“I don’t know,” he said, but who couldn’t hear the threat in his words?

If you don’t agree, who knows what the Yan family might do?

“Yan Botao, don’t push us too far. Our Bai family has been in Changting Town for many years, we’re not here for nothing!” Bai Jingfei’s face turned iron black. He had never been threatened like this before.

The Yan family was really showing its true colors today.

But if the Yan family wanted to swallow them up, they wouldn’t just sit back and wait for death, they would fight back with all their might.

“I have no objections to the alliance, and I agree to leave Changting Town, but why should you, Yan Botao, be the leader of the alliance!” Zhao Yiqiu stared at Yan Botao.

Everyone watched as the two families united against the Yan family, but they couldn’t participate in such a high-level game. They were now on the same boat with the Zhao and Bai families.

They had no qualifications to compete for the position of the alliance leader.

They didn’t have the capital to resist the Yan family, even if they united, it would be useless, so they had to rely on the two families.

The whole dinner table was already on edge, and the smell of gunpowder was getting stronger.

Facing the questioning of the two families, Yan Botao smiled lightly, not angry at all.

Yan Botao knew very well that Bai Jingfei and Zhao Yiqiu knew that the Yan family had something to rely on, and now the two of them just wanted Yan Botao to reveal his trump card.

“Why?”

At this moment, Yan Botao raised his eyes, and his aura spread out.

The Prenatal True Essence descended like a heavy cloud, and everyone present felt a weight on their shoulders, as if they had fallen into a cold lake, struggling to breathe.

It was hard to struggle!

At this moment, Yan Botao appeared incredibly powerful in their eyes.

Just one look could shake their souls, and one hand seemed capable of crushing their bones.

The feeling of powerlessness seeped into their blood and penetrated their marrow.

It was a complete dimensional strike.

No one could muster the thought of resistance.

Even Zhao Yiqiu and Bai Jingfei, who were already top-notch masters of the Postnatal Realm, felt as if they were being suppressed by a mountain!

The two felt so insignificant in front of Yan Botao.

“Prenatal…”

The two of them widened their eyes and uttered these two words.

The rich Prenatal True Essence had already explained everything.

Yan Botao had stepped into the Prenatal Realm!

Yan Botao didn’t need to explain anything, because this was enough to prove everything.

Even if the Yan family really wanted to swallow up the Bai and Zhao families now, they would be powerless to resist.

Because if Yan Botao wanted to, he could slaughter both families with a single move.

They had no ability to resist a Prenatal, and the fate waiting for them was death.

“Do I still need to say why?” Yan Botao withdrew his aura, and everyone felt a great relief.

The patriarchs of the small families were already sweating profusely, gasping for breath, and their eyes were filled with intense fear when they looked at Yan Botao.

The feeling of life and death being controlled by others.

It was terrifying.

Zhao Yiqiu and Bai Jingfei looked at each other, and could only smile bitterly. They saw great helplessness in each other’s eyes.

With a Prenatal in the Yan family, weren’t they just fish on the chopping block?

How to resist?

“I, the Bai family, agree to form an alliance.”

“My Zhao family also agrees.”

The two could only agree.

They even thought that after the alliance was formed, if the Yan family exploited them further, they could only grit their teeth and endure it.

With the Zhao and Bai families agreeing, what could the other small families say?

They could only agree as well.

“I agree too.”

“I agree.”

Everyone echoed.

“I agree.”

At this time, Xue Hong also stood up and said.

But at this moment, Yan Botao suddenly looked at Xue Hong and said lightly, “Xue Hong of the Xue family, right?”

“Chief Yan.” Xue Hong quickly stepped forward and said, “It’s me.”

“Was Ma Sandao brought by you?” Yan Botao’s voice was calm as a still pond.

As soon as the question was asked, Xue Hong’s heart skipped a beat.

His face turned ugly in an instant.

“Chief Yan…” Xue Hong quickly explained, “There’s a misunderstanding about this, Ma Sandao is…”

Xue Hong hurriedly explained, wanting to say that Ma Sandao was brought by Bai Jingfei.

Bai Jingfei’s face also changed, he was about to be sold out by Xue Hong.

However, just at this critical moment, Xue Hong’s voice abruptly stopped!

With a casual wave of Yan Botao’s hand, a blood mark appeared on Xue Hong’s neck, and Xue Hong fell to the ground, no longer breathing, unable to say anything.

