He stared fixedly at the gray paper umbrella. He wanted more.
"May I see the other umbrellas? I am willing to give everything in exchange for a chance to live."
Who would willingly die if they could live? Zi Jie believed the white dragon before him was nearly omnipotent. Even with his grievous injuries, his spine gone and death looming, recovery would take but a thought from her. He still had many things left undone, great vengeance awaiting repayment. He was unwilling to die on this rainy day.
Bai Yujun tossed the paper umbrella up and down, narrowing her eyes at the False Human Emperor upon the throne, seeing tens of thousands of possible futures.
In fewer than ten of them, he lost his mind and went mad, preferring his soul to scatter and spirit to disperse rather than agree to erase the hidden wounds in his fate. In the tens of thousands of other futures, he accepted the deal. The chance of them both losing was almost nonexistent.
She deftly twirled the paper umbrella a few times.
"That's right. My General Store has many umbrellas, each possessing countless marvels. But the principles of trade cannot be changed. You must offer value equal to the transaction. The more you want, the higher the price."
Doing business was not scattering wealth for charity. There was no kindness without cause in this world; even spreading compassion was merely for gaining more.
Zi Jie hurriedly said,
"I am willing to pay any price! Anything!"
Bai maintained her smile and politely shook her head in refusal.
"You don't have it."
Nothing could be hidden from Bai Yujun, especially not from a False Human Emperor gravely wounded and on the brink of death.
The false sage had created the False Human Emperor. Without the false