109: Jiang Wuhan arrived

Heavenly Mountain Sect, Jiang Family, Back Mountain.

This was a Forbidden Ground of the Jiang Family; aside from the Family Head, only a few Elders were permitted to enter.

At this moment, within a massive cave in the Forbidden Ground of the back mountain, three figures sat cross-legged.

One of them was very old with a head full of white hair, while the other two appeared much younger—a man and a woman, both looking to be middle-aged, around forty or fifty years old.

"You have all seen the latest issue of the hidden dragon ranking, haven't you? What do you think of this boy, Lin Yi?"

Inside the cave, the White-Haired Elder spoke softly.

"Unparalleled under heaven!"

"A divinely gifted Genius!"

As soon as the Elder finished speaking, the middle-aged man and woman replied with solemn expressions, their eyes filled with shock.

"Indeed!"

Hearing this, the White-Haired Elder also said solemnly:

"The monstrous talent of this boy Lin Yi is not only remarkable within our Heavenly Mountain Sect, but is even notable in the history of the Nine Provinces!"

"It was truly a stroke of immense luck for our Jiang Family to have been able to pull Lin Yi into our faction back then."

"It's just a pity that although our Jiang Family's level of support for him over the past year has increased compared to when we first recruited him, it is still far too little given his talent."

"Therefore, I intend to increase our investment in Lin Yi. What do you think?"

"The Old Ancestor is wise. I agree!"

"That is only right!"

The two middle-aged individuals both nodded.

"Very well!"

Seeing this, the Jiang Family Ancestor also smiled:

"Since you both agree, I have decided that starting from this year, the resources given to Lin Yi annually will be increased to one hundred million taels of silver."

"This sum doesn't need to be drawn from the Family funds; let's just pool it together ourselves! I will provide half, and you two will provide the remaining half."

"What! One hundred million taels every year, and the two of us each provide half?"

Hearing this, the expressions of both individuals changed.

Half of the remaining half of one hundred million taels was a full twenty-five million taels of silver.

Contributing such a large sum of silver every year was a massive burden even for two Xiantian experts.

After all, although Xiantian experts earned a lot, they also spent a lot!

A fixed annual expenditure of twenty-five million taels might not drain them dry, but it would certainly force them to tighten their belts, and even their cultivation would be delayed.

This... this was truly too much.

"What, do you two disagree?"

Seeing their reactions, the Jiang Family Ancestor's white brows furrowed, and a powerful Aura suddenly erupted from his body.

"No! Old Ancestor, I agree!"

"Neither do I! Old Ancestor, I also agree!"

Seeing this, the two looked at each other and hurriedly nodded in resignation.

There was no other way! The Jiang Family Ancestor was too strong, a master of the Xiantian Golden Core Realm; even if the two of them joined forces, they couldn't resist him at all.

What's more, deep down, they didn't actually want to resist.

After all, Lin Yi's talent was truly, just too strong!

...While the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce and the Jiang Family had already taken action, the Great Yuan Dynasty—the "great contributor" that had forced Lin Yi to make a Breakthrough—had naturally received news of his Breakthrough long before the hidden dragon ranking was even published.

Great Yuan Dynasty, Dadu.

Golden roofs reflected the sun and red walls were like blood; nine layers of palace gates spread out along the central axis, as majestic as a sleeping dragon.

Within the palace, upturned eaves layered upon one another and carved beams pierced the clouds; every glazed tile condensed the majesty of the imperial Family.

This was the Great Yuan Dynasty's Yuan Imperial Palace!

The pinnacle of power for the Great Yuan Dynasty, and even the pinnacle of power for the Nine Provinces.

Here resided the Yuan Emperor, one of those standing at the Peak of power in the entire Nine Provinces.

Yuan Imperial Palace, Daming Hall.

Outside the high windows, the daylight was at its Peak; blinding white light poured in like a waterfall of pure gold, enveloping the dais where the throne sat in a brilliant and majestic halo.

