Chapter 1582: Negotiator

Long Chen calmly sat in front of the Xuantian Dao Sect’s main building, and a dozen experts wearing Pill Valley’s robes were walking over from in front. They swaggered as if they were law officials investigating a criminal.

These experts were all Life Star experts. However, Life Star experts weren’t much in front of Long Chen anymore.

Behind Long Chen was Guo Ran, Gu Yang, and the others. They indifferently stared at these people. They had come to watch the fun.

Originally, Long Chen had invited Meng Qi, Chu Yao, and Tang Wan-er to come, but the three of them hadn’t wanted to. Conveniently, they took a vacation, deciding to go together to the Skywood Divine Palace. Chu Yao needed to go see her master and report what happened, and she also had to give her the divine life elixir to restore her youth.

Long Chen thought about it and figured that the three of them should be safe. The entire Eastern Xuan Region was weakened due to what had happened, and most importantly, Chu Yao had a terrifying protector in the form of Liu Ruyan. Even Life Star experts with divine items wouldn’t be able to stop them.

Long Chen felt very guilty toward them. As long as their safety was guaranteed, he would never stop them from doing what they wanted. If he didn’t have so many things to do here, he would also want to go over and thank the Skywood Divine Palace for nurturing Chu Yao.

Since Meng Qi, Chu Yao, and Tang Wan-er hadn’t wanted to come, Guo Ran ended up being interested. Without them present, it meant that the others could act completely unrestrained, using any vulgar or profane language that they wanted to.

“Long Chen, hello. I am-” began the leader of this group of Pill Valley experts.

“A hypocrite,” sneered Long Chen, finishing his introduction.

That expert’s face twitched, but he swallowed his anger. The higher-ups had already told him that he was only to negotiate with Long Chen.

“The Xuantian Dao Sect’s method of greeting its guests is really unique!” praised the leader. It seemed he was an expert at negotiating, and he smiled lightly instead of getting angry.

“First of all, you aren’t our guest. What guest would be so stupid as to run to the host’s house and destroy it, then come back with a smile and act like nothing had happened? And you say you aren’t a hypocrite?” asked Long Chen. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the table.

“It seems your Xuantian Dao Sect has no intention of reconciling?” asked the leader coldly.

“Reconciling? Are you an idiot? Do you think words can make up for Pill Valley killing so many people of my Xuantian Dao Sect?” sneered Long Chen. “Don’t act like you’re the magnanimous person wanting to reconcile. Or are you telling me that you don’t even know what your side has done? The images of Pill Valley attacking the Xuantian Dao Sect have filled the streets. Everyone on the Martial Heaven Continent knows of it. With such irrefutable evidence, you’re not able to control the public opinion any longer. That’s the only reason you’ve come today. Since you’ve come, you’ve admitted to your mistakes. So hurry up and get to the point. How much money are you going to compensate us with?”

With Zheng Wenlong’s help, there was a copy of that photographic jade in practically everyone’s hands. Even in a random ditch beside a street, it was possible to pick up a copy.

This news had shaken the entire Martial Heaven Continent. At the same time, Qu Jianying had come out and pointed her sword at Pill Valley. The Righteous path was no longer under Pill Valley’s control, and the sects that were dissatisfied with Pill Valley all began to loudly criticize them.

They claimed to be neutral but had secretly colluded with so many different powers, even using divine items to attack an ancient sect of the Righteous path. That was a grave sin.

Although Pill Valley had sent out news that they had killed the main conspirators, including the Flame Divine Palace’s master and vice palace masters, the damage was already done. That might have shut some people’s mouths, but things weren’t over. In the end, the real victim was the Xuantian Dao Sect. The Xuantian Dao Sect’s attitude was what mattered.

If Pill Valley was unable to settle this matter, then Pill Valley could give up their thoughts of continuing to do business with the Righteous path. The current Huayun Sect was already focusing on their alchemy business. They were providing a huge amount of medicinal pills each year.

Recently, the Huayun Sect’s medicinal pills had grown especially abundant. There were as many available as people wanted. Their sales might even be greater than Pill Valley in that regard.

In truth, that was because those medicinal pills had been the pills Long Chen had snatched from Pill Valley and given to the Huayun Sect. The Huayun Sect wouldn’t need to worry about running out of medicinal pills for at least a few years.

This was a fatal blow to Pill Valley. They had to placate the Xuantian Dao Sect in order to placate the Righteous path.

Pill Valley might not be afraid of the Xuantian Dao Sect, but they couldn’t be as indifferent when it came to the Huayun Sect. The Huayun Sect’s business domain was now reaching into their bowl. If this continued, even their bowl would be snatched.

Long Chen knew all of this, which was why he didn’t waste time with pleasantries. All he wanted to know was how much they were offering.

“Pill Valley sympathizes with the unfortunate event that occurred to the Xuantian Dao Sect. For such degenerates to appear within Pill Valley makes us very ashamed-”

“Don’t play this game with me. Just tell me how much money you have for compensation.” Long Chen waved his hand. Such childish and meaningless words were irritating.

