Chapter 9 One Hundred Thousand Taels of Silver
As soon as Song Rulong spoke these words, Bai Qing'er, who was pouring tea, trembled slightly, her eyes filled with disbelief.
The young man she had spent the night with was actually an innate-level master?
Yet, in the past century, Witch Mountain City had only produced three innate-level masters!
And now, the only ones still alive were Patriarch Song and Cao Zheng, the leader of the Canal Gang!
Though she found it hard to believe, she knew that the head of the Song family wouldn't come here just to make such a joke.
Li Changsheng looked at Song Rulong with a faint smile and said:
"What if I am an innate-level master? What if I'm not?"
"If you are an innate-level master, the Song family is willing to give up half of our wealth in exchange for your protection for twenty years!" Song Rulong spoke earnestly.
This surprised Li Changsheng somewhat.
Li Changsheng looked at Song Rulong and said calmly:
"Patriarch Song is an innate-level master. Even the Canal Gang wouldn't dare to act recklessly against you. Why do you need my protection?"
"The patriarch doesn't have much time left!" Song Rulong forced a bitter smile. "Once the patriarch passes, the Canal Gang will undoubtedly seize the opportunity to unify Witch Mountain City. Our only chance now is to seek the protection of an innate-level master."
Li Changsheng nodded. It was true that if the Song patriarch died, the Song family wouldn't be able to hold onto their vast fortune. However, he hadn't expected Song Rulong to offer half of their wealth in exchange for his protection.
"I'm not an innate-level master," Li Changsheng looked at Song Rulong and said indifferently. "But the Canal Gang is nothing in my eyes. If you want me to protect the Song family, deliver one hundred thousand taels of silver here by this evening."
"After that, the offer won't stand."
Song Rulong gritted his teeth and said, "Please wait, sir. I'll go prepare it now."
"Hmm."
"Also, I only want silver in cash, not banknotes."
...
After Song Rulong left, Bai Qing'er asked softly, "Are you... really an innate-level master?"
"I already said, my martial arts cultivation hasn't reached the innate level yet."
Li Changsheng shook his head.
He wasn't lying. His martial arts cultivation was still at the Houtian level, but he had already reached the seventh layer of the Golden Body Technique. Even if he faced a peak innate-level grandmaster, he could still put up a fight.
This time, he had intended to take control of the Canal Gang, as only then would he have enough money to search for the opportunity to cultivate immortality.
Moreover, now that he had cultivated the Golden Body Technique, he didn't know when the Medicine King Sect would come knocking. The only way to stand against them was to quickly increase his strength.
"If you're not an innate-level master, I still advise you to leave Witch Mountain City. Cao Zheng has been a renowned innate-level master for many years. He's not an easy opponent!" Bai Qing'er urged.
"A mere Cao Zheng? I could crush him with a single hand."
Li Changsheng shook his head.
...
Song Rulong returned to the Song residence and went straight to the backyard where the patriarch was staying.
Song Zhengyu lay on a reclining chair in the small courtyard, basking in the sun. As an innate-level master, he should normally have no problem living into his seventies or eighties. However, at this moment, Song Zhengyu exuded an aura of decay, as if he were on the verge of death.
A middle-aged man who bore some resemblance to Song Rulong stood nearby, attending to the patriarch.
"How did it go?"
Seeing his eldest son Song Rulong enter, Song Zhengyu slightly lifted his eyelids and asked.
"That young master Li demands one hundred thousand taels of silver by this evening before he agrees to protect our Song family."
Song Rulong spoke gravely.
Before Song Zhengyu could respond, Song Ruhu, who had been attending to the patriarch, couldn't hold back and said coldly, "Brother, you didn't actually agree to that, did you? Some unknown kid—what right does he have to protect our Song family?"
"Not only does our family not have that much silver on hand, even if we did, I wouldn't agree to it!"
