Chapter 29: Clash of the Titans

"Damn it! Are you trying to weasel out of this?" The smile vanished from Xiao Yang's face, replaced by a chilling interrogation.

Sensing his master's shift in mood, Chicken Tyrant was already poised to charge forward, ready to take on Zhao Youcai in a fight.

Confronted by this menacing man and his equally fierce chicken, Zhao Youcai quickly waved his hands in protest. "No, no! Senior Brother Xiao, you misunderstand me. I have no intention of reneging on our agreement!"

"Hmph, I thought as much," Xiao Yang snorted coldly. If this fat man dared to go back on his word, Xiao Yang would lay it out right here and now—Zhao Youcai would regret it, and he’d end up paying double or even triple.

"Make yourself clear. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless," Xiao Yang warned, his voice icy, while Chicken Tyrant’s feathers bristled, showing he was more than ready for a brawl.

"Ah! You don’t know, Senior Brother. I made some investments recently, so my funds are a bit tight..." Zhao Youcai confessed, not daring to hide anything.

Hearing this, Xiao Yang eyed him strangely, his tone even colder. "So now you’re trying to weasel out?"

"No, absolutely not! I, Zhao Youcai, value my reputation above all else. Even if it were a million taels, or ten million, I wouldn’t default," Zhao Youcai declared righteously. He’d survived this long precisely because he understood the value of credibility—no one with any sense would treat others like fools.

"Then pay up!" Xiao Yang demanded, extending his hand.

He knew one simple truth: words meant nothing if the money wasn’t handed over.

"I really can’t raise that much at the moment. I was hoping you’d give me a bit more time, Senior Brother..." Zhao Youcai ventured tentatively. Seeing Xiao Yang’s brow furrow, he hurried to add, "Of course, I won’t let you suffer any loss—I’ll pay you an extra one percent every month as interest."

Xiao Yang merely sneered, utterly uninterested. Even if the interest were ten percent, he wouldn’t care. What use was that meager sum in a year? It wasn’t enough to help him advance a level in cultivation. And at higher levels, even a million wouldn’t be enough for a single breakthrough. Better to convert the silver into cultivation power as soon as possible.

"Senior Brother Xiao, you must understand—slow and steady wins the race," Zhao Youcai urged, trying his best to persuade him. "As the saying goes, a steady daily income is better than a fortune that sits idle."

"Sorry, I’m a simple man. Just one word," Xiao Yang said, rolling his eyes and cutting him off. "Pay!"

"This..." Zhao Youcai was at a loss. A million taels was impossible to gather in such a short time. He’d hoped to buy a little time, but clearly that wasn’t going to work.

"Senior Brother Xiao, I really have no money!" The three-to-four-hundred-pound man was sweating profusely, his face marked by distress. What did I do in my past life to deserve running into someone like this?

"Fatty, you’d better think carefully. If you don’t hand over the money today... heh, believe me, you’ll regret it," Xiao Yang threatened, his malicious smile sending a chill down Zhao Youcai’s spine.

"Senior Brother Xiao, I really have no money! I only have one property left—if you’ll accept it, I’ll give it to you," Zhao Youcai offered.

Xiao Yang was about to refuse. Real estate took too long to pay back; it was pointless. But Zhou Yan, standing nearby, interjected first. "Where is this property?"

Seeing his junior sister speak, Xiao Yang didn’t interrupt. He knew she always had his best interests at heart.

"North Desert City," Zhao Youcai replied helplessly.

Zhou Yan’s eyes lit up, and she pulled Xiao Yang aside, whispering, "If it’s real, you should take it. Even if you don’t run the business, selling the place could fetch you around one-point-one million taels. Besides, North Desert City is the strongest city within three thousand miles, with a population in the millions. Doing business there is a good choice."

Hearing her analysis, Xiao Yang was tempted. If it was as she said, he should accept it. Even if he didn’t want it, he could quickly convert it to cash. In a place as valuable as North Desert City, shops were rare resources. After considering, he decided to take it. Judging by Zhao Youcai’s state, he wouldn’t be able to come up with the money any time soon.

