The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

The first to react was the eight-armed elder, who quickly cupped his hands and inquired, "Could it be that you are the master of this warship, the emperor of the Hua Xia Empire?"

"Indeed," Lin Qian replied with a smile. "And you must be Elder Zhang Nianyi, the third elder of the Eight-Armed Sea Tribe?"

Seeing the eight-armed elder before him, Lin Qian also cupped his hands in respect, though he couldn't help but feel a sense of astonishment. This was his first time encountering a Sea Tribe.

These Eight-Armed Sea Tribe members resembled humans in some ways, but their eight arms, complete with suction cups, clearly set them apart.

"An octopus that turned into a spirit!" Lin Qian thought to himself, amused, though he would never say such a thing out loud.

While Lin Qian was surprised, the Eight-Armed Sea Tribe members were equally taken aback.

They had expected the emperor of this mysterious empire, who commanded such extraordinary warships, to be an elder hundreds of years old with power surpassing the Life and Death Realm. But instead, they found a young man in his twenties, who had only reached the Breaking Void Realm.

Still, to reach the Breaking Void Realm at such a young age was a testament to Lin Qian's extraordinary talent.

"I must say, seeing the emperor and Lady Ye together today, it's clear you are a perfect match," complimented Zhang Qi, a young member of the Sea Tribe sitting beside Elder Zhang Nianyi.

Lin Qian chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "You're too kind, Brother Zhang. Please, everyone, have a seat. Let's enjoy the meal and discuss things further."

"Gladly!" Zhang Nianyi was visibly pleased. For the past month, he had been eager to secure a deal. His elder brother, the chief of the Eight-Armed Sea Tribe, was also keenly interested. If they could acquire a warship, it would bring immense benefits to their tribe.

During the conversation, Lin Qian learned that, as Ye Xin had mentioned, the Sea Tribe wanted to purchase the warship primarily to fly over their sacred grounds and save time.

According to Zhang Nianyi, it would take a whole year to travel from their southern Sea Tribe to their ancestral tribe in the western sea if they had to circumvent their sacred grounds. And that was just the journey there—it would take another year to return.

But with a warship, the journey could be completed in just two months.

Lin Qian also came to understand why the Eight-Armed Sea Tribe had consistently sought a peaceful trade rather than attempting to seize the warship by force.

In their culture, a warship was Lin Qian's personal property. If a treasure or a secret realm were discovered, competing for it with force was natural. But if it belonged to someone else, the proper way was to negotiate a purchase. To them, using force to steal personal property was dishonorable.

In a world where the strong often preyed on the weak, Lin Qian found it surprising—and refreshing—that such a principled tribe existed. He couldn't help but develop a great deal of respect for the Eight-Armed Sea Tribe.

"Elder Zhang," Lin Qian began, "I must first inform you that the Blackblood Clan member, Lu Shangda, who desecrated your sacred grounds, had a grudge against me. I defeated him and took care of the problem..." Lin Qian then explained the situation in the Starting Province, detailing the events involving the Blackblood Clan.

After finishing his explanation, Lin Qian cupped his hands in apology. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you the chance to avenge your people personally."

"No, no, Emperor Lin, you've done us a great favor," Zhang Nianyi quickly responded, his eyes lighting up with an idea. "I have a proposal, if you would be willing to hear it."

"Of course, Elder Zhang. Please, go ahead," Lin Qian replied with a smile, gesturing for the elder to continue.

"Given the circumstances that Lady Ye has shared with us, allow me to offer our assistance. If you wish, I can help eliminate the Sheng Tian Sect to show our sincerity. What do you think?" Zhang Nianyi suggested.

From Zhang Nianyi's perspective, since the Sheng Tian Sect had collaborated with the Blackblood Clan's Lu Shangda, they couldn't be up to any good. It would be a favor to eliminate them for Lin Qian, and perhaps that favor would convince Lin Qian to part with a warship.

Zhang Nianyi was worried that such a valuable warship, no matter how much the Eight-Armed Sea Tribe desired it, might be too difficult for Lin Qian to part with.

That's why Zhang Nianyi had been persistently visiting during Lin Qian's absence. He hoped that by appealing to Lady Ye, who he assumed might be softer-hearted, he could persuade her to agree to the sale.

But Lady Ye had consistently insisted on waiting for Lin Qian's return. Now, seeing how young and approachable Lin Qian seemed, Zhang Nianyi held onto a sliver of hope, but he remained anxious.

"There's no need to trouble yourself with that, Elder Zhang," Lin Qian said, gently shaking his head. "I prefer to handle matters in Linhai Prefecture myself. If I intend to take control, I must rely on my own strength."

Accepting help from the Eight-Armed Sea Tribe could complicate things and make it harder for him to consolidate power later.

Hearing Lin Qian's refusal, Zhang Nianyi's expression turned to one of disappointment. He cupped his hands and said, "I apologize for my presumptuousness. For now, we will take our leave. Please, consider our offer, and we will visit again in a few days."

Seeing the elder rise to leave, looking so crestfallen, Lin Qian couldn't help but ask, "Elder Zhang, didn't you come here to purchase a warship? Why are you leaving without even negotiating?"

"Huh?" Zhang Nianyi looked at Lin Qian in disbelief. "Does that mean you're willing to sell us a warship?"

"Of course! Your sincerity has already moved me," Lin Qian replied with a smile.

Zhang Nianyi was taken aback. "But didn't you just refuse my help? I thought that meant you weren't willing to sell."

Lin Qian and Ye Xin suddenly realized the misunderstanding. Zhang Nianyi had taken Lin Qian's refusal to accept his assistance as a refusal to sell the warship.

In fact, Lin Qian's refusal was simply because he wanted to manage Linhai Prefecture on his own.

"Linhai Prefecture is a personal matter, so it wouldn't be appropriate for you to get involved, Elder Zhang. But as for the warship, I had always intended to sell it to you." Lin Qian smiled and nodded. "Did Xin'er mention you were prepared to offer ten million top-grade Soul Crystals for one warship?"

"Yes, that's correct," Zhang Nianyi confirmed with a nod.

Lin Qian waved his hand and held up five fingers, shaking them slightly.

Before Lin Qian could say another word, Zhang Nianyi's face contorted in pain, and he gritted his teeth before nodding resolutely. "Five million top-grade Soul Crystals per warship. We agree!"

"Elder Zhang, you've misunderstood me," Lin Qian said with a chuckle, shaking his right hand again. "For ten million top-grade Soul Crystals, I'll give you five warships."

"Th-thud!" The moment Lin Qian spoke, Zhang Qi, who had been sipping his wine, spat it out all over his grandfather, Zhang Nianyi's face.