Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 586 - 18: The Funeral Without Tears (Part Six)

Chapter 586: Chapter 18: The Funeral Without Tears (Part Six)

Zhao He seemed not to notice the mockery in Cha Xiaodao’s words, or perhaps he noticed but didn’t mind.

"I’ve done a special investigation on the two of you. We promise that if you join us, we will help you obtain the Dragon Liver and Bear Paw from the Zhou Ritual’s Eight Treasures. The condition is your voting rights in the Yan Zhao Club’s referendum. Additionally, the tonics you produce must go to market through us. We won’t take a cut, all profits will be yours."

Pausing for a moment, Zhao He continued, "As for Li Yan, we will do our best to get Taishuai into the second seat of the Yan Zhao Club. If we fail, we will compensate him in other ways. If we succeed, we will also only request Taishuai’s voting rights in the Yan Zhao Club’s referendum."

He spread his hands, "These are separate matters. You can think it over. Honestly, we are more interested in you than in Li Yan. He is just too much of a handful."

With that, he took out an old-fashioned cell phone and handed it to Cha Xiaodao, "Once you’ve decided, you can use this to contact me."

[Philips e999]

Quality: Special

There is only one number, which will always connect, no matter the circumstances.

Cha Xiaodao had intended to decline immediately, but upon hearing that the other party had clues about the Dragon Liver and Bear Paw, he still took the mobile phone.

"Farewell."

After Zhao He said this, he left without intending to linger.

Cha Xiaodao fiddled with the old phone, frowning deeply.

He looked around to find that Li Yan and Lady Dan were nowhere to be seen and probably wouldn’t be back for a while. He was feeling utterly bored when he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure in the corner of his eye.

Cha Xiaodao took a closer look, confirmed he wasn’t mistaken, and his heartbeat sped up, his legs moving towards her involuntarily.

It was a woman with wavy hair, wearing a black jacket, and a faint beauty mark at the corner of her mouth. She stood alone, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Uh, hello? Miss Mei?"

Cha Xiaodao approached and called out to her, and the woman turned around instinctively.

"It really is you."

Cha Xiaodao lowered his voice, his expression filled with a hint of surprise.

The guide for Li Yan was Mo, a greasy and slightly neurotic fat guy. Cha Xiaodao was much luckier; his guide was this spirited yet seductive woman in front of him. In fact, during that period, this woman had also given Cha Xiaodao a great deal of help, no less than the life-saving grace Mo provided Li Yan.

"I, I was thinking when I came earlier if I could run into you, and I didn’t expect to actually, uh, how have you been?"

Cha Xiaodao appeared somewhat uneasy.

The woman stared at Cha Xiaodao and nodded, then politely smiled, "Excuse me, do we know each other?"

————————————————

Li Yan and Lady Dan sat down in the corridor as busy crowds hurried past. Anyone of them could possess the martial power to plunge a modern city into terror or even stranger abilities. Yet their ordinariness and the air of everyday life almost made Li Yan not believe it.

Li Yan even saw a big, burly man tenderly comforting his wife on the phone. From the other end, a woman’s voice with a Sichuan accent was incessantly complaining, "Your company doesn’t have any business trips; where did you die off to?" "Where did your travel expenses come from? Are you hoarding secret savings?" "I can’t live like this anymore, tomorrow I’m taking the baby back to my dad’s house." The words were like popping beans.

Li Yan and Lady Dan pricked up their ears as the man tried to appease his wife and hurried away, not without casting an annoyed glance in their direction.

"What’s this ’secret savings’?"

After the man had left, Lady Dan asked with a smile.

"It’s the money men use for drinking, eating, and entertaining."

Li Yan remained unmoved.

"Oh~"

Lady Dan elongated the tone.

"By the way, Dayan, of the Ten Masters of Yan Fu, which one do you admire more?"

"Why ask such a thing out of the blue?"

Lady Dan flashed a smiling look at Li Yan, "Just making conversation."

"I don’t have a feel for them. If I have to choose, Cao Yuanchao I guess."

Lady Dan widened her eyes, "Why?"

