Xing Shan stared at Ning Chen, and could not keep the disappointment off his face.

There was an ugly truth under it. Never mind that their scheming had opened Xiguan City — while Ning Chen lived, none of them would sleep or eat easy.

Ning Chen had broken Xiliang's own Linxuan City open at lightning speed that day, and the shadow of it had never lifted off any of them.

Two things had made them bold enough to move on the Great Xuan this time. One was Fang Pu; they meant to get him back. The other was Xiliang's new alliance with the Tuoluo Kingdom, which had stiffened their nerve.

Moral blackmail had been the plan — shame Ning Chen into killing himself.

Ning Chen had not so much as looked at it.

Xing Shan shouted down, "Ning Chen, if that is how it is... then meet this official on a few points, and this official turns the prisoners loose and marches his men out."

Ning Chen said, without warmth, "Say them."

Xing Shan called out, "First. Fang Pu, traded for your Great Xuan's Fourth Prince."

Ning Chen nodded. "Done."

Xing Shan went on, "Second. Every last thing you stripped out of Linxuan City that day, returned in full, and ten million taels of silver on top of it."

Ning Chen looked up at him and gave him two words. "Dream on."

Xing Shan's face darkened at once. "Ning Chen, it seems you have no honest intention of talking at all."

Ning Chen laughed coldly. "Is it my intentions that are the problem, or yours? Ten million taels — the nerve on you. Let me ask you one thing: does Xiliang's treasury hold that much silver?"

"Fang Pu lay buried in the Great Xuan for years and his businesses were enormous. He shipped no small amount of silver home to Xiliang in that time, did he not?"

"So what was stripped out of Linxuan City is not coming back, and compensation is less likely still... you had better find a condition with its feet on the ground."

Xing Shan's face…