Chapter 38: Zhou Huaian Was Furious!

Boom!

As the words fell, Wu Yong walked into the Zhou family’s reception hall with an air of arrogance.

Zhou Yu, snapping back to reality, flew into a rage. "Who allowed a piece of trash like you to enter? Get out!"

Faced with Zhou Yu’s reprimand, Wu Yong paid him no mind. Instead, he turned to Nalan Yanran and said, "Miss Nalan, if there is a divine artifact as collateral, the Wu family is willing to lend you twenty million to help you achieve your grand ambition!"

"You?" Nalan Yanran raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you the son-in-law of the Zhou family? Can you speak for the Wu family?"

Seeing Nalan Yanran’s acting was so spot-on, Wu Yong breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately patted his chest and said, "My father, the head of the Wu family, is already on his way to Guiyun City. Our sincerity is absolute!"

"Good!"

With those words from Wu Yong, Nalan Yanran immediately turned to Zhou Huai'an and said, "I apologize, Family Head Zhou, but I intend to negotiate with the Wu family!"

"The Zhou family agrees to the twenty million!!!"

As he spoke, Zhou Huai'an was filled with killing intent. He never imagined that just as the grand plan was nearing success, Wu Yong—a piece of trash he usually couldn't be bothered to look at—would suddenly jump in to snatch the opportunity. It made him want to tear Wu Yong into a thousand pieces right then and there.

Little did he know, the more enraged he became, the more Shen Lang and his group wanted to see it. Wu Yong understood that the time for him to shine in public had arrived.

"My Wu family is willing to offer twenty-five million spirit stones!"

Gasps rippled through the room.

At this, Zhou Huai'an was completely incensed. "You filthy dog, are you looking for death?!!!"

"You old cur, who the hell do you think you’re scaring?" Wu Yong retorted. "Everyone knows the situation here. If you dare to touch me, I’ll reveal the truth, and we’ll all go down together!"

"You!!!"

Zhou Huai'an’s eyes turned bloodshot. He never dreamed that a character like Wu Yong could be such a stubborn, shameless rogue. His fury had nowhere to vent. He could only clench his teeth and look at Nalan Yanran. "Miss Nalan, this is Guiyun City. Even if the Wu family gives you the spirit stones, the Zhao clan will use it as an excuse to claim you are acting opportunistically. Wouldn't you end up with nothing but empty hands?"

"How about this? The Zhou family will give you the twenty million spirit stones right now, and the contract will remain as we discussed earlier. How does that sound?"

Hearing this, Nalan Yanran sneered inwardly. She finally understood why Shen Lang was so certain he could complete the mission; it was because Zhou Huai'an’s intellect was simply not on the same level as his. Every word and action of his had been calculated to the letter.

Thinking of this, Nalan Yanran immediately followed Shen Lang’s instructions and feigned hesitation.

Beside her, Wu Yong offered a knowing, cold smile. "Old cur, you seem to have forgotten that I am the City Lord of Guiyun City! It is only logical for me to hand over the tax silver to Miss Nalan!"

"You waste, what do you think you are? If you want to die, I’ll grant your wish!"

As the saying goes, patience has its limits. Zhou Huai'an had always looked down on Wu Yong, and seeing him ruin his plans time and time again, he immediately raised his hand, intending to kill Wu Yong before turning back to negotiate with Nalan Yanran.

But just as he prepared to strike, a large hand intercepted his attack. Following closely was the cold voice of Wu Peiyuan: "Zhou Huai'an, what are you trying to do to my son?"

"Wu! Pei! Yuan!"

Seeing the newcomer, Zhou Huai'an’s expression turned hideous. He hadn't expected Wu Peiyuan to arrive so quickly. However, Zhou Huai'an realized that killing Wu Yong to regain control of the situation was no longer possible. He could only grit his teeth and say, "Wu Peiyuan, is your Wu family determined to be enemies with our Zhou family?"

On his way there, Wu Peiyuan had been wondering if Wu Yong was capable of handling this task, or if the news was even true. But seeing the predatory look in Zhou Huai'an’s eyes, he realized that everything Wu Yong had said was true. Now, all they had to do was cough up the spirit stones to obtain the qualification for the Shenxiao Emperor’s assessment.

Therefore, Wu Peiyuan dropped all pretense. "You can't put it that way; everyone is acting based on their own capabilities. But if you think our Wu family is afraid to go to war with you, you are sorely mistaken! If you want to fight, the Wu family is ready!"

"You!"

Zhou Huai'an was boiling with rage. He deeply regretted wasting time trying to posture earlier; if he had just gone to the First Pavilion himself, the matter would have been settled. But he knew well that there was no medicine for regret in this world. All he could do now was try his best to secure that divine artifact.

With this in mind, Zhou Huai'an took a deep breath and looked slowly at Nalan Yanran. "Miss Nalan, you have seen it for yourself; this is now a matter of my Zhou family’s reputation. I won't waste any more words—whatever price the Wu family offers, our Zhou family will add another million spirit stones!"

After saying this, Zhou Huai'an cast a venomous glance at Wu Yong and vanished from the reception hall.

Seeing Zhou Huai'an retreat, Wu Peiyuan was overjoyed. He immediately said to Nalan Yanran, "Miss Nalan, this is not a place for conversation. Why don't we head to the City Lord’s Mansion to discuss further?"

"As you wish, Family Head Wu!"

...

At this moment, as Shen Lang’s party left the Zhou estate, Zhou Huai'an, having returned to his study, smashed everything he could get his hands on in his rage.

Watching from the side, Zhou Yu hurriedly tried to persuade him: "Father, please, calm your anger!"

*Slap!*

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Zhou Huai'an landed a heavy slap on his face. "It’s all because of you, you useless fool! You didn't realize sooner that Nalan Yanran was the one truly in charge! You’ve caused me to miscalculate, and now we are in a completely passive position!"

Suddenly struck, Zhou Yu looked aggrieved. "Nalan Yanran was disguised too well; I didn't know either!"

"Shut up!" Zhou Huai'an shouted. "You are just not as reliable as your elder brother. If your brother were here, how could the Wu family have interfered?"

Seeing Zhou Huai'an once again belittling him to elevate his brother, Zhou Hao, Zhou Yu subconsciously clenched his fists. He felt deeply resentful. He had done his best. Who could have foreseen that a wretch like Wu Yong would rebel? Who could have guessed that Nalan Yanran was the Great Qin’s top strategist?

But Zhou Yu knew that saying these things would only earn him more beatings. All he could do was continue to persuade him.

"Father, please calm your anger. We should consider what to do next! After all, if Nalan Yanran accepts the Wu family’s request, we will be completely outmaneuvered!"

"Sigh..." Zhou Huai'an sighed helplessly. "Now we can only bet that Nalan Yanran’s appetite has grown and the Wu family won't be able to satisfy her."

"This..." Zhou Yu wanted to ask if that was even possible, but before he could speak, a stern voice resonated from outside the door: "Actually, this situation is not impossible to break."

At the sound of this voice, Zhou Huai'an immediately looked toward the door. When he saw a young man in black robes walking in, his expression turned to one of great joy: "Hao'er, why have you returned?"