In the midst of the bustling street, Xie Ling and Shang Yan Fei sat in a booth, their identities concealed behind elaborate disguises with A sign labeled: "A Free Primeval Shard for The Needy: Limit One Per Person" hanging above them deliberately drawing the attention of curious passersby.
At first, the crowd remained skeptical, suspecting that this was just a ploy to lure them into a trap. However, as time went on, one brave soul finally stepped forward and cautiously asked, "Excuse me, is it true that you're giving away shards of primeval stones?"
Xie Ling, adorned in a flowing robe reminiscent of a 16th-century Catholic monk, smiled serenely before inquiring, "Do you need one, my friend?"
The man internally scoffed at the question, "Of course, who wouldn't want a free primeval shard?", but to his surprise, a rock with a primeval shard embedded in it was tossed to him through the air, landing in his hands. At first, he was dumbfounded, "Is this some sort of trick?" but as the realization that he had indeed received a free primeval shard set in, he let out a joyous exclamation, "Praise the benevolent Shang Yan Fei! I've received a primeval stone!" Suddenly, he paused, his mind in turmoil, "Why did I just say that?" But he quickly shrugged it off, the lure of a free primeval shard too powerful to resist.
Shang Yan Fei leaned in, his admiration evident in his voice. "When you asked me to give you rocks with both a cricket and a primeval shard in it, I first thought you were pulling my leg, however, I can now see your ingenious."
⸻1 hour ago⸻
In Shang Yan Fei's office, two men sat in contemplative silence. As they delved into the intricacies of cultivation. Xie Ling briefly entertained the idea of sharing economic strategies. However, just recently yet again he felt that thing watching him, monitoring his every move. And so, he wisely chose to remain silent on matters that could potentially alter the very fabric of the world's business practices.
Shang Yan Fei clarified, "Let me make sure I understand. You will aid me in expanding my influence by manipulating their memories, but in return, I must grant you unrestricted access to the Shang Clan's library?"
Xie Ling interjected, "Not exactly. I don't directly give or alter memories. Rather, I place memories in a box and form new connections, similar to how the brain protects itself by locking up traumatic memories. It's vital to note that the memories can be recovered through certain wisdom path techniques or even if lucky through head trauma."
Shang Yan Fei furrowed his brow as he pondered over the terms of the deal. After a brief moment of silence, he finally gave his assent, "Very well, I accept your conditions. You shall have access to the Shang Clan's vast library, and in exchange, you shall assist me in expanding my sphere of influence by manipulating memories as you have described."
With a flourish of his hand, he produced a contract that laid out the details of their agreement, including a strict four-hour workday and numerous safeguards to prevent either party from exploiting the other, such as refraining from sharing information obtained from the Shang Clan's library with outsiders or modifying the other's memories. They also agreed to pay 25 million primeval essence stones (roughly 50 rank-5 Gu) if they wish to withdraw from the agreement.
Xie Ling nodded in agreement. "Deal."
As they exchanged nods, the oppressive aura of a rank-5 Blood Pact Gu filled the room. This blood-information path Gu had the power to bind individuals with a nearly within the rank-5 range, an unbreakable vow, sealing their flesh and blood together. If either party were to break the pact, it would result in the complete destruction of the breaker's aperture.
⸻present⸻
After hearing Yan Fei's statement on the impressiveness of his idea of rocks with crickets in them, Xie Ling nonchalantly responded, "By using the killer move Insert Will Into Bug, a method designed so the gu master wouldn't have to use so many information path Gu to collect the information they want, and instead use normal bugs."
A smile grew across Yan Fei's lips, where he added, "And the moment they receive the rock, your 'will' inside the cricket will then jump onto them."
Xie Ling nodded before warning, "It's important to note that the amount of 'will' inside the cricket is very little. Meaning if the person has strong convictions, the effect from the 'will' won't do anything to him."
With a scoff, Yan Fei stated, "If they are so shameless that they are accepting a mere primeval shard, I doubt their convictions are worth much."
Xie Ling politely nodded in response, but internally he couldn't help chuckling. He had encountered countless individuals who were both shameless and yet possessed immense convictions. With a slight smile on his face, he withdrew a book Gu from his sleeve and began to read its pages. The book is labeled: 'Humans are the spirit of all living beings and Gu are the essence of heaven and earth, the essence of the world itself - by Primordial Origin'.