The room.
Gui Wu stared at the two leaving with some surprise.
Initially, a smile played on her lips, and she was even counting down, betting that the two would turn back.
But as they stepped out of the doorway and vanished from her sight, Gui Wu's smile vanished completely.
They had actually left!
"Quick, invite them back!"
Gui Wu quickly gave the order, her expression already turning grim.
As the person in charge of receiving various factions, she had to understand the conditions of each faction, balance them, and then make a choice.
Now, they had only stated half of their proposal and left without revealing the rest.
This left her utterly bewildered and curious. What if the other half was a favorable condition?
Besides that, a sense of crisis also arose in her heart.
The Dark Association was no easy foe. If this matter was mishandled and drew their retaliation, it would be disastrous.
Therefore, she absolutely had to invite them back.
At the very least, she needed to clarify things and avoid offending them completely.
...
As soon as they stepped out of the courtyard, someone called out.
Xuan Liu was still somewhat suspicious, but Ye Cangtian's face showed a smile.
A maid hurried over and respectfully invited the two back.
Ye Cangtian smiled faintly, said nothing more, and followed the maid back.
Upon entering the room, he spoke, "Miss Gui Wu, is there something else you needed me for by having me come back?"
This scoundrel!
Gui Wu gritted her teeth upon hearing this. It was a rhetorical question!
Muttering inwardly, Gui Wu maintained her smile on the surface and said, "Steward Xuan Qi, your proposal can be considered by the Shinobu department. May I ask what the second matter you mentioned was?"
"Cooperation, a defensive alliance."
Ye Cangtian, somewhat impatient, simply uttered six words.
This...
Gui Wu's expression turned grim again. To be honest, his words were not surprising at all.
But this was too stingy!
Even the Guangming Hall offered some benefits and drew up a blueprint when proposing cooperation.
Yet, they said nothing about it.
"Report! Miss Gui Wu..."
Just as Gui Wu was about to say something, a guard walked in as if to report something.
Seeing this, Gui Wu quickly motioned for him to step forward.
After a moment, a smile appeared on Gui Wu's face, and she said, "Steward Xuan Qi, I have guests here who should be acquaintances of yours. Why don't we meet together?"
The guard had just reported that the young master of the Heavenly Net had arrived.
Needless to say, the young master of the Heavenly Net was here again for the matter of the guqin, and he also represented the Guangming Hall, wanting to form an alliance with the Shinobu department.
Since he ran into Xuan Qi, it was natural for them to meet.
In her opinion, whether it was the guqin or the cooperation between the two parties, it was now like an auction; the highest bidder wins.
If they met, they would naturally understand each other's intentions, and wouldn't they raise the price?
"Alright!"
Ye Cangtian smiled slightly, said nothing more, moved to the side, and sat down again.
A short while later, a man, accompanied by two burly guards, entered the room. It was the young master of the Heavenly Net.
The young master of the Heavenly Net first bowed slightly to Gui Wu, then turned to Ye Cangtian, looking surprised and with a grim expression:
"Xuan Qi, you're like a fly, everywhere!"
"Young Master of the Heavenly Net, I advise you to speak carefully!"
Ye Cangtian glanced at the other party, a slight curve at the corner of his mouth, and said with a smirk, "Don't forget, in the ruins, you wanted to help that old geezer Humphrey deal with me!"
"This matter is not over yet! If you're in a hurry to die, I don't mind dealing with you right now!"
His eyes were filled with intense disdain; he didn't take the young master of the Heavenly Net seriously at all.
If the other party truly offended him, he would not be lenient. After all, he was in the identity of Xuan Qi now, and if anything happened, the Heavenly Net would only settle accounts with the Dark Association.
"You!"
At these words, the young master of the Heavenly Net's face turned crimson.
He was almost exploding with anger, but he couldn't act. It wasn't that he was afraid of offending the host.
It was that even if he and his subordinates joined forces, they might not be Xuan Qi's match.
