A voice came from behind him, and Xu Tianxi turned around, casting an interested gaze.
"Young Sect Master Ning has such a request, of course we can fulfill it. We have great trust in the financial power of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School."
The person who spoke was a young woman in a white dress, Ning Tian, the Young Master of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School, whom he had previously sent flying with the Ling Luochen-style windmill.
The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School was experienced in business, and their Martial Soul had the ability to find treasures, so Xu Tianxi held a basic respect for their financial capabilities.
Ning Tian looked around and said, "I request that Wu Feng and I be moved to a different resting place. I can pay for it."
"A very reasonable request."
Xu Tianxi nodded slightly, took out a remote Soul Guided Device, and shot three red beams of light into the distance. The glass doors and windows of Jiang Nannan's, Ning Tian's, and Wu Feng's adjacent rooms immediately rose with a roar.
Xu Sanshi quickly pulled Jiang Nannan out, moving with an agility uncharacteristic of a Defense Type Soul Master, disappearing in a blur as he rushed out the main door.
Wu Feng stumbled out in a daze, and out of a protective instinct for his Young Master, quickly walked in front of Ning Tian, watching Xu Tianxi warily.
Xu Tianxi smiled calmly, waved his hand at the two, and turned to walk towards the door.
"Come with me. Let's discuss the price for your freedom."
Wu Feng looked at Xu Tianxi's back with apprehension, grabbing Ning Tian's pale wrist, his face full of timid uneasiness.
"Ning Tian, this person is too strong. Stay behind me, I'll protect you."
"You better be honest and don't mess around. That person is reasonable; don't try to be clever and anger him."
Ning Tian was speechless at Wu Feng's loyal yet futile, and possibly ill-intentioned, actions. She struggled free from his grasp and quickly walked towards Xu Tianxi.
She thought, "Ma Xiaotao, a Six Ring Soul Emperor, was killed by him. Expecting a three-ring Soul Elder like you to protect me? I might as well hope he's a greedy one."
Ning Tian's escape felt like a chill wind blowing through Wu Feng's heart. He stood there stunned for a moment before reacting, then quickly chased after her, muttering softly:
"Even if I can't beat him, we can still live and die together, Ning Tian, don't despise me—"
"Click-whirr~ Click-whirr~"
Xiao Hongchen, acting as the on-site reporter, seized the opportunity to furiously press the shutter, capturing this special scene of Ning Tian and Wu Feng.
"Record these materials too. With some processing, I can create a report about the Young Master of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School decisively choosing to chase after Old Xu for freedom. I'm truly a genius—"
Xiao Hongchen thought calmly, following the three and snapping new targets.
The Captive Courtyard's main gate slammed shut. The Shrek students, still in isolation, exchanged glances, various emotions welling up in their hearts.
Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu had already been rescued. Xu Sanshi had traveled thousands of miles to rescue Jiang Nannan. Ning Tian and Wu Feng had also left. What about them? Who would release them?
"They're all leaving one by one. I miss home so much, boohoo—"
Watching her fellow prisoners being rescued, the youngest, Xiao Xiao, was the first to have her psychological defenses crumble, and she couldn't help but sob softly.
"Xiao Xiao, don't be afraid. The academy will definitely come to rescue us," Ling Luochen reassured her repeatedly.
"That's right, Xiao Xiao, you have Twin Martial Souls. The academy won't abandon you," Yu Yang said, hitting the nail on the head.
"Right, you have Twin Martial Souls, so you don't need to worry. It's people like us, with only one Martial Soul and no powerful background, whose futures are uncertain—uh, I didn't say anything just now."
Xie Huanyue followed the crowd to comfort Xiao Xiao, a few thoughts escaping his lips. As soon as the words were out, he felt several people around him cast unfriendly glances his way.
"Damn it, I knew I should have talked to him too. Our Little Elephant Armor Sect still has some assets." Hu Yanbashan suddenly remembered his own background and couldn't help but feel regret.
Ten thousand years ago, the Elephant Armor Sect was destroyed, and the remaining clansmen established the Little Elephant Armor Sect. Hu Yanbashan was from there.
