Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1432 - 1432 0810 Only Interests_2

Chapter 1432: Chapter 0810: Only Interests_2 Chapter 1432: Chapter 0810: Only Interests_2 Qi Tian felt that this plan was somewhat unreliable, not because he thought Xiao Xiaowu was unwilling to help, but because he believed Xiao Xiaowu did not have enough influence. If Xiao Xiaowu had a firm foundation within the National Master Manor, he would not have been sent to Great Zhao as a National Master.

However, at this stage, apart from contacting Xiao Xiaowu, Qi Tian had no other ideas. Thus, Qi Tian and Huang Liuyan left the National Master Manor together and sent a message talisman to Xiao Xiaowu.

This time, Xiao Xiaowu replied swiftly, stating he would arrive as soon as possible and asking Qi Tian not to worry and to wait patiently.

Indeed, Xiao Xiaowu arrived promptly, and just over an hour later, Qi Tian received a new message talisman. Xiao Xiaowu had already reached the central part of Wanjie City through the Teleportation Array and would soon join them.

Not long after, Xiao Xiaowu hurried to the National Master Manor, where he met Qi Tian and Huang Liuyan at a teahouse just outside.

Qi Tian was forthright and shared his intention to join the National Master Manor directly with Xiao Xiaowu.

After listening, Xiao Xiaowu furrowed his brow. Qi Tian indeed posed a difficult challenge for him. Just as Qi Tian had assessed, Xiao Xiaowu’s status within the National Master Manor was not high. Not only that, but none of his Master Mansion associates, including his master and his fellow apprentices, held significant power, which left their lineage with little say in the Master Mansion. If Qi Tian were at the Foundation Establishment Stage or even just an ordinary cultivator at the Gold Core Realm, Xiao Xiaowu might have been able to persuade his master to propose the idea to the high-level officials of the National Master Manor, which could possibly lead to Qi Tian’s admission. However, Qi Tian’s goal was certainly not limited to that; he hoped to gain access to the various resources of the National Master Manor and secure a certain level of authority upon joining, which would be exceedingly difficult.

Purely from an emotional standpoint and given what Xiao Xiaowu knew of Qi Tian, the latter’s request was not excessive. With Qi Tian’s strength, expecting higher treatment was only natural. However, the problem lay in the fact that Qi Tian was not nurtured by the National Master Manor, to which the Master Mansion had no attachment. Thus, demanding high treatment upon joining was problematic.

After pondering for a long time without a solution, Xiao Xiaowu eventually said, “Let’s do this, I’ll call on my master to see if he has any good ideas. Qi Tian, rest assured, if there is even a glimmer of hope, I will ask my master to give a hundred percent effort on your behalf.”

Xiao Xiaowu recognized Qi Tian’s capabilities and was aware of his significant contributions to the Imperial Master Mansion. Wishing to compensate Qui Tian, he also hoped that Qu Tian would join the National Master Manor of Wanjie City. Perhaps one day, Qui Tian could become his patron, a personal wish of his.

In the presence of Qi Tian and Huang Liuyan, Xiao Xiaowu started to contact his master.

Soon after, an old man with white hair and a hunched back entered the teahouse. Upon seeing him, Xiao Xiaowu promptly bowed deeply before the elder.

The elder pulled Xiao Xiaowu to his feet, and without saying much to him, turned his gaze directly onto Qi Tian.

Qi Tian and Huang Liuyan both stood up and greeted the elder with a clasped-hand salute. Qi Tian addressed him as “senior,” while Huang Liuyan called him “uncle-master.”

The old man looked Qi Tian up and down for quite a while before he finally spoke, “So, you are Qi Tian? The same person who, in front of the eyes of tens of thousands of Gold Core Realm powerhouses in Tribulation City, slapped Cheng Daoran away twice?”

Qi Tian did not deny it and readily admitted, “It was me. May I ask what guidance the senior has to offer?”

