110,000 Gold Coins

Lord Si An said, "To obtain the title of Honorary Marquis, one must perform a great service! If you carefully read through the Exchange Codex, you will find this clause: a title of Honorary Marquis... requires twenty thousand Merit Points to exchange for!"

"Is that the only way?" Dongbo Xueying had, of course, already read through it.

But twenty thousand Merit Points was far too distant a goal.

The missions he could currently accept were all Black Iron-level, with Merit Points ranging from ten to one hundred! Even a mission worth one hundred Merit Points carried life-threatening risks and consumed a great deal of time.

For a mission worth one hundred Merit Points, it would take a full two hundred missions to accumulate 'twenty thousand Merit Points'!

Even if one mission took two months... and he never rested, he could only complete six per year, meaning it would take over thirty years to have any hope of accumulating that amount! Furthermore, the list of Black Iron-level missions sent by Dragon Mountain Tower was only so thick; where would he find so many Black Iron-level missions that were exactly one hundred Merit Points?

"Is there no other way?" Dongbo Xueying asked urgently.

"No." Lord Si An shook his head. "There are no shortcuts to becoming an Honorary Marquis; one must rely on great service. Even for Title-level powerhouses, it takes many life-and-death adventures to accumulate so many points! That is why an Honorary Marquis is so respected, because behind him stands a Title-level powerhouse who has risked their life for him many times."

"Haa."

Dongbo Xueying closed his eyes.

Father...

Father... what on earth should I do?

He truly wanted to charge straight into the Moyang Clan to rescue his father, but the Moyang Clan was an ancient family with a heritage spanning over a thousand years, filled with countless experts. Moyang Chenbai alone could exert Title-level combat power with the help of his Alchemy Armor! Not to mention their other formidable forces, and that Pseudo-Transcendence! Although it was only a Pseudo-Transcendence, it would likely be able to kill him in a single strike.

"To obtain twenty thousand Merit Points, going on missions now is the most foolish thing to do. I have only recently awakened my Primordial Bloodline, and my body is constantly growing stronger under the nourishment of my Battle Qi! My Battle Qi is also progressing extremely fast; my strength is increasing by a significant margin every day," Dongbo Xueying thought to himself. "Under normal circumstances, my strength is already comparable to the Meteor Rank. It won't be long before I can rival the Silver Moon Rank, or even the Title-level!"

"When that time comes, I will obtain the Bronze Token! I can then directly accept Bronze-level missions, which offer at least one thousand Merit Points, and some dangerous ones offer ten thousand. Completing just two would be enough," Dongbo Xueying mused.

Sharpening the axe does not delay the work of chopping wood; once his own strength improved, the efficiency of completing missions would be much higher!

He understood that this was the fastest way to accumulate twenty thousand Merit Points.

But...

What about Father?

Could Father hold on until the day he accumulated twenty thousand Merit Points?

The atmosphere in the living room was stifling.

Fragments of the armrest were scattered on the floor as Dongbo Xueying sat in his chair, silent. Beside him, Lord Si An could only drink his tea in silence.

"I cannot rescue my father," Dongbo Xueying said, his voice somewhat hoarse. "But I must ensure his survival. Is there a way?"

"Although Moyang Chenbai sends people to torture him, he also has the mages at the Alchemy Workshop use spells to heal him time and time again. He likely does not intend for your father to die," Lord Si An said.

"Likely does not?"

Dongbo Xueying gritted his teeth. "My father's life cannot be left under the control of Moyang Chenbai! Besides, my father has been performing hard labor for several years now. Moyang Chenbai might lose interest in torturing him at any moment, and at that point, my father could very well lose his life."

"I must preserve my father's life." Dongbo Xueying looked at Lord Si An. "If I have enough gold coins, even a Transcendence can be hired! I believe in the power of gold coins."

Money possessed a magic that could move countless people.

"Lord Si An, how many gold coins would it take to keep my father alive!" Dongbo Xueying asked. If he could throw out ten million gold coins in one go, perhaps even a Transcendence would help save and protect someone with a smile, but clearly, the amount of gold required to move a Transcendence... was not something Dongbo Xueying could afford.

"Gold coins?" Lord Si An pondered for a moment. "If you have enough gold coins, Lord, I have an idea that might work."

"Please, speak." Dongbo Xueying urged.

"When I was investigating intelligence about your parents, I learned that the Dongxiang Lake Alchemy Workshop where your father is held is a core facility of vital importance to the Moyang Clan. The person in charge is an extremely formidable Alchemy Master! His strength as a mage is at the Silver Moon Rank, and he is even more proficient in alchemy. Within the Moyang Clan, his status is even higher than that of Mo Yangchen and Moyang Chenbai," Lord Si An said.

