Chapter 686 First contact

Chapter 686 First contact

In the same city, not that far from the small roadside restaurant in which Wu Long's group sat down, two figures that arrived not that long apart from them were still walking the streets, seemingly in search of something.

One of them had very subtle, almost imperceptible signs of an unstable aura, walking with steady and decisive stride. The one slightly behind him was less confident, alertly surveilling their surroundings.

"Hahaha, your associate is quite obvious, did he drop his guard when you passed into the city?", a steady, slightly raspy voice spoke, a note of amusement hinted in it.

The two stopped to look at a man looking to be in his forties, who approached from the opposite direction they were going in, stopping in turn to look back at them.

"I wondered when someone would approach, so I had him help with making you more comfortable to do so", the man walking in front answered with a subtle answer.

"Heh, no wonder", the man who approached the pair nodded with a chuckle, not believing that explanation for even a moment, " That said, I hope you will retract that signaling, we don't want attracting more attention now that you have someone to talk to, do we?"

"Why not? The more the merrier is it not?", the man in front raised his bamboo hat to reveal a middle-aged looking man with neatly kept black facial hair, with sharp eyes, often called by his allies Old Yen.

The man standing in front of him quickly gazed over both strangers, and not finding anything noteworthy of the companion besides some obvious observations that gave him some clues, refocused his attention on Old Yen who was far more worthy of attention.

"It could turn quite ugly", he noted, "You may not know about it, but areas near links to the world you came from are quite wild"

"How kind of you to offer such information upfront"

"Consider it a show of good faith, not that you lacked it anyway. Though not everyone can pick on the clues you so expertly left only traces of so we might be safe for some time. Won't lie, passing Heavenly Tribulation amid yesterday's storm is bloody brilliant", the man commended Old Yen's masterful concealment of his origins with only the slightest clues perhaps purposely left. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Why be so apprehensive? Is that not a simple business transaction?", Old Yen pressed with his smile widening.

"Indeed it is", the man opposite finally recovered his composure, amicably smiling in return, his tone, however, shifting as he continued "But our positions are not equal, are they? You depend on my being interested in keeping this encounter under wraps, so that I could extract the maximum benefits from it. If you refuse to cooperate, and I have no more interest, what's to stop me from simply announcing your presence?"

"You'll invite your rivals to get a chance of obtaining what you couldn't? Really? I don't think so", Old Yen shook his head with a confident smile, "Your best bet to obtain what you want and outdo your competition, would have been to kidnap and torture me, which you would have undoubtedly done if it was possible. However, what a dilemma, we're in the same Cultivation Realm, unlike you expected, and however new to it I am, it would be a stretch to say you have a ten out of ten assurance that you can take me down without resistance and fuss that would indeed attract too much attention. Given that, your next best course of action is the one you already took, to try a peaceful negotiation. You revealed it by approaching me, man. Let's not sit here and pretend that isn't the case"

The man slightly grimaced, revealing his frustration for the first time.

"Damn I hate dealing with smart people", he then made a light laugh, returning to an amicable expression, accentuating his every next word with a tap of his index finger toward Old Yen, "And you, my friend, are very smart", then with a smile, "being honest here. Hahaha. Fine then, an even transaction it is then"

His tone became light and friendly, as he sought to reset the tone of the discussion itself, but it seemed Old Yen was not so inclined.

"Hmm, even... is it? I would think I still have an edge, in that there are others I can get the same information from, and you don't"

"Ha! The audacity! Your next counterpart can be less amicable, you know? There are Essence Gathering Realm experts here as well", the man opposite Old Yen exclaimed between irritation, a kind of awe, and amusement, at the same time very thoroughly hiding a reaction toward the information Old Yen, intentionally or not, slipped up, in that 'he is alone'.

"I can still take my chances, and it's not like I am not cautious", Old Yen shrugged his shoulders, as his opponent was studying every expression and mannerism, trying to determine if the earlier slip-up was true or a feint.

Finally the man relaxed back in his seat again, gesturing with open hand "Fine then, if we are not to have an even transaction, what is it that you propose then, surely you're not expecting me to just accept whatever terms you propose?"

"Of course not" Old Yen shook his head with a chuckle, and then leaning forward, interlocked his fingers together on the table, "How about we start with some goodwill from you first though? A small gesture...", he made an expression of being in thought that slightly erred on the theatrical, as his counterpart knew well he already had something in mind, and then with an expression of 'that's it!!!', proceeded "...how about you give me all the 'superficial', as you called it, information that you so generously give out for free first, and then we can go from there"

The man opposite Old Yen first raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then narrowed his eyes, suspecting some trickery in how much lighter this request was than he expected. But not able to see Old Yen's expression that seemed to be now more friendly than some minutes before, slowly nodded his head.

Hehehe ^^