Song Rulong ignored Song Ruhu and instead looked at the patriarch and said, "Father, I've already agreed. I'll go and take the silver from the treasury now, but it won't be enough. We'll need to sell some of the family's assets."
Bang!
"How dare you!"
Song Ruhu slammed his hand on a small stool beside him, shattering it to pieces. He roared, "I've already said it—I'm on good terms with several of the Canal Gang's hall masters. As long as we don't provoke the gang, nothing will happen!"
"Let me make this clear—if you dare to give him the money, we're splitting the family!"
Song Rulong didn't respond, only looked at the patriarch.
"Let's split the family."
The patriarch sighed and said, "I'm about to die. The decisions are yours to make. No matter who makes the right choice, I only hope that the Song family can continue to thrive after I'm gone."
Hearing this, Song Ruhu's eyes lit up with joy.
He had always wanted to split the family, but the patriarch had refused. He hadn't expected to succeed today!
After a while, Song Rulong and Song Ruhu left the small courtyard.
"Song Rulong, let me make this clear—after the family is split, we'll have no further relationship."
"Don't expect me to plead with the Canal Gang for you."
With that, he turned and left.
Watching Song Ruhu's retreating figure, Song Rulong muttered two words:
"Idiot."
...
In just three hours, Song Rulong brought one hundred thousand taels of silver to the Spring Fragrance Tower.
Fortunately, due to the previous day's events and the early hour, this didn't cause much of a stir. However, the fact that Song Rulong had sold off family assets to gather the silver wouldn't escape the notice of those paying attention.
After delivering the silver, Song Rulong didn't stay long and left immediately.
Li Changsheng dismissed Bai Qing'er and looked at the piles of silver filling half the room, his eyes blazing with intensity. He murmured to himself:
"I refuse to believe that, after so many simulations, I still can't find the path to immortality!"
"Recharge!"
[Recharge successful. Current balance: 80,000 gold coins.]
[Do you wish to use the Life Simulator immediately? One simulation costs 10 gold coins.]
"Use it!"
[At eighteen, you crippled the Canal Gang's members at the Spring Fragrance Tower, making a name for yourself in Witch Mountain City.]
[Three days later, you stormed the Canal Gang, decisively killing the gang leader Cao Zheng and the Wind-Chasing Sword Zhou Yunqing, bringing all of Witch Mountain City under your control.]
[After taking control of Witch Mountain City, you sent people out to search for traces of immortals, but found nothing.]
[Half a month later, you switched to cultivating the Autumn Water Technique.]
[Three months later, Houtian mid-level martial artist Liu Yuhe came to challenge you but was easily defeated by you, further elevating your reputation!]
[At twenty-one, you defeated dozens of challengers, earning the nickname 'Mang Jingang' (Savage Vajra). You were hailed as the number one martial artist in the Qi Kingdom, and countless martial factions joined your banner, making you the martial alliance leader of the Qi Kingdom.]
[At twenty-five, with the help of abundant resources, you finally advanced to the late Houtian level.]
[At thirty, four peak innate-level masters from the Medicine King Sect came to Witch Mountain City to ambush you, but within a hundred moves, you killed all four!]
[At thirty-five, you successfully reached the peak Houtian level.]
[At forty-seven, you finally broke through to the innate level.]
[At fifty, a mysterious expert from the Medicine King Sect attacked you. Despite your best efforts, they found an opening and severely injured you with a single Fireball Technique.]
[You fled in panic, but were pursued. Choosing to jump off a thousand-zhang cliff, you died!]
[Simulation ended. You may retain one of the following:]
[1. The cultivation level at age fifty.]
[2. The combat experience at age fifty.]
"So, immortals do exist in this world!"
Li Changsheng's eyes shone with intensity. Though the immortal in this simulation wasn't as powerful as he had imagined, the fact that a single 'Fireball Technique' severely injured him was undeniable proof of an immortal's existence.
"It seems the path to immortality still lies within the Medicine King Sect!"