Surrounded by mountains, shrouded in mist; birds chirping, trees providing shade.
Atop the mountain peak, a mountain spring flowed, trickling into a cold pool at the foot of the mountain.
Beside the cold pool was an extremely simple village.
As picturesque as this place was, the village was equally simple and dilapidated.
The only thing that could be mentioned alongside the scenery was the plaque at the village entrance, bearing two powerful characters—Bai Residence.
When the Clear Sky Sect faced the oppression of the Spirit Hall, they chose to avoid conflict and relocated their entire sect behind the mountain peak where Qian Daoliu had sworn his allegiance, thereafter living in seclusion.
The four single-attribute clans, vassals of the Clear Sky Sect, also went their separate ways to escape the pursuit of the Spirit Hall.
Of the four great clans, apart from the Strength Clan which relocated to Heaven Dou City, the other three clans moved their entire households to the Star Luo Empire, where the Spirit Hall's influence was weakest.
The Strength Clan excelled at forging, the Control Clan at construction, and the Breaking Clan at alchemy.
These three great clans quickly established themselves in their new locations by leveraging their respective strengths. While not living in luxury, their disciples were well above the poverty line.
Only the Agility Clan struggled.
The leader of the Agility Clan, Bai He, had an excellent relationship with the leader of the Breaking Clan, Yang Wudi. Their personalities were also somewhat similar.
Yang Wudi was arrogant and stubborn; Bai He was aloof and self-important.
But they differed in one aspect.
Yang Wudi's arrogance was backed by genuine confidence.
In terms of strength, he could contend with Titled Douluo with his Soul Douluo cultivation alone; his skills in alchemy and poison were also the best on the continent.
As for Bai He, his aloofness and self-importance stemmed from his straightforward nature.
However, such a person was not suited to be a clan leader.
Not only did Bai He lack the ability to resolve the poverty of the Agility Clan's disciples, but his aloof nature also prevented him from allowing his clan members to accept the Spirit Master subsidies from the Spirit Hall.
In fact, over half of the clan's economic income came from Yang Wudi's occasional assistance.
Even with this, they could barely balance their income and expenses, living a life of hardship.
...
In front of the village gate, under the old tree.
An elderly man, who appeared very old, was basking in the sun, also acting as a gatekeeper.
As the old man was comfortably enjoying the sun, two figures entered his sight in a daze.
Then, without a word, one of the figures revealed eight Spirit Rings, after which a clear voice reached his ears.
"My Duke has something to discuss with your esteemed Clan Leader Bai. Please inform him."
Even though the person speaking seemed amiable, the old man's attention was entirely fixated on the eight Spirit Rings at the person's feet.
Therefore, without replying, the old man immediately activated his Martial Soul and rushed towards the depths of the village.
"One white, two yellow. Level thirty-seven, yet possessing speed comparable to an ordinary Agility Attack type Soul King. Is this what a pure Agility System Spirit Master is like?"
Lin Rong gazed ahead thoughtfully, thinking:
"The speed that the Agility Clan prides itself on is indeed well-deserved."
Before long, the old man returned. He performed a standard noble bow and said, "Esteemed guests, our Clan Leader requests your presence."
Entering the village, Lin Rong calmly surveyed his surroundings, observing the scene within the village.
Most of the villagers were old men, women, and children; adult men were rarely seen.
Recalling the farmland they had passed, it was likely that the men tilling the fields there constituted the vast majority of the Agility Clan's labor force.
Seeing this scene, although Lin Rong had anticipated it, he couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy, thinking to himself:
"I never expected that even the proud Agility Clan would resort to farming due to their financial difficulties."
"But Bai He chose to build the village in such a remote location. Ultimately, it's because he's too proud and doesn't want outsiders to see the Agility Clan in such a state."
"It took me a long time to find this place after asking around everywhere."
The village was not large. After walking for a short while, the old man led Lin Rong and the old steward to the largest building in the village.
Standing before the building was a lean, well-proportioned elder with white hair and a youthful complexion.
This person was the leader of the Agility Clan, Bai He.
Bai He looked at the uninvited guests, his gaze sweeping past Lin Rong and resting on the old steward, Yu Yuan.
He felt a sense of familiarity with this person but couldn't recall where he had seen him before.
However, feeling a sense of familiarity, he guessed they were from Heaven Dou.
A Duke, accompanied by a follower with Soul Douluo cultivation—this seemed to be the Lin family from Heaven Dou.
Yes, he had seen this person from afar at a noble banquet years ago.
He heard that the Duke of the Lin clan died in a beast tide, leaving behind a posthumous child. Could this be the child before him?
After understanding the identities of the two people before him, Bai He asked with confusion:
"I don't seem to have any dealings with the Lin family. May I ask what brings the young Duke Lin here from afar?"
He actually figured it out?
Lin Rong suppressed his surprise and pretended to look around, saying at the same time:
"Is the Clan Leader Bai planning to entertain guests here?"
This visitor means trouble!
For some reason, Bai He had this thought, but remembering that there was a Titled Douluo standing beside Lin Rong, he could only make a gesture to invite them inside.
"I almost forgot, this isn't a place to talk. Please, come inside."
After the group entered and took their seats, the Agility Clan members, following the etiquette of hospitality, served tea.
Lin Rong glanced at the teacup.
There were quite a few tea leaves in the water, but he wasn't sure what the difference was between these tea leaves and regular leaves.
Thinking that it was almost time for a meal, Lin Rong didn't want to waste any more time and got straight to the point:
"Clan Leader Bai, we've come uninvited because of that item in your possession—the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng!"
Upon hearing this, Bai He's heart skipped a beat. Just as he was about to deny it, Lin Rong's voice reached his ears.
"Clan Leader Bai, there's no need to rush to deny it. You know very well whether you have this item or not."
"It's a crystal-clear, blood-red ginseng. The surface of the ginseng also has a pattern of a five-clawed dragon."
"The ginseng is about five thousand years old and is kept in a box made of the finest mutton-fat jade."
"I think I don't need to go into more detail, do I!"
"For example, the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng is currently stored in..."
"Enough!" Bai He slammed the armrest of his chair and stood up, demanding, "Where did you get all this information? Answer me truthfully!"
"Does that matter?" Lin Rong appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, he was ready to trigger the Green Leaf Mark at any moment. If Bai He attacked him in anger, he would immediately teleport to the marked spot.
"Clan Leader Bai, I am very sincere. This is a bank card valid across the continent, containing one million Gold Soul Coins as payment for the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng."
As he spoke, Lin Rong produced a gold card and flicked it with his Soul Power, sending it to the most conspicuous spot where the members of the Agility Clan present could see it.
"As long as Clan Leader Bai agrees to this transaction, these one million Gold Soul Coins will be yours."
"After all, while ginseng is good, keeping it there won't allow your clansmen to live a better life."
"If you were to sell it, with your connections, Clan Leader Yang, who appreciates its value, might not be able to afford it, and those who can afford it might not recognize its worth!"
"I advise Clan Leader Bai to think carefully about your clansmen before refusing."
"Will you agree to this transaction and let your clansmen live a prosperous life, or will you refuse and let them continue to live in hardship?"
"It's all up to your decision."
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