Li Chen had lived two lives, after all. He had long since seen through this routine of one person playing the villain and another playing the peacemaker.
The chief steward might genuinely have felt bad and wanted to make amends to them, but that could not erase what Master Artisan Yang had done. How could Li Chen forget it so easily?
In the end, this debt still had to be charged to the Qi Family Army.
By now, Li Chen was utterly disappointed in the Qi Family Army. He no longer trusted them or expected anything from them. He only wanted to keep things strictly business and complete their exchange of benefits.
Even Artisan Zhao, Zhao Xin, who had treated Li Chen with genuine kindness, had taught him that loyalty was no sure support and kindness no foundation to lean on.
This was not meant to teach him to be an ungrateful wolf, ignorant of gratitude. Rather, he had to understand deeply that most dealings in this world were driven by self-interest. Only with eyes keen enough to discern the finest autumn down and a calm, independent mind could he see through them with ease and navigate them freely.
Otherwise, human obligations were like binding threads. The more dealings one had, the deeper the entanglement, until one could no longer move forward.
Not long afterward, Li Chen returned to his room, only to discover unexpectedly that someone had sent over the knowledge about spiritglow origin crystals he needed.
The jade talisman that served as both a passage Command Token and an internal communication artifact for the Qi Family Army stirred with spiritual energy. Li Chen took it out and connected, discovering that Chief Steward Pang was contacting him.
Chief Steward Pang said, "Fellow Daoist Li, I've already exchanged my own