". . .If you wish, you can meet them, but forget about taking them back."

"What did I tell you, Luo Shan?" Han Shitian said, shooting a displeased look at the mayor. "I told you, he wouldn't be ready to negotiate. People like him as he pleases. We should've gone the hard way from the beginning."

The mayor's face wasn't looking all too well, either, though he still had some patience left. "Like I mentioned, Shitian, you need to work on your patience," he said, and turned back to Gale. "Mr Carpenter, you presented your case well. As per martial law, the few practitioners belong to you. However, since you decided to cut time from your busy schedule to present yourself here, I'm assuming you are open for negotiations."

Gale gave a simple nod. He had no false hope that the Mayor would play fair, just because he took his side for once. As far as Gale comprehended political play, this was merely a setup. Good cop, bad cop play in a way, a setup for them to win it all.

"You're just not ready to settle under any unfairness, is that correct?" the mayor continued, getting his approval. "How about this, then? We are all people of the martial world. Why not settle this the way martial law suggested?"

"Duel?" Gale asked, just to be sure, shooting a disdainful glance towards Han Shitian.

Would that hypocrite fool really believe he could win against Gale when he got his ass handed to him just after a couple of moves? That was when Gale wasn't prepared for a gold ranked contest. Would Han Shitian really stand a chance when he didn't have his main fate lock with him?

No, they were suggesting something different. Something they had full assurance of winning.

"Duel," the mayor nodded as he brought the scheme to light. "However, in the beginning, no gold rankers will be involved in this conflict. Since this had been a simple conflict between youngsters, so why not let them settle this on their own?"

"So let me get this straight," Gale said with a wolfish snare. "You want a contest between my disciple and that hypocrite's son?"

"More or less," the mayor said with a straight face, even under Gale's scrutiny. "Since it was their conflict to begin with, why not let them deal with this?"

"Unacceptable," Gale said before anyone could speak. He stood up, preparing to leave. "I really hoped that this wouldn't be a waste of my time. However, you people have failed me. Do you think I don't understand what you're cooking? It is laid bare before everyone's eyes."

"Of course, it is," Han Shitian said, regaining his lost confidence. As for arrogance, he never lacked that one. "But martial law suggests it. You cannot accept this simply because your disciple is useless, makes me wonder why you take her under your wing."

His tone was suggestive, but Gale didn't care. He simply turned towards his disciple. Xiaolin was biting her lips the moment the mention of duel turned up.

Gale fully intended to let Xiaolin deal with Han Xiao before all this. However, the worthless young master pulled one shit after another, leading him to make a move. However. . .

Han Xiao had been a nightmare in Linlin's life for the last two years. The worthless black sheep had harassed her more than enough for her to be resentful of his entire ancestry. If Gale really denied her a chance here, even for her good, it would create a barrier between them. Not to mention, this would hamper her future potential, her spirit arts.

"Linlin, do you believe in me?" Gale asked her in a whisper.

Xiaolin replied in a nod.

"On second thought, a duel between Linlin and that worthless fool seemed like a brilliant idea," Gale said, surprising many in the crowd, even among the Han family dugout. They hadn't thought he would agree this easily. "Of course, we'll do it fairly, what the martial law suggests. For what it was worth, the black sheep is already at copper rank, where my disciple is still hanging in the initiation rank. The contest between them would hardly be fair, wouldn't you say?"

"So you want me to wait decades for your worthless disciple to advance to copper?" Han Xiao spoke for the first time, and as usual, his tongue was full of venom.

Gale gave him a stare, cold and full of murder. "Sit down," he commanded.

The young master abided. Before he knew it, the buttock was on the seat.

The mayor took the opportunity to propose something that they probably cooked up together. "Of course, of course, we can't let a practitioner fight someone completely helpless. But we can't keep the conflict going either. Why don't we make the duel a Qi-less brawl?"

"No," Gale said. That was worse than a fight with Qi. In a real duel, at least Linlin could defend a couple of blows as she stood now. However, in a Qi-less brawl, with the constitution on the poorer side, she couldn't even stop a single blow.

