"Mr. Jomoya, the Secret Technique is the foundation of our Red Falcon Sect!"
"You will only be taught after you heal Hall Master Yu and join our Red Falcon Sect."
"Don't tell me you can't actually heal the Hall Master?"
Jomoya's sudden change in his negotiating stance left Mu Wanqing suspicious and uncertain.
The only reason her sect had agreed to the deal was because Jomoya had demonstrated a miraculous ability before them.
Under his control, the Hall Master's paralyzed body had actually been able to move.
That was why they were so hopeful that Jomoya could heal the Hall Master.
After all, with its long history, the Red Falcon Sect knew that the world held all kinds of profound and mysterious powers.
"You're overthinking it, Miss Mu. It's just that I've been the one shouldering all the risk in this deal."
"After all, you could just go back on your word, or teach me a fake Secret Technique!"
'If this were Ireland, he would have happily joined the Red Falcon Sect in his pursuit of a beautiful woman.'
'But Chen Qi had no interest in that. The Red Falcon Sect had been constantly wandering, which likely meant they had other troubles of their own.'
'Of course, the most important thing was that he really *couldn't* heal Yu Hongwu right now. But since he didn't want to give up on the deal, his only option was to stall.'
"Hah. The Red Falcon Sect's word is its bond. We're nothing like you merchants."
Seeing the man across from her actually suspect them of deceit, Mu Wanqing's expression instantly turned to ice.
If he didn't have a few tricks up his sleeve, Mu Wanqing would have been itching to teach him a lesson.
······
"In that case, I'll help you rebuild the martial arts academy, and in return, you'll teach me the Red Falcon Fist!"
"That way, after I've learned it, I'll have an understanding of your Fighting Technique."
"As for the Secret Technique, we'll proceed with the trade as originally planned."
"But I have no interest in joining the Red Falcon Sect. This is purely a transaction."
Chen Qi presented his new plan; he was genuinely interested in learning the Red Falcon Fist.
And this buffer period would give him enough time to raise his [Body Control] to Lv. 2.
Only then would he be confident that he could heal Yu Hongwu.
The original Ireland had already been on the verge of reaching Lv. 2, which was why he'd been so confident about the deal. It was a pity he died, and now Chen Qi had to inherit it all.
"Fine. On behalf of the Red Falcon Sect, I agree!"
After careful consideration, Mu Wanqing agreed.
The Red Falcon Sect's situation was actually quite dire. Years of displacement had not only shattered their morale, but they had also lost many of their core disciples.
They had indeed come to the Lanyu Kingdom with the intention of establishing a permanent base.
Chen Qi's offer to rebuild the martial arts academy was what truly convinced her.
As for him not joining the Red Falcon Sect, that no longer mattered.
This was no longer an age where the Martial Dao prospered. Especially after the devastation wrought by the Black Blood Federation, Martial Artists had been utterly disgraced. It was time to abandon the old rules the sects clung to.
······
Since both parties were intent on cooperating, the rest fell into place naturally.
The Chris Group owned a good deal of vacant property, and Chen Qi generously allowed Mu Wanqing to choose a location for the Red Falcon Sect's new headquarters.
Chen Qi was still waiting for the Firefox Gang's reaction, so he was in no mood to dive into learning the Fighting Technique just yet.
Besides, the Red Falcon Martial Arts Academy needed time to get settled, so he and Mu Wanqing scheduled his training to begin in five days.
······
Hu Wanhai's death still caused some ripples throughout the Talin City Underworld.
According to Taruno's report, many gangs with grudges against the Firefox Gang took the opportunity to strike while they were down, chipping away at a good deal of their territory.
If Lin Tianming hadn't successfully taken over and stabilized the situation, the Firefox Gang would have collapsed and its members scattered.
On the fourth day after Hu Wanhai's death, Lin Tianming sent a messenger, proposing a meeting with Chen Qi to negotiate and resolve the conflict between them.
According to Taruno's analysis, the Firefox Gang was preparing to back down.
Chen Qi was very busy at the moment and certainly had no time to bother with a gang leader.
However, he didn't want any further entanglement with the Firefox Gang either, so he assigned his new subordinate, Taruno, to handle the matter with full authority.
Upon receiving the order, Taruno was ecstatic. Negotiating with the leader of the Firefox Gang—this was something he had never even dared to dream of.
'I really made the right choice!'
······
'Heh, so this is what it feels like to be a somebody?'
Watching Taruno, all fired up and flush with excitement from his pep talk, Chen Qi experienced the feeling of controlling another person for the first time.
'And what gave him all this was power!'
What Chen Qi had to do now was constantly increase the power he possessed.
Until no one could ever threaten him again.
And fortunately, Chen Qi had discovered a shortcut.
······
'Lost ancient civilizations... ancient scripts, constantly being forgotten by humanity.'
'I'd love to uncover the secrets hidden within.'
Chen Qi summoned the bronze die again, and it hovered silently above his head.
In his hands, Chen Qi flipped through the *Comprehensive Guide to Ancient Civilization Basics*, scanning ten lines at a glance. His reading speed was easily a hundred times faster than before.
Incredibly, his brain was memorizing and comprehending everything it saw.
At that moment, Chen Qi's brain was like a bottomless maw, a voracious beast greedily craving the knowledge within the book.
And the culprit behind this entire phenomenon was the bronze die hovering silently above Chen Qi's head.
This was a miraculous phenomenon Chen Qi had discovered by accident. It increased his learning efficiency by more than a hundredfold and ensured he would never forget a thing.
······
'Logically, as long as I don't make a Wish, the die can't interfere with the real World!'
'So, it's not my brain that's changing, but these ancient scripts.'
'Could it be because their very existence possesses some kind of power, and that's why the human brain struggles to memorize and comprehend them?'
'And the bronze die, even without projecting its power into the real World, is able to suppress their power.'
This was the conclusion Chen Qi reached after much deliberation, the answer he considered the most logical.
Once stripped of their power, the ancient scripts became a kind of beneficial nutrient for the human brain, which was why it actively devoured them.
There were undoubtedly profound secrets hidden within this entire process.
Perhaps once Chen Qi could read the *Spirit Realm Declaration*, everything would become clear.
'Half a month. I only need half a month to master seven ancient scripts and finish deciphering *Jomoya's Diary*!'
Even now, Chen Qi could already understand a few of the entries.
"January 1, 17646. I've finally gotten my chance!"
"The eighth shuffle is complete. The ninth round of the game has begun. I received an initial Card: the Seven of Red Hearts."
"It's unbelievable that such a powerful figure could die in the shuffle!"
The current date was December 3, 17648. This meant that in just 28 days, the new round of the game would have been going on for exactly three years.
'But there's no telling how long it is until the next shuffle!'