I Have Eight Magical Artifacts. What Are You Going to Use to Compete with Me?

Where else am I supposed to get Spirit Stones if I don't splash paint? Are you going to sell them to me?

Boss Wang sneered inwardly and gave Jiang Liu a long, thoughtful look. "You're absolutely right, young Brother Jiang. I'll remember that. Let's put this behind us, shall we? Now, let's eat."

Jiang Liu gave a simple-minded grin. He didn't know whether the other man had taken his words to heart, but either way, the matter was over.

He was only sitting here eating with Boss Wang because Li Dongze had invited him. Without Li Dongze, Boss Wang wouldn't even know who he was. And there might have been even more trouble down the line.

He had the confidence not to fear the other man, but since Boss Wang had said they'd settled things, there was no need to keep pressing him and cause Li Dongze trouble.

After all, Li Dongze was only a friend. If he wanted to stand tall, he had to be strong on his own.

He believed in how quickly he was growing. If there really was a next time, he'd go to the feast alone. Only then would he have the nerve to flip the table.

Well, so be it.

With the little conflict settled, the atmosphere at the table turned rather quiet. Jiang Liu and Li Dongze had nothing much to talk about with Boss Wang, so they kept their heads down and ate. Once they were full and had wiped their mouths, they patted their backsides and got ready to leave.

"Thanks for the hospitality, Fellow Daoist Wang. We still have to get back to school for class, so we won't stay any longer."

Jiang Liu casually cupped his hands. After speaking, he started to pull Li Dongze along.

"Wait."

Boss Wang stopped Jiang Liu and smiled. "Young Brother Jiang, would you be interested in joining my sect? I'd offer you the highest salary. You could do nothing all month and still collect 100 Spirit Stones. How does that sound?"

Who did he think he was looking down on with 100 Spirit Stones?

Anyone who'd played games knew the sect leader got the biggest returns. If you wanted more cultivation resources than everyone else, you had to be the sect leader yourself.

"Sorry, I'm not interested."

Jiang Liu refused without hesitation. "I'm going to establish my own sect."

Establish his own sect?

This kid was pretty damn full of himself!

Boss Wang narrowed his eyes slightly and offered some well-meaning advice. "Young Brother, establishing a sect isn't that easy. The startup fee alone is 500 Spirit Stones, and you'll have to keep investing in construction afterward. It's not something just anyone can afford to play around with."

"How about this? Come join Big Brother's sect, and I'll make you the second elder. How does that sound?"

A cultivator who was on good terms with the young master of Dize Group and could produce one mid-grade magical artifact and one high-grade magical artifact at this stage deserved the position of second elder in his sect. He thought highly of Jiang Liu.

"I've made up my mind. That's that, Fellow Daoist Wang. We'll talk another time."

Leaving those words behind, Jiang Liu pulled Li Dongze toward the private room's exit.

But as soon as a cough sounded, several men in suits shifted into position, blocking their way like a wall.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, what do you mean by this?"

Jiang Liu's heart tightened. He turned back and frowned.

Li Dongze was just as stunned. Everything had been fine during the meal, but now that it was over, Boss Wang was turning on them?

Was he trying to trap them in here?

"Fuck!"

Shocked and furious, Li Dongze was also a little scared. He pulled out his phone to make a call. "Wang Hui, what are you doing? I'm calling my dad!"

"Wait, wait! It's a misunderstanding!"

Boss Wang hurried to stop him. "Nephew, there's no need to tell Brother Li about something this trivial. I just want to have another chat with Young Brother Jiang."

"Call me Young Master!"

"Call me Fellow Daoist!"

Call you my ass!

Boss Wang cursed inwardly, then stood and walked around the dining table. "Young Brother Jiang, I showed the chairman of Dize Group some respect and hosted this banquet to settle yesterday's conflict."

"But it seems you don't want to show me any respect. I went to all the trouble of hosting a banquet, and you pull out magical artifacts and refuse my offer. You're making me lose face."

Jiang Liu: "..."

He understood now. Boss Wang had said the matter was settled before the meal because he wanted to recruit him.

