Discerning the Token

Qian Gongyu was so envious that she wished she could become an Offering herself. With such excellent conditions, she couldn't think of a reason to refuse. Although she was a little reluctant, she prayed in her heart that Jiang Shi would agree quickly, because this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

"If I agree to become an Offering," Jiang Shi didn't refuse, but asked, "Will the five Tokens be given to me immediately?"

Qun Yushu shook his head, "Of course not, they will be given according to your years of service, one per year, and all five will be given after five years."

"Then forget it, please leave." Jiang Shi turned to go back.

"Wait, if the five Tokens are given to you immediately, would you be willing to become an Offering for my family?"

Jiang Shi looked back at him, her voice without joy or expectation, "I can."

Qun Yushu looked at her for a long time, then suddenly smiled helplessly, "It's the first time I've met someone like you."

He took out a jade pendant from his arms and handed it to Jiang Shi, "Let's change it to a transaction. If you can tell me all the abilities of this jade pendant, I will give it to you."

Shang Xin Lei, Jie Yuanshao, Jie Zilong and others' eyes flickered, but they didn't speak, watching Jiang Shi take the jade pendant. Qian Gongyu vaguely realized there was a problem and tried to signal Jiang Shi to refuse with her eyes, but Jiang Shi didn't look at her at all.

"The first ability is Protective Spirit Shield, which requires three points of Spirit Energy to activate. After activation, three shields will appear, which can withstand three arbitrary attacks. The shields can only last for three seconds and can only be used again after fifteen seconds."

"The second ability is Explosive Spirit Shield. If you activate the Protective Spirit Shield again during the cooldown period, an Explosive Spirit Shield will be generated, which will cause damage to the attacker. At the same time, both abilities can only be used again after sixty seconds."

Qun Yushu listened very carefully, and after Jiang Shi finished speaking, he asked, "What does 'second' mean?"

"About the time it takes to breathe once."

"I understand." Qun Yushu nodded, "Thank you, this jade pendant is yours."

After saying that, Qun Yushu bid farewell and turned to leave. He not only left himself, but also sent the other guests back. Chen Lincuan took a deep look at Jiang Shi before leaving. He called two guards and gave them a few instructions, and the two guards stood guard outside the Qian Family carriage.

After the irrelevant people left, Jiang Shi continued to practice her saber, as if nothing had happened just now.

"Jiang Shi, you..." Shang Xin Lei didn't know what to say, "You just jumped into such a big trap..."

"There's no point in saying more," Jie Zilong interrupted, "Fourth Miss Shang, please make sure that the Shang Family makes a decision before the day after tomorrow. I will also contact my family as soon as possible."

"What's wrong, what's wrong?" Qian Gongyu looked blank, "Why do you all seem more nervous than before?"

"Because things are more serious, it's no longer just the small matter of Wandering Star Forest." Shang Xin Lei looked at Jiang Shi, her expression extremely complicated, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it..."

"In this world, there really is someone who can discern the abilities of a Token at a glance!"

"Why is Jiang Shi so weak!"

The first thing Qun Yushu did after sitting down was to complain. He picked up the wine pot and took a big gulp. The wine spilled out and wet his upper body, but he didn't care. He poured out his bitterness to Chen Lincuan, "Even if she was a Second Transition, it would be fine, but she is just a Herald who has just entered First Transition. What am I supposed to do? What can I do?"

"Young Master Qun, I am not one of your lackeys and I am not in the habit of being your straight man." Chen Lincuan walked to the cupboard, took out a Glass Wine Bottle, and poured blood-red wine into the Luminous Cup, "Speak plainly if you have something to say, and fart quickly if you have a fart."

As a Chen Family Elder and a Third Transition Herald, Chen Lincuan didn't need to care about Qun Yushu's emotions. The reason why Qun Yushu led the conversation at the banquet was because the two families had reached a tacit understanding to fight against the Jie Family and the Shang Family together. It wasn't that the Chen Family was an appendage of the Qun Family—among the Upper Three Ranks of the Seven Great Noble Classes, there was only cooperation, not subordination.

Qun Yushu wasn't annoyed either, and spread his hands, saying, "In the past, there have been people like Jiang Shi, such as the 'Demon Subduing Herald' two hundred years ago, a Fourth Transition Foundation Establishment cultivator who roamed the world. Later, he went to the Outer Domain, but he once had a relationship with the Qun Family. According to the family records, the Demon Subduing Herald would fully disguise himself every time he contacted the Qun Family. Not only did he have Tokens to prevent deduction, but the content of the transaction was limited to Token identification. No matter how much the Qun Family offered, he was unwilling to help explore the Secret Realm."

"The Demon Subduing Herald was impeccably defensive, so the Qun Family could only treat him with courtesy. This way, everyone was happy, and even if they couldn't form a relationship, they wouldn't become enemies."

