Everyone's faces turned solemn, while a few of the Elders even glanced back towards the square where the White River family's group waited.
Pan Xinfa walked over to his wooden chair and gently picked it up. The Elders turned breathless once more as they followed the chair's journey back to the front of the row of benches.
When he laid it down and sat on it without issue, they released sighs of relief and refocused their gazes on their Chief.
Pan Xinfa looked to his left, at the corner where Tong Huakun and Jack stood, and asked "Do you have any ideas, boy?"
Jack shook his head in response and answered "I didn't even know they would come so fast. What happens if you just refuse them directly?"
Pan Xinfa sat back in his chair and thought for a few seconds before he said "They would use the food to pressure us into handing you over. If that wouldn't work, they would pay the other tribes to use more direct means."
Elder Gong stood up and declared "We have to negotiate with them. There must be something they want that we can give them in exchange."
Jack couldn't hide the disbelief from his face or voice when he leaned over to Tong Huakun's ear and whispered as quietly as he could "Isn't Elder Gong on their side?"
Before Tong Huakun's eyes could even widen from shock, all of the Tribal Elders turned as one to glare at him with indignation. Elder Gong turned his old frame last and growled "I am on the side of my Tribe, you petulant child."
Jack didn't hesitate to give the Elder a deep bow and say "My deepest apologies, Elder Gong. I did not intend for my poor joke to cause offense. Please forgive me."
When he straightened up, Elder Gong responded with a cold snort and turned back towards the Chief together with the rest of the Elders.
Pan Baibao decided to get the conversation back on track so she suggested "We could give them a few of the Haechi beasts from the recent hunt in exchange for Jack's freedom."
The burly Elder with the ponytail spoke up from the bench "Would you trade the knowledge on weapon usage for some leather and horns? They don't even eat the meat nor cook the bones."
Pan Baibao looked down at the burly man and asked "Then what would you want in exchange?"
The large Elder shrugged his wide shoulders and said "I would want him or someone that has the same knowledge."
Pan Baibao turned towards Jack to ask "Do you have someone that you can send in your place?"
Jack's mind flashed back to his grade four friends. They all knew the theory, but they still didn't have enough time to put it into practice. Even if they did, Jack would never give any of his people to the White River family.
He shook his head at the old woman's hopeful look and answered "I'm the only one with the required knowledge and expertise to make it worth it for them. Anyone else would…"
Jack stopped talking and just stared at the old woman for a few seconds.
She looked back at him with confusion in her eyes and asked "Would what?"
Jack stopped his racing thoughts with a quick shake of the head and gave his own suggestion "Let's offer them a full service."
Pan Xinfa's brows furrowed as he asked "What do you mean?"
A smirk threatened to appear on Jack's face while he explained his idea to the listening Elders.
Twenty minutes later, Pan Xinfa's guard pushed the rock slab away from the doorway and opened the Chief's house to the outside world.
Pan Xinfa led the procession that exited his house, while the Tribal Elders formed small groups according to their placement on the benches behind him.
Tong Huakun and Jack left the building last and saw the now ten-man White River family group gathered in front of the Chief's house. Some Haechi Tribe people milled about in the side-streets, but none dared enter the moonlit square.
Jack's brows furrowed as he saw the White River family's newcomers trying to hide bruises and rips in their robes. A couple of them even had traces of blood visible on their sleeves.
Tong Huakun saw the same thing that Jack did and grabbed his hand before he could move. When he turned his darkening face towards her, she gave him a slow shake of the head and released him.
Jack took deep breaths through his nose for a few seconds while he regulated his chaotic mind. It took him a good five count before he could look back at the White River family's group without wanting to murder them all where they stood.
His heart screamed at him to rush back to his men to see what happened, but his mind stayed in control and forced him to see this through to the end.
Pan Xinfa stopped walking at a distance that allowed both sides to feel secure and announced "We have decided to enter into an arrangement with Jack Song's mercenary company, I apologize, but we cannot allow you to take him back to the White River Outpost."
The two men in charge of the opposing group exchanged glances before the one on the left narrowed his eyes and asked "You dare rebel against the White River family?"
Before Pan Xinfa could answer, the other man stepped out in front of the one that spoke and said "Please disregard my brother, he can be a bit crude from time to time. I am certain that we can get to some kind of arrangement."
Jack almost rolled his eyes at their rehearsed act, and he could see most of the Elders' postures stiffening, but he had to keep quiet and let the leaders talk.
Pan Xinfa gave the White River family duo a solemn nod and declared "We will allow you to send the people that you want taught this technique Jack Song knows to the Haechi Tribe. Their safety will be guaranteed by us while they stay here and learn."
The disrespectful man from the White River family snorted and grumbled "You mean the presence of White River family members will protect your Tribe from others that might want to attack it."
While the other White River family leader put on an embarrassed expression, he still said "My brother might be a little abrasive, but he is right here. Wouldn't it be better for all if we just traded some goods for him?"
