Chapter 450: Kidnapping
“Wait!”
Seeing Chen Li about to leave again, Gao Changhe hurriedly said, “Patriarch Chen, we can cooperate! I am willing to pay the price!”
Chen Li chuckled. “A price? Governor Gao, you’ve only just arrived in Liyang. Your footing is unstable, and you can barely protect yourself. What could you possibly offer that would tempt me?”
“Gold! Patriarch Chen, name your price!”
Gao Changhe ventured.
Chen Li shook his head. “The Chen Family has no shortage of gold and silver.”
Gao Changhe gritted his teeth. “Then… what is it that you want, Patriarch Chen? As long as it’s within my power…”
Observing Gao Changhe’s expression, Chen Li suddenly smiled. He unhurriedly took out a small oil-paper packet and gave it a casual toss. Wrapped in a gentle layer of Qi Strength, the packet flew steadily toward Gao Changhe.
“You can take a look at this, Lord Gao. If you agree, sign it. If not, then we shall pretend we never met tonight.”
Puzzled, Gao Changhe reached out and caught the oil-paper packet.
He hesitated for a moment before unwrapping it.
Inside was a brand-new, fine-tipped wolf-hair brush, a Stone Inkwell carved with a simple cloud pattern, a small Red Clay Seal Platform, and a blank, palm-sized booklet.
Tucked inside the booklet was a neatly folded piece of paper.
Gao Changhe picked up the paper and unfolded it.
On the paper was a single sentence written in neat, small-script calligraphy, the ink still fresh:
“I, Gao, having just arrived in Liyang with nothing to my name, intend to absorb the Jiang Family. I am willing to offer the Jiang Family’s assets on Mirror Mountain as payment. Should I break this oath, I am willing to accept death as atonement, and it shall concern no other.”
There was no salutation and no signature, but this single, simple sentence struck Gao Changhe’s mind like a bolt of lightning.
‘This really is my plan!’
‘But how could this damn thing be written out so brazenly, demanding my signature and thumbprint!’
A surge of indignation and fury welled up inside Gao Changhe, and he stared daggers at Chen Li.
‘This old fox!’
‘He must have planned this from the very beginning!’
‘All that talk about not caring, about walking away—it was all just a ploy to force my hand!’
Gao Changhe nearly ground his molars to dust.
But anger was one thing; his rational mind told him that if he didn’t sign right now, Chen Li would absolutely walk away.
Gao Changhe’s face shifted, alternating between livid and flushed red.
After more than ten seconds, he finally let out a long sigh, raised his head, and looked at Chen Li. “This is a price I can pay. But before signing such a document, I must know what kind of assistance you can offer me, Patriarch.”
He needed to be sure it was worth it.
Chen Li spoke calmly. “Luo Pingyuan. Within seven days, I can restore his Spirit Realm Cultivation. Within ten days, he can reach the Spirit Realm Third Level. What do you think of that, Governor Gao?”
“How is that possible?!”
Gao Changhe jolted. He snapped his head up, his eyes filled with disbelief as the words escaped his lips.
For a martial artist, having a crippled Dantian and damaged meridians was practically a death sentence for their future on the Martial Dao.
Even if one was fortunate enough to obtain a Divine Medicine and successfully repair their Dantian, they would still have to start their Cultivation from the very beginning, a process that would take ages.
‘Restoring his Spirit Realm Cultivation in seven days? Reaching the Spirit Realm Third Level in ten?’
‘This was simply fantasy, completely unheard of!’
And yet, in this moment, he couldn’t help but believe it.
Gao Changhe stared intently at Chen Li, his heart beginning to pound violently.
If Luo Pingyuan could truly recover his Cultivation in such a short time, all the malicious rumors would be dispelled on their own!
He would have some breathing room when dealing with the Duke of England and State Governor Xu.
And the price was merely handing over the Jiang Family’s Mirror Mountain assets—which he didn’t even possess—and a document that could be used as leverage against him.
‘This deal… seems incredibly worthwhile.’
Gao Changhe’s breathing grew heavy without him realizing it.
Chen Li showed no intention of explaining himself in the face of Gao Changhe’s shock and doubt.
He simply stood there quietly. “You can believe me or not, Governor. The decision is yours.”
‘Fine!’
After a long moment, Gao Changhe steeled his resolve.
‘As long as I’m careful in the future and don’t make an enemy of the Chen Family, he probably won’t use it against me.’
With this thought, he hesitated no longer.
He opened the Stone Inkwell, dipped the brush in ink, and neatly wrote his name in the blank space at the bottom of the page.
After writing, he picked up the Red Clay Seal Platform, pressed his right thumb onto it, and then stamped a bright red print onto the paper.
Once he had done all this, he re-wrapped everything in the oil paper and handed it to Chen Li.
Chen Li accepted it without opening it to check, simply tucking it into his robes. He looked at Gao Changhe, a faint smile on his lips, and nodded. “Lord Gao is indeed a man who understands how to adapt to circumstances.”
Gao Changhe’s heart was a maelstrom of emotions. He could only say, “I just hope you do not forget your promise, Patriarch Chen.”
“I always keep my word.”
Chen Li smiled. “However, before that, there is one more matter I’ll need to trouble you with, Lord Gao.”
Not knowing what new condition Chen Li was about to propose, Gao Changhe said cautiously, “Please, speak your mind, Patriarch Chen.”
Chen Li smiled. “I wonder, has Lord Gao heard that a Little World recently manifested within Jiangzhou’s borders?”
Gao Changhe paused, then shook his head. “I have not. Why do you mention this, Patriarch Chen?”
Chen Li then briefly explained the conflict that had erupted between the Seven Kills Association, the Celestial Sword Sect, and the Su Family, and how the Celestial Sword Sect and the Su Family had already joined forces to charge into the Little World.
“Three hundred thousand mu?!”
Gao Changhe gasped, his eyes burning with fervor.
He knew exactly what three hundred thousand mu of Spirit Fields signified.
It wasn’t just wealth; it was an endless supply of Cultivation Resources, the very foundation for a family’s growth and prosperity.
Chen Li took in the change in his expression. “Regarding this matter, I’d like to ask you for a small favor, Governor Gao.”
“Please, Patriarch Chen.”
Gao Changhe suppressed the frantic beating of his heart. Unconsciously, his demeanor had grown even more deferential.