Old Liu was completely stunned, staring blankly at Lin Xiaotian, unable to react.
His brothers were no ordinary men; each one had blood on his hands. They were ruthless individuals who wouldn't hesitate to stab someone with a knife. Yet, before Lin Xiaotian, they had all fallen in the blink of an eye.
Fear contorted his face. He involuntarily took a few steps back, his voice trembling.
"Don't..."
"Don't kill me!"
"I can give you all of this."
Lin Xiaotian's face broke into a brilliant smile. He stepped forward, directly in front of Old Liu, and grabbed his neck. His smile grew more playful. "Old man, if I kill you right now, I can still take all of this."
"Why do you think I'd bother talking to you?"
"It would be much more convenient to shut you up permanently and turn you into a dead man, wouldn't it? That way, you couldn't betray me later."
Hearing this, Old Liu was consumed by extreme terror, his entire face contorted. He wanted to beg for mercy, but no sound came out. He was so terrified that he desperately tried to pry Lin Xiaotian's hand off his neck. But it was useless. Lin Xiaotian's grip was like an iron clamp, suffocating him, leaving him no room to breathe.
Lin Xiaotian's smile widened. His voice dripped with playful amusement. "Killing you right now wouldn't be worth it, considering how much you've already benefited me."
"And I suspect you know where even more valuable things are."
"Aren't you going to tell me anything else?"
Old Liu's pupils contracted sharply. He desperately clutched Lin Xiaotian's arm, trying to convey something, but he couldn't open his mouth. Lin Xiaotian's grip was too tight.
As if just remembering, Lin Xiaotian immediately released his hand. Old Liu collapsed to the ground, coughing violently. His old face turned red and then blue. In that moment, he had felt death circling him.
If he could, he would have cursed loudly.
Lin Xiaotian smiled. "I forgot earlier, I was still choking you. Now I'm giving you a chance. You can speak. If you refuse to cooperate, that's fine too."
"I can send you straight to hell. These things here are already enough for me to make a fortune."
The fear in Old Liu's eyes deepened. He had indeed hidden some items elsewhere, truly valuable possessions, especially a few videos that were priceless. However, these items were illicit and could not be exposed. Otherwise, why would he be swindling people? He certainly wouldn't dare to cooperate with powerful factions, lest they covet his treasures and devour him like a small fish.
He was reluctant to simply hand over the items. After a moment of hesitation, his voice trembled slightly.
"What I can give you isn't much. It's all hidden in my room."
"Please spare my life."
"If you promise to spare me, I'll get them for you immediately."
Lin Xiaotian nodded with a smile. "If you cooperate honestly, I'll let you live. After all, you've already brought me so much money."
"And perhaps you can create more profit for me in the future."
"You can bring those things to me to sell then, and we can form a cooperative relationship. As for me taking your current items, it's only because you tried to kill me. Otherwise, you wouldn't be in this predicament."
Old Liu felt like crying. He didn't know if Lin Xiaotian was telling the truth. If he took the items and killed them, his death would be truly unjust. But if he didn't hand over the items now, Lin Xiaotian would definitely not let him go.
Torn and helpless, he walked into the room. Seeing that Lin Xiaotian didn't follow, he breathed a sigh of relief. He took out a few items and placed them in a small box, deliberately leaving one item behind.
With a fawning expression, he said, "I've given you all my treasures."
"These are all the good things I've found in my life. They're too precious, and I've never dared to sell them, or I might lose my life."
"That's why I haven't sold these items to anyone else."
"Take these and go now. If I have a chance in the future, I'll come find you again."
"I hope you'll keep your word then, and I can sell them to you directly, rather than having them stolen."
His intention was clear: he hoped Lin Xiaotian would spare his life and leave him a glimmer of hope. As for the future, he would flee as far as possible and never return to this city. This guy in front of him clearly didn't play by the rules.
Lin Xiaotian's face broke into a brilliant smile. "Don't worry. If you come to me now, I'll give you a fair price."
"But are you sure there are no other items?"
Hearing this, Old Liu shook his head like a rattle.
"I've given you everything I have. There's really nothing else."
Lin Xiaotian said with a half-smile, "Old Liu, aren't you being honest? I've poured my heart out to you, and you're still trying to fool me. Do you think I'm an idiot?"
As he spoke, his aura suddenly erupted, like Mount Tai pressing down. Old Liu felt his breathing constricted, and he involuntarily knelt on the ground. His pupils contracted violently.
Lin Xiaotian pointed at the coffin, a playful smile on his face. "When I checked that coffin earlier, I saw many things. I believe you won't disappoint me too much."
"You took everything from this coffin. Seeing these items, I know you opened it yourself. You wouldn't have missed anything. But there's one most important item you didn't take out."
Old Liu's pupils shrunk to the size of a pinprick. He hadn't expected Lin Xiaotian to notice that particular item.