"Well," the mayor thought contemptuously, "do you have any suggestions, then?"

"I do," Gale said, pointing one finger. "One year. They will duel in one year. The disparity in their rank wouldn't matter. They will duel to their death unless one of them yields first."

"One year?" Han Shitian yelled. "You can expect me to leave my fate lock with you. How are you--"

"Accepted," the mayor cut him off, accepting the duel.

"Luo Shan!" Han Shitian grumbled, repeating the same words to the mayor.

"I have the final say in the matter," the mayor told him and everyone in the room, "and I accepted the duel in one year's time. Now let us discuss the demands of both parties. Who would like to go on first?"

Gale gestured for them to speak their mind first.

"Shitian, do you have any specific thing to add other than Mr Carpenter giving back your fate lock in case his disciple loses?" the mayor asked.

"I do," Han Shitain said with a wicked smile. "I want him to kowtow to me before everyone present in this room and give me one of his hands."

Gale raised an eyebrow and remained silent. It wasn't really that much of a demand. Gale had fought and seen worse wagers than that.

"Mr Carpenter, do you accept the demand?"

"Master," Xiaolin whispered softly, looking at him with concern. Gale gave a reassuring nod and turned back to the mayor.

"I accept."

"Great," the mayor said. "Then please speak of your demand."

Gale nodded and turned to his disciple. "Linlin, do you want something from them?"historical

Xiaolin didn't have to think hard on that, though she took her time to answer.

"A formal apology," she said, "and compensation for all the wrought brought to all the families that tried to help me, which includes the Shan, Wang, Xiao, Lian. . ."

"So, an apology and compensation for all the wrong your family did her." Gale put it into simpler words. "Apart from that, I want you to release the men I captured from their oath."

"Unacceptable," Han Shitian yelled. "Those are my men. The Han family poured a lot of resources to cultivate them. I would rather kill them than let them become your underlings."

Gale sighed. "I guess the deal is off then," Gale said. "Looks like we'll have a unique graded fate lock hoe with us. Hey, Gang Rui, you have one slot of your fate lock open, right? Would you like a hoe for that? It will make your job a lot easier."

Gang Rui, the recent oath-bound to Gale has to work as his Stewart and protector of the Stormhold. Gale promised him resources for him to advance to Gold, though he was sure it wouldn't come that easily. As for the unique grade fate lock—The Divider—his old master's weapon, that was worth tens of times more than Gang Rui's life.

He had no answer to give.

"You want me to believe you'll waste a fate lock of such caliber?" Han Shitian sneered. "Can you even put a dent in the weapon?"

"Fate locks aren't as indestructible as you may believe," Gale said with a smile, "but that's off the topic. The point is, there's no deal without you accepting my demands."

Han Shitian gritted his teeth, torn between shooting forward to thrash the smug foreigner in the face and leaving everything to the Mayor.

"Accepted," the mayor said, deciding for Han Shitian.

Han Shitian was about to shout out loud, but Han Xiao calmed him down with his words.

"Father, don't worry, you'll only lose those men if I lose. And I won't lose."

Han Shitian narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Alright, I accept. So we have a deal, in one year's time, your disciple and--"

"Hold your horses, bloke, I'm not nearly done with my demands," Gale cut in.

"What else do you want?" the mayor groaned, breaking out of his monumental ugly image.

"Atonement," Gale said, his tone stern, "I want him to atone for all the sins he committed to those families, the reason he was banished to this place."

"Those families," Han Shitian sneered, "they are already compensated by the Han family."

"But you haven't atoned," Gale said. "You need to present yourself in person before every one of those families and apologise. Most of them will not forgive you, but this is the bare minimum you can do as a fellow human being."

The veins in Han Shitian's face were twitching. Him apologising to those lower-class families even after he was banished here?

Unacceptable.

Unfortunately, he faced an indestructible wall here. And that wasn't the end of Gale's demand.