But since Jiang Liu had turned down the offer, the matter wasn't settled after all. Was that what he meant?

This old bastard!

"Boss Wang, what do you want?"

Jiang Liu asked in return.

"It wasn't a big deal to begin with, but somehow it even reached Brother Li. This whole thing has put me in a difficult position, too."

As he spoke, Boss Wang rolled his neck, clasped his hands, and bowed to Jiang Liu. "We're all cultivators. We have to keep up with the times. Since the Arena isn't open yet, why don't we have a little match here in the real world?"

"Don't worry, Young Brother Jiang. We'll keep it friendly."

He'd planned this from the start. Whether Jiang Liu accepted his offer or not, he intended to teach him a lesson.

It was a tiny matter, yet it had somehow led the chairman of Dize Group to call him. He'd even wondered if his attempt to force a sale had ended in someone's death. But when he looked into it afterward, he found out that the hellish truth was that some poor student knew the young master of Dize Group.

Damn it! He was the owner of a bathhouse chain spanning three provinces. Was he really going to let two kids make him lose face?

He couldn't afford to offend Dize Group, but that didn't mean he had to swallow his anger. He couldn't use dirty tricks, but there was nothing wrong with giving the kid a beating fair and square, right?

Didn't Jiang Liu carry magical artifacts and call everyone "Fellow Daoist" at every turn?

If cultivating had made him lose his mind, then he could take a beating.

As Boss Wang thought this, the aura of a fifth-layer Qi cultivator burst from him, pressing down on Jiang Liu like an invisible mountain.

"Fifth-layer Qi cultivation?!"

The aura left Li Dongze gasping for breath. His expression changed dramatically, and the hand holding his phone trembled. He cursed, "Wang Hui, you're decades old, and you're picking a fight with a high schooler? Have you no shame?!"

"I'm calling my dad right now!"

Boss Wang shot Li Dongze a sidelong glance and replied evenly, "Nephew, I'm showing your dad some respect. Can you stop making a scene in front of me?"

"You! Fine!"

Li Dongze trembled with anger. No one had ever dared to speak to him like that. He opened his contacts and prepared to call his father.

But before he could dial, a hand pressed his phone down.

"There's no need to bother Uncle Li over something this trivial."

Jiang Liu stopped Li Dongze from calling for backup and smiled at Boss Wang, his grin radiant. "Fellow Daoist Wang, you want to take me on?"

He really was amused. He'd been wondering what the hell was going on, and it turned out the man only wanted a one-on-one fight.

He'd just been pummeled by the senior brother who'd gone from 1 to 10, and then the paper person's one-shot kill had dealt him another blow. He'd been feeling pretty down, and now someone had come right to his door to offer himself up?

Perfect. Time to rebuild his confidence!

"Come on, this is my first fight since I started cultivating. Let's have a good exchange."

Boss Wang pushed the dining table aside and shifted his stance. A large magical blade appeared in his hand.

"A magical blade. You don't have a handgun—no problem. But you don't have a submachine gun or a Gatling gun or anything, right?"

Jiang Liu asked Boss Wang.

"No. Why?"

Boss Wang looked confused.

"Good."

Jiang Liu nodded, entered the Cultivation Era, opened the Character Panel, and clicked [Synchronization].

In an instant,

the spiritual energy throughout the private room trembled, and the aura of an eighth-layer Qi cultivator reigned supreme for several meters in every direction!

Jiang Liu's aura changed abruptly. He wore the Flowing Fish Garment, with the Elf Magic Robe layered beneath it. He held the Sunrise Sword, had the Soaring Cloud Wings on his back, and wore the Stone Spirit Crown on his head, along with the Spirit Rhinoceros Pendant, Spirit Communication Jade, and Body Restraint Ring.

"I'm at the eighth layer of Qi cultivation, and I have eight magical artifacts. What are you going to use to compete with me?!"

Jiang Liu was in high spirits, his voice booming as if he were letting out all the frustration he'd built up in the Cultivation Era.

Come on, if I can't beat the plot, does that mean I can't beat you?