The Sword God of the Universe

Chapter 2151: Jing Yan’s Asking Price

Xin Li held the position of Chief Manager in the Xin Family, and although his authority was not small and he was highly valued by the Xin Family higher-ups, no matter how you put it, the status of a Chief Manager still could not compare to that of an elder.

The Xin Family sent Xin Li, this Chief Manager, to approach Jing Yan, rather than someone with a higher status.

Of course, this was also within Jing Yan’s expectations; he did not feel any anger just because the Xin Family had not sent a clan elder. Because for a force like the Xin Family, a Loose Cultivator like Jing Yan truly was nothing special. Even if Jing Yan was an extremely outstanding Nether Sky Realm Cultivator, that still really didn’t count for much.

This point could actually be seen from the attitude of the Building Owner of the Mystic Moon Trading House Headquarters on the Blue Rain Divine Continent toward Jing Yan. After learning that Jing Yan had repelled Ji Bian, that Building Owner of the Blue Rain Divine Continent Mystic Moon Trading House Headquarters still had no intention of personally meeting Jing Yan. And the Blue Rain Divine Continent Mystic Moon Trading House was merely a branch under the regional Business Building.

The energy of the Four Great Forces was immense; even a powerhouse at the level of a Wuxia Heavenly Monarch would still have to lower his head before the Four Great Forces.

”Manager Xin, I’ve long heard of you!” Jing Yan stood up and cupped his hands toward Xin Li.

Saying ”I’ve long heard of you” was purely polite talk. Jing Yan had simply never heard of Xin Li before; it was only a few days ago, when the Wuxia Heavenly Monarch came over, that he mentioned all the members of the Four Great Forces who had arrived at the Yellow Spring Cave to open the entrance.

”Mr. Jing Yan, you’re too polite.” Xin Li also smiled as he spoke.

He was actually giving Jing Yan some face by addressing him as ”Mr.” One had to know that Xin Li was also a Cultivator at the Immortal Rhythm Netherworld Realm level, and he was the Chief Manager of the Xin Family among the Four Great Forces; for him to still address Jing Yan as ”Mr.” was already giving him a great deal of face.

”Manager Xin coming here to me, you must have something in mind?” Jing Yan asked, though he already knew the answer.

For the Xin Family’s Chief Manager Xin Li to come into contact with him, it was definitely about this matter of hiring. Jing Yan knew that the Four Great Forces must have thoroughly investigated his identity information, and it would not be difficult for them to find out that he had once suppressed Ji Bian, that Immortal Rhythm Netherworld Realm Cultivator, in the battle at Divine Martial City.

”Mr. Jing Yan, then I’ll be straightforward.”

”My Xin Family intends to hire Mr. Jing Yan. I wonder, at this moment, have you already been hired by any other force?” Xin Li turned his gaze and asked.

Jing Yan shook his head and said, ”Manager Xin, your Xin Family is the first force to come looking for me.”

”Haha, then that makes things easier.” Xin Li laughed heartily and continued, ”Mr. Jing Yan, I wonder how many Black Crystal Stones my Xin Family would need to offer in order to hire you for one engagement?”

”Manager Xin, why don’t you name a price for me to hear?” Jing Yan narrowed his eyes slightly and asked.

Based on the previous offers made by the Four Great Forces to Hireds after the Yellow Spring Cave opened in past years, Jing Yan felt that his own hiring fee should be above fifty billion Black Crystal Stones. In the past, many of the hiring fees offered by the Four Great Forces were between twenty billion and forty billion Black Crystal Stones. But Jing Yan believed that his strength should be somewhat greater than that of the Hireds previously employed by the Four Great Forces, so fifty billion Black Crystal Stones seemed more appropriate.

Moreover, this was Jing Yan’s first time becoming a Hired. Although the Four Great Forces had certainly probed into his identity information, their understanding of his strength would definitely be incomplete. For this first hiring, asking for fifty billion Black Crystal Stones was about right. When it came to the second hiring, the price should be able to rise again. And in that second hiring, what Jing Yan would demand would not be limited to regular resources like Black Crystal Stones.

