Celestial Beast Taming

Chapter 275: Chapter 170: A Partnership Delivered to the Door

Last night, Cao Xing’an sent an Immortal Tier Bizarre, and today he’s up to these tricks again.

He even found a local Celestial Destiny Seeker from Longya City to act as a mouthpiece. This proved that Cao Xing’an was now determined to kill Tao En.

This person who had come to see him and Wen Tao now had a different objective than the others who came before.

It was enough to show that this person, or the faction they represented, was hostile toward Cao Xing’an.

Zhong Yi was genuinely interested in meeting someone like that.

"Steward He, please bring her in."

He Meisi smiled and gave Zhong Yi a slight bow before leading a woman in a lake-blue formal gown into the room.

The woman was exceptionally beautiful, but in a quiet, gentle way, with no hint of aggression in her features.

Her eyes, however, were remarkably bright and resolute, though even her fine clothes couldn’t conceal the exhaustion in them.

He Meisi took the initiative to make the introductions.

"Lord Zhong Yi, Lord Jing Shui, your visitor is named Lü Yunyi. She is the current head of the Xilong Commerce Association."

"Since you two lords are not usually active in Longya City, you may not be familiar with the Xilong Commerce Association."

"Miss Lü’s grandfather is Lü Jiangping. He was originally a Five-finger Middle Level Creator, and three years ago, he successfully advanced to become a Five-finger High Level Creator."

With that, He Meisi excused herself, leaving the room to Zhong Yi, Wen Tao, and their visitor, Lü Yunyi.

In the past, whenever Wen Tao and Zhong Yi were both present, He Meisi had always addressed Wen Tao first, and then Zhong Yi.

However, through her limited interactions with them over the past two or three days, He Meisi was surprised to discover that the central figure among the four visitors from Starlight City was not Wen Tao.

It was this young Celestial Destiny Seeker named Zhong Yi.

’I don’t quite understand,’ He Meisi thought. ’Why would a young Celestial Destiny Seeker with an S-rank potential rating be treated with such deference?’

’Could it be that this young man, Zhong Yi, has a close relationship with some major figure in Starlight City?’

Though she couldn’t figure it out, He Meisi had already quietly adjusted her form of address.

When addressing both Zhong Yi and Wen Tao, she would now address Zhong Yi first.

"Whatever it is, please have a seat first."

"The Celestial Destiny Society’s Osmanthus Tea is quite good."

As he spoke, Zhong Yi took a cup and personally poured some tea for Lü Yunyi.

As He Meisi was introducing Lü Yunyi, Zhong Yi had already made a good guess as to her purpose.

After becoming a Five-finger Peak Creator, Cao Xing’an had grown increasingly aggressive and overt.

Tao En had already been crushed underfoot by Cao Xing’an and was no longer considered a threat.

To strengthen his prestige in Longya City, Cao Xing’an would certainly have to win over some of the High Tier Creators.

He would form a close, mutually beneficial faction with these High Tier Creators.

Any High Tier Creators unwilling to bow to his leadership would naturally be ostracized.

Lü Yunyi’s grandfather, the Five-finger High Tier Creator Lü Jiangping, was likely in exactly that situation.

Lü Yunyi had come either to win the two of them over to her side or to seek a partnership.

And indeed, just as Zhong Yi had surmised, Lü Yunyi did not immediately sit down to drink her tea.

Instead, she accepted the cup with both hands, and after greeting both Zhong Yi and Wen Tao, she got straight to the point.

"You two lords are on good terms with Master Tao En, which already makes you a thorn in Cao Xing’an’s side."

"The Xilong Commerce Association has been suppressed by the Jinglong Commerce Association for years, and we are finding it difficult to carry on."

"I have come to ask for your help. I was hoping you two lords might be able to provide us with some of Starlight City’s specialty resources."

"In return, after covering the initial costs, I will give you fifty percent of the net profits from those resources."

Lü Yunyi had stated her purpose and revealed the Xilong Commerce Association’s current plight right from the start.

Revealing her own side’s weakness at the outset of a negotiation was extremely disadvantageous for the bargaining that would inevitably follow.

However, this act was enough to demonstrate her sincerity and determination to cooperate.

’It seems both the Xilong Commerce Association and Lü Jiangping, the Five-finger High Tier Creator, are under extremely severe pressure in Longya City,’ Zhong Yi thought.

