Chapitre 21: Eternal Jade Association

A few days had passed since Wu Li successfully passed the heavenly tribulation, instantly making him a legend of the Extreme Jade Sword Sect.

As rare as it was in the Ancient Era, there were geniuses who could ignore cultivation realms and defeat opponents with higher cultivation levels as effortlessly as drinking water or breathing air. For a long time, the sect had not produced such a genius, and Wu Li's achievement was highly regarded by everyone in the sect.

Despite Wu Li's remarkable achievements, some people still looked down on him because he had a Yellow Grade Mutated Spiritual Root. They argued that even though he could battle opponents stronger than him, his potential was limited.

They attributed his breakthrough to some fortuitous opportunity.

Wu Yang decided to collect his debt from Huang Zhi, the Inner Disciple who owed him 25 high-grade Spirit Stones and a few medium-grade Spirit Stones. He headed towards Huang Zhi's cave abode.

Upon reaching Huang Zhi's cave abode, he met Chen Zhanjie, Huang Zhi's guard at the entrance of the abode.

At the entrance, he was greeted by Chen Zhanjie, Huang Zhi's guard, whose expression seemed strange. He sighed and said, "I didn't expect Senior Brother Wu Yang to hide so deeply."

Wu Yang chuckled and replied, "Lead the way." Chen Zhanjie then led Wu Yang to Huang Zhi's room.

Upon entering Huang Zhi's room, Wu Yang immediately noticed the paleness of his face. Huang Zhi's frail body was no longer adorned in the luxurious Daoist robe embroidered in gold thread, but instead in a simpler, less ostentatious one.

As Wu Yang settled down on the chair, he directly asked Huang Zhi, "Did you have to sell your belongings to pay this debt?" Knowing Huang Zhi's character, Wu Yang didn't feel any pity for him. He knew that Huang Zhi had always taken advantage of the weak and vulnerable.

Huang Zhi weakly nodded, admitting that he had to sell all his belongings to pay the debt.

Wu Yang sighed, already expecting the answer, and said, "Give me the Spirit Stones. I am busy."

Huang Zhi gritted his teeth and handed Wu Yang a bag with the Spirit Stones. "You can count them, 25 high-grade Spirit Stones and 1 medium-grade Spirit Stone," he said through clenched teeth.

Wu Yang took the bag and began counting. "One, two, three... twenty-five. Yes, there are twenty-five high-grade Spirit Stones in this bag, and 1 medium-grade Spirit Stone. You weren't lying to me," he said, satisfied.

Huang Zhi glared at Wu Yang, feeling insulted that he was being distrusted. However, he handed Wu Yang his Sealed Flame Sword, which he retrieved from his spatial ring, and said, "Here is your sword."

Wu Yang noticed Huang Zhi's predicament and asked, "Did you borrow the Spirit Stones from your master?"

Huang Zhi replied, "Yes, I borrowed them from my master. He told me to lend them back after the bet was over, but I couldn't keep my promise."

Wu Yang gave him a serious look and said, "It seems that your master doesn't value you much, Huang Zhi."

Huang Zhi looked downcast and said, "You're not entirely wrong. My master took me in as his disciple because of my ability to make Spirit Stones."

Wu Yang leaned forward and asked, "Are you unhappy with your master?"

Huang Zhi sighed and said, "I'm not unhappy, but I wish he would value me more."

Wu Yang leaned in and asked a hushed question, "Can you tell me the total value of your belongings?"

Huang Zhi seemed uneasy and declined, "Why should I tell you?"

Wu Yang sighed and stood up, "If you had told me, I might have been able to assist you."

Huang Zhi quickly halted him and inquired, "What do you mean?"

With a slight grin, Wu Yang asked, "First, tell me the total value of all your possessions in the sect."

Huang Zhi hesitated for a moment, but eventually gave in and replied, "It's about 12 high-grade Spirit Stones. But may I ask why you're curious?"

Wu Yang's grin widened as he spoke, "I heard that the Huang Clan is vying for the Sect Master position against the other Extreme Peaks, and that the genius competing for the position, Venerable Huang Zhen, only recently became a Venerable."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "I'm aware that the Huang Clan rules over the Dark Shadow Peak and is a significant faction in the Extreme Jade Sword Sect. Furthermore, I heard that Venerable Eclipse Mist has many disciples, most of whom are from the Huang Clan. Venerable Huang Zhen is also your Senior Brother, right?"

Huang Zhi furrowed his brows in confusion, "I'm not sure I follow. What are you getting at?"

Wu Yang clarified, "Let's say Venerable Huang Zhen had made the same mistake as you. Do you think he would still have to repay the Spirit Stones?"

