30: I will win! You will win!

Outside, the eight directions were shaken.

Meanwhile, inside the Martial Academy, Lin Yi continued to Cultivate diligently in a martial arts cultivation room.

He held a long saber in his hand, and the snow-white blade seemed to come alive in his grasp.

As he swung it continuously, dense silver-white saber light splashed through the air like water, forming various phenomena.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time passed.

"Swoosh!"

Inside the martial arts cultivation room, the saber light that had been like an endless stream of water in the void suddenly dispersed.

Immediately after, on the flat ground, Lin Yi suddenly sheathed his saber and stood still. He exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and shook his head.

"Whew! This Full Moon Star Saber truly lives up to its name as a Fourth Grade Martial Art; the difficulty of cultivating it is indeed high."

"Originally, I thought that with my foundation in the Perfection stage of the Bright Moon Saber Technique, it would take me at most one or two hours to reach the Entry stage and a few days to reach Minor Achievement. I didn't expect it would actually take an entire afternoon just to barely reach the Entry stage."

"At this rate, without any fortuitous encounters, I might not necessarily be able to Cultivate it to Major Achievement by the time the Heavenly Mountain Sect holds its Disciple recruitment assessment next year."

"It seems I need to go collect silver now and use Talent Evolution."

Thinking of this, Lin Yi couldn't help but smile helplessly.

He had previously thought that even if he were to use Talent Evolution in the future, it would only be when he encountered a Bottleneck in the Late Stage of cultivating the Full Moon Star Saber.

But now, he never expected that after just one afternoon of cultivation, he would already need to evolve.

Well, if I must evolve, then so be it!

In any case, every talent on the attribute panel is extraordinary; there's no harm in evolving more talents.

"Let's go!"

With a thought, Lin Yi immediately sheathed his long saber and walked out of the Martial Academy... "Is the visitor Young Master Lin Yi?"

Just as Lin Yi stepped out of the Martial Academy's main gate, a somewhat familiar voice rang in his ears.

Hearing this, Lin Yi turned his head and saw a middle-aged fat man wearing a yellow robe embroidered with copper coins, smiling at him with a fawning expression.

Behind him was a large group of figures, numbering about thirty or forty. Most of them looked like servants or guards, with only three figures leading them—two men and one woman.

At this moment, these three each led a group of people, forming three small factions. They were pitted against each other, and although they hadn't spoken, the atmosphere was thick with tension, as if it could explode at any moment.

Seeing this, Lin Yi's heart stirred as he made a faint guess, but he still smiled and asked:

"So it's Deacon Li. I wonder what business you have with me today? And who are these others?"

"Young Master Lin Yi!"

As soon as Lin Yi finished speaking, before Li Long could answer, the sharp middle-aged woman among the three spoke up first, her voice clanging like metal:

"I am Gong Yan, the President of the Guangling Branch of the Zijing Merchant Guild. Today, I heard that Young Master Lin Yi displayed Divine Might during the Martial Academy's Entrance Exam competition and that your talent is world-shaking. Thus, I immediately came to the academy to recruit you into our Zijing Merchant Guild."

"As for Li Long, I found out that this fat pig was blind before. Despite having contact with you long ago, not only did he fail to recognize Young Master Lin Yi as a true dragon, but he even slandered you in secret."

"Therefore, today I have specifically brought this fat pig to apologize to Young Master Lin Yi. I hope you can join our Zijing Merchant Guild and become a Profound Rank Genius of our guild for the sake of my sincerity."

"As for this fat pig Li Long, whether you want to kill him or skin him, everything is at Young Master Lin Yi's disposal!"

"Young Master Lin Yi! I was wrong! I was wrong!"

Hearing Gong Yan's words, Li Long was decisive. His fat body immediately went limp, and he promptly knelt and prostrated himself like a ball, kowtowing repeatedly to Lin Yi while saying:

"It was I, Li Long, who was blind back then and looked down on Young Master Lin Yi. I even secretly slandered you behind your back."

"If Young Master Lin Yi feels resentment today, then no matter how you deal with me, I, Li Long, will have absolutely no complaints!"

"In short, as long as Young Master Lin Yi vents his anger and is willing to join our Zijing Merchant Guild, then even if I, Li Long, die, I will have no regrets!"

Li Long wailed with snot and tears, looking as if he were ready to die a heroic death for the merchant guild at any moment.

In truth, it wasn't that he was genuinely loyal to the Zijing Merchant Guild, but rather he knew how ruthless a woman Gong Yan was!

If it were truly because of him that Lin Yi failed to join the Zijing Merchant Guild, then not only would he die, but his entire family would die as well!

