Dragon Canon

“Brother Wei, we share neither enmity nor grudge. Why did you curse me?” Tianyu asked softly.

Wei Yuan replied apologetically, “I have something to discuss with you, but I had no other way to reach you. Besides, I don’t know anyone else from the Shamans, so I had no choice but to come to you.”

Tianyu’s expression softened slightly. He handed Wei Yuan an array stone and said, “In the future, simply activate this array stone whenever you need me. If I don’t come, it means the animosity between our two races has reached a certain level, and I don’t want to come.”

Wei Yuan put the array stone away before handing him a box. He said, “Take a look at these.”

Tianyu opened the lid. Inside the box were four small compartments, each containing a piece of flesh. All four pieces were wriggling, each with its own thoughts.

Tianyu brought one to his nose and took a deep breath. He exclaimed, “It smells wonderful! Just wonderful! This is... the essence blood of a True Lord!”

“Can I trade this for something?”

“Of course! It can be traded for almost anything! How much do you have? I’ll take it all!”

“I need human sacrifices, medicinal herbs, special minerals, spirit plants, and... Blood Yingluo.”

Tianyu cast a meaningful glance at Wei Yuan before replying, “It seems you’ve gone down this path as well. But it’s only natural—even if you didn’t want to, there are plenty of people who’d force you down it. There are plenty of Blood Yingluo, but I should inform you that the fresher they are, the better the quality. How many do you need?”

Wei Yuan had already crammed himself with the knowledge about the Blood Yingluo beforehand. Its price was directly determined by the number of years of life extension provided by the essence it contained. Furthermore, because the Blood Yingluo possessed exceptionally terrifying side effects—the less one consumed,the better—the greater the life extension per unit of weight, the higher the price.

The standard was 1 catty of Blood Yingluo for 10 years of additional lifespan. The lousiest quality Blood Yingluo provided only a measly 3 years, whereas the best offered an incredible 50 years. However, the price of a top-grade Blood Yingluo wasn’t 5 times more expensive than the standard Blood Yingluo as its weight might suggest, but 500.

In the end, the two agreed on an exchange of 100 catties of a True Lord’s flesh for 1 standard year’s worth of Blood Yingluo. In total, Wei Yuan acquired enough Blood Yingluo to extend one’s lifespan by 100 years. In addition, he had exchanged for a bunch of human sacrifices, various minerals and medicinal herbs native to the Shaman realm, and the promise of a seed of an immortal plant from Tianyu himself, all of which amounted to 50,000 catties of True Lord flesh.

After reaching an agreement, Wei Yuan said, “I have an additional request.”

“What request?”

“I want intelligence files and maps regarding the tribe that constructed the Shaman city.”

Tianyu immediately shook his head. “That’s aiding the enemy! I can’t agree to that!”

Wei Yuan replied indifferently, “And me giving you all that flesh and blood doesn’t count as aiding the enemy? Well, it’s not like we have to go through with the deal. Consider this box my gift to you.”

Tianyu narrowed his eyes slightly and said, “You’re using us to help you eliminate your enemies!”

Wei Yuan smiled. “You’ve finally figured it out. If I can eliminate my enemies and get what I need in return, why not? But if I can’t get intelligence on that tribe, then there is no deal.”

“That is Long Redleaf’s Kingdom of Rain. His power far exceeds your imagination. Back then, Lord Redleaf offended Long Zhe, had his cultivation stripped, and was then exiled to the eastern border. If you ever face Lord Redleaf in the future, you must never regard him as a Great Warlock—or even treat him as an ordinary Wild Warlock.”

“How far away from here does this Lord Redleaf live?”

“About... two hundred thousand li?”

“That’s fine then. I can’t go that far.”

Tianyu said, “You’re asking for quite a lot this time. I’ll need to make some preparations. Let’s settle this transaction in ten days.”

“Alright.”

Just as Wei Yuan was about to return, Tianyu called out to him, saying, “Remember to use the array stone. Do not curse me again!”

Wei Yuan said, “I only used five hundred people this time. Any fewer, and I’m afraid you wouldn’t have felt it. What, were you doing something when I cast the curse?”

“No! Absolutely not!” Tianyu denied with surprising vehemence. Seeing the fierce look on the Strength Warlock’s face, Wei Yuan wisely chose not to press the matter further. There was a chance the deal might fall through otherwise.

