Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 284: Chapter 175: Bountiful Harvest

’The danger right now is irrelevant to me.’

’No one pays any mind to an ant.’

’Unless... it suddenly grows into a crocodile that can devour the heavens.’

’But that possibility is minuscule. I want to get stronger... and what I lack most is time. My Spiritual Form is running low. I need to find more opportunities.’

Wan Ze took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

The stale air emptied from his lungs, and his resolve hardened.

He finished washing up.

Cold water on his face washed away the last traces of his fatigue.

He looked at his reflection, forcing a smile and working the stiff muscles of his face.

Then, he picked up his communicator, scrolled to Zhai Jia’s number, and made the call.

The call connected after just two rings.

”Ah Ze?” Zhai Jia’s voice, slightly nasal, came through the receiver. ”What’s going on this late?”

”Brother Jia, I have an urgent matter tonight,” Wan Ze said quickly.

”What’s the matter?” Zhai Jia’s voice suddenly sounded much more alert.

”The Secret Palace came to me,” Wan Ze said succinctly. ”They want to trade for the translated copy of the Yanli. I agreed.”

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the line.

”Send me the address.” Zhai Jia was already moving, his voice crisp and decisive, with no wasted words. ”Brother Yu and I will be there right away.”

”Got it.”

Wan Ze hung up the phone and sent the address.

He turned back to his room, changed into a black sweatsuit, and gathered everything he needed.

Then he gently closed the door and stepped out into the night.

...

In the dead of night, the Holy City was as silent as a ghost town.

Streetlights lined both sides of the road. Occasionally, a car would approach from the opposite direction, its headlights blinding, before roaring past and vanishing into the darkness.

Wan Ze waited at the gate of his apartment complex for a few minutes before a black jeep appeared at the end of the street. It approached without a honk or a flash of its lights, simply pulling to a quiet stop in front of him.

The car window rolled down, revealing Zhai Yu’s perpetually calm face.

He nodded at Wan Ze without speaking. The rear door was pushed open from the inside, and Zhai Jia leaned out, waving to Wan Ze.

”Get in.”

Wan Ze ducked inside and sat in the back.

The moment the door closed, the outside world was shut out. It was quiet inside the car, with only the low hum of the engine.

The jeep quickly left the city and headed toward the suburbs.

The buildings on both sides of the road grew shorter and the lights scarcer, until only the short stretch of road illuminated by the headlights remained.

Zhai Jia sat next to Wan Ze, holding a black mask and carefully polishing it with a velvet cloth.

”Ah Ze, I’ll cut to the chase. If anything goes wrong, give the signal. Of course, with Brother Yu here, we can make sure no one walks away.”

Wan Ze knew he wasn’t joking.

He had witnessed Brother Yu’s strength with his own eyes.

He nodded. ”I understand.”

Zhai Yu looked in the rearview mirror, thoughtful for a moment before asking, ”So they still don’t know about the tomb chamber?”

”Correct. The guy was constantly probing,” Wan Ze said. ”But I played dumb.”

Zhai Yu gave a slight nod and said no more. That was his nature—ask what was necessary, ignore what wasn’t, and quietly do what needed to be done.

”That’s hilarious.” Zhai Jia chuckled from the back seat, flipping the mask over to continue polishing it. ”These guys... they went through so much trouble, thinking they’ve hit the jackpot. They have no idea Ah Ze’s an old hand at this.”

Zhai Yu also smiled, then asked a more practical question: ”How are you planning to give them the translation?”

”My initial plan is to split it into three parts,” Wan Ze said with a perfectly innocent smile. ”I’ve already scrambled the content. I’ll give them one part first, let them verify its authenticity. Then, we negotiate. Once we agree on the terms, I’ll give them the second part—a slightly larger piece, to show our ’goodwill.’ The third part I’ll hold back as leverage for later negotiations. You can’t rush these things. You have to slowly turn up the heat.”

Zhai Jia froze for a second before it dawned on him, and he couldn’t help but let out a low laugh. ”Holy shit, so we’re basically guaranteed to win. They’ll only get fragments, not enough to piece together the whole thing, which means they’ll have to keep coming back to you. The way your mind works...”

Zhai Yu also chuckled. ”When it comes to strategy, no one can outplay Ah Ze.”

”True... all you strategists have devious minds. I’m the only innocent one in this car... It’s terrifying.” Zhai Jia made a prayer-like gesture.

”Alright, alright, that’s enough,” Wan Ze said, waving his hand and cutting them off with a laugh. ”But seriously, are there any materials you two need? Just say the word, and I’ll work it into the deal.”

As soon as he said this, the car fell quiet for a moment.

Zhai Jia paused, exchanging a look with Zhai Yu.

The two were silent for a few seconds, then both shook their heads.

”No need,” Zhai Jia said, his tone resolute. ”Keep whatever you get from the trade for yourself. We’re not short on anything.”

”Right,” Zhai Yu also nodded. ”Don’t worry about us.”

Wan Ze chuckled, a cunning look in his eyes. ”They’re a perfect mark. If we don’t fleece them, who will? Don’t hold back. Just tell me what you need. The people from the Secret Palace are loaded; this is nothing to them.”

The atmosphere in the car relaxed a little.

Zhai Jia and Zhai Yu looked at each other, and Zhai Jia spoke first: ”Well... if you can really negotiate for it, I’d like some materials for medicinal baths.”

He listed several medicinal herbs. They were all difficult to find on the open market, used for Refining the Five Viscera and Six Bowels. They were not only expensive but also required special channels to acquire.

But Zhai Yu shook his head. ”What if the people from the Secret Palace tamper with them? With things like medicine, if they mix something in, you’d never be able to tell.”

That made sense.