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Chapter 402: Chapter 398: Offering
"Are you so sure?"
Gu Jinlai looked at her.
"You must have suspected it too, right? Don’t the systems of the Holy Dynasty seem familiar to you?"
"The system of the Holy Dynasty is decreed by the Holy Emperor. Surely you don’t think..."
"His Majesty the Holy Emperor has never been known for inconsistent words and actions. If his temperament suddenly changed, the entire court would surely notice,"
Zhao Yushu said.
Gu Jinlai realized suddenly upon hearing this.
He was judging the people of this world using the mindset of the Blue Star people.
This was a world where cultivators existed.
A Refining God Immortal could perceive with Divine Thought and not only possibly read a person’s memories but easily discern changes in their emotions.
If a Refining God Immortal had such capabilities, what about higher-level cultivators?
Hadn’t Gu Jinlai himself been seen through by others barely a month after his crossing, despite his reclusiveness?
"If I’m not wrong, there is a high possibility that there are Blue Star people among his trusted advisors,"
Zhao Yushu said, muttering to herself, "In fact, I’ve been considering recently that if I can’t stay with the Feng Family anymore, I’ll volunteer myself to the City Lord Mansion and become a staff member. With my knowledge of market economy and trade, I’d definitely secure a respectable position."
"It seems that’s what they thought too,"
Gu Jinlai said.
Gold always shines wherever it is.
The Blue Star people, after all, had experienced a glut of information in their time, making their world view and knowledge far broader than the people of this relatively isolated world.
While matching those top figures would be difficult, securing a middle-level status was easy.
"With four billion in the Holy Dynasty, finding other Blue Star people won’t be easy, but now that we’re aware, we should keep an eye out,"
Gu Jinlai said.
He naturally hoped to gather these "fellow countrymen" together to reminisce about the past on Blue Star.
But if it proved too troublesome, he wouldn’t force it.
"Let’s take things one at a time. Let’s first solve the Feng Family issue. Tell me about the Feng Family."
"Alright, Senior Gu, please have a seat and have some tea."
Zhao Yushu jumped up, set up the table for Gu Jinlai, and served tea and water, showing her attentive service.
Gu Jinlai glanced at her...
A cultivator who hadn’t yet mastered Divine Thought or Spiritual Sense; her emotional fluctuations were hard to escape his perception.
So he knew that her behavior wasn’t an act.
It seemed it was just her nature.
"The Feng Family is no small force in Wind and Rain City. The city itself hosts over a hundred million people, equivalent to the population of two provinces in the Yellow Dragon Country. The Feng Family had already been extraordinary even before I established the Yellow Dragon Commerce. They rank among the top fifty enterprises in a province with a market value of several billion,"
Zhao Yushu’s introduction combined knowledge from both worlds: "Their connections are also deep, the family has over a dozen high-level Demon Slayers, and they have a relationship with one of the Vice Domain Masters in the city’s southeast region..."
"Domain Master."
Gu Jinlai already had some understanding of Wind and Rain City from his talks with Zhao Yang.
Wind and Rain City was divided into four main institutions: the City Lord Mansion, the Demon-slaying Hall, the Guardian Army, and the Martial Arts Academy.
The highest ruler of the City Lord Mansion was naturally the City Lord of Wind and Rain City, Zhao Hua; below him were several Deputy City Lords and various Deans who assisted him.
However, due to the vast area of Wind and Rain City, it was further divided into eight major regions, each managed by a Domain Master and several Vice Domain Masters.
Each Domain Master and Vice Domain Master, besides capability, was almost always a Deva or Martial King.
"So, the Feng Family’s backing is that Vice Domain Master? They must have paid their respects yearly."
Gu Jinlai said.
"Nearly thirty percent of the Feng Family’s earnings ends up in the hands of that Vice Domain Master Shangguan Zhi, and the rest is mostly used for greasing other departments. Only two or three percent actually flows into the Feng Family’s hands,"
Zhao Yushu was clear about these matters.
"Apart from these connections, does the Feng Family have any strong experts? Devas? Martial Kings?"
"If there were Devas and Martial Kings, the Feng Family would have become a top power long ago."
Zhao Yushu curled her lips: "The high-level experts loyal to the Feng Family include only two Martial Sects, one Monarch, besides, there are six Martial Sects and Monarchs who work for money or are simply affiliated with the Feng Family."
"I see."
Gu Jinlai nodded: "Do you have a plan?"
"As long as Senior Gu is willing to support me, I have ways to utterly control the Feng Family,"
Zhao Yushu said.
"I said I’d help you if I could. What’s your plan?"
"I plan to hold a welcome meeting to celebrate Senior Gu becoming our patron of the Feng Family. I’d like Senior Gu to attend and help me suppress some people... Additionally..."
Zhao Yushu’s expression grew fearful and filled with sorrow, "My maid, Qing Zhu, has been with me these four years in this world, helping me through the most difficult and frightening times. I’ve always treated her as a sister, but they... they killed her..."
She looked up at Gu Jinlai, her eyes reddening: "I want to avenge her."
"Kill the chicken to warn the monkeys, is it?"
Gu Jinlai nodded: "You can start preparing."
After speaking, he instructed: "Prepare a dossier for me on that Vice Domain Master Shangguan Zhi and also on the Devas and Martial Kings of Wind and Rain City."
