Hearing this, Tang Yuehua felt a surge of immense pride. Founding Moonlight Pavilion and admitting one hundred noble students each year was the greatest glory of her life.
Moonlight Pavilion accepted only one hundred noble students annually. For those hundred spots, nobles across the Heaven Dou Empire practically fought until their heads bled.
Because of her Moonlight Pavilion, the nobles of the Heaven Dou Empire had begun to divide into ranks. Graduating successfully from Moonlight Pavilion was equivalent to being gilded; only graduates who walked out of this place could be called true nobles.
True noble marriages did not care who your parents were. There were countless lovers and illegitimate children among nobles, so parents proved nothing. What mattered was whether you had a Moonlight Pavilion graduation certificate.
Forty percent of the Clear Sky Sect's annual Gold Soul Coin income was earned through the Moonlight Pavilion she had founded. The influence she wielded alone was no less than that of all Four Single-Attribute Clans combined!
That was what Tang Yuehua believed. Although the Four Single-Attribute Clans held considerable influence, her connections throughout the Heaven Dou Empire's noble circles reached everywhere. By befriending nobles and gathering the power of those nobles, her influence would not be any weaker.
As for Salas saying that, without the Clear Sky Sect behind her, Tang Yuehua would have long become the top courtesan of some brothel, Tang Yuehua did not take in a single word. Why should she believe Spirit Hall's filthy slander?
"Moonlight Pavilion—I will arrange a plot of land for you within Spirit Hall so you can continue operating it. Each year, recruit two hundred nobles from both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire. Ninety-nine point nine percent of Moonlight Pavilion's income will be handed over to Spirit Hall."
Making money was nothing shameful. By herself, Tang Yuehua had supported several hundred members of the Clear Sky Sect, as well as an unknown number of soul beasts hidden in the mountains. In terms of individual money-making ability, there was probably truly no one stronger than her on the entire continent.
Having Tang Yuehua recruit one hundred nobles each year from both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire would also let them know that Spirit Hall had no intention of unifying the continent.
What was the point of unifying the continent? It was inherently a vain and shortsighted undertaking. Beyond Douluo Continent lay the God Realm. No matter how imposing or supreme you were on Douluo Continent, to a Deity, there was no need to personally act. They only needed to casually bestow someone with a God-Bestowed Martial Soul, and within a few decades, that person and the power behind them could be reduced to ashes.
One day in the God Realm equaled one year in the lower realm. That meant a god only needed to move a finger for a few dozen days to destroy the strongest power in the lower realm.
For instance, the Angel God had passed down the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, allowing Spirit Hall to endure for tens of thousands of years and remain the continent's number one power.
Spirit Hall had possessed a level 99 Limit Douluo in every generation. If Spirit Hall wished, it had always possessed the ability to unify the continent through force over the past tens of thousands of years. It was merely a matter of whether it wanted to.
To Qian Daoliu, unifying the continent was as easy as pie.
One decapitation operation would throw the imperial family into turmoil. Various powers would compete for the throne, the empire would be tossed by wind and rain, and the factions would fight one another to the death, bloodying their heads. Just as victory was about to be decided, Spirit Hall could forcefully enter the fray, much like the Star Crown Family in Douluo 2 seizing the Star Luo Empire's throne and changing the empire's ruling house.
Unifying the continent was truly as easy as pie. Undercover schemes and Civet Cat for Crown Prince were utterly brain-dead—only a lunatic like Bibi Dong could come up with such things.
What Spirit Hall truly needed was to establish itself firmly in the God Realm. To gain a foothold in the God Realm required strength, and the Angel God's strength was tied to the power of faith. Building faith was the foremost priority.
Unifying the continent and building faith were practically matters in opposite directions. As the saying went, without demon gods, misfortune, or disasters in this world, why would people burn incense and pray?
"Not a chance!"
Tang Yuehua shouted angrily. Running Moonlight Pavilion to make money for Spirit Hall was the same as working to make money for Spirit Hall. She was not insane.
Qian Daoliu's expression remained calm. "Fine. Spirit Hall does not keep useless people, and we are not lacking one maid. For the sake of my friendship with Tang Chen, since Ji'er is not yet married, I will give you to Ji'er and see whether you can produce a child with Twin Martial Souls: the Angel Martial Soul and the Clear Sky Hammer."
Although the Tang family's people were inherently Evil and their bloodline inherently filthy, Qian Daoliu was indeed rather curious. Tang Yuehua's Clear Sky Hammer came with an innate domain, which meant that, like Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul, hers was a beneficial mutation. It was merely because of a Martial Soul defect and a lack of nourishment from great tonics such as Immortal Grade Herbs that she had become stuck at a certain level and could not break through.
The evolved form of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was the Radiant Sacred Dragon. What was the evolved form of the Clear Sky Hammer?
The tea in Tang Yuehua's hand fell to the ground. She stared fixedly at Qian Daoliu, looking every bit the chaste and unyielding woman as she screamed, "Qian Daoliu, don't even think about it! If you dare do that, I will kill myself at once!"
"Then go ahead. Those Tang family brats hid in that mountain range while leaving only you outside. They must have had you purchasing supplies. I will not break my promise to Tang Chen. Since they hid in that mountain range, no one from Spirit Hall will attack them. But whatever the reason, if any of them dare come out, Spirit Hall will show no mercy."
"I will give you three choices. Either you run Moonlight Pavilion for me and work properly for Spirit Hall. Those Clear Sky Sect disciples who came to Spirit Hall because of you and had no choice but to come out to purchase supplies—I will regard them as your personnel. When they buy supplies, I will turn a blind eye."
"Or you marry little Ji'er. Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect will become relatives, and when Clear Sky Sect disciples come out to purchase supplies, Spirit Hall will be doing its relatives a favor."
"Or you can go die. If the Clear Sky Sect dares step out of that mountain range, then for every disciple who comes out to purchase supplies, Spirit Hall will kill one."
Qian Daoliu's tone remained exceedingly calm throughout. At first glance, he had given Tang Yuehua three choices, but while she remained unaware that the Clear Sky Sect had been destroyed, she truly had only one.
Tang Yuehua choked back a sob. She loved the sect deeply, and she could not abandon the task her father had entrusted to her for the sake of her own selfish desires.
She loved Brother Hao deeply. Although she and Brother Hao were siblings and could not be together, she had already decided to remain unmarried for Brother Hao for the rest of her life, preserving her chastity. If Qian Xunji defiled her, she would be letting Brother Hao down, and she would also be letting herself down. Living would be no different from dying.
If Spirit Hall obtained the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul, then even dying ten thousand times would not absolve her.
She had no choice. She could only choose to run Moonlight Pavilion and make money for Spirit Hall.
Tang Yuehua prayed silently, Grandfather, come back quickly. Brother Hao, hurry and cultivate to become a level 99 Title Douluo, then come to Spirit Hall and take your little sister away.
She believed that once her grandfather returned as a god king, and Tang Hao reached level 99 as a Limit Douluo, they would surely be able to destroy Spirit Hall. By then, however much Spirit Hall had squeezed from her, it would have to spit it all back out and return it to the Clear Sky Sect.
Tang Yuehua lowered her head. "I am willing to run Moonlight Pavilion. Ninety-nine point nine percent of Moonlight Pavilion's profits will be handed over to Spirit Hall."
"Very good."
Qian Daoliu withdrew his feet from the bucket, used Soul Power to evaporate the water from them, and said, "Pour out the water, and clean up the floor as well."
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