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Zhao Yang showed no surprise at the man's statement. He walked up to the High Seat in the Main Hall, crossed his legs, and slowly spoke, "If that's the case, then our cooperation is deemed a failure. You may all return for now; I am a bit tired today and need to consider things more thoroughly. I will give you a satisfactory answer in a few days."
"Zhao Yang, do you think you have the right to talk to us? To put it bluntly, any one of my brothers could kill you as easily as slaughtering a chicken or dog," a young man threatened.
Zhao Yang sat in the hall, propping his chin on one hand, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth as he stared at the young man. "You talk big, but why don't you come up and try?"
"Hahaha, how ridiculous! A mere speck of dust dares to compete with the moonlight. You want to die, but I won't grant you that wish. If I kill you, who will manage this Barbecue Restaurant? Instead, I'll just cripple your cultivation today so you can understand the vast difference between the early and late stages of Refining Qi. Then we'll see how arrogant you are!" The young man said as he prepared to strike.
At that moment, Long Xiao Wu moved. With a loud slap, he struck the young man's face, sending him stumbling back five steps. The young man was furious; it was that fat guy again who had ambushed someone challenging Zhao Yang before. Now he was attacking him too. Enraged, he smashed a nearby tea table with his fist and charged at Long Xiao Wu, unleashing a powerful punch crackling with lightning energy. A normal disciple at the third level of Qi Refinement would surely have their meridians shattered by such a blow.
Boom!
A massive hand intercepted the young man's heavy punch just in time. With a thunderous sound, the young man staggered back two steps; the owner of that hand was Han Hai.
"You!" The young man glared at Han Hai in humiliation and anger, confused as to how Han Hai had so easily blocked his powerful strike.
"Enough, Ma Qing. If we kill them, none of us will benefit from it. Since Brother Zhao said he needs time to think it over, let's give him three days for consideration. If Queen doesn't provide us with a satisfactory answer by then, don't blame me for taking over," Han Hai said with an unmistakable threat before signaling for the other six young men to leave.
"Three days—make sure you think carefully about what's more important: your life or the Spirit Qi Pill," one young man said as he paused.
"It would be best if you also shared how to run the Barbecue Restaurant; otherwise, managing it might be difficult for you," another added.
"And what about the fourteen hundred Spirit Qi Pills in your possession? Just tasting them is fine; hoarding them is childish behavior. Some things simply aren't meant for you to keep."
...
Until the one known as The Youth with Kidney Deficiency finished with "Take care of yourself," Zhao Yang and Long Xiao Wu did not respond. At that moment, Han Hai, who had already stepped out of the Main Hall, turned back and said, "Scholar, aren't you coming with us? They only offered you a Spirit Qi Pill; do you really want to stay here?"
"I... I..." Scholar Xiu, who had been silent and watching everyone, was now struggling internally. Although he had always been a studious person and did not fully agree with either side's actions, Zhao Yang had allowed him to shine in front of the crowd today. Even though his speech was largely deceptive, it bore his name and made him known to everyone. This was a manifestation of his abilities, and Zhao Yang's trust in him gave him a sense of recognition akin to a steed being discovered by a capable rider. When he saw hundreds of people moved to tears by his speech, he felt touched himself. He had never imagined that a single speech could have such a profound impact; at that moment, he seemed to find direction for his efforts—this was his dream. However, when he thought about Han Hai's group of seven people, all at the late stage of Qi Refinement, while Zhao Yang and Long Xiao Wu were only at the early stage, the disparity in strength was too great. He understood clearly that if Queen Zhao Yang did not agree to their terms today, it would mean death or being crippled for them. How should he choose between dreams and reality?
"Scholar, sometimes a seemingly insignificant choice can be the beginning of a different fate. Although the cultivation world values strength above all else, no one has ever said it is solely about brute force. The choice is yours; following them might yield you hundreds or even thousands of Spirit Qi Pills, but following me might mean you won't even get one. Think carefully about your decision."
"I..." Scholar Xiu's voice trembled with urgency as he looked at Han Hai and the others waiting impatiently outside. He stepped forward and bowed slightly, saying, "I will continue learning beside Zhao Yang; I won't be returning with you."
"Ha! Useless thing."
"Scholars are just thick-headed; they can't even assess the situation properly. When the time comes, they won't even know how they died."
The few people looked down on Scholar Xiu's choice and insulted him before leaving the cottage.
"Brother Han, why don't we just kill those useless ones and seize the fourteen hundred Spirit Qi Pills? That would be enough for us to advance to the Foundation Establishment Stage within a year—perhaps even sooner."
Han Hai waved his hand with a smile and replied, "Killing them would be easy enough. However, just after opening the Barbecue Restaurant, two bosses have already died. The three thousand disciples would definitely cause an uproar and might even demand a refund for their Spirit Qi Pills. What then?"
"Brother Han makes a good point; I didn't think of that. Thankfully we didn't kill them earlier. But Brother Han's Open Tablet Technique is truly impressive; it managed to withstand my Thunder Fist." The young man who had been slapped by Long Xiao Wu remarked.
"Heh heh, it's not an exaggeration for Zhao Yang to say he's clever; he's quite adept at understanding people's hearts. I'm also curious—he's just a youth; no matter how much he's experienced, he shouldn't understand human nature so well. If he weren't a waste of Spiritual Root, he could indeed make some valuable connections. However, don't underestimate them too much; I see they are quite confident and may have some tricks up their sleeves," Han Hai pondered aloud.
"Brother Han, you are overthinking it. With our Outer Sect's Elder absent and Elder Zhong gone as well, there is no one to oversee us. It's been rumored that there are no restrictions on fighting among the Outer Court Disciples, even if someone dies, they won't face severe punishment. Besides those two senior brothers at the ninth level of Qi Refinement Stage, who else could possibly be our match?"
...
After everyone left, Long Xiao Wu snorted heavily, took a sip of tea, and said, "These ungrateful beasts! They just got their benefits and now they turn their backs on us. Even though they are numerous and at the late stage of Qi Refinement, do we really have to fear them when we brothers join forces?"
Zhao Yang yawned and laughed, "As the saying goes, 'A greedy heart can swallow an elephant.' I just wanted you to see their true colors. I anticipated that when faced with such enormous benefits, some might betray us; I just didn't expect it to happen so quickly. From their perspective, this behavior is quite reasonable."
"Huh?" Long Xiao Wu and Scholar Xiu both exclaimed in surprise at his words.
Zhao Yang ignored their reactions and continued, "They are all at the Qi Refinement Stage. How could they not have other thoughts when faced with such a huge temptation? It seems that our Outer Sect does not restrict disciples from competing against each other; even if someone dies, no one will investigate deeply. Just like those who were poisoned by the Yin Corpse Needle before—since they weren't key cultivation targets, they were left to their own devices. If they succeed, it's credited to the Sect; if they fail, it's because they didn't work hard enough. Our method of earning Spirit Qi Pills is too rapid, causing a sudden shift in their perceptions. They think it's so easy to earn thousands of Spirit Qi Pills. Those with slightly weaker resolve will start fantasizing about endless possibilities for the future—either dreaming of becoming a giant in cultivation or imagining themselves as pillars of the Sect. Little do they know that the difference between people lies in how the same words can have different effects when spoken by different individuals; the outcomes of similar actions can also vary significantly."
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