22: The Devil's Test

"Mr. Yuan."

The address, spoken from her lips, was devoid of warmth, crisp and decisive.

The dead silence of the alley entrance was cut by these three words.

The invisible pressure that had almost crushed Lu Yuan dispersed like a receding tide.

Lu Yuan's back, stiff with tension, finally found a moment to breathe.

Sweat had already soaked through his inner shirt, clinging to every inch of his skin, sending a chill through him to his bones.

He did not answer immediately.

His brain was frantically working at the speed of the Great Dao Options Exchange during extreme simulations.

Cooperation.

This was not an option.

It was the only way to survive.

In his risk assessment model, the ultimate outcome of "refusal" was "death," with a 100% probability.

The consequence of "cooperation" was "unknown," but the probability of survival was greater than zero.

As a trader, he always chose the side with a probability greater than zero.

"The terms of cooperation."

Lu Yuan spoke, his voice terrifyingly steady, without any trace of having just walked through the gates of hell.

He needed information.

He had to know the specific terms of this "contract" to assess the risk exposure and expected returns.

"What do I get?"

He added another sentence.

Even in an absolute disadvantage, one must clearly state one's demands.

This was the foundation of negotiation and the bottom line of a transaction.

The female Cultivator under the cloak seemed unsurprised by his reaction, even somewhat appreciative.

"You are not qualified to negotiate terms."

But her words still directly cut through Lu Yuan's attempt to establish an equal footing.

"You are currently just an interesting imposter, an unstable 'asset' that can be liquidated at any time."

"Only by passing the test can you become a reserve member of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion."

"Only then will you be qualified to inquire about your 'dividend.'"

Test.

These two words made Lu Yuan's recently relaxed nerves tighten again.

"Hand over liu xuan's manual of the dao of alchemy to Chen Changqing."

The female Cultivator issued the first part of the instruction.

This was consistent with Lu Yuan's plan.

But her next words made Lu Yuan's breath momentarily stop.

"But you cannot merely exchange it for the Spirit Stones and resources he promised."

"I want you to retrieve the Chen Family's most important commercial secret—"

"The fundamental flaw of the Fierce Sun True Art."

The air in the alley, at this moment, became thick and heavy.

Stealing the core Cultivation Technique secret of a Golden Core Family.

From a cunning Golden Core Cultivator who had lived for hundreds of years.

This was no longer a test.

This was sending him to his death.

Lu Yuan showed no emotion, merely stating a cold fact.

"A Golden Core Cultivator's Divine Soul is enough to perceive everything; any thought of prying will be sensed the moment it arises."

"This transaction cannot be completed."

The female Cultivator was noncommittal.

She raised her hand.

A jade talisman, entirely emerald green and carved with intricate cloud patterns, appeared out of thin air, suspended before Lu Yuan.

"This is a one-way contact talisman, and also your countdown."

"Three days."

"In three days, I will wait for you here. I will not interfere with any of your operations; I will only look at the final 'delivery result.'"

The jade talisman emitted a faint glow, watching him coldly.

Lu Yuan did not reach for it.

The female Cultivator seemed to see through his hesitation and spoke again, a subtle ripple in her voice.

"Chen Changqing suffered a Dao injury in an early battle with a powerful enemy, and it has not healed to this day."

"This, perhaps, is your only 'leverage.'"

Information.

She had given him another crucial piece of information.

Lu Yuan understood.

This was both a hint and an investment, and even a form of invisible control.

She used information as bait and leverage to ensure he would act according to the trajectory she had set.

All his struggles were within her calculations.

Silence fell upon the alley once more.

The jade talisman hung quietly, waiting for him to make a choice.

Lu Yuan did not reach out immediately.

He knew that once he took it, he would be completely drawn into the huge vortex named "Heavenly Secret Pavilion."

But he also knew that he had no right to refuse.

In the face of absolute power, he needed this tiger's skin to protect himself, even if this tiger's skin could devour him at any moment.

He raised his eyes, his gaze piercing through the darkness, directly at the bottomless shadow.

"If I succeed."

His voice was not loud, but every word was exceptionally clear, full of undeniable weight.

"The Heavenly Secret Pavilion needs to answer one question for me."

He put forward his counter-demand.

A demand that, in his current situation, was almost arrogant, an instinct of a trader.

The air at the alley entrance paused for a moment.

The eyes under the cloak seemed to narrow slightly, re-evaluating this imposter who didn't know his place.

A moment later, the cold voice sounded again.

"Allowed."

Only one word.

Crisp and decisive.

Lu Yuan no longer hesitated, reaching out and grasping the cold, green jade talisman in his palm.

The moment he held the jade talisman, he seemed to hear the gears of fate, emitting a heavy and clear turning sound.

A new, and even more dangerous, gamble had begun.