As sounds of rumbling echoed inside his ear, he felt as if he were drowning as the pressure flooded against his eardrums like water. His body was also being dragged down by that inexorable power.
He heard a distinct miserable cry that sounded like the voice of Silver Hawk Guard Number Two, which caused him great fear and trepidation.
Bang!
Like a rotten persimmon falling from a giant tree, Landlord Zuo splatted into the foul mud.
Although Landlord Zuo was still bound by the gravitational force, his mind was still conscious as he was falling. Inwardly, he kept lamenting: "It"s the end, the end…I can"t believe that despite being cautious for half of my life, I still fell."
With his entire body restrained, Landlord Zuo could not even open his mouth to speak, much less use the communication jade. He squeezed opened his eyelids and looked around.
When he saw a few mocking faces from human beings and spiritual beasts. Landlord Zuo could not but help tremble as he thought: "Who did I offend? They had unleashed such a big force to deal with me?"
Currently, Bao Bao was still in human form. He stepped onto Landlord Zuo"s chest and chuckled: "Landlord Zuo, at your home, you were showing off your arrogance. Now, let me ask you, do you wish to live or to die?"
Such words were of course, mockery meant to ridicule a person. With Landlord Zuo"s current status, naturally he wanted to continue enjoying life. Who would want to die by giving up his free and carefree life?
"Stop wasting words with him, take him away."
"Take him away? To where?" Bao Bao asked curiously.
Qin Wushuang smiled: "Of course to return to the River Gate State City."
Landlord Zuo"s chest heaved. He already realized that this was a scheme. Yet at this moment, he racked his brain and could not think of how this scheme had been carried out. Who were these people? Fear and despair could not make him calm down.
"Landlord Zuo, I heard you have special privilege and you"re able to enter and leave from the Heavenly Sun Mountain, right?"
A trace of doubt shot from Landlord Zuo"s eyes. He looked at Qin Wushuang and was considering what this person intended to do. Qin Wushuang smiled leisurely and did not evade from Landlord Zuo"s gazes.
"I heard that besides collecting rare treasures, Landlord Zuo had another hobby, you like beautiful girls, right? Think about it, if I cut your most important part with one knife, collecting rare treasures will be the only thing left for you to enjoy in life, right?"
For such vicious words, Qin Wushuang had spoken it with a cultured tone and caused Landlord Zuo to feel his blood run cold.
Despite being cruel, despite being proud, when others held your fate in their hands, it was impossible for Landlord Zuo to act tough.
It would be rather quick and easy to kill him in one move. He was most afraid of suffering slow tortures and still end up not dying after eating up all the bitterness. That would be the most miserable outcome.
Landlord Zuo"s mute acupoint was reopened and he started to breathe rapidly while his chest had moved like a bellow.
"Who are you guys?" Landlord Zuo asked with an ashen face.
"Is it us asking you, or you asking us?" Bao Bao extended his hand to give him a slap on the face.
Without a chance to dodge, Landlord Zuo"s face felt his face sting. Fortunately, Bao Bao had held back. Or else, this slap would have slapped his head off.
"Speak, are you able to enter the Heavenly Sun Mountain anytime!?" Qin Wushuang asked lightly. As if Qin Wushuang knew that with Landlord Zuo"s personality, he would be unmoved by force or persuasion, Qin Wushuang spoke with an unhurried tone, "I know that besides your son who is a core disciple in the Heavenly Luo Daoist Sect, you have three other sons and four daughters. They are all living in the River Gate State City. It"s easy to find them, right?"
Landlord Zuo"s entire body shook slightly. He revealed a resentful look as he said with bitterness: "I hold no grudge nor grievance with you, you are so malicious."
Qin Wushuang could not help but let out a laugh as he said casually: "Do not look at me with those eyes. Don"t pretend you are so innocent. Since I found you, I have dug up everything about you. How many bad things you have done in your lifetime, how many evil things you have done to those girls who catch your eye, on these matters, would you believe that I know more than you?"
In the River Gate State City, Landlord Zuo was not some kind-hearted man. Hearing the words from Qin Wushuang, he swallowed back the words that was about to leave his mouth.
He knew that today, he had encountered a ruthless foe. He was unable to play the pity card.
"One last time, if you do not seize this chance to answer, no need to bother after. It"s the same for me to ask your offspring."
Instantly, Landlord Zuo"s last bit of defense was destroyed. If the other party were to threaten his life, he would never give in.
However, his four sons and four daughters were the foundation of his clan, his bloodline to prosper. If all of them died, then his line would end!
Even for the most vile creatures that had committed any unimaginable misdeed, they would never be able to abandon their own flesh and blood.
As Qin Wushuang stared at Landlord Zuo, his eyes did not show any kind of violence, he only looked him calmly. Yet, the occasional flash of murderous intent caused Landlord Zuo to uncontrollably s.h.i.+ver. His mental defense line had completed shattered.
"I can enter the Heavenly Sun Mountain… due to my son."
"Of course we know that it is due to your son. What I asked is whether you are able to enter the Heavenly Sun Mountain at anytime."
"Theoretically yes, I have the opportunity to visit my son each year. Many of the middle managers in the mountain have accepted my bribes. They are relatively easy on letting me into the mountain."
