565: No sincerity (48k)

“Since His Highness Xuan Xiao has invited me with such sincerity, it would naturally be rude of me to refuse.”

Lin Yang accepted Xuan Xiao's invitation to become a Guest Retainer.

He had no reason not to agree.

The price Xuan Xiao offered was indeed too high.

First, he wouldn't be required to do anything until he reached the Ten Thousand Laws Realm.

He only needed to proceed as usual; Xuan Xiao's side would not interfere at all.

He could also receive corresponding mirror ruins coins and resource supplies.

Five hundred million mirror ruins coins every century, which was just enough to cover the cost of living in the city's High-level Residential Area, allowing him to cultivate in peace.

Second, there was also a certain amount of resource provision.

Although these were common resources, they could still save him a significant amount of money.

As for other required high-level or special resources, there was a substantial discount available, allowing him to purchase them directly at the Star Divination Tower using the discount.

Not to mention, upon reaching the Returning Origin Realm and the Ten Thousand Laws Realm, he would each receive one opportunity to comprehend the complete Dao Rhythm.

With such generous conditions, it was hard not to be tempted.

Besides this, what also prompted Lin Yang to agree was Xuan Xiao's identity.

Imperial Prince of the Saint Xuan Ancient Country!

Although there were many Imperial Princes across all the lineages in the Saint Xuan Ancient Country, Xuan Xiao was relatively ordinary.

But even if he was ordinary, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse.

Putting aside everything else, Xuan Xiao definitely had an extremely wide network of connections.

When the Dark Invasion arrived, he could also rely on Xuan Xiao to introduce some experts for help.

Sometimes, there are people whom it is difficult to hire even with money.

Therefore, Lin Yang agreed.

“Haha, Brother Lin Yang, welcome to the Xuan Tai Barren Sacred Profound Sovereign Lineage of my Saint Xuan Ancient Country!”

Seeing Lin Yang agree so readily, Xuan Xiao burst into hearty laughter.

“His Highness Xuan Xiao is too polite,” Lin Yang said, signing the special contract.

A subtle, special sensation arose in his heart.

This was a Dao Pact.

Neither party could violate the terms of the agreement, or they would suffer a backlash from Dao Power.

Even those in the Dao Realm could not withstand this backlash.

This meant that in the Endless Spacetime, once a Dao Pact was established, there was no need to worry about either side defaulting, unless they wished to die.

After the Dao Pact was established, Xuan Xiao signaled to Butler Fu to hand Lin Yang a card directly:

“Brother Lin Yang, this card contains five hundred million mirror ruins coins for the next century. In the future, Butler Fu will transfer the funds to this card punctually every century.”

“At the same time, there is one thing Brother Lin Yang must pay attention to!”

“What?” Lin Yang took the card, his expression growing serious.

“The internal competition within our Ancient Country is fierce and cruel, so Brother Lin Yang, please do not reveal that you are my Guest Retainer for the time being, or you will attract unnecessary trouble,” Xuan Xiao instructed.

Lin Yang immediately understood Xuan Xiao's meaning: “Is Your Highness saying that the Imperial Princes of the Ancient Country might attack the Guest Retainers chosen by other Princes?”

“That's about right, but they won't do it openly, so as long as you conceal your identity, there shouldn't be any major problems,” Xuan Xiao nodded.

“I understand.” Lin Yang sighed inwardly. Being a Guest Retainer was indeed not easy.

Although he didn't have to exert himself yet, he needed to guard against the schemes of other Ancient Country Imperial Princes.

This basically meant that accepting the invitation of one Imperial Prince automatically made him an enemy of the others.

“The conditions offered are generous, but the price is not small.”

Lin Yang muttered inwardly, not feeling that anything was amiss; immense benefits were never easy to obtain.

If you want great benefits, you must bear the corresponding cost.

“Well then, Brother Lin Yang, you may proceed as usual for now. If you have any issues, you can contact Butler Fu using this special Communication Talisman.”

Xuan Xiao took out a specialized Communication Talisman and handed it to Lin Yang:

“When you reach the Returning Origin Realm, you can contact Butler Fu to arrange a time to return to the Ancient Country and comprehend the complete Dao Rhythm.”

“However, I suggest waiting until you have accumulated a certain amount before comprehending it. This will maximize the use of the comprehension opportunity and allow you to strive for higher levels.”