The elder’s expression grew unnatural. Long Chen was even more difficult to deal with than he had expected. Long Chen didn’t give the elder any chance to test his bottom line.

Negotiation required testing the other side’s minimum and then haggling based on both side’s limits.

However, Long Chen simply repeatedly asked how much money he was offering. There was no way for him to reply to that. Starting too low would be offensive, while starting too high was not beneficial to the haggling.

“Can I know if you have any suggestions?” asked the elder. He didn’t want to start things off by saying his bottom line.

“Me? It’s simple. For the damage done to the Xuantian Dao Sect, including its buildings, mountains, treasures, etc., pay us back one hundred times the cost,” said Long Chen indifferently.

“A hundred times? That’s impossible!” roared the elder.

“Is a hundred times a lot? What a joke. This is already a nice offer. Who asked you to be so despicable as to sneak attack the Xuantian Dao Sect?” demanded Long Chen.

“I’ve already said, it was done by some traitors. We’ve already-”

“Then were those people not from your Pill Valley?”

“Well-”

“Exactly. Killing them was just cleaning up your sect. It was your own internal matter. However, their actions represent Pill Valley, and Pill Valley has to pay back the debts. That’s simply a principle,” said Long Chen disdainfully.

“A hundred times is too much. At most, I can offer… ten times.”

“A hundred times.”

“Fifteen times.”

“A hundred times.”

“Damnit, twenty times should be enough, right?!” raged the elder.

“A hundred times.”

“You… you aren’t negotiating at all! You have to lower your price!” roared the elder. He had never encountered such a person in his life.

“I just like the number one hundred. I’m no good at negotiating, but I do like hacking people with my saber. In any case, one hundred times is one hundred times,” said Long Chen.

“Then what about when you destroyed the Eastern Xuan Region’s Pill Tower? How are you planning on compensating for that damage?!” raged the elder.

“That’s simply karma. It was your side that planted the seeds for that. If you want to go find someone to blame, find those old ghosts that you killed. Perhaps those old ghosts, which should have died, are still alive?” Long Chen smiled sinisterly.

Although Pill Valley had publicly shown the images of those experts dying, including the Flame Divine Palace’s master, Long Chen knew that he hadn’t really died. That person was definitely just a scapegoat.

The elder raged, “What are you talking about? Even the valley master was enraged by what happened and gave all those traitors the death penalty!”

“Hahaha, I won’t argue with you over this. In any case, it’s still one hundred times. If you don’t like it, then scram.” Long Chen flapped his hand at them.

“Fifty times is the most I can give you. It can’t go any higher!” The elder clenched his teeth.

“Alright, have a safe trip.”

Long Chen directly stood and turned to leave.

“Hey, don’t go! We’re still talking!”

The elder became dumbfounded. Li Tianxuan had left everything about the Xuantian Dao Sect to Long Chen. If Long Chen left, these negotiations would fall apart.

“I don’t like haggling. One hundred times. Take it or leave it,” said Long Chen.

“Let me discuss this with everyone.”

The elder hesitated and clenched his teeth, bringing his people into a corner. They argued for a long time over this compensation. It seemed the high price had caused conflict amongst them.

However, in the end, they calmed down and ran back. “One hundred times is truly too high, but through our efforts-”

“Stop wasting words. Do you accept or not? If you do, then we can start discussing the details,” interrupted Long Chen.

“Alright. I’ve recorded everything here with a photographic jade, and neither side can back out. Otherwise, if the photographic jades were spread, they would end up becoming a despicable petty person,” laughed the elder. Now he looked to be a wily old fox.

Clearly, one hundred times had not surpassed his limit. In fact, it seemed it was much lower than he had expected. All his fury had been an act.

“You old bastard!” raged Guo Ran. They had actually been schemed against.

Long Chen held Guo Ran back and indifferently said, “I’ve also activated a photographic jade. Don’t worry, both our words have to count. Here, these are the details of the damage to the Xuantian Dao Sect. It includes our one hundred and eight main mountains, over nine thousand buildings, thirty thousand pieces of equipment…”

Long Chen rattled off a list, while the elder recorded everything. In the end, the elder said, “According to that, the damages cost around three hundred and fifty thousand spirit crystals. A hundred times that would be thirty-five million spirit crystals. I will send them over within three days.”

Spirit stones were the normal currency in the cultivation world. They went from low grade, middle grade, high grade, and top grade. As for spirit crystals, they were even above top grade spirit stones. Thirty-five million of them was an absolutely terrifying sum. However, to Pill Valley, it wasn’t much. The elder smiled with satisfaction.

“Alright, excellent. Then the calculations for the damage are complete. Now let’s calculate the price for the lives of the disciples and commoners from the Xuantian Dao Sect that you killed!” Long Chen also had a smile. However, his smile looked even more sinister.

The elder’s face immediately turned green. Please go to https://www.novelupdates.cc/Nine-Star-Hegemon-Body-Art/ to read the latest chapters for free