"In addition to the Demon Subduing Herald, the Qun Family has been passed down for hundreds of years and has come into contact with many gifted geniuses. Some of them are like the Demon Subduing Herald, contacting Noble Class families only when they have the ability to protect themselves; others have nothing but talent and gladly accept the Qun Family's careful cultivation, becoming the family's pillar and non-surname Elders."

"So, is there anyone who is both talented and weak, and unwilling to accept the recruitment of noble families?"

"Yes, and many, many more." Qun Yushu shook the wine pot, drank the last drop, and rubbed his temples, saying, "Most of the demonic rogues who can still roam free are this type of person, self-important and proud, preferring death to submission."

"Preferring death to submission? I think it's more like playing hard to get." Chen Lincuan shook his head and said, "I could tell from her refusal to attend the banquet that she was deliberately creating difficulties to force us to lower our heads proactively. If even we show goodwill, the Jie Family and Shang Family will naturally feel a sense of crisis. They will definitely offer better terms to win over Jiang Shi."

"Now that I think about it carefully, this woman's every step is just right. First, she made a name for herself in the Wandering Star Forest. Even if she wasn't in the same team as the Jie Family and Shang Family, she would have contacted those two families first. By the time we got the news and came over, we would have to pass the Jie Family and Shang Family's test first, invisibly helping Jiang Shi supervise the Jie Family and Shang Family. Without lifting a finger, or even needing much gaming, she used our families' struggles to maximize her own interests. Seemingly reckless and ignorant, but in reality, she is skilled in scheming."

Watching Chen Lincuan 'praise' Jiang Shi so much, Qun Yushu shook his head repeatedly, and couldn't help but hold his stomach and laugh out loud when he heard the latter part.

"It seems that Young Master Qun has a different opinion." Chen Lincuan said coldly, "Could it be that you think beautiful women don't have bad intentions? Is it false that Jiang Nan widely spreads the story of you, Young Master Qun, being swindled out of 100,000 Spirit Jade by a courtesan?"

"No, no, I'm very fair. I beat both men and women the same, so how could I think women can't be bad?" Qun Yushu finally managed to stop laughing and said, "I also see that Jiang Shi is not a good person, but her badness is not as complicated as you think."

"Just now, she specifically asked if she would immediately receive five tokens upon becoming an offering, and only refused my invitation when she got a negative answer."

Chen Lincuan was slightly stunned, and this worldly middle-aged man revealed an incredulous expression: "Could it be that she wants to..."

"Right? I'm also seeing someone this wicked yet almost honest for the first time." Qun Yushu couldn't help but laugh out loud: "If she could get five... no, even one token, she would have agreed to become a Qun Family Offering without hesitation just now! Just like when I proposed the deal to appraise the jade pendant, she agreed directly in order to get the jade pendant! As long as she can get the tokens, she doesn't care about any consequences, and doesn't plan to fulfill any responsibilities!"

"So she's just a short-sighted, ignorant country bumpkin." Chen Lincuan's eyes were contemptuous: "There's no need to waste any more effort on her. She will definitely be taken in by the Jie Family and Shang Family for their own use. It's more practical to directly discuss with the Jie Family and Shang Family."

"I hope so. Talking to the Jie Family and Shang Family, my family's old fogies will be more cautious." Qun Yushu sighed, "I'm just afraid that Jiang Shi will refuse the Jie Family and Shang Family, arousing the greed of my uncles... I don't want to deal with her in a less than honorable way."

"If there really is such a good opportunity, there's no need for you to do it. My Chen Family is willing to do it for you." Chen Lincuan opened the carriage door, signaling to see him off: "I'm not afraid of offending an ignorant country bumpkin."

Qun Yushu shrugged, patted his butt and left, and swiped a bottle of Chen Lincuan's wine before leaving. He came outside and glanced in the direction of the Qian Family's carriage. Although it was very far away, he could still vaguely see a figure practicing swordsmanship.

"Short-sighted, huh..." Qun Yushu murmured.

Willing to sacrifice one's reputation for a few tokens, not caring about long-term interests, is indeed short-sighted.

But the problem is, when she knew she couldn't get the tokens immediately, she could unhesitatingly give up the position of Qun Family Offering, which could guarantee a lifetime of food and clothing. Rather than saying this is short-sighted, it's better to say she doesn't care.

She doesn't care about fine clothes and good food.

She doesn't care about status.

She doesn't care about breaking promises.

She doesn't care about life and death.

She doesn't care about the future.

The only thing she cares about is the sword in her hand.

For some reason, Qun Yushu felt a chill, and his heart was beating powerfully, as if he was standing on the edge of a cliff, feeling from the bottom of his heart that he was in danger.

'Please, Jie Family and Shang Family, be domineering.' He smiled bitterly in his heart: 'Please don't give us a chance...'