Investment and Return
Huai Beiya returned to Million Company’s branch in Sword Shadow City. They chose a classic and graceful theme for the furniture and design of their edifice. As a matter of fact, all of their furniture was famous timber products. She leaned back in her padded backrest, while Huai Baiwan, who sat opposite her, brewed a pot of tea. The tea was named ancient orchid fragrance, which was handpicked from the tall mountains in the far, desolate north.
Huai Baiwan had a nip of tea with his eyes shut. “He accepted?”
Huai Beiya giggled in a soft voice. “He would not reject such a valuable gift.”
“Eternally Youthful Ku Mu was with him, correct?”
“Judging from Mu Yu’s attitude, we can safely conclude so. There are not many out there who would talk down to True God’s disciple without any resistance.”
Huai Baiwan set his cup down. “I never imagined Eternally Youthful would be able to recover such a youthful appearance. I heard the credit belongs to rank seven pill, original restoration pill. Pill Cauldron Sect shared Mu Yu completed an incomplete pill!”
“We will now have a pulse on his whereabouts thanks to the jade piece. He is money itself. There’s no doubt many people want to keep up to date with every breath he takes; however, nobody can do a better job than us,” asserted Huai Beiya, fiddling with her slender fingers.
Formation Sect’s formation casters were specialists for a reason. Even if one was erudite on the subject, there was no guarantee they could’ve defuse it because they hid formations within formations. The jade piece had such formations installed. The indexing formation in the jade piece acted as a tracking device that all of Million Company’s scouts could access to pinpoint Mu Yu’s exact location at all times. That was the return on their investment. Whoever had access to information first always had the power of exclusivity.
A middle-aged general manager entered and courteously reported, “Master, Miss, Celestial Star Sect’s Young Master Tian Budai requests an audience for a business deal.”
“Rank fifty-five Tian Budai?” The father and daughter exchanged mutual eye contact. Huai Baiwan instructed, “Invite him in.”
The general manager brought the guest in and left. Tian Budai saluted the two politely. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Huai, Miss Beiya.”
Celestial Star Sect’s patriarch’s second son, Tian Budai, didn’t have the alchemy aptitude of his biological younger brother, Tian Yun. He, instead, focused on developing his cultivation without any external assistance. Unlike his brother, Tian Budai came off as approachable.
Huai Baiwan reciprocated the polite smile. “It is an honour to meet you, Young Master Budai. Please, have a seat.”
Huai Beiya, dimpling, praised, “It is an honour to meet ultimate immortal rank fifty-fve.”
“You flatter me, Miss Beiya.” Tian Budai politely sat down next to Huai Baiwan.
“Please feel free to speak your mind, Young Master Budai. I shall do my best.” Huai Baiwan poured Tian Budai a cup of tea.
Tian Budai had a sip. “I heard your company is fantastic at collecting information. Accordingly, I am here to purchase information from you.”
“May I ask what information you seek?” inquired Huai Beiya.
Tian Budai placed his cup down gently. “May I ask how much it costs for ultimate immortal rank eighty’s information?”
Huai Beiya performed her signature giggle. “May I ask why you wish to spend money on information you could acquire for free?”
When Tian Budai was born, a grey lightning bolt shot through the roof and took his mother’s life. The strike hit so fast that his father was unable to intercept it. As such, he was named Tian Budai, meaning “one that not even the heavens liked”.
Tian Yun and Tian Budai were stepbrothers, their father being shared. Given Mu Yu was the one who took Tian Yun’s arm, it was reasonable to assume Tian Budai wanted to hunt Mu Yu.
“I know what he has done, but I heard he has gone missing since surfacing in Sword Shadow City. The only two associations competent enough to locate someone are Shadow Syndicate and Million Company. I don’t like associating with barbaric assassins. I prefer doing business with cultured people.”
“I like straightforward individuals like yourself,” effused Huai Beiya.
Tian Budai placed a brocade container onto the table and slid it over to Huai Baiwan. “Would this happen to be enough for information on True God’s disciple?”
Huai Baiwan opened the container and exclaimed, “A rank six pill? Myriad treasure ancient divine pill!”
The pill provided a four layer boost for Spirit Severing Realm cultivators and, therefore, considered cream of the crop amongst rank six pills. Rank six pills were worth, at least, ten million spirit stones on the market.
“Pill Cauldron Sect’s Elder Shi Dengtian personally concocted the pill.”
Huai Baiwan accepted the container. “This is more than the information is worth.”
If Mu Yu realised how rich he was, he could’ve hired an army to go after Shi Dengtian for payback.
A smile came to Huai Beiya’s lips. “You came at the right time. We have located his location. I shall assign a scout to lead you to him.”
Tian Budai had another leisurely nip of tea. Once one was ranked on ultimate immortals ranking, it didn’t matter if he was True God’s disciple or not. All lives were equal once ranked. If True God had an issue with Mu Yu dying, he could’ve taken it to Third Heaven Palace.
A scout dressed in a black robe led Tian Budai to the entrance of Setting Sun Fiend Forest. The fiend beast forest was located to the south of Sword Shadow City. Usually, only Body Severing Realm cultivators entered it for the weakest fiend beasts inside were level five.
“Young Master, take this purple jade with you into the forest; it will inform you of where True God’s disciple is inside as it is linked to his jade piece. I cannot accompany you further in for my cultivation is not high enough.”
Mu Yu’s location was instantly delivered to Tian Budai’s mind the second he took the purple jade piece. By the time he regained awareness of his surroundings, the scout had left.
“My brother may be rubbish at the bottom of a dump, but that doesn’t mean you can get away with hurting him.”
Fiends in the interior of Setting Sun Fiend Forest were constantly active.
“Who is your money on?” Huai Baiwan turned to ask his daughter after watching Tian Budai enter the forest.
“Hard to say. Tian Budai hides his true abilities. According to our information, he is on par with Spirit Severing Realm adepts. Mu Yu is a Body Severing Realm Second Layer cultivator, but he did defeat a fiend seven layers above him. They’re closely matched.”
The top rankers on Ultimate Immortals Ranking were Spirit Severing Realm cultivators. By the world’s standards, reaching Spirit Severing Realm before the age of forty was considered elite. Tian Budai had what it took to become one of said elite.
Spinning the ring on his thumb, Huai Baiwan remarked, “I can’t wait to see the two of them come to blows.”
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