Beast World: A Fragile Beauty Blessed with Many Children-Chapter 199 - 198: Pushing Their Luck Too Far

Wei Ce had never paid much attention to the clan’s affairs, so he couldn’t help but ask, "Why? If they aren’t willing to accept a rent increase, we can just find new tenants. Someone will surely think our rent is reasonable."

The Seventh Elder sighed. "Don’t underestimate the Gray Parrot Clan. They may not have much Combat Power, but they’re masters at stirring up trouble.

They’ve not only united with the other two tenants, but they’re also trying to rally all the tenants in our Iron-eating Beast Clan’s shops throughout the entire North City District.

They’re spouting nonsense about how people should operate with integrity, and how we can’t just follow the trend and raise rent every year with exorbitant demands. They call it dishonest and are trying to organize a collective boycott.

We’re left with two choices: either leave the shops empty and unrented, or keep the rent for these few tenants at the original price.

We also felt it was better to avoid trouble. The Iron-eating Beast Clan already has a lot of land and shops, which makes others envious. If we aren’t a bit more low-key and restrained, there’s no telling what might happen..."

They weren’t afraid of offending the Gray Parrot Clan; they were afraid of inciting public outrage.

Si Shuo, Ji Liang, and the others exchanged a look. They had been too naive before, thinking they could be fearless with the support of the Iron-eating Beast Clan.

But now that their fates were tied to the Iron-eating Beast Clan’s, for better or for worse, they discovered that even the Iron-eating Beastmen couldn’t just do as they pleased. They had too many concerns and entangled interests.

They would have to build up their own standing first before they could completely overturn their current disadvantaged and constrained position!

The Seventh Elder was in charge of renting out the clan’s fields and shops and collecting rent. The Gray Parrot Clan Members, relying on their influence in the business world, would try to delay paying rent from the beginning of the year to the very end—they’d even try to push it into the next year.

The Iron-eating Beast Clan had grown numb from chasing them for rent. The Gray Parrot Clan never said they wouldn’t pay; they would just claim to have cash flow problems. Or, if they saw an Iron-eating Beastman getting anxious, they’d pay a small portion to placate them, since they did eventually pay the full rent every year. The relationship between the Gray Parrot Clan and the Iron-eating Beast Clan was awkwardly stuck on the verge of a complete fallout. Their behavior even led other tenants to follow their example, dragging their feet on rent payments.

That was why even when the Gray Parrot Clan’s Female Saint, Ma Zhi, made the bold proclamation that she would offer half her clan’s Crystal Stones to fill Bamboo Mountain, she was still denied entry to the Iron-eating Beast Clan’s ancestral home!

Now, the Seventh Elder straightened his back, led the group directly to the entrance of the Gray Parrot Clan’s clothing shop, and called out in a loud voice, "Is Shopkeeper Ma Zuo in?"

Hearing his powerful voice, Ma Zuo, who had been dozing off inside, quickly gestured to his assistant before hunching over and scurrying to the back courtyard.

"Well now, what a rare guest! Seventh Elder, what brings you out so early? Are you looking for our Shopkeeper Ma Zuo? He didn’t come in today. I think a relative of his just had a cub, so he went to deliver a gift.

Is there something you need? I can’t imagine it would require you to make a trip in person..." the young assistant asked with a smile.

The Seventh Elder wasn’t surprised. Out of every five visits, they were lucky to see Ma Zuo even once.

He shouted to the two adjacent shops and received the same answer: the shopkeepers weren’t in. By now, a crowd of onlookers had gathered.

This time, the Seventh Elder spoke with calm authority. "As a matter of fact, there is. You happen to be three months behind on this year’s rent. From now on, you won’t have to pay it at all. We’re no longer renting these properties out. These three shops will be part of Wei Ce’s dowry.

You have two days to hurry up and move out. Otherwise, we’ll clear your things out for you, and we won’t be responsible for any damaged or missing items."

The expressions of the assistants from all three shops changed. The Iron-eating Beast Clan had never taken such a hard line before.

