Amidst the gathered crowd, Dong Fang Yue stood, her fair cheeks tinged with a delicate blush. Whether from nervousness or excitement, even she could not tell.

To her left and right, Nan Gong Jie and Bei Ming Yan flanked her, their expressions calm and unreadable. Yet, the flicker in their eyes betrayed their true emotions—far from the composed facade they maintained.

Initially, they had believed they were here to rescue a senior cultivator, repaying past kindness with righteous action. But reality proved quite different; they were merely extras in this grand stage.

Among the assembled cultivators, any random one could easily overpower the three of them. Bereft of a chance to showcase their abilities, they resorted to politeness, exchanging greetings and names with the mighty seniors. They had contributed nothing, yet walked away with valuable connections—a windfall indeed!

Meanwhile, as Ancestor Sui Bian’s voice rang out, Tu Zhen Yue’s face turned ashen, his lips pressed into a grim line.

Ancestor Sui Bian let out a satisfied sigh, the tension within him easing by seven parts. “Weren’t you quite arrogant just now? And now, why so timid? Old Tortoise, didn’t you say you hate it when I call you that? Well, I’ll call you just that—Old Tortoise! Old Tortoise! Old Tortoise! Come, hit me if you dare!”

Tu Zhen Yue’s face darkened, his clenched fists trembling with suppressed fury.

As the undisputed ruler of the Earth Realm, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?

However, the circumstances demanded caution. The cultivators standing behind Ancestor Sui Bian exuded unfathomable auras, each one a formidable force. A reckless clash now would likely end in utter defeat.

Sensing the shifting tides, the other clan leaders murmured among themselves, urging Tu Zhen Yue in hushed tones. “This situation is unfavorable. We should withdraw and plan carefully before acting.”

Tu Zhen Yue ground his teeth, reluctance burning in his heart, but he was not blind to reality. Now was not the time for a direct confrontation.

With a cold snort, his gaze swept over Ancestor Sui Bian and his companions, his voice low and menacing. “I will remember this day, Sui Bian! We shall see what the future holds!”

“You want to leave? Not so fast!”

Ancestor Sui Bian flicked his sleeve, and instantly, over a dozen cultivators leaped forward, sealing off every possible escape route.

Among them, one figure, clad in shimmering golden robes, stood out. Even Yu Zhao couldn’t help but cast a few more glances in that direction.

Tu Zhen Yue’s eyes blazed with fury as he spun around. “Sui Bian! What exactly do you want?!”

“What do I want?” Ancestor Sui Bian laughed heartily, then suddenly, his expression turned icy. “Old Tortoise, do you think this place is a latrine? That you can come and go as you please?”

At these words, the cultivators of the Seven Mist Realm collectively wore dark expressions.

Ancestor Sui Bian seemed to realize his slip of the tongue and coughed awkwardly before swiftly changing the topic.

Stretching out a hand, he gestured toward Tu Zhen Yue and the others. “Enough nonsense. Hand over the money. No payment, no departure.”

After all, in order to assemble such formidable allies, both he and Ancestor Black had exhausted their lifetime of favors. These debts were beyond his ability to repay, so naturally, the ones who caused this mess should be the ones to foot the bill.

As for whether he had considered an all-out battle?

Of course he had.

But the price of war was steep. Should lives be lost, he would have no way to explain himself.

It was far more profitable to demand compensation. A hefty sum squeezed from Tu Zhen Yue and his allies would not only bleed them dry but also ensure his own people profited—a perfect outcome.

Tu Zhen Yue’s teeth ground audibly.

Tu Zhen Yue naturally did not wish to yield. The Tu Family’s storage bracelet had yet to be reclaimed, and now they demanded that he surrender the family’s treasures as well. How could he possibly be willing?

Yet the current predicament allowed him no choice but to bow his head.

If a battle were to erupt, the losses would only multiply.

Gritting his teeth, Tu Zhen Yue turned to the other patriarchs beside him, his gaze carrying an unspoken inquiry.

The Gold Patriarch, the Fire Patriarch, and the others furrowed their brows.

Though Tu Zhen Yue led this endeavor, their families had also been involved. To make the Tu Family bear the cost alone was impossible, but they too were unwilling to part with their wealth.

Thus, the situation fell into a deadlock.

Seeing this, Ancestor Sui Bian let out a scornful chuckle. “What’s this? The mighty Patriarch Tu hesitates over such a trifling sum? Or do you believe your lives aren’t worth the price?”

Tu Zhen Yue took a deep breath, suppressing the fury surging within. With an air of righteous indignation, he declared, “We admit our loss today, but if you think to extort us further, you may as well dream on!”

“Patriarch Tu, those are serious accusations! How could you call this extortion? I, Sui Bian, am merely offering you a way out!” The old man’s expression grew exaggeratedly sincere. “Think about it. If you all slink away with tails between your legs, what face will you have left? Instead, why not pay a small price for silence? Everyone walks away satisfied, and harmony remains between us. Wouldn’t that be best?”

The moment money was involved, Ancestor Sui Bian abandoned his earlier coarse address and began referring to Tu Zhen Yue with exaggerated politeness, his tone dripping with feigned intimacy.

Tu Zhen Yue nearly spat blood from sheer indignation.

This wretched old fox was blatantly extorting them and yet spoke as though he were doing them a grand favor!

For an instant, rage clouded his reason, and he was tempted to cast caution aside and give the order to fight.

But he was not the sole decision-maker. The other patriarchs were also present, and he had to consider the greater picture.

“Patriarch Tu, the circumstances favor him. It would be wiser to agree for now and reclaim what’s ours later.” The Wind Patriarch murmured, his voice low and cautious.

Tu Zhen Yue deliberated in silence for a long moment before finally swallowing his pride.

He turned to Ancestor Sui Bian, his gaze icy. “How much?”

The old rogue did not mind the hostility in the slightest. Instead, he beamed and rubbed his hands together. “Ah, Patriarch Tu, truly a decisive man! Now, let me count…”

With an exaggerated show, Ancestor Sui Bian began tallying. “Let’s see, on my side, including myself… Three hundred… seventy-three! Yes, exactly three hundred seventy-three men. At ten thousand spirit jades per person, that comes to… three million seven hundred thirty thousand spirit jades!”

“Three million seven hundred thirty thousand spirit jades?!” Tu Zhen Yue nearly leapt to his feet. “Why don’t you just rob us outright?!”

Even Ancestor Sui Bian’s own men gasped in shock.

When Tu Xiao had purchased a starship crafted by a grandmaster at an auction, he had agonized over spending just sixty-five spirit jades.

And now, Ancestor Sui Bian demanded ten thousand per head, bleeding them dry with no remorse.

Feigning innocence, the old scoundrel spread his hands. “Patriarch Tu, you mustn’t see it that way. Whether money is well spent depends on perspective. Right now, you have a chance to buy peace at a minor cost. You should treasure this opportunity! Once it’s gone, who knows what fate awaits?”

“Minor cost?! You call this a minor cost?! Even if I drained the Tu Family’s coffers, we wouldn’t be able to scrape together a million spirit jades!”

Tu Zhen Yue trembled with fury, his fingers itching to strangle the old fox then and there.

“Ah? So the mighty Tu Family is actually that poor?” Ancestor Sui Bian said with an exaggerated look of surprise, his face the very picture of mock sympathy.