"Like I said, I was forced to choose. What about you?"

"I admire Zhao Jianzhong more."

"Why?"

"I can’t quite say. There are so many people complaining about Zhao Jianzhong’s rules, yet not many oppose them. It’s not something that can be achieved by force alone."

"It’s because, Zhao Jianzhong’s rules make the vast majority of people in Yan Fu feel that they haven’t been alienated by this society. This sense of belonging is precious to us."

Li Yan explained, "We weren’t born to live in Yan Fu; we already have our own stubborn pursuits in this world. The affection of a wife, the admiration of children, the appreciation of superiors, the respect of friends. Everyone needs this. But unfettered power will devour all of these things."

"But, since you think so clearly about it, why don’t you admire Zhao Jianzhong?"

"There’s no contradiction. I don’t admire my father either."

Li Yan said this with a smile, yet a trace of shadow lingered in his heart. His words were not yet complete.

There is nothing that cannot be changed, and people are no exception. The longer one stays in the bizarre environment of Yan Fu, the less significant past constraints and shackles become, especially since in this world, there are some who sin purely for pleasure.

However, these have little to do with Li Yan at the moment.

"Lady Dan, in your opinion, who among the Ten Masters is the strongest?"

Li Yan tentatively sought Lady Dan’s perspective.

Lady Dan shook her head: "It’s too complicated, I don’t have the ability to judge that."

"Oh."

Li Yan nodded.

"However, purely from my perspective, Mr. Zhuo gives me the strongest sense of pressure."

"I see."

Li Yan thought for a moment, then suddenly turned to Lady Dan and said, "I need to use the restroom. Wait for me here."

Lady Dan nodded.

"Then come back soon."

"No problem."

———————————————

"Do you need me for something?"

Zhan Yuejin looked at Li Yan standing before him.

Li Yan didn’t speak but showed him some of Earth Endurance’s textual information.

A promise from the Feather Lord: "You may make one request to the Feather Lord and Third Eye Tech that doesn’t defy common sense."

Zhan Yuejin’s expression grew more serious.

He lightly tapped his hand, and everything around them suddenly became blurred.

After a pause, Zhan Yuejin finally said, "Yuan Chao has other important matters, so he won’t make it to Qin An’s funeral. If you have any requests, tell me. I’ll fulfill them if I can."

Without hesitation, Li Yan said, "I request that all the voting rights belonging to Third Eye Global fully support the new Taishuai’s accession to the Second Seat."

Zhan Yuejin frowned deeply as he listened.

Seeing Li Yan’s determined eyes, he began to speak slowly, "I can agree to this condition on behalf of Third Eye Global. But are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?"

"Mr. Zhan, what aspect are you referring to?"

"Personally, I think this is a waste of your request. I’ll be frank with you, I support Mountain Spirit’s entry into the Yan Zhao Club, but I’m not optimistic about her making it to the Second Seat, even with the support of Third Eye Global’s voting rights."

"Do the best we can. Regardless, I will remember Mr. Zhan and Third Eye Global’s generous assistance."

"This isn’t like you. May I be so bold as to ask the reason?"

"... Because she wants to enter."

Zhan Yuejin was silent for a while and then laughed: "I really don’t know whether to praise you for having the demeanor of the ancients or to mock you for being blinded by desire."

Li Yan didn’t react.

"I agree to your request."

"Thank you."

Li Yan bowed slightly in thanks.

The surroundings became clear again.

"If there’s nothing else, you can leave," Zhan Yuejin said, massaging his forehead.

Li Yan left as told.

Zhan Yuejin turned to the bald, muscular man beside him and said, "Call Wen Ji over."

...

"He wishes!"

Si Wenji placed her hands on her hips: "Helping Taishuai? That would be the day."

"This isn’t about what you want or don’t want."

Zhan Yuejin stared at her: "Yuan Chao cannot afford to lose this face."

When Zhan Yuejin mentioned Cao Yuanchao, Si Wenji’s arrogance was somewhat deflated.

It was a while before she took a deep breath and scoffed.