Zhang Qingxuan: "We'll Give Sixty Percent!"

"They really made their move."

Li Yuntian set down the list. His voice was calm, but a layer of frost had formed in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Brother Tian." Yang Wanqing's voice trembled slightly. She lowered her gaze, not daring to look into her husband's eyes.

"If it weren't because of me... if I didn't carry the blood of the Breaking Clan, perhaps they wouldn't have..."

"What nonsense are you saying?" Li Yuntian cut her off and pulled her into his arms.

His broad, warm hand gently patted her back.

"Wanqing, from the day you married me, you became the mistress of the Li Family, my, Li Yuntian's, wife. Your bloodline was never your fault, much less a burden on the Li Family."

He gently rested his chin atop her head, his voice steady and firm. "If they truly dared to attack us openly, then with their foundation, we would indeed find it difficult to contend with them."

"But instead, they resorted to such despicable tactics—smashing shops, burning warehouses, harassing civilian merchants. What does that tell us?"

Yang Wanqing raised her head, tears shimmering in her eyes.

"It tells us they don't dare tear off the mask, at least not yet." A cold curve tugged at Li Yuntian's lips.

"The Heaven Dou Imperial Family is still watching from the sidelines, while Star Luo's stance remains ambiguous. If they truly launch a large-scale assault on the Li Family, they'll be giving other factions an excuse to intervene."

"That's why they can only use such disgusting methods, hoping to throw us into disarray or force us to seek their protection."

He released his wife, rose to his feet, and walked to the window.

Outside lay the Li Family courtyard. Several late-blooming magnolias gave off a faint fragrance in the night, but beneath that tranquility lurked countless watchful eyes and countless blades hidden in the dark.

"Still, though these methods are beneath contempt, they're truly troublesome." With his back to his wife, Li Yuntian's voice sank.

"Those guards sent by Heaven Dou have Soul Power no higher than Soul King. They can handle thugs and hooligans, but against the Soul Masters under the Clear Sky Sect... they'd only be throwing their lives away. As for our own guards, barely more than a hundred can fight. They're scattered everywhere, and there's no way to guard against every threat."

He turned around. Candlelight flickered in his eyes, carrying the savage gleam of a man driven to the brink.

"If this continues, we won't just lose money. People's hearts will scatter, the smaller families attached to the Li Family will waver, and those factions still watching will see us as weak and easy to bully."

"It's like a patch of dog skin plaster you can't shake off. It won't kill you, but it slowly drains your strength and wears away your fighting spirit."

Yang Wanqing walked to his side and gently took his hand. Her hand was cold, but her grip was firm.

"Brother Tian, whatever you decide, I'll face it with you."

Li Yuntian clasped her hand in return. Just as he was about to speak, hurried footsteps came from outside the study.

Xiao Bai had returned. This time, there was a trace of barely concealed astonishment in her voice.

"Master, Madam, the Pope of Spirit Hall has personally arrived outside the residence. He said... he has brought a small gift and has come to pay a visit."

Yang Wanqing froze slightly, confusion flashing through her eyes. At such a sensitive time, was the Pope of Spirit Hall's personal arrival a blessing or a disaster?

Li Yuntian suddenly smiled.

The smile was faint, yet like moonlight breaking through dark clouds, it instantly swept away the gloom in his eyes.

"He came after all," he said softly, as though he had long anticipated this moment.

"Brother Tian?" Yang Wanqing looked at him.

Li Yuntian turned and gently stroked his wife's cheek. His eyes held the clarity of someone who saw through everything.

"Don't worry. He hasn't come to kick us while we're down, but to offer help in our darkest hour." He paused, looking toward the lights and voices approaching outside. Then he said, word by word:

"Because what the Li Family needs most right now is precisely coal like Spirit Hall."

Li Family main hall.

Li Yuntian stood in the hall and bowed to the Pope as he entered the main chamber. His posture was respectful, but not servile.

"Greetings, Your Holiness."

Qian Xunji wore a genial smile as he quickly stepped forward and made a gesture to stop him. "Family Head Li, no need for such formalities. This visit is a private one, so let us dispense with the empty courtesies."

The two took their respective seats as host and guest. A maid quietly served clear tea, then withdrew without a sound.

Qian Xunji lifted his teacup and gently skimmed away the foam, but did not drink. He merely raised his eyes to Li Yuntian.

