This question was nonsensical, and as soon as Zhang Qiling spoke it, he momentarily didn't know what he had said.
Who were "they"?
Such profound questions were too difficult for him at the moment. His heart had already churned like a stormy sea several times over, yet his mind remained stubbornly blank, unable to recall anything.
It was like a person drowning in the deep sea, desperately struggling and suddenly grasping a loose end of a rope. Thinking they could escape, they reached upwards only to realize with bewilderment that it was merely a single strand. The long rope that should have followed was hidden in the pitch-black water, unreachable and invisible, requiring them to find it themselves.
Just then, the man beneath him abruptly let out a smile.
Zhang Qiling's emotional outburst had been forceful. The man, who had appeared wearing a human-skin mask, intended to smile, but halfway through, his wound pulled, turning his expression into a somewhat twitching grimace.
However, in the dim light, his smile vaguely resembled the man in the mask. Zhang Qiling paused slightly, noticing that in this position, the man likely couldn't speak properly. He loosened his grip slightly.
In that instant, the man retreated and instantly stood up. Even though Zhang Qiling had intended to let him go, his movements were too swift, clearly indicating he was skilled.
The kneeling men in black remained motionless throughout this exchange, as if nailed to the spot. They simply stared at Zhang Qiling with their peculiar gazes.
Their eyes didn't seem to be looking at a living person, but rather at a statue placed on an altar, or a savior descending to save the world.
Blood from Zhang Qiling's arm dripped onto the ground from his fingertips, making a soft sound.
The breathing of those men hitched, and they instantly focused on the drop of blood, their expressions filled with longing.
"They are fine," the man opposite him said at this moment. He lowered his gaze slightly, not meeting Zhang Qiling's eyes, appearing somewhat respectful.
However, compared to the "lunatics" on the ground, his standing posture seemed utterly disrespectful. Zhang Qiling clearly sensed the burning rage emanating from those men, shooting towards him like poisoned arrows.
He hesitated, then stepped forward slightly, blocking the line of sight of the lunatics behind him.
For some reason, a faint resistance towards the lunatics stirred deep within him.
In contrast to the lunatics, although the man's act of wearing a human-skin mask annoyed him, he appeared at least somewhat normal.
Zhang Haike, with his sharp wit, naturally understood the meaning behind Zhang Qiling's step. He felt a slight strangeness but continued speaking, "...but before that, please return to the clan territory, Chief. The clansmen have been waiting for a long time."
"..."
After a long silence, Zhang Haike heard the new chief they had been searching for so desperately suddenly utter a single sentence.
"Is this a transaction?"
Zhang Haike didn't immediately understand his meaning. He instinctively looked up, meeting Zhang Qiling's eyes directly.
Those eyes were extremely faint and pure, appearing translucent in the moonlight. Zhang Haike suddenly realized this person was quite different from what he had imagined, even appearing quite young.
Having been an elder overseas for countless years, Zhang Haike almost found himself switching roles, but his reason quickly intervened.
...These old fossils from the inner clan would be furious just seeing him not kneel. If he did anything else, he wouldn't have an easy time when he returned.
With that thought, he lowered his head again.
At this point, he understood Zhang Qiling's meaning. It was simply the literal meaning, without the convoluted schemes of those old fellows.
...Zhang Qiling didn't consider himself their so-called chief and wasn't interested in them. He only wanted to get information about those two people from them, even though he hadn't recalled anything yet.
...Therefore, he automatically ignored the words "chief," "clan territory," and "clansmen" in Zhang Haike's speech, focusing entirely on "before that."
...He believed this was the content of the transaction proposed by Zhang Haike: he would go back with them, satisfy their demands, and then they would tell him the information, allowing him to leave and find those two people.
How could the Zhang family be a place one could leave so easily?
Zhang Haike thought: Those old fellows had waited desperately for this chief to appear. They would likely pounce like starved leeches and suck all his blood dry.
He had followed a group of clansmen overseas from a young age, far from the inner clan. Although he remembered the rules and respected the chief, his thinking wasn't as rigid. At this moment, he felt a pang of conscience.
Along with his conscience, his head also ached. He truly hadn't expected Zhang Qiling to hit him. Initially, he had just wanted to see if wearing the human-skin mask could improve their relationship, but who would have thought Zhang Qiling would react so strongly, almost eliminating him on the spot.
...If he had known his uncles at home were clamoring to report to the inner clan personally, he wouldn't have taken on this task out of respect for the elders.
Zhang Haike remained silent for a long time, unsure if it was due to his chaotic thoughts or his lingering conscience.
Zhang Qiling waited for a moment, only seeing the top of Zhang Haike's respectfully lowered head. He thought that Zhang Haike had probably tacitly agreed, so he nodded indifferently, giving a look that said, "I understand."
Zhang Haike: ...Wait, understand what? I warn you, you'd better not understand casually!
But young Zhang had no mind-reading abilities. He looked at Zhang Haike with the trust one would give a reliable transaction partner.
"Let's go."
Zhang Haike opened his mouth in vain, but no sound came out.
The "lunatic" men in black, however, seemed to have received an incredible promise and surged forward.
The leader, bearing the Qilin tattoo, practically crawled to Zhang Qiling's feet, his mouth twitching, his eyes already red.
Watching this scene, Zhang Haike felt utterly out of place.
He gazed at the fanatical, fervent followers, feeling no emotion, only horror and immense pressure.
...The people of the inner clan were far more terrifying than he had imagined.
These people now revered Zhang Qiling as a god and had lost their reason. Even if Zhang Qiling told them to throw themselves to their deaths right there, they would likely comply.
But that was merely the god they had imagined. If Zhang Qiling showed the slightest deviation from their fantasy, they might transform from believers into the most terrifying vipers.
He looked at Zhang Qiling.
Zhang Qiling looked down at those people with a placid expression, seemingly indifferent to their excitement, truly appearing like a god unconcerned with mortals. But seeing his blank face, Zhang Haike inexplicably felt that he was actually just lost.
Moonlight danced on the Black Gold Ancient Saber, and with a hum of the blade, Qilin fire instantly ignited around Zhang Qiling!
The fire traced a path from the bloodstains on the ground to his arm, burning away the black cloth and evaporating the blood, yet it did not harm him in the slightest.
When the fire extinguished, Zhang Qiling's sleeve was burned away, revealing a pale arm. He tore off a corner of his clothes and quietly re-bandaged the still-bleeding wound.
The surrounding men were forced back by the Qilin fire. Zhang Qiling did not look at them but walked directly towards Zhang Haike, signaling him to lead the way.
Zhang Qiling didn't know why the lunatics wanted his blood.
But he didn't want to give them a single drop.