"All right, we're all adults here. Let's keep this brief and save everyone some time."
Lin Yi held the upper hand, leaving Xing Changguang with no choice but to follow his lead.
Judging by what had just been said, Xing Changguang had been somewhat unfairly implicated. But what could he do when the troublemakers were his own people?
That gave Lin Yi leverage. He could use this incident with the Feiyun Commerce Guild to give the other merchant guilds and associations secretly stirring up trouble around Liyue a stern warning.
Xing Changguang then continued.
"We investigated beforehand. It wasn't just our guild. Other associations have also had numerous, repeated cases of members staying away for long periods without reporting their whereabouts."
"You mean this wasn't the only robbery of its kind?"
Hearing that, Lin Yi began to recognize what made the situation unusual. If it wasn't an isolated incident, then it was a premeditated, organized operation, which made the matter far more serious.
With Land Reclamation currently underway, Lin Yi had no desire to let restless troublemakers run wild right under his nose. Naturally, the sooner he dealt with them, the better.
Xing Changguang nodded.
"Based on our deductions and what happened today, their targets don't seem to be just anyone they can rob. They're specifically targeting people blessed by the gods."
Vision holders blessed by the gods, or people capable of controlling elemental power.
Along with great power came the restrictions imposed by the laws of divine authority. For example, Morax had once forbidden them from casually attacking ordinary people...
Yet now, those people were exploiting that restriction, and perhaps many other loopholes, to strike in Liyue, Mondstadt, and even other regions.
It was hard not to suspect that their actions had been instigated by the continent's Extreme Atheist Faction.
Lin Yi briefly recalled how, when he had first arrived, his wife Ningguang had also developed somewhat extreme atheistic views.
"It seems these organizations, hidden in the shadows without even forming a recognizable force, are like parasites burrowed into the bone. They'll be hard to deal with."
To a god, other gods and atheist factions alike were rivals or enemies!
After their discussion, the misunderstanding was more or less cleared up. Feihu had already robbed traveling parties and even committed murder before this incident. His death was no loss.
Most of the remaining hundred-odd people had been misled. They were adults capable of working, after all, so their cases naturally required careful handling.
But when he saw Lin Yi looking at him with his arms folded...
Xing Changguang understood.
"May I ask what compensation you would like, Lord Geo Archon?"
"Oh, don't put it that way. You wouldn't be compensating me, sir. You'd be contributing to Liyue's development. And I'm not the sort to make outrageous demands."
Lin Yi put on a slightly troubled expression.
As far as Keqing could see, the Feiyun Commerce Guild was about to be fleeced.
"I want thirty percent of your guild's revenue from the past four quarters. You'll also have to find certain materials for me, unconditionally."
"Absolutely not!"
Xingqiu slammed his hand on the table and sprang to his feet!
Thirty percent of four quarters' revenue wasn't an astronomical sum, but it would certainly deal a serious blow to a guild that was already struggling.
"What? Didn't I already say that everything I'm asking for will go toward Liyue's development? If you can't even show this much sincerity, it seems you don't care very deeply about Liyue."
With Lin Yi framing it that way, neither Xing Changguang nor Xingqiu had any choice.
If either of them said so much as a word against Liyue...
Lin Yi would have countless ways to crush the Feiyun Commerce Guild completely.
Of course, burning every bridge would do no one any good. Besides, judging by the changes to the Population Act, Lin Yi really did know what he was doing.
After weighing it over and seeing that Lin Yi wouldn't budge, Xing Changguang had no choice but to agree.
As for the materials Lin Yi needed, he would provide a list later. Naturally, the guild would foot the bill.
With the negotiations all but finished, Lin Yi was naturally satisfied with the outcome.
Having the upper hand felt wonderful. It left the other side no room to fight back.
Of course, Lin Yi wouldn't push the matter too far.
"Then, on behalf of the people of Liyue, I thank the Feiyun Commerce Guild for its sponsorship. Once the first batch of industrial facilities in Liyue's new district is built, I'm sorry for the trouble, Elder Xing, but I'd like you to give them a good name. Also, I'll make the decision myself: you can take those hundred-odd people back with you."
"What do you mean, Lord Geo Archon?"
Xing Changguang picked up on the implication.
The right to decide the fate of a hundred people wasn't much.
Once Liyue expanded outward, it would naturally be a historic undertaking that drew the attention of the entire continent.
Naming it might seem simple, but the considerations involved, and the benefits it could bring in both the short and long term, were not to be overlooked!
"I understand. Thank you for your generosity, Lord Geo Archon!"
They had clearly been fleeced, yet Xingqiu, standing beside him, heard a distinct note of pleasure in the old man's voice.
Once Lin Yi had left with his companions, looking satisfied, Xing Changguang actually laughed and patted Xingqiu's head.
"Guild Master, what exactly is going on?"
"Haha, Xingqiu, you still have much to learn if you're going to inherit the Feiyun Commerce Guild someday. We've certainly lost a great deal for now, but if you take the long view, you'll see that more paths have opened up for us..."
[Ding! Suppressed the Feiyun Commerce Guild. System development progress: 1/10]
On the way back to Liyue.
Clearing out minor monsters while enjoying the scenery made for a relaxed, pleasant life.
They could even see that powerful traveling parties had already begun hunting and clearing out monsters on the Guili Plains.
"It looks like my wife really does understand me. It's only been about a day, and the incentive policy she designed is already being implemented."
Aside from a few sleeping gods' lairs that needed to be marked as off-limits, the number of minor monsters on the Guili Plains was naturally finite. This highly lucrative short-term business would only last for a while.
But once a policy spread, others would naturally imitate it and learn from it, developing more variations and more ways to make a fortune.
Lin Yi's monster-clearing incentive policy had even indirectly spurred further economic development across the entire continent.
Of course, this was only a single brushstroke in his grand blueprint.
"Lin Yi, someone's here to see you."
Constantly calling him "Geo Archon" or "my lord" felt awkward, so Keqing and the others had begun addressing Lin Yi by name.
The visitor was none other than the Feiyun Commerce Guild's second-in-command, Xingqiu.
Considering what had happened last time, Xingqiu probably didn't think very highly of him. He might even dislike him.
But judging by the way Xingqiu had suddenly sought out their party, he seemed to have something to discuss.
Before Xingqiu could speak, Lin Yi suddenly clapped his hands and said, "Oh, right, Xingqiu! Isn't your pen name Zhenyu?"
Xingqiu was so shocked that he nearly stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Mr. Lin Yi, how do you know my pen name?"
"Not only do I know it, I've also brought a fantastic story. Would you like to hear it?"
Just as Yun Jin loved opera, Xingqiu was deeply passionate about writing and studying literature.
"Please go ahead. I'm all ears!"
"Then listen closely. The story I'm going to tell is called 'Douluo Continent.' It opens with 'Come back to life, my love...'"
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