Conversely, now he was just kneeling and kowtowing to Lin Yi to beg for mercy. Although he lost some dignity and Face, given the Heart-Nature of a youth like Lin Yi, even if he felt some anger from previous events, the probability was that he wouldn't take his life.

Li Long's mind raced as he sought survival in the cracks.

It sounded pathetic, but there was no helping it; such was the sorrow of small figures in society.

On the other side, looking at Li Long's miserable state, Lin Yi didn't pay him much mind.

Because compared to the major decision of which large power to join, the matter between him and Li Long was truly just a trivial affair.

Furthermore, strictly speaking, he and Li Long didn't have much of a grudge. The man had even been quite polite when he was trying to recruit him initially.

Not only had he explained the details of the Yellow-rank Genius contract in detail, but he had also allowed him to come into contact with knowledge of the Extreme Strength Realm ahead of time, which could be considered a small merit.

As for the slandering behind his back?

Since he had already knelt and kowtowed, he would let it go!

After all, Lin Yi considered himself not exactly a great saint, but he wasn't a murderous demon either. He wouldn't take someone's life over such a small matter.

With his thoughts settled, Lin Yi then spoke to Gong Yan with a faint smile:

"I have seen President Gong's sincerity. However, I have no major grudge with Deacon Li, so there's no need to kill him. As for recruitment? That matter is simple!"

"I am currently in a growth phase and what I need are resources. I will join whichever power provides the most resources!"

"Haha! Well said!"

As soon as Lin Yi said this, the dignified middle-aged man among the three immediately burst into laughter:

"Lin Yi is indeed a Genius who comprehended the Extreme Strength Realm at the age of fourteen. You are truly intelligent and know how to make choices."

"What do the mere grudges and impulsive disputes of youths matter?"

"In this world, strength is the only thing that matters! As long as there are resources to improve one's strength, then after becoming a powerful expert in the future, what matter cannot be resolved by oneself? Why would one need to borrow the hands of others?"

"And as everyone knows, in Qingzhou, because my Wanlong is short on manpower, we have always been the most generous."

"So this time, as long as Young Master Lin Yi is willing to join our Wanlong Chamber of Commerce, then in addition to the eight thousand taels of silver per year in the traditional Profound Rank Genius contract of the major guilds, my Wanlong Chamber of Commerce can also provide you with an additional two thousand taels of silver in annual support funds, making a total of ten thousand taels of silver. What do you think?"

"Ten thousand taels of silver per year!"

Hearing this number, not just Lin Yi, but even the sharp middle-aged woman, the kowtowing Li Long on the ground, and the others present couldn't help but feel a shock in their hearts.

Wanlong is indeed Wanlong, truly generous! Ten thousand taels of silver a year right off the bat!

One must know that ten thousand taels of silver is quite a lot; even many ordinary Fifth-rank Martial Artists can only barely earn this amount in a year.

But now, Wanlong was actually giving it directly to Lin Yi, a mere Seventh Grade Martial Artist, and there were other benefits besides.

Adding it all up, it was estimated that they would spend at least fifteen thousand taels of silver a year on Lin Yi alone.

And a Fourth-Rank Martial Artist generally takes twenty to thirty years to grow up, and before reaching that level, this silver must be given continuously.

So that single contract would total thirty to forty thousand taels of silver, which was enough to buy two ordinary third-grade precious medicines. This gesture was truly significant.

Thinking of this, Lin Yi's heart was faintly moved, but his habitually steady Heart-Nature did not let him agree immediately. Instead, he continued to wait.

Sure enough, in less than two breaths, Gong Yan spoke again, her voice still sharp:

"My Zijing Merchant Guild will offer eleven thousand taels of silver per year, with all other conditions remaining the same."

"Eleven thousand taels? Gong Yan, what are you doing!"

Hearing this number, the dignified middle-aged man couldn't help but frown:

"As far as I know, your Zijing Merchant Guild's recruitment for Profound Rank Geniuses can usually only increase the base contract by twenty-five percent at most. A final price of ten thousand taels of silver would already be the ceiling."

"Now you're offering eleven thousand taels. Don't you know you've exceeded your authority? Aren't you afraid of punishment from your Zijing Merchant Guild's Prefecture City Branch later?"

"Hmph! Punishment?"

Gong Yan gave a cold laugh:

"To be able to recruit a Genius like Lin Yi, who is suspected of martial Enlightenment, what does a little punishment matter?"

