Free Web NovelChapter 382: Chapter 382: Extortion
Commander Jia finally realized that Ye Xuan had no intention of holding the Celestial Dragon Guard accountable.
He was both shocked and overjoyed.
"Master Xuan Ye... sigh. I truly don’t know what to say. Your magnanimity is as vast as the ocean. I, Jia Fang, rarely admire anyone, but I am now utterly and sincerely impressed by you, Master Xuan Ye."
Commander Jia said, filled with emotion.
"Haha, Commander Jia, enough with the flattery. I, Xuan Ye, am also delighted to get to know an upstanding hero like yourself," Ye Xuan said with a laugh. He then turned to Shao Jun and admonished him, "However, Captain Shao, yesterday you acted rashly. Seeing that you were up against the Qin family and the City Construction Department, you were about to haul me and the members of the Luo family away. That was highly inappropriate. You represent the Celestial Dragon Guard—the authority of the Sky Empire. How could you allow your actions to be swayed by a mere powerful faction?"
"Yes, yes, Master Xuan Ye! You’re absolutely right! A single conversation with you is more enlightening than ten years of study. From this day forward, I, Shao Jun, will take you as my role model and stand up to the powerful. I don’t dare hope to grasp your true essence; I’ll be content if I can learn even a fraction of what you know."
Shao Jun nodded profusely, his tone respectful.
"Master Xuan Ye, the Celestial Dragon Guard is deeply ashamed of yesterday’s events. Please, tell us what you require. Whatever it is, I will do my utmost to accomplish it."
Ye Xuan’s attitude greatly improved Commander Jia’s mood. However, forgiveness was one thing, but compensation was another. Commander Jia was not about to be remiss on that front.
"Forget compensation. I only hope that in the future, the Celestial Dragon Guard can protect us common folk."
"Of course. That is our bounden duty. But surely, Master, you have other requests..."
Without an agreement on compensation, Commander Jia felt ill at ease.
Ye Xuan stared at Commander Jia and smiled faintly. "Commander Jia, do you really think I care about a little compensation from you?"
"That’s not what I meant..." Commander Jia waved his hands in a panic.
"When I say forget it, I mean it."
This time, Commander Jia was truly won over. "Your magnanimity is truly admirable, Master. I am deeply impressed."
With that, he shot a cold look at Shao Jun. "Shao Jun, what are you waiting for? Thank Master Xuan Ye! If he hadn’t forgiven you, I would be giving you a harsh reprimand today. Aren’t you responsible for security in the market district? From this day forward, you are to personally ensure the security of Master Xuan Ye’s shop. There must not be a single incident, do you understand?"
"Yes, sir! I understand! Thank you for your forgiveness, Master!" Shao Jun was still shaken, but also overcome with gratitude.
He had come here today fully prepared for a humiliating punishment. He never expected that Ye Xuan, after making a great show of force, would let him off so lightly. He felt incredibly lucky and was filled with gratitude.
To be blunt, if Ye Xuan had demanded the Celestial Dragon Guard kick him out, Commander Jia would have agreed without a moment’s hesitation.
"Master Xuan Ye, the City Construction Department is also keenly aware of its wrongdoing. We’ve come today specifically to atone. Master, if you would..."
Seeing Ye Xuan ignore him and speak continuously with Commander Jia, Director Wu grew anxious and terrified. Casting aside all thoughts of saving face, he seized the first opportunity to interject.
"The City Construction Department?" Ye Xuan shot Director Wu a glance. "What does your department have to do with me?" he asked coldly.
Ye Xuan’s attitude toward the City Construction Department was completely different from how he treated the Celestial Dragon Guard.
If the Celestial Dragon Guard had gotten involved unintentionally yesterday, the City Construction Department, on the other hand, had been actively colluding with the Qin family to make trouble for the Luo family.
Thus, Ye Xuan could forgive the Celestial Dragon Guard, but he had no intention of forgiving Huang Zhong and his men from the City Construction Department.
He glanced coldly at the bound figures of Huang Zhong and his men, his tone frosty. "I’m just curious. Where did Captain Huang of the City Construction Department get the nerve to arbitrarily demolish a shop affiliated with the Artifact Refining Workshop? Just saying ’it’s for rezoning,’ and you rezone, showing no respect to anyone. Is the Imperial Capital’s City Construction Department really that powerful? You can just make trouble for whomever you please?"
A flicker of panic crossed the minds of Huang Zhong and his men. They hated and feared Ye Xuan in equal measure. "Master Xuan Ye," they pleaded hastily, "we were fools, blinded by greed! We apologize! Please, Master, forgive us!"
Ye Xuan scoffed. "I wouldn’t dare accept your apology. Weren’t you so high and mighty yesterday? Acting like you ruled the world. So why are you kneeling here today? I don’t care whether you’re sincere or if you secretly resent me. To me, you’re nothing but a flea. I can’t be bothered with you." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
"Director Wu, you should take these men and leave. Why are they tied up in my establishment? They’re covered in blood. I’m worried they’ll stain my floors."
The words were utterly humiliating. Blood rushed to the heads of Huang Zhong and his men.
While Huang Zhong and his men were filled with shame and indignation, Director Wu was filled with terror.