’Cao Xing’an must have actually blocked the Xilong Commerce Association’s access to resources.’

’Otherwise, a commerce association backed by a Five-finger High Tier Creator would have no need to come to me and Wen Tao for resources from Starlight City just to diversify their inventory.’

Longya City, with its many Guardian Beast Masters who had Contracted Dragon Species Guardian Beasts, was very different from other cities.

In other Heroic Cities, the more varied a commerce association’s goods, the better.

But in Longya City, the more resources related to Dragon Species Guardian Beasts an association had, the better.

Lü Yunyi had opened with an offer to share fifty percent of the net profit after costs.

For a mature commerce association, the costs of labor, management, customer acquisition, and sales platforms were extremely high.

In this partnership, his side wouldn’t even have to bear any of the risks associated with those costs.

When Zhong Yi left Longya City, he would be taking Tao En, a Five-finger Peak Creator, with him.

Zhong Yi had saved Tao En and given him a new future, which was the only reason he could take the man, who had lost everything, away from Longya City.

But the woman seeking to partner with him now had her entire business and foundation in Longya City.

The fact that Lü Jiangping, a Five-finger Creator, had allowed his granddaughter to establish a commerce association showed that he was also a man driven to expand his influence.

Such a person would not easily abandon their foundation to go and develop in another city.

Still, Zhong Yi felt he could cooperate with the woman before him—or rather, with Lü Jiangping, the Five-finger High Tier Creator.

By helping the Xilong Commerce Association resolve its resource blockade, he could not only grow closer to Lü Jiangping, the Five-finger High Tier Creator...

...but he could also extend his own influence into Longya City’s internal affairs.

Even though Zhong Yi wasn’t from Longya City, he could establish a stable channel for acquiring resources there.

As for using Lü Jiangping to strike at Cao Xing’an, that was not part of Zhong Yi’s considerations at all.

By taking Tao En under his wing, Zhong Yi had already placed himself in the opposing camp to Cao Xing’an.

But the personal grudge was between Tao En and Cao Xing’an. There was no personal enmity between Zhong Yi and Cao Xing’an.

If Tao En later became a Six-finger Creator and wanted revenge...

...Zhong Yi wouldn’t stop him, but he wouldn’t proactively take the lead in helping him, either.

At this moment, Lü Yunyi’s gaze was fixed more on Wen Tao.

’In my view,’ Lü Yunyi thought, ’Zhong Yi is even younger than I am.’

’A young man his age, even a Celestial Destiny Seeker, could hardly be the one in charge.’

’Especially not when there’s an older Celestial Destiny Seeker right here.’

But after waiting for some time without Wen Tao showing any sign of responding, Lü Yunyi couldn’t help but feel a little anxious.

Just then, she heard Zhong Yi speak.

"Starlight City’s resources include very few items related to Dragon Species Guardian Beasts. I’m afraid they won’t sell well in Longya City."

"For the Xilong Commerce Association to survive this crisis, you’ll surely need to acquire resources related to Dragon Species Guardian Beasts."

Lü Yunyi’s expression grew awkward at Zhong Yi’s words.

As the head of the Xilong Commerce Association, Lü Yunyi was of course well aware of this simple fact.

But the crucial problem was that she had no way to obtain resources related to Dragon Species Guardian Beasts!

Currently, Cao Xing’an was the only Five-finger Peak Creator in Longya City.

But including her grandfather, Longya City had a total of three Five-finger High Tier Creators.

One of them was already on good terms with Cao Xing’an.

The other, intimidated by Cao Xing’an’s power, had also chosen to accept his terms of cooperation.

This left her grandfather as the only Five-finger High Tier Creator in Longya City who had not cooperated with, and by extension submitted to, Cao Xing’an.

For the past few years, Cao Xing’an hadn’t even needed to act directly; the pressure from the Jinglong Commerce Association alone was enough to leave Lü Yunyi gasping for air.

That was why, upon learning that these two Celestial Destiny Seekers from Starlight City were not afraid of antagonizing Cao Xing’an, she had decided to visit them and seek an opportunity to cooperate.

Lü Yunyi grumbled to herself, ’If I could get my hands on resources related to Dragon Species Guardian Beasts...’

’...I wouldn’t have to be here begging for a partnership!’

Right now, the eyes of every faction in Longya City were focused on the Celestial Destiny Society.

Taking the initiative to visit them had put her under immense pressure.

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