In the hall, atop the nine golden steps symbolizing the Peak of power, a middle-aged man with a resolute face, dressed in dragon robes, sat upon a gilded Coiled Dragon Throne.

From his high vantage point, he looked down calmly at a middle-aged man with an ordinary face who was kneeling on one knee below.

"Chen Zhao, you have disappointed Us greatly this time."

The Yuan Emperor spoke indifferently; his voice was not loud, but it sounded like a clap of thunder in the ears of the middle-aged man below!

"Your servant is guilty!"

The middle-aged man lowered his head and eyes.

Marquis Huailin of the Great Yuan Dynasty, whose real name was Chen Zhao, was in charge of all the Great Yuan Dynasty's forces in Qingzhou, responsible for gathering information on Qingzhou's experts and carrying out the assassination of geniuses and powerhouses from various factions.

The assassination of Lin Yi this time was planned by him personally; as a result, not only did he fail to kill Lin Yi, but he also forced the other party to make a Breakthrough, rising to fame and shaking the world by stepping over the Great Yuan Dynasty.

The weight of this guilt was so great that even as a Marquis of Great Yuan, it was still difficult for Chen Zhao to bear.

With these thoughts, Chen Zhao prepared himself to face the Yuan Emperor's storm of fury.

But... "Enough!"

A faint voice sounded in Marquis Huailin Chen Zhao's ears. Chen Zhao looked up slightly to see the Yuan Emperor's calm face, looking down at him with eyes that seemed to encompass the Star River Myriad Phenomena:

"Chen Zhao, as the Commander-in-Chief of our Great Yuan Dynasty stationed in Qingzhou, allowing Lin Yi to grow to this point is indeed a grave sin."

"However, as our Great Yuan Dynasty is currently fighting on all fronts and is in need of manpower, and you are after all a Xiantian Golden Core Realm Grandmaster, We shall permit you to redeem yourself through service."

"Later, you shall convey Our verbal decree and take a squad of Dragon Guards from the Dragon Guard Camp to follow you back to Qingzhou!"

"We want you to kill Lin Yi before he achieves the Xiantian realm. Can you do it?"

"Your servant will certainly not fail Your Majesty's command!"

Hearing this, Marquis Huailin Chen Zhao shouted aloud, his confidence greatly bolstered.

The Dragon Guards were the most elite military unit of the Great Yuan Dynasty.

The army consisted of only one hundred men in total, but every single one of them was extremely powerful, being at least First Rank experts.

They were divided into squads of ten, each with a captain who was an existence nearly invincible among those of the First Rank, incredibly powerful.

Furthermore, since the Dragon Guards had practiced Combined-attack techniques together since childhood and shared a telepathic connection, the ten of them working together could achieve an effect far greater than the sum of their parts, even enough to fight a regular Xiantian expert.

Therefore, with these Dragon Guards, as long as no Xiantian expert intervened, he was confident he could kill Lin Yi.

Even if a Xiantian expert did appear, with him, Marquis Huailin, present, that Xiantian expert would have no room to act.

After all, the unspoken rule between the Great Yuan Dynasty and various major factions was that Xiantian experts were not allowed to arbitrarily assassinate the other side's geniuses; but since he wouldn't be attacking and would only be blocking the opponent's Xiantian expert, it naturally wouldn't count as a violation.

Chen Zhao felt relieved, and then left the Yuan Imperial Palace with the Yuan Emperor's verbal decree, full of confidence... Thus, the outside world was in a state of turmoil.

But on Lin Yi's side, he currently had no time to pay attention to any of that.

Because not long ago, outside Lin Yi's residence in Dongshan Prefecture City, an unexpected guest suddenly arrived today.

"Senior Brother Jiang! Why are you here?"

Seeing Jiang Hanhan, whom he hadn't seen for a long time but who still possessed a cold temperament and undiminished grace, Lin Yi was first startled, and then filled with joy.