Jack felt anger building up in his chest, but he pushed it down to that ever-roiling pit of rage where he stored everything else. Ever since he came to this world people kept treating his life as a commodity they had the right to trade away and it started to bother him more and more as time went on.
Pan Xinfa shook his head at the White River family representative's suggestion and declared "We will not allow you to take him away. You may ask for anything else, but you cannot ask for that."
Both of the White River family leaders frowned at his declaration at the same time. They exchanged glances before the blunt one turned towards Pan Xinfa to say "We will have to talk to our family's Elders about this disrespect. I would prepare for harsh winters if I were you."
The other brother gave an exaggerated sigh before he placated "Do not take my brothers proclamations to heart. Our Elders will have to decide on this, and of course, they might have to come to a harsh decision, but I am sure that you will survive just fine without our help."
When he saw a flash of anger in Pan Xinfa's eyes he quickly looked to the back row of the Haechi Tribe's procession and added "We do have another task. Our Elders ordered us to make sure that the weapon works in the way described in the scrolls. We cannot go back without at least accomplishing this task."
Pan Xinfa gave the oily man a suspicious look as he said "I am sure we can find a few trinkets on which Jack Song can demonstrate the weapon."
The first White River family brother just snorted at the suggestion, while the other one cleared his throat and declared "We were hoping for a something more… practical. You know, to see how well it would work in a real combat environment."
He looked in Jack's direction and asked "Are you willing to demonstrate your weapon in an exhibition duel, Jack Song?"
Jack didn't wait for anyone from the Haechi Tribe to speak for him. He squared his shoulders and walked to the front of the group before he took out the cylinder out of his Star Bag and said "I do not mind at all. Who will you send out to face me?"
Pan Xinfa gave him a concerned glance, but he kept his mouth shut and decided to watch the duel. Even he wanted to see how well this weapon would work in real combat.
The first brother scanned Jack with his eyes for a second, before he turned to a grade six young man that stood next to him and opened his mouth to speak.
Before he could say a word, an old woman's voice sounded out across the square with a question "Is this a duel to the death?"
When everyone from the White River family turned to look at the diminutive Pan Baibao, she glared back at them and declared "What? Only duels to the death don't take the cultivation of the fighters into account."
Just as the first brother wanted to snap back a retort, the slippery one stepped out in front of him once more and said "Of course, we are not savages." He turned towards the group of grade five White River cultivators and pointed towards the least damaged young man "You, go out there and test out the weapon."
The chosen cultivator gave a solemn nod and pulled out a sigil-etched saber from his hip.
Jack and his opponent walked to a cleared out part of the square and stood around ten meters apart. He already had a metal ball inserted into the cylinder and held it at the ready in a reverse grip.
The White River family cultivator held his saber in a two-handed guard. Spirit energy flowed into the saber and brightened the few sigils on it.
The second brother from the White River family gestured at Pan Xinfa and asked "Will you do the honors?"
Pan Xinfa didn't even nod at him as he turned to the two combatants and shouted "Begin!"
The White River family cultivator immediately started sprinting towards Jack, while Jack raised the cylinder to his shoulder and took aim.
At the distance of around seven meters, Jack locked onto his opponent's head and started forming the Air Blast spell inside the cylinder.
By six meters, the White River family cultivator raised his saber into a high guard in anticipation of the coming projectile.
At five meters, Jack simultaneously completed the Air Blast spell and moved his aim down towards his opponent's right leg.
By four meters, the metal ball struck the White River family cultivator's just raising right thigh and caused a spurt of blood.
At three meters, Jack's opponent's right leg buckled from the wound inflicted on it and he began falling at the same time Jack started operating the Chaotic Hawk Assault on his legs and stepped out.
By two meters, the White River family's cultivator extended both hands out in a reflexive gesture to catch himself.
The distance between the two combatants shortened in an instant as Jack performed a front kick straight into his opponent's sternum.
Bone-cracking noises sounded out across the square as the White River family member flew back a couple of meters and then slid a couple of more while he let out a choked cry of pain.
Jack watched the crumpled form in front of him squirm on the floor for a few seconds before he returned the metal cylinder back to his Star Bag and turned towards the White River family's stunned group.
He clasped his hands in their direction and asked "Would you like another demonstration? I am afraid that this one ended too quickly."
Both brothers glared daggers at him, but the second brother calmed down first and said "There is no need for that. We have seen enough." He turned to his side and motioned for a couple of grade five cultivators to go and help their fallen comrade.
An oily smile formed on the second brother's face as he turned towards Pan Xinfa and announced "Thank you for your hospitality, Chief. We will return with word from our Elders as soon as possible."
With that, he turned around and led his people into the night.
The Haechi Tribe Elders watched the series of events that happened in front of them with a decent amount of shock in their eyes.
When Pan Xinfa turned to say something to Jack, he saw Jack sprinting off into the night towards the part of town where his people stayed.