Chapter 387: Chapter 387: A Stick and a Candy
"Forget it, Uncle Sword. Since things have come to this, I no longer have a choice. If Xiao Yu wants it, then give it to him. I made the wrong choice yesterday; I can’t make the same mistake again.
And Rongrong, if you want, once you come of age, I’ll pass the position of clan leader to you. With your current strength as a level 63 Soul Emperor, you’re more than capable of leading the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. You can deal directly with Xiao Yu, making things easier for you. As for me, I’ll just wait in the background to hold your and Xiao Yu’s children."
Ning Fengzhi stopped the Sword Douluo from saying more and shook his head with a bitter smile.
In the past two days, Xiao Yu had given him three warnings: the first during the pursuit of Tang Xiao, the second through Rongrong’s ordeal, and now the third with the demand for profits.
As the saying goes, "three strikes and you’re out." If he refused again, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan might be completely consumed by Xiao Yu.
Faced with the absolute strength of Xiao Yu and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had no choice but to hope that Rongrong could preserve some of the clan’s dignity.
As for Ning Fengzhi’s suggestion of stepping down, Rongrong refused without hesitation.
"Dad, unless you stop listening to me, I don’t want to be the clan leader. I want to stay by Brother Xiao Yu’s side forever!"
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi and the Sword and Bone Douluo’s expressions darkened.
They understood the underlying message: in Rongrong’s heart, Xiao Yu’s position was now higher than the clan’s.
Faced with Rongrong, who was now completely devoted to Xiao Yu, Ning Fengzhi was at a loss.
However, just as Ning Fengzhi and the others were feeling down, they saw Rongrong take out two spirit bones.
"These are the spirit bones Brother Xiao Yu asked me to bring back. They’re from Tang Hao, inherited from the Clear Sky Sect. He wants Sword Grandpa and Bone Grandpa to absorb them."
Seeing the two spirit bones, the three of them were stunned, their eyes lighting up.
The two pitch-black spirit bones were clearly over 50,000 years old and of the strength attribute.
Such high-quality spirit bones were priceless and rarely seen on the market.
In other words, exchanging 40% of the clan’s annual profits for these two spirit bones was a huge win for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Although continuing to pay 40% annually in the future would be a loss, for now, it was a great deal.
Looking at the spirit bones and recalling Xiao Yu’s earlier instructions, Ning Fengzhi couldn’t help but smile bitterly, his tone filled with regret.
"Heh, a stick followed by a candy, while keeping me longing for the next candy. Is Xiao Yu really just a teenager?"
The combination of stick and candy was a tactic Ning Fengzhi was familiar with, but now that he was on the receiving end, his regret only deepened.
After taking their money and striking at their hearts through Rongrong, Xiao Yu had given Ning Fengzhi a glimmer of hope—what if Xiao Yu canceled the profit-sharing requirement next year?
After all, such a thing wasn’t impossible. Whether it happened or not depended entirely on Xiao Yu’s whims!
And if the requirement was canceled, the clan would have essentially traded 40% of one year’s profits for two of the Clear Sky Sect’s inherited spirit bones—a fantastic deal.
Thus, clinging to this hope, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would work tirelessly for Xiao Yu, hoping to win his favor.
Even if the hope was slim, it was still a possibility, wasn’t it?
As long as there was a chance, no matter how small, Ning Fengzhi would take it.
After all, he was a businessman. If there was profit to be gained, he was willing to try.
In this moment, with just two spirit bones and a single command, Xiao Yu had secured the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan’s loyalty for the next year, if not several years. Their previous partnership had now turned into a master-servant relationship.
Xiao Yu knew how to use the smallest benefits to secure the greatest gains.
At this moment, having understood everything, Ning Fengzhi finally chose to submit to Xiao Yu completely.
Whether it was Xiao Yu’s displayed strength or his cunning tactics, Ning Fengzhi no longer dared to oppose him.
Now, Ning Fengzhi even fantasized about what might have happened if he had helped Liu Erlong and the others yesterday.
At the very least, the Moon Pavilion’s profits would still be theirs, the spirit bones would still be theirs, and they wouldn’t have to pay a single coin—just lend a hand.
Compared to the treatment they were receiving now, it was like night and day.
Two days later, after a leisurely journey, Xiao Yu and Xiao Wu finally arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest.
As they reached the depths of the forest, they heard a familiar voice.
"Dad!!!"
In an instant, a golden figure rushed over and leaped into Xiao Yu’s arms.
"Dad! I missed you so much! Why did it take you so long to visit?!"
"Aww, isn’t this Nini? You’ve grown so much!"
After several years, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion was no longer the size of a small cat. It had grown to the size of an ordinary tiger.
Fortunately, Xiao Yu’s physical strength was more than enough to hold Nini in his arms.
As he rubbed Nini’s head, he noticed two figures behind it.
One was Scarlet King, and the other was a thick vine—likely the 480,000-year-old plant-type ferocious beast, the Demon Eye Magic Tree, Ten Thousand Demons King!
It seemed that after the last incident, Ten Thousand Demons King had also been assigned to protect Nini.
"Xiao Yu, long time no see. The Sovereign has been waiting for you."
Scarlet King crossed his arms, his tone heavy and complex.
He could sense that Xiao Yu’s strength now surpassed his own.
In such a short time... humans truly were the favored children of heaven.
"I know. I’m here because the Silver Dragon King summoned me."
Xiao Yu gave Nini’s head another good rub before heading deeper into the forest.
Xiao Wu, feeling like she had returned to her territory, happily hopped along.
Soon, they reached the central lake.