The old man chuckled and said, “Do you have any idea how much influence Cheng Daoran’s lineage holds in the National Master Manor? Cheng Daoran’s master is the current head of the National Master Manor, and there have been rumors within the Manor that Cheng Daoran is likely to be the next head. You’ve humiliated Cheng Daoran to this extent; do you think you still stand a chance of joining the National Master Manor? Don’t you think your request is a bit too naive?”

Qi Tian replied, “Could it be that the National Master Manor is the private property of Cheng Daoran and his master?”

The old man shook his head and said, “Your question is valid, but the problem is Cheng Daoran’s master holds a significant position in the National Master Manor, and together, the two of them represent two Nascent Soul Masters. Plus, with their allies, they have absolute say in the National Master Manor. Huang Liuyan has been advocating for you within the Master Manor for the past few days, and although Cheng and his disciple haven’t said anything, nobody wishes to offend them for your sake. I’m not afraid to plainly tell you, the likelihood of you joining the National Master Manor is slim to none. Do you understand the meaning of this phrase?”

Qi Tian fell silent.

Xiao Xiaowu quickly said, “Master, don’t you have deep relationships with several uncles within the National Master Manor? If they and you speak out together, is there really no way to persuade the higher-ups to consider Qi Tian’s qualifications?”

The old man glanced at Xiao Xiaowu and said, “You’re oversimplifying things. The vested interests within the National Master Manor are set in stone, it’s like a solidly frozen block of ice. Qi Tian suddenly appears, wanting to burrow into the ice and become one with it, do you think that is easily done? You have to either drill a hole into the ice or break it apart, neither of which is easy to achieve. And that is exactly what Qi Tian must do now.”

Huang Liuyan interjected, “Uncle Master, I shouldn’t be speaking out of turn in your presence, but please forgive my candor. You hold a certain status within the National Master Manor, and in terms of seniority, Qi Tian should rightly address you as ‘Master’. There are no issues there. With your status and seniority, a simple message from you through Xiao that you can’t help would have sufficed to send us away, yet you didn’t do so, and instead made the effort to meet with us in person. This in itself suggests that there might be some issues that you can resolve. If you do have a solution, please speak up and don’t hold back, keeping us in the dark. Qi Tian isn’t ungrateful for favors received, something Xiao can attest to. If you can facilitate this matter, I believe he will repay you handsomely and will not let your efforts go to waste.”

What Huang Liuyan said struck a chord with the old man’s own thoughts, causing his expression to change slightly. He glared at Huang Liuyan and said irritably, “Do I look like someone who covets repayment? My actions are ultimately because I do not want to miss out on talent. I aim to recruit more capable disciples for the National Master Manor, to strengthen our foundations, so that outsiders dare not humiliate us.”

Seeing the opportunity, Huang Liuyan quickly said, “I misunderstood you, I apologize.”

The old man snorted coldly and said, “Since everything is out in the open, and we’re all essentially family here, I will speak more candidly. It’s not impossible for Qi Tian to join the National Master Manor, but the chance is very small. To achieve this, he must first prove his sincerity to the National Master Manor, not his strength. Do you think the higher-ups in the National Master Manor aren’t aware of Qi Tian’s fighting abilities? No, they are aware, but that’s precisely why they are reluctant to let Qi Tian join. It’s simple; some of them are not as competent in combat as Qi Tian. If Qi Tian were to join and compete with them for interests, what would they do? Therefore, in this matter, the magnitude of combat power and the height of one’s strength are secondary. What they need more is for Qi Tian to show them sufficient sincerity. And what is sincerity? Simple, two words — benefits. If Qi Tian can bring substantial benefits to the National Master Manor when joining, then it will become much easier to persuade the higher-ups to ease their stance.”

Qi Tian, Huang Liuyan, and Xiao Xiaowu all nodded in agreement.

The old man continued, “Qi Tian, why do you possess such powerful fighting prowess? Even Cheng Daoran is no match for you. I won’t dwell on or inquire about the reasons, but I believe many people within the National Master Manor will definitely be interested in the cause. This is an appealing interest. You might want to consider that.”