"I heard that the Li Family has encountered some trouble recently?" He went straight to the point. His tone was mild, but his eyes carried an all-seeing gleam.

Li Yuntian's hand paused slightly around his teacup before returning to normal. "I have made Your Holiness laugh. It is merely some petty scoundrels causing trouble, nothing worth mentioning."

"Petty scoundrels?"

Qian Xunji gave a soft laugh, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.

"That's true. Anyone capable of using such despicable methods is indeed a petty scoundrel."

He took a sip of tea. When he set down the cup, its base met the sandalwood table with a crisp sound.

"Although such tactics are vile and despised in the Soul Master world, they are, unfortunately..."

He paused, his gaze sharp as needles. "Unfortunately, very effective, aren't they?"

Li Yuntian fell silent.

His fingers tightened slightly around the teacup, his knuckles turning pale. Qian Xunji was right—those methods were beneath contempt, but if they continued, they would inevitably cripple the Li Family and throw its people into turmoil.

Qian Xunji did not press him. He simply sipped his tea leisurely, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the expensive furnishings in the hall.

The Li Family's wealth truly lived up to its reputation.

Time flowed through the silence.

At last, Li Yuntian slowly set down his teacup. When he raised his eyes again, they were perfectly clear. Looking at Qian Xunji, he spoke calmly. "What does Your Holiness want?"

Qian Xunji smiled.

This was exactly what he had been waiting for—the first person to speak had already surrendered three parts of the initiative.

"What I want is simple."

"I want the Li Family to join Spirit Hall."

He leaned forward slightly, each word incomparably clear.

The air seemed to freeze for an instant.

Li Yuntian's pupils contracted slightly. He clearly had not expected the other man's appetite to be so great.

He had thought Qian Xunji had come seeking broader cooperation or wealth, but he had not expected him to demand the entire Li Family outright!

Qian Xunji took in his reaction, yet felt no surprise.

His original intention had indeed been to win them over. But when he entered the street where the Li Family stood and saw the magnificently decorated shops lining both sides—he changed his mind.

For such a commercial empire, rather than form an alliance, it would be better to bring it under his control.

"Family Head Li, there is no need to answer in haste." Qian Xunji's voice rang out again, unhurried, yet every word struck like a hammer.

"If you agree, I can grant you the position of Protector of the Pope Palace, with offerings on the level of an elder. When the time is right, you may even enter the Elder Palace and exchange insights with the foremost experts of this age."

Li Yuntian's breathing quickened slightly.

Spirit Hall's Elder Palace—that was where the true pinnacle of the Soul Master world lay.

If one day he could enter it and discuss and spar with those legendary figures...

Qian Xunji continued to raise the stakes, his voice like an enticing spell. "As for the Li Family's business, Spirit Hall can station Soul Sage-level experts as permanent guards. The branch halls in every region will also offer protection. From this day onward, no one will dare touch the Li Family again."

Candlelight danced in Li Yuntian's eyes as he weighed the offer—Spirit Hall's protection and the opportunity of the Elder Palace were indeed what he needed most at this moment.

The Clear Sky Sect's pressure hung over him like storm clouds, while the Heaven Dou Imperial Family's attitude remained ambiguous.

"Then... what must the Li Family do?" He raised his head, his gaze sharp as a blade.

There was no such thing as a free lunch. He understood that well.

Qian Xunji had been waiting for those words. He gently set down his teacup, leaned back against his chair, and a calculating smile unique to merchants haggling over prices appeared on his face.

"We do not ask for much. We only want—" He raised four fingers.

"Forty percent!"

As long as the Li Family joins Spirit Hall, this forty percent will rise sooner or later.

Forty percent!

Li Yuntian calculated rapidly. The Li Family's enterprises spanned both empires, and its annual income was immense. Forty percent was already an astronomical sum.

But if it could truly buy Spirit Hall's protection and an opportunity to enter the Elder Palace, then this price...

He was still hesitating, while Qian Xunji did not urge him. He merely watched in silence.

The hall fell quiet once more, filled only with the alternating sounds of their breathing.

Just then—

"Your Holiness is too generous."

A voice came from outside the hall, shattering the tense silence.

Li Yuntian abruptly turned his head and saw Zhang Qingxuan standing at the entrance to the hall, though no one knew when he had arrived.

"Our Li Family is willing to give sixty percent."