69novels Chapter 11: Zhang Qingxuan: "We'll give 6%!"
Chapter 11: Zhang Qingxuan: "We'll give 6%!"
"They actually did it."
Li Yuntian put down the list, his voice calm, but his eyes were filled with frost.
"I'm sorry, Brother Tian." Yang Wanqing's voice trembled slightly. She lowered her eyes, not daring to look into her husband's eyes.
"If it weren't for me... if it weren't for the blood of the Broken Clan flowing in my veins, perhaps they wouldn't have..."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Li Yuntian interrupted her, reaching out to pull her into his arms.
His palms were broad and warm as he gently patted her back.
"Wanqing, from the day you married me, you became the matriarch of the Li family and my wife, Li Yuntian. Your bloodline has never been your fault, nor a burden on the Li family."
He gently rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice steady and powerful: "If they really dare to openly attack us, given their resources, we will indeed find it difficult to resist."
"But they chose to use such despicable methods—smashing shops, burning warehouses, and harassing ordinary merchants. What does that tell us?"
Yang Wanqing raised her head, her eyes glistening with tears.
"That means they don't dare to break off relations, at least not now." A cold smile curled at the corner of Li Yuntian's lips.
"The Heaven Dou royal family is still observing, and the Star Luo side's attitude is ambiguous. If they really launch a large-scale attack on the Li family, it will give other forces a reason to intervene."
"Therefore, they can only resort to such disgusting methods to try to throw us into disarray or force us to surrender willingly."
He released his wife, stood up, and walked to the window.
Outside the window was the Li family's courtyard, where several late-blooming magnolias exuded a delicate fragrance in the night. But beneath this tranquility lay countless eyes watching, and countless knives lurking in the shadows.
"However, although this method is underhanded, it is really troublesome." Li Yuntian said in a low voice, his back to his wife.
"The guards sent by Tiandou have a soul power of no more than Soul King. They can deal with some thugs and ruffians, but when they encounter the Soul Masters under the command of Haotian Sect... they are just sending them to their deaths. Our own guards can only fight for about a hundred people, and they are scattered in various places, making them impossible to defend against."
He turned around, the candlelight flickering in his eyes, a fierce glint born of being driven to the brink of despair.
"If this continues, we will lose more than just money. People's hearts will be scattered, the small families that depend on the Li family will waver, and those forces that are watching will think we are weak and easy to bully."
"It's like a stubborn plaster that you can't get rid of; it's not fatal, but it can slowly drain your energy and wear down your spirit."
Yang Wanqing walked to his side and gently took his hand. Her hand was cold, but firm.
"Brother Tian, whatever decision you make, I will stand with you."
Li Yuntian grasped her hand in return, about to say something, when hurried footsteps came from outside the study.
Xiao Bai returned, this time with a hint of barely perceptible surprise in her voice.
"Master, Madam, the Pope of the Spirit Hall has come to the manor in person. He said... he brought a small gift and came to pay his respects."
Yang Wanqing was slightly taken aback, a look of doubt flashing in her eyes. At this sensitive moment, was the arrival of the Pope of the Spirit Hall a blessing or a curse?
Li Yuntian suddenly laughed.
The smile was faint, yet it was like moonlight breaking through the dark clouds, instantly dispelling the gloom in his eyes.
"It's here as expected," he said softly, as if he had anticipated this moment.
"Brother Tian?" Yang Wanqing looked at him.
Li Yuntian turned around, gently stroked his wife's cheek, his eyes filled with a clear understanding of everything.
"Don't worry. He's not here to take advantage of our misfortune, but to offer help in our time of need." He paused, looking towards the approaching lights and voices outside the door, and said, word by word:
"Because what the Li family needs most right now is a 'fuel' like the Spirit Hall."
Li Family Hall.
Li Yuntian stood in the hall and bowed respectfully to the Pope as he entered the main hall, his posture respectful yet not humble.
"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope."
With a warm smile on his face, Qian Xunji quickly stepped forward to help him up, saying, "Patriarch Li, there's no need for such formalities. This is a private visit, so please refrain from these formalities."
The two took their seats as host and guest, respectively, and a maid quietly served them tea before silently leaving.
Qian Xunji picked up the teacup, gently skimmed off the foam, but did not drink it. Instead, he looked up at Li Yuntian.
