Chapter 152: Cat and Mouse

As the King of Mercenaries who had clawed his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, Ling Tian had easily taken between eight hundred and a thousand lives. Every single person he had killed was a heinous, vicious criminal or an overlord in their own domain. Thus, killing to Ling Tian was as effortless as squashing an ant. However, committing murder in a public place invited too much trouble, something Ling Tian, who yearned for a carefree and unfettered life, wished to avoid.

Ling Tian believed that even if he let Huo Ran walk away now, the deeply resentful Huo Ran would inevitably seek an opportunity for revenge, and that moment would be Huo Ran's time to die.

Seeing that Ling Tian remained silent, Sun Yibin said nothing more, knowing that with Ling Tian's seasoned methods, he must have other plans in mind.

Just as Huo Ran turned to leave, Li Fumin momentarily forgot his status as head of the family. He hurried after Huo Ran, blocking his path, and blurted out, "Brother Huo, didn't you promise to help me? Why are you breaking your word now?" With Huo Ran not daring to confront Ling Tian, Li Fumin stood even less of a chance. Once Huo Ran left, Li Fumin would have no choice but to compromise when facing Ling Tian.

If Li Wenhao or some other family member compromised, other aristocratic families might merely laugh it off and let it go. But as the head of the Li family, Li Fumin represented not just himself, but the entire clan and its formidable standing in Yunhai City. Once Li Fumin compromised, the Li family would lose all its dignity.

In times of peace, what great aristocratic families fought for, apart from money, was face.

Huo Ran circulated his true qi to temporarily suppress his injuries, a tiny trace of color returning to his pale face as he spoke, "Family Head Li, this person's strength is too terrifying, and I do not have absolute certainty of winning. I think we should let it rest for today. Once I return and make proper preparations, it won't be too late to seek revenge."

Li Fumin said anxiously, "What if you and I join forces? Don't forget, I am a martial artist too." At this moment, Li Fumin was burning with anxiety. Huo Ran, whom he had always treated as an honored guest, was an immensely proud martial arts expert. For even Huo Ran to admit he had no confidence was tantamount to a tacit admission that he was no match for Ling Tian.

Although Li Fumin had already seen during the clash of auras that Huo Ran was significantly inferior to Ling Tian, he had still harbored a shred of fantasy. To his utter shock, the deeply proud Huo Ran admitted his inferiority to Ling Tian with his own mouth.

Huo Ran shook his head silently and replied, "Family Head, once the gap in strength reaches a certain level, numbers cannot make up for it. By my estimation, Ling Tian is at least in the Upper Realm of Qi Condensation, or perhaps even a Half-Step Qi Transformation martial artist. Even if you and I joined forces, we wouldn't be his match; at best, we'd fight him to a standstill."

At this, Huo Ran paused, glanced at the frowning Li Fumin, and continued, "Family Head, I only said I wasn't prepared yet. Give me three days, and within three days, I will surely sever Ling Tian's head."

Hearing this, the despairing Li Fumin suddenly regained his spirit and said excitedly, "Really? Are you planning to find reinforcements?"

"No, I alone am enough, but I will need your assistance." Thinking of his secret technique, Huo Ran's face flushed red. He muttered inwardly: When it comes to raw power, I am no match for you, but I can still defeat you. Ling Tian, let's see how this plays out.

Under immense pressure from Ling Tian, Li Fumin had long since lost the dignity of a family head. Like a dying person grasping at a final straw, he asked eagerly, "Don't worry, as long as Ling Tian can be killed, I will assist you with all my might."

Every single word of this conversation was overheard by Ling Tian, who possessed absolute strength and thought nothing of it. He mused inwardly: A Mid-Qi Condensation martial artist practicing crooked, heterodox arts—I really want to see what tricks you can possibly pull.

Furthermore, a doubt lingered in Ling Tian's mind. During their earlier clash of auras, he had found Huo Ran's energy somewhat familiar... Perhaps this could even be used to reel in a much bigger fish. At this thought, a cold smirk curled the corner of Ling Tian's mouth. To him, this was merely a game of cat and mouse.

After whispering a few more words to Huo Ran, the latter left the Prosperous Dynasty club, and Li Fumin returned once more to stand before Ling Tian.

This time, completely unlike his aggressive posture from moments before, Li Fumin wore a smile and said to Ling Tian, "Young Master Ling, everything just now was simply a misunderstanding. As the saying goes, it is better to resolve enmities than to perpetuate them. Since it was all a misunderstanding, I suggest we let the matter drop. What do you think?"

Look at this level of eloquence, coupled with such lightning-fast facial expressions. He truly deserved to be the head of a family. Li Fumin had casually brushed off a tense, sword-drawn standoff as a mere misunderstanding. Ling Tian thought mischievously that his own skin was still far too thin compared to this.

"Since Family Head Li is being so polite, it would be quite ignorant of me to continue pushing you," Ling Tian said indifferently.

Seeing Ling Tian's tone soften considerably, Li Fumin felt a surge of relief and immediately chimed in, "As they say, friendships are forged through blows. After today, you and I can be considered acquaintances. I suggest we put past unpleasantness behind us and consider ourselves friends from now on. If you ever need anything, just say the word, and I will help you with all my might."

