Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Based on their short conversation, Yaj did not sense the slightest panic from this young man who had unappealing facial features but an indescribable expression and black hair that represented ‘a lowly identity’ in most of the countries in the Green Leaf Mainland in front of her.
As she gave an order—”Guard the door!”—to the soldiers who followed her, she gently fanned the fragrant fan and walked into the hotel room gracefully. She sat directly on the round chair in the center of the living room and opened her veil, revealing an exceptionally beautiful face. At once, it felt like the entire room had become brightly lit.
All of the girls who had a close relationship with Zhang Lisheng—be it his true girlfriend Tina, secret lover Maddie, or his forbidden love Trish—had a look and body that were above standard. What was more attractive about them was their different temperaments, but the look of the girl in front could let all men ignore everything else.
“A look as beautiful as Helen? Or should I say, ‘a look that could topple a nation…’” Although Zhang Lisheng had already become a god, he still could not help but be caught off-guard for a moment and blurted out under his breath.
“What did you say, Sir Lisheng?” Yaj had long accustomed to having men being stunned by her look, so she asked with a smile.
“There’s an ancient legend in my hometown that talks about,” The young man strolled to the opposite side of the woman and sat down with a slight shift of his gaze, “A mediocre and greedy monarch who lost his country because he lusted over a beautiful woman.”
“Oh, there’s even such legend? Can you tell me the story?” Yaj asked with great interest. The charm oozed from the shallow curvature that appeared in the corner of her mouth was like a sharp-cut machete that could slice open the heart of even the most determined warrior. Unfortunately, it did not seem to work on Zhang Lisheng.
“It’s just some very boring stories, there’s nothing much to say about it,” The young man shook his head and stared at the woman’s eyes before saying, “Let us go straight to business. Miss Yaj, I think you know that Mr. Vitas that your Golden Velvet Flower Trading has fed to the fish had reached an agreement with me. He would introduce me to that tribal chief from the Nutao Sea while I would help him obtain the trading right of the Wizard Li tribe in the Scorpion Island. Now that he’s dead, I want to know whether this agreement is still valid or not?”
“Sir, a close relationship with the tribal chief from the Nutao Sea is one of the biggest commercial secrets of Golden Velvet Flower Trading…”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to hear any excuses. I just want to know if the agreement is still valid or not?”
“Sir Lisheng, things are not as simple as you think. This is not to open the stomach of a poor beast to take whatever organ you like freely…”
“Miss Yaj, the pursuit of life for many scholars like me is to solve complicated problems simply. I’m one of them,” Faced with Yaj’s repeated evasion, Zhang Lisheng asked for the third time expressionless, “Be it your intimidation earlier, or your evasion now, none of it would have any effect on me. Let me ask you one last time. Does Golden Velvet Flower Trading still want to fulfill the agreement I had with Mr. Vitas or not?”
“Sir, Nutao Sea is not the only one that has rare animals. Actually, there are many primitive jungles on the Green Leaf Mainland too. There…” Yaj tried to make a final effort, but she then saw the young man standing up silently and walked to the front of the room. He opened the door and made a gesture indicating that she should leave.
In the face of Zhang Lisheng’s repeatedly unrelenting pressure, Yaj’s face turned cold as well. With a ‘slap,’ she retracted her fragrant fan and looked at the young man silently, seeing nothing but determination on his face.
After a moment of silence, the woman finally chose to compromise. She suddenly put down the veil and stood up before saying coldly, “Sir, tomorrow—no, this afternoon, you’ll be able to meet that aristocrat from the Nutao Sea. Remember, even if you can convince him to take you to the strongest island in the Hellfire Sea to hunt for animals or not, you must hand over the trading right with the native tribe called Wizard Li to the Golden Velvet Flower Trading!”
“Deal, Miss Yaj!” Now that he achieved his purpose, Zhang Lisheng smiled and replied.
Yaj did not obtain exclusive trading right nor luring the other party to directly reveal the information of the Scorpion Island through oppression and temptation so she could kill two birds with one stone by obtaining the trading right and fulfilling the wishes of the barbarian aristocrat from the Nutao Sea. No longer wanting to waste any time talking to the young man, she blurted three words and quickly walked out of the hotel room. “Come with me!”
Since the woman had agreed to Zhang Lisheng’s request, the situation immediately reversed. In the face of her coldness, the young man could only shrug and endure it noncommittally.
He followed behind Yaj and walked down the stairs. When he came to the door of the Lush Hotel, he saw that the girl had already dexterously entered a luxurious four-horse carriage that was about three to four times the size of a rental transport. After telling the servant the address, they left right away.
“Miss, we should have lured that arrogant guy to the manor before ‘negotiating’ with him. It’s a good thing that it’s not too late now…” In their carriage, when Yaj’s personal maid saw that she had a long face, she fancied herself clever and remarked.
