Shivering at the memory of the recent pain, Li Luo couldn't help but shudder.
"I'm willing to pay one hundred million spirit stones for my life, just like Xiong Heizui!" he said, his voice trembling.
"One hundred million?"
Zi Linling's voice was as cold as ice. "You're overthinking it! Xiong Tai begged for mercy, so he only paid one hundred million. But you made my Long'er and Xiao Hu run an errand. This..."
"One hundred and twenty million! I'm willing to pay one hundred and twenty million for my life!"
Before Zi Linling could finish, Li Luo quickly interjected. He was terrified of the Thousand Step Soul Destroying Gu and feared that if Zi Linling were displeased, she would make him experience it again.
Of course, Zi Linling's talent and incredible combat power were also contributing factors. To go from a cripple to the peak of the Spirit Gathering realm in less than a month, and to be able to effortlessly defeat a Yuan Transformation realm expert at that peak, was beyond mere monstrous talent.
Zi Linling smiled faintly. "Palace Master Li is very generous, but this is not enough!"
Li Luo's heart ached. This one hundred and twenty million spirit stones was all his savings. Any more and he would have to issue an IOU like Xiong Heizui.
Zi Linling looked at him calmly. "Have you forgotten what that black bear did before he left?"
What the black bear did before he left? Li Luo froze, then realized that Zi Linling meant it wasn't enough because he hadn't sworn a Heavenly Dao oath.
He quickly swore, "I swear, I will never be an enemy of Miss Zi again, and I, Li Luo, will never reveal a single word of Miss Zi's secrets!"
A muffled thunderclap sounded in the sky.
Zi Linling smiled. "Good, you're not beyond saving. Leave the spirit stones and get out!"
Li Luo hastily took out his spatial storage bag and placed it on the ground. "Here are one hundred and twenty million spirit stones. Please accept them, Miss Zi."
Zi Linling took the spirit stones and flicked a dark pill towards Li Luo.
"Get lost!"
Li Luo snatched the pill, stuffed it into his mouth without looking, and turned to flee out of the Misty Forest.
"Come back!" Zi Linling's cold shout stopped him.
Li Luo's legs went weak, and he looked up at Zi Linling pleadingly, his voice trembling. "Does Miss Zi have any other instructions?"
"Go back and tell your Holy Cult leader that I will visit the Holy Cult in a month." Zi Linling's voice was as cold as snow.
Li Luo was stunned for a moment, then quickly replied, "I, Li, will surely deliver your message." With that, he turned and vanished from Zi Linling's sight.
Zi Linling looked at Fu Liuyun and said coldly, "Sect Master Fu, do you have anything to say?"
"Ah... yes, yes, yes!" Fu Liuyun quickly replied. He was even more miserable than before, with no intact flesh on his body, blood flowing from his seven orifices, and several teeth bitten to pieces.
Zi Linling's face bloomed into a smile, but it was an infernal one. With a flick of her finger, spiritual energy shot into several of his acupoints. "Within ten breaths, satisfy me, or you know what will happen!"
Fu Liuyun hastily said, "I am willing to pay one hundred and twenty million for my life, and swear a Heavenly Dao oath that I will not be an enemy of Miss Zi, nor will I reveal Miss Zi's secrets."
Zi Linling shook her head.
Fu Liuyun was bewildered. Didn't the effeminate Li Luo do just that?
Zi Linling smiled faintly and raised two fingers.
Fu Liuyun blinked, then understood. He tentatively asked, "Miss Zi wants two hundred million spirit stones?"
Zi Linling nodded, her expressionless face saying, "You were a little late. I had to use some extra methods to suppress the poison for you just now." Of course, she was also annoyed that Fu Liuyun, who had fallen into her hands, dared to play tricks and argue shamelessly. He had always claimed not to be her enemy, yet he had been plotting against Long'er all along!
Fu Liuyun was taken aback. He truly admired Zi Linling's ability to twist things around. He muttered to himself, "You were the one who administered the poison. Why not just cure me directly? You had to go to the trouble of suppressing it, and now I have to pay for it? Isn't that gangster logic?"
Oh well! A disaster averted by parting with money!
Fu Liuyun nodded. "Alright, I'm willing to pay two hundred million!"
Zi Linling beamed. "That's more like it! Swear the oath!"
Helplessly, Fu Liuyun swore the Heavenly Dao oath. As the muffled thunder echoed in the sky, the oath took effect.
Zi Linling nodded, collected the two hundred million spirit stones, and then threw a dark pill to Fu Liuyun. "This is the antidote!"
Fu Liuyun ate it without looking, as it was identical to the one Xiong Tai and Li Luo had.
Zi Linling smiled. "Now, let's talk about the sect matters."
Fu Liuyun's heart sank. "What matters? What matters could there be for a sect?"
Zi Linling's smile remained. "Didn't you hear what I told that black bear and the effeminate man to relay to their sects?"
Fu Liuyun paused, then his expression changed. Zi Linling had just said that she would visit the Blackwater Hall and the Holy Cult in a month. What did "visit" mean? Naturally, it meant causing trouble!
Indeed, Zi Linling's voice rang out again. "The black bear and the effeminate man are not the decision-makers, hence one hundred million for their lives. But the revenge for Long'er's mother must be served, so I will personally visit the Blackwater Hall and the Holy Cult. Whether it's buying lives or annihilation will depend on the decisions of the Hall Master of Blackwater Hall and the Cult Master of the Holy Cult. You, however, are different. You are the sect leader and can directly make decisions for your sect. So, how does your Flowing Cloud Sect plan to provide an explanation to Long'er?"
Fu Liuyun felt as if the sky was collapsing. "How much do you want?"
Zi Linling smiled serenely. "Not much, not much!" As she spoke, she extended two fingers.
Fu Liuyun tentatively asked, "Two hundred million?"
Zi Linling waved her hand and shook her head.
Fu Liuyun's heart sank, and he said coldly, "Two billion?"
Zi Linling nodded. "I assume your Flowing Cloud Sect is worth about that much?"
Fu Liuyun's face darkened completely. Although the Flowing Cloud Sect had many businesses, its expenses were also enormous. Two billion would be almost all the wealth the sect had accumulated since its founding. If all of it was given to Zi Linling, what would happen to the disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sect? But if he turned against Zi Linling because of this, what would have been the point of his abject surrender just now?
"Miss Zi, can we negotiate? Although I am the sect leader, I cannot empty the Flowing Cloud Sect." Fu Liuyun suppressed his anger and spoke to Zi Linling in a conciliatory tone.
Zi Linling shook her head. "Who told you to be so greedy? You forced Long'er's mother to her death, and you must pay the corresponding price!"
A cold light flashed in Fu Liuyun's eyes. "Does Miss Zi really want to leave no one alive?"
Zi Linling shook her head. "This is called karmic retribution, retribution that is never late! Wasn't what you did to Long'er's mother also leaving no one alive? But..."
"But what?"