Ling Tian sighed inwardly. Foreigners always believed the Chinese were adept at scheming—smiling warmly to your face while preparing to plunge a knife into your back the moment you turned around. It seemed that perception was entirely accurate. Right now, Li Fumin undoubtedly hated Ling Tian with a passion, yet he sat smiling broadly right across from him, practically offering to become sworn brothers.

This was the epitome of sinister hypocrisy!

"Since you've put it that way, let's do it your way. However, the receptionist here made me extremely unhappy earlier. Shouldn't you give me a satisfactory explanation?" Ling Tian asked loftily, gazing at Li Fumin while awaiting a reply. From his posture, it appeared that if Li Fumin's explanation failed to satisfy him, Ling Tian might fly into a rage at any second.

Under Ling Tian's gaze, Li Fumin discovered to his horror that he was actually feeling guilty. Having moved in high society and dealt with the powerful and elite for many years, Li Fumin realized he could not withstand Ling Tian's intense stare, which felt as though it could see right through him. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans broke out on Li Fumin's forehead, his face frozen in tension.

"Young Master Ling, how about this? Let me treat today as my apology to you, and all your expenses will be put on my tab. Are you satisfied with this explanation?" Li Fumin wiped away cold sweat, speaking with some trepidation. His greatest fear right now was that Ling Tian would fly into a rage. Even Huo Ran didn't dare face Ling Tian head-on, let alone himself.

If Ling Tian exploded, Li Fumin would simply have to take the beating, and might even lose his life. Between his face and his life, Li Fumin decisively chose his life.

Ling Tian shook his head and replied with an indifferent expression, "I went through all that trouble, bringing cash along just to pay the bill, and this is the only explanation you're giving me? Do you think that's reasonable?"

Sun Yibin chimed in, "To scrape together all that loose change, I rummaged through boxes and cabinets and even sent people to exchange money at nearby convenience stores. It was an exhausting amount of work."

"Did you hear what my brother said? Do you really think a mere meal can resolve this so-called misunderstanding? Do you hold yourself in that high of an estimation? Listen carefully to me, Li Fumin: your Li family might indeed be powerful, but in my eyes, you are utterly worthless." Ling Tian declared arrogantly.

To a martial artist, the so-called great aristocratic families of the mortal world were indeed worthless.

Li Fumin was so enraged that his eyes turned red, yet he dared not show it in front of Ling Tian. Ling Tian was right: to ordinary people, the Li family was immensely powerful in terms of both financial resources and background, but to martial arts experts like Ling Tian, they weren't even worth a fart.

"Then what is your proposition?" Li Fumin asked in return.

"My brothers have been busy all day, and they're feeling pent up. They want to find a place to vent," Ling Tian said casually.

Li Fumin hastily replied, "No problem at all! Today, the Prosperous Dynasty club is yours to enjoy to your heart's content. Pick any women you like; I guarantee you'll be satisfied. By the way, we recently received a fresh batch of European, American, and Japanese girls—still virgins. Young Master Ling, should I arrange a few for you?"

Angel, who had been sitting quietly beside Ling Tian, could scarcely believe her ears. Had she not witnessed it with her own eyes, she would never have believed that the lofty head of the Li family could debase himself into a pimp, and do so with such ingratiating flattery.

Noticing Angel's expression of shock, Ling Tian chuckled and said, "Don't assume those so-called upper-class people are noble. At their core, they are far more depraved than ordinary people."

Angel nodded obediently, accepting Ling Tian's perspective.

"When I said vent, I didn't mean the kind you're thinking of," Ling Tian continued.

Li Fumin felt a momentary wave of bafflement. Had he misinterpreted? In Li Fumin's view, men pursued only three things in life: wealth, power, and women. As for power, Ling Tian's reputation was already resounding enough; the aristocratic families of Yunhai City referred to him as the "God of Slaughter," so he had no need for that.

And now he didn't want women either? Could it be that he wanted money?

With this thought, Li Fumin broke out in another cold sweat, inwardly guessing that Ling Tian was about to demand an exorbitant ransom.

"As long as you are satisfied, just name your price." Li Fumin had resolved to go all out; as long as he could stall Ling Tian temporarily, he would spare no expense, even if it meant bankrupting the family. Once Ling Tian was dead, everything would return to him.

Ling Tian shook his head. "It's not about money."

Hearing this, Li Fumin breathed a sigh of relief, though tension gripped him again immediately after. He didn't want women, and he didn't want money. What on earth did he want?

Ling Tian stood up, pacing the spacious lobby with his hands clasped behind his back. Li Fumin followed cautiously behind him, racking his brain to figure out what Ling Tian was driving at.

After taking a full circle, Ling Tian suddenly stopped and said, "I must say, your interior decoration here is quite nice. Smashing it up ought to be a lot of fun."

At first, Li Fumin thought Ling Tian was complimenting the decor of the Prosperous Dynasty club and prepared to offer a modest reply, but the moment he heard the latter half of the sentence, his mind went completely blank. What did he mean by "smashing it up ought to be a lot of fun"?