As Landlord Zuo answered, he also tried hard to suppress his fear while he calculated: "This person is asking me whether I can enter the Heavenly Sun Mountain, for sure he wants to use me to enter the mountain. Since he needs me, certainly he cannot kill me. I must take this opportunity to bargain with him."
"This way, even if you wish to enter the Heavenly Sun Mountain right now, they must allow you, right?" Qin Wushuang asked again.
"Now, at this time? This time is not the usual time I go to the Heavenly Sun Mountain. Usually I go before and after holidays, I can send some gifts to soothe the relations.h.i.+ps."
"You are good at this, it seems your son is able to become a core disciple due to some of your contributions. Before and after holidays, how long until the closest holiday?"
Landlord Zuo did not even frown: "This is pretty clear. The one coming up is the Celebration of the Dead. The offspring of the three major clans in the Divine Brilliance Prefecture, as long as they hold some reputation, they would offer sacrifices to their ancestors three days before, and seven days after the Celebration of the Dead."
Offering sacrifices to the ancestors on the Celebration of the Dead day was a tradition. It was the same in human countries as everyone valued it greatly. The concept of clansman was incredibly prioritized in the Tian Xuan Land. Small families, small clans all enjoyed depending on the major families, and major clans. Acknowledging one"s ancestors and roots was the most popular tradition in the Tian Xuan Land.
Offering sacrifices to the ancestors was the best time to acknowledge one"s roots. In the Divine Brilliance Prefecture, the three major clans of Luo, Tian, and Zuo viewed the Heavenly Sun Mountain as the place where their ancestors were laid to rest.
Therefore, on the day of the Celebration of the Dead, the Heavenly Sun Mountain would be incredibly full of lively activities.
After some calculations, there was still a month and a half until the Celebration of Dead. Clearly, it was impossible for Qin Wushuang to wait a month and a half.
"Besides holidays, can you not find other excuses to go to the Heavenly Sun Mountain?" Qin Wushuang asked with a cold sneer.
Suppressed by Qin Wushuang"s forceful gaze, Landlord Zuo did not know where to divert his eyes.
"If you cannot think of a way, then it"s useless to keep you. However, if I just kill you, you would be too lonely on the way to Yellow Springs. I will send all your family members to reunite with you. Rest a.s.sured, I will not let go of a single one. That includes Zuo Shao of the Heavenly Luo Daoist Sect."
As Landlord Zuo watched Qin Wushuang"s stony expression, he knew that this person was not speaking lies. Thus, he mumbled: "To think of a way, there certainly will be."
"Speak." Qin Wushuang would not speak anymore useless words.
"I can use the excuse of sending my son some goods…"
Qin Wushuang revealed a joyful smile and asked: "People will not be suspicious?"
"No, absolutely not!" Landlord Zuo said with a determined tone.
"Hopefully not, if it will, your entire family, including you will not keep your little lives."
The entire body of Landlord Zuo s.h.i.+vered as he could not help but asked: "Mister, you are so keen on going to the Heavenly Sun Mountain, what do you intend to do?"
Qin Wushuang said leisurely: "Don"t you think that if you know too much, it"s easy for you to die even earlier?"
Landlord Zuo became hard-hearted as he said: "If I don"t know, even if you were to kill my entire family, I will not work with you! If you are going to stir up trouble, in the end, the Heavenly Luo Daoist Sect will come after me for responsibility in the end. At that time, it would also be a crime that would end up with all nine generations of my family slaughtered. It would be death either way, why would I agree with you?"
Qin Wushuang examined Landlord Zuo for he clearly wanted to see whether this guys was bluffing. Seeing his expression, it did not seem that he was pretending.
Additionally, thinking carefully now, the words of Landlord Zuo make some sense. If Landlord Zuo was the one to lure the wolf into the home, he would be responsible for it as well.
Upon seeing Qin Wushuang fall silent, Landlord Zuo thought his methods had worked. Since the other party needed something from him, he would have a way to bite him down and bargain for conditions.
Unexpectedly, after a moment of silence, Qin Wushuang laughed. He gave a nod as if he had made a decision: "Great, really great."
"What is great?" Seeing Qin Wushuang smiling joyfully, the scalp of Landlord Zuo went numb while he still tried to be tough, "Mister, if you intend to force me, I advise you to let go of this thought. Unless the thing you are about to do is not enough to kill all my nine generations."
"No, this matter for sure will implicate your nine generations. If you have ninety generations, for sure they will implicate all ninety generations."
His words made Landlord Zuo draw a breath of cold air as he thought Qin Wushuang was joking: "You want to stir trouble at the Heavenly Sun Mountain, I am afraid just you guys will not be enough?"
Qin Wushuang"s smile had become bigger as he erupted into a raucous laughter.
Landlord Zuo"s blood ran cold as his entire body s.h.i.+vered: "What are you laughing about? "
"Before I was still hesitating on whether you had to die. Now it seems my last bit of sympathy has been washed away by your performance."
Landlord Zuo laughed: "You are going to kill me? Impossible! If you want to enter the Heavenly Sun Mountain, you cannot kill me! Even if you head to the Goose Lake State to bribe people of the Tian Clan, they will not take you to the Heavenly Sun Mountain! Their channels and relations.h.i.+ps are not as wide as mine!"
Landlord Zuo cried out with a flush of anger as if he seemed to have seized control of the situation.