Nalan Yanqing's words were like a basin of ice water, dousing the heads of the patriarchs of the five great families. Those who had already been tempted suddenly sobered up.
Indeed, Golden Number One was a treasure of the Killers' Guild. Even a single dose was hard to come by. Yet Zhao Shengtian was offering hundreds of doses, solely for the purpose of acquiring the ancient tower, Dengtianlong Lou?
And what about this woman in red? How did such a powerful woman in red appear by Zhao Shengtian's side, and what was her origin?
"Nalan Yanqing, are you threatening them?"
Upon hearing Nalan Yanqing's words, Zhao Shengtian frowned and said, "Do you think I won't dare to touch you just because you are an agent of the Bureau of Investigators?"
"Zhao Shengtian, attacking an agent of the Bureau of Investigators is considered treason. You won't find a place for yourself anywhere in Dragon Country. Do you dare?"
Nalan Yanqing's gaze was calm, showing no panic. After speaking to Zhao Shengtian, she turned to the others and said, "Zhao Shengtian's Golden Number One comes from the Killers' Guild, and the woman who just saved him is Luo Si, the Red Rider among the Three Peaks and Twelve Riders of the Killers' Guild. If you trade with him, you will be guilty of treason and will have nowhere to go."
"I am kindly reminding everyone to think thrice before acting. Do not fall into eternal regret with a single misstep, plunging yourselves and your families into an abyss from which you can never recover."
"This..."
Hearing Nalan Yanqing's words, the faces of the patriarchs of the five great families immediately changed. None of them had expected the woman in red to be the Red Rider of the Three Peaks and Twelve Riders of the Killers' Guild. Legend had it that the Three Peaks and Twelve Riders were all powerhouses at the peak of martial arts. The woman in red was indeed terrifyingly powerful.
The five great families had more or less colluded with the Killers' Guild, but it was always in secret. They would not dare to engage in such open trading, no matter how bold they were. After all, the Killers' Guild had a notorious reputation and countless sins. Trading with them, once discovered, would make them unacceptable to the world.
Zhao Shengtian was a cautionary tale. Thus, even the Zhao family would no longer shelter him.
"Esteemed patriarchs, risk and reward are directly proportional. The higher the risk, the greater the reward. What if we cooperate with the Killers' Guild? As long as it benefits the family, is there anything that cannot be done?"
Seeing that some of the patriarchs of the five great families were starting to calm down, Zhao Shengtian continued, "I, Zhao Shengtian, was able to cooperate with the Killers' Guild for the Zhao family. Can you not transfer the ownership of Dengtianlong Lou for the sake of your families? It's just a building. What are you afraid of?"
"As for Nalan Yanqing's talk of treason, I have something to say. In recent years, the Bureau of Investigators has been like the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard, persecuting members of our five great families under various pretexts. With their baseless accusations, how many people have died in our five great families?"
"As long as the Bureau of Investigators exists, the five great families will not find peace. For the five great families to have peace, the organization to be eradicated is not the Killers' Guild, but the Bureau of Investigators."
Zhao Shengtian slowly poured a cup of tea and then threw the cup to the ground, the tea water flowing across the floor.
"The Bureau of Investigators is like this teacup, and the five great families are like the tea in the cup. They have already imprisoned the five great families. If the five great families want to continue expanding their territory, they must break free from their shackles. With these five hundred doses of Golden Number One, the influence of the five great families will surpass that of the Bureau of Investigators, and they will be able to break this chain."
Zhao Shengtian's voice gradually grew louder, and he roared, "Do you want to be a hero for a moment, or a slave for a lifetime? I have given you the opportunity. You choose for yourselves."
Upon hearing this, the patriarchs of the five great families, except for Qin Cangjing, all fell into deep thought.
That was true. The Killers' Guild had indeed committed countless crimes, but they were in Europe and posed no threat to the five great families. However, the Bureau of Investigators was different. They were in Longdu, like a sharp sword hanging over the heads of the five great families. For years, the five great families had lived in constant fear and walked on thin ice because of this sword, and they had not expanded their territory for many years.
If the organization of the Bureau of Investigators disappeared, it would be a great boon to the five great families, as they would no longer have a sword hanging over their heads, for no one knew when it might fall and take their lives.
One hundred doses of Golden Number One would give a family countless top-tier powerhouses, and five hundred doses would bring a qualitative leap in the strength of the five great families.
"Esteemed patriarchs, do not listen to Zhao Shengtian's incitement. Listen to me."
Seeing that the patriarchs of the five great families were starting to ponder, Nalan Yanqing hurriedly said, "The Bureau of Investigators has indeed restricted your expansion in recent years, but it has been for stability. Moreover, the Bureau of Investigators has been resisting the invasion of the Killers' Guild all these years. Once the Bureau of Investigators disappears, the Killers' Guild will enter Longdu, and you will be utterly unable to resist them."
Nalan Yanqing was not lying. The Bureau of Investigators was established to counter the Killers' Guild. Over the years, they had clashed with the Killers' Guild countless times in secret, with both sides having victories and defeats, and countless casualties.
However, this state of mutual victory and defeat was based on the neutrality of the five great families. Once the five great families sided with the Killers' Guild, even the Bureau of Investigators would not be able to continue resisting the invasion of the Killers' Guild.
"Yanqing, calm down. All of us here are intelligent people. How could we be swayed by the wicked Zhao Shengtian?"
After Nalan Yanqing finished speaking, Ye Zixuan, the patriarch of the Ye family, a young man in his early thirties, handsome and exceptionally good-looking, walked up to Nalan Yanqing and said with a smile.
Ye Zixuan and Nalan Yanqing had attended the same school, and they had a good relationship. It was not surprising that he was the first to step forward and support Nalan Yanqing.
Nalan Yanqing, seeing Ye Zixuan step forward first, smiled, and her mood unconsciously improved. With the first one, she believed that others would soon see the situation clearly.
"Thank..."
Nalan Yanqing looked at Ye Zixuan, wanting to say thank you, but halfway through, Ye Zixuan, who had been smiling, suddenly changed his expression. The smile vanished instantly, and he quickly struck out, punching Nalan Yanqing in the chest and piercing it directly.
"Pfft..."
Suffering such a heavy blow, Nalan Yanqing fell heavily backward, on the verge of death, her life hanging by a thread.
"This..."
Seeing Ye Zixuan, who had been chatting and laughing with her just moments ago, suddenly attack, and severely injure Nalan Yanqing with the first blow, everyone present was stunned.
After all, Ye Zixuan was not only Nalan Yanqing's classmate but also her admirer, having loved her for more than a decade.