The next day, Yang Tian did not come to the Soul Fighting Society.
Chu Qing waited several more days before seeing him again, then told him about the Golden Sun Flower.
After hearing him out, Yang Tian gave him a strange look.
Chu Qing was puzzled.
"What's wrong?"
"You don't seem surprised at all. It's like you already knew the Golden Sun Flower could increase spiritual power."
Yang Tian studied him closely.
"I only found out recently myself."
"But what you might not know is that the Golden Sun Flowers grow beside my family's ancestral hall."
"When I was little, I picked one while I was playing and got punished by having to kneel in there for three days and three nights."
Chu Qing felt a headache coming on.
"Why there of all places?"
Yang Tian nodded, then spread his hands helplessly.
"So I really can't help you with this."
"Unless you become my grandfather's disciple, how else are you going to ask for them?"
Chu Qing rubbed his chin and thought it over.
"Let me think."
Hearing that, Yang Tian frowned slightly.
"Do you think my grandfather isn't worthy of teaching you?"
Looking deeply aggrieved, Chu Qing pointed at Yang Tian.
"You really don't know a good heart when you see one!"
"Think about it. If I became your grandfather's disciple, with my talent, wouldn't I have to take his place someday?"
"If I took his place, where would that leave you?"
"I'm doing this for you!"
"That way, I can be my society president, and you can be your imperial preceptor."
"Yang Tian, I really misjudged you."
Yang Tian was embarrassed by what Chu Qing had said, but he still insisted,
"What's wrong with that? The most capable person should have the position."
But inwardly, he could barely contain his happiness. After all, he had been striving to follow in his grandfather's footsteps since childhood.
"Forget it. Let's think it over some more."
He went inside with Chu Qing, talking as they walked.
"You know how highly my grandfather thinks of your talent."
The two discussed it, but in the end, they could not come up with a good solution.
Chu Qing understood it himself. Given who Heavenly Sun Douluo was and where the Golden Sun Flowers grew, how could he get them cheaply with nothing but empty words?
When Yang Tian went back and told Heavenly Sun Douluo about it, Heavenly Sun Douluo was slightly surprised.
"Did he really say that?"
Yang Tian nodded.
"Yes, Grandpa. Chu Qing really is a good person. He's sincere with people and gets along with everyone."
"Grandpa, if it's awkward for you to approach him, why don't you give me a few flowers, and I'll pass them on to him?"
"No."
Heavenly Sun Douluo refused outright.
"If he wants them, he can come and get them himself."
Yang Tian came back and told Chu Qing what had happened.
Chu Qing pondered it.
"Yang Tian, is there anything your grandfather likes?"
Yang Tian could not help rolling his eyes.
"Don't bother trying to figure it out. My grandfather only likes geniuses."
"If you could buy him over, the nobles would have worn down our doorstep long ago."
"Alas." Chu Qing could not help letting out a long sigh.
A few days later, Yang Tian returned to the Soul Fighting Society, acting mysterious. He pulled Chu Qing aside, took ten Golden Sun Flowers out of his soul tool storage ring, and handed them over.
"Put them away and eat them quickly. Try not to let anyone else see them."
"I stole them. If I disappear for a while, don't bother looking for me. I'll most likely be kneeling in the ancestral hall."
Chu Qing accepted them at once, grinning from ear to ear.
"You're a true brother. Don't worry, if you get beaten to death, I'll remember to visit you next year."
"Hmph! Ivory can't come out of a dog's mouth."
"If I'd known, I wouldn't have taken the risk for you."
As he spoke, Yang Tian grew curious.
"Are you really planning to use these Golden Sun Flowers so you can absorb a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring as your fourth?"
Chu Qing said,
"With these Golden Sun Flowers of yours, I don't think Soul Shock will be a problem."
Yang Tian nodded.
"Just be careful."
Chu Qing went outside with him.
"What could go wrong for me? The only thing I'm worried about is not finding a suitable Soul Beast."
