More than ten steady-breathing guards followed him, each with unfriendly eyes, gripping various weapons, instantly surrounding Chen Ping and Hu Mazi, forming an impenetrable encirclement.
“How audacious!”
The middle-aged man gritted his teeth, his voice filled with suppressed anger, “In broad daylight, you dare to commit murder in my Information Building. Do you take my establishment for a decoration?”
Hu Mazi had been blinded by rage earlier, but now, calming down, seeing the guards eyeing them fiercely and the imposing middle-aged man, he felt a tinge of fear. Yet, he remained defiant, “She deserved it! Who told your Information Building to sell fake information and then refuse to own up to it?”
“Sell fake information?”
The middle-aged man sneered, glancing at the maid’s corpse on the ground, then at Chen Ping, “My Information Building’s rules have always been clear pricing, honest to all.
But you, killing at the slightest disagreement, if you don’t give me an explanation today, don’t even think about leaving this building!”
Chen Ping stepped forward, shielding Hu Mazi, meeting the middle-aged man’s gaze calmly and speaking slowly, “An explanation? We can certainly give you one.
We spent a million immortal stones here to buy information about the Evil Path Hall’s branch. Your people pointed us to Black Wind Valley, claiming it was the branch.
But the truth is, Black Wind Valley is the territory of the Blood Demon lineage, completely unrelated to the Evil Path Hall. We went to investigate and nearly lost our lives to the Blood Demon.
When we came back to reason and demand a refund, your maid not only refused to admit fault but was arrogant and full of excuses. Is this our fault?”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it rang clearly through the hall, audible to all the surrounding cultivators, many of whom now looked at the middle-aged man with a hint of suspicion.
The middle-aged man’s expression shifted slightly, clearly not expecting this to be the reason, but he pressed on, “Utter nonsense! The information my building provides is always verified, how could it be false?
It must be your own misjudgment, mistaking Black Wind Valley for the target, and now you want to pin the blame on us, even resorting to murder. This is outrageous!”
“Misjudgment?”
Chen Ping’s eyes turned cold, “Your people swore the information was reliable, promising a full refund if it was wrong. Now that it’s wrong, not only do you refuse to refund, but you deny it outright. Is this your Information Building’s rule?”
“Don’t try to confuse the issue here!”
The middle-aged man snapped, “A life for a life, that’s justice! No matter your reasons, you killed someone in my building, and you must pay the price! Tell me, who are you? Daring to cause trouble here, don’t you have any sect elders to discipline you?”
He clearly wanted to know Chen Ping and Hu Mazi’s backgrounds, to see if they were easy targets to crush or if they had any backing worth considering.
Chen Ping said calmly, “I am Chen Ping, a disciple of the Sword Sect.”
“Sword Sect?”
The middle-aged man frowned slightly. The Sword Sect had some reputation in Sword Saint City, but not enough to make him wary. He snorted, “So what if you’re from the Sword Sect? In Sword Saint City, the Sword Sect doesn’t get to run wild!”
Hu Mazi couldn’t help but interject, “You know nothing! Chen Ping isn’t an ordinary Sword Sect disciple!”
The middle-aged man ignored Hu Mazi, focusing on Chen Ping, “A Sword Sect disciple dares to be so arrogant? It seems you won’t learn your place without a lesson today!”
A trace of helplessness flashed in Chen Ping’s eyes; he hadn’t expected the Sword Sect’s name to carry so little weight.
But seeing the other side preparing to act, Chen Ping didn’t want to make an enemy of the Information Building. Suddenly, a person came to his mind!
