Chapter 3764 — Thrown Out

On top of all that, there were all manner of other lavish benefits to add in. To say nothing of anything else, just these four men here, taken together, cost an astronomical sum each year, one that an ordinary merchant association could not possibly afford.

No wonder so many people said the Hong Clan Merchant Association was unfathomable. Even his own disciple Yu Jiang had deliberately warned him that once he arrived at the Hong Clan Merchant Association he must absolutely not act rashly, that he had to be courteous, that it would be a complete success if he could merely learn the identity and background of the man from that day, and that under no circumstances was he to clash with the Hong Clan Merchant Association.

When Yu Jiang had said those things back then, Nan Tianyong had simply assumed his disciple was too timid to stir up trouble, and so he had paid it no mind at all. His head had been full of schemes to seize the opportunity and extort a hefty sum. But looking back on it now, this was nothing short of courting death!

Surrounded by four experts whose strength surpassed his own, every one of them with a hostile look and a murderous aura that made the heart quail, Nan Tianyong broke out in a cold sweat in an instant.

If it truly came to blows, forget escaping—he would not even have the chance to make a move. The four of them need only twitch a finger, and any hope he had of leaving behind an intact corpse would be pure fantasy.

Yet though he knew the situation was bad, Nan Tianyong had always been domineering by habit. Even facing a scene like this, he still craned his neck and refused to back down. The three heroes of the Nan Clan had always been willing to lose the fight, but never the show!

"What's this, then? You people do business, and you'd actually dare lay hands on me, a supervisory deacon of Chongtian Pavilion? I'll put it plainly right here and now: if any of you dares touch a single hair on my head, that's a direct challenge to Chongtian Pavilion! I'd like to see whether you've got the guts for that!" Nan Tianyong shouted, feigning toughness.

Hong Zhong exchanged a glance with the several expert retainers of the Hong Clan Merchant Association, and their eyes were full of mockery. The man was clearly quaking inside, yet he still put on this act—a textbook case of bluster covering cowardice.

Still, Nan Tianyong's words did have some effect. Had he been nothing but a lone cultivator, then simply for daring to smash the Hong Clan Merchant Association's table, Hong Zhong would never have let him walk out of here alive.

But the problem was that this Nan Tianyong was one of Chongtian Pavilion's people, and more critically, a supervisory deacon of Chongtian Pavilion. As the saying goes, one must consider the master before beating the dog. Though by his conduct today alone, Hong Zhong had ample reason to strike him dead on the spot.

Yet the Hong Clan Merchant Association, though it had never feared trouble, would not stir up trouble rashly either, out of consideration for its interests.

As the foremost of the Three-Tiered Pavilions of the Northern Island, Chongtian Pavilion not only wielded vast power but also enjoyed deep-rooted backing; its interests were entangled with many powerful figures of the Central Island. It was, in very truth, a colossal monster.

If Nan Tianyong were killed here today, Hong Zhong might well vent his anger and save face, but at the same time it would amount to slapping Chongtian Pavilion in the face before all present. After all, the man was a supervisory deacon of Chongtian Pavilion, not some ordinary inner sect disciple with no symbolic standing.

An ordinary inner sect disciple—even one of Chongtian Pavilion's—so long as that disciple had no deep backing of his own, could be written off as a private grudge. Kill him and it was done; Chongtian Pavilion would hardly fall out with the equally mighty Hong Clan Merchant Association over such a trifle.

But to kill a supervisory deacon of Chongtian Pavilion in public—that would be grave indeed. To use a phrase common in the secular world, this would be a diplomatic incident of a serious and vicious nature. If only for the sake of face, the higher-ups of Chongtian Pavilion could absolutely not turn a blind eye; they would have no choice but to step forward and fight the Hong Clan Merchant Association to the bitter end.

When that time came, whoever had made today's decision might well become the sacrificial pawn in a compromise struck between the upper echelons of the two great powers. This was something Hong Zhong, ever skilled at weighing the winds and tides, could not possibly have failed to foresee.

So, if only to protect himself, the seasoned and prudent Hong Zhong would not resort to such an extreme measure. He at once ordered in a low voice to the four expert retainers: "This creature has come to the Hong Clan Merchant Association to provoke and make trouble. Kindly throw the four of you—throw him out, so he stops his squawking here and disrupting our business."

The four expert retainers nodded at once. Among cultivators, capturing a foe alive was far harder than killing him, but here they held absolute superiority not only in strength but in numbers. To throw Nan Tianyong out would be the work of a single thought.

Seeing the four men's powerful auras descend upon him layer upon layer, and that they were about to act, Nan Tianyong finally panicked.

He had been certain they would not dare kill him in public, but if no life was lost and he was merely thrown out, Chongtian Pavilion would not intervene at all. After all, that would only cost Nan Tianyong himself face, and would not tarnish Chongtian Pavilion's dignity.

Pinned motionless by the auras of the four expert retainers, Nan Tianyong hastily softened his stance: "No need to be in such a hurry to act! How about this—I'll take a step back. I won't ask you for a thousand spirit jade. Just tell me the identity and background of the man who injured my disciple, and that should be entirely reasonable. It won't put you at a loss, will it?"

Everyone present snorted with laughter at this. The man was truly despicable—only at the last moment did he finally think to soften, when he should have done so long ago. A bully who cringed before the strong and tyrannized the weak—just as expected!

Hong Zhong let out a laugh. He cast his ringed eyes over the other guests who had been drawn by the commotion Nan Tianyong had caused, and smirked inwardly. This buffoon had actually handed him a fine opportunity to advertise and burnish the Hong Clan Merchant Association's lofty image.

Hong Zhong at once said solemnly: "Here at the Hong Clan Merchant Association, the ** of every single guest is our lifeline. We could never divulge it to any unrelated party. So this demand of yours strikes me as utterly unreasonable. Four retainers, you may act."

The four expert retainers nodded and moved at once. Against the combined force of all four, Nan Tianyong could not even manage another shout. He was directly wrapped in layer upon layer of incomparably potent true qi and left utterly immobilized.

Meanwhile, the serving boy at the side had already opened the second-floor window. Nan Tianyong could not even struggle; like so much garbage, he was flung straight out the window.

Bang! A cry of alarm swept through the crowd below, and they hastily cleared a space, letting Nan Tianyong crash hard onto the ground, dazed and reeling, seeing stars.

It was a long while before Nan Tianyong, still dizzy, managed to struggle up from the ground. He reached up and touched his head—it came away covered in fresh blood. His head was split and bleeding, a thoroughly wretched sight.

He was injured!!! Nan Tianyong had actually been injured!!!!

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