
"Chen Yao!"
Guo Ning cried out in alarm. She rushed forward immediately, supporting the other woman's body. Her slender pale hands trembled slightly as she opened her spatial ring and retrieved a high-grade healing pill.
"Take this first!"
Chen Yao weakly shook her head. She slowly raised her hand in refusal.
"No… it isn't necessary…"
Her voice was faint, yet resolute.
Then she slowly lowered herself into a cross-legged position on the floor. Blood continued to trickle from the corner of her lips as the spiritual energy within her body began to circulate sluggishly. Faint silver streams of power gradually spread outward from her body, carefully repairing the damage within her soul.
Everything fell into silence. Only the heavy sounds of breathing and the faint dripping of blood striking the floor could be heard.
Liu Long let out a deep breath before turning toward Kang Hao. He cupped his hands slightly.
"Thank you, City Lord, for your assistance."
Kang Hao gave a faint smile, his expression softening slightly.
"I am always willing to help."
He paused briefly before his gaze sharpened once more.
"But now, we should discuss the Cloud Merchant Hall. The main reason I came here today… is because I require your assistance in exposing their corruption."
Liu Long fell silent for a moment. He recalled what Kang Hao had shown earlier, his expression gradually turning serious.
"What plan do you have? Let me hear it first, so I can assess the situation…"
Before Kang Hao could respond, Guo Ning's voice rang out immediately.
"I agree!!!"
Both Kang Hao and Liu Long turned to look at her at the same time.
Guo Ning clenched her fists tightly. Her beautiful face twisted with rage, and her deep green eyes glowed with a chilling coldness.
"That bastard dared to harm my people… and even injured Sister Chen Yao!!"
Her voice trembled slightly, yet it was filled with killing intent that was almost impossible to restrain.
"That damned Wang Qiang… will repay this with his life."
The entire room fell into silence.
"Liu Long, go summon the elders from the main branch of the Merchant Hall."
The command was firm, leaving no room for refusal. Liu Long paused briefly before letting out a quiet sigh.
He stepped closer to Guo Ning, then turned toward Kang Hao.
"City Lord, please give us a moment. This matter is rather sensitive for our Merchant Hall."
Kang Hao nodded in understanding.
"Please, take your time."
At that instant, Liu Long raised his hand.
Woom!
A pitch black barrier instantly spread outward. Thick waves of power completely enveloped Guo Ning, Chen Yao, and Liu Qing, isolating the interior space from the outside world. Kang Hao was left sitting alone beyond the barrier.
But Liu Long did not stop there.
With another flick of his hand, he created an additional barrier, separating Chen Yao from the conversation to prevent her from overhearing.
Liu Long slightly lowered his head before speaking in a tense voice.
"Miss… please calm down first."
Guo Ning gritted her teeth.
"I don't care. I'm going to kill him!"
Liu Long closed his eyes for a brief moment before replying firmly.
"You know this well… Wang Qiang is your fiancé. Bringing people from the main Merchant Hall to kill him will severely damage our Merchant Hall's reputation."
Guo Ning turned toward him with an icy gaze.
"So what… he is nothing more than someone expelled from the Wang family."
Liu Long let out a deep breath.
"I understand. But the Seven-Colored Peacock Merchant Hall is not powerful enough to do whatever it pleases. We still have countless business rivals… such as the Golden Merchant Hall and the Heavenly Lotus Merchant Hall."
He paused slightly before continuing.
"If we kill Wang Qiang without sufficient justification, those factions will seize the opportunity to spread false rumors. They will not care whether we are right or wrong, whether it is truth or fabrication. They have countless methods to destroy our credibility and public image until we lose our entire customer base."
Guo Ning's eyes flickered faintly. Liu Long continued speaking.
"You should understand that the Merchant Hall's business does not stand upon strength alone… it stands upon trust."
"And even if Wang Qiang has already been expelled from the Wang family… he is still of Wang blood in the end."
He paused again, his sharp eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
"If I had to guess, those black-clothed individuals following him… are most likely a secret unit of the Wang family. And more importantly, the engagement between you and him… is still valid."