"Seventh Elder, please rest assured, we would never default on our rent! We’ve been partners for twenty or thirty years. Can you name a single year we haven’t paid?" the Gray Parrot assistant said quickly, forcing a smile. "Our shopkeeper really isn’t here right now. Tomorrow—no, wait, I’ll send someone to get a message to him right away..."

The Seventh Elder chuckled. "Even if you wanted to pay now, we wouldn’t take it. And it’s all thanks to you for always being late with the rent. If you weren’t, we would have signed a new contract at the beginning of the year, and it would have been much harder to kick you out."

His words struck a painful blow to the shopkeepers hiding inside their shops. They had only been pushing their luck, testing the Iron-eating Beast Clan’s limits step by step. How could they have expected such a sudden turn of events!

Twenty or thirty years of habit had led them to believe that it wasn’t them begging the Iron-eating Beastmen to rent out the shops, but rather the Iron-eating Beastmen who were afraid of them not renewing the lease.

Ma Zuo summoned another young assistant in the shop and gave him a few instructions.

The young assistant came out and said with a smile, "Seventh Elder, isn’t this a bit sudden? Our Gray Parrot Clan’s clothing shop has been open for over twenty years. Who doesn’t know that our clothes are well-made, with bright and beautiful colors?

Shouldn’t you have given us at least half a year’s notice? Where are we supposed to move a shop this large? And where will everyone else go to buy clothes? The Iron-eating Beast Clan can’t just bully people with your power...

To put it bluntly, if our Gray Parrot Clan doesn’t sell clothes here, no one else will dare to step inside to buy anything.

Since it’s going to be a losing business anyway, you might as well just keep renting to us and collect your rent in peace!"

It was a blatant threat. Si Shuo understood what he meant: they had ways to keep customers from showing up.

’Hmph. When Ji Liang and I first arrived in Guangshou City, we had no roots and no backing, but we still wouldn’t let anyone push us around. Now that we have the Iron-eating Beast Clan behind us, there’s no way we’ll let the Gray Parrot Clan act so arrogant and insolent!’

Si Shuo smiled faintly, pressing her lips together. She took a step forward, and Xiao Cheng and Wei Ce moved to flank her protectively.

She held her fist out in front of the young assistant, then turned it over and opened her palm, revealing a few rootless flower seeds.

Before the crowd, she once again demonstrated her growth-accelerating superpower. Once the rootless flowers had bloomed, Si Shuo toyed with one of the exceptionally lively flowers as it flew around her fingers. She asked with a light laugh, "I wonder, if we were to sell Rootless Flower Wood Spirits in our shop, would there still be no customers? Is the Gray Parrot Clan’s reputation so great that you can blot out the sky with one hand and dictate everyone’s preferences?"

"It’s a Rootless Flower Wood Spirit!" The crowd of onlookers finally erupted. They hadn’t expected it to be created by this Female Saint. Someone immediately shouted, "How could no one buy them? Female Saint, when you open your shop, will you be selling these?

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ll definitely buy one for my female and cubs!"

"Right, right! The Gray Parrot Clan isn’t that influential! They’re just arrogant because they know a few dyeing techniques. They look down their noses at everyone. If there were any other choice, I wouldn’t set foot in their shop..."

"The Gray Parrot Clan must not be afraid of biting their own tongues. Since when do they speak for all the Beastmen in the North City District? Their clan members use their few Crystal Stones to get away with all sorts of dirty deeds... If they have so many Crystal Stones, why do the Iron-eating Beast Clan have to practically beg them for rent every time? They’re just trying to take advantage of them..."

"Female Saint, is that Rootless Flower Wood Spirit in your hand for sale? I’ll offer two Level 10 Crystal Stones..."

"I’ll offer five!" Someone was already too impatient to wait for Si Shuo to open her shop.

The look on the Gray Parrot Clan members’ faces was priceless, while the representatives from the other two shops looked as if they were about to drop to their knees and cry.