167: Chapter 167, etc., stalling for time!

The blood drained completely from the faces of the One-eyed Woman and the Effeminate Man. They stared fixedly at Chen Xiaolin in shock and suspicion, then glanced at the expressionless Qi Yun, their brains racing.

They were well aware of the Bald Man's strength.

Yet, such a fierce individual had been kicked into this pathetic state by this girl with a single, casual strike?

There were only two possibilities:

First, the girl's level far exceeded the Bald Man's, enabling such an overwhelming disparity in power.

Second, her level might not differ much from the Bald Man's, but she possessed a Unique Class.

Regardless of which it was, both pointed to a heart-stopping fact. This girl, capable of "instantly killing" the Bald Man, also had the ability to "instantly kill" any one of them!

The One-eyed Woman and the Effeminate Man exchanged a quick glance, both seeing deep apprehension and a hint of retreat in each other's eyes.

They looked at the handsome young man who had just ordered them to kneel.

Was this man just a front, or perhaps a boy toy? Was this girl the true leader?

Once this thought arose, the more they considered it, the more reasonable it seemed.

Thinking of this, the One-eyed Woman took a deep breath, suppressing the fear in her heart, and forced a flattering smile onto her face. Ignoring Qi Yun's demand, she spoke to Chen Xiaolin:

"Little sister, what impressive skills you have! Your big sister here was blind; I never expected you to be such a remarkable person!"

"You are new here, so you must not be familiar with the Land of Beginning, right? Our Tribe has quite a reputation along this east coast. If you don't mind, why not join our 'Venomous Fang'?"

"Resources, manpower, territory—take your pick! Your big sister promises you won't be treated unfairly!"

The Effeminate Man also realized what was happening and immediately chimed in: "Little sister, our Tribe also sincerely invites you! Whatever they offer you, we can give you more!"

The two of them sang in harmony, completely treating Qi Yun as invisible, and began fawning over Chen Xiaolin.

Their original goal had been to recruit the Unique Class that might appear, even though this Unique Class's strength far exceeded their expectations!

But since force wouldn't work, soft tactics would do as well, as long as they could absorb her into their Tribe.

Listening to their eager recruitment, Chen Xiaolin's delicate face remained expressionless. She simply tilted her head, looking at them as if they were fools:

"Hey, are you two deaf?"

"Didn't you hear what our leader just said?"

"He told you to kneel. Can't you understand human language?"

The four words "our leader" struck the minds of the One-eyed Woman and the Effeminate Man like four thunderclaps!

Leader?

This pretty boy is really the leader?!

This Unique Class girl, who could instantly kill the Bald Man, actually takes orders from him?!

A massive sense of absurdity and deeper horror instantly gripped them! How could this be possible?!

A man who could make such a powerhouse willingly submit—what kind of strength must he possess?!

Could he be even stronger than this girl?

The two of them abruptly turned their gazes back to Qi Yun. This time, there was not a shred of contempt in their eyes.

The One-eyed Woman's throat felt a bit dry. She licked her even drier lips and said to Qi Yun:

"Everything just now was a misunderstanding! We were blind and failed to recognize a superior person. We only came here hoping to have you bring your people to join our Tribe."

The Effeminate Man also hurriedly bowed: "Exactly, exactly!"

The other "newcomers" kneeling on the beach were cursing wildly in their hearts: Damn it, they change their faces faster than flipping a book! Where did that arrogance from just a moment ago go?!

Watching their transition from arrogance to subservience, the smile on Qi Yun's face deepened. He spoke slowly:

"Oh? A misunderstanding?"

"Who was it that told me to kneel just now and wanted me to bring them foot-washing water?"

"And who was it that was discussing taking me as a boy toy just now?"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word struck the hearts of the One-eyed Woman and the Effeminate Man, causing cold sweat to pour down their foreheads.

"However, I am actually a very kind person."

Kind?

The One-eyed Woman and the Effeminate Man were stunned, then ecstatic! There's a chance! He said he's kind! Does this mean he's going to let us go?!

However, Qi Yun's next words caused their smiles to instantly freeze on their faces.

"So, the countdown for kneeling begins now."

"Five seconds."

He held up five fingers, then slowly bent down the first one.

"Five."

The One-eyed Woman and the Effeminate Man: "...???"

Wait! A countdown?! Five seconds?! What does this mean?! Didn't you say you were kind?! Why would a kind person do a countdown?!

And you only give us five seconds?! The bald guy gave three seconds, and you give us five, so you think you're kind, right?! Do you have some misunderstanding about what kindness is, damn it!

The two were roaring wildly in their hearts, but they dared not show the slightest bit of it on their faces; only their pupils were rapidly contracting.

"Four."

Qi Yun bent down the second finger, looking at them with a calm gaze.

Pressure.

"Three."

The third finger bent down.

"Two."

Their faces were as pale as paper.

Kneeling might mean losing all face, but it could mean surviving.

Not kneeling... the next second, it might be the Bald Man's fate, or even worse.

"One."

The fifth finger was about to bend down.

Just at the moment when Qi Yun's lips moved slightly, about to utter the final number—

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

Two dull thuds rang out almost simultaneously.

The One-eyed Woman and the Effeminate Man fell straight onto their knees on the sand in front of Qi Yun!

Behind them, the hundreds of Tribe subordinates, seeing their own leaders kneel, dared not hesitate for a moment. They all knelt down in a massive wave.

And the dozen or so people who had originally belonged to the Bald Man's Tribe, now leaderless, seeing the other two groups kneel, also hurriedly scrambled to kneel, fearing that being a step late would lead to retribution.

In the blink of an eye.

The hundreds of people who had just been aggressive and surrounding Qi Yun and his group were now all kneeling on the ground.

Meanwhile, the 01 Tribe, led by Qi Yun, with over thirty members, still stood tall and upright on the beach.

Those survivors from other Tribes who had arrived on various dilapidated ships and were also kneeling on the ground were all stunned.

Only one thought was crazily scrolling through their minds:

Holy shit...

Awesome...

Fucking awesome!

Just arrived at the Land of Beginning, barely even settled in, and they've already scared three local snake Tribes that have been entrenched here and bullying who knows how many newcomers into kneeling?!

Not beaten away, not beaten until injured, but beaten until their leaders took the lead in kneeling, not daring to even make a peep!

This is a real big shot! Compared to them, the bit of defiance and clamoring his own group had just shown was simply as ridiculous as a clown!

Shock, horror, disbelief, and admiration spread among the many "newcomers."

Qi Yun's gaze slowly swept over the three factions kneeling all over the ground, and then over the other newcomers with eager and expectant eyes.

The One-eyed Woman and the Effeminate Man knelt on the warm sand, their heads buried deep.

However, hidden beneath their lowered eyelids and disheveled hair, their eyes met for a fleeting, extremely subtle moment.

Wait!

Stall for time!

This was a consensus they reached instantly, thanks to the tacit understanding built from years of being enemies.