“Alright, Your Highness Xuan Xiao, I will return to the He Family now.” Lin Yang carefully put it away, then left the VIP room without saying anything further.

According to their Guest Retainer agreement, before his strength was sufficient, Xuan Xiao's side would only provide him with corresponding financial resources. At all other times, he could do whatever he needed to do; he simply had this extra layer of identity.

Nor did he need to follow Xuan Xiao's movements.

To put it bluntly, it was a free-range arrangement.

He simply gained an investor.

It wasn't a sudden leap to the heavens, allowing him to go to the Saint Xuan Ancient Country immediately.

To go to the Saint Xuan Ancient Country, he needed to be at least in the Returning Origin Realm.

Before that, he still planned to continue cultivating in Yun Que City.

On one hand, he was already quite familiar with the place, and on the other hand, he could naturally help the He Family.

As for Bone Bloom... he still needed to handle it himself. Xuan Xiao's side would not offer him any assistance.

They would only provide him with financial and material support; they would not kill people on his behalf.

This could also be considered a test.

An Imperial Prince like Xuan Xiao invested in too many people simultaneously. Although not everyone was a Guest Retainer, he would not take action on behalf of any single investor.

Whether they could grow depended entirely on themselves.

After all, they already had more advantageous resources than others. If they still couldn't grow continuously, they wouldn't be worthy of receiving better resource allocation.

Although Xuan Xiao claimed it wasn't a wide net, frankly speaking, it was still a Gu Rearing Model.

Their family had a vast enterprise, possessing the capital and strength to provide financial and resource support to those they selected.

Even if the investment failed, they wouldn't care about the small amount of money.

What they cared about more was whether the invested person was worth increasing the investment in.

And this point required the invested person to strive for it themselves.

Just as Xuan Xiao had said before, he needed to demonstrate his value.

After Lin Yang left, Xuan Xiao and Butler Fu also quickly departed Yun Que City.

On this trip, they had already gained what they sought, and they needed to be wary of staying in one place for too long and being detected by the Imperial Princes of other lineages.

There are some people who specifically accept assassination missions to track and assassinate Imperial Princes.

As for assassination missions.

Naturally, these were issued by people from other lineages.

Or rather, every lineage issued assassination missions targeting the Imperial Princes of other lineages.

Of course, this kind of assassination could not be done openly.

Although the Saint Xuan Ancient Country encouraged competition among lineages, it did not support rampant mutual slaughter.

However, some underhanded methods were certainly unavoidable.

After all, with the existence of a super assassination organization like Three Watches Rain, which can traverse the Endless Spacetime, it was impossible for there not to be assassination missions targeting Imperial Princes.

Therefore, the current Imperial Princes of every lineage, except when appearing publicly for official business, were all extremely low-key at other times.

Especially when traveling outside, they had to guard against assassination.

Having invested in Lin Yang in Yun Que City, Xuan Xiao did not dare to linger, lest traces of his visit be tracked.

As for the Star Divination Tower?

Although the Star Divination Tower was the largest intelligence organization, the locations of the branches where the Imperial Princes appeared were absolutely confidential.

This was considered an understanding and agreement between super powers; they would not sell intelligence related to the Imperial Princes, and all relevant records would be automatically erased after they left.

Therefore, Xuan Xiao felt safe meeting Lin Yang inside the Star Divination Tower.

Similarly, if Lin Yang later used the special discount privilege given by Xuan Xiao to purchase resources within the Star Divination Tower, the corresponding records would also be kept confidential.

“Young Master, where shall we go next?” Outside Yun Que City, Butler Fu had already concealed all traces of their aura and asked Xuan Xiao.

“Let's go back. We've gained quite a lot this trip. If I don't go back and show my face soon, someone might suspect I snuck out,” Xuan Xiao looked toward the Saint Xuan Ancient Country.

“Understood.”

Butler Fu nodded, then said:

“Actually, Young Master, there was no need to offer a Guest Retainer spot; a regular investment contract would have sufficed.”

“By giving him a Guest Retainer spot, you will have to explain the reason upon returning. Currently, without absolute evidence of him concealing his aura, his extreme strength alone is not quite qualified enough for a Guest Patron Contract.”

“He doesn't even possess Dao Rhythm. At the very least, we currently have no evidence of him mastering Dao Rhythm to report. I fear the Ancient Country Elders will believe Young Master is wasting a Guest Retainer spot.”