“Marina, suppressing our opponent using words and imposing manner in a public place like the famous Lush Hotel in the city-state to achieve our goals is a completely different concept from forcing our opponent to compromise privately. One is called commendable while the other one is detestable. I’m a merchant, an aristocrat, not a thief…”
“But who would find out about this, Miss?”
“Tell me, in a city-state that’s born based on interest, what matter involving a huge amount of wealth can be completely kept a secret?” Yaj shook her head. “Just shut up, Marina. I’ve lost the upper hand this time, but eventually, I’ll turn the tables around, profit as well as capital. I’ll let that Sir Zhang Lisheng be proud of himself for a few days.”
In Kattaman that was founded on business, even the descendants of the aristocratic family at the highest level of the society would settle their matters based on profits, and not entirely based on ranking. The personal maid grew up together with her master, so she was more like a sister to her. However, when Marina saw the anger hidden underneath Yaj’s state of calmness, she did not dare to talk much and just shut up obediently.
Be that as it might, as the carriage gradually accelerated on the stone road, driving out of the towering and magnificent city gate of the Sea Haines City to the suburbs, the maid who had a rash personality gradually relaxed. When she inadvertently saw the rental carriage following tightly behind them through the back window, she commented, “Miss, I’m afraid that guy has been following us. Actually, I kinda admire him for being able to resist your beauty. Other than Camano, Anjil, and a few other sires, not many men can do so.”
“Marina, he’s different from Camano. You can tell from his dodging eyes that he’s merely suppressing his desire. This is kinda similar to Anjil and Hadley… He’s also a stubborn, conceited and a clever little guy…” Since Yaj’s opponent defeated her most easily in the war of tongue, she who was filled with abhorrence snorted as she replied.
As she was speaking, her luxurious carriage turned from the suburban road into a ramp and headed for an imposing manor in the distance.
There was an open dark gold bronze fence door with exquisitely shaped columns and beams that were embossed, from top to bottom, with the mythical story of the farming god passing on the knowledge of breeding and cultivating the mainlanders.
Along the gate was a stone road as smooth as a mirror that could accommodate at least six carriages side by side.
Lifelike sculpture of a navigator-cum-merchant who was five to six meters tall sailing a ship stood in the middle of the road dividing it into two pathways.
After bypassing the sculpture, there was a manor with an amazingly large area surrounded by a cluster of beautifully shaped shrubs at the end of the stone road.
The manor was as beautiful as a picture, but when one looked closely, the vast expanse of green farmland in the distance and the livestock barns that could faintly be seen in the field appeared to be slightly odd.
At that instant, when the luxurious carriage was about to enter this seemingly opulent but weird manor, the two soldiers sitting with the driver suddenly yelled at the guards, “Let the rental carriage behind enter as well!”
This shout shocked the rental coachman who was following them from behind, but he still continued to move forward. He entered the giant manor in front to gain insight and who knew, maybe it could add on some courage in his conversation when he was bored in the future.
It was only until the carriage had galloped past the fountain and came to the front of the manor that it finally slowed down. At this moment, this nobody who was holding the reins tightly still had a delighted look on his face. With a tone that was far more polite than when Zhang Lisheng entered the carriage, he shouted at the young man inside the wagon, “Sir, we’ve arrived.”
“Thank you!” The young man who had already seen the carriage entering the estates through the windows leaped out of it. After thanking the coachman, he took out a small thumbnail-sized gold from his pocket and threw it to the coachman.
The rental coachman was taken aback. He bit the gold in his hand by force, and when he saw that a tooth print could be seen on it, an ecstatic expression appeared on his face. Overcame with emotions, he snapped back to reality, wanting to voice his gratitude, but he saw that Zhang Lisheng had already entered the manor walking beside Yaj.
As soon as Yaj entered the door, she took her veiled cap off and handed it to Marina. At the same, a butler nearing his fifties came up to greet her together with two pretty young maids behind him. Respectfully, he bowed and said, “Welcome back, Miss Yaj.”
“I’m back, everything has gone really well,” Yaj glossed it over before asking, “Mr. Sakni, what is Chief Lumoluki doing now?”
“Sir Lumoluki has just finished taking his lunch and is now resting,” The slender butler who had two beautiful little mustaches with excellent appearance glanced at the black-haired young man with a quick gaze. With a pause, he answered respectfully.
“Is it okay for me to bother him now?”
“I’m afraid you’d have to wait for a while.”
“Did you hear that, Sir Lisheng? I’m afraid we’d have to wait for a while,” Yaj’s coldness that remained on her face since she left Lush Hotel disappeared as she smiled at Zhang Lisheng.
Looking at the beautiful smile of a woman, the young man secretly criticized the capriciousness of the Kattaman’s merchant, but he answered without concern, “It’s okay, I can wait.”
When Yaj heard Zhang Lisheng’s words, she nodded and told the butler, “Mr. Sakni, go prepare some tea in the garden. We’ll wait there.”
“Yes, Miss Yaj,” The butler retired respectfully, while the maids behind him guided Yaj and Zhang Lisheng to go through the back door of the mansion to a garden with a wall made by dense vines.
