Winning a faction over was an art

"Elder Long, Elder Xuan, and Commander Wang Hao, seal off your hearing with Soul Power for a moment."

"I have some important matters to discuss with Clan Chief Yang."

After chatting with Yang Wudi for a while, Dai Xuanyu finally got down to business.

Here it comes. Yang Wudi immediately grew alert.

The fourth prince of the mighty Star Luo Imperial Family had suddenly come to visit the Breaking Clan. He had to want something.

Their earlier conversation had been nothing more than an appetizer.

The main course was only just beginning.

Yang Wudi guessed that the fourth prince intended to recruit the Breaking Clan into his service.

He was not opposed to the idea. If the terms were right, everything was negotiable.

In the original story, the Breaking Clan had gradually found its feet, and things had begun to flourish.

But now the clan had yet to regain much of its strength, so Yang Wudi had little ground to stand on.

He had not yet become as proud and aloof as he would later be, and his attitude was exceptionally cordial.

This might be a good opportunity for the Breaking Clan, Yang Wudi thought, swiftly weighing the advantages and drawbacks.

Dai Xuanyu had yet to state his purpose, but Yang Wudi was almost certain of his guess.

And as before, the proposal appealed to him. If they could agree on terms, why should the clan not enter the prince's service?

Yang Wudi had paid a steep price to secure a foothold for his surviving clansmen in Great Cloud City.

That price had gone to the local Wind Sword Sect.

After escaping Spirit Hall's pursuit, his surviving clansmen had finally managed to recuperate here for a few years.

Yang Wudi had no wish to shatter that hard-won peace.

At the same time, if a stronger power offered its support, he would seize the chance to revitalize the Breaking Clan and restore it to glory.

"As you command, Your Highness!"

At that, Wang Hao, commander of the death guards, was the first to channel his Soul Power and seal off his hearing.

Dai Long and Zhu Xuan, the two Soul Douluo experts, hesitated only briefly before doing the same.

I underestimated this fourth prince's standing. Yang Wudi's pupils contracted sharply.

Dai Xuanyu could give orders to two Soul Douluo experts as he pleased.

That alone spoke volumes.

"Yang Lin, leave us for now."

After recovering from his shock, Yang Wudi gave the order to Yang Lin, who stood behind him.

"Yes, Clan Chief." Yang Lin quickly left the reception hall.

"What important matter would Your Highness like to discuss?" Yang Wudi asked, though he already knew the answer.

He had more or less guessed Dai Xuanyu's purpose, but they still had to go through the motions.

Showing too much eagerness would weaken his position when they negotiated.

The Breaking Clan had yet to recover, but Yang Wudi remained confident of its worth.

Its offensive strength and pharmaceutical expertise were both among the finest on the continent.

Its Martial Soul might fall short of a few of the very best.

But when it came to making medicines, the Yang family stood alone at the pinnacle. Countless factions coveted its methods.

Even after the clan later came under the Clear Sky Sect's protection, the sect had cast a covetous eye on them.

If the Breaking Clan had not guarded its secrets so fiercely, those methods would have leaked long ago.

Good thing I came early. Looking at Yang Wudi as he was now, Dai Xuanyu could not help reflecting on his timing.

Winning a faction over was an art.

Only by choosing the right moment could one bring a faction into the fold without a hitch.

Even now was not the best time to recruit the Breaking Clan.

That would have been when Spirit Hall's pursuit first drove them into the Star Luo Empire.

The clan had suffered truly devastating losses then. The other three clans had been in dire straits too, leaving the Breaking Clan with no one to rely on and in desperate need of a place to recover.

But a dozen or so years later, things would be very different. The proud Yang Wudi would reach the Soul Douluo level, and the Breaking Clan would have more than a hundred direct-line members again.

The Four Single-Attribute Clans were closely bound, each with its own strengths, and all four would be doing better.

Each clan chief would be a Soul Douluo, while their direct lines would include more than a thousand Soul Masters ready to fight.

Together, they would be a formidable force even by the standards of the whole continent, surpassed only by a few top factions.

That was why, when the Wind Sword Sect later tried to forcibly absorb the Breaking Clan without knowing of its feud with Spirit Hall, Yang Wudi did not give them the time of day.

Later still, at a gathering of the four clan chiefs, Yang Wudi called on the clans to unite into a single force to face the upheaval sweeping the continent.

If Tang San had not been present at that meeting, Yang Wudi's plan might well have succeeded.

"In that case, I won't keep you guessing."

"Just as you suspect, Clan Chief Yang, I came to bring the Breaking Clan into my service."

Dai Xuanyu laid it out plainly, getting straight to the point.

With so many cards in his hand, there was no need to beat around the bush.

Uh... A flicker of surprise crossed Yang Wudi's face. He had not expected Dai Xuanyu to be so direct.

Just as he was about to discuss the matter in detail,

Dai Xuanyu said generously, "I have always been generous. I never shortchange those who enter my service."

"If you're willing to lead the Breaking Clan into my service, these precious medicinal treasures are only a welcoming gift."

With that, Dai Xuanyu clapped his hands. The gem set in the bracelet on his wrist shone dazzlingly.

The next instant, medicinal treasures in jade and brocade boxes flew out of the gem, swiftly piling up into a small hill.

Then Dai Xuanyu gave a gentle sweep of his Soul Power. The boxes opened one by one, and a rich medicinal fragrance filled the reception hall.

The treasures inside lay revealed before Yang Wudi.

"Th-this..." Yang Wudi was so stunned by the sight that he could barely speak.

Was this the wealth of the imperial family? It was outrageous.

Blazing Sun Flower, Dragon Crystal Blood Orchid, Phantom Fruit, Bone Tempering Flower... Every one of these is a first-rate medicinal ingredient.

A master of medicine himself, Yang Wudi recognized the treasures at once.

The sheer array left him dazzled.

Dai Xuanyu watched Yang Wudi's reaction with quiet satisfaction.

He had put on this display precisely to leave Yang Wudi awestruck.

A show of strength alone would not have been enough.