Yang Tian suggested,
"I heard my grandfather say that he once encountered a six-thousand-year-old Nine-Headed Serpent Hydra in Lerna Swamp on our Dou Ling Empire's East Sea Plain. It had powerful regeneration abilities, and its weakness was fire. Back then, my grandfather spared it because it hadn't been easy for it to cultivate to that level."
"I don't know how much it's grown by now. Maybe it's reached ten thousand years. If you can't find a suitable Soul Beast, you could go take a look."
"Regeneration?"
Chu Qing considered it and was satisfied.
"Thank His Majesty Heavenly Sun for me."
Yang Tian was momentarily stunned.
"How did you know?"
Chu Qing laughed.
"For now, I have nothing to offer but empty words, so I won't pay him a visit either."
"But I'll remember the Heavenly Sun Family's help. In the future, I'll show you that I haven't forgotten."
Yang Tian smiled.
"Let's go play cards."
"Hehe, our Heavenly Sun Family is going to set up a distribution point too."
"You know how upright and incorruptible my grandfather has always been. His stipend is high, but we have a big family and our expenses are too great. We look prosperous on the surface, but we've always had to carefully budget what little our businesses bring in."
Chu Qing was delighted to have more people join in.
"Don't worry. We won't give anyone but your family a distribution point in the province where the Heavenly Sun Family's ancestral home is located."
"When our Soul Fighting Cards become popular across the entire continent, I'll reserve at least half a country's territory for you."
Yang Tian said happily,
"Then I'll just sit back and wait for the money to roll in."
As he spoke, he could not help feeling impressed.
"Chu Qing, how did you come up with these cards? They cost so little to make, yet they earn so much money."
"Even my grandfather praises you often. The printing factory you built outside Lingdou City has also helped quite a few farmers make a living."
Chu Qing was full of emotion too.
"I didn't expect it either. At first, I almost thought the whole thing was going to flop, but then the Battle of the Two Gods card series became a hit."
As he spoke, he gave a wicked grin.
"Actually, apart from the Shrek Seven Devils series, I've come up with an even nastier trick."
Yang Tian grew curious.
"What is it?"
"Have you thought of another series that could become a bestseller?"
"Surely there's hardly anything that could surpass Shrek's standing in people's hearts?"
Chu Qing grinned wickedly.
"What do you think would happen if we stirred up hatred and set people against each other?"
"Once my Soul Fighting Society is powerful enough that we don't have to worry about people coming after us."
"For example, when our distribution points reach the Heavenly Soul Empire, we could release cards of the inherited Martial Souls of their nobles and powerful families. We'd make them a little overpowered, so they could thrash the Martial Souls of our Dou Ling Empire's nobles."
"One side gets to enjoy itself while the other builds up resentment."
"After a while, we release upgrade cards for the weaker side."
Yang Tian understood.
"Could we do the same thing with the Sun Moon Empire later?"
"You really are nasty, but at least you know yourself well enough to be afraid they'll come after you."
Chu Qing chuckled.
"So you think it's worth doing too."
Yang Tian nodded, but then noticed that there was something strange about Chu Qing's smile.
"Yang Tian, why don't we test the waters first with your family's Heavenly Sun Martial Soul and the Flame Mad Lion Martial Soul? We can have them compete for the title of Dou Ling's strongest fire-attribute Martial Soul."
Yang Tian was startled.
"Chu Qing, I never thought you'd even go after your own people!"
"Hmph! No."
"What's there to compete over? Our family's Heavenly Sun Martial Soul is obviously much stronger than the Flame Mad Lion Martial Soul. Everyone knows that, so why compete?"
But Chu Qing chuckled.
"See? Isn't that our chance right there?"
"We release the Heavenly Sun Martial Soul and the Flame Mad Lion together, then strengthen the Fire Sun Mad Lion."
"Let the Flame Mad Lion dominate for a month, then release an upgrade card for the Heavenly Sun Martial Soul."