Chapter 86: The Fierce Tiger’s Invitation

“Tiger King, what’s the meaning of this? Are you trying to pick a fight with Dragon Soar?” The Thief Who Never Leaves Empty-Handed pointed at the knight leading the Tiger clan, his voice booming.

The knight sneered, lips curled without a hint of warmth, and replied coldly, “Thief, don’t try to intimidate me with Dragon Soar’s name. If I were afraid, I wouldn’t be here!” As he spoke, his gaze shifted, landing on Ye Chen. He grinned and said, “This must be Ye Chen—Brother Ye, I presume? Truly a remarkable figure, no wonder you could best Blood Blade.”

Everyone was stunned by this statement, unsure of what Tiger King was implying. Tiger Roar grew agitated and shouted, “Boss, why waste words with them? Kill that Ye fellow and avenge me!”

“This isn’t your place to speak. Mind your own mouth. You’ve led so many men and been wiped out time and again—you should be ashamed!” Tiger King shot Tiger Roar a cold glance, silencing him instantly, forcing him to swallow his curse.

“Brother Ye, we’re all well aware of your grievances with our Tiger clan. Taking out Roar, that useless wretch, is one thing—but Blood Blade was a pillar among our thieves. With his death, our Tiger clan’s reputation suffers.” Tiger King looked over at Thief Who Never Leaves Empty-Handed and his group, then continued, “But there’s still room for negotiation. I respect your talent. Join the Tiger clan, and we’ll let bygones be bygones. I’ll guarantee you a commander’s position. What do you say?”

At these words, nearly everyone’s expression changed. No one expected Tiger King to make such an offer. Thief and Star Slayer exchanged glances, worry in their eyes. They would rather see Dragon Soar and the Tiger clan at odds than watch Ye Chen join the Tigers. It would be one thing if Ye Chen was just a hidden sub-class player, but he was also a top-tier expert—a dungeon master. For a clan, a dungeon master was invaluable. Just look at the third squad today; after a single King-tier dungeon run, they were almost on par with the first squad. If Ye Chen really joined the Tiger clan, it wouldn’t be long before their elite team completely outclassed Dragon Soar in terms of gear. That would pose a grave threat to their own standing.

Ye Chen pretended to ponder, as if tempted, weighing his options.

Seeing this, Spirit Fox Moon’s face turned pale. If Ye Chen truly agreed to join the Tiger clan, the Tigers would likely turn their weapons on Spirit Fox’s group next. Surrounded on all sides, the losses would be catastrophic—an outcome she could not accept. She quickly spoke up, “Brother King, why bother recruiting this Ye fellow? The Tiger clan is full of talent. What makes him worthy of a commander’s post? He’s nothing but a nouveau riche.”

“Heh, a nouveau riche? I disagree. Taking down Blood Blade alone proves his skill,” Tiger King replied meaningfully, glancing at Thief Who Never Leaves Empty-Handed. “What’s more, Brother Ye led Dragon Soar’s third squad to clear the King-tier Stone Forest dungeon. That’s exactly the kind of talent we need.”

“What?”

Not only did Spirit Fox Moon cry out, but nearly everyone except Thief and his dungeon team was shocked. Even Sword Over City and Drunken Yearning couldn’t help but cast astonished glances at Ye Chen. No one in Mountain City had ever beaten a King-tier dungeon, let alone with Dragon Soar’s third squad—a decidedly average team. To clear a King-tier dungeon with such a group demanded extraordinary strength. All eyes on Ye Chen were now filled with awe.

Hearing this, Left Handed Legend’s face twisted with regret. If he’d known they could clear it, he’d never have left the team—just the experience from a King-tier boss would be a feast, even without loot. But it was too late to turn back, and his resentment towards Ye Chen only deepened.

“Well, Brother Ye, if you join us, not only will our feud be settled, but I guarantee benefits far beyond what Dragon Soar offers. Besides the commander’s position, I’ll make you an elder—part of the Tiger clan’s leadership. I doubt even Dragon Soar would make such an offer.” As Tiger King spoke, the surrounding players buzzed with excitement. Many onlookers eyed Ye Chen with envy; to them, being an elder in the Tiger clan was a lofty position, worthy of admiration.

“And if I refuse?” Ye Chen smiled faintly. Tiger King was certainly a formidable, ruthless man—putting profit above all, unconcerned with his own subordinates’ pride just to recruit Ye Chen. But Ye Chen had no intention of joining any guild, let alone serving someone so cold.

“If you refuse?” Tiger King’s expression darkened instantly. His tone turned icy. “Then you are an enemy of the Tiger clan. And I, Tiger King, show no mercy to my enemies. Our enemies must be wiped from the map of Mountain City. You’d better reconsider.” The threat was unmistakable.

Ye Chen glanced at the minimap, noting nearly a hundred fast-moving dots approaching the Stone Forest. He smiled calmly. “There’s nothing to reconsider. Even if Mountain City was left without a single guild, I’d never join a garbage clan like the Tigers.”

“Damn, doesn’t know what’s good for him! Boss, let’s wipe out this punk!” Tiger Roar, seeing Ye Chen’s abrupt rejection, actually looked pleased and shouted. The other Tiger members, hearing Ye Chen call them a garbage clan, were also enraged and began to clamor, “Take him out!” “Kill him!”

Tiger King’s face turned so dark it seemed it could drip water. He hadn’t expected Ye Chen, who had seemed tempted, to refuse so decisively—and to humiliate the Tiger clan in the process. Fury boiled within him. His creed was always: those who follow prosper, those who oppose perish. The more capable an opponent who refused to submit, the more determined he was to crush them utterly, so they could never rise again.

“Very well—just the kind of backbone I like. The tougher they are, the more satisfying it is to break them.” Tiger King suddenly grinned, then turned to Spirit Fox Moon, who was looking delighted, and called out, “I wonder if Spirit Fox is interested in joining forces with us to rid ourselves of these ungrateful wretches?”

“Who could refuse when King himself invites?” Spirit Fox Moon replied with a charming smile. This was precisely the situation she’d hoped for—allying with the Tigers to kill Ye Chen, then wipe out Azure Feather, settling old and new scores alike. In her eyes, Ye Chen was a fool; even if he didn’t want to join, he should have played along until he was out of danger. To slap the Tiger clan in the face so brazenly—wasn’t he just hastening his own death?

Tiger King laughed heartily. “Excellent! Then let’s finish off Dragon Soar’s Azure Feather along with this lot—”

“You can finish off your sister!” A rough shout suddenly cut through Tiger King’s speech. At the entrance to the Stone Forest, over a hundred Dragon Soar players were streaming in. Leading the charge was Dragon Soar’s top expert, Berserker, and at his side stood a handsome, beardless swordsman—none other than Dragon Soar’s leader, Vagabond.