Reborn as a Hatrack in the Mystical Land-Chapter 838 - 88: Forceful Negotiation

Time silently slipped by, the sky over the Divine Ruins grew ever more dazzlingly bright. Though there was no sun to be seen, the entire expanse seemed to be scorched as if by a dozen suns, suffocatingly hot.

A glaring whiteness surrounded them. Under such temperatures, bodily fluids evaporated swiftly. If they couldn’t find a reliable water source soon, the consumption of Dark Power would accelerate. If Demon Beasts then attacked, the entire team would be in grave peril.

"Well, how come there’s a new batch of people? Judging by your attire, you’re Dark Practitioners from the Canglong Continent, aren’t you? You actually have the nerve to deal with those Mountain Barbarians? No matter your origins, nor your talents. Previously, I and the Shanman had an arrangement: one living person exchanged for a day’s use of water," the Peerless Expert spoke, his voice filled with a thick murderous intent.

It turned out, relying on their talent, the group of Mountain Barbarians had tracked down this temple.

But they quickly realized a formidable fiend dwelt within the temple.

Even united, the entire force of Mountain Barbarians couldn’t breach the temple.

After negotiations, the Mountain Barbarians and the temple’s old sage struck an agreement.

In the Divine Ruins, food was scarce and water sources were extraordinarily precious. If the Shanman people wanted water, they had to provide food or even living humans for the Peerless Expert within the temple to consume.

This was why, when the Mountain Barbarians seized the stone house, they demanded the captivity of two members from the July Mercenary Team.

Should Yue Jinghua and others show any weakness, and agree, the Mountain Barbarians would keep demanding humans repeatedly.

The scorching invisible sunlight overhead was oppressive, yet everyone, upon hearing the Peerless Expert’s words, felt a chill run through their limbs.

Cannibalism?! Exchanging people for precious water?

The Peerless Expert indeed directly consumed humans; this bewildering claim, coming from his mouth, sounded as casual as eating or drinking, shocking everyone.

Ying Wuwang showed indifference; to the Demon Clan, humans and beasts were no different. In a place like the Divine Ruins, without ample food, sending a few living humans, if managed properly, could not only provide food but also serve survival needs in times of crisis, achieving two goals at once.

These humans, frightened at mere talk of cannibalism, indeed proved utterly useless. No wonder over the past ten thousand years, talents in the Star Plane dwindled, and it had been ages since anyone broke through to the Divine-class Realm reaching godhood.

"Heh, too scared, aren’t you? People from the Canglong Continent grow more useless by the day, timid even in such circumstances. Those Mountain Barbarians proved much sharper; they left a man, promising to return the next day to exchange humans and water. I waited a night and several hours, but saw no one arrive, so I killed that Mountain Barbarian. Initially assuming they broke their promise, now it seems that you killed them. You killed my people, so from now on, you’ll replace them to do my bidding," the Peerless Expert’s words were chillingly cold, although he remained unseen, everyone felt a beast-like gaze sweeping among them, seeming to pick the next target.

The water source must be obtained, there was no time for Yue Jinghua and others to search elsewhere. Yue Jinghua licked her parched lips and stepped forward.

"No," Ying Wuwang spoke, reaching to restrain Yue Jinghua by the shoulder.

She slipped free like a fish, shrugging her shoulder, taking a large stride away.

"Listen here, temple dweller, whether human or demon, if you don’t wish to perish inside here, then give us some water," she spoke forcefully, the words rang straight into the temple.

The few people behind suddenly felt their blood freeze, all drained away as if evaporated. Yue Jinghua wasn’t mad, right? Threatening the temple’s Peerless Expert instead of pleading.

"Heh, what arrogance from a youngling, daring to threaten me," the half-open wooden doors reacted with a loud roar, retreating sharply inward like a whale gulping. Yue Jinghua felt herself being drawn unrestrainedly, about to be pulled past those wooden doors.

Seeing this, Ying Wuwang rushed forward to save Yue Jinghua.

But as he neared the wooden doors, a cracking sound rang and a tremendous force slammed him, forcing Ying Wuwang to retreat.

This temple, as long as anyone approached the wooden doors, was the Domain Expert’s territory, daring no one to act rashly.

In such urgent times, Yue Jinghua remained calm, "The Mountain Barbarians are dead; kill me and you won’t survive either."

Her words barely fell, when the force pulling her vanished.

Landing safely on the ground, she remained composed, brushing back her bangs, laughing boldly, "We’re all here to survive, there’s no need for a lethal struggle. Whatever terms the Mountain Barbarians offered, we’ll offer the same, just one thing—we can provide Demon Beasts, but humans, especially members of our team, are out of the question."

Her speech was soft initially but hardened, leaving no room for negotiation at the end.

Though Yue Jinghua hadn’t entered the temple, she anticipated the difficulty, puzzling the Peerless Expert, "Interesting, interesting, young one, explain how you uncovered my secret."

The old man’s tone turned more curious, the menace fading.

"Simple, barring water, there’s no bark nor roots here, with some Demon Beast bones piled in the courtyard, all signs pointed-out—you couldn’t leave this temple," Yue Jinghua, with a mere glance, noticed the subtle clues.

Everyone turned their gaze back inside the temple; indeed, the bark was stripped off the trees, the earth showed signs of being overturned.

"Heh, sharp ears and eyes, I appreciate dealing with clever folk. Your terms can’t be fully accepted. Due to my constitution, I can’t consume Demon Beasts; within these ruins, only a species known as the Fire Dragon Fish could serve me as food. If you can provide ten Fire Dragon Fish a day, I’ll give you enough water source." The Peerless Expert voiced his terms without haggling.

If he could consume Demon Beasts, even bound within the temple, he could survive by hunting wandering beasts nearby.

Clearly, he wasn’t willing to miss the chance with these Dark Practitioners, especially the young female who negotiated with him, cunning yet likable.

"Then may I ask, senior, where does this Fire Dragon Fish species grow?" Yue Jinghua was in no rush to agree; she needed to confirm the ease of capturing Fire Dragon Fish.