"At most, I'll just write a few more reports to my superiors at the end of the year. I am a dignified Fourth Grade Martial Artist; surely the higher-ups won't do anything to me over a mere thousand taels of silver a year?"

"You..."

Hearing this, the authoritative middle-aged man grew anxious. However, considering Lin Yi's level of talent and the speculation in the records regarding Lin Yi's potential Enlightenment, he still spoke up:

"Fine! Since you, Gong Yan, want to play, then I'll play with you until the end!"

"It's just some silver! If you, Gong Yan, can afford it, do you think I, Sun Qianshan, cannot? I'm raising it to eleven thousand five hundred taels!"

"Eleven thousand six hundred taels!"

As soon as the authoritative middle-aged man finished speaking, Gong Yan's eyes widened, and she immediately spoke.

"Eleven thousand seven hundred taels!"

The authoritative middle-aged man followed suit immediately.

"Eleven thousand eight hundred taels!"

Gong Yan continued.

"Twelve thousand taels! Gong Yan, don't be too ruthless."

Upon announcing this figure, Sun Qianshan's Face showed a look of intense pain:

"Twelve thousand taels is only slightly beyond my authority. If I write some reports, the Prefecture City will still approve them, and they won't do anything to me."

"But what about you? How much does the figure you quoted exceed your maximum authority? If you keep messing around like this, be careful, or the Prefecture City might actually send someone to investigate."

"Hmph! None of your business! Twelve thousand one hundred taels. If you have the guts, keep following."

Gong Yan gave a cold snort.

"Fine! Then I'll see just how much you actually dare to offer!"

Hearing this, Sun Qianshan couldn't help but grit his teeth, then immediately raised the figure by a significant margin:

"Twelve thousand five hundred taels!"

"You... Thirteen thousand taels!"

Faced with Sun Qianshan's sudden price hike, Gong Yan seemed to lose patience for further back-and-forth and also raised the amount by a large margin.

Her eyes were even slightly bloodshot now, clearly under immense internal pressure:

"Sun Qianshan, thirteen thousand taels. This is my final price. If you can go any higher, then I'll let you have Lin Yi and admit defeat in this contest. Well, do you dare?"

"I... I..."

Sun Qianshan's breath hitched. He opened his mouth, wanting to continue bidding, but in the end, he didn't speak. He could only curse in frustration:

"Crazy woman! Crazy woman! You're a total crazy woman! Being in the same Commandery City as a crazy woman like you, I, Sun Qianshan, have truly had the worst luck. I'm not competing anymore. Lin Yi belongs to your Zijing Merchant Guild!"

"Haha! Excellent!"

Hearing this, Gong Yan didn't care about Sun Qianshan's outburst; instead, a triumphant smile appeared on her Face:

"Young Master Lin Yi, since Sun Qianshan has conceded, come back to the Zijing Merchant Guild with me to sign the contract! Don't worry! I, Gong Yan, guarantee with my life that the silver I just promised you will be paid by the Zijing Merchant Guild."

As she spoke, Gong Yan took Lin Yi's hand, intending to lead him back to the Zijing Merchant Guild.

But just then—

"Hold on!"

A voice with a faint hint of a smile suddenly rang in everyone's ears.

Everyone looked toward the source of the sound and saw the Tower Master of Wanxiang Tower, who had been as inconspicuous as a ghost and hadn't spoken a word until now. With a "snap," he closed the folding fan in his hand, a characteristic cynical smile on his Face as he said:

"President Gong, I've been waiting here for a long time and haven't even had a chance to bid yet! Yet you're so impatient to take Young Master Lin Yi away. Isn't that a bit too hasty?"

"Hasty?"

Gong Yan was slightly taken aback, but then she sneered:

"What would I be hasty about? Chen Fengyuan, although your Wanxiang Tower is the most powerful among the three major chambers of commerce and your business spans the Nine Provinces, such that even the Buddhist and Daoist Sacred Lands have to give Wanxiang Tower Face..."

"But precisely because your Wanxiang Tower is too powerful, your contracts for recruiting geniuses have always been the strictest, with not a single detail allowed to be changed, otherwise there would be severe punishment."

"What, do you intend to violate the rules of Wanxiang Tower just to compete with me for Lin Yi?"

"No, no, no!"

Hearing Gong Yan's words, Chen Fengyuan shook his head with a smile:

"The rules of Wanxiang Tower are incredibly strict. How would a mere Tower Master of a Commandery-level branch like me dare to violate them lightly?"

"However, while the rules cannot be violated, I can personally provide the funds to compete with you for Young Master Lin Yi."

