A drawn-out voice, approaching from afar, interrupted Tang Sui's words.
However, upon hearing this sound, both Titan and Niu Gao's eyes lit up, and they gazed intently towards the source of the sound. It was the people of the Swift Clan who had arrived.
Eight people from the Swift Clan had arrived. The elder walking at the front was tall and thin, pacing with his hands behind his back. His white hair was scattered over his shoulders, and his face was ruddy, appearing older than both Niu Gao and Titan.
The young girl walking diagonally behind him was about the same age as Tang Sui. She had a delicate and beautiful appearance, and was tall and slender, yet one could sense the power accumulating within her slender frame.
"Hahaha, Old White Bird, I didn't expect you to arrive so early!" Niu Gao laughed heartily, a look of genuine joy on his face.
Bai He, the patriarch of the Swift Clan, saw his two old friends and responded with a smile. He then asked the young girl following him to step forward and pay her respects to Titan and Niu Gao.
Seeing this, Tai Long leaned closer to Tang San and the others and whispered, "This is Bai He, the patriarch of the Swift Clan, and his granddaughter, Bai Chenxiang."
Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up, and he discreetly glanced at her, feeling that his stagnant heart, which had been like still water, began to beat again.
"Come, let's go inside and talk!" Titan gestured for them to enter. Bai He nodded and, with his granddaughter Bai Chenxiang, followed Niu Gao. The other accompanying clan members were led to another side hall by Niu Ben.
There, members of the Shield Clan and the Strength Clan had gathered.
Each year, the subsidiary halls hosted guests, leaving the main hall for the four patriarchs and their soon-to-be-appointed successors. The other clan members were in a separate area, where they could also communicate and spar.
After taking their seats in order, Ma Hongjun consciously stood up and positioned himself beside Tang Sui, while Tai Long stood beside Titan, both like guardian deities.
One might ask why Ma Hongjun stood beside Tang Sui instead of Tang San?
It was because Ma Hongjun felt more secure with Tang Sui (not!).
Bai He, as if casually, swept his gaze over Tang San, who was seated at the head of the guest seats, and Tang Sui, who was in the second seat. He then looked at Niu Gao, who was at the head of the table, and said, "I saw Hu Yan Zhen on the way here. Old Rhinoceros, was he looking for you?"
The smile on Niu Gao's face faded, replaced by a grim expression. Titan also frowned, his expression equally unpleasant.
Sensing that things might not be so simple, Bai He's brow furrowed. "What happened?"
Niu Gao sighed bitterly. "Hu Yan Zhen came this time to represent the Spirit Hall in an attempt to bring our clan under their banner. I refused, and then worried about retaliation, so we decided to move the entire clan to Heaven Dou City to join Old Ape."
He then looked at Bai He, a hint of apology in his eyes. "Old White Bird, we may not be able to help you in the future."
Upon hearing this, Bai He also sighed. "After all these years, without your help, our Swift Clan would have ceased to exist long ago. I am ashamed... Even now, our clan is still..."
His hand, resting on the armrest of his seat, clenched into a fist. His gaze fell to the ground in front of him. Thinking of the Swift Clan's difficult financial situation and the torment they had endured from the Spirit Hall over the years, his fist trembled involuntarily from the force.
Niu Gao and Titan exchanged glances. The former's solemn expression changed, and he winked at Titan. Titan understood and nodded almost imperceptibly.
This exchange happened in an instant. Even Bai Chenxiang, who was standing beside Bai He, did not notice it, as she was worriedly looking at her grandfather, whose emotions were spilling out.
"Old White Bird," Titan suddenly spoke, "let me introduce someone to you."
The grandfather and granddaughter, who had been looking down, raised their heads and looked confusedly at Tang San, who had stood up and was walking towards them.
"My little brother here is a rising genius in the forging world. He has created some weapons that I believe are very suitable for your clan."
Tang San's hand already held an inconspicuous, never-before-seen black box – the Zhuge Crossbow.
Bai He took the unfamiliar black box and began to examine it. Tang San then took the initiative to explain, "This item is called the Zhuge Crossbow. It contains forty-eight crossbow bolts, and both the crossbow and the bolts are made of iron essence. After each winding of the mechanism, it can instantly fire sixteen crossbow bolts from the front opening. Its power is immense, capable of breaking through the defense of soul skills below level forty."
"Furthermore, the crossbow bolts are laced with potent poison. If the opponent is caught off guard and attacked by surprise, even a soul master of level fifty or sixty would find it difficult to escape."
Bai He immediately felt that Tang San might be joking with him and asked suspiciously, "Just this small box?"
Niu Gao, who had already witnessed the demonstration, added, "Old White Bird, don't underestimate this thing!"
"You must know that the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School was able to escape disaster and minimize the loss of their disciples precisely because they had this item. And I've already tried it; its power is not exaggerated at all!"
Niu Gao gave a thumbs-up to the Zhuge Crossbow.
Bai He's pupils constricted, and his mind raced. "If it was during that battle, this item is indeed not to be underestimated..."
Bai Chenxiang, recalling the large hole she had seen in the main gate upon entering, understood. "Grandpa Niu, did this thing bore a hole through your main gate?"
Niu Gao laughed heartily, "Precisely."
"It's that powerful..." Bai Chenxiang also felt a stir of interest.
She knew how sturdy the residences built by the Shield Clan were.
Because their Swift Clan's residence was also built by the Shield Clan, she herself couldn't break through it.
Bai He was also moved.
But as he touched the smooth surface forged from iron essence, he felt that this item might not be cheap. Su Dan Novel Network
So, he decided to be cautious and asked, "What is its effective kill range?"
Tang San replied, "Within fifty meters."
Bai He and Bai Chenxiang's eyes lit up simultaneously.
This item was indeed very suitable for their clan. With it, they could even compensate for their offensive weaknesses.
"Good!" Bai He's eyes shone with excitement. "I'll buy this. How much is it? I want two hundred."
Although it was made of iron essence, this item was so small, it shouldn't be too expensive, perhaps at most twenty or thirty gold spirit coins each, capping it.
Bai He mused, calculating their current financial situation.
A cunning glint flashed in Tang San's eyes. His elegant smile remained unchanged, and he also started to calculate. He said, "Well, since you are friends with Senior Titan, then it's 120 gold spirit coins."
A hint of joy flickered in Bai He's eyes. He hadn't expected it to be more favorable than he imagined.
He immediately took out a bag of gold spirit coins from his soul tool and said, "Here are 100 gold spirit coins. The remaining 20 gold spirit coins will be paid after the Breaking Clan arrives."
Titan, who was observing, had a subtle expression on his face. Then, remembering that they were in front of everyone, he covered most of his face with his large palm, concealing the twitching of his lips.
Tang San heard this and his face also showed a look of difficulty. "Uh, Senior, I think you've made a mistake. I said 120 gold spirit coins each."
"What did you say?!"
The smile on Bai He's face vanished, and anger flared in his eyes. "Are you playing me?!"
120 gold spirit coins each?!
This was ripping him off!
---Author's notes---
If there's a backlog, I'll update at noon, muah~