Chapter 373: Are You Threatening Me?

"Lian Ye, don't be impulsive!"

Yuanfei Rizhan saw Lian Ye suddenly stand up and was instantly startled.

He couldn't help recalling that scene from a few years ago at the Lord of Lightning Country's Daimyo's Residence.

His whole body felt like sitting on a bed of needles, and his complexion turned ghastly.

"Ri Zhan, I'm terrifyingly calm right now!"

Lian Ye turned his head, and his black eyes gradually turned blood‑red.

"Lian…"

Ri Zhan was about to speak again when he saw Lian Ye stride straight up to the Daimyo.

He felt as if the sky itself had collapsed.

What kind of joke is this!

Lian Ye this guy simply treated his earlier words as if they were wind in his ears.

"Tuan Cang…"

Ri Zhan looked to Tuan Cang for help, only to find that Tuan Cang's anger had already been replaced by schadenfreude.

"You!"

Ri Zhan pointed at Tuan Cang in fury, too angry to speak.

Tuan Cang dared to indulge Lian Ye; Konoha Village will be doomed sooner or later!

"Ri Zhan, just sit and watch," Tuan Cang said leisurely as he sat back down.

Since Lian Ye chose to act, the ensuing matters no longer concerned him.

Sure enough, bringing Lian Ye out was the wisest decision!

"Ninja from Konoha, may I ask if you have business?"

The Daimyo furrowed his brows at the ninja who had suddenly appeared before him, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.

Konoha's ninja were increasingly disregarding the Daimyo.

He felt the Daimyo's authority was being seriously challenged!

It seems he'll have to set aside time to suppress Konoha Village properly.

Lest such disrespect toward the Daimyo occurs again.

"Daimyo, I think ten million is insufficient," Lian Ye mimicked the Daimyo's manner, slowly extending a finger, "I think ten billion would be better!"

"Bastard, are you threatening me?"

The Daimyo angrily slapped the armrest of his seat, his fury unmistakable.

Since becoming Daimyo, he had never been threatened by anyone!

Not even Qianshou Feijian from back then dared to speak to him like that!

"Lian Ye!" Yuanfei Rizhan was frantic.

He tried to stand and pull Lian Ye back, fearing the consequences of angering the Daimyo.

Just as he was about to rise, Zhi Cun Tuan Zang pressed him down.

"Ri Zhan, leave it to Lian Ye to handle."

"But…"

"Fine, I won't say it a second time!" Tuan Cang's tone hardened: "Remember, I am the Hokage!"

Though Ri Zhan was inwardly dissatisfied, he could only sit honestly on the chair, anxiously looking toward where the Daimyo sat.

Crazy, truly crazy!

Tuan Cang actually dared to let Lian Ye extort the Daimyo; wasn't he afraid the Daimyo would strike back at the village?

One must know Konoha Village relies on the Daimyo's financial support!

He looked at the unruffled Tuan Cang, a flash of desperation in his eyes.

Does Konoha Village still have any sane people?

"Threat?" Lian Ye smiled, "I'm merely representing the village to discuss with you; please don't phrase it so harshly, Daimyo."

"Discuss?" the Daimyo sneered, "Sorry, I have no intention of negotiating decisions I've already made; you may leave!"

Opening his mouth to say ten billion—what else but a lion's big mouth?

"As for the ten‑million allocation, I'll dispatch someone to bring it to you immediately."

This obstinate ninja dared to speak to me in such a tone, and the Third Hokage even pretended not to see it!

It seems the next round of funding will have to be reduced further.

"Since the Daimyo refuses to negotiate, I'll try a different approach."

"Kata—"

Lian Ye said as he gave the hilt a light tug, revealing an inch of snow‑white blade.

The dazzling white light shone into his eyes, blindingly bright.

The Daimyo subconsciously squinted, his voice growing even colder.

"Are you threatening me?"

He didn't think the barbaric ninja before him would dare lay a hand on him!

For millennia, it's not that no ninja has ever acted against a Daimyo. It's just that such behavior would be despised by ninjas across the Ninja World!

The Daimyo's death would leave ninjas without missions for a short period, and the offending ninja's clan would likely face extermination.

Killing the chicken to get the egg is unacceptable.

Over time, the ninjas reached a consensus.

—One must not strike at one's employer, let alone the Daimyo.

Thus the Daimyos grew ever more brazen, paying no heed to ninja.

In recent years, only the incident from a few years ago when the Lord of Lightning Country was threatened by the Second Hokage has occurred.

Back then the Fire Country Daimyo reveled in it for a long while, and even now the Lord of Lightning Country has no face to appear at their gatherings.

He didn't expect it would fall on him so quickly.

Thinking that, the Fire Country Daimyo fixed a dark gaze on Lian Ye.

Damn guy!

"Threat? I guess so," Lian Ye suddenly laughed.

For some reason, seeing the ninja before him smile, the Fire Country Daimyo felt an inexplicable bad omen.

This guy can't really intend to strike me, can he?

But soon, he dismissed that absurd thought.

He almost got fooled by that guy.

How could a mere barbaric ninja dare to act against a Daimyo?

"Enough, aren't you just after money? I'll give you a bit more…"

The Daimyo waved his hand, ready to add some money to send the person away, staying here to watch the commotion.

"How about this, I'll add another ten million taels for you, okay?"

His impatient expression and gestures were like shooing away a beggar.

"Take it while it's good, and I hope you don't fail to appreciate it!"

The Daimyo's gaze passed over Lian Ye and landed on Tuan Cang.

"You agree, Hokage."

He thought Lian Ye's boldness came entirely from the Hokage's orders.

Otherwise, how could an ordinary ninja openly threaten a Daimyo?

One can only say Konoha raised a pack of good dogs!

"Hehe, the Daimyo is right," Tuan Cang merely smiled, not even using a respectful title for the Daimyo.

The moment Lian Ye stepped forward, the Daimyo was already not far from death.

The fiercer the current cries, the more tragically he'll die later.

"Tuan Cang, let's take what we can while it's good, we mustn't truly offend the Daimyo!" Ri Zhan whispered into Tuan Cang's ear.

In his view, getting an extra ten million taels was decent.

Konoha Village still relies on the Daimyo; they absolutely cannot offend him to death.

Otherwise Konoha Village would truly be doomed!

Tuan Cang outright ignored Ri Zhan's words.

Ri Zhan always likes to turn his elbows outward; those who don't know would think he's loyal to the Daimyo.

He can't endure it now; won't he be scared to death later?

The Daimyo naturally saw Tuan Cang and Ri Zhan whispering, which strengthened his inner suspicion.

The Hokage merely wanted to obtain more assets from him.

And the reckless youngster standing before him wouldn't even dare to lay a hand on him.

Having figured it out, the Daimyo's face regained its previous arrogance.

"Young man, put the knife away; I'm not someone who's been scared into growth."

Lian Ye stared at the Daimyo with a strange expression.

Has this fool still not figured out the situation?

"Was your brain ever pinched by a door when you were a child?"

Daimyo: "???"