"Thirty pieces? Isn't that a bit too many?"
Lin Yuan looked at Da Ming with amusement.
Da Ming fell silent for a long while before speaking calmly.
"To be frank, I have my own calculations as well. Although Soul Beasts are said to coexist peacefully with the Federation Government, Soul Beasts are still Soul Beasts. In the end, they are not part of humanity. I heard from Principal Lin Mohua about some of the things you did on Elf Star. They were difficult to believe, and they shocked both Er Ming and me."
"You helped Di Tian become a god and secured Soul Beasts a seat in Federation meetings. In you, I saw the future of the Soul Beast race—not the current facade of peace, where we still guard against one another. Since you will become the Federation's chairman in the future, I will prepare a gift for you in advance."
"A gift? Thirty Soul Bones is indeed a precious gift."
Lin Yuan looked at the glowing bones displayed atop natural stone slabs and touched them one by one.
Da Ming simply watched Lin Yuan.
Suddenly, Lin Yuan turned around and smiled at Da Ming. "The gift is precious, and I accept the sentiment. But I will not accept these intact Soul Bones."
Da Ming, who had remained composed until now, looked utterly astonished.
"You... don't want them?"
"What Soul Master would refuse Soul Bones?"
"You heard correctly. To me personally, Soul Beasts are the same as humans. Using a Soul Beast's Soul Bone is like removing a human's bone. Senior Bi Ji once wanted to help me find a Soul Beast contract, but I refused. I believe the future of Soul Beasts does not have to remain dependent on humans."
Da Ming stood frozen in place.
Lin Yuan played