Chapter 173 - Exchange Treasure
Inside an audience hall of the Royal Palace of the Great Han Royal Dynasty...
Gu Hai, wearing black casual robes rather than his Imperial dragon robes, was receiving Li Shenji and his men, along with Shangguan Hen and Gu Qin.
"Mister Li, I deeply apologize for not welcoming you sooner, despite the fact that you came from so far away! I wonder, to what do I owe Mister Li the pleasure?" Gu Hai looked at Li Shenji with a smile on his lips.
Gu Hai sat down in the main position, with Gu Qin and Shangguan Hen sitting on his left, and Li Shenji sat on his right, with his own subordinates standing behind him.
Li Shenji was staring at Gu Hai, and Gu Hai also exercised vigilance against Li Shenji.
After all, Li Haoran may not have died at his own hand, but if Li Shenji went nuts, he still needed to be careful!
"Hahaha, Throne Master Gu, you sure have good means! With the emergence of the Royal Casino, the spirit stones of Thousand Islands Seas will continue to pour into the Great Han Royal Dynasty in a steady stream! You are going to empty out the Thousand Islands Seas' spirit stones!" The corner of Li Shenji's lips suddenly rose into a smile as he spoke.
In regards to Li Haoran's death, Li Shenji surprisingly didn't mention a single word.
"Oh? Mister Li, you are being too kind, the Royal Casino isn't really technically difficult, perhaps many copycats will appear in the future!" Gu Hai refuted, shaking his head.
"Copycats? Not necessarily;they might resemble in form, but they won't have its spirit! When all is said and done, your Royal Casino will still be the best one! As a matter of fact, through these scoundrel's hands, I have just sent two thousand high-grade spirit stones to your casino!" Li Shenji denied Gu Hai's opinion with a smile.
Hearing this, an unsightly look immediately came over the faces of Li Shenji's subordinates standing behind him. They lowered their heads, ashamed.
"Mister Li is overstating, my Royal Casino is doing business fair and square, we are just earning our crust, that's all. We can't compare with Mister Li!" Gu Hai smiled.
Hearing Gu Hai's statement, Li Shenji's smile grew stiff. Are you kidding me? That's a money swallowing beast, and you say are just earning your crust!?
Gu Hai, seeing that Li Shenji wasn't getting down to business even after such a long time, also didn't worry. He patiently accompanied Li Shenji.
After chatting for awhile, Li Shenji became a bit disinterested. He took a deep breath and finally got to the point. "Throne Master Gu, one month ago, His Holy Majesty issued a decree, ordering me to reorganize the Divine Battalion!"
"Oh!? Congratulations, Commander Li!" Gu Hai's eyebrow twitched ever so momentarily as he congratulated the other solemnly.
"The reason I came this time isn't for any other thing but my Divine Battalion's Token, which was taken by you!" Li Shenji furrowed his brow tightly as he said.
"Divine Battalion Token? At that time, I indeed found one on Li Haoran's corpse!" Gu Hai nodded his affirmation of Li Shenji's claim.
"You found it, excellent...!" Li Shenji said with a smile.
"But, when I was coming back, I accidentally lost it. If Commander Li wants it, you can still search for it on the way to the former Peony Clan! Perhaps you might still find it!" Gu Hai interjected.
Li Shenji's face immediately grew stiff. Do we still have things to talk about?
Li Shenji's subordinates immediately became furious.
However, Gu Hai, spreading his hands out, said as a smile appeared on his lips, "I am really sorry, I have made Commander Li's trip futile. Commander Li, as the Divine Battalion Commander of the Great Gan Empyrean Dynasty, and I, as the Throne Master of Ascendant Hall, we can be considered colleagues, only our departments are different. If Commander Li has some problems, the Ascendant Hall and the Divine Battalion should act as being of same breath and branches, and help each other out. This time, too, I would love to help you!"
"Gu Hai, you aren't giving us face...!" a subordinate behind Li Shenji suddenly flared up as he glared at Gu Hai.
"Presumptuous!" Li Shenji scolded him at once.
The faces of Li Shenji's subordinates changed immediately as they restrained themselves. Nevertheless, they were still glaring Gu Hai.
Gu Hai, on the other hand, after looking at everyone's glaring eyes, just smiled slightly. Earlier, he was exercising a bit of caution against Li Shenji. But from the man's earlier words, Gu Hai had already figured out that Li Shenji wouldn't suddenly turn hostile. He wouldn't have mentioned that he was once again the Divine Battalion Commander otherwise!
"Throne Master Gu, please excuse my subordinate's poor conduct, it seems I have not disciplined my subordinates well!" Li Shenji said with a hard smile.