"I've heard that the Li family seems to have encountered some trouble recently?" He got straight to the point, his tone gentle, but his eyes held a knowing glint.
Li Yuntian paused slightly in his teacup, then resumed his composure: "Your Holiness, please forgive my rudeness. It was just some petty scoundrels causing trouble, nothing to be concerned about."
"A petty scoundrel?"
Qian Xunji chuckled softly, a hint of amusement in his voice:
"That's right, someone who resorts to such despicable means is truly a petty scoundrel."
He took a sip of tea, and when he put down the teacup, the bottom of the cup touched the sandalwood table with a crisp sound.
"Although such methods are despicable and despised in the world of Soul Masters, yet..."
He paused, his gaze sharp as needles: "Yet it's very useful, isn't it?"
Li Yuntian fell silent.
His fingers tightened slightly around the teacup, his knuckles turning pale. Qian Xunji was right—those methods were underhanded, and if this continued, they would surely damage the Li family and disrupt public morale.
Qian Xunji didn't urge him, but leisurely sipped his tea, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the expensive furnishings in the hall.
The Li family's wealth is indeed well-deserved.
Time flowed by in silence.
Finally, Li Yuntian slowly put down his teacup. When he looked up, his eyes were clear. He gazed at Qian Xunji and asked calmly, "What does His Holiness desire?"
Chihiro laughed.
That's exactly what he was waiting for—the one who speaks first has already relinquished three-tenths of the initiative.
"What I want is very simple."
"I want the Li family to join the Spirit Hall."
He leaned forward slightly, speaking each word with perfect clarity.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Li Yuntian's pupils contracted slightly, clearly not expecting the other party to have such a large appetite.
He originally thought that Qian Xunji's trip was for a bigger cooperation or to make money, but he didn't expect that he wanted to swallow the entire Li family!
Qian Xunji took in his reaction, but was not surprised at all.
His original plan was indeed to win them over, but when he stepped onto the street where the Li family lived and saw the lavishly decorated shops on both sides, he changed his mind.
Rather than forming an alliance with such a business empire, it's better to incorporate it into your own fold.
"Master Li, there's no need to rush to answer." Qian Xunji's voice rang out again, unhurried yet each word as firm as a hammer.
"If you agree, I can grant you the position of Protector of the Papal Palace, with the honor of being an Elder. When the time is right, you can also enter the Elder Palace to exchange and discuss with the world's top experts."
Li Yuntian's breathing quickened slightly.
The Hall of Elders of the Spirit Hall—that is the true pinnacle of the Spirit Master world.
If one day I could step inside and discuss and exchange ideas with those legendary beings...
Qian Xunji continued to escalate the situation, his voice like an alluring spell: "As for the Li family's business, the Spirit Hall can station Soul Saint-level experts to protect it year-round, and its branch halls in various regions will also take care of it. From now on, no one will dare to touch the Li family in the slightest."
The candlelight flickered in Li Yuntian's eyes as he weighed his options—the protection of the Spirit Hall and the opportunities offered by the Elder Hall were indeed what he needed most at that moment.
The oppressive atmosphere from the Haotian Sect was like a dark cloud hanging over the sky, while the attitude of the Tiandou royal family remained ambiguous.
"Then... what does the Li family need to do?" He raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife.
He understood that there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Qian Xunji had been waiting for these words. He gently put down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and a calculating smile, the kind that only a merchant would wear when negotiating a price, appeared on his face.
"We don't want much, just the profits from the Li family's business—" He held up four fingers.
"Forty percent!"
[As long as the Li family joins the Spirit Hall, this 40% will inevitably increase over time.]
Forty percent!
Li Yuntian quickly calculated in his mind that the Li family's businesses spanned two empires, and their annual income was enormous; 40% of that was already an astronomical figure.
But if it could truly bring the protection of the Spirit Hall and the opportunities offered by the Elders' Hall, the price...
He was still hesitating, but Qian Xunji didn't urge him; she just watched him quietly.
Silence fell over the hall again, with only the sound of their breathing rising and falling.
Just then—
"Your Holiness the Pope is too kind."
A voice came from outside the hall, breaking the tense silence.
Li Yuntian suddenly turned his head and saw that Zhang Qingxuan was already standing at the hall door.
"Our Li family is willing to give 60%."