After all, the qualification to fully comprehend the Dao Rhythm is very precious. If he gets stuck for too long before the Returning Origin Realm or performs poorly in the Guiyuan Realm, even your assessment score, Young Master, will be affected. The Ancient Country Elders will definitely give an assessment that the Young Master has poor judgment and is wasting the Ancient Country's precious resources.

Butler Fu truly felt that Lin Yang was temporarily unworthy of a Guest of Honor slot.

The isolating power that even he couldn't penetrate was merely the power of a treasure.

Butler Fu did not highly approve of relying on the power of a treasure.

Xuan Xiao smiled and said, "Butler Fu, you are right. Under normal circumstances, someone who hasn't even mastered the Dao Rhythm is indeed not qualified to receive a Guest Patron Contract."

"However, Butler Fu, you seem to have subconsciously overlooked one thing."

Butler Fu was startled: "What did I overlook?"

"His realm!"

"His cultivation realm!"

Xuan Xiao smiled:

"He is only at the first level of the Boundary Realm. It's just that he previously instantly killed those third-level Boundary Realm practitioners from Bone Bloom, causing you, Butler Fu, to subconsciously view him on the level of a third-level Boundary Realm cultivator."

"If a third-level Boundary Realm cultivator hasn't mastered the Dao Rhythm, they are indeed unworthy. But he is only at the first level!"

Butler Fu couldn't help but be stunned.

Xuan Xiao continued:

"Furthermore..."

"He has only been in Yun Que City for less than a century!"

"From the first time he appeared in Yun Que City until now, in less than a century, he advanced from the Breaking Universe Realm to the Boundary Realm."

"Moreover, with a first-level cultivation realm, he can instantly kill beings at the peak third level."

"This speed of advancement is monstrous, even among the Heavenly Geniuses throughout the Endless Spacetime."

"This is the main reason I offered him a Guest of Honor slot!"

"His speed of advancement is simply too fast!"

"...Butler Fu looked astonished, then gave a wry smile: 'The Young Master truly has sharp foresight. I actually overlooked this point. It seems I really am old and useless.'"

"Haha, Butler Fu, you're not old yet!"

Xuan Xiao was amused:

"It's just that your own strength is too great; the Boundary Realm is something far in the past for you. So, sometimes you inevitably view problems subconsciously from the perspective of a powerful expert."

"No matter how formidable he is, he is still ultimately only in the Boundary Realm right now, a level that you, Butler Fu, could extinguish with a flick of a finger."

"Furthermore, the Heavenly Geniuses you, Butler Fu, have seen are countless, but most of them eventually fade away at a certain stage."

"Therefore, it is completely normal for you, Butler Fu, to overlook these minor details."

Butler Fu sighed: "Alright, if that is the case, then giving him a Guest of Honor slot is not a waste. I just hope he doesn't fail to live up to the expectations and importance you, Young Master, place upon him."

"We'll wait and see slowly. Let's see when he can comprehend the Dao Rhythm. As long as he doesn't get stuck for too long before the Returning Origin Realm and manages to break through successfully, I consider it half a victory!"

Xuan Xiao said this, indicating he had plenty of patience.

Butler Fu nodded silently, then instantly left Yun Que City with Xuan Xiao... Inside the city, at the He Family.

"Lord, you've returned!!"

The moment Lin Yang returned to the He Family, He Linxue rushed out excitedly to greet him.

The news of Lin Yang killing the Bone Bloom raiding Squad outside the city had already spread throughout Yun Que City.

Her excitement now was not just because the He Family had hope of rising again, but also due to a deep sense of admiration and respect!

Lin Yang shook his head and smiled, instructing: "Linxue, although I have suppressed the Bone Bloom raiding team and made sure other family powers in the city dare not harbor improper designs on your He Family's assets, the He Family must maintain the status quo until the issue of Bone Bloom is completely resolved."

"Do not expand. You should also try your best not to go outside, just stay at home. Even within the city, avoid going out if possible."

He Linxue was instantly shocked: "Lord, you plan to deal with Bone Bloom?!"

"Yes, they killed Linchuan, and they must pay the price."

Lin Yang nodded:

"It's just that I don't have absolute certainty right now, so I'll wait a little longer."