Upon returning to his residence, Wei Yuan was informed that Yuan Qingyan, the commandery administrator of Ningxi, was seeking an audience. He was already waiting for him in Guest Town.

Wei Yuan furrowed his brow slightly. He first summoned a disciple from the Mastercraft Hall and had him choose a few sites. He then ordered the construction of a reception hall at each of the eastern, western, and southern borders for the purpose of accommodating guests. Guest Town was just too close to the center, and they might run into problems in the future if they continued to accept guests there.

By the time Wei Yuan arrived at Guest Town, Yuan Qingyan had already been waiting in the reception room for quite some time.

When Wei Yuan set foot in the room, Yuan Qingyan immediately rose to his feet and bowed. Only after Wei Yuan had taken his seat did he sit down himself.

“What brings you here?” Wei Yuan asked succinctly.

Yuan Qingyan took out a small booklet, presented it to Wei Yuan, and answered, “This is my collection of poems. This stud... this humble official humbly asks for your guidance and correction.”

Yuan Qingyan ultimately could not bring himself to call himself a student considering Wei Yuan’s age.

Wei Yuan casually placed the poetry collection on the table beside him and asked, “Surely you haven’t come all the way here just to present me with a poetry collection, Lord Yuan?”

Yuan Qingyan did not return to his seat. Instead, he stood to one side like a student attending to his teacher and answered, “Poetry is a person’s way to express their aspirations. In truth, this humble official harbors some modest ambitions.”

“Unfortunately, I know nothing about poetry, and I’m not much of a reader either, so I’m afraid I can’t fully grasp your lofty aspirations, Lord Yuan. Besides, in these parts, it is not easy to achieve one’s aspirations.”

Wei Yuan’s words carried a double meaning, and Yuan Qingyan naturally understood them. He replied, “It is true that nothing can be accomplished in the territory under this official’s jurisdiction, but sooner or later, your domain will extend to my area. A border may exist, but it is really nothing more than a line on the map. Since everything within your domain must naturally follow your lead, it is only a matter of time before this official’s modest aspirations rest upon you, my lord.”

“Unfortunately, I have no grand ambitions. All I’ve ever wanted is to coast through life and wait for death to claim me, so please return, Lord Yuan!”

Yuan Qingyan insisted, “This humble official can denounce the political enemies above you, and pacify the commonfolk beneath you. I believe I can still be of some use to you, my lord.”

Wei Yuan hadn’t expected Yuan Qingyan to be so persistent. He set down his teacup and said, “Lord Yuan, the grudge between us is no small matter. At a time like this, shouldn’t a scholar like you willing go to your death to preserve your honor? Weren’t you nicknamed the ‘Mad Dog’ in the court precisely because you fought for what you wanted with little regard for your own personal safety?”

“Ordinary people seek power and profit, while many scholars seek fame. I am no exception. If you were sitting on a throne today, then I would gladly die for my principles and secure myself a posthumous reputation. But today, you rule over a region and have already grown too powerful. Even if I were to die now, what would the history books say?”

Wei Yuan was a diligent student of history, so a phrase instantly flashed through his mind: “In the first year of the Tianqi era, Wei Yuan raised an army. The local commandery administrator and other officials died for their principles.”

He was just a commandery administrator—the historian wouldn’t even record his name in the annals.

Of course, Wei Yuan immediately realized how inauspicious the phrase was and quickly banished it from his mind. Unfortunately, he couldn’t prevent one last intrusive thought from entering his mind: “In a certain year, Emperor Yuan the Founder rose in revolt, and the entire realm rose up in response....”

Wei Yuan dared not let his thoughts wander any further and said, “Please return, Lord Yuan. I will consider this matter.”

Having achieved the purpose of his visit, Yuan Qingyan did not disagree and took his leave.

Wei Yuan shook his head. Ever since he crushed the Xu Clan’s 300,000-strong army, the world around him seemed to have changed completely in an instant.

Just then, another messenger arrived to announce that an envoy from the Xu Clan had arrived. So, Wei Yuan flew from the south to the northeast.

The Xu Clan’s envoy was an Avatar-stage clan elder. He refused to enter the domain and waited outside instead.

A short while later, Wei Yuan arrived in the northeast, where the envoy had already set up camp. Wei Yuan entered the main tent and saw a gaunt old man reading inside.

