Pei Tianyuan and the others' eyes lit up. Old Fox was still Old Fox—whether Chen Xiao accepted or not, this was a brilliant move.
Chen Xiao sneered. "Cao Baiqing, you really are optimistic."
Cao Linxuan's betrayal had already made him unfit to remain a General, and this old man thought he could win Chen Xiao over by offering the vacant Third General position? Did he really think Chen Xiao cared about that title?
His motives were obvious.
Cao Baiqing sighed, as though he had expected that reaction. "In the apocalypse, my grandson's life is still worth something. Second-form animals are important to Huaxia. Little friend Chen, if you can let bygones be bygones, I, Cao Baiqing, am willing to pay any price."
Though old, his voice was still deep and commanding.
He stared straight at Chen Xiao. "If you don't believe me, ask the military district what price I'm capable of paying."
Chen Xiao chuckled. "Any price?"
Cao Baiqing nodded. "Naturally, as long as it's within my power."
"Fine," Chen Xiao said bluntly. "I want three Reaper Orbs. The same kind the Tang family has."
Cao Baiqing: "..."
Pei Tianyuan quickly interjected when he saw Old Cao speechless. "Chen Xiao, that thing wasn't even produced by Huaxia's military."
Chen Xiao raised an eyebrow. "Then what do you mean?"
Pei Tianyuan said slowly, "The Reaper Orbs were smuggled in by the Tang family's people through foreign black markets. Our military has never gifted or sold them to anyone."
Chen Xiao shook his head. "Then forget the Reaper Orbs. Give me two nuclear bombs to play with."
Pei Tianyuan: "..."
Cao Baiqing smiled bitterly. "Little friend Chen, such weapons of mass destruction aren't something Old Pei and I can decide on. There's too much at stake..."
"I know what you're worried about," Chen Xiao cut in. "Linxuan will be charged with treason the moment he returns to the military district, and you'll send him to guard the Western Capital's city walls. I won't see him again. Is that it?"
He looked directly at Cao Baiqing. "And you expect me to accept that on faith?"
Cao Baiqing straightened, his tone turning solemn. "I swear on my honor, that is exactly what will happen."
Chen Xiao's expression darkened. "Can honor be exchanged for money? If nothing can be done, do you think I'm easy to bully?"
Cao Baiqing hurried to explain, "Little friend Chen, you're worrying too much. You're Huaxia's hero. How would we dare bully you?"
Chen Xiao snorted and glanced past him toward the trembling Cao Linxuan. "If your grandfather is too stingy to pay, then you don't get to live."
A Water Longsword slowly materialized in his hand.
Cao Linxuan trembled. So did Cao Baiqing and Pei Tianyuan. Even A Yao and Zhang Longqi, watching from the side, were stunned. This was Cao Baiqing. This was Pei Tianyuan. And Chen Xiao still dared to be this arrogant.
The military guards nearby all shrank back, not daring to make a sound.
They knew how powerful Cao Linxuan had been, how unyielding and arrogant in the military district. Yet now he looked pitiful, hiding behind Old Cao and terrified of being torn apart alive.
"Easy, easy, Chen Xiao—let's talk this through..." Pei Tianyuan hurriedly stepped in, motioning to Cao Baiqing.
"Little friend Chen, don't get excited!" Cao Baiqing gritted his teeth. "For Linxuan, I'm willing to put this old face on the line. Let me propose a deal."
He raised one finger. "I'm willing to cede one National Fortune Game slot to the Jiangbei Base."
That was an enormous concession. In the past, only military district personnel could enter that courtyard because of its connection to national fortune and second-form awakenings. Chen Xiao had been the only outsider ever allowed in.
Chen Xiao smiled. "One per game?"
Cao Baiqing looked pained. "One… for the next one."
Chen Xiao scoffed and pointed the sword tip at Cao Linxuan. "Your grandfather told me to kill you."
Cao Linxuan clung to Cao Baiqing in terror. "Grandpa, save me!"
Cao Baiqing sighed. "Little friend Chen, after this fight, maybe the two of you young men could even become friends. Why must it come to this?"
Cao Linxuan cursed inwardly: I'd rather not be friends with him if it means getting beaten like this...
Seeing Chen Xiao still silent, Cao Baiqing dragged Pei Tianyuan into the discussion. "Old Pei, you're in charge of this operation. Don't just stand there. Little friend Chen wants one slot per game. Can you agree?"
Pei Tianyuan quickly shook his head. "Old Cao, don't say that. I have no authority to promise National Fortune slots."
Cao Baiqing did not let go. "I only have one promising grandson. If you help me here, I'll do everything I can to help you with that thing you begged me for."
Pei Tianyuan swallowed hard, his face ugly. "Sigh, Old Cao... you really are putting me in a difficult position."
After a long hesitation, he finally nodded. "Fine. I'll do my best."
Cao Baiqing released him at last and turned back to Chen Xiao with a smile. "Little friend Chen, one slot per game. Are you satisfied now?"
Unexpectedly, Chen Xiao shook his head without hesitation and swept his gaze over everyone.
"Do you know? Without me, Huaxia's team would have been wiped out completely. Not one would have survived. And the people who did survive are all your men. Five second-form awakeners—this debt hasn't been settled. Old Pei hasn't even fulfilled the promised military merit rewards. And now you only offer one slot?"
He let out a cold laugh. "Do you really think these conditions can stop me?"
Killing intent erupted from him, flooding the entire courtyard.
Pei Tianyuan broke into a sweat. "Chen Xiao, you're right, but the military can't produce that much all at once."
Cao Baiqing's face darkened. "Chen Xiao, I, Cao Baiqing, have never begged anyone in my life. I've already shown this much sincerity. What exactly do you want?"
As his tone turned harsher, two men stepped out behind him.
One was Wolf King Chen Mo, still in his black shirt and pants, looking like an unassuming middle-aged man.
The other was a young man in a leather jacket—cold-faced, handsome, with a long scar slashing across his left eye, giving him an eerie air. He looked at Chen Xiao with open curiosity. For him to appear together with Chen Mo meant he was no ordinary figure.
Then the Water Longsword dissolved into droplets.
Chen Xiao laughed. "Good. Very good. Remember this, Cao Baiqing—what the military owes me, I will come back to collect."
With that, he turned, smiled at A Yao, and soared away on Divine Wind.
Pei Tianyuan watched his retreating figure and sighed. "Old Cao, you pushed too hard."
Cao Baiqing snorted. "Lucky for him, the Chai Dao General is here today. Otherwise, he might have really acted without restraint."
The young man stepped forward, eyes fixed on the direction Chen Xiao had gone. "I'm actually curious... just how strong is the Mad Ghost Butcher, to earn so much respect from you?"