Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1544 - 1544 0894 Not Now

Chapter 1544: Chapter 0894: Not Now Chapter 1544: Chapter 0894: Not Now Chapter 0894: Not Now

Previously, Yi Xuwen never expressed the desire to focus on nurturing Huang Liuyan, making today the first instance of such a proclamation. If this had been said before, Huang Liuyan would have been overjoyed, but now she remained expressionless as if the matter had nothing to do with her. Her indifference stemmed from the knowledge that, irrespective of Yi Xuwen’s approval or support, her relationship with Qi Tian meant there was no need to worry about advancing further on the path of cultivation.

While Huang Liuyan was indifferent, the goodwill Yi Xuwen exhibited was unmistakably clear. Qi Tian said with a smile, “The cultivation matters of Sister Yan indeed constitute a major affair for the National Master Manor. Mansion Master, in the future, let’s pay attention together.”

Yi Xuwen chuckled and hurriedly said, “Yes, let’s pay attention together.”

Lu Songsheng smiled faintly at the side. There was no rush to win over Qi Tian; he was confident that eventually, Qi Tian would understand the benefits of joining a first-rate power like the Wanjie Commerce. Now that he had sent out signals of his intention to woo Qi Tian, that was enough. The rest could be taken care of gradually.

Qi Tian seemed to enjoy a lively chat with Lu Songsheng and Yi Xuwen, but compared to the warmth of the other tables, their table fell short by more than a little. In this banquet initially meant to highlight Qi Tian as the protagonist, Zhang Chenghua’s threats had caused everyone to keep their distance from Qi Tian, even to the extent of the other cultivators at the peak of the Gold Core Realm, who were selected along with him and who had agreed to advance or retreat together a month ago, now kept away from him.

Zhang Chenghua appeared to be causing Qi Tian embarrassment on purpose, and also to display might to the Wanjie Commerce. Aside from ignoring Qi Tian, he spared no effort in wooing the other selected cultivators at the peak of the Gold Core Realm, offering them all sorts of terms, to the degree that Zhang Baolin, Liang Hansen, and others frequently swallowed hard.

Lu Songsheng furrowed his brows more than once. Zhang Chenghua’s actions were too disruptive to the unspoken rules everyone had observed. With such reckless offers, he was forcing the Wanjie Commerce to follow suit. If Qi Tian and his peers truly demonstrated a level of talent beyond that of ordinary geniuses, offering such high rewards wouldn’t be out of the question, but currently, they saw no such potential in them, let alone in the others.

Lu Songsheng didn’t believe that Zhang Chenghua was unable to see this; knowing yet still making such haphazard promises was purely to cause trouble for the Wanjie Commerce and to tantalize Qi Tian and his peers at the peak of the Gold Core Realm. This tactic was indeed underhanded. He shook his head in secret, deeming Zhang Chenghua’s vision too narrow and his mind too petty.

The banquet continued for over half an hour before concluding. Everyone agreed to meet at the central Teleportation Array in the city the next morning and then dispersed.

Upon leaving the Wanjie Commerce, Qi Tian heard someone sending him a message through sound transmission, so he asked Yi Xuwen and Huang Liuyan to return first, and he headed directly to a teahouse not far from the Wanjie Commerce. Shortly after taking his seat, Zhang Baolin, Liang Hansen, and Han Boxiang arrived together.

Liang Hansen, the youngest among the three, apologized to Qi Tian as soon as he saw him, “Great Elder, I am truly sorry. As you know, my master is all alone in Wanjie City, like a rootless duckweed, and cannot afford to offend any major powers here. If there has been any offense, I hope for your forgiveness.”

Before Qi Tian could respond, the oldest, Han Boxiang, said, “Great Elder, we have not forgotten the promise we made at the beginning: to be united as one and to advance or retreat together. Earlier at the banquet, our actions were merely a temporary measure. When true trouble arises, you will find that we are indeed very reliable.”

Qi Tian smiled and said, “Of course, I don’t blame anyone. We need to look out for each other in the upcoming competition.”

Liang Hansen, Han Boxiang, and Zhang Baolin visibly breathed a sigh of relief. They had been truly worried that Qi Tian would hold today’s events against them, which would spell trouble. However, they soon felt contempt for Qi Tian, thinking him weak despite his considerable abilities and status as the Great Elder of the National Master Manor. They believed Qi Tian’s lack of assertiveness wasted his position and rank. He was just too young and perhaps they could exploit this in the future to gain benefits from him, possibly obtaining great rewards in the process.

After leaving the teahouse, Qi Tian went straight back to the National Master Manor, where he saw Huang Liuyan and Gao Jinmei sitting face to face in solemn silence. Both women stood up quickly to greet him upon his arrival.

“Master, did you meet with Liang Hansen and the others at the teahouse? Not a single one of them has good intentions; they’re all like weasels paying New Year’s visits to chickens—nothing but ill omens. You must be very careful not to be deceived,” Gao Jinmei said in a frantic tone.

Qi Tian chuckled and replied, “I am aware of their intentions. As for the competition, Sister Yan will be attending with me, leaving you to watch over our small piece of territory. Make sure to protect our home while we are gone.”

Gao Jinmei nodded, “Master, rest assured. Um, I have a question. With your prospects in the upcoming competition for a chance to ascend to the Nascent Soul Master, I can’t say for sure about others, but you will certainly secure the opportunity. Given your circumstances, I believe you are more suited to developing in the Holy Land. Why not take this chance while no one has noticed yet, to quietly sell off the resources you control and move everything. Wouldn’t it be better to never return after that?”

Following her words, Huang Liuyan also urged, “Before, I might not have been too keen on you leaving the National Master Manor, but today at the banquet, seeing the behavior of Zhang Baolin and the others, I realized it’s no longer suitable for you to stay in Wanjie City. On one hand, this ‘pond’ is too small to contain a ‘true dragon’ like you; on the other hand, those holding the most power lack the broad-mindedness to accommodate you. It’s better for us to leave sooner rather than later.”

Qi Tian said with a chuckle, “Thank you both for your concern. We will definitely leave Wanjie City together, but it’s not the time yet. Not to mention the distant future, just considering the present moment, could we really sell the cultivation resources we control for a proper price?”

Huang Liuyan and Gao Jinmei fell silent. Indeed, as Qi Tian said, selling a resource like a secret realm for a fair price was difficult. Currently, there were very few powers that could afford to buy such resources. Within Wanjie City, only the Ink Flood Dragon Association and Wanjie Commerce were options, with the former currently hostile towards Qi Tian, who wouldn’t entertain buying unless to forcefully drive down the price. As for the latter, a commerce-oriented group would certainly press for a lower price knowing there was no competition, making it unsuitable to sell to them as well.