Dongbo Xueying's eyes lit up. A powerful Alchemy Master... every ancient family would hold such a person in high regard.

"He controls the entire Alchemy Workshop! At the workshop, this Alchemy Master's word is law," Lord Si An said. "If he is willing to save your father, he could easily ensure your father's survival, and perhaps even stop the torture."

"Please ask for his help." Dongbo Xueying said immediately.

"This Alchemy Master has very high standards; if the gold is insufficient, he likely won't even look twice," Lord Si An said. "I believe offering one hundred thousand gold coins should provide a certain degree of certainty. If you can produce one hundred and ten thousand gold coins... I will handle this matter for you. Of the one hundred and ten thousand, ten thousand are a commission for the Dragon Mountain Tower personnel who will facilitate this, and one hundred thousand are to bribe the Alchemy Master."

"If it fails, the one hundred thousand gold coins will be returned! The commission fee will not," Lord Si An added.

The intelligence network of Dragon Mountain Tower spanned the entire world.

Furthermore, the establishment of Dragon Mountain Tower, aside from monitoring the world, was also intended to serve the world's powerhouses. Such minor, somewhat shady affairs were not considered a violation of their rules.

"One hundred and ten thousand gold coins? Very well."

Dongbo Xueying flipped his hand, and a thick stack of gold notes appeared in his palm. "Gold notes from the Empire Bank, exactly one hundred and ten thousand!"

Lord Si An was startled.

Good heavens!

One hundred and ten thousand gold coins.

He had actually produced them just like that. One had to know that when Bai Yuanzhi had previously demanded a 'fifty thousand gold coin' apprenticeship fee to take on a personal disciple—a role that required him to be responsible for the disciple for a lifetime—Dongbo Xueying had only presented a Silver Moon Heart, not fifty thousand gold coins! Because obtaining such a vast sum of gold was truly, incredibly difficult.

It might seem like he had earned money quickly by killing the Silver Moon Wolf King and the Shadow Leopard this time.

But even a Title Knight would not be willing to chase such quick money... because one might encounter a Magic Beast that exceeded their strength, and that would mean losing one's life! In fact, the time he encountered the Shadow Leopard, Dongbo Xueying had nearly lost his life.

To obtain so much gold, adventurers usually had to venture into dangerous places to try their luck, or risk their lives in the Destruction Mountain Range.

Without risking one's life, it was simply too difficult to obtain such a sum.

The 110,000 gold coins Dongbo Xueying produced... over 70,000 of which came from selling the fur and other vital materials of the Silver Moon Wolf King, with the rest being the gold he had kept on his person after wiping out the Curved Blade Alliance! Dongbo Xueying had only possessed a total of 120,000 gold coins, and he had brought out a full 110,000 this time.

"Rest assured, I will have news for you within a month. Do not worry, this matter is as good as done. These mages and Alchemy Masters... they all value money highly. The materials consumed in their experiments are vast, so securing a worker within the workshop for 100,000 gold coins is well within my grasp," Lord Si An said.

Dongbo Xueying nodded.

If it didn't succeed, he would simply add more money!

The news of him killing the Silver Moon Wolf King had spread far and wide, which was why merchants had proactively come to purchase the wolf king's fur and other materials. However, although the Shadow Leopard's corpse had been completely dissected and processed, it had yet to be sold!

"I have troubled you, Lord Si An," Dongbo Xueying said. "If this matter succeeds, I, Dongbo Xueying, will not forget this favor from you."

"Haha, rest easy." Upon hearing Dongbo Xueying say this, Lord Si An immediately smiled. If he handled this well, Dongbo Xueying would certainly remember this favor. Dongbo Xueying's favor might not mean much now, but if he were to become a Title-level powerhouse in the future, it would be a different story entirely.

The Dragon Mountain Tower possessed a dense network of internal connections. Lord Si An quickly contacted the person in charge of the Dragon Mountain Tower in Duoyu Prefecture, East Region Province, and handed the matter over to them.

Although the Moyang Clan held absolute power in Duoyu Prefecture, the Dragon Mountain Tower remained independent!

The Dragon Mountain Tower was not something an ordinary clan could influence. For instance, Lord Si An of the Yi Water City Dragon Mountain Tower could openly call the Si Family ancestor, Si Lianghong, an "old hag" precisely because he did not fear the Si Family's threats, coupled with his own personal grievances against them.

Of course, against the most elite clans, such as the Changfeng Clan—the number one clan of Anyang Province—the local Dragon Mountain Tower might have to bow its head.

But the Si Family and the Moyang Clan did not possess such strength.