After turning three or four corners, Xu Tianxi led Ning Tian and Wu Feng to the Reception Area of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. He poured a few cups of juice and went straight to the point:
"Young Sect Master Ning, how much do you think you're worth?"
Ning Tian's hand stiffened as she took the juice, then returned to normal, revealing a practiced smile. She took a small sip of juice before answering:
"Can we discuss this matter privately?"
"Privately? —Okay, I hope you don't disappoint me."
Xu Tianxi pondered for a moment, then gave Xiao Hongchen a meaningful look.
Xiao Hongchen understood, grabbed the reluctant Wu Feng, and left, locking the door behind him.
Xu Tianxi glanced out at the night sky, then turned to Ning Tian and said, "It'll be daylight in three hours. Speak quickly; I still need to cultivate."
Ning Tian nodded, then dropped a bombshell.
"Young Master Kong, you said just now that joining the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy would grant freedom. Is that true?"
Xu Tianxi raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his eyes, and replied, "That's right."
He hadn't expected the Young Sect Master of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School to have rebellious thoughts so quickly. Shrek's brainwashing techniques still needed improvement.
"I am willing to join the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and further my Soul Guided Device cultivation. I only hope that what Young Master Kong said about treating everyone equally isn't false, and that Ning Tian can learn truly useful things."
Ning Tian stated her decision to defect as if no one else were present, her face showing no blush, no change in breathing, no alteration in expression, as if she had rehearsed it many times in her mind.
The other party defected too quickly, and Xu Tianxi, without a contingency plan, pondered for a while. He placed his hands on the table, assuming an evaluative posture, and asked:
"What is your reason for abandoning Shrek?"
Ning Tian sighed slightly, her tone helpless:
"The whole point of me being at Shrek was to make friends and build useful connections, but you guys practically captured all the top talents from our Outer Courtyard."
"On the other hand, at Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, I might find a direction to strengthen myself and my Sect. After all, we're a support-type Sect; our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School is definitely the most open-minded Sect among the Original Three Kingdoms when it comes to Soul Guided Devices."
"As for Soul Master cultivation, it's completely meaningless to me. My peak in this life will be Level 79 anyway. I don't think you'd believe that a Sect successor like me still needs to go to Shrek to learn how to use my Martial Soul, right?"
Xu Tianxi nodded in agreement, then said, "I believe that point. But you could also choose to pay and leave. It's no small matter for a Young Sect Master from your Sect to study at our Academy."
"Don't use Xu Sanshi as an example. I think you know his special circumstances. His family has a Limit Douluo, so he's completely free to come and go. No one dares to let anything happen to him; we're just giving each other face."
"As for your esteemed Sect—I'm afraid it might not have the same foundation as the Xuanming Sect."
Ning Tian gently shook her head, seemingly deep in thought, and said,
"We could keep it a secret, couldn't we? Can you help conceal my presence?"
Xu Tianxi: "In principle, that's not easy to arrange—"
"I'll pay."
Ning Tian pulled out a Gold Soul Card and slapped it on the table, her tone calm and composed:
"There's six million Gold Soul Coins in there. It's for my foolish companion's freedom and my privacy. That should be enough to buy two Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones."
"I know you like Rare Metals. The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School has collected quite a few metals over the years that even we don't know what they are, but we know they're good stuff based on our Martial Soul's instincts. You can check them out sometime."
Xu Tianxi calmly put away the Gold Soul Card, his face earnest as he said, "In principle, it's not easy, but then again, adapting to circumstances is also within principle."
"Congratulations, Miss Ning Tian, you're free. You're the wealthiest young genius I've ever met."
Taking out six million Gold Soul Coins without batting an eye, Xu Tianxi was very curious if the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School was so poor that its warehouse only had Gold Soul Coins and gem metals left. Even Xiao Hongchen wasn't that extravagant.
Back when he came to the Sun Moon Empire from the Original Three Kingdoms, his Senior Martial Uncle only gave him eight million Gold Soul Coins. Recently, he earned a few million in appraisal fees at the Starlight Auction House, bringing his total assets just over ten million.
