Chapter 833

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

After Shen Yao returned, Lu Yan told Shen Yao a piece of not-so-good news: the Sima Clan had come to the Lu Mansion to demand someone.

Ah?

The Sima Clan came to the Lu Mansion to demand someone at this time? Shen Yao looked Lu Yan up and down a few times; the person was still here, which meant the Sima Clan hadn't taken her away yet.

Shen Yao didn't believe this was Lu Jin's benevolent fatherly heart, guilt making him refuse to hand Lu Yan over.

It was more likely that the chips the Sima Clan offered couldn't satisfy the Lu Family, and Lu Jin still had other options, so he stalled the Sima Clan first.

"My so-called cheap father calculates everything clearly in his heart; it's just a pity the Sima Clan doesn't buy it, and right now he's in a bit of a bind," Lu Yan reached out and patted Shen Yao's head, showing not a trace of shock, anger, or sadness at being sold off, as if she were talking about someone else's business, "The Sima Clan has already left; Lu Jin is still in the study discussing with others."

Lower her head herself? Both face and dignity would be gone; refuse to lower her head and tough it out? What if the Sima Clan really won, and the Lu Family missed the chance to hug a thigh and pledge loyalty? How would they handle the reckoning later? They couldn't possibly count on this bunch of good-for-nothings from the Lu Family to fight several at once and win directly, right?

Shen Yao: ……

That really is... very lifelike!

"If I had to guess, the Lu Family will still compromise in the end, because the Xuan Yuan Clan won't be like the Sima Clan; the Lu Family has no other choice."

Not everyone likes picking up junk; the Sima Clan hasn't been in the Central State for many years, which is why they need some great clans — whether the purpose is to scout the way or stabilize the situation, it's all an opportunity for these great clans.

The Lu Family can't see that much, but they know rushed business isn't good business.

The Xuan Yuan Clan and the Sima Clan, this pair of sworn enemies continuing from years past, are heading for a fight to the death; almost all great clans will place their bets separately, extremely few — if any — would dare bet on both perishing together.

Sigh

Be a little bolder; you're already doing fatal things, why shrink back now?

"Right now it's not that we want to retreat; it's how to make the Sima Clan increase their compensation to our Lu Family without losing face."

Lu Jin still hasn't given up on securing benefits for the Lu Family; some words, once spoken, represent a person's true thoughts. Lu Jin originally sold Lu Yan for the Lu Family's sake; now, although the Sima Clan hasn't given up on Lu Yan, the price they offered is really too low, and Lu Jin is displeased.

"Family Head, this... the Sima Clan bites down and won't let go; our Lu Family has no way to deal with them."

Several old men with bitter gourd faces stood before Lu Jin without hiding anything, thinking: where is this a seller's market? It's clearly a buyer's market.

The Sima Clan has quite a few similar targets in hand; Lu Yan isn't the most special one.

To tell the truth, the people the Sima Clan sent to negotiate do have some issues, but some of what they say isn't wrong either — who knows if Lu Yan can be used once taken back? How could the Sima Clan possibly put out too many resources to exchange?

Moreover, although the Sima Clan hasn't been in the Central State for many years, there are still traitors who defected to the Sima Clan inside the Floating City; they understand everything about the Floating City, and know about the discord between Lu Yan and the Lu Family.

Selling Lu Yan to the Sima Clan is a no-cost deal for the Lu Family either way, so how much they exchange for doesn't matter; could it be that without the Sima Clan, the Lu Family would keep Lu Yan? Put yourself in their shoes — the Sima Clan hasn't done this kind of thing just once; the Lu Family might well be even more worried than them about Lu Yan staying alive.

Lu Jin: ……

It's precisely because there's no way out that he summoned these people, and the result is they tell him to just slide to his knees and surrender; tsk, he really should let those who look down on their own birth father take a good look — don't like him as Family Head? Is there anyone in the Lu Family with more ambition than him?

While trampling on them in his heart, Lu Jin didn't forget to paste a few more exaggerated praises on his own face; frowning, he glared at the old men who dared speak nonsense, waved his hand, and said, "The Sima Clan won't come only this once; the exchange conditions concern our interests; all of you go back and think carefully — how to act so we can preserve our benefits."

The Lu Family's confidence is insufficient; no matter how blindly confident Lu Jin is, he knows they can't compare to the Sima Clan, this colossal giant.

Some words are fine to say out loud, but in his heart he definitely can't truly think that way.

The brief meeting in the study quickly dispersed, while Lu Yan and Shen Yao on the other side couldn't care less.

After all, Lu Yan is destined to be sold, and Shen Yao, as the one who accompanied Lu Yan back, shares the same fate; the things they do outside are a direction for what comes next, uncertain whether they'll be of use.