"Young Master Lin Yi, I will also offer you a condition. Join my Wanxiang Tower, and in addition to the basic Profound Rank Contract, I will give you twenty tiger tendon leopard blood pills or Medicinal Pills of equivalent value every year."

"Furthermore, I will provide you with eight thousand taels of silver annually as additional financial assistance. Both subsidies will be provided for ten years. What do you think?"

"What! Twenty tiger tendon leopard blood pills! Eight thousand taels of silver every year!"

Hearing this figure, Gong Yan's originally sharp voice became somewhat shrill as she roared:

"Chen Fengyuan, you're insane!"

"Twenty tiger tendon leopard blood pills and eight thousand taels of silver—that adds up to a terrifying annual expense of twelve thousand taels."

"Even if you, as a Tower Master, can buy Medicinal Pills more cheaply, it would still cost nearly eleven thousand taels of silver."

"And while the earning capacity of us Fourth Grade Martial Artists is much stronger than that of Fifth-rank Martial Artists—earning fifty or sixty thousand taels a year—we also have our own cultivation and other expenses."

"After those expenses, the money we have left doesn't even reach eleven thousand taels. Are you going to borrow money for Lin Yi?"

"Borrowing money won't be necessary."

Chen Fengyuan shook his head with a smile and said:

"Anyway, I won't be able to break through to the Third-Rank in this lifetime. At most, I'll just use fewer Medicinal Pills in the future, and that money will be saved, won't it?"

"Use fewer Medicinal Pills?"

Hearing this, Gong Yan couldn't help but grit her teeth:

"Madman! Chen Fengyuan, you're the real madman!"

"To recruit a Genius, you're actually disregarding your own cultivation."

"Never mind that this Genius is only suspected of Enlightenment; even if he truly is enlightened, or even if he really becomes a Third-Rank Martial Artist in the future..."

"A Third-Rank Martial Artist would only be considered high-level in your Wanxiang Tower's Prefecture-level branch; he wouldn't be able to influence the branch's decisions at all. How much help could he really be to you? Do you actually expect him to become a Second-Rank?"

"Second-Rank?"

"Who says I can't expect that?"

Chen Fengyuan smiled, that hint of cynicism still on his Face:

"Every Genius who achieves martial Enlightenment is an incredible existence. Some geniuses become Heaven-Defying the moment they attain Enlightenment, soaring upwards from then on until they reach the absolute peak."

"Others don't show much in the Early Stages, but the later they get, the more their accumulated potential bursts forth. Their progress becomes faster and faster, and their final achievements are not at all inferior to, and can even surpass, the former."

"And observing Young Master Lin Yi's cultivation process ever since his martial Enlightenment, I see signs of the second type of Genius. Therefore, today, I am willing to take a gamble on him."

"Gamble?"

Hearing this word, Gong Yan's eyes lit up. Immediately sensing an opportunity, she spoke again:

"Chen Fengyuan, don't you usually claim that the thing you loathe most in your life is gambling?"

"When Sun Qianshan and I asked you to place a bet in the past, you refused no matter what. So why do you want to gamble today?"

"Yes! Under normal circumstances, I indeed do not like to gamble."

Chen Fengyuan nodded, still smiling, and said slowly:

"After all, my damned father had his limbs hacked off because of gambling and was turned into a 'Human Pig,' finally dying after wailing for three days and nights."

"My mother was also forced to commit suicide by jumping into a river because of his gambling. Even I was sold as a servant to a powerful clan because of it, enduring countless hardships to finally reach where I am today. That's why I've always hated gambling with a passion!"

"But, alas! Perhaps it's because the blood of that rotten gambler also flows in my veins!"

"On those very rare critical occasions, I always inexplicably want to take a gamble!"

"Because of this bad habit, I've suffered quite a bit over the years. A few times, I even lost everything and nearly lost my life."

"However..."

Speaking to this point, Chen Fengyuan suddenly paused. Then, his bright eyes fixed on Lin Yi, a light seemingly shimmering within them:

"This time, I have a premonition. I will win!"

"You'll win?"

"You dare say you'll win? You madman!"

Hearing this, Gong Yan couldn't help but curse angrily.

Others exchanged looks, and even the people from Wanxiang Tower had strange expressions, feeling that their Tower Master had likely gone mad.

But... "Indeed! Tower Master Chen, I also believe that this time, you will win!"

A voice suddenly rang out. Beside Gong Yan, the previously silent Lin Yi finally spoke.

Then, under everyone's gaze, he gently brushed off Gong Yan's hand, walked up to Chen Fengyuan, and meeting his brilliant gaze, nodded slowly with a smile:

"And, you will definitely win!"