’Master Xuan Ye is still furious with the City Construction Department,’ he thought. ’If I just leave now, I’ll probably be stripped of my position as Director in a matter of minutes.’
"Master Xuan Ye, the City Construction Department was in the wrong yesterday. I have brought these men to you. As of today, they are no longer part of my department. Why don’t you keep them here? Whether you want to kill them or torture them, they are yours to deal with as you see fit." Director Wu was willing to do anything to earn Ye Xuan’s forgiveness.
"Director..." Huang Zhong and his men cried out in alarm.
"Heh. I, Xuan Ye, am a respectable person. I would never do something like run a private torture chamber," Ye Xuan said, looking at Huang Zhong and his men with contempt.
"Master Xuan Ye, you are a peerless genius. To be so formidable at such a young age, you are destined to become a dragon among men. If we have offended you, please find it in your heart to be magnanimous. A great man such as yourself should be forgiving," Director Wu practically begged.
"Director Wu, I know you’re only pleading and swallowing your pride because you’re afraid the Artifact Refining Workshop will come after you, right?"
"No, not at all! We are sincerely begging for your forgiveness, Master Xuan Ye, in hopes of appeasing your anger," Director Wu explained hurriedly.
"I can forgive you. But everything has a price, doesn’t it? Yesterday, your men from the City Construction Department smashed our shop and ruined our business. You think a simple ’I’m sorry’ will be the end of it?"
’He wants compensation?’
A flash of joy went through Director Wu’s heart. ’Is he finally stating his terms?’ It was much easier to deal with someone who stated their terms. Director Wu wasn’t afraid of Ye Xuan’s demands; he was afraid of his unforgiving silence.
"What compensation do you require, Master Xuan Ye? As long as it is within my power, I will do everything I can to provide it," Director Wu vowed.
"How about this," Ye Xuan said coldly. "You damaged our shop, so you can compensate us with another one. A fair trade, wouldn’t you say?"
What?
The moment Ye Xuan stated his demand, Director Wu was dumbstruck.
He had expected Ye Xuan to ask for money, but he never imagined he would demand a shop—and a shop in the Imperial Capital’s market district at that. The value of such a property couldn’t be measured in gold alone.
It was said that if any minor family in the empire managed to acquire a shop in the Imperial Capital’s market district, they could become a major noble house after a century of business.
"What, you can’t do it? If you can’t, then please leave." Ye Xuan waved his hand dismissively.
Since they were negotiating, Ye Xuan wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity for some good old-fashioned extortion.
"No... I can do it." After a moment’s hesitation, Director Wu gritted his teeth.
As the department in charge of all construction in the Imperial Capital, it was perfectly normal for the City Construction Department to own a few shops in the market district.
The problem was, these shops belonged to the department, not to Director Wu personally. If he handed one over, he would surely face severe consequences when the Empire inevitably investigated.
But at that moment, he couldn’t afford to worry about the future. If he failed to satisfy Ye Xuan’s demand, he’d be out of a job in less than two weeks.
An hour later, Director Wu returned with a deed.
"Master Xuan Ye, this is the deed for the shop at Number 21, East Street. From this day forward, it’s yours. Even if the Empire investigates later, they’ll come to me. This will have absolutely nothing to do with you."
Director Wu said, his voice a mixture of pained reluctance and grim determination.
Ye Xuan took the deed and was slightly surprised. The shop Director Wu had chosen was right next to the Luo family’s shop.
No wonder Huang Zhong and his men had spoken so casually about rezoning the shops on East Street yesterday. The location they were targeting belonged to the City Construction Department all along.
"Master Xuan Ye, the shop is now yours. So, about the City Construction Department’s transgression..."
Ye Xuan waved his hand. "You may go, Director Wu. We’ll consider this matter closed. But if your City Construction Department ever dares to cause trouble for us again, it won’t be settled so easily."
Director Wu was overjoyed. He knew the matter was finally resolved.
Since Ye Xuan had forgiven him, the Artifact Refining Workshop shouldn’t pose any more problems.
Coincidentally, Master Xuli was also present. Both Director Wu and Commander Jia turned to look at him.
"Since Master Xuan Ye has forgiven the two of you, the Artifact Refining Workshop will naturally not cause you any trouble," Xuli said. "You may return and rest easy. The cooperation between the Workshop and your two departments will continue."
"Thank you, Master Xuli!" The two men were ecstatic. The matter was finally, truly, resolved.
"As for certain lawless individuals," Xuli said, glancing at Huang Zhong’s group, "I suggest you don’t employ them in the future, Director Wu."
Director Wu spat at Huang Zhong’s group in disgust. In his heart, he wanted to flay them alive. If it weren’t for these idiots, he never would have been in this mess.
He cupped his fist to Commander Jia. "Commander Jia, these men are no longer members of the City Construction Department. In light of their lawless behavior yesterday while using their official identities, I, as the Director, am formally reporting them to the Celestial Dragon Guard. I ask that you take them to the Celestial Prison for a thorough interrogation to see if there’s a larger conspiracy at play."
"Director, no!" Huang Zhong and his men cried out, their faces contorted with despair.
"Captain Shao, I’ll leave this matter in your hands," Commander Jia said flatly.
