Chapter 57: Not Supporting Is the Greatest Support

Ten or so?

The Old Demon thought about it and found it reasonable; he had experienced the quality of the Bǎi Duàn Dāo, and if it were truly easy to forge,

wouldn't everyone in the martial world already have one of these divine weapons?

"How about this, brother—lend me ten of them? I won't take advantage of you; ten thousand taels per blade, how's that?"

On one hand, the Old Demon wasn't short of money.

On the other hand, in this era of cold weapons, a high-quality divine weapon was a life-saving tool—no matter how much it cost, it was worth every taels.

Not long ago, someone forged a divine sword that could slice through iron like mud, and it was bought outright for twenty thousand taels.

"What kind of talk is that, Brother? Since you've asked, I'll just give them to you as a gift."

"You're talking about money? Are you looking down on your brother?"

With a drunken expression on his face, Ye Tian spoke with obvious displeasure.

He waved his hand toward Iron Fist behind him.

"Go back right now and bring me the blades so I can take a look."

"Yes, Boss!"

Since it was Ye Tian's order, Iron Fist had no objection.

He nodded and left.

"No, no, no—this won't do; the money must still be paid."

"No way, no matter what you say, these are my gifts to you, Brother."

"If you say that, you're not giving your elder brother any face."

"..."

After prolonged back-and-forth, Ye Tian finally gave in with an air of "reluctance."

Seeing Ye Tian nod, the Old Demon smiled contentedly, not feeling for a moment that he had overpaid.

"Alright, since you trust me so much, I, as your elder brother, will tell you something in advance—so there won't be any misunderstandings later."

Seeing the Old Demon speak seriously, Ye Tian grew much calmer.

"Brother, just say it plainly."

"You want the position of Hall Master, right?"

"Naturally."

At a time like this, being evasive would only seem dishonest; martial world people, even when secretly calculating, all preferred to speak openly and plainly.

It was also because Ye Tian had always been straightforward and unpretentious.

That was why the Old Demon admired him so.

"To be honest, I can't help you with this—and not only won't I help, I'll even kick you when you're down."

After saying this, the Old Demon leaned back with a smile,

as if waiting to see how Ye Tian would react.

"..."

It was somewhat surprising; if this were someone more impulsive, the atmosphere would've turned icy by now.

Ye Tian wasn't a fool—if the Old Demon was blunt enough to say this outright, there had to be another reason, and Ye Tian quickly grasped it.

"You won't help me... because that's the greatest help you can give me, right?"

"Hahaha!"

Seeing Ye Tian see through it at once, the Old Demon burst into laughter.

"Clever—I like clever people like you."

The more calm Ye Tian was, the more the Old Demon liked him; sheer passion alone couldn't secure the Hall Master position, and even if it did, he'd be ousted quickly.

The Old Demon also wanted to know:

Did the Ye Tian before him truly have the merit to warrant his investment? Judging by what he'd seen so far, he was impressive in every way.

"Don't hide it from you, brother—if you came to me, you must already know who my sister is."

"Naturally."

Zhu Jie, one of the Eight Hall Masters of the Black Water Gang.

"What if I told you that Du Long was also trained by me personally? When he first entered the martial world, he was right by my side."

As he spoke, the Old Demon's expression grew nostalgic, as if recalling the turbulent days of old.

Du Long?

One of the Eight Hall Masters—Du Long?

This fact was known only to the Hall Masters and the Bāngzhǔ; Ye Tian had just learned of it.

No wonder!

His gaze turned clear.

If three Hall Masters joined forces, and the Old Demon now backed another Hall Master, half of the Black Water Gang's Hall Masters would belong to his faction.

A tall tree invites the wind.

At that point, even the Bāngzhǔ of the Black Water Gang would feel uneasy.

So no matter whom the Old Demon publicly supported for the Bāngzhǔ position, the Bāngzhǔ and the other Hall Masters would never agree; the greatest support he could give himself was to support his own rival.

"Thank you, Brother, for your honesty—I've learned much."

"Hahaha!"

The Old Demon clapped Ye Tian's shoulder without a hint of reservation.

"Some things, you'll naturally understand once you become Hall Master—the Black Water Gang isn't as simple as it seems!"

To become one of the three top gangs in Linshui City, one certainly isn't ordinary.

After chatting a bit longer.

When Tiequan delivered the ten Bai Duan Dao, Ye Tian left.

,,,

"Did you notice anything different about that man?"

While inspecting the quality of the ten blades, he asked Hua Gu beside him.

The slight drunkenness on his face from drinking with Ye Tian had vanished completely.

Different?

After thinking for a moment, Hua Gu said.

"His blade is excellent."

The sword at his waist had officially become a Bǎi Duàn Dāo; it was clear Hua Gu genuinely liked it.

"..."

Never mind, asking would be pointless.

"A dragon lies hidden in the depths—this young man is no ordinary fellow."

Seeing Ye Tian, Old Ghost saw his former self: fearless, yet sharp-minded. No, this one was even better than his younger self had been.

Having reached his current position, Old Ghost understood the importance of connections.

Such a young man—even if his ceiling was only Hall Master—was still worth cultivating ties with.

"Go fetch Zhu Jie and Du Long!"

"Yes, Boss."

Without a word, Hua Gu departed after receiving the order.

After inspecting the blades' quality, Old Ghost stored them away with great satisfaction, though a trace of regret lingered on his face.

"Next time I get the chance, see if I can forge a spear of this quality."

The blades were flawless.

But Old Ghost still longed for his own spear.

,,,

"Boss!"

After leaving Old Ghost's territory, Ye Tian's previously unsteady steps grew steady.

The drunkenness on his face vanished entirely.

In the martial world, one inevitably must play along.

On someone else's turf, anyone who truly got drunk was clearly foolish.

Back at his lodging, Mei Yongning rushed forward immediately.

"Send word to the forge—start production!"

Seeing her, Ye Tian smiled and waved his hand.

These words lit up Mei Yongning's eyes.

She immediately realized the deal was sealed.

"Understood!"

She hurried off. Ye Tian also smiled and waved to Tiequan and Guijiao, who had trailed him all day.

"You've followed me all day—go rest."

"Boss, we're not tired."

They hadn't fought all day—just walked.

"Stop arguing. We're back now—what danger could there be? Rest when I tell you to."

Loyalty doesn't make you a machine; bodies tire. Ye Tian wouldn't treat them like pack animals.

"This... yes, Boss!"

Seeing Ye Tian insisted, the two nodded and obeyed.

In the empty courtyard, Ye Tian looked up at the bright moon; the weather had turned cool, and nightfall had come earlier without notice.

"This era is amazing!"

,,,,,,