Mr. Zhang felt the burning pain on his face, his eyes almost unable to hide the rage.
He was truly pushed to the limit, yet could only suppress his anger.
He didn't even dare to look Lin Xiaotian in the eye.
Because he was afraid Lin Xiaotian would discover the hidden resentment in his gaze.
Lin Xiaotian said with a half-smile, "I thought you would be stubborn, perhaps even come to seek revenge. But your current behavior gives me only one word."
"Cowardly!"
"Too cowardly."
Lin Xiaotian walked over and patted Mr. Zhang on the shoulder, his smile growing more pronounced. "But you're right to be a coward. If you had dared to make another move, you would be a corpse right now."
"My words are like water poured out."
"Anyone who dares to touch the old Daoist is going against me. Do you think I'm qualified to say this now?"
If this were before, Mr. Zhang would have scoffed coldly.
But now, he lacked the courage.
The person before him far surpassed his strength. To this day, he hadn't even been able to gauge Lin Xiaotian's true power.
The gap between them was like heaven and earth.
Lin Xiaotian's smile became even more evident. "Since you're not speaking, should I assume you're still unconvinced?"
"I am convinced!"
Mr. Zhang dared not hesitate.
He feared that if he hesitated for a few more seconds, Lin Xiaotian would slap him again. His face already hurt enough.
"I completely agree with what you said, and you are fully qualified to say it. We, Tian Luo Di Wang, will absolutely not touch the old Daoist from now on."
"I also apologize for what I said."
With that, he bent down and bowed his head to Lin Xiaotian.
Lin Xiaotian smiled with satisfaction. "Since that matter is settled, how about we discuss another one?"
"You called me here for something very important. Now you must tell me what it is. If it's just about your son's madness, you might get hit again."
"To investigate your son's madness, you can go to that cave yourself and see the situation."
"If you called me over for such a trivial matter, and even threatened me, I would be very displeased."
"If I'm not happy, the consequences are severe!"
If this were before, Mr. Zhang would have retaliated without hesitation. But now, he lacked the courage.
His mind raced, knowing Lin Xiaotian was seeking compensation.
He used his uninjured hand to pick up the short blade from the ground. It was only three feet three inches long.
But its sharp glint, even from dozens of centimeters away, made one's skin tingle slightly.
"Mr. Lin, when I called you earlier, I wanted to inquire about my son."
"After all, that place is too dangerous. With my strength, I might not come out alive. So I wanted to get some information. Regarding the matter of Mr. Lin, I have also brought a gift."
"This is a token of my appreciation for Mr. Lin."
Lin Xiaotian took the short blade, a smile on his lips. "You are quite clever, more so than the old Daoist."
"But the old Daoist is simply poor, while you are different."
"I hear the higher-ups of your Tian Luo Di Wang are all very wealthy, and you are their leader. So, is this the only gift you've prepared? Don't you think it's a bit too meager?"
Even though Mr. Zhang knew Lin Xiaotian was about to demand a hefty price, he could only swallow his pride.
He forced a smile onto his face. "Of course, there's more."
"Everyone in Tian Luo Di Wang knows you are skilled in alchemy, so I specifically prepared some precious medicinal herbs for this visit."
"These herbs are rarely found elsewhere."
"I've spent decades collecting them."
"However, transporting them might take a little time. They will be delivered to Mr. Lin by tomorrow at the latest."
Hearing this, a hint of satisfaction appeared on Lin Xiaotian's face.
"Very good. But to prevent you from leaving before tomorrow, I think it's more appropriate to place a shackle on you."
After saying this, Lin Xiaotian's smile widened.
He placed his hand on Mr. Zhang's shoulder and made no move to remove it.
Mr. Zhang had a bad premonition, his pupils contracting slightly.
"You... what do you want to do?"
"It's just some medicinal herbs. No matter how precious, they are not as valuable as..."
However, his words were interrupted by Lin Xiaotian.
"To you, they might be worthless, but to me, they are extremely precious. One can never have too many good things."
Lin Xiaotian said with a smile, "Since you don't value those herbs highly, prepare more. If the quantity is insufficient, you'll understand the terrifying consequences."
"I'm not joking. You can experience it yourself if you don't believe me."
With that, he withdrew his hand and walked towards the sofa with his hands behind his back.
As he sat down, a cigarette appeared in his hand, and the lighter clicked on.
A playful smile spread across his face.
Mr. Zhang felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, sensing Lin Xiaotian's gaze as if he were plotting something, yet he couldn't figure out what.
Just as he was feeling uneasy.
He suddenly felt a slight pain on his shoulder, as if something had pierced his skin.
He instinctively turned his gaze. Upon seeing what it was, his expression changed drastically, and his eyes widened in terror.
"Wan Du Zhu?"
He almost instinctively reached out and grabbed a piece of white silk thread on his shoulder.
The white silk thread was not a real thread, but a Wan Du Zhu.
The Wan Du Zhu was one of the most potent poisons among Gu poisons. Its reproduction method involved placing insect eggs on spider silk.
He recognized it immediately.
Unfortunately, as his fingers touched the silk thread, he felt something was wrong.
He pulled out the thread, but found no spider eggs.
"You... you're trying to bluff me?"
Lin Xiaotian said with a half-smile, "Don't you realize it yet?"
"With your level of cultivation, you should be able to sense even the slightest change."