"You flatter me, you flatter me. Our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School doesn't have many other talents; we're just decent at business, and our Martial Soul is quite sensitive to gems."
Ning Tian smiled elegantly, then continued, "Actually, I also wanted to ask, do you do wholesale business for Soul Guided Devices? Fragile and powerless support-type Soul Masters like us value our safety immensely. Both offensive and defensive Soul Guided Devices would be great. Fixed Soul Tools would be even better—"
Xu Tianxi expressionlessly made a 'stop' gesture, his face full of exasperation: "—I admire your persistence in business, but this is beyond my scope of work, and you really dare to dream, even wanting Fixed Soul Tools."
The mainstream Fixed Soul Tools were Fixed Soul Cannon Shells, known for being expensive and powerful.
Ning Tian blinked her sapphire-like eyes, a hint of confusion in her pupils: "Given your status in the Sun Moon Empire, discussing something like this shouldn't be a problem, should it?"
Xu Tianxi rubbed his forehead: "It's not not a problem, but I'm here to discuss your allegiance, not to represent Mingde Hall in doing business with you."
Ning Tian tilted her head, her eyes suddenly brightening with realization, and she said, word by word, "We can give you a referral fee, and the rebates won't be small either."
Xu Tianxi's eye twitched: "I'm not that kind of person—"
"Starting at 100,000, plus Rare Metals, or it can be exchanged for other items the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School possesses." Ning Tian took out another Gold Soul Card.
Xu Tianxi was silent for a moment, then took out a Communication Soul Guided Device and paper and pen: "Making a call isn't too difficult. Write down what you want, and I'll ask about it when I get back."
"Remember not to be too excessive. This is a time of strict scrutiny on smuggling. It's only because your Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School is the oldest Sect among the Three Great Empires that I'm reluctantly making an exception."
He, Xu, wasn't very interested in money, but since there was an opportunity to earn foreign exchange, there was no need to push it away. The reputation of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School being rich enough to rival a nation, even if exaggerated, wouldn't be too far off.
It was the first time he'd met someone so wealthy. It felt like he'd be letting himself down if he didn't fleece them a bit.
And just by looking at Ning Tian, he knew that the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School probably didn't have much integrity, and might even repeat the Xuan Ming story.
"Then many thanks."
Ning Tian took the paper and pen and quickly wrote, her handwriting delicate and pleasing to the eye.
A moment later, Xu Tianxi took the list, and his eyelids couldn't help but twitch. "This single list of yours, it'll probably cost more than five million Gold Soul Coins."
A large number of Soul Guided Devices below Level 5 were listed, making Xu Tianxi inwardly grumble. If it wasn't the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School opposite him, he would suspect they were getting into the arms trade.
Ning Tian waved her hand, indicating her composure: "It doesn't matter. I was taught as a child to learn the investment philosophy of the Nine Treasures Douluo's father, Ancestor Ning Fengzhi, from ten thousand years ago: when it's time to act, you must act."
"It was precisely by forging a good relationship with the Sea God Tang San when he was still humble that our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School was spared the disaster of annihilation and produced a Sect Master and a Sect Master's husband who became gods."
Xu Tianxi reminded her, "But I seem to have heard that your Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School's two great Sect Protecting Douluo both died protecting the Sea God Tang San, and after the war ended, your Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School's status in the Heaven Dou Empire was replaced by the Tang Sect."
"Also, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda seems to have never appeared again. Did the Nine Treasures Douluo not leave any descendants? Or did the Martial Soul degenerate again?" Xu Tianxi asked with interest.
"This..." Ning Tian's calm expression instantly froze, her thoughts pausing for a moment.
"Ancestor Ning Rongrong, bless her, indeed did not leave any descendants, but Ancestor Ning Fengzhi's investment... at least gave our Sect a glorious history, didn't it?"
"Thanks for the clarification. I'm going out now."
Xu Tianxi nodded in understanding, greeted her, and left to make a call.
Having a glorious history implied that things weren't so good now.
Left alone in the Reception Area, Ning Tian gazed at the list in her hand for a while, muttering softly:
"I need to quickly re-establish contact with the Sect—"
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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