A Two-Eight Split: I Take Two, You Take Eight

Duan Yu gently shook his head. In the end, they were still not fit for the grand stage. Since they had already decided to test him by attacking, yet at the very last moment of their lives, they had not even dared to fight with everything they had and gamble on one final chance.

Duan Yu withdrew his martial soul, and the Dragon King phantom dissipated. From the ambush to its end, the entire process had taken less than a minute.

Salas stared at the people who had turned into statues, frozen where he stood and unable to react for a long while.

Duan Yu turned and smiled at him. "We were suddenly attacked. I hope I did not give Your Excellency the Bishop too much of a fright."

Salas's mouth twitched. For a moment, he did not know how to respond. After quite a while, he forced a smile. "No matter, no matter. Even I did not know that someone would dare commit violence in the streets within Spirit Hall."

As his words fell, waves of hoofbeats came from afar, grand and thunderous as dust rose into the air.

Duan Yu naturally sensed them as well. He glanced at Salas, thinking that this was probably another act Salas had arranged.

Sure enough, a captain of the guards arrived before Salas with two squads and saluted. "Spirit City Guard Captain Meng Yi greets Bishop Salas."

Salas looked at Meng Yi and said coldly, "Bold Meng Yi! As I was walking through Spirit City with an honored guest, why were we suddenly attacked? If you do not give me an explanation today, I will report this to the Pope and charge you with dereliction of duty."

Salas had spoken plainly. Meng Yi had been deliberately sent away today entirely at Salas's arrangement, but Salas's words immediately made him realize something was wrong.

Meng Yi promptly dropped to one knee and pleaded guilty. "It was this subordinate's failure to patrol thoroughly. Just now, this subordinate suddenly received news of activity near the west city gate. Fearing that thieves had infiltrated the city, this subordinate led troops to investigate."

"Who would have thought it was a ploy by those villains to lure the tiger from the mountain? That was what allowed Your Excellency the Bishop and the Young Sect Master to be alarmed."

Hearing this, Duan Yu sneered inwardly. Old fox. The moment his plan failed, he casually produced a scapegoat. Truly shrewd.

However, Duan Yu revealed nothing on his face and said calmly, "No matter. Presumably, the guard captain had his reasons at the time. It is understandable."

"As the Young Sect Master of Cloud Dream Marsh, I was taught by my father from childhood to be magnanimous and not let petty matters ruin important affairs. Naturally, I will not hold this against the guard captain."

"Only..."

Duan Yu changed his tone and continued, "If my father and everyone in Cloud Dream Marsh learned that their Young Sect Master had suffered an assassination attempt the moment he entered Spirit City, I fear my father and the sect would inevitably feel resentful."

"When that time comes, it may affect the relationship between Cloud Dream Marsh and Spirit City."

Duan Yu's words were both blunt and veiled. How Salas chose to interpret them depended entirely on him.

After all, he had arbitrarily arranged an assassination merely to test the power of Cloud Dream Marsh. If this matter blew up and was investigated, even Salas himself would not escape unscathed.

Salas's expression darkened at those words. Looking at the guard captain kneeling on the ground, his tone abruptly turned icy.

"Meng Yi, you bear responsibility for today's matter. When you return today, I will certainly punish you severely."

Meng Yi's face went pale, and he lowered his head. "Yes."

After Meng Yi withdrew, Salas looked at the young man before him, whose bearing was cool, noble, and detached. Not only was he not angered by Duan Yu's veiled threat, but a smile instead appeared on his face.

"Young Friend Nie, why not come inside for a talk?"

Duan Yu nodded and stepped inside. The moment he entered, he was stunned by the magnificent splendor within.

Gold, silver, and jewels covered the palace. What surprised Duan Yu was that every time he walked a certain distance forward, another pillar would appear ahead, each one taller than the last.

Duan Yu had observed them. These pillars were merely ordinary pillars, with nothing unusual about them.

Noticing Duan Yu's gaze, Salas explained, "Every pillar here represents a Platinum Bishop from Spirit Hall who guarded the east city gate throughout the generations. Their heights represent the soul power levels of those bishops."

"The greatest Platinum Bishop in history was a powerful Soul Douluo."

As Salas spoke, he invited Duan Yu to sit by the front entrance and asked, "May I ask how old Young Friend Nie is this year?"

"Twelve."

Salas's expression changed, and he sharply inhaled. A twelve-year-old Three-Ring Soul Venerable. With such talent, even Spirit Hall's current Golden Generation likely could not compare.

If Cloud Dream Marsh could submit to Spirit Hall and become part of Spirit Hall, then this twelve-year-old Three-Ring Soul Venerable would naturally submit to Spirit Hall as well.

At that thought, Salas's smile became even more obvious, and even his tone unconsciously gentled. "Is it true that Cloud Dream Marsh is willing to submit to Spirit Hall, as Young Friend mentioned some time ago?"

"Of course it is true."

Duan Yu said calmly, "Cloud Dream Marsh is entirely sincere toward Spirit Hall. Now, it depends on how sincere Spirit Hall is toward Cloud Dream Marsh."

Salas looked serious as he said, "Young Friend Nie, let us speak frankly. I have already informed the elders of your sect's situation. They are quite interested and specially sent me to discuss the large-scale production of your sect's Time Disk."

"As for profit distribution, we split it fifty-fifty. Your sect provides the formula, while Spirit Hall provides resources and channels. We help each other and profit together. What do you think?"

"Two-eight."

Duan Yu picked up a cup of tea from the table and said it casually.

"Cough, cough!"

Salas had just taken a sip of tea. Hearing Duan Yu's words, he immediately choked on it and coughed several times before recovering.

Salas's face became exceptionally ugly as he said in a deep voice, "Young Friend Nie, Spirit Hall is sincerely discussing cooperation with you. Please take this seriously, and do not squander your father's hard work."

Heaven knew how shocked he had been when he heard Nie Wuming say "two-eight." In his plan, once the other party heard that Spirit Hall was willing to cooperate and split profits fifty-fifty, he should have been overwhelmed with gratitude.

After all, countless sects and factions were willing to throw themselves at Spirit Hall just for the chance to cooperate, yet could not obtain one.

Now that such a wonderful opportunity had been placed before him, the other party actually dared to demand eighty percent of the profits. How could Salas not be shocked?

"Why is Your Excellency the Bishop so agitated?"

Duan Yu took a sip of tea and said, "Your Excellency might as well discuss this further with Spirit Hall's elders. Perhaps the elders and His Holiness the Pope will agree."

Salas said with an ugly expression, "Young Friend Nie, please be serious. Do not joke again. Yielding eighty percent of the profits is absolutely impossible."

Since Spirit Hall's founding, there had never been a precedent for yielding eighty percent of the profits in a partnership with any faction. If he dared bring it up to those elders, they would likely not even need to think before waving him away.

Seeing that he had been refused, Duan Yu was not angered. He merely smiled faintly. "Under normal circumstances, it truly would not be very likely. But there are always special circumstances. Your Excellency the Bishop, why not first take a look at what this is?"

"No matter what it is, a two-eight split is absolutely impossi—"

Salas's words caught in his throat halfway through. Staring at the golden token in Duan Yu's hand, he exclaimed in shock, "The Papal Token?!"