Chapter 186: Exchange

In a tidy and clean reception room, Lartus, Tixiang, Elham, and the others sat facing each other distinctly on two long sofas, with a long table in the middle that held some drinks and snacks.

The crimson velvet curtains were drawn back by the maids, and outside the floor-to-ceiling window was a vast expanse of white snow; everything was buried under a thick layer of snow. Dozens of guards could be seen leading fighting dogs through the woods, though it was unclear what they were busy doing.

Lin Qi and Long Cheng stood behind Tixiang, but Lin Qi’s mind had already wandered off to who knows where. The task was accomplished, and Tixiang had slept with the two women, so even if he couldn’t claim the full two million gold coin reward, shouldn’t he at least get half?

As for Elham and his companions, he needed to strike early while they were still disoriented by the sudden upheaval, and hit them hard to eliminate them completely. Having just faced them in a confrontation, Lin Qi calculated their strength. As long as he didn’t give Tolin and Elham a chance to use their Divine Art, he could easily take them down.

Not to mention, there was also the powerful enforcer Long Cheng with him. The only tricky part was making it look natural and leaving no traces, requiring a bit of careful planning.

But they had to be eliminated. He had already squeezed the last bit of profit from them, and Lin Qi wouldn’t let them continue living. Anyone who dared to collude with Arthur or oppose him, Lin Qi wouldn’t let them live comfortably in this world. That was the principle Blackbeard had instilled in him from childhood through hundreds of blood-soaked lives: enemies must be swiftly eradicated.

He grinned sinisterly. Since his face was hidden by a gold mask, he wasn’t afraid anyone would see his eerie smile.

The reception room was quiet. Lartus and Elham were both choosing their words carefully. Lartus represented a faction of the Imperial Royal Family, while Elham represented the most powerful Dawn Temple within the Church. Any interaction between the two had to be approached with extreme caution and care.

After all, the threat of religious power to imperial authority was widely acknowledged by nobles across the Continent. If Lartus got too close to Elham, it could provoke a strong backlash from certain forces within the Empire. On the other hand, religious power could also stabilize imperial rule. If Lartus could secure the support of the Church, it would bring him immense benefits.

Religious power and imperial authority—they were like black and white, water and fire, Heaven and Hell, survival and death. Handled well, it could pave the way to success; mishandled, they could be crushed between the grinding wheels of church and state, like a tiny bean easily ground to dust.

Lartus remained silent, and Elham said nothing either.

Lartus was contemplating what price he would have to pay to clean up Tixiang’s mess and what benefits he might gain in return.

Elham’s thoughts were somewhat chaotic. There was no doubt he had suffered a major loss: his fiancées had been involved with someone else, and the Divinity he had long yearned for had vanished without a trace. He needed to secure substantial compensation; otherwise, his trip to the Gaul Empire would have been not only fruitless but also a devastating loss.

Thus, neither of them spoke.

Tixiang naturally kept quiet as well. He was tightly wrapped in a white fox fur coat, squinting as he savored the wonderful memories from “deep within.” His memory told him that last night he had thoroughly enjoyed himself, reaching unprecedented heights of passion and climax. Yet, to his frustration, whether due to the effects of alcohol, he couldn’t recall the slightest detail of that beautiful process.

“Alcohol causes trouble!” Tixiang sighed softly.

The door creaked open, and Ya and Ling, their hair still damp and wrapped in long gowns, walked in slowly. Their expressions were calm, but their eyes blazed with intense fury. In their pupils, it was as if two dazzling little suns burned—golden flames fermenting and brewing within, ready at any moment to erupt into a cataclysmic rage that would destroy everything.

Without a word, the two women walked over to Elham’s side and sat at the far end of the long sofa.

Elham’s expression darkened slightly. The spot where they had sat was at least three meters away from him. What did that mean? Was it a sign that Ya and Ling were dissatisfied with him? Or perhaps it held some other implication?

Lost in thought, Elham glanced at Tixiang and felt he could no longer remain silent. He cleared his throat and spoke, “This matter is a grave insult to our Dawn Temple and the Temple of Blazing Flame. You must pay the price!”

The price—Lartus took a deep breath. Yes, as long as the price was right, nothing was beyond resolution. So what if Tixiang had slept with two women? If they were from minor Noble families, a few perks would suffice to settle it. If they were from great Noble families, a few official positions thrown their way could solve the problem.