Huang Zhi's thoughts were scattered as he struggled to come up with an answer. His expression shifted to one of disappointment as he conceded, "I see your point. It's my own fault for not being as talented as Senior Brother Huang Zhen."

Wu Yang countered, "No, it's not that you're less talented than Huang Zhen. Your strengths just lie elsewhere." He continued, "You've managed to accumulate 12 high-grade Spirit Stones at the age of 50, which is quite impressive. Not to mention, you've also reached the Nascent Soul Realm, which is an achievement in itself."

He explained further, "Keep in mind that 2 high-grade Spirit Stones are equivalent to the yearly salary of an inner elder. For you to amass such wealth while dedicating yourself to cultivation, I have to commend you."

Huang Zhi shook his head, "I've suffered great losses this time. I'm not a good businessman. While I may have boasted that no one in the inner court is better than me a few days ago, now I'm starting to doubt myself."

Wu Yang saw through his insecurity and said, "Don't be disheartened by one failure. You can always start over."

Huang Zhi let out a sigh and replied, "You're right. However, it will take me more than a hundred years to recover from this setback. And to make matters worse, my master won't support me anymore." He then turned his gaze to Wu Yang and added, "I also have a debt that needs to be repaid."

Huang Zhi held back another concern - that this failure would affect his decision-making abilities, and make him second-guess every decision.

Wu Yang saw through that and grinned. "Brother Huang Zhi, how about we partner up and form an association?"

Initially, Huang Zhi considered declining the proposal. However, after a moment of contemplation, he furrowed his brows and replied, "It's not that I underestimate you, but I don't believe you have any experience in this field."

Admitting his lack of experience, Wu Yang nodded and offered, "You're right, I don't have any experience, but I can provide you with Spirit Stones to aid you."

Huang Zhi looked sternly at Wu Yang and said, "I'll accept your offer, but I have two conditions. First, I won't take responsibility for any losses, and second, I'll be the one managing the association."

Wu Yang had no issue with Huang Zhi managing the association by himself. He shrugged and replied, "Alright, I can agree to those two conditions."

Wu Yang sat back down on the chair and resumed the conversation with Huang Zhi. He was pleased to talk with him, as he knew that he could benefit from Huang Zhi's dire situation.

Huang Zhi was also happy to talk to Wu Yang, since the latter could help him.

Huang Zhi inquired, "Are you planning to create a gambling association, Brother Wu Yang?" Huang Zhi had a successful track record in creating betting pools, which is how he made most of his money.

Wu Yang frowned and thought, "A gambling association might not be the best long-term option."

Wu Yang was not too concerned about making profits, as he knew that there were limitations to what Spirit Stones could buy. Wealth without strength made one vulnerable and a prime target for robbery.

What Wu Yang really desired was to create a faction that would benefit him in his future reincarnations. Although creating a sect was out of the question at this point, taking small steps forward was crucial.

After considering for a moment, Wu Yang agreed that a gambling association was a good idea. "We could create a betting business and even a stone gambling business," he suggested.

Huang Zhi's eyes lit up with excitement. Before, he thought that he is in a very dire situation and that he will have to work for a few hundred years just to erase this debt. He had been feeling hopeless about his debt, but now he saw a glimmer of hope.

Still, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of suspicion towards Wu Yang's motives. Suppressing these thoughts, he asked, "How many Spirit Stones are you willing to invest first, and what should we call the association?"

Wu Yang had already thought about it and had a name in mind. "I'll give you 2 high-grade Spirit Stones to use as you see fit," he offered. "And as for the name, let's call it the Eternal Jade Association."

Huang Zhi nodded in agreement and asked, "It's a good name. However, how will we divide the profits?"

Wu Yang responded with a fair offer, "I will take 50% and you will take the other 50%."

Wu Yang knew he needed to show Huang Zhi that he was sincere and not trying to take advantage of him. After all, he had played a role in putting Huang Zhi in his current predicament.

Huang Zhi was grateful for Wu Yang's generosity and expressed his appreciation, "Thank you, Brother Wu Yang. I thought you would want more."

"Here are the Spirit Stones. I will give you more if you are able to gain a profit," Wu Yang said as he handed over the 2 high-grade Spirit Stones to Huang Zhi.

"Thank you," Huang Zhi replied with gratitude. "I will try my best."

Wu Yang then gave Huang Zhi some advice, "Also, try to expand to other small Empires. Not many associations think that the small Empires will give them profit, but I believe that we can gain a lot."

Huang Zhi nodded and said, "I understand. Thank you for the advice, Brother Wu Yang."

With that, Wu Yang left for his own cave abode, feeling content with the investment he had made. As he walked away, he couldn't help but think about the potential success that the Eternal Jade Association could bring.

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