Chapter 2184 - 1185: Crossing the River (Part 2)

On the table before him appeared a black pair of old cast iron scissors, their surface covered in rust.

If Wang Yong and Feng Xiaoyan were here, they would certainly recognize them at a glance; these scissors were the ominous instrument that cut off their entire faces.

Perhaps it was psychological, but Yang Xiao looked at the scissors with complex thoughts, even seeming to detect a bloody odor emanating from them.

Their mission involved a total of 10 people, with 6 surviving at the end, resulting in a survival rate of sixty percent, which was notably high among the missions Yang Xiao had encountered.

In Yang Xiao’s mind, most missions concluded with only 3 or 4 people surviving, which was considered quite good.

But this didn’t mean the difficulty of this mission was low; in reality, it was quite perilous—in the final night, had he failed, it would have been complete annihilation, with no one able to escape.

Throughout the first half of the mission, they were misled by various information, until the last day when they went to the small village and met Sun Ying, allowing them to finally see Zhou Wenqing’s true mad nature.

Luckily, it wasn’t too late, thanks to Captain Zhou’s open-mindedness, which provided them substantial assistance.

Staring at the scissors before him, Yang Xiao’s mind was filled with various speculations; he was guessing the capabilities of this Resentful Eye.

Tonight, he would cross the river to meet the Cannibal Buddha and Dean Sheng, and by then he could take out the scissors for Dean Sheng’s expert view.

Besides that, this mission yielded other unexpected rewards, as he got acquainted with Ye Zheng, the daughter of Jiangbei Province Chamber of Commerce President Ye Changfeng.

Their interaction went well, and he heard from Ye Zheng about Chi Dan’s true identity—she was in fact the daughter of the Commerce Association Chairman, which shocked him considerably.

Upon learning of this identity, Yang Xiao felt an increased sense of caution towards Chi Dan and Mo Daidai, considering he had heard from Dean Sheng that this Commerce Association Chairman not only ranked at the Peak of Apostle, as one of the world’s seven strongest figures, but his treasure appraisal skills were top-level, rivaling even those of Dean Sheng.

This meant that Dean Sheng, who could identify his Hundred Demons Coffin Clothes, might have the Commerce Association Chairman being equally capable.

The Hundred Demons Coffin Clothes is his greatest secret—a revelation to the Chamber of Commerce would have unpredictable consequences—and given the nature of those within the Chamber, the act of killing and treasure seizing would be ordinary to them.

Furthermore, if the Chamber decided to act, he would have no chance at all; the people sent would be beyond his ability to cope with.

"These siblings are too sinister; avoid them when possible, and definitely do not get too close," Yang Xiao concluded privately.

As for Ye Zheng, this person seemed alright, and Yang Xiao had a mind to help her.

Once he finished his business with Dean Sheng, he wouldn’t mind connecting Ye Zheng with the Yi Sect; those folks have experience addressing the backfire from the Resentful Eye—if they could save her, he would have someone in the Chamber of Commerce on his side.

Ye Changfeng, having climbed to this position, is surely perceptive—he understands there’s no such thing as freebies in this world. Yang Xiao would sit down to discuss terms with him.

Of course, his role is only to build bridges; as for what price the Yi Sect might offer Ye Changfeng, that’s between their two families.

Being a provincial chamber president, he’s likely to have some hidden treasures at home; it depends on whether he’s willing to part with them.

If it were a regular person, they’d surely part with them, but these Chamber folks might not—they risk their lives but guard their wealth fiercely.

As a fellow father, the Esoteric Cannibal Buddha is quite the man. By rescuing Sutana, Yang Xiao transformed, becoming a regular guest of the Esoteric Priest’s table.

Relying on the Cannibal Buddha’s reputation indeed brought Yang Xiao numerous conveniences and allowed him to gain many tangible benefits.

In this instance, he shoulders the expectations of three groups.

Firstly, the Patrol Defense Office—their task is to bring back Dean Sheng and continue fostering relations with the Esoteric Sect.

Miss Gu promised—if he could handle the Cannibal Buddha’s daughter—all positions of Provincial Bureau Chief were his to choose from.

Secondly, aiding the Jiu Mountain Clan Leader in delivering a message to the Cannibal Buddha, which he committed to and aims to accomplish.

Lastly, his deal with Chi Dan, where he needs to persuade the Esoteric Priest Cannibal Buddha to reopen trade routes to the Chamber of Commerce.

He thought about how he consistently caused trouble for the Cannibal Buddha whenever he visited and felt a bit guilty; pondering his modest greeting gifts left him scratching his head, even feeling embarrassed.

Initially, the corpse of the Great Protector, a Half-step Nether Realm entity, seemed passable, yet he ended up giving it to his best friend for urgent use, leaving him with little presentable gifts.

Although the Esoteric Priest holds high status and likely dismisses his meager offerings, Yang Xiao must show understanding.

Hardening his resolve, Yang Xiao decided to present all the Magic Artifacts from the Great Protector, including that Space-type Magical Artifact, Blood Soil, finally giving his gifts the necessary weight.

Having taken so much benefit from Cannibal Buddha, some return is justified.

Should the Esoteric Priest ask, Yang Xiao would even be willing to let his own son Yang Jing stay and play with Sutana for a while before returning home.

One brings up a child a thousand days for a moment’s need; his gratitude to Yang Jing might never be repaid in his lifetime.

As time ticked away, Yang Xiao was resting on his bed with closed eyes when he suddenly heard footsteps outside the door followed by a gentle knock.

Yang Xiao took out his phone to check the time—it was already past one in the morning, and their agreed time to cross the river was two o’clock.