******

East Region Province, Duoyu Prefecture, Dongxiang Lake Alchemy Workshop.

Dongxiang Lake was a beautiful lake, its surface like a mirror. Beside the lake stood a massive, enclosed alchemy workshop that resembled a fortress, with a towering Mage Tower at its center! This was the Mage Tower of the Alchemy Master, Xu Guangqing. Although this Master Xu Guangqing was only a Silver Moon Rank mage, in the field of alchemy, he was ranked first in all of Duoyu Prefecture!

Other, more powerful clans had invited such an Alchemy Master, but the Moyang Clan had successfully poached Xu Guangqing. Xu Guangqing even held the status of an "external elder," allowing him to be listed among the clan's council of elders.

The reason Xu Guangqing was willing to join the Moyang Clan was because his hometown was in Duoyu Prefecture; otherwise, he might not have joined them at all.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~~" Beside the scorching gears, a middle-aged man with a bare, sweat-drenched torso was pushing with all his might. This was Dongbo Lie, and there were many other workers laboring nearby.

"Faster."

"You are a Heaven-Rank Knight, use more strength." The overseer nearby would occasionally cast his gaze toward Dongbo Lie, and from time to time, a whip would lash out.

Dongbo Lie was thinner than he had been in the past.

He remained silent, continuing his work.

Endless, back-breaking labor day and night, punctuated by occasional torture and various punishments—this life had no end in sight; it was a living nightmare. Yet, Dongbo Lie gritted his teeth and endured, for he had not lost hope. He still harbored a longing: his wife, his two sons... he had too many attachments. He had to stay alive.

Even if he had to live like a dog, he had to survive!

"Master."

"Master."

Suddenly, the overseers nearby all shuddered and called out respectfully, while some of the workers jumped in fright.

A black-haired old man wearing red robes walked in slowly. Everyone stood respectfully, not daring to even breathe. The man before them was a clan elder and the absolute master of the entire alchemy workshop—Master Xu Guangqing!

"I have some experiments to conduct recently and need some people to assist," Master Xu Guangqing said casually. "As long as you accept my experiments, you won't have to do this labor, and you will receive even higher wages."

Everyone held their breath.

An Alchemy Master's experiment?

The overseers' faces turned pale; who would be foolish enough to volunteer?

"Which of the prisoners are here?" Master Xu Guangqing frowned when he saw no one volunteering. Some of the workers were clan employees and still had a degree of freedom, but prisoners could be treated however he pleased.

"Reporting to Master, there are over two thousand prisoners here," the head overseer immediately said.

"Give me the list of all prisoners, and make sure their strength is clearly noted. I will pick some for my experiments," Master Xu Guangqing commanded.

"Yes."

The head overseer immediately complied respectfully.

That very day, twelve unlucky prisoners were selected to undergo the master's experiments, including two Heaven-Rank Knight prisoners, five Earth-Rank Knight prisoners, and five ordinary knight prisoners! Under the sympathetic gazes of those around them, the prisoners went to meet the Alchemy Master, some terrified, some despairing, and some numb.

"You, Dongbo Lie? Stay behind," Master Xu Guangqing ordered.

The other prisoners left, and Dongbo Lie stood there, somewhat nervous in his tattered clothes.

Master Xu Guangqing looked down at his records and said casually, "Dongbo Lie, someone spent 100,000 gold coins to save your life. From today on, you will stay here and be my assistant. You won't need to do the delicate work; my apprentices lack the strength for the heavy lifting, so you will do that."

"An assistant?" Dongbo Lie was stunned.

"Just settle in here; no one dares to intrude upon my Mage Tower," Xu Guangqing commanded. "Very well, from now on, just stay obediently in the Mage Tower and don't go out. My disciples will arrange your specific tasks. You may go."

"Yes, Master." Dongbo Lie felt dazed and unable to believe it.

Had his nightmarish, hellish life just ended like this?

Being an experimental assistant was far easier than the grueling labor of the workshop.

"Is there an issue with the metal ratio?" Master Xu Guangqing frowned, looking at the records and pondering carefully. To him, this was merely a trivial matter, and he was quite pleased to have earned 100,000 gold coins. Of course... he could not take the money and not deliver, because the money had come from the Dragon Mountain Tower! If one took money from the Dragon Mountain Tower, one had to handle the matter well.

As for Moyang Chenbai?

A clan knight who relied on Alchemy Armor, Master Xu Guangqing did not care for him at all. A master like himself, capable of continuously refining many treasures, was the true foundation the clan relied upon.

"It seems I need to experiment further. Hmm, the materials are running low. Hmph, those elders in the clan are always suppressing my supply of materials," Master Xu Guangqing frowned.

******