Chapter 922 — Is This Your Helper? "An Exorbitant Demand? You Dared Lay Hands on the Xiao Family — Count Yourselves Lucky the Gu Group Has Not Been Driven into Bankruptcy!" Xiao Ji Cut In: "In the Years When Our Xiao Family Stood at Its Zenith, Anyone Who Crossed Us Would Have Had That Gu Group of Yours Seized Outright! A Single Word from the Xiao Family, and No One Would Dare Do Business with You Again!"

"Heh. Xiao Ji, you said it yourself — the Xiao family is not what it once was. With terms like these, there is no need for us to go on talking. Please see yourselves out." Gu Pengzhan spoke mildly. If the Xiao family's appetite was this vast, then there was nothing for it but to remain enemies. Time would tell.

Gu Pengzhan's reasoning was this: the Xiao family might be enormously wealthy and powerful, might be an old established clan, but in Songshan City they were newcomers after all — the Gu Group need not necessarily lose to them.

"Gu Pengzhan, *** don't refuse the toast only to drink the forfeit!" Xiao Ji slapped his thigh and leapt to his feet. "What are you putting on airs for? The Xiao family may not be what it once was, but how much better are you? Do you still think you're the Gu Pengzhan of a while back? Do you know why we've come to you now? Do you know why?"

Gu Pengzhan frowned, and his heart gave a faint lurch. So he really had guessed right! But this Xiao Ji was arrogant beyond belief.

"That driver of yours, Li Fu — beaten crippled, wasn't he? Still hasn't woken up, has he? And that Wei Zhao fellow — he was hurt too, wasn't he? Lost every scrap of his strength, hasn't he?" Xiao Ji went on spilling it all out. "We didn't come to you before because we had reservations. Now that we've come, it's because we have you completely in hand. If you're smart, hand over the money and spare yourself the disaster. Otherwise, the trouble Zhen Yingjun can bring down on your house — we can bring you something a good deal more thrilling."

"So you've been scheming all along!" Gu Pengzhan was livid, his face ashen. The Xiao brothers had indeed come to prey on a man in his hour of weakness!

"So what if we have? Gu Pengzhan, the world is a very unsafe place right now. You and your daughter had both better watch your step, lest you die in the street — for then all your money won't buy you a life." Xiao Ji said coldly. "These days there are far too many unsolved cases."

"Mr. Wei, show our guests out!" Gu Pengzhan glanced at Wei Zhizun on the sofa. Thank heaven he had prepared in advance; otherwise the Xiao family really would have had him over a barrel.

Wei Zhizun rose to his feet with magnificent swagger. Add a little soundtrack, and this was precisely the shot in a television drama where the tables turn and the hero strides onto the scene.

"You three ignorant brats, get out of here this instant! If you dare make a scene here again, this Wei will take your lives!" Wei Zhizun waved a hand grandly, eyeing the Xiao brothers and Pi Bo with contempt.

Wei Zhizun's sudden appearance startled the Xiao brothers. They had not noticed him earlier, and had certainly not taken him for any kind of expert.

"And what are you supposed to be?" Xiao Ji asked, looking at Wei Zhizun with a touch of disdain.

"A Mystic-rank supreme expert! Get lost this instant, or this Wei will send you straight to the Western Paradise!" Wei Zhizun regarded Xiao Ji with lofty pride, his voice dripping scorn.

"Ha? Gu Pengzhan, I was wondering why you were so cocky — turns out you've found yourself a new helper?" Xiao Ji looked Wei Zhizun over and suddenly burst out laughing. "But this is rich. Since when have I ever heard of a 'Mystic-rank supreme expert'? Pi Bo, have you ever heard of such a thing?"

"No, I have never in my life heard of any Mystic-rank supreme expert," Pi Bo said mildly.

"Ignorant brat, you dare mock this Wei? Wah yah yah yah — I'll kill the lot of you!" To be so utterly disregarded sent Wei Zhizun into a fury.

"Pi Bo, shut him up." Xiao Ben glanced at Wei Zhizun and spoke to Pi Bo.

"Yes, Second Young Master!" Pi Bo's body moved abruptly, his hand reaching out to slap Wei Zhizun.

Wei Zhizun was in the throes of his rage when the palm struck him, and his voice cut off at once. In that instant his eyes bulged; he gave a scream and shot backward with a whoosh, slamming hard into the wall. A mouthful of blood burst from his lips, he twitched twice on the ground, and it was plain that his internal injuries were severe...

"Nothing but early Mystic-rank external strength, and he only broke through to Mystic rank recently — yet out he comes to posture, calling himself a Mystic-rank supreme. A veritable frog at the bottom of a well!" Pi Bo shook his head with some contempt. "And here I thought some new tier had appeared in the Mystic rank! How utterly feeble. This is your helper? Which garbage heap did you pick him out of?"

"A mid Mystic-rank expert?" Wei Zhizun stared at Pi Bo in disbelief. He had never imagined the man would be a mid Mystic-rank expert — two whole tiers above himself!

Earlier, Wei Zhizun had not supposed the other side might have an expert on hand. He had meant to put on a show for Gu Pengzhan, to make him feel that the five hundred thousand he had paid to hire him was money well spent. But the swagger had misfired: the instant he made his move, he was cut down by his opponent in a single stroke.

In truth, the agreed two hundred thousand was not going to the company in full either — only a share of it was the company's commission; the bulk went to Wei Zhizun himself. But raising the price on the spot was a trick these experts habitually used. Wei Zhizun had even been thinking that once he had dealt with these few nuisances for Gu Pengzhan, he would ask him for a little extra reward.

But his thinking was badly mistaken. His opponent's strength far exceeded anything he had imagined.

Even without letting his guard down, he would have been no match for a mid Mystic-rank expert of external strength. And now, caught off guard by a single palm strike, how could he possibly come off well? Wei Zhizun felt as though his five viscera and six entrails had been knocked out of place; he had plainly been crippled. Even if his injuries healed, his skill could never return to its present level.

His life, it seemed, was finished here. A wave of sorrow washed over Wei Zhizun; he bitterly regretted taking this job. It was all his own greed and carelessness. But who else was there to blame? Now he would not only fail to earn a single coin, but would have to slink away in disgrace.

"Gu Pengzhan, this is a warning for you!" Seeing Pi Bo bring down Gu Pengzhan's newly found expert with a single palm, Xiao Ji was delighted beyond measure. Pointing at Gu Pengzhan, he said with smug arrogance, "The terms have already been put to you. I hope you won't do anything foolish and dig your own grave. I'll give you one day to think it over. Otherwise — heh heh — you will die very miserably. So will your daughter. Your whole Gu family will die very miserably!"

"Enough, big brother. Don't frighten him. What if you scare him to death? Then who will give us the money?" Xiao Ben waved a hand with a show of kindness. "Let's go. Let Mr. Gu have a good think. I'm sure he's no fool."

The Xiao brothers left Gu Pengzhan's office laughing loudly with Pi Bo, paying no heed whatsoever to Gu Pengzhan's dark, stormy face.

At that moment Gu Pengzhan was both shocked and furious. He had not expected the Xiao family to press him so relentlessly, and still less had he expected that the expert he had paid so dearly to hire would be so utterly routed by a single blow from Pi Bo!!