Cannot Be Bought
"We finally meet, Hong Zhao." The City Lord said once more as he looked at the boy. Hong Zhao said nothing, yet looked at Zheng Guo straight in his eyes. "I suppose you would have very little to say to your captor, but wouldn't you at least like to plead your case?" The man raised his eyebrow, yet the boy still remained silent.
"As far as I know, you are a worthy cultivator. Someone who can reach the heavens if trained properly." Zheng Guo said with a slight smile upon his lips. If he couldn't get a rise out of this boy, maybe he could sway him with the option of growth. "I could give you cultivation resources and a new cultivation technique which would help you break through this sorry student rank and bring you to the upper echelons." His face lit up as he spoke of cultivation. He owed his strength to Li Xiao and his benevolence. Were it not for his decision, Zheng Guo would still be within Obopin serving that cow Fu Shuren.
As he spoke, he kept an eye on Hong Zhao, yet not even the promise of greater strength got even a blink from the boy. He just stood, stoic and unreceptive. He only stared within the man's eyes, which was starting to make him uncomfortable. "Listen, Hong Zhao." Zheng Guo said while rubbing his hands together. "I would like to get you out of that cell and into somewhere more comfortable, but first, we need to reach an understanding." Though on the outside he was calm and businesslike, on the inside Zheng Guo was fuming. He was used to servants which bowed to him and treated him as if he were a god. He was used to men stuttering and acting like fools within his presence. He had even told many of them to treat him like a normal person, yet now all he wanted was for this tiny brat to nod or acknowledge him in any way.
"Is there anything you need?" Zheng Guo was grasping at straws. He tried to use the promise of strength, yet it did not sway him. He tried to appeal to his need for comfort, yet again he struck out. "What if I were to tell you that we would not hurt your loved ones. All of Rantori Village can return to their homes, if you just nod to me." He felt a small trickle of sweat roll down the side of his head. Hurting his friends would be something he'd be willing to do in order to gain compliance from the boy, but that would only be once he found where they were all hiding. It was as if the entire village vanished overnight!
Through every offer or promise Hong Zhao remained motionless. He did not even spare the city lord a blink. Instead, he enjoyed watching the older man squirm just through his inactivity. He knew that a lesser man would have been executed for not showing any face to the city lord. Yet he had a feeling that the man wanted him to join his guard, or at least spill his secrets. Hong Zhao knew where Rantori Village had relocated. He also knew much more about cultivation than even the city lord knew.
The more Hong Zhao remained stoic, the more frustrated Zheng Guo became. It seemed as though this child could not be bought, not even after appealing to his humanity. He even went so far as to offer Ren Cai to him, he knew all he had to do is tell her to go to him, and she would become a lifelong partner for the boy. Yet when he offered, he didn't even so much as gain a twitch of an eyebrow.
"Well, this first conversation has gone well." Zheng Guo sighed. "I hope the next one goes slightly better though." He waved a finger at a guard, which approached instantly. "This boy hasn't said a single word to me since you've brought him here." He glared at the man. "It seems as though he has not yet been shown our best hospitality. Be sure to show him." A small smirk spread on Zheng Guo's lips as he looked at the boy, yet he gained no reaction at all. "Just take him away." He waved his hand, dismissing them from his presence.
"Move." The guard said to Hong Zhao, who instantly began walking towards the residence once more. As they made their way through the building, Hong Zhao once again memorized the layout of the building.
"Is that the boy the City Lord was trying to win over?" One of the servants asked another.
"It doesn't look like it went too well." The other said. "Our poor City Lord hasn't had much luck lately with turning other's opinions, what with Lord Wei Rong trying to force his way into the city lord position."
Hong Zhao's ears pricked up at that last piece of the conversation. It seemed as though the city lord was having slight issues with a usurper. His lips twitched up into an almost unnoticeable smile as the guard continued to walk him to the prison.
When finally they reached the bottom of the stairs, Hong Zhao continued past the cage he had once stayed in. So far as he knew, this was no longer going to be where he lived. Because of Zheng Guo's last comment, he had a feeling he would be staying in the cage that was further up in the room. When he did not stop, the guard seemed slightly taken aback. When Hong Zhao stopped at the massive room on the other side, the man shook his head. Apparently the boy already knew where he was to be staying. "Smart boy." He said in a neutral expression. "A word of advise," the guard liked this boy for some reason. He couldn't help but say something encouraging. "You should do something nice for the city lord if you want out of this mess. If you survive that is." He took the key at his belt and unlocked the cage. "This is where all of the third and fourth star disciple ranked cultivators are kept." He said as he looked at the twenty men in front of him. "Even if you could scare the men in the other cages, I highly doubt you will do as well here." He lightly pushed the boy into the cell. "For what it's worth, I hope you survive."