"Alright, I’ll listen to my junior sister," Xiao Yang said, giving Zhou Yan a playful look that made her blush.

"Hmph! I’m ignoring you," she huffed, then ran off.

Xiao Yang turned back to Zhao Youcai. "Fine, I’ll take the shop. I won’t press you further."

Though the matter was resolved, Zhao Youcai felt a wave of heartbreak. He’d calculated the shop’s value—it brought in at least fifty thousand each year, recouping the investment in just two or three years. After that, it would be pure profit. But now, in the blink of an eye, it belonged to someone else. It hurt!

"Alright, I’ll get the deed," Zhao Youcai said, swallowing his pain for the sake of his reputation. Money could be earned again, but a ruined reputation was far harder to restore—something money couldn’t buy. Given the choice, he picked honor.

Soon, he returned with the deed and a jade pendant—Xiao Yang’s own.

"Here’s your jade pendant, Senior Brother Xiao," Zhao Youcai said, handing it over. Then, gritting his teeth, he asked, "Senior Brother Xiao, I spent one-point-two million on this shop. Could you return the extra two hundred thousand to me?"

After some thought, he realized he’d be losing too much, so he tried to recover some of his losses.

"Forget it then. Just give me the money," Xiao Yang replied without hesitation. At the mention of paying extra, he was ready to refuse the deal entirely.

Zhao Youcai was stunned. He hadn’t expected Xiao Yang to be so resolute.

After a moment, he gave up. If he tried selling the property himself, the buyers in North Desert City would haggle mercilessly, and he might not even get a million for it. In that case, he’d lose even more. At least by giving it to Xiao Yang, he’d earn some goodwill.

"Never mind, the shop is yours, Senior Brother," Zhao Youcai said, his hands trembling as he handed over the deed.

Xiao Yang examined it carefully, nodded once he confirmed everything, and looked at the now even more dejected Zhao Youcai with a trace of respect. He could have quibbled over the jade pendant and paid much less, but he hadn’t.

"Come on, don’t look so down. Life is long; things will get better," Xiao Yang offered, trying to comfort him.

But this only made Zhao Youcai want to cry even harder. Over a decade of hard work, nearly wiped out in an instant. To him, Xiao Yang was the embodiment of shamelessness—taking advantage and then pretending to be kind. Despicable!

Tears began to stream down his face. The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt, until he broke down completely.

"Uh..." Xiao Yang was taken aback.

"Is this really necessary? It’s just a million taels. You’re a grown man—what do you look like, crying your eyes out?"

That only made Zhao Youcai even sadder. "Easy for you to say, Senior Brother! That was my life savings for over ten years, and now you’ve taken it all in one day."

Xiao Yang paused, at a loss for words. He had to admit, he’d feel the same if he were in Zhao Youcai’s shoes. Working hard for a decade, only to discover you’d just been working for someone else, that the money you’d earned was never really yours—the blow was harsh indeed.

After a moment’s thought, Xiao Yang decided to throw the fat man a lifeline. "Stop crying, fatty. Let me ask you—do you want to make a lot of money?"

Zhao Youcai blinked, but quickly nodded. "I dream of making a fortune, but... ugh..."

The loss of his life’s savings still stung, twisting the knife in his heart.

"Alright, enough tears. I’ll tell you about a golden opportunity," Xiao Yang said, growing impatient with the crying.

At the mention of a big money-maker, Zhao Youcai stopped sobbing, looking at him expectantly.

"In a month, the sect’s grand tournament will be held. Every year there’s betting. I’ll be the champion this year," Xiao Yang declared calmly.

But Zhao Youcai only felt more wronged. As if he hadn’t suffered enough, now he was being set up again.

He’d already heard the news about this year’s grand tournament, and even had some inside information—many inner disciples would compete. Among them, at least a dozen had reached the tenth level of Martial Master. And there was even Liu Mangxing, who was just a step away from becoming a Grand Martial Master.

This year’s tournament would be a true clash of titans.