Chapter 9: Red Plains Grassland (Part 2)

Goha and Lu Chongyue immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Come on, if those three joined them, it wouldn’t be them suppressing the Guzhen Family—it would be the Guzhen Family suppressing them. Goha laughed and said, “I see. Hehe, then we’ll accept your kindness.” He gave a slight bow and added, “Brother Wuji, give us a price. We’re sincere—just one continent shouldn’t be much of a deal for your Guzhen Family.”
Zhen Wuji replied indifferently, “I’ve said it… the Red Plains Continent is not for sale or exchange. I don’t want to say it a third time!”
Goha, Lu Chongyue, and the professionals from the Langyan Merchant Alliance were stunned. After a long pause, Goha snapped, “You… you’re mocking me?”
Zhen Wuji remained expressionless and said coldly, “How am I mocking you?”
Goha stammered, “You… you…” He took a moment to realize he had misjudged things, thinking Zhen Wuji inviting them in was a sign of surrender. But from start to finish, Zhen Wuji hadn’t given any indication of willingness to negotiate. Frustrated, his face turned red with anger.
Both Li Ran and Qi Wuzhen watched with great interest. It was quite entertaining to see the two factions arguing.
Not only was Goha angry, but Lu Chongyue was furious too. He had also thought Zhen Wuji had given in, only to find out otherwise. A murderous intent flashed in his eyes as he said darkly, “Zhen Wuji, do you have to be so stubborn? Offending our Langyan Merchant Alliance is surely not what your family wants.”
Zhen Wuji was equally angry. He said, “Since when has the Langyan Merchant Alliance started forcing purchases and sales? Tell me, what have you discovered on the Red Plains Continent? Don’t tell me there’s nothing!”
Goha and Lu Chongyue were taken aback, their faces slightly embarrassed, but they quickly recovered. Goha said, “There’s nothing. Our merchant alliance just needs that continent.”
Zhen Wuji sneered, “Since you lack sincerity, the Guzhen Family won’t trade with you—no one will!” He was certain there must be something wrong with the Red Plains Continent, though he wasn’t sure what yet. It didn’t matter; he would go and investigate in person when he had time.
Goha warned, “Don’t regret it!”
Zhen Wuji scoffed, “Threatening me? Be careful—you might bring disaster upon your Langyan Merchant Alliance!” He retorted with a threat of his own.

Guo Shieru yawned boredly and said, “Brother Wuji, just beat them up and that’s it. They keep talking nonsense… it’s giving me a headache.” Then he muttered, “All talk and no action—prove you’re tough by fighting… It’s so frustrating. They keep threatening but never actually strike… Boring!”
Li Ran and Qi Wuzhen both showed a slight smile; actually, they were a bit impatient too. They had no concerns, but Zhen Wuji couldn’t act—attacking first would be too risky. It was still just negotiation, with no deep-seated hatred between them. Though they exchanged harsh words and threats, it wasn’t enough to trigger a large-scale war between the two families.
Ge Ha and Lü Chongyue stared intently at Guo Shieru.
Ge Shunuo stepped forward again. If he dared provoke Zhen Wuji, surely he wasn’t afraid of Guo Shieru either. He cursed, “Bastard! Who are you? How dare you talk nonsense here!” He shouted angrily. Ever since arriving here, he had felt frustrated and wanted to vent his emotions, but unfortunately, his target was Guo Shieru.
When Ge Ha and Lü Chongyue heard Ge Shunuo’s insults, they knew something was wrong. In an instant, a dark shadow flashed by—so fast like lightning—that they didn’t even have time to react. With two crackling sounds, Ge Shunuo flew backward, holding his face.
Guo Shieru clapped his hands and said, “Talkative and annoying!”
The professionals from the Langyan Merchant Alliance were all stunned. Ge Ha flew into a rage and shouted, “How dare you hit him?”
Another dark shadow flashed by, followed by a loud boom. Ge Ha was caught off guard and kicked backward. Guo Shieru stomped his foot and said, “I’m not hitting him—I’m slapping him. Just like I’m not hitting you—I’m kicking you!”
Boom!
Zhen Wuji and Lü Chongyue exchanged blows, each stepping back. Zhen Wuji snapped, “What? Want to start a war? Think carefully—once it starts, it won’t be under your control!” Guo Shieru’s move surprised him, but he was secretly overjoyed—it meant Li Ran and the others would definitely side with him.
Li Ran smiled and said, “Shieru, I find you quite evil… Haha, there are so many ways to describe hitting someone.”
Qi Wuzhen’s charming eyes scanned around. Halechi was constantly eavesdropping on her. Whenever Qi Wuzhen’s gaze fell on him, he felt weak all over. His peach-blossom eyes were filled with stars as he murmured, “She… is looking at me…” Then he snapped back to reality and sighed dejectedly, “Sigh…”
Wang Keer laughed so hard she buried her face in the soft furs carpet, almost dying from laughter. It was the first time she’d heard such shameless replies.

Goha rushed back, holding an additional sacrificial artifact in his hand. Roaring, he tried to swing it at Guo Shier, but Lu Chongyue quickly grabbed him, repeatedly saying, “Calm down! Calm down… Put down your weapon!” He knew that if Goha really used the sacrificial artifact, things would get completely out of control, with a high possibility of war between the two families.

Geshunuo said in fear, “Who are you…” He never expected Guo Shier to dare attack even Goha. Only then did he realize something was wrong—someone who could ambush Goha must be extremely powerful.

Guo Shier smiled and said, “A ninth-tier Altar professional, Guo Shier. What? Are you going to bite me?”