Each time the Yellow Spring Cave opened, in the Points battle among the Four Great Forces, the Hireds provided by Yuantong Immortal Venerable could be hired at most three times.

”Mr. Jing Yan, our Xin Family has discussed this internally. I won’t beat around the bush and will just quote directly. Our Xin Family is willing to offer thirty billion Black Crystal Stones to hire Xiao Ran to participate in the first round of the Yellow Spring Cave Points battle. Thirty billion Black Crystal Stones—our Xin Family is showing sincerity.” Xin Li opened his mouth and reported a price.

Thirty billion Black Crystal Stones!

To be honest, this price could not be said to lack sincerity on the Xin Family’s part. If they were hiring some other Hired—that is, if they were hiring any of the other Hireds besides Jing Yan among the stronger ones—this would be about the going rate. Even for the three Hireds who had already become Guests under Yuantong Immortal Venerable, the fee to hire them might also be only thirty to forty billion Black Crystal Stones, and it would be difficult for it to exceed fifty billion.

But Jing Yan was not very satisfied with this price; it was somewhat far from the figure he had in mind.

Jing Yan frowned slightly and said, ”Manager Xin, thirty billion Black Crystal Stones is a bit too little.”

”Mr. Jing Yan, our Xin Family has learned about you and knows your strength is extremely great—you once defeated that Immortal Rhythm Cultivator Ji Bian in Divine Martial City on the Blue Rain Divine Continent. However, this is still your first time becoming a Hired.” Xin Li also furrowed his brows.

He had originally thought that Jing Yan would accept the Xin Family’s offer of thirty billion Black Crystal Stones. It now seemed that Jing Yan’s appetite was much bigger than the Xin Family had imagined.

Hearing Xin Li’s words, Jing Yan smiled and said, ”Manager Xin, I won’t go in circles with you either. If the Xin Family is willing to offer fifty billion Black Crystal Stones, then I can participate in the first Yellow Spring Cave Points battle on behalf of the Xin Family.”

”Fifty billion?” Xin Li’s expression changed slightly.

An extra twenty billion Black Crystal Stones at once— even for the Xin Family, rich and powerful as one of the Four Great Forces, this was not a small sum.

Xin Li then stood up and said, ”I have to go back and discuss this with the Xin Family Patriarch and the others.”

”Please do as you wish, Manager Xin!” Jing Yan stood up to see him out.

Jing Yan’s asking price had indeed exceeded the psychological tolerance range of the Xin Family.

In the eyes of the Xin Family, fifty billion Black Crystal Stones really was too high a price. Although their investigations had yielded information that Jing Yan’s strength could suppress ordinary Immortal Rhythm Cultivators, in that battle at Divine Martial City where Jing Yan suppressed Ji Bian, no one could be certain there wasn’t some water in it. Ji Bian did indeed flee, and many people saw that with their own eyes, but who knew whether Ji Bian was fleeing because he feared Jing Yan, or because he feared the Wuxia Heavenly Monarch of the Blue Rain Divine Continent?

One had to know that at that time, the Wuxia Heavenly Monarch was also near Divine Martial City. Among the high-level members of the Four Great Forces, more of them believed that Ji Bian fled because the Wuxia Heavenly Monarch appeared.

After Jing Yan met with Xin Li, another seven or eight days passed, and people from the Mystic Moon Trading House arrived. The Mystic Moon Trading House was the second force among the Four Great Forces to make contact with Jing Yan.

The member of the Mystic Moon Trading House who came to see Jing Yan was precisely Qi Yuan, the Building Owner of the Mystic Moon Trading House Headquarters on the Blue Rain Divine Continent.

Originally, Qi Yuan did not need to come to a place like the Yellow Spring Cave this time; he had been transferred here at the last moment. The reason was that the high-level figures at the regional Mystic Moon Trading House Headquarters felt that having Qi Yuan approach Jing Yan to negotiate the hiring matter might go more smoothly.

”Little friend Jing Yan, I am Qi Yuan, Building Owner of the Mystic Moon Trading House Headquarters on the Blue Rain Divine Continent!” Qi Yuan arrived at Jing Yan’s residence, looked at Jing Yan, and said with a light smile.