Although the chances of Shangguan Zhi meddling in the affairs of the Feng Family might be small once Zhao Yushu took power provided the patrons remained the same, for safety, Gu Jinlai still wanted to be prepared to ensure he knew both his friends and foes.
"Right away,"
Zhao Yushu nodded.
She knew that while Gu Jinlai was willing to help her, if she wanted to continue receiving his support, it was best to demonstrate some capability.
And...
She, herself, did not want to be just a decorative piece.
...
Zhao Yushu quickly made arrangements.
Half an hour later, Zhao Yang brought Gu Jinlai to a serene street less than a kilometer away from the Yellow Dragon Mall.
This serenity was not because the area was remote.
There was no such thing as a remote area in Wind and Rain City.
The reason for the quietness was that this was one of the rare high-end residential districts in the city, which would be equated to a high-end villa district on Blue Star.
In such a district, no matter how many high-rises were built around, or how busy the streets were with traffic, it could still maintain its tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle.
The Ancient Martial King, please look around. The courtyard has servants and attendants to ensure comfortable living, and if it’s not sufficient, we can add more," Zhao Yang explained as he led Gu Jinlai around the courtyard. "Should you have any additional requests, please feel free to make them known, and we will do our utmost to fulfill them."
"That will be sufficient," Gu Jinlai nodded.
He was not demanding about his living conditions, but it was necessary to assert his presence.
"The chairman has applied for the top-tier special tribute treatment for you, and with your capabilities, you are fully entitled to enjoy this treatment. Under this treatment, you will receive a yearly salary of one million silver taels and the corresponding one million contribution points..."
After having shown Gu Jinlai around the courtyard, Zhao Yang took his leave.
But he left behind a young man who had the body of an Upper Demon, a high-level martial artist, to serve him.
This was Zhao Yang’s son, Zhao Qiao.
A seventh-rank official at the prime minister’s door.
Zhao naturally assigned his son to run errands for this Martial King.
If it weren’t for his own status as a high-level member of the Yellow Dragon Commerce dealing with many issues, he would have been eager to personally serve Gu Jinlai.
To serve a Martial King—what an honor!
...
After sending Zhao Qiao away, Gu Jinlai went to the study room by himself.
"For now, I’ve established a foothold here."
He pondered over an issue.
The Heavenly Master Hall.
The Heavenly Master Hall, as promoted by the emperor of the Holy Dynasty, was it reliable?
If he went to the Imperial City Heavenly Master Hall, could he leverage their power to counter the threat from the Aries Star Lord?
This thought lingered for a moment before Gu Jinlai dismissed it.
The setbacks he had suffered at Zi Yang and Wooden Hand made him much more cautious!
He would not let himself fall into uncontrollable situations lightly.
"The Aries Star Palace usually opens for one to three months; accepting the inheritance could take about one to three months as well, which means, within half a year, Lingxiao Palace shouldn’t face any chaos due to my absence."
Gu Jinlai then considered the situation in Tian Nan...
The Three Thousand Marshes had been subdued.
For the next few years, they would not dare to bare their fangs south of Tianhe.
Among the remaining Saint Forces, Li Mufeng was stationed in Winter State, and the Daqian Dynasty maintained good relations with them.
The Three Pure Ones...had no ties.
The only threat was the True Immortal Palace.
However, when he went to tackle the challenges at Aries Star Palace, the Emperor Master Tai Yuan and Venerable Xuan Tian were jointly dealing with the True Immortal Palace, and they would likely be unable to protect themselves.
With no Saints emerging, the Devas-level forces...
With Hong Ye, a Deva, possessing the Dao Artifact Emperor Sword, and having eight Mystic Bird Fighting Machines, Lingxiao Palace did not fear any party.
"No major issues are likely to arise within one or two years, but beyond that, it’s uncertain, so I must return to Tian Nan within two years at the latest," he realized the prerequisite for his return to Tian Nan..."
The Heavenly Dragon Wood!
He must possess the strength to contend with Heavenly Dragon Wood!
Otherwise, once he appears at Heavenly Dragon, it would undoubtedly be walking into a trap.
"Great Divine Ability User..."
Gu Jinlai narrowed his eyes.
Then, he remembered the path that those Martial Saints in the Imperial Capital were forging.
Human Immortal.
"According to Zhou Yi and the others, the power I demonstrated when I annihilated three Demon Emperors was already not inferior to the Great Divine Power. If I could utilize this power routinely, just like Devas and Saints release Divine Skills, then I will surely be able to contend with Heavenly Dragon Wood."
And the hope to make such methods routine lay in Martial Arts Immortals.
"Just as I told Zhao Yushu," he sighed deeply. "one step at a time, and I am no exception."
Taking a deep breath, Gu Jinlai strove to keep himself calm.
"First, set a small goal—to become a Martial Saint!"
Thinking this, Gu Jinlai began to look forward to his journey to the Martial Saint Institute in three days.
He wondered how different the Martial Saints of the Holy Dynasty were from the Chaotic Thunder Primordial Bodies that he had created.
If the two could complement each other, that would be ideal.
"Even if they can’t, they must."
Gu Jinlai perceived the Qingguang above and below his Spirit domain.
This was the confidence underlying his resolve to become a Martial Saint and to return to Lingxiao Palace within two years.