'Why?'

'Of course because we're unimportant; the Sima Clan has to fight a battle with the Xuan Yuan Clan before they have the mood to pass the buck; once they lose, the Xuan Yuan Clan won't let the Sima Clan live either, so what reputation is there to worry about?'

When a person dies, all matters cease; originally the reputations of both the Sima Clan and the Xuan Yuan Clan were bad, the shame of colluding with evil demons would follow them forever — it's just that Jin Jue City was destroyed, the people inside couldn't get out, so no matter how many rumors there were, they lacked crucial evidence.

It's also that great clans care about face, thinking reputation must be salvaged somewhat; otherwise they'd be like dead pigs not fearing boiling water — what could others do to them?

They wouldn't really expect cowardly great clans to bring these two families down, would they? That idea is even less reliable than evil demons appearing again.

System: ……

Although... the Host's idea wasn't to make the Sima Clan and the Xuan Yuan Clan perish together?

'That's what I thought, and that's what I did, but whether it works in the end...' Shen Yao spread her palms helplessly, '... requires a certain amount of luck.'

For instance, who will execute it, and how to persuade cowardly great clans to cooperate.

'There's no clue yet; take it one step at a time,' first let's see where the bottom line of both sides' actions lies this time; often the unexpected achieves the goal.

…………

The Sima Clan failed to take Lu Yan away the first time; after several days passed like this, the Sima Clan came knocking again, this time offering conditions slightly worse than before, and Lu Jin firmly refused again.

However, because of Lu Jin's refusal, discordant discussions had already appeared within the Lu Family; some people thought Lu Jin doing this was purely asking for trouble, turning a reasonable position into an unreasonable one — where would the Sima Clan be subject to their control?

Lu Jin: ……

So his impartiality and selflessness was a mistake instead? He should just let the Sima Clan give whatever they want, and nod in agreement to everything regardless?

"That's right, Family Head; our Lu Family is but a grain in the vast ocean; how can we compare to the Sima Clan? Contending with them just makes things harder for the Lu Family."

"Exactly exactly; the Family Head's refusal is well-intentioned, but the Lu Family can't hold on."

"Better send Lu Yan away early; otherwise keeping her back and forth turns her into an enemy, and in the end it's still the Lu Family that loses more than it gains."

"……"

Several old men, one sentence each, urged Lu Jin to quickly sell off Lu Yan; even if the benefits exchanged back were few, as long as she could leave it was fine — why pick and choose with the Sima Clan? Aren't they afraid the Sima Clan might suddenly change their mind and not want her, leaving them holding Lu Yan, not to mention having to guard against Lu Yan retaliating?

"Hmph! Count your Lu Family as sensible."

The Sima Clan's people held their necks high, their gazes toward the Lu Family crowd carrying undisguised contempt.

Lu Family crowd: ……

No choice; circumstances are stronger than people; their Lu Family just isn't a match for the Sima Clan; no matter how much the other side humiliates them, they can only endure.

Even the Lu Family crowd didn't feel the Sima Clan doing this was wrong; after all, the Sima Clan has always been arrogant, the previous Xuan Yuan Clan was the same way; swapped for the current Sima Clan, the Lu Family is used to it.

Lu Yan:...

Lu Yan raised a hand to rub his forehead, ignoring his cheap younger sister who was still provoking him at one side; he felt his decision to return to the Floating City wasn't quite correct—the Lu Family was clearly on the path to ruin, and whether he returned or not would only accelerate the Lu Family's destruction, so why bother getting involved in these rotten affairs?

Shen Yao could well understand Lu Yan's pain, because the Lu Family's ruin could not prove Lu Yan's wisdom; it could only show that Lu Yan's mother had terrible judgment in choosing people, actually picking the most unreliable Lu Jin.

"You two, get in the carriage, don't speak."

The Sima Clan's attitude toward Lu Yan and Shen Yao was actually fine, after all they looked down on the Lu Family for selling Lu Yan, even if it was for the clan, it was too cold-blooded.

Lu Yan and Shen Yao got into the carriage with expressionless faces; there were no windows inside the carriage, so they couldn't see what was outside. Shen Yao only knew the carriage had shaken along the way for a long time, and when it stopped again, they were no longer inside the Floating City.

Was this taking them outside the city? Could this be the Sima Clan's base camp?

"Host, the Sima Clan's people are not here," those living here were all the "sincerity" sent by the great families; they had people and things, lacking nothing.

The system had opened its eyes; was it really no problem for the Sima Clan to just dump everyone here?

Weren't they worried the people inside would run out? Or that things inside would be lost, affecting the Sima Clan's subsequent plans—this concerned the Sima Clan's reputation.

