Lin Yi cleared his throat and tried to establish a connection. "Great Emperor Zi Wei is a peerless talent. I've always admired him, and we've known each other for some time. I'm hardly an outsider."
"Just now, you said your dealings with my senior brother were purely a transaction and that neither of you owed the other anything," Zinan said, catching his change of tune at once.
"That was then. This is now." Lin Yi's expression did not shift. "I created the Divine Demon Body myself. With talent and foundations like mine, Great Emperor Zi Wei would surely approve of me. A man of his caliber appreciates prodigies who can stand alongside him. If I asked to see the Dao Lord's Painting, he certainly wouldn't refuse."
The stark change in his attitude made Zinan want to laugh.
Sure enough, the moment a treasure appeared, his attitude changed completely. All his reserve vanished.
She suppressed her amusement and laid out her final condition. "You may see the painting, but you must come out of the city with me and help track down an Evil Venerable. You must also agree to join the Ziwei Lineage. My senior brother passed down the Ziwei Emperor Armor Art, so by seniority, you count as my junior martial nephew. But I won't take advantage of you. I can ask my senior brother to make an exception and accept you on our master's behalf. You would then become the youngest direct disciple of the Ziwei Lineage."
Great Emperor Zinan's invitation appeared to be a compromise, but she had her eye on Lin Yi's hidden potential.
He had created the Divine Demon Body himself, and his talent and foundations surpassed those of the entire younger generation. Even in her era, he would have ranked among the very best.