“Plotting against my Yan family.” Yan Botao sneered, “Such a treacherous person wants to form an alliance with my Yan family? He deserves to die.”

The whole scene fell silent.

Everyone looked at Xue Hong lying on the ground, their sweat soaking their clothes, and some people’s legs were even trembling.

Zhao Yiqiu and Bai Jingfei were also deeply shocked.

Xue Hong was also a martial artist at the peak of the Postnatal Realm, but he was killed instantly without any reaction time when faced with Yan Botao’s move.

Yan Botao’s strength was truly terrifying.

And they were not fools, they could hear that Yan Botao was just killing a chicken to scare the monkeys.

This sentence was also meant for them.

At this time, a few members of the Yan family came in and carried Xue Hong’s body out.

“Gentlemen, don’t let this scoundrel ruin your mood, let’s continue drinking.” Yan Botao looked at everyone and said, “And about the alliance, I wonder if you have any other opinions? You can bring them up.”

“Everything is up to Chief Yan.”

Who would dare to say anything at this moment?

“Then I won’t refuse.” Yan Botao nodded.

At this time, Zhao Yiqiu asked, “I wonder what kind of alliance Chief Yan… I mean, Alliance Leader Yan is talking about? We would like to hear your opinion.”

“Well, I do have some ideas, and you can give me some advice.” Yan Botao said.

Everyone sneered in their hearts, just say what you have in mind, what can we advise?

Who dares to object?”Since we plan to venture beyond Changting Town, let’s form an alliance and establish a trading company. Gradually, we can expand to other cities. Our small goal is to spread throughout the entire Minghong Prefecture.”

“Once the time is ripe, we can venture even further,” Yan Botao confidently proposed.

“A trading company?”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yiqiu fell into deep thought.

“There are many trading companies in Minghong Prefecture alone. If we rashly try to establish our company in other cities, we might infringe on others’ interests and easily get ostracized,” Zhao Yiqiu pointed out. “Among the many trading companies, Minghai Trading Company and Yunling Trading Company are the largest. The family powers behind them are not to be underestimated.”

“Minghai Trading Company is backed by the Hai family, and Yunling Trading Company is backed by the Yunling Sect. Both have Prenatal Realm experts at their helm. It won’t be easy to shake their foundations.”

“Zhao Yiqiu, you sure know a lot,” Yan Botao remarked. “Of course, I’m aware that there are many existing trading companies, most of which have their interests divided between Yunling Trading Company and Minghai Trading Company. However, our company might still have a chance. I’ll discuss the specifics with you later.”

“Now that everyone has agreed to form an alliance, things will be easier. After you go back, discuss with your families and decide on an investment amount. I will distribute dividends to your families based on the investment ratio,” Yan Botao addressed the crowd.

At this point, they had no choice but to comply.

Temporarily setting aside the idea of drinking, they decided to return home and discuss the investment amount with their families. These smaller families were still waiting for the decisions of the Bai and Zhao families. They wanted to see if they genuinely agreed to follow the Yan family or had other plans.

Zhao Yiqiu and Bai Jingfei also wanted to leave, but Yan Botao stopped them.

“Wait a moment, both of you.”

Yan Botao called out to them.

“Does the Alliance Leader have other matters?” The two looked at Yan Botao, their eyes filled with confusion and caution.

“Follow me. Our Grandmaster wishes to meet you,” Yan Botao calmly stated.

“Grandmaster?”

Zhao Yiqiu and Bai Jingfei exchanged glances. They had a hunch that the Grandmaster Yan Botao mentioned was the person they had been trying to identify.

Why had the Yan family suddenly risen to power?

How did Yan Botao become a Prenatal Realm expert?

Who killed Ma Sandao after he joined the Yan family?

Could it be this Grandmaster?

As they followed Yan Botao, they couldn’t help but speculate.

“The Grandmaster is our benefactor,” Yan Botao began before they could ask. “You’re right. Ma Sandao died in the Grandmaster’s courtyard. However, the Grandmaster didn’t personally take action. He didn’t deem Ma Sandao worthy of his personal attention.”

“Unworthy?”

Hearing this word, they were even more shocked.

Ma Sandao was a Prenatal Realm expert.

