Chapter 156
As he turned around, he heard a haughty voice coming from the conference hall at the end of the corridor.
This was the Zhan Yao Si (Demon-Slaying Division).
Who dared to act so arrogantly here?
He walked to the door and saw Zhao Ying sitting across from three men: an old man and two middle-aged men, all dressed in black and white martial arts uniforms, looking every bit the part of warriors. Yet their expressions were devoid of the humility one would expect from martial artists, replaced instead by arrogance and disdain.
“...Then just hand over Chen Huai'an. We’re very interested in the corpse of this Resurrector. If that’s not possible, we’ll settle for his accompanying spirit object.”
The Aristocratic Families.
In an instant, Chen Huai'an recognized their identities.
With the advent of the Tuning Method, the Zhan Yao Si had become a top-tier force, and the only ones who could stand on equal footing with them, even looking down on them, were the Aristocratic Families.
But what did it matter, even if they were the Aristocratic Families?
They actually wanted his accompanying spirit object?
How ridiculous!
“Who’s calling me a corpse?” He strode in, leaning against the doorframe, and fixed his gaze on the old man. “Old man, you’ve lived a long life, haven’t you? Cursing me as a corpse? Do you want to die right now?”
“Impudent!” The two middle-aged men beside the old man erupted in anger, charging at Chen Huai'an from either side. As they closed in, they struck out with claw-like fingers, the sound of a tiger’s roar echoing in their movements.
“Tiger Form Fist?” Chen Huai'an scoffed. “More like a sick cat stretching its claws.”
He channeled his spiritual energy, arcs of electricity flickering in his palm, and met the two men’s tiger claws head-on.
Boom—!
With a thunderous explosion, both middle-aged men were sent flying, rolling on the ground, clutching their scorched hands in pain.
This time, being tempered by the Zixiao Divine Thunder had turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
His single lightning root had unexpectedly mutated into a single Ziyang lightning root.
Previously, the lightning energy wouldn’t have had much effect on his techniques, as he was merely a Qi Refiner. But now, it was different; any offensive move he made that was linked to spiritual energy would be infused with Ziyang lightning energy. This lightning was powerful, with paralyzing and explosive effects, especially effective against evil entities.
His mood was already sour.
And now, the Aristocratic Families had come knocking at his door.
“You are Chen Huai'an?” The old man, seeing his subordinates defeated, momentarily froze before quickly putting on a smile, speaking in a friendly tone. “My apologies, Mr. Chen. That Corpse King Di Jiang is ferocious; I thought no one could survive under him. Now that I see you, I understand what it means for heroes to emerge from youth... How about you come to our Lin family as a guest elder? Our resources far exceed those of the Zhan Yao Si.”
With the emergence of mysterious forces like the Kunlun Xian Gong and the Great Thunder Sound Temple, all seeking talented disciples worldwide, this was a golden opportunity.
If any Aristocratic Family could produce a genius recognized by these mysterious forces, it would be a sure path to prosperity!
Chen Huai'an was undoubtedly a genius.
No matter what abilities he possessed.
Just the fact that he had slain the Corpse King Di Jiang and still lived was enough.
Previously, they had coveted Chen Huai'an’s accompanying spirit object.
Now, realizing he was still alive, their focus had shifted to him as a person.
Zhao Ying and Xiang Xiaoyuan at the door held their breath, anxiously watching Chen Huai'an.
They were genuinely afraid he might agree.
The Zhan Yao Si in Province C had suffered heavy losses; without a strong leader, it was only a matter of time before the Aristocratic Families gradually replaced them.
Chen Huai'an stared at the old man for a moment, a smirk creeping onto his lips.
“So, do you have money?”
“Money?” The old man was taken aback, then burst into hearty laughter, slapping his thigh. “Of course! How much does Mr. Chen want?”
Chen Huai'an hesitated for a moment, then shyly extended ten fingers.
“Ten million?” The old man shook his head, chuckling in disbelief. “Mr. Chen, you don’t think highly of my Lin family, do you? Today, I’ll make it one hundred million for you!”
“No, no, no.”
A benevolent smile spread across Chen Huai'an’s face, revealing a big white grin as he cheerfully said:
“You’ve got it wrong, old man...
I want, one, hundred, billion!”
---
Chapter 167: You with the Beard, What a Dog
“One hundred billion? What do you need that much money for?”
The old man was momentarily stunned but didn’t explode in anger.
