Chapter 898: A hair cut
"Then... I'll have to insist."
*Showalaaa*
The crimson flames burning on Samson's hair intensified and his aura slipped out of control, "Then by all means, I want to see today how you'll insist!"
On the other side, the True Beginning Emperors were about to move but Old Man Gu raised his hand to stop them, then put it behind his back and looked into Samson's eyes, smiling as before, but everything else about him changed...
*Danger!* Samson's eyebrows sunk as he watched Old Man Gu
Logically, he was at level 43 and was about to break through to level 44, while Old Man Gu was firmly at level 42 and didn't seem ready for any more breakthroughs anytime soon, meaning he had reached his limits. Shouldn't this fight be settled?
That white fire was very dangerous and he involuntarily felt that it had power over his crimson flame, but his body had a strong affinity for the Crimson Melting Flame Law and a high resistance to all types of fire so he didn't think that was why he felt dangerous.
Perhaps it's the battle experience? No, he was fighting for his life against the beasts of the northern hemisphere every day, who had more life-or-death combat experience than him? The only explanation was...: "That's not fair!! Take off that set of armor and come face me if you dare, I almost wear nothing!!" Samson shouted nervously
Old Man Gu laughed as if he was looking at a clown, why would he willingly give up his advantage?! If all the locals were like him, he would just snap their necks and do whatever he wanted, but he looked at King Volpe... That guy is level 48 and has beast blood that he can burn to gain more power, he should be a little careful as long as he is around.
Old Man Gu continued his fake smile, "Mr. Volpe, I have done my part, and I even saved your daughter from a fate worse than death, I have shown you the true goodwill of the Beginning Empire, and I have given you a permanent solution to the food problem... If I return to my homeland now, I will not face any consequences, I will just say that you are uncooperative. All you have to do is say the word and we will leave right now."
"..." Volpe frowned and looked to the side, towards his daughter. "He's true, father, if it weren't for their help, my tongue and limbs would have been cut off before I was handed over to you..." Sandria looked down as she remembered that humiliating situation.
When Volpe confirmed his daughter, he nodded towards Old Man Gu and then spoke slowly, "Thank you for saving my daughter, I will make sure to return the favor." He then sank into silence without saying a word, trying to weigh what he should do...
Should he give them some treasures and let them leave? But what if their Planetary Emperor wasn't satisfied and wanted more, he could simply come and invade them and say that he tried to be nice and they refused, and from the looks of their armor he didn't think they would be an easier opponent than the Great Serpent Empire by any means...
Would he accept their offer and allow the space portal to be built? But what if they used it to launch a devastating attack that they couldn't repel, and treated Planet Gudah as their backyard? They wouldn't be able to catch their breath at all if their enemy had a space portal... Would he order them to be killed?! Their more than a hundred of them here, and there are a hundred more with that monster who called himself Morin, that wouldn't be easy at all...
Each of these options would require a lot of study, but he didn't have time!
As for Old Man Gu, he really wasn't nervous about whatever they chose... If they accepted the offer, they would extract the treasures of their lands themselves and hand them over to the empire, and if they refused and allowed him to leave, Planet Gudah would definitely be on the list of planets to be conquered soon, and if they tried to kill him... Well, let them try!
"Father, can't we reach neutral ground?" Sandria quickly intervened when she felt the atmosphere getting heavy to the point of suffocation, "We already have a space portal, let them use it!"
"What are you talking about? That space portal is located near the lair of Devos the Transcendent!" Volpe looked at his daughter as if she had said the stupidest thing in existence.
But when he found her looking at him with her two big eyes, and furrowed brows, he took a moment to think, and then opened his eyes wide, "Ah, that's right, it's located next to the lair of Devos the Transcendent!!" Then he turned to Old Man Gu, "Alright, I agree with that idea." "..." Samson smiled wickedly when he heard those words and did not say a word to refuse, but was waiting for Old Man Gu's response as well... If they used a portal that would always make them land next to Devos the Transcendent, that would be better than landing in spaceships, at least if something went wrong they could ask Devos the Transcendent to destroy them!
Old Man Gu remained silent for a few seconds then nodded, "... It's okay I agree, but just using the portal to return won't be enough, I have to secure a safe passage back and forth or I will fail in my mission, if I accept your offer you will have to give me the coordinates of the portal as well, that's my last word, do we have an agreement?"
Devos the Transcendent might be seen as an invincible entity by the locals, a mythical being worthy of worship and reverence! ... But what does the True Beginning Empire have to fear?
Old Man Gu would be generous and pretend that His Excellency, the most powerful figure in the empire, does not exist. What about Caesar who controls the Death Flames and all living beings flee from him? What about Richard who single-handedly crushed an entire tribe of giants? Or even the warlords who once besieged Crixus the Great and forced him to bow his head?
Old Gou chuckled secretly at the naivety of those locals, 'You want to corner us next to a beast? That's fine... if that fox sticks his head out of his hole we'll give him a hair cut at our expense!'