"No harm! Your subordinates are just temperamental, it's understandable!" Gu Hai stated as a dismissive smile bloomed on his lips.
Looking at that neither warm nor cold appearance of Gu Hai, Li Shenji's subordinates felt anger gus.h.i.+ng into their hearts. Not too long ago, they had been scammed by Gu Hai's casino to the point that they lost everything, and then, they were beaten up as well! Now, they were scolded by Commander Li because of Gu Hai. Temperamental? f.u.c.k your temperamental!?
"Then, my Divine Battalion Token can't be found?" Li Shenji asked, staring at Gu Hai.
"Not necessarily, Commander Li can look for it, maybe it will be found very soon!" Gu Hai answered easily.
Li Shenji stared at Gu Hai for a while. Although they had been chatting for a short time, he discovered that Gu Hai was far more difficult to deal with than he had imagined.
When he did not mention Li Haoran's death, that was because Li Haoran's death involved the death of the Ascendant Hall Lord! Although Princess Xiaoyue was killed by that mastermind, it was through Li Haoran's hands. Therefore, this matter could only be left unsettled. Otherwise, it would certainly lead to troubles of epic proportion!
The Gu Hai before him was simply impenetrable and water-tight. Each and every single word was simply flawless, no leakage of any kind and degree. Just to meet him, he had even changed his clothes, forgoing his ident.i.ty as the ruler of Great Han, and used the ident.i.ty of the Ascendant Hall Water Throne Master to chat with him.
As the matter stood, Li Shenji was forced into having scruples about the Ascendant Hall.
"Hahaha, Thone Master Gu is right. However, my humble self came from far away, and this is Throne Master Gu's turf. Just a single command from Throne Master Gu could shake the world. Therefore, I would still need to bother Throne Master Gu. Just as Throne Master Gu said a moment ago, the Ascendant Hall and Divine Battalion are of same branch and breath, we need to help each other. Naturally, my humble self also agrees with you. Therefore, I would ask Throne Master Gu to help me this time!" Li Shenji said, smiling.
"Naturally, I will immediately send someone to find it!" Gu Hai nodded in agreement and very readily agreed.
The subordinates standing behind Li Shenji looked completely satisfied. Li Shenji, on the other hand, not so much. His expression had turned stiff. You are still going to fake it? Obviously, it's in your hands, and yet you still say that with such a n.o.ble and dignified bearing!
"Commander Li, I wonder if I can do anything else for you? If I can help you in any way, I will do my level best. So?" Gu Hai asked with a cordial smile.
"If so, in order to thank Throne Master Gu for helping me find the Divine Battalion Token, my humble self would like to thank Throne Master Gu with a treasure!" Li Shenji said, gritting his teeth.
"Oh!? Commander Li, you are being too polite!" Gu Hai stated.
Next, Li Shenji, with a flip of his hand, took out something with a golden sheen. It was the Golden Black Tortoise Armor that he had stolen from the northern seas.
Unfortunately, Gu Hai's exposure to the cultivation world was too short. He could not a.n.a.lyze how good anything was. Furthermore, he simply didn't believe Li Shenji would give him something good.
"Oh? What is this?" Gu Hai asked, curious.
"Commander, how can you give this Golden Black Tortoise Armor to him...?" Li Shenji's subordinates immediately cried out in shock.
After all, they knew how much effort it had taken Li Shenji to acquire this Golden Black Tortoise Armor, and he was giving it Gu Hai so easily!?
"Shut up!" Li Shenji coldly rebuked them, stopping his subordinates from speaking any more.
"Golden Black Tortoise Armor!?" Gu Hai's eyes flickered with a trace of confusion.
In contrast, the eyes of Shangguan Hen, sitting nearby, suddenly dilated sharply.
"Your Royal Majesty!" Shangguan Hen suddenly stood up and cried out.
"Hmm!?" Everyone looked to Shangguan Hen uncertainly.
"Commander Li is a guest from far away, your subject also has had nothing to do recently. If Your Royal Majesty allows me, your subject can take a few people and go look for the Divine Battalion Token!" Shangguan Hen proposed in a solemn manner.
"Oh!?" Gu Hai was taken aback. Then, he took a look at the Golden Black Tortoise Armor in Li Shenji's hands, for Gu Hai could see that Shangguan Hen wanted it.
"Well, Commander Li, if it's like this, then, I will definitely help Commander Li find it!" Gu Hai said earnestly as a smile bloomed on his face.
Li Shenji looked at Shangguan Hen, puzzled. Finally, he nodded.
The Divine Battalion Token was on Gu Hai, but it won't be good if Gu Hai took it out right now...
After another two days...
Gu Hai, with Shangguan Hen and Gu Qin, met again with Li Shenji, and took out the Divine Battalion Token.
