"Compensation?"
"What else?" Qianran's gaze wandered over Ye Xishui with ill-concealed amusement. That figure, that face—truly mesmerizing.
"Fine," Ye Xishui gritted her teeth and agreed. After all, she had succumbed to greed earlier, breaking the rules in the process. Had it been anyone else, the two might have already parted ways on bad terms.
Maintaining the possibility of future cooperation with Qianran was already a fortunate outcome.
"But moving forward, I want to trade Enlightenment Tea with you on proper terms. I'll offer items that I can produce, including ninth-tier soul tools. Name any type, and I can make it," Ye Xishui said with a serious expression.
When it came to business, Ye Xishui was always earnest.
If Qianran played tricks here, she would suffer a great loss.
The last cup of tea had already given her numerous insights. Her stalled Death God Tower project was now back on track. Once completed, it would become a powerful tenth-tier soul tool.
For Ye Xishui, crafting ninth-tier soul tools wasn't difficult. She could delegate the time-consuming tasks to other soul engineers, leaving herself to handle only the core components.
This allowed her to produce multiple ninth-tier soul tools each month.
"Deal. If you can provide a sufficient quantity of ninth-tier soul tools, I'm open to trading some Enlightenment Tea," Qianran agreed. Ninth-tier soul tools represented the pinnacle of this world's science and ingenuity. While Qianran's strength was considerable, he wasn't above valuing such treasures.
Even if he didn't use them personally, his companions certainly would.
And if Qianran were to lead his women to godhood in the future, these ninth-tier soul tools would still hold value. They could be distributed to subordinates.
After all, not everyone in the God Realm was a deity. Many members of the God Realm's law enforcement teams were only at the level of Titled Douluos. Official positions in the God Realm were limited, and most were contracted workers.
No matter how resourceful Qianran was, he couldn't bring dozens or even hundreds of people to godhood. That was an impossible feat, even with a system.
Ye Xishui breathed a sigh of relief. Ninth-tier soul tools still seemed to hold appeal for Qianran.
Spending so much time around him, she'd begun to worry that nothing she offered would catch his eye.
Aside from herself, only Mingde Hall could produce ninth-tier soul tools, and their creations never made it out into the open market. If Qianran wanted such tools, she was his only viable source.
If all went well, Ye Xishui even considered trading some tenth-tier soul tools after her Death God Tower was completed.
A tenth-tier soul tool would be worth at least ten times that of a ninth-tier one.
But for now, such thoughts remained hypothetical. Her Death God Tower was still incomplete, and if her attempt to ascend to the rank of tenth-tier soul engineer failed, all of it would be for naught.
If she could obtain more Enlightenment Tea from Qianran, her chances of breaking through would increase dramatically—potentially reaching near certainty.
"What do you want me to do?" Ye Xishui set aside her scattered thoughts and fixed her beautiful eyes on Qianran. Even though she needed him, she didn't want to fall too far behind in their partnership.
She preferred an equal collaboration with Qianran. However, at the moment, she lacked the leverage to truly tempt him, while Qianran held the one thing she desperately needed—Enlightenment Tea.
"I don't have any outfits like that," Ye Xishui added, her face involuntarily turning a few shades redder.
"No worries, I do." Qianran chuckled. Juzi's attire was custom-made cosplay, but he had plenty of similar outfits.
A black, one-piece swimsuit with stockings?
Back at Shrek Academy, Zhu Lu used to wear such things to tease him.
Different figures brought out different effects. Juzi's figure was moderately curvy, making her look like a heroine from mainstream school-life anime, such as Ran Mouri in a black swimsuit and stockings version from Detective Conan.
A voluptuous figure, however, would undoubtedly exude a far more alluring charm.
Qianran didn't play favorites. He found both styles appealing—one pure and charming, the other seductive and sultry.
Different scenarios called for different charms. At school, the former fit the mood. But in places like a bathroom, library, beach, or kitchen…
Qianran retrieved a black, one-piece outfit that Zhu Lu had worn from his spatial soul tool.
Though Ye Xishui was powerful, her height wasn't much greater than Zhu Lu's. Of course, her figure was on another level entirely. While Zhu Lu had outstanding genes from her Zhu Clan lineage, reaching Ye Xishui's level would take at least another decade. Talent could only go so far—physical development required time.
Moreover, a woman's figure often matured further after childbirth.
Cough…
Seeing Zhu Lu's belongings in the spatial ring, Qianran couldn't help but feel nostalgic. He missed those girls from Shrek Academy. Qianran wasn't the type to forget those he'd grown close to. Girls like Zhu Lu, whose growth he had witnessed firsthand, held a special place in his heart.
"Maybe I should find some time to visit them, and check in on Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan," Qianran thought to himself.
It had been a long time since he last saw Zhang Lexuan. Ever since learning about her background, Zhang Lexuan had been investigating her lineage.
Qianran was certain that Zhang Lexuan, with her Moon Martial Soul, was one of the most noble figures in the Sun Moon Empire.
Ye Xishui's earlier suggestion didn't seem impossible upon reflection.
Zhang Lexuan, as a possessor of the Moon Martial Soul, carried the purest and most noble Sun Moon Empire bloodline. Why couldn't she be an emperor? Qianran could easily support Zhang Lexuan, helping her reclaim her rightful position.
If Qianran and Ye Xishui joined forces, they had a real chance of making it happen.
For now, though, Qianran couldn't let Ye Xishui know he was considering deep collaboration. If she sensed her importance, her arrogance would skyrocket.
Currently, Qianran needed to act indifferent to everything Ye Xishui brought up, suppressing her haughty attitude as much as possible.
This woman had been spoiled for far too long. Her overbearing personality, honed over centuries, would be difficult to change. But since everyone else had coddled Ye Xishui, it was up to Qianran to teach her a lesson, tempering her arrogance so she wouldn't think the world revolved around her.
(Chapter End)