BXBX NOVEL Chapter 62 An Odd Deal
Especially, After seeing her with his Heavenly Revelation Eyes, Long Ming could see she already reached the Primordial Spirit Unification Realm. However, looking at her demeanor, Long Ming understood that she was a deep schemer.
Therefore, To attract her attention, Long Ming didn\'t initiate the conversation first. However, he did something that made An Lu\'an come forward and speak first.
Long Ming smiled when he heard An Lu\'an\'s question. " What I wish? How can I ask something from you, Miss An?"
An Lu\'an shook her head. " If you didn\'t wish to talk with me, you wouldn\'t have appeared here, much less than draw this portrait."
An Lu\'an clapped as the waiter served two more cups of tea. Long Ming gently took a sip as he glanced at the scenery before him.
" Well, I am waiting for Young Noble Long\'s question." An Lu\'an gave a chuckle as she waited for Long Ming\'s words.
However, Long Ming only sipped the tea and got up. " Well, Even though I wish to talk about many things, I don\'t think this is the proper time."
"Besides, I won\'t wish Miss An to ruin the favorable impression toward me."
" Is that so?" An Lu\'an raised her brows. " I am curious regarding your identity, Young Noble Long."
Long Ming looked at An Lu\'an as he spoke. " What do you think about the Deep Sea Iron and Four Seasons Valley?"
An Lu\'an looked at Long Ming as she was truly surprised. " Are you perhaps an envoy sent by Four Seasons Valley? My, I never thought Four Seasons Valley will send a male. And a handsome one on top of that."
" I am flattered." Long Ming chuckled.
" However, I guess you already know the answer." An Lu\'an spoke with a calm voice. " Lan Family got better offers from other places. And therefore, I don\'t think we can spare much Deep Sea Iron to Four Seasons Valley at all."
" Is that so?" Long Ming looked at her. " Four Seasons Valley has been the benefactor of Black Pearl City and the Lan Family. Yet, in the moment of need, Lan Family is destroying the relationship with Four Seasons Valley?"
An Lu\'an smiled gently. " So, What if they did? I mean, even if we do that, will Four Seasons Valley do anything to us? Young Noble Long, Don\'t you think the Four Seasons Valley is like a paper tiger now?"
" Paper tiger? I don\'t think you should call an Imperial Linege with three Heavenly Emperors a paper tiger, Miss An. Who knows? This paper tiger might be actually an ancient white tiger?"
An Lu\'an\'s eyebrows wrinkled lightly as she looked at Long Ming. Long Ming\'s expression was calm as he was enjoying the tea. No matter how much An Lu\'an tried, she couldn\'t comprehend his intention.
" Even if you are right, the Lan Family is already too powerful. In a matter of time, the entire Black Pearl City will come under the Lan Family. At that moment, even bigger sects will need to be cautious of us." An Lu\'an reminded Long Ming.
" Your Four Seasons Valley could have done something if they had the blood contract. However, since the contract is no more, the Lan Family is free to pick the sides."
The blood contract was a contract that the Lan Family ancestors made with the ancestors of Four Seasons Valley, giving their eternal loyalty to Four Seasons Valley.
However, during the calamity in Four Seasons Sect, the Lan Family was able to reclaim the contract somehow and destroyed it. Therefore, the gold mine like Black Pearl City got stolen from Four Seasons Valley.
Long Ming chuckled as he got up. " Well, That\'s an interesting way to put, Miss An. But, What if the sect regained the blood contract?"
An Lu\'an\'s eyebrows jumped as she looked at Long Ming. " That\'s impossible. The blood contract was destroyed long ago."
" Copies, Ah… Copies exist." Long Ming grinned. " However, even without using the blood contract, we have many ways to let the Lan Family fall on their knees."
" Is that so?" An Lu\'an pursed her lips. " And, you are telling all that to me? Aren\'t you afraid, I might arrest you right now?"
" I am not." Long Ming walked toward An Lu\'an as he smiled. There was a strange cunningness and pride hidden behind his smile.
" Because I am sure that Miss An wouldn\'t say a thing at all. On the contrary, you might even stay on the sidelines, enjoying the fall of Lan Family." He gently whispered.
An Lu\'an raised her brows as she stared at Long Ming silently. " And, What made you think like that?"
" Intuition." Long Ming placed the painting before her as he turned around. " If you wish to do a true transaction with me, we can meet here tomorrow once again. However, I hope you will remain neutral when I will visit Lan Family Manor."
An Lu\'an stared at Long Ming as he gracefully turned around and left. She looked at the painting as she noticed a few lines in the corner, written in beautiful calligraphy.
\' No matter how much it weighed in gold, will a caged bird taste the feeling of the sky?\'
The letters seemed to have a mysterious charm, attracting An Lu\'an\'s attention toward it. No matter how much she tried, she couldn\'t get rid of those thoughts.
\' Haah, An opportunity, you say…\' She rubbed her temples as she sighed. She finished her tea as she got up and left the pavilion.
