The hall of the Baili family, a place normally only utilized when significant events transpired within the Baili lineage, serving as a venue to convene important clan members for discussions, had now been forcibly requisitioned two to three times within a single day.
What's more, on this occasion, the very individual commandeering the venue was not even a member of their Baili family!
"Speak," Zhou Xuan commanded from the head seat of the grand hall. "What will you offer to buy your lives?"
"Let me make one thing clear, I am not short of money!"
"And my patience is even less!"
"So I advise you, you'd best think carefully before you speak!"
"Otherwise, if you babble too much, I fear I may not be able to control my emotions!"
Baili Yuntian, who had previously occupied this very seat, was now relegated to a subordinate position.
Upon hearing Zhou Xuan's direct question, all the Baili family members below fell into silence.
What to offer to buy their lives?
This was a question that was difficult to answer. Everyone knew that their own lives were the most precious, and fundamentally, there was nothing that could replace them. However, if they were truly asked to divest themselves of everything in exchange for a chance to live, these individuals felt a certain reluctance!
Having grown accustomed to a life of luxury and indulgence, if they were to hand over all their current possessions to Zhou Xuan and leave with nothing, it would be tantamount to being killed outright. Yet, if they did not offer everything to satisfy Zhou Xuan's demands, what would happen if Zhou Xuan, in his anger, decided to kill them all?
For a time, the members of the Baili family found themselves in a predicament. They did not wish to die, but they were also unwilling to pay too heavy a price for the chance to live. Thus, they resorted to silence, hoping for some turn of events.
But alas, they were not the protagonists of television dramas or novels; such miraculous escapes from desperate situations were not destined for them.
Seeing that all the Baili family members had fallen silent, Zhou Xuan, privy to their hidden thoughts, let out a cold laugh.
"Since none of you will speak!"
"Then I shall!"
"You first encroached upon my territory and coerced my business partners!"
"Then you kidnapped my friend and tortured her into unconsciousness!"
"Furthermore, your patriarch, that old doddering fool, even dared to molest my woman!"
"Every one of these offenses is enough for me to overturn your entire Baili family!"
"However, heaven cherishes all life!"
"I, Zhou Xuan, am not a bloodthirsty individual either!"
"If you wish to live!"
"Then hand over all the shares you currently hold in the Treasure Medicine Pavilion!"
"And then compensate my friends here with twenty billion!"
"If you do this, I can let bygones be bygones!"
"Otherwise, all of you can die right now!"
"Twenty billion?"
"That is all the capital our Baili family currently possesses!"
"How could he know this figure so accurately!"
"If we give it all to him!"
"How are we supposed to live in the future?"
"Exactly!"
"And we have to hand over all our shares in the Treasure Medicine Pavilion!"
"Doesn't that cut off our future source of income as well?"
"But if we don't, we will all die!"
"Yes, what are we to do?"
"It's all the patriarch's fault for needlessly antagonizing him earlier!"
"Leading us to this passive situation!"
"Indeed, the patriarch's actions this time were truly unwise!"
Hearing Zhou Xuan's words, the previously silent Baili family members erupted into an uproar. They were simultaneously astonished at how Zhou Xuan knew the Baili family's current assets, and they began to resent Baili Yuntian's rash actions that had plunged them into such a passive state. However, they failed to consider who it was that had consistently advocated for war with Zhou Xuan.
Upon witnessing the agitated murmurs of his descendants, especially when he heard them begin to place blame upon him, Baili Yuntian, already injured, was so enraged that he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. However, he knew that this was not the time to settle accounts with his descendants. He immediately suppressed the injuries and anger within his body and bowed his head to Zhou Xuan.
"My lord, it was utterly wrong before!"
"It was all our fault!"
"But if we truly act as you say, our Baili family will have no way to survive!"
"I beg you, my lord, show pity upon this old man, considering my age!"
"I, Baili Yuntian, am willing to lead all the Baili family members to submit to you!"
"We only beg you, my lord, to give our Baili family a path to survival!"
"Our Baili family will forever remember your benevolence!"
"And serve you for generations to come!"
"Join me?" Zhou Xuan mused. "Why would I need you to join me?"
"You cannot eat, nor can you be used!"
"And I have already beaten you into this state today!"
"Do you harbor no resentment in your heart?"
"Even if I were to truly accept your surrender now!"
"It's possible that in a special situation, you might suddenly betray me!"
"Then wouldn't that be increasing the risk for myself?"
"Since you are unwilling to do as I say!"
"Then, judging by your demeanor, you are choosing the second path?"
"Alas, if that is the case, then you cannot blame me!"
"I did not wish to create so much bloodshed!"
"But you forced me to!"
With that, Zhou Xuan rose from his seat. Simultaneously, True Qi began to gather slowly in his hands, maintaining an appearance of being ready to unleash a slaughter.
"My lord, wait!"
"I, this old man, can swear upon the ancestral tablets!"
"This surrender is truly from my heart!"
"And there is not the slightest bit of resentment in my heart!"
"This is the price we must pay for our mistakes!"
"We can blame no one else!"
"If you still do not believe me, my lord!"
"I can have these insignificant subordinates come and swear together!"
"If any one of them violates the oath in the future!"
"You may slaughter my entire clan, my lord!"
"I will not utter a single word of complaint, my lord!"
Seeing Zhou Xuan about to act at the slightest disagreement, Baili Yuntian was thoroughly terrified. He quickly lowered himself further, his forehead repeatedly striking the ground, imploring Zhou Xuan to accept their surrender.
"Alas, so be it!"
"Since you have spoken to this extent!"
"Then I truly have no reason to refuse!"
"However, let's dispense with oaths; I have never believed in such things!"
"If you wish to surrender to me, then eat this Soul Devouring Pill!"
"Then I will accept your surrender!"
"Otherwise, then prepare your graves and be on your way!"
Seeing Baili Yuntian persist in surrendering to him, Zhou Xuan finally put on an appearance of reluctance. He retrieved a Soul Devouring Pill from his void ring and handed it to him, explaining its effects.
After hearing Zhou Xuan's words, although Baili Yuntian still felt some internal conflict, considering that he was the defeated party and had no ability to negotiate with Zhou Xuan, he gritted his teeth and swallowed the Soul Devouring Pill offered by Zhou Xuan.
Simultaneously, he loudly proclaimed: "Sinner Baili Yuntian!"
"Now leads all the members of the Baili family!"
"To pledge allegiance to the Master!"
"Thanking the Master for his acceptance and for sparing our lives!"
"From this day forward, all members of the Baili family!"
"Will prioritize the Master's will!"
"Any violation will be dealt with according to clan rules!"
Upon hearing Baili Yuntian's words, all the Baili family members present, whether willing or unwilling, knelt on the ground and swore allegiance to Zhou Xuan, following Baili Yuntian's example.
At this moment, they all understood. Although their Baili family had ultimately been spared, from this day forward, they would forever become a subordinate force of Zhou Xuan, never to regain their former glory. And the cause of all this was merely a single instance of greed in their hearts. Ultimately, they had offended someone they could never afford to offend – a young man not yet twenty years old, Zhou Xuan!