What's more, the other party had a Xuan-level steward helping him. If Xuan Qi really went berserk and started fighting, he would have nowhere to go but death.
"Alright, you are both honored guests from afar. Please give little me some face and stop arguing."
At the critical moment, Gui Wu stepped forward and smoothed things over.
Then she turned to the young master of the Heavenly Net and said, "Steward Xuan Qi is also here to negotiate the matter of the guqin and wants to represent the Dark Association in cooperating with our Shinobu department. May I ask what the purpose of the young master of the Heavenly Net's visit is?"
Gui Wu asked knowingly.
The young master of the Heavenly Net was slightly stunned, then quickly replied, "We are also here for this matter, but we have more sincerity. We are willing to offer 30 white spirit stones, with other conditions remaining unchanged!"
As he spoke, the young master of the Heavenly Net snorted at Ye Cangtian, as if to say, if you have the guts, bid against me. I have plenty of spirit stones, and I'll play along.
He wasn't stupid. Since Gui Wu had clarified the matter, it was to spark competition between the two parties and profit from it.
If it were any other time, he naturally wouldn't be foolish.
But this matter was different.
Firstly, it could promote cooperation between the two parties and obtain the guqin to threaten Gu Yue.
Secondly, it could vent his anger. It was killing two birds with one stone.
"I don't like wasting time."
"Our conditions and bargaining chips have already been stated, and they will not change."
Ye Cangtian glanced at Gui Wu and said faintly.
He did not increase his offer.
The implication was clear: take it or leave it. Give me a clear answer.
"You..."
At these words, Gui Wu's teeth immediately clenched, and her eyes even turned sharp.
This attitude of the other party was as if he were a superior, completely disregarding the Japanese Shinobu department!
Speaking of which, was this the attitude of cooperation?
Moreover, the Dark Association was the one requesting cooperation, not that their Shinobu department had come knocking. Such a hostile attitude was too much!
On the other side, the young master of the Heavenly Net looked at Gui Wu with confusion. Seeing Gui Wu's displeased expression, he immediately understood that Xuan Qi must not have offered a good deal.
So he quickly stepped forward and said, "Miss Gui Wu, since the Dark Association is also here for these two matters, why not reveal their bargaining chips? That way, even if we lose, we'll know where we fell short."
While saying this, the young master of the Heavenly Net was thinking about how to scorn the other party.
"Heh heh, the Dark Association is very generous!"
"Asking for people and cooperation is all talk, with no tangible benefits, just like giving orders!"
Gui Wu glanced at the young master of the Heavenly Net with a hint of mockery.
She had been curious about the Dark Association's bargaining chips before, but now she had completely given up hope.
Judging by the attitude of the Dark Association, even if they cooperated, it would not be on equal terms; it would likely be akin to subordination.
In that case, what dignity would the Shinobu department have?
"What?"
"All talk? Is there no other benefit at all?"
The young master of the Heavenly Net feigned a little surprise, secretly rejoicing, then looked at Ye Cangtian:
"The Dark Association is truly stingy! It seems they are not sincere about negotiating cooperation, are they?"
Heh heh.
Ye Cangtian smiled faintly, completely ignoring the young master of the Heavenly Net, and said, "Miss Gui Wu, please consider it yourself. If you cannot make the decision, ask your Shinobu department!"
With that, Ye Cangtian clasped his hands in greeting, then led Xuan Liu out of the room in large strides.
This guy is too arrogant!
The young master of the Heavenly Net's face turned dark and then flushed, his anger surging.
No matter what, he was the future successor of the Heavenly Net, yet the other party ignored him, which made him lose a lot of face.
On the other side.
A cold smile appeared on Gui Wu's face. Judging by the comparison of conditions, the Heavenly Net side had an absolute advantage. Did she still need to report to her superiors?
Hmph, this Steward Xuan Qi really has a bad brain!
No! It should be said that the Dark Association has no one with a good brain!
Gui Wu believed that Xuan Qi was just a representative, and the real bargaining chips were all decided by the Dark Association.
...