Of course, she didn\'t hesitate to take the painting made by Long Ming with her.
When the evening fell, Ming Yuexin and Long Ming walked toward the Lan Family Manor. It was too big to be called a manor as it looked like a small palace.
" Halt! Who are you?"
Ming Yuexin showed her the tokens. " We are the Core Disciples of Four Seasons Valley. We wish to meet patriarch Lan."
" Oh, Four Seasons Valley?"
" Well, We don\'t know about your arrival. Unless patriarch Lan gives order we can\'t let you in."
Ming Yuexin frowned. " What do you mean by that? Why don\'t you go and inform Patriarch Lan?"
The guard grinned. " I am sure Patriarch is informed by now. But till he gives the order, we can\'t let you in."
Long Ming looked at the face of the two guards as he sighed. \' These bastards thinking they can humiliate us, huh?\'
14:03
Long Ming was still wearing the conical hat that was hiding his face. " Hey, I don\'t understand… Since when have some dogs started to bark at the core disciples of Four Seasons Valley? You think your Lan Family is some sort of bigshot?"
Long Ming walked forward as he gripped his sword hilt tightly. His voice was cold as a powerful aura fell on the two guards. Long Ming secretly used his sword intent along with his aura as he tried to intimidate them.
The guards shivered when they felt the aura of Long Ming. It was as if their body was being sliced by an invisible sharp sword, filled with killing intent. They felt if they made one wrong move, their head might roll down.
" Inform patriarch Lan right now, else… I guess we need to discipline the guards ourselves." Long Ming\'s tone was cold. " Of course, I doubt Patriarch Lan will say much if a few guards lost their limbs."
" I…"
" Right away, Young Master."
The guards shivered as they hurriedly went inside. After a while, the door got opened and they got invited inside.
" Sister Ming, You are sure powerful, but you don\'t need to hide it till the point other people underestimate you." Long Ming whispered. Ming Yuexin glanced at Long Ming as she sighed.
" I understand. I should act tougher." Ming Yuexin spoke.
" Have remembered the script I gave you?"
" Yes."
Soon, they entered in a courtyard where a Middle aged man sat on a luxurious chair.
" Disciple Long Ming and Ming Yuexin of Four Seasons Valley greets Patriarch Lan Xiao."
" En, It\'s a pleasure to meet you. Four Season Valley is, after all, Our benefactor." Lan Xiao spoke with a mild smile. " Speak, Why did you come here?"
" Patriarch Lan, In the last two years, not only has the Lan Family increased the price of Deep Sea Iron by three folds, you are not even giving us enough supplies. May I know the reasons?"
Lan Xiao stroked his beard as he looked at Ming Yuexin. " Is that so? Unfortunately, the mining business has been running low. Our family couldn\'t mine enough Deep Sea Iron by ourselves. How can we…"
Ming Yuexin took a deep breath as she glanced at Lan Xiao. " Before you say that, I would like to add how much Deep Sea Iron and Oceanide Steel the Imperial Family, The Blissful Heaven Temple, and Six Sword Pavilion got."
" Well, About that…" Patriarch Lan Xiao chuckled as he looked at Ming Yuexin. " You guys came from far. How about I arrange some food and drinks for you. You must be tired."
Ming Yuexin looked at Patriarch Lan Xiao as she sighed. " Well, Seeing Patriarch Lan\'s attitude, I guess you already decided, right? You have decided the nullify the contract."
" Hehe, How can I?" Patriarch Lan Xiao grinned as he looked at Ming Yuexin. " After all, Four Seasons Valley and our…"
" Patriarch Lan, You should better drop the act and not waster our time." Ming Yuexin spoke. " I hope Patriarch Lan remembers the consequences of breaking the contract. Would you like the Four Season Valley to move its force against Lan Family."
Lan Xiao\'s eyes narrowed as he looked at Ming Yuexin. " I doubt Four Season Valley is the same sect as thousand years ago. Even if you mobilize the force, do you think you can remain unscathed?"
Suddenly, Ming Yuexin smiled. " Yes, It might be true that our sect\'s power lessened throughout the years. Although I don\'t know about our sect, I don\'t think Lan Family would remain intact if Four Season Valley uses something from their Imperial Vault."
Lan Xiao\'s face stiffed in an instant when he heard the word \' Imperial Vault.\' It was the place where sects keep the legacy weapons of their ancestors. And, Since Four Seasons Valley is an Imperial Linege there might be more than one Imperial Weapons there.
" So, Four Seasons Valley gives you two conditions. Either, breach the contract and prepare for our sect\'s wrath. The second condition, give us these three mines."
When Patriarch Lan saw the mines when he read the contract given by Ming Yuexin. He was shocked. " Are you sure you want these mines?"
" Yes, If you agree, We will allow you to remove the contract between Lan family and Four Seasons Valley."
Patriarch Lan felt into deep thought as he was in dilemma.
These three mines…Why would they pick them?
Because out of three, two of them barely had any Deep Sea Iron while the third have an almost average amount of ore.
Why would they pick them after all?