Sikong Yi studied Han Wuyou with undisguised suspicion. "I have heard of He Zhenghao. He is quite a prominent figure in the Congyun Sea these days. You are only at the Qi Refinement realm. How could you possibly have connections with someone like him?"
Han Wuyou stroked his goatee, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. "Fellow Daoist, my methods are beyond what you can imagine. I cannot divulge the specifics, but you need not question their authenticity."
Baili Chen and Sikong Yi remained unconvinced, and Han Wuyou gave a cold snort. "Fine. I knew you wouldn't believe me so easily."
He tossed over a spirit talisman. "This is Senior He Zhenghao's communication talisman. Try it yourselves. Then you'll know whether I'm boasting or not."
Sikong Yi caught it with a grave expression and swept it with his divine sense.
Sure enough, the image that surfaced was He Zhenghao himself.
He tried to send a greeting, but Senior He appeared to be occupied. Only an automatic, perfunctory reply came back.
Even so, it was proof enough that Han Wuyou had not been lying.
Han Wuyou retrieved the talisman and pressed on. "Those hundred thousand contribution points in your hands will only dwindle if you sit on them. How much will be left after a year? What about two? Three?
"But entrusting them to Master Li Fan through Senior He Zhenghao is a different matter entirely. You may not be aware, but contribution points invested with Master Li Fan yield a return of at least fifty percent per annum."
Sikong Yi's breath caught.
Baili Chen, the avatar, couldn't hold back. "Fifty percent every year? Impossible!"
He ran the numbers in his head.
That's a minimum of fifty thousand points in profit each year, without lifting a finger. If I reinvest those returns with Master Li... in just six years, one hundred thousand contribution points would become one million.
One million contribution points.
The sheer scale of it made Sikong Yi's head swim.
There had been a time when he believed a hundred thousand contribution points was the crowning achievement of his entire life. Who could have imagined he might one day command assets worth a million?
Once that seed of desire took root, it refused to be uprooted.
Reason told him that an explosive rate of return like this was too good to be true. But Li Fan's reputation had spread far and wide across the cultivation world, and his countless deeds were no fabrication. That was a level Sikong Yi could scarcely hope to reach himself. Perhaps such a staggering ability truly existed?
His heart quickened.
Seeing Sikong Yi's expression, Han Wuyou knew the deal was as good as done.
"Fellow Daoist Han, please, come inside." Sikong Yi ushered him into the cave dwelling and pressed for details.
As Han Wuyou elaborated, Sikong Yi's spirits soared. He only regretted not having encountered Fellow Daoist Han sooner, having let so many opportunities for wealth slip past him.
"Though I wish I could hand over the hundred thousand contribution points to Master Li immediately, nothing is settled yet."
After a moment of feverish imagining, Baili Chen let out a quiet sigh. "The Cloudwater Palace ruins have been sealed for millennia. The dangers within are undoubtedly immense. I have no certainty of successfully retrieving the Cloudwater Model.
"Moreover..." He hesitated, then decided on honesty. "I fear there may still be descendants of the Cloudwater Palace alive in this world."
Han Wuyou's expression shifted slightly. "Is that so?"
Baili Chen recounted what he had sensed while cultivating the Sea-Calming Sword Art.
Han Wuyou considered this before speaking slowly. "In my view, the other party need not be a descendant of the Cloudwater Palace at all. It's quite possible they came across the technique by chance in some ruins."
Baili Chen gave a bitter smile. "Even so, there's no way to verify it. To be honest with you, Fellow Daoist Han, I don't even dare approach that island."
Han Wuyou paced back and forth, visibly thinking.
After a long silence, he spoke. "If you trust me, point out the location of that island. I will handle this for you. But if I succeed, I want forty percent of those hundred thousand contribution points."
Sikong Yi and Baili Chen both looked up, their eyes fixed on him.
After a pause, Baili Chen said quietly, "If you can truly deal with the cultivator practicing the Sea-Calming Sword Art, forty percent is no issue."
"Excellent!"
Sikong Yi led Han Wuyou to the vicinity of Embodiment Island.
"Well?"
Observing from a distance, Han Wuyou frowned. "The island does conceal a dangerous aura."
Then his tone shifted. "But it's not a significant problem."
Sikong Yi was mildly surprised.
"In today's cultivation world," Han Wuyou said coolly, "a cultivator's life may not be as precious as one might imagine.
"Fellow Daoist, return to your cave dwelling and await my good news." Han Wuyou cupped his hands in salute and drifted away.
Sikong Yi watched him go, his expression unreadable.
He did not return to his cave dwelling. Instead, he concealed himself near the island and waited.
Three days later, a black shadow shot toward the island at tremendous speed.
Simultaneously, a cultivator flew out from within.
After a brief standoff, the two erupted into battle.
The shockwaves were tremendous. Watching from hiding, Sikong Yi felt a jolt of alarm.
That Han Wuyou truly isn’t just talk. Judging by the power and scale of this clash, a Nascent Soul cultivator must have made their move. His heart surged with excitement.
After watching for a time, Sikong Yi grew uneasy about being caught in the crossfire and quietly withdrew to his cave dwelling.
Two days after that, Han Wuyou returned.
"Fellow Daoist Baili, try cultivating the Sea-Calming Sword Art again!" he announced, plainly proud of himself.
"I paid a steep price to commission a senior to intervene," he added, with a mysterious air. "I hope the results of your expedition to Cloudwater Palace do not disappoint me, Fellow Daoist."
Overjoyed, Baili Chen immediately attempted to cultivate the technique.
The cultivation he had converted through the Taishang Primordial True Scripture was still preserved within his dantian. In less than half a day, he had fully restored his realm to where it had been before he dispersed the technique.
He probed with his senses. The other cultivator who had been practicing the same technique was gone.
"Fellow Daoist Han, what remarkable skill!" Sikong Yi was greatly pleased, his confidence in Han Wuyou's capabilities rising considerably.
Han Wuyou stroked his beard with satisfaction. "In today's cultivation world, brute force alone will get you nowhere. You need backing. You need connections."
Sikong Yi nodded along as he listened.
The three of them carefully worked through the finer points of their plan. By the time all preparations were in place, the day of Cloudwater Palace's opening was nearly upon them.
They set out together for the heart of the Congyun Sea. By then, a great many cultivators had already gathered outside Cloudwater Palace, drawn by the spectacle.