Shen Yao:...

"Are the things from these few years really that important? It's just a bright and beautiful shell wrapping a plastic interior; without this there's that. The Sima Clan sending us here shows they don't care much; otherwise why would they arrange it here?"

Shen Yao and Lu Yan got out of the carriage; someone was leading the way ahead. While speaking with the system, Shen Yao also surveyed the environment of the place they were about to stay.

Hmm.

It was somewhat like the Deep Mountains and Old Forests; presumably the surroundings were also rarely visited by people.

The Sima Clan had indeed considered the possibility of people or things inside being lost, but compared to these things, the Sima Clan cared more about the upcoming confrontation with the Xuan Yuan Clan—that was the Sima Clan's top priority, and everything else had to take a back seat.

"Rest assured, we can't run out anyway; even if we ran out, where could we go?"

The Floating City was unstable, Zhongzhou might not be safe; here was the core of Zhongzhou, and the great families here were the source of other forces in Zhongzhou.

In short, the drawbacks of the Jiuzhou Continent were too great; some things couldn't be explained in just a few words, but what Shen Yao could be sure of was that living here might turn misfortune into fortune.

System:... Huh?

What do you mean?

"The literal meaning: the Sima Clan needs us to help whitewash them, and the Xuan Yuan Clan will need the same."

"No matter which of these two families wins in the end, we here will be very safe."

Even if both families perished together, by then no one would manage them, and they could still escape calamity.

System:... Wow~

While Host and System were speaking, they had already arrived at the place they were to stay.

It was still a small courtyard that wasn't large but was quiet and secluded; inside there were servants responsible for taking care of them. They could move freely within the small courtyard, but could not leave it.

"It's more dangerous outside. Although our Sima Clan cannot be called open and aboveboard, we won't resort to petty tricks."

"Transactions are conducted normally. If the two of you have any dissatisfaction, you need not seek out our Sima Clan."

After the words landed, the Sima clansman leading the way turned around and left in a hurry.

This person had other matters to handle and simply had no time to waste here.

Shen Yao looked up and exchanged a glance with Lu Yan. "So from now on we act as we see fit?"

Acting as we see fit—as long as we aren't caught, we can walk around freely.

Previously at the Lu Family, they had moved about freely for a period of time, and Lu Yan had used this to handle many things. Unfortunately, the Lu Family's tracking methods were poor; they simply didn't know what Lu Yan had actually done.

Now that they had come to the Sima Clan's territory, when the Sima Clan's energy wasn't on them, they were most likely to do things under the lamp.

Lu Yan smiled and nodded. "There isn't much time. If we can persuade even one, we have a bit of a chance."

To this day, Lu Yan's grand goal hadn't changed; the Lu Family was merely a trouble he resolved along the way.

The two first returned to the small courtyard to rest, and under the servants' care they had a meal. Once they had recovered somewhat, they simply found an opportunity to directly disappear.

Lu Yan went to carry out his plan that he hadn't been able to complete; Shen Yao went to contact those great families who were neither high nor low, especially those at the bottom class and ambitious people from other states planning to profit from the situation.

Neither of them was idle, and after coming here, their actions became even more convenient.

After all, the Sima Clan really didn't have many people available; at least they couldn't compare to the Lu Family's surveillance.

Shen Yao basically ate and drank during the day, and went out in the dark at night.

The families she approached were also very panicked, but knowing they could turn things around, this panic was taken by them as excitement. After all, who wouldn't want to be the Eldest Brother?

Being able to eat fragrant food and drink spicy food—who would like to be a cramped little follower?

"... Now it's just like this. The opportunity is rare; there's only one chance."

"This... Immortal Maiden, do you have a guarantee?"

"The matter isn't accomplished yet. If I guarantee it, would you believe me? It's just a matter of how you do it."

"..."

After leaving a high-gate great estate, Shen Yao quickly left the surrounding environment, then slowly merged into the night.

"Host, these people are really greedy; they want everything."

At first they only said a little bit of news; later they said the news wasn't enough; finally they wanted even more news. Truly, the greedy persona doesn't fall.

"People will gradually change. When they find their win rate getting higher and higher, they will become more and more fearful, because this means success is very close to them; correspondingly, failure will become unacceptable."

The Floating City under the night was like a monster with a giant abyss mouth open wide, crouching and crawling on the ground waiting for its prey to be delivered to its door.

Shen Yao walked and looked along the way. When she successfully left the Floating City and turned to look at the city behind her, a surge of heroic pride suddenly rose in her heart.

Indeed, turning hands to clouds and covering hands to rain was more joyful. Even if she could only hide behind the scenes, being able to control the life and death of millions—this taste would make people increasingly addicted.