Chapter 99: Assassination Technique

Lord Cassander waited for the inevitable reaction. In his experience, even the proudest sect elders crumbled when faced with undeniable wealth. The crates of spirit stones and rare herbs he had displayed were equivalent to the entire annual treasury of a middle-tier sect.

Yet, the grand hall of the estate remained silent.

Elder Thorne stared blankly at the crates of Ice-Vein Lotuses, unimpressed.

He had just watched Theo burn through a fortune in rare materials merely to test a volatile explosion in a brass cauldron.

Vespera took a slow sip from her wine gourd and yawned loudly.

The profound lack of awe was deeply unsettling to the merchant lord.

"Is the offering insufficient?" Cassander asked, his smile slipping slightly. "Young master Theo, I assure you, this is merely a down payment."

Theo did not answer immediately.

Liana was standing on the staircase behind him, and though she had not drawn her sword, her silent presence was sharper than any blade.

"I appreciate the gesture, Lord Cassander," Theo said, offering a polite smile. "However, I view material wealth as fleeting. I have no interest in spirit stones or gold."

Cassander’s eyes narrowed.

He was a master of reading people, and he detected zero hesitation in the youth’s voice.

Was this boy truly an ascetic monk, devoid of mortal desires?

"A noble sentiment," Cassander recovered quickly, chuckling. "But surely you require resources for your cultivation. My Golden Coin Consortium boasts trade routes across the entire empire. If gold does not move you, perhaps exclusivity will. We can procure divine-grade armaments, primordial array scrolls, and elixirs capable of extending life."

"Divine-grade armaments?" Theo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Indeed," Cassander nodded confidently.

"Excellent. Do you currently possess a weapon forged from a True Dragon’s spine?" Theo inquired. "Or perhaps a functioning External Abyssal array?"

Cassander blinked. "I... the Consortium could place an order, but such items are legendary myths."

"I see. What about a Golden-Meridian tempering pill?"

"I... am unfamiliar with that specific nomenclature," Cassander admitted, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.

He was hitting the maximum limit of his mercantile knowledge.

"He is just making things up," Corey whispered loudly to Elder Thorne. "He doesn’t have any of the good stuff."

Cassander’s face flushed.

"Let us discuss this over a meal," Cassander suggested, clapping his hands. "Estate Manager! Bring us the morning tea service!"

No one answered.

"The manager is not here," Theo noted.

"Why not?" Cassander frowned. "Did he step out? This estate is supposed to provide premier service."

"He returned to his home province," Theo explained. "He sold the property."

"Sold it?" Cassander was taken aback. "This estate is prime real estate in the merchant ward. The owner swore he would never sell. What absurd sum convinced him to part with it?"

Theo pointed a thumb at his own chest.

"A chest of high-grade spirit stones twice the size of the one you just brought..."

"I... see," Cassander coughed into his fist. "Wealth aside, my eldest daughter is renowned for her elegance and gentle demeanor. She would make a supportive partner for a soaring dragon like yourself."

"I have no interest in noble ladies," Theo said firmly.

"My second daughter is a bit rebellious, a true martial artist who loves the thrill of the hunt..."

"I am not interested in rebellious heiresses."

"My third daughter is a captain in the capital’s provincial guard! She is ruthless against criminals and despises the Syndicate!!"

Theo sighed, rubbing his temples. "Will she march the provincial guard into the Syndicate’s underground headquarters and execute Archon Zelia for me?"

Cassander swallowed hard. "That... would be outside her jurisdiction."

"Then I must decline," Theo said. "I have no intention of marrying anyone."

As Theo spoke those words, a rustle of silk echoed through the hall.

Liana descended the final steps of the staircase and walked over to Theo’s side. She simply pulled out a chair and sat down next to him.

She did not need to speak. Her aura did the talking...

The message was clear: Theo was off-limits, and any further attempts to court him would be met with lethal force.

A layer of frost materialized on the rim of Cassander’s teacup. The temperature in the main hall plummeted.

Liana’s moonlit silver eyes swept over the merchant lord.

Under her gaze, Cassander felt his internal qi stagnate. He began sweating profusely despite the icy temperature.

"I understand," Cassander said, bowing his head gracefully. "I have been presumptuous. Please, consider my offer withdrawn."

He snapped his fingers, gesturing for his guards to close the treasure chests.

"However," Cassander added, raising a single finger. "A gift offered cannot be retracted without losing face. I will take back the dowry, but I insist you keep the final chest."

He pointed to a trunk sitting in the center of the hall. Cassander had purchased the ironwood trunk from a reputable auction house the night before, specifically for this meeting.

He genuinely believed it contained a rare set of defensive array plates. He was entirely unaware that the Syndicate had intercepted the delivery.

"It does not contain gold," Cassander promised, stepping toward it. "It is an item of supreme utility. Something a warrior like yourself will find invaluable on the battlefield."

Theo narrowed his eyes.

Vespera stopped drinking from her gourd.

Thorne’s hand drifted toward his spatial ring.

Every elder in the room felt it at the exact same moment.

Cassander placed his hand on the ironwood trunk’s latch.

"Allow me to show you," the merchant lord smiled.

He unclasped the lock.

The ironwood trunk detonated.

A shockwave of pure shadow exploded outward, swallowing the morning sunlight streaming through the windows.

The main hall was plunged into a void so profound that even spiritual sense was rendered blind.

*Domain Expansion: The Eclipse.*

Theo felt the temperature plummet even further, the blackness clinging to his skin.

"An isolation domain," Vespera’s voice cut through the pitch-black air, unusually grave.

Theo recognized the signature of the domain from the sect’s intelligence archives.

It was an assassination technique that had not been seen in the province for over a decade.

"Vane," Thorne shouted, his voice trembling with genuine fear. "The Eclipse Blade!"

The assassin hiding inside the merchant’s chest was not listed on the Provincial Prodigy rankings. He was a veteran killer who held a seat on the National Earth Rankings... a peak-stage Mystic Core expert who had butchered entire sects.

Zelia had not just increased the bounty on Theo; she had called in a favor from the highest echelons of the underworld!