"Throne Master Gu, thank you for all your troubles!" Li Shenji, taking the Divine Battalion Token, said. There was a cold smile on his lips.
"You're welcome! The Ascendant Hall and the Divine Battalion are of same branch and breath, we will have many opportunities to work together in the future!" Gu Hai took the Golden Black Tortoise Armor with a smile.
Earlier, he didn't feel anything, but just as he took the Golden Black Tortoise Armor, Gu Hai felt the strangeness of this treasure. When he waved his hand, clouds suddenly emerged all around the sky, like it was about to rain.
"If so, then, my humble self will take my leave. Let's meet again on the Divine Continent!" Li Shenji bid his farewells with a smile.
"Alright!" Gu Hai nodded to Li Shenji.
A flying s.h.i.+p appeared with the wave of a hand. Li Shenji, with his subordinates, embarked the flying s.h.i.+p, which then flew into the distance.
In the blink of an eye, the flying s.h.i.+p was already on the horizon.
"Commander, why did you give the Golden Black Tortoise Armor to Gu Hai? The Divine Battalion Token was obviously on him! This was just blackmail!" a subordinate indignantly said.
Li Shenji's eyes flickered with an ice-cold glare as he answered, looking in the direction of the Great Han Royal Dynasty. "I know he had it. However, if he insisted he didn't have it, what could I do?"
"Uh!?"
"Golden Black Tortoise Armor! Haha, only the Black Tortoise Clan can use it. In the duration I had it, I studied it and discovered that I was unable to refine it into a magical tool. In any case, it will bring a disaster, Miao Chen! I didn't imagine that even after the death of Black Tortoise Supreme eight centuries back, so many Black Tortoises would still remember him!" Li Shenji stated as his voice turned colder.
"Commander, are you planning on redirecting the waters of calamity to the east, using Miao Chen to destroy the Great Han Royal Dynasty?" the nearby subordinate asked, as his eyes shone brighter.
[TLN: Redirecting the waters of calamity to the east, as everyone must have guessed, means redirecting one's own misfortune to others.]
Li Shenji didn't refute, but rather said, looking into the distance, "Alright, let's leave for the capital immediately. His Holy Majesty has only given me three months, something big must have happened, and I need to do something!"
"Yes, sir!"
Inside the Royal Palace of the Great Han Royal Dynasty...
Gu Hai's eyes turned colder, gazing at the distant flying s.h.i.+p.
"Father Emperor, that Li Shenji should not have any good intentions. Certainly, he must have been certain that we don't know about this Golden Black Tortoise Armor, it must be something bad!" Gu Qin stated with a complex look on his face.
"I know!" Gu Hai nodded in agreement.
"Huh? Father Emperor, you know!? Then, why...?" Gu Qin blurted out, confused.
"I have studied the Divine Battalion Token, but I couldn't find anything. Perhaps only Li Shenji knows how to use it. Today, even if he couldn't get the Divine Battalion Token now, he would have come looking for it through Long Wanqing in the near future. It's just been returned to him sooner. In any case, it was useless to us. But more importantly, Shangguan Hen needed this Golden Black Tortoise Armor!"
Without blinking, Gu Hai handed the Golden Black Tortoise Armor to Shangguan Hen.
Shangguan Hen looked at Gu Hai, his eyes flickering with a bitter smile. He nodded to Gu Hai and said, "Yes, thank you very much, Your Royal Majesty!"
A puzzled Gu Qin watched Shangguan Hen as he carefully received the Golden Black Tortoise Armor. "Mister Shangguan, what is the use of this Golden Black Tortoise Armor?"
"Yao Zhengtian was boiled into a soup and eaten by me. This too will be used for eating!" Shangguan Hen explained.
Gu Qin was rendered speechless.
Gu Hai also looked confused. However, he didn't press for the details.
Outside Nine-Five Island...
BOOM!
Monstrous tsunamis rose into the sky before pus.h.i.+ng through to the sh.o.r.e, flooding many forests by the seash.o.r.e. Fortunately, no one was living here.
After the flood receded, Miao Chen's figure was revealed.
Miao Chen, standing on a mountain peak, was coldly gazing at the distant Great Han Royal Palace.
"It stopped! Supreme, I, Miao Chen, swear to defend your remains until death! Anyone who dares to tarnish your remains, no matter who, I will break his body into a thousand pieces!" Miao Chen proclaimed ruthlessly.
BOOM!
Taking a step, Miao Chen shot straight towards the Great Han Royal Palace.
RUMBLE!
With Miao Chen's arrival, the entire Nine-Five Island was suddenly covered in dense dark clouds, flas.h.i.+ng and thundering with lightning, as if a storm was upon them!