After saying that, he added: "I'll go back to the Villa first."

"Linxue respectfully sees off the Lord. Linxue understands. Lord, please rest assured, the He Family will not cause you any extra trouble."

He Linxue bowed as she watched Lin Yang leave, feeling shocked that Lin Yang's strength was actually enough to deal with the leader of Bone Bloom!

Although she still had to wait, didn't this imply that after some time, he would have complete confidence in killing the leader of Bone Bloom?

This deeply shocked her.

She was one of the few people in Yun Que City who genuinely knew that Lin Yang had indeed come from the Universe Zone!

How long had he been here?

And he could already deal with an expert like the Bone Bloom leader, who had comprehended the Dao Rhythm?

He Linxue was dumbfounded.

She had heard many stories of Heavenly Geniuses who rapidly rose after arriving in the High-level Spacetime from the Universe Zone, but Lin Yang seemed no worse than those legendary geniuses.

He was even more formidable!

Suddenly, He Linxue felt like crying.

Her brother, who was most looked down upon and called a good-for-nothing, was taken as a disciple by a brilliant existence like Lin Yang.

This made her feel like crying for no reason.

"Brother, did you see? You were valued by a prominent figure like Lord Lin Yang, someone who would be considered brilliant even in the Endless Spacetime. This proves you are not trash; you have outstanding qualities. It's just that those people before were blind!"

He Linxue looked at He Linchuan's Memorial Tablet and whispered softly:

"Brother, the Lord is also looking after the family for you. You can rest in peace!"

...High-level Residential Area.

Just as Lin Yang returned to the Villa, he saw a Patrol Team from the City Lord's Residence standing at the entrance.

Seeing him return, the captain immediately bowed and said, "Lord Lin Yang, the City Lord instructed us to wait for you here. He wishes to invite you to the City Lord's Residence for a discussion. May we ask the Lord to make the trip?"

"The City Lord invites me to the City Lord's Residence?" Lin Yang was surprised.

He immediately understood. It was likely that Yun Que City also wanted to invite him to join the City Lord's faction.

Although the City Lord's Residence was an official force of the Kunyu Country, it was also short on manpower!

Whether the local government had other powerful experts besides the City Lord was a crucial factor affecting a city's prosperity.

After all, the more experts who joined the City Lord's Residence, the safer the city would be, at least to a certain extent.

Naturally, more people would be willing to come to the city, which would drive the development of all aspects of the city.

However, whether experts were willing to join the official government depended on the City Lord's capabilities.

Therefore, many City Lords would invite the experts residing in the city to join the City Lord's Residence, even if only as nominal members.

Furthermore, the more experts the City Lord's Residence could recruit, the greater the commendations the City Lord would receive from the Kunyu Country.

The City Lord Yun Que inviting him to join the official forces was certainly for these two reasons.

However... "Please go back and tell His Excellency the City Lord that I do not wish to join any faction for the time being." Lin Yang refused directly, without even being overly polite.

Because he felt that the City Lord Yun Que lacked sincerity.

If he wanted to invite him to join the City Lord's Residence, he should at least show some sincerity, right?

Given the power he had displayed, even without the Dao Rhythm, he was virtually unmatched in the entire Yun Que City.

If the City Lord wanted to invite him, setting aside everything else, coming personally would be a sign of sincerity.

Even if he didn't come himself, sending at least the Deputy City Lord or his most important Confidant would be acceptable.

But now, just casually sending a Patrol Team to pass on the message—this was no longer a question of sincerity.

It was a lack of the respect due to an expert!

It wasn't that Lin Yang was getting ahead of himself; it was that if he went over like this now, it would mean he was voluntarily acknowledging himself as inferior to the City Lord, going as a subordinate rather than an equal.

Only a subordinate would accept a summons delivered via messenger.

Naturally, he could not go with this Patrol Team.

This wasn't about his own reputation; it was that the City Lord Yun Que's action implied a certain degree of contempt for him.

This was not how one invited an expert!

Since the City Lord Yun Que so casually dispatched a Patrol Team to relay the message, Lin Yang naturally saw no need to be polite to him.

"This..." The captain was stunned, but seeing Lin Yang's expression, he dared not say anything more and could only respond: "Yes, we will certainly relay the Lord's meaning."

"Mm."

Lin Yang responded coldly and walked straight into the courtyard.