Moreover, he was a figure on the Black List, a ruthless killer with formidable combat power.

This mysterious Grandmaster deemed such a powerful figure unworthy of his personal attention?

Just how powerful was this Grandmaster?

Could he be a Prenatal Realm expert at the peak stage?

Or perhaps a Grandmaster at the perfect stage?

The two suddenly became nervous. They also marveled at the Yan family’s good fortune. Why did all the good things happen to the Yan family? If such a Grandmaster were to join their families, wouldn’t it be like having an ancestor to worship?

Yan Botao led the two to the courtyard where Li Changqing resided. He respectfully announced, “Grandmaster, I’ve brought them.”

“Come in.”

Li Changqing’s voice came from inside.

At that moment, Li Changqing was watering the flowers in the courtyard. With nothing much to do every day, he had planted many rare flowers in the courtyard, courtesy of the Yan family. These were not flowers one could easily find elsewhere.

Each flower was incredibly beautiful, each unique in its own way.

As the three entered, Zhao Yiqiu and Bai Jingfei saw Li Changqing from a distance. However, they didn’t sense any aura of a powerful expert from him.

He seemed like an ordinary person.

The closer they got, the more Bai Jingfei felt that this man looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

“Grandmaster, I’ve brought them,” Yan Botao respectfully announced.

“Sit,” Li Changqing put down the watering can and turned to look at the two.

Upon seeing Li Changqing’s face, Bai Jingfei exclaimed in surprise, “Aren’t you Li Changqing from Changqing Art Studio?”

“Changqing Art Studio?”

Zhao Yiqiu blinked, then blurted out, “You mean that utterly useless painter whose son is cultivating in Dao Mountain Ancient Land and who has never produced any remarkable paintings?”

“How dare you!”

Yan Botao roared in anger.

His roar, imbued with Prenatal Realm energy, made the two feel as if their heads were about to explode. They staggered back a few steps and collapsed onto the ground.

Their faces turned pale. They couldn’t withstand Yan Botao’s mere roar.

“It’s alright, no need to be so angry. It’s not a big deal. They’re not wrong to see me as a useless painter. That’s how outsiders see me,” Li Changqing said with a smile.

“I just can’t stand their disrespect towards you, Grandmaster,” Yan Botao quickly explained. In his heart, Li Changqing was the Yan family’s greatest benefactor. Without Li Changqing, Yan Botao would never have had the chance to enter the Prenatal Realm in his lifetime.

“Ignorance is not a crime. It’s fine,” Li Changqing said, indicating that he didn’t mind.

“Yes,” Yan Botao respectfully stepped aside, but not before shooting the two a fierce glare, as if to say, ‘The Grandmaster pleaded for you, so I’ll let you off this time. But there won’t be a next time.’

Zhao Yiqiu and Bai Jingfei were dumbfounded. Seeing Yan Botao being so obedient, they wondered if he had been fooled by Li Changqing.

Li Changqing had lived in Changting Town for many years.

He couldn’t even reach the level of a junior painter.

Moreover, he was a wastrel with no skills. The paintings he produced were all rubbish. He had once luckily produced a painting that helped someone break through to the Postnatal Realm. He then bragged about it until the whole of Changting Town knew about it.Ever since then, there had been no achievements to speak of.

A man with no real skills, yet fond of showing off, living off the wealth of his son from Dao Mountain Ancient Land.

That had always been the public opinion of him. How did he suddenly become a high-ranking official in the Yan family? The gap between the two was too vast.

“Gentlemen,” Li Changqing said with a smile, “Don’t sit on the ground, it’s cold. Please, take a seat.”

With that, Li Changqing waved his hand.

In an instant, the sound of a dragon’s roar echoed in their ears, as if a streak of golden light had flashed across the sky!

By the time they came to their senses, they were shocked to find themselves sitting on the stone bench in the courtyard.

It was as if the stars had shifted.

What… what just happened?

The two of them, both at the peak of their abilities, had been moved from the ground to the chairs without any sensation, and they hadn’t even seen how the other party had made his move.

Such a feat, even Yan Botao couldn’t accomplish, could he?

Was all of this done by Li Changqing?

What level of cultivation was needed to achieve this?

For a moment, their minds were in turmoil.

This Li Changqing, was he a hidden expert who had been putting on a show all these years in Changting Town?

(End of Chapter)