The old man didn’t look up even after Wei Yuan had stepped inside. He continued to read as before.

Wei Yuan said nothing either. He walked over to the side, picked up a candlestick sitting on the table, examined it briefly, and then used the candle flame to light the tent.

The old man could no longer pretend not to notice and snapped angrily, “What are you doing? How can you be so rude?!”

Wei Yuan replied smilingly, “You were quite engrossed in your book, but I thought the tent wasn’t bright enough. That’s why I decided to add a bit more light for you.”

The old man’s face darkened. “You’re so young, yet instead of studying the classics of the sages, you’ve only picked up the tricks of rogues and hooligans!”

Wei Yuan replied indifferently, “If you have no one to talk to normally, you should go home and scold your grandchildren instead—if you have any, that is.”

“You are courting death, junior!” The old man flew into a rage, his qi surging as he prepared to strike.

Wei Yuan’s eyes lit up, but he immediately sighed and stood motionless, knowing that this particular flesh bag of Heaven Merits was something he could only dream of attaining.

Sure enough, the old man slammed his palm down on the table with a thud and said nothing more.

The old man and the young man stared each other down in a standoff for a long time. In the end, the old man spoke first, saying, “The Immortal Ancestor has ordered that you release everyone from the Xu Clan, return their equipment, and pay one million taels of immortal silver in compensation. If you do so, then he may forget this incident!”

Wei Yuan replied immediately, “The Immortal Ancestor never said that!”

The old man froze for a moment before realizing what Wei Yuan was trying to do. He yelled angrily, “This is the Immortal Ancestor’s decree! You think I would dare falsely convey his intent?!”

“Wouldn’t you?” Wei Yuan retorted.

“Ignorant junior, how dare you—”

Wei Yuan cut him off. “I’ll believe you if you swear an oath in Xu Wangu’s name.”

Stunned, the old man lunged forward intending to cover Wei Yuan’s mouth, but he abruptly halted midway through his lip. His face looked beyond ugly as he stared at the crimson immortal sword pressed against his chest.

Wei Yuan slowly withdrew the immortal sword while consoling himself mentally: It’s fine, it’s just a hundred Heaven Merits. You can afford to spare that much....

The Bay Laurel Immortal Tree, however, disagreed, frantically swaying as it urged Wei Yuan to act. At least so far, no other immortal plant had tried to compete with it for the worldly rewards. Wei Yuan would like to, but he couldn’t win.

Wei Yuan continued, “Relax, your Ancestor can’t hear me. Of course, if I talk too much, then I still might catch his attention, so let’s cut to the chase. You couldn’t get what you wanted even with a three-hundred-thousand-strong army—do you really think you could’ve gotten it with just your silver tongue? Try again when you’ve gathered a one-million-strong army.”

The old man’s face alternated between pale and flush red as he said, “What do you want?”

Wei Yuan replied, “For those below the Dao Foundation stage, I want fifty taels of immortal silver per cultivator, with a minimum ransom of ten thousand cultivators. As for the Dao Foundation stage cultivators, let their own families redeem them, starting at five thousand immortal silver. Not a single coin less, or this deal is off.”

The old man said, “Then let’s start with ten thousand, but I must select the candidates myself.”

Wei Yuan sneered. “Keep dreaming! You can pick ten. Ten will still net you a tidy profit.”

The old man sighed. “All ten thousand slots must be reserved for our private army—no official troops or civilian laborers are allowed. Besides that, I want to pick fifty. Ten for my own profit, twenty to grease the wheels, and the remaining twenty—well, I have many relatives and owe quite a few favors. This will be a good opportunity to repay some of them.”

Wei Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly. He looked at the old man and did not say anything for a long time.

The old man grew increasingly uneasy until he finally said, “Forty is fine too. Less favor repaid is still better than none at all.”

Wei Yuan suddenly broke into a smile and asked, “Your clan didn’t actually expect you to succeed in this negotiation, did they?”

The old man gritted his teeth and nodded.

“Then you can choose fifty. Oh right, when you get back, be sure to tell them that for every other person they send to negotiate, the ransom will increase by ten taels.”

The old man felt a weight lifted from his shoulders and let out a long sigh.

Wei Yuan was also satisfied; it was rare to find such an agreeable negotiator. The fact that the Xu Clan was negotiating seriously was also a clear sign of their weakness.