NOVPUB
Chapter 83: The Result of the Negotiation
"The case of the Skull of Dual Horns is proof that troubles will come to me and escalate into something more. Fortunately, it led me to the devils, but if it had led me to the demon’s power, I’d still beat them down if they came my way," Aldrian emphasized.
From another perspective, it might seem like Aldrian was looking for trouble when he killed everyone from the Skull of Dual Horns, but he was simply ensuring there were no loose ends that could harm Yu Fenglian. At the same time, he was also satisfying his own selfish desire to eliminate those thugs.
Even though his encounter with those demonic cultivators was because of Yu Fenglian. In the end, that run-in with Yu Fenglian bore fruit, allowing him to uncover the devils’ plot in Dual Horns Peak City. If more demonic cultivators approached him like that, he would gladly entertain them—it was just one way to pass the time, even if they came from a major clan.
The envoys knew exactly what he was referring to. They were also aware that the Skull of Dual Horns had been under their surveillance. They knew that the city authorities had shady dealings with that group of thugs. However, they didn’t interfere because it wasn’t within their jurisdiction, and it wasn’t in their interest.
Yet, when they chose to ignore the situation and later encountered someone like Aldrian, all they could do was conduct damage control after the destruction of the city lord’s manor.
If they had known the Skull of Dual Horns would lead them to the devils, they would have gladly eliminated them earlier. Now that Aldrian had already dealt with the issue for them, all they could do was negotiate the terms of his demands.
"Like I already told Miss Arin, regardless of how this negotiation turns out, I’ll still hand over the city lord and the devil that accompanied him. I have no use for them. I didn’t kill them as a gesture of goodwill, so you can judge them yourselves," Aldrian said.
"You know that my group and I will be staying in demon territory for a while, and if any problems arise during that time, I’ll deal with them accordingly. Even if the three great sects choose not to support me, at the very least, don’t stand in my way," he added.
The envoys seriously weighed the pros and cons of Aldrian’s future actions. It was a struggle between their pride and allowing an outsider to roam unhindered. They knew they couldn’t take advantage of the situation—they had no bargaining chips left against Aldrian.
Finally, they sighed. They really had no choice but to support him. Better to make him an ally than an enemy, especially in these uncertain times, when reducing friction with other factions was crucial.
Aldrian sensed the envoys exchanging voice transmissions before they turned to him.
"Alright," Shin Seok-Jun said, "the three great sects will agree to your other conditions, with the understanding that if we find your actions to be unjustified provocations against the demonic cultivators in the demon territory, we will no longer consider you worthy of our support. In such a case, we would have no choice but to treat you as an enemy."
Aldrian smiled at them. "Of course. You don’t have to worry about me stirring up trouble for no reason. I’m not looking for trouble at all."
The envoys sighed in relief when they finally reached an agreement.
"By the way, what’s going to happen to this city now that it’s lost its city lord and the city guards are under scrutiny because of the devils?" Aldrian asked.
"Since this city isn’t under any major sect and has a special status, we’ve decided that the new leader will be selected by a vote from our three great sects. We’ll choose the new city lord as soon as possible because it wouldn’t be good to leave this city—one of our strategic territories—headless for too long," one of the envoys explained.
"Can I make a suggestion?" Aldrian inquired. 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝙢
"What are you suggesting, young master?" the envoy asked curiously.
"Let the new city lord establish their residence at the foot of the mountain, and leave the eastern peak as a cultivation sanctuary, just like it is now. It would be better if the city lord’s seat is closer to the city, so they can easily oversee and manage it. This way, the city lord will also be under easier watch and control by the great sects."
Aldrian paused before continuing, "Also, I recommend the Yu family be responsible for the reconstruction and the transition to the new city lord. You could say the Yu family will support and sponsor the new leadership. With their involvement, I believe the transition process will go smoothly."
Everyone present, including Xin Haotian and the others watching the negotiation from afar, was stunned. They had been following the course of the negotiation the entire time, but Aldrian’s recommendation truly took them by surprise.
Aldrian then looked toward Xin Haotian’s group and gestured with his hand, signaling someone to come forward. His gaze was clearly directed at Yu Ruomei, who was standing among them. She was stunned and speechless—why had the Yu family been brought up? What construction? What transition? She was utterly confused, but still, she stepped forward and approached the place of negotiation.
She really never in the present of the three great sects so she is nervous when she is finally in front of them. The envoys waiting for Aldrian to continue,
Having never been in the presence of the three great sects before, Yu Ruomei felt nervous as she stood before them, while the envoys waited for Aldrian to continue.
"This is the matriarch of the Yu family," Aldrian said, gesturing toward her. "You’re aware that her family was a victim of the previous city lord. Now that their name has been cleared of all slander, I suggest giving this project to the Yu family. It will give them a fresh start and help them rebuild."
"If the young master suggests it, I have no objections. We can help the Yu family regain their footing. All of their family’s business holdings, which were confiscated under the city lord’s rule, will be returned first. Then we can begin the reconstruction process," Shin Seok-Jun agreed.
Yu Ruomei felt like she was dreaming. Without saying a word, fortune had suddenly fallen upon her and her family. Was this Heaven’s way of compensating her for the misfortunes of the last three years? She glanced at Aldrian from the side, feeling deeply grateful. She wondered if she would ever truly be able to repay him for all that he had done for her and her son.
"Also," Aldrian continued, turning to elder Lee Seo-Yeon, "I’d like to borrow Miss Arin to help me reunite the children I freed with their families. I think her expertise in intelligence gathering would be invaluable in helping us bring them home."
Elder Lee Seo-Yeon, the only woman among the envoys, stood out in her tightly-fitted red and white robe—a striking combination of rose and jasmine. Her serene, beautiful face was partially concealed by a transparent veil, but her sharp green eyes were visible. The sword at her waist indicated she was a sword cultivator.
Throughout the negotiation, elder Lee Seo-Yeon had remained silent, like an ice. The closest she came to expressing any emotion was when Aldrian had displayed his power earlier.
"You may use Arin as your assistant," she said, her voice soft yet devoid of expression.
Aldrian nodded and turned to Arin, who bowed to him in acknowledgment. With everything now settled, he had some free time until the next week. They spent the rest of the hour discussing any details that had been overlooked earlier and finalizing a few more points.
After an hour, they concluded their discussion and the negotiation was complete.
"One last thing," Shin Seok-Jun said, cupping his hands respectfully. "The three great sects officially invite Young Master Aldrian to attend our meeting, which will be held in the Thorny Flower Garden next week. We hope that Young Master can join us and share some of your expertise and experience."
"And also this is a personal invitation from our sect master." Shin Seok-Jun added through voice transmission.
Aldrian raised an eyebrow. The sect master of the Piercing Heaven Sect inviting him personally? That was reason enough to attend.
"Thank you for the invitation. I will surely come next week," Aldrian replied, returning the gesture of cupping his hands as a sign of respect.
With that, the three envoys excused themselves and left the Yu family manor. Once it was just Aldrian’s trusted circle, Yu Ruomei didn’t hesitate to kowtow before him.
"Thank you for the opportunity you’ve given me, Young Master. I really don’t know how I’ll ever repay you," she said, her eyes moist with emotion. She tried to remain strong, but the situation was overwhelming. Her family, once destroyed, now had a chance to rise again.