The moment those words ended, Guo Ning clenched her fists so tightly that the veins on the back of her hands bulged. Her breathing trembled slightly before she spoke in a voice filled with suppressed emotion.
"But I never liked him… and I have never liked him even once!"
Guo Ning's deep green eyes trembled like flames battered by a violent gale.
"I only want to live a life of freedom… is that truly so difficult?!"
Her words echoed within the black barrier, resembling the anguished cry of a bird trapped inside a gilded cage.
Liu Long closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, his gaze now filled with cold indifference.
"Miss… this engagement was never created for the two of you to become lovers."
His voice gradually turned colder.
"It exists for the benefit of both factions."
"I understand that you are unwilling… but this engagement has never depended on whether you love or hate Wang Qiang."
The black barrier reflected the silhouettes of the two of them, as if they had been severed from the outside world entirely.
"It was decided from the very beginning to form an alliance, to exchange resources, to strengthen one another, and most importantly, to create a foothold for both forces to survive within a world that grows narrower with every passing day."
His tone grew heavier.
"This kind of marriage… is not about the heart. It is not about emotions. It is a bond forged from duty, authority, and necessity, meant to become a pillar that upholds the stability of both sides."
Guo Ning clenched her teeth tightly. Her nails dug into her palm until thin lines of blood seeped out, dripping silently onto the floor.
Anger, sorrow, and despair clashed violently within her eyes.
Liu Long watched her in silence before lowering his voice slightly.
"In a world filled with struggles for power and dominance… those born into unstable great families rarely have the right to choose their own path."
Guo Ning stood frozen. Her slender body trembled faintly, as if she were battling something deep within herself.
Liu Long stared at her for a long moment before speaking again. His voice softened, yet it became even more chilling.
"But… we can still turn this situation to our advantage."
Guo Ning immediately raised her head.
"I will shift all the blame… onto the Heavenly Sword City Lord."
Those words caused the surrounding air to freeze instantly. Guo Ning froze for only a fraction of a second before shaking her head forcefully.
"I cannot do that."
Her voice trembled slightly, yet remained firm.
"He saved Liu Qing's life… and he also helped us."
Liu Long fell silent.
His gaze locked onto Guo Ning deeply, as if looking back through the years he had watched her grow, from a small girl who could barely hold a sword… into the leader of a Commerce Pavilion branch today. He had been by her side for nearly her entire life.
A long silence stretched between them. At last, Liu Long slowly exhaled.
Then he stepped back one pace and…
knelt.
The sound of his cloak brushing against the ground was soft, yet carried the weight of a life-binding oath.
Guo Ning's eyes widened immediately.
"Liu Long… what are you doing?!"
Liu Long lowered his head. His voice carried a determination that had never once wavered.
"Please allow Miss… to sleep for a while."
Those words caused Guo Ning's heart to jolt violently.
"When you awaken… everything will already be settled."
He kept his head lowered, not daring to meet her gaze, yet beneath that bowed posture, his eyes were sharp and filled with unwavering resolve.
"I swear… upon my life."
Guo Ning froze in place. Her slender body stiffened as if encased in ice. A strange instinctual warning surged through her senses.
But before she could react—
Fwoosh!
Liu Long's figure vanished from his original position in the blink of an eye.
He reappeared directly in front of her.
His fingertip shot toward Guo Ning's forehead with lightning precision.
"Sleep… Miss… I will prepare your favorite pastries when you awaken, as atonement."
Tap!
A strand of faint black spiritual energy seeped through his fingertip and entered a vital acupoint instantly.
Guo Ning's eyes widened. Shock flashed across her gaze before her vision rapidly blurred.
"You…"
Her voice faded midair.
Her slender body immediately lost all strength and collapsed forward. Liu Long released a strand of spiritual energy to catch her before she struck the ground.
He silently looked at her peaceful face for a moment. The coldness in his eyes from earlier trembled for only a split second… before hardening once more.
The black barrier surrounding them flickered faintly.