But these two were from the Flame Temple, which made things complicated. Moreover, they were Elham’s fiancées. For another man to defile his fiancées, how large would Elham’s appetite be? What price would it take to satisfy him?

Especially since, what did Ya and Ling themselves intend? If they were still willing to marry Elham, things might not be too troublesome. But if they had genuinely fallen for Tixiang and wanted to break off their engagement to be with him—well, that would be good news for Tixiang, but for the Dawn Temple and the Temple of Blazing Flame, it would be a complete humiliation.

“It could spark a Religious War!” Lartus sighed in distress.

Taking a deep breath and holding it in his chest, Lartus finally spoke slowly, “The price, yes, the price. But after all, this was a consensual matter. Tixiang did not use force. By the Gods above, did Tixiang use force? Two esteemed young ladies, did Tixiang use force on you?”

Ya and Ling remained silent, so Lartus pressed on, “By the Gods, in the name of the Gods, please openly and honestly tell us—did Tixiang use force? Esteemed young ladies, the details are of great importance to us!”

Tixiang spread his hands and smiled with not a little pride. “By the Gods, with my charm, I never use force.”

Long Cheng snickered sinisterly beside him. Of course you didn’t use force—you were just the unlucky scapegoat. Ah, the direct descendants of the Divine Descendant Clan, born with innate Divinity within them. And that Divinity had ended up benefiting Lin Qi, this kid.

Hearing Tixiang’s words, Elham’s face flushed with anger. He glared furiously at Tixiang, his hands clenched into fists, with a faint, strange light shimmering between his fingers. Tixiang didn’t use force but won over Ya and Ling with his charm? Damn it, how could Elham face himself after that? He and the two women had grown up together since childhood, sharing a deep bond—yet it couldn’t compare to a playboy like Tixiang, whom they’d known for only a few days?

Just as Elham was about to explode, Ya and Ling spoke together, “By the Gods, Tixiang did not use force.”

After a slight pause, they coldly turned their gaze to Tixiang, “Even if he had wanted to use force, he wouldn’t have had the power to make us submit. We simply drank too much; this was a mistake that shouldn’t have happened.”

Tixiang grinned wryly and shook his head resignedly. Fine, it was a beautiful mistake. But it didn’t matter—he had gotten what he wanted. Even if he couldn’t spend his days with these two beautiful young ladies in the future, at least he had conquered them. Among the young Nobles of the Imperial Capital, this would become a romantic tale, something he could boast about for at least two years.

Lartus breathed a sigh of relief. A drunken indiscretion was far better than violent assault. He smiled at Elham, “So it seems it wasn’t entirely Tixiang’s fault. Of course, I must admit he bears the larger share of the blame, but we can’t pin it all on him. Therefore, we are willing to offer fair and reasonable compensation, and at the same time, we hope to earn the friendship of Lord Elham and your family.”

A naked exchange of interests—the shameless face of the Nobility was laid bare here.

The chastity of two young girls, family honor, and so on were completely disregarded; only profit was eternal. Tixiang had just thrown a bucket of filth over Elham’s family, but now Lartus immediately sought the friendship of the Dawn Family. No words of vileness in the world could adequately describe the baseness of Lartus’s words.

Elham remained silent for a moment, then stretched out his hand. Lartus stood up and firmly grasped Elham’s hand.

The flames in Ya and Ling’s eyes burned even brighter, but Elham didn’t spare them another glance. In this moment, no one cared about what they had endured; everyone was focused on interests—the interests between families. Two powerful forces began to communicate, to collude, to grow intimate in their deceit, to join in a foul alliance. The interests of two women were trivial at this juncture.

“I have lost a great deal,” Elham frankly told Lartus. “For instance, both Ya and Ling each harbored a Divinity within them. Originally, that Divinity belonged to me; the Flame Law could push my Dawn Light Path to its ultimate state. But now I have lost those two Divinities, so first and foremost, I must be compensated.”

Two Divinities!

Damn it!

Lartus’s heart twitched slightly, and Tixiang’s face trembled violently. They exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously. They understood the significance of possessing Divinity. Since Elham had spoken so plainly, it confirmed that he too was born with an innate Divinity. A being with Divinity, one who might in the future step into the elusive Saint Realm—such a person was worth a substantial investment.

A blatant exchange of interests unfolded. Lartus and Tixiang proposed one condition after another, while Elham and Tolin argued tenaciously over each clause.

No one spared another glance at Ya and Ling, even though, in name, Elham was still their fiancé.