Chapter 158: Confrontation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 158: Confrontation
Lorenzo’s footsteps came to a sudden halt.
He was all too familiar with that whistle. It was the reason his expression had turned as foul as if he’d just stepped in something disgusting.
Only those bastards known as the Hyenas used such a shrill, grating whistle to communicate.
Which meant...
Steady footsteps suddenly echoed from the shadows of the narrow alley.
As if he were heading to a high-society gala, a man dressed in a sophisticated formal suit slowly emerged from the darkness.
"Mr. Lorenzo, it’s a long night. Why the rush? Why don't we sit down and have a chat?"
The man wore a top hat and gripped a gold-inlaid cane. He was dressed impeccably, and his voice carried an elegant lilt, making him sound like some high-ranking Great Noble.
However, the occasional flash of a gold front tooth when he spoke instantly shattered that aura of refinement. His aged face, revealed under the moonlight, betrayed a greed and madness characteristic of a hyena.
Behind him, burly men emerged silently from the gloom. They clutched blood-stained blades, pipes, and clubs. Their eyes were defiant and sinister, fixed on Lorenzo with mocking smiles as if they were looking at a clown.
This was a pack of thugs.
And in the entire Lower District, only one pack of thugs dared to bare their teeth at Lorenzo.
"The Hyena Gang? Schulz?"
Staring at these brutes—who usually spent their days burning down shops and burying people in the riverbanks just to collect protection money—the veins on Lorenzo’s forehead throbbed.
"What are you doing here?"
"Ho, that’s a strange thing to say, Mr. Lorenzo. Is there a single street in the Lower District with a name written on it, claiming it belongs to one man?"
Schulz gripped his cane, laughing with exaggerated flair.
"It’s a long night and sleep eludes me. A man has to come out for a stroll, get some exercise, doesn't he?"
"A stroll? What a coincidence."
A cold glint flashed in Lorenzo’s eyes. As one of the other major gangs in the Lower District, these men were far more troublesome than the stray dogs currently tailing him!
But at this point, he actually calmed down.
"What do you want? My Red Fire Gang and your Hyena Gang have always stayed out of each other's way."
"Of course. I’ve always believed the Hyenas and Red Fire were great friends. But since we’re friends..."
Schulz stared at the rune-covered metal container in Lorenzo’s hand, his eyes gleaming with avarice.
"When you have something good, you should know how to share, shouldn't you?"
As I thought. Is it for the Ancient Dragon Heart Blood?
But how did he find out?
Lorenzo’s expression darkened further as he surreptitiously hid the metal container behind his back.
A substance like Ancient Dragon Heart Blood, which contained such violent energy, required an extremely high-grade spatial container to hold it.
Spatial containers of that caliber were far more precious than a mere ten drops of Ancient Dragon Heart Blood; no one could afford them except for high-ranking Great Nobles.
Thus, he had no choice but to carry it in his hand.
But by carrying it, he was forced to face this blatant greed.
"Schulz, you’d better think this through. My Red Fire Gang isn't some soft persimmon you can just squeeze!"
With a sharp shring, Lorenzo’s subordinates drew their weapons, the cold steel glinting. Although they were outnumbered by the Hyenas, these were elites he had hand-picked. They weren't about to fear a bunch of thugs who had nothing going for them except ferocity and a lack of self-preservation.
"Or are you looking to start a war?"
Lorenzo glared fiercely at Schulz like a beast baring its fangs.
He knew that compared to those savage thugs, Schulz, the leader of the Hyenas, was a man defined by treachery and meanness.
And such a man, while greedy, also cherished his own life dearly.
He would never do anything without being certain of the outcome.
"It seems Mr. Lorenzo has misunderstood me."
Sure enough, faced with Lorenzo’s do-or-die ferocity, the blatant greed in Schulz’s eyes was quickly suppressed, replaced once more by a smile.
"Actually, I’m not a man who worships violence. Personally, I prefer doing business."
"Business?"
"Five drops. I’ll buy five drops of the Ancient Dragon Heart Blood in your hand, Mr. Lorenzo."
Schulz held up five fingers and squinted.
"At the standard market price: five million per drop. Twenty-five million for five drops. How about it?"
Behind him, a burly man stepped forward carrying several burlap sacks. He pulled the ties open, revealing stacks of dark green, high-denomination banknotes inside.
Schulz had come prepared. Or rather, he never intended to fight Lorenzo to the death from the start. Instead, he offered a price that Lorenzo might just barely be able to accept.
He wanted to pressure Lorenzo into taking the deal. After all, he desperately needed the Ancient Dragon Heart Blood as well, and spending a bit of money was of no consequence to him.
"Twenty-five million?"
But Lorenzo didn't start considering the offer as Schulz expected. Instead, his expression became even more hideous. He gritted his teeth and hissed, "You think you can buy five drops from me for a measly twenty-five million? Do you take me for some little brat you can fool?"
"Hmm? Isn't that the standard market price?"
While something as rare as Ancient Dragon Heart Blood would certainly have a markup, it shouldn't be so high that Lorenzo found it unacceptable.
As Schulz was wondering, a subordinate leaned in and whispered a few words into his ear.
His expression suddenly turned peculiar. He pressed a fist to his mouth, looking as though he were struggling to suppress a laugh.
"This... Mr. Lorenzo, the fact that you got scammed out of fifty million is none of my business!"
"Shut up! If you really want to buy, bring me fifty million. Then maybe I’ll consider it!"
Lorenzo’s face turned bright red, but his gaze remained fierce.
He could still manage to complete the Lord’s task with five drops, so it wasn't that he couldn't part with them.
But this price was non-negotiable.
He didn't want people to mention his name and immediately follow it up with, "Oh, that Lorenzo? He's the biggest sucker in the Lower District!"
He wasn't going to be the only sucker in this deal!
"No. I can't accept that price either."
Schulz’s smile gradually stiffened, and his gaze turned cold as he looked at Lorenzo.
"I only brought twenty-five million."
"Then we have nothing to talk about!"
The two sides stood in a deadlock. The atmosphere in the narrow alley suddenly turned as cold as ice.
The grinning thugs and the Red Fire elites tightened their grips on their weapons simultaneously. A bloody gang war was on the verge of erupting at any second.
"Gah-gah! If that’s the case, it sounds like ten drops aren't enough to go around."
Right then, a third voice suddenly appeared, shattering the frozen atmosphere.
However, no one felt any warmer. Instead, they felt a chill that pierced to the bone.
Because within that shrill, duck-like rasp, they could hear the sound of a bowstring being drawn tight—like a monster tearing through steel rebar. it made their scalps tingle.
Everyone’s body tensed instinctively. Lorenzo and Schulz’s expressions changed drastically as they turned together toward the source of the voice.
On the roof overlooking the alley, a short, dwarf-like figure slowly stepped out from the darkness.