Goha immediately stopped struggling. Once he realized Guo Shier was a ninth-tier Altar professional, he no longer felt ashamed. Since they were at the same level, being ambushed and kicked wasn’t a disgrace; what was truly embarrassing was being beaten by a junior.

Geshunuo was also stunned. A ninth-tier Altar professional had appeared! No wonder he hadn’t reacted when attacked and no wonder he could kick Goha—turns out it was a top-tier professional. He didn’t dare continue cursing. Seriously, even with Goha’s support, offending a ninth-tier Altar expert wasn’t something worth risking.

Lu Chongyue said, “Zhen Wuji, you’re ruthless!” Meaning: You’ve been hiding a top-tier professional at home—no wonder you’re so defiant and refuse to agree to anything.

Goha said, “Fine! Fine! Zhen Wuji, this is your fault!” He then sent out a message token.

With Li Ran and the others as his backing, Zhen Wuji wasn’t afraid. But Zhen Wuyu was different. He cried out in fear, “Goha, what are you doing?”

Goha grinned viciously. “What am I doing? Haha, you’ll know soon… what I’m doing!”

A portal appeared in the hall. Zhen Wuji trembled with anger—the other party was so arrogant. Soon after, a dozen professionals stepped out of the portal. The leader was not only known to Guo Shier but also to Li Ran.

Guo Shier’s expression darkened slightly. “The Langyan Merchant Alliance actually allied with the Yuanke people? That’s truly unexpected.”

The leader was Yao Zebusong, whom Guo Shier had met on Bone Mountain. Standing behind him was Ruowangtian—both were high-ranking members of the Yuanke Alliance, two ninth-tier Altar professionals.

Yao Zebusong spotted Guo Shier at once and was surprised, but he didn’t have time to assess Guo Shier’s strength right away. His impression of Guo Shier still came from Bone Mountain, when Guo Shier was a sixth-tier Altar professional—nothing threatening to him. Then he saw Li Ran, and his expression changed drastically.

Li Ran left an extremely deep impression on him—a being beyond the Ninth-Level Altar. Not daring to neglect him, he quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Why is the senior here? Hehe, it’s an honor to meet you, senior.”
Ruo Wangtian also saw Li Ran and hurriedly followed suit, saying, “Hello, senior.”
Goha and Lü Chongyue were stunned; they had no idea who this smiling man sitting cross-legged was, yet he earned such respect from the people of the Yuanke Alliance. After observing carefully, they thought Li Ran’s strength was at most that of a Sixth-Level Altar practitioner—how could he make two top figures from the Yuanke Alliance bow to him and address him as a senior?
It should be noted that the Yuanke Alliance wasn’t a merchant guild or a family clan; it was a philosophy, an organization that revered the strong. Though they were domineering and brutal, they never failed to show respect for professionals stronger than themselves. They called themselves Yuanke people and took pride in it. If someone could earn such respect from these proud and powerful Yuanke people, one could imagine Li Ran’s strength.
What Goha and Lü Chongyue didn’t understand was that Yao Zebusong was a practitioner beyond the Ninth-Level Altar, and they still had to address him as a senior—what kind of being was that? It definitely wasn’t someone at the Sixth-Level Altar. Their minds were in chaos, unsure what to do.
Yao Zebusong turned around and said, “Goha, we’re here. What about the situation on the Red Plains?”
Goha hesitated for a moment. He was quite smart and asked, “Who is this…” He stretched out his sentence, staring at Li Ran in confusion.
Yao Zebusong replied, “Oh, he’s a practitioner beyond the Ninth-Level Altar. Li Ran, Senior Li Ran. Strange, you’ve all been here for so long—how come you didn’t know?”
Goha’s legs turned weak, and he almost sat down. What a trick! A practitioner beyond the Ninth-Level Altar sitting aside, watching silently—what kind of person is this!
Lü Chongyue’s face turned pale too. If there had been just one more Ninth-Level Altar practitioner, it might have been okay; they could still maintain balance with him. But with an additional practitioner beyond the Ninth-Level Altar, that balance was broken. Not only could they no longer suppress the Ancient Town Clan, but they might even be suppressed by them. This was trouble.
Zhen Wuji roared, “Goha! How dare you open a talisman gate in our clan’s reception hall!”
Opening a talisman gate directly in the core area of another clan was an act of provocation, just as serious as getting slapped. No wonder Zhen Wuji was so angry. Guo Shier and the others, however, didn’t seem too concerned.

If Li Ran and Guo Shier were not there, Goha would have dared to stand his ground, but the opponent was not only strong but also superior to their side. Both Goha and Lu Chongyue began to feel troubled.
Ruo Wangtian asked, “How did you negotiate?”
Goha replied, “That’s how we negotiated… They simply refused to talk, outright rejecting it.”
Yao Zebusong and Ruo Wangtian were stunned. If Li Ran weren’t around, they might have been able to be more forceful, but with Li Ran present, being aggressive could lead to serious consequences. Moreover, both of them knew how ruthless Li Ran’s group was—capable of squeezing every last drop of strength from others.
Qi Wuzhen suddenly stood up and asked, “What the hell is there on the Red Plains?”
Such a beautiful woman using vulgar language shocked the professionals from the Yuanke Alliance and Langyan Merchant Alliance, leaving them dumbfounded. Soon after, they felt an overwhelming spiritual pressure pressing down on them.
Yao Zebusong exclaimed in horror, “Another one…” Everyone understood what he meant—a professional who surpassed the ninth-tier altar.