Though the Lin family wasn’t a business family, in the ten years since the spiritual energy revival, they had connected with it early on through their ancestral Tiger Form Fist. Money was no longer a pressing resource for them.
They could come up with one hundred billion, but it would mean shutting down many of their enterprises.
The key question was, why? What made this Chen Huai'an worth such a price?
“I have a fear of financial inadequacy. As long as you give me money, we can talk about anything,” Chen Huai'an said lightly, leaving both Xiang Xiaoyuan and Zhao Ying in despair. Xiang Xiaoyuan felt that Luo Haisheng’s sacrifices were in vain.
But Chen Huai'an’s actions were not without reason.
Whether he joined the Aristocratic Families or the Zhan Yao Si, he would ultimately wield his sword against demons and evil spirits. Following the Aristocratic Families would inevitably lead to conflicts with the Zhan Yao Si, and in the future... they might even become enemies.
“I’ve heard that Mr. Chen used a talisman to kill that Corpse King Di Jiang. I’d like to know if that talisman can still be produced reliably and what the cost would be,” the old man said, stroking his beard, his eyes narrowing.
His purpose in coming to the Zhan Yao Si was to get his hands on Chen Huai'an’s accompanying spirit object.
Though currently, only the spirit master could use the accompanying spirit object, who knows what the future might hold?
If they could continuously produce high-quality talismans using that spirit object, the Lin family would surely rise with the tide.
“It can’t. That talisman cost me ten years of my life, and I might never have another,” Chen Huai'an replied sincerely. Although the Zixiao Divine Thunder talisman was a reward from the main quest of the game “Electronic Girlfriend,” given alongside the Nine-Turn Spirit Orchid, such an item wasn’t available in stores or the Koi Pool. He estimated that a talisman with such immense power would not come cheap.
Assuming that talisman was worth a million.
Spending a million would cost him his life, wouldn’t it?
To put it another way, he truly wouldn’t dare to use that talisman again.
He hadn’t realized it at the time, but it had nearly cost him his life.
The old man’s expression darkened upon hearing this.
In other words, the talisman was a one-time use item, and it cost a lifespan as payment. How many times could this young man afford to buy it again?
The Corpse King Di Jiang had been preliminarily assessed by them as a commander-level entity.
Just a commander level, and with their family’s resources, cultivating a commander-level Resurrector wouldn’t be difficult.
They wouldn’t be so greedy as to demand one hundred billion right off the bat.
“Mr. Chen, our Lin family is very sincere. One hundred billion is simply out of reach, but if you’re willing to join us, I can offer you one hundred million in funds, plus a monthly salary of over a million. If you agree, the money can be transferred right now.”
Seeing the old man’s tone grow cold, Chen Huai'an realized the negotiation had fallen through.
It was a pity he didn’t know that the Aristocratic Families had assessed the Corpse King Di Jiang as a commander-level entity; otherwise, he would have laughed out loud.
“A dignified Aristocratic Family can’t even come up with one hundred billion? Then get lost, don’t block my view!” Chen Huai'an’s eyes flashed with lightning, and the oppressive aura radiating from him quelled the old man’s rising anger.
“Mr. Chen, to insult my Lin family like this, are you truly not afraid of our retaliation?”
The old man tried to calm his emotions, sneering, “To be honest, our Lin family has already reached a cooperation with the headquarters of the Zhan Yao Si. A commander-level Resurrector will be taking over the Zhan Yao Si in Province C. Additionally, our family’s talented disciple is on his way to the Kunlun Xian Gong to seek enlightenment. I think Mr. Chen should reconsider.”
“Reconsider your mother, get lost!”
“You...” The old man looked at the swirling arcs of electricity in Chen Huai'an’s hand, ultimately choosing to close his mouth, donning his hat. “In that case, I won’t disturb you any longer. The green mountains remain, and the waters flow; we’ll see how this plays out.”
The Lin family left in high spirits but returned in disappointment.
In the conference hall, only Xiang Xiaoyuan, Zhao Ying, and Chen Huai'an remained.
Xiang Xiaoyuan hesitated for a moment before asking, “Chen Huai'an, if the Lin family really offered you one hundred billion, would you join them?”
“Of course,” Chen Huai'an nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“You... you have no conscience!”
“Why don’t I have a conscience?” Chen Huai'an rolled his eyes. “The uncle’s goal is to eliminate monsters and evil spirits. Besides, didn’t the headquarters of the Zhan Yao Si collaborate with these Aristocratic Families?”
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