Chapter 4971

“Sit down…”

After entering the room, Xie Zhong gestured for Kai to take a seat.

Moments later, someone brought tea—and the one who served it was none other than Li Tianbao, the shopkeeper of Tianbao Pavilion in Rhino City.

Now, Li Tianbao had shed his former identity and was revealed to be a key figure in Flying Tiger City.

“I didn’t expect Lord Niu would send you,” Li Tianbao said in mild surprise upon seeing Kai.

“It doesn’t really matter who he sent, does it?” Kai replied with a hint of double meaning.

Hearing this, Li Tianbao smiled faintly. “True. If Lord Niu himself came, I wouldn’t know how to face him.”

“Everyone serves their own master—there’s no blame in that. If someone else had captured Niu Ben, he might’ve suffered more. At least with you, he won’t,” Kai said calmly.

Li Tianbao’s expression shifted slightly at those words, and without saying more, he turned and left.

“Niu Ben has always treated me well—you don’t need to worry about him. What I want is resources and territory. His life doesn’t interest me,” Xie Zhong said after Li Tianbao exited.

“Then tell me your terms,” Kai replied.

“The treasure land belongs to Flying Tiger City,” Xie Zhong stated firmly.

“No problem,” Kai nodded without hesitation.

That land had become a dead zone, void of any treasure. Naturally, Kai had no reason to object.

Xie Zhong looked momentarily puzzled by how easily he agreed.

“City Lord Xie, there’s no need to wonder why I agreed so quickly.”

“The treasure land isn’t accessible yet—it still needs time to open. Right now, it’s just barren land, meaningless to Lord Niu,” Kai explained.

Xie Zhong nodded thoughtfully. “That’s true. But I want more than just the treasure land. I also want one million immortal coins, plus a hundred years’ worth of resources from the three southern regions of Rhino City.”

“Agreed…” Kai said with a nod.
Xie Zhong was momentarily stunned. “Can you really make that decision?”

“Of course. When Lord Niu sent me, he gave me full authority to handle everything and agree to all terms,” Kai replied.

“Do you even understand how much one million immortal coins and a century’s worth of resources from the three southern regions of the city amount to?” Xie Zhong asked, visibly skeptical.

“I don’t know the exact amount,” Kai said calmly, “but I do know this—if immortal coins are lost, they can be earned again. If resources are lost, they can be replenished. But if my son’s life is lost, it’s gone for good.”

Xie Zhong stared at Kai, puzzled. He had expected a tough negotiation and had already calculated his bottom line.

Isn’t bargaining supposed to be a process of give-and-take?

Yet Kai agreed so easily, which left Xie Zhong feeling unbalanced, as if Kai wasn’t playing by the usual rules.

“Can you really make the decision?” Xie Zhong asked again, still in doubt.

“Absolutely. But if I’m agreeing to your terms, then you must also let me see Niu Ben. Otherwise, what’s the point of everything we’ve discussed?”

“Fair enough,” Xie Zhong nodded, then clapped his hands lightly.

Li Tianbao, who had stepped out earlier, reentered the room with Niu Ben.

Niu Ben looked pale and shaken. Clearly, he’d been through a rough time. When he saw Kai, his eyes filled with confusion.

“Niu Ben, don’t be afraid. I’m here to take you home,” Kai said gently, stepping forward and patting him on the shoulder.

As his hand made contact, a wave of energy quietly surged into Niu Ben’s body.

“Brother Chen, did my father send you?” Niu Ben asked.

“Yes, and you’ll be home very soon,” Kai nodded reassuringly.

A smile finally appeared on Niu Ben’s face. He visibly relaxed.

At that moment, Xie Zhong waved his hand, motioning for Li Tianbao to escort Niu Ben out. Then he turned back to Kai and asked, “You’ve seen the boy—now, where are the resources and immortal coins I requested?”