Worthless Profession: Dragon Tamer

Chapter 1147, Negotiation

Translator: Silavin

When the Jiang Family members had moved to strike him, he had deployed the Black Dragon Pressure and caused a large portion of them to collapse from where they stood.

A handful had managed to weather it without visible effect. Among them was the Sacred Master of the Sacred Jiang Family, Jiang Baishen and this man.

To remain standing while others crumbled under the Black Dragon Pressure was proof of exceptional Strength Attribute. This was no ordinary member of the Jiang Family. Within their hierarchy, his standing had to be extremely high.

Now, having entered the Sacred Jiang Family’s domain, they finally stood face to face with someone capable of dialogue.

Players were not like Monsters. Communication was possible. And so, Lu Fan made no move to engage, at least not yet.

He understood that the Sacred Jiang Family had many who had lost themselves entirely to fanaticism. Even so, he believed that if any of them still harboured the desire to step away from this path, they deserved a chance to do so.

The war against the Ancient Gods could not be fought by him, Ouyang Bai Ge, and Jin Zhan alone, relying solely on those who held Ancient God Divine Seats.

They needed to unite the Players. They remained a force to be reckoned with in the massive confrontation ahead.

But the six hundred who had arrived showed none of Lu Fan’s restraint. Weapons were drawn the instant they materialised, every posture telegraphing intent.

The man at the front stepped forward, his voice cutting across the silence. “Invaders, why have you entered our Sacred Jiang Family’s territory? Leave now, or do not blame us for what happens next!”

Lu Fan cleared his throat lightly and replied with composure. “Senior, you and I should have seen one another at your Sacred Jiang Family’s altar. So, you should already know the purpose of our visit.”

“You’ve come for the Slaughter Ancient God?” The man let out a cold laugh, one hand clasped behind his back. “Are you intent on seeking death? The Sacred Jiang Family has accumulated no shortage of enemies in recent years. But those enemies are the Sacred Lands and Supreme Tier Ancient Noble Families that have wronged us. They have brought their demise upon themselves. But, I do not believe you are counted amongst them. So, am I to understand that you have simply decided to oppose our Sacred Jiang Family on principle?”

What the Sacred Jiang Family referred to was, naturally, the likes of the Sacred Yei Family and others. Over the years, the Sacred Jiang Family had absorbed survivors from other Sacred Lands and Ancient Noble Families, people who had suffered at their hands, and nurtured them until they were strong enough to return and exact revenge.

The reckoning for those deeds fell squarely on the Sacred Jiang Family’s shoulders. If the wronged parties had come seeking vengeance, that was entirely understandable.

Lu Fan and his companions did not belong to that category. Marching into the Sacred Jiang Family without that prior grievance was, on the surface, harder to justify.

But this was not a matter to be settled by tallying who wronged whom first.

Lu Fan declined to take the bait. He allowed himself a brief smile before answering: “I have no particular quarrel with your Sacred Jiang Family. In the time I have spent learning about you, I have come to understand certain things. Truthfully, I hold sympathy for some among you, and I have no objection to you seeking retribution against those who have wronged you. That is not my business to meddle in. Those grievances are entirely unrelated to me.”

He let the pause settle before his voice climbed several degrees. “What I cannot ignore is that your Sacred Jiang Family is devoted to an Ancient God, and not merely any Ancient God, but the Slaughter Ancient God, a malevolent Ancient God of the darkest nature. Every Ancient God’s final aim is the Ancient Gods Struggle For Supremacy, the annihilation of an entire Era. I will not allow this Era to be extinguished. So, I will kill the Ancient God within your Sacred Jiang Family.”

“Kill the Slaughter Ancient God?” The man erupted in laughter, then levelled his gaze and said. “Everything our Sacred Jiang Family possesses was given to us by the Slaughter Ancient God. If you kill it, how is that any different from killing every last one of us!?”

The laughter drained from his face. What replaced it was a glacial composure. “Enough. Let us stop testing each other. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Jiang Baihe, Deputy Sacred Master of the Sacred Jiang Family.”

“Everything the Sacred Jiang Family has was granted by the Slaughter Ancient God. He is, therefore, our everything. To kill the Slaughter Ancient God is to destroy the Sacred Jiang Family. So, we will not and cannot yield. Furthermore, every person in this world deserves to die. The Slaughter Ancient God has resolved to erase all of Humanity and forge a new world in its place. We support this wholeheartedly. And in service of this transcendent ideal, we are willing to lay down our lives for the Slaughter Ancient God.”

Lu Fan shook his head slowly, a note of resignation entering his voice. “As I suspected. There is truly no reasoning with anyone from the Sacred Jiang Family. No matter what I say, you will stand on the same side as the Slaughter Ancient God.”

Jiang Baihe’s voice turned cold, “We are merely repaying the lives we owe to the Slaughter Ancient God. Anyone who obstructs the Ancient God’s plan is our enemy. We have clung to survival for this long. Even if we die today, it will have been worthwhile.”

Ouyang Bai Ge exhaled a long, quiet breath. “Very well. There is no use pressing further. The prospect of drawing the Sacred Jiang Family away from this is impossible. To face the Slaughter Ancient God, these people cannot be allowed to remain.”

Lu Fan could only nod in resignation.

In that same moment, golden light began to bleed from Jiang Baihe’s body. It was brilliant, unyielding, rendering him the image of a man cast in solid gold, impervious to blade and spear alike.

“We came here to ask you to leave. The Slaughter Ancient God is already aware of your arrival. He knows that each of you has claimed a Divine Seat. He says: unless necessary, he cannot afford to directly fight with you. To do so would be disrupting the Sacred Jiang Family’s grand plans.”

“I have been sent, therefore, to ask for you people to leave. The Slaughter Ancient God has also stated that he is prepared to offer you terms enough to warrant you all to consider.”

“He says that he is willing to cooperate with you. Once he becomes the God King, he will carve out a piece of the world, one where you, and everyone you wish to protect, may live in perpetuity, undisturbed. Upon becoming God King, he would hold the authority to set the laws of this world. For a being of his standing, this would cost him nothing, and this is something you should already understand. Even if you refuse his offer, he hopes you will at least withdraw. You are strong, after all.”

“Also, the timing is not right for either side to fight one another. Should both parties sustain grievous wounds, either could forfeit the right to contend for the position of God King in the Ancient Gods Struggle For Supremacy. Furthermore, should you choose to leave, the deaths of the Bronze Qilin and the Jiang Family Mountain God, will be overlooked.”

“This is the greatest concession he is capable of making. He hopes you will choose wisely, and not compel a war against the Sacred Jiang Family, against him, the Slaughter Ancient God.”

Lu Fan clicked his tongue.

[So, the Slaughter Ancient God had dispatched Jiang Baihe to serve as his envoy. This guy is little more than a mouthpiece at this point.]

The implication was clear: so long as they leave now, the Slaughter Ancient God would treat all of this as if it had never occurred, return to the shadows, and resume leading the Sacred Jiang Family in patient, unhurried preparation until the Ancient Gods Struggle For Supremacy commenced.