Let the Bullets Fly a While Longer

Before long, an old servant poked his head through the crack in the door. Raising his lantern and recognizing Qian Mochen's face, he cried out excitedly, "Your Highness!" and was about to kneel in salute.

"Uncle Xie, didn't we agree last time that you wouldn't kneel anymore?"

Qian Mochen swiftly caught and supported Uncle Xie.

"Is your master home today?"

"Yes, yes! Master is reading in the study. I'll take Your Highness there right away!"

Uncle Xie nodded repeatedly and hurriedly led Qian Mochen toward the study.

With a creak, the study door was pushed open from outside.

Tian Jin frowned as he looked over, displeasure in his eyes. He had told his family not to disturb him while he was reading. Why could they never listen?

Once Tian Jin saw who had arrived, surprise flashed across his face. He hurriedly rose and ran over to greet him.

"Your Highness, why have you come?"

"Tian Jin, there's no need to be so formal."

Qian Mochen casually pulled over a chair and sat down, gesturing for Tian Jin to do the same.

"How many people have sought you out these past two days?"

Tian Jin immediately rattled off a string of names as though reciting dishes from a menu.

"Your Highness, at present, there are the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Elephant Armor Sect..."

"Six factions in total. But tonight, only the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect sent word that the transaction should continue. The others have remained silent for now."

"No matter."

Qian Mochen took out two sets of cultivation manuals from his ring. "Since the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wants one, give it to them according to the value of our merit points."

"The other one is for your Tian Family. You and your children may all learn it."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Tian Jin carefully accepted the manuals. Looking at the manuals capable of changing his Tian Family's fate, his eyes reddened uncontrollably, and he dropped to both knees.

"The Tian Family can never repay Your Highness's kindness to us, not even through generations!"

"Please accept the Tian Family as your servants! We are willing to serve Your Highness and your descendants for generation after generation!"

"Ah, there's no need for that."

Qian Mochen forcefully pulled Tian Jin to his feet. "Handle your dealings with the other factions well, and keep playing the role of a greedy man."

"If you complete your task well, I can invite a Titled Douluo to take your son as a disciple."

"Tian Jin understands!"

Upon hearing this, Tian Jin's lips trembled. Gritting his teeth, he said in a deep voice, "Rest assured, Your Highness. Even if I have to give up these two hundred pounds of flesh, I will get Your Highness's affairs done properly!"

Qian Mochen patted Tian Jin on the shoulder and spoke with him at length, also telling him about the kind of talent he needed—people capable of refining and improving cultivation methods.

The instant Tian Jin heard that, his eyes lit up.

His Highness had shown him a road straight to the heavens.

Starting tomorrow, he would have his clansmen begin researching and searching for suitable talent.

By the time Qian Mochen left the Tian Family, the night had long since deepened.

After returning to his room, he did not sleep. Instead, beneath the candlelight, he carefully sorted through his upcoming plans.

Tian Jin was a hidden piece he had planted more than ten years ago.

After breaking free of the confusion of his fetal memories and learning that he had transmigrated to Douluo Continent, Qian Mochen had deliberately nurtured Tian Jin. He had also continuously raised Tian Jin's standing by borrowing his elder brother's authority.

Moreover, he had fashioned Tian Jin's persona as someone greedy for money—so long as there was money to be made, everything was negotiable. Over the years, Tian Jin had earned the treatment of an honored guest among the other factions.

Next month, once the various sects received the cultivation methods, this harvest of upper-class leeks would be more or less complete. After that, the wider rollout could begin.

Qian Mochen drew a circle around ordinary soul masters.

Spirit Hall had raised them for hundreds of years. The leeks had grown lush enough; it was time to harvest them. If he waited too long, they would grow old and lose their value.

A plan emerged in Qian Mochen's mind. Inspiration soon struck, and his brush swept across the paper.

One month later, disciples from several sects arrived at Spirit Hall in groups of two and three. Following Qian Mochen's instructions, several Soul Emperors taught them earnestly and even passed on a few tricks for using the cultivation methods. Every disciple left satisfied.

In the second month, Spirit City announced a benefit for soul masters who had joined Spirit Hall for five years or more. The moment the news came out, soul masters throughout Spirit Hall were exhilarated.

The specific benefit was that any soul master meeting the service requirement could freely choose one simplified cultivation method to learn.

Of course, the soul skills could only be used personally and could not be passed on to outsiders. That restriction remained unchanged.

Still, that news alone was enough to excite thousands of soul masters. On the fifth day after the announcement, even the soul masters stationed at branch halls in the Far North received cultivation methods from Spirit City.

After everyone received a cultivation method they liked, they eagerly began practicing.

In just a few days, the combat strength of Spirit Hall soul masters rose by a full ten percent among those of the same realm!

Such a frightening development naturally drew the attention of the major factions.

With a little inquiry, everyone learned why Spirit Hall's soul masters had grown stronger.

When Ning Fengzhi learned that Spirit Hall had given every soul master a cultivation method for free, he was furious, but he immediately arranged for someone to investigate.

News soon came back. The cultivation methods Spirit Hall had distributed this time were far weaker than the ones they had bought with real gold and silver.

The cultivation methods in their hands could raise the combat strength of soul masters in the same realm by thirty percent. The ones Spirit Hall soul masters received could only raise it by ten percent.

This showed that Qian Xunji still honored his agreements.

Moreover, Spirit Hall seemed to understand the feelings of their factions and had specially sent someone to deliver a message.

The meaning was that this benefit for internal members would only happen once, so they should not get any ideas. To learn the complete cultivation methods, one would still need an enormous amount of contribution.

Whether Ning Fengzhi and the others believed that or not, Qian Xunji did not know. In any case, the messenger who had gone to deliver the message returned in one piece.

The major factions remained silent, while Spirit Hall's soul masters began walking with their backs straight. Whenever battle came, Spirit Hall's soul masters could generally overpower their enemies, winning more often than they lost.

Some ordinary soul masters unaffiliated with the major factions soon noticed something was off. How was it that after not seeing one another for just a month or two, your cultivation had not improved much, yet you had become so much fiercer in battle?

With a little inquiry, they learned that Spirit Hall had come up with several new cultivation methods.

Many people immediately suppressed their thoughts, but some self-proclaimed geniuses were unwilling to accept it and promptly began making noise.

For fairness, they wanted to learn the new cultivation methods too!

Spirit Hall could not ignore the demands of a million soul masters!

One grand accusation after another was hurled at Spirit Hall. Some soul masters did not dare stick their own heads out, but when someone took the lead in charging ahead, they dared to beat drums and gongs from the sidelines.

For a time, all of Douluo Continent was filled with discussion about Spirit Hall's discriminatory treatment.

The major factions all watched from the sidelines, enjoying Spirit Hall's predicament. With the negative emotions of so many soul masters, they wanted to see how Spirit Hall would resolve this mess!

Satisfying the appetites of a million soul masters would not be easy.

When Qian Mochen heard the voices below, he merely smiled.

"Don't rush. Let the bullets fly a while longer."