Chapter 682: Section 469: Interests Attract Friends and Enemies
Master Zhong Bei listened to his father and almost glared in desperation.
What was his father thinking, pushing out a continuous goldmine?
Cai Jing stared deeply at Master Da Bei, pointing at the latter with his finger, then burst into laughter, “I was indeed not wrong. Working with you is truly delightful.”
“But you do not need to doubt the reason I sought cooperation with you is very simple.”
“You will all understand once you approach there.”
Cai Jing pointed towards the secret door behind him as he spoke.
Master Da Bei didn’t move, but gestured to his son.
Of course, the father and son had an unspoken understanding.
Zhong Bei slowly stepped forward and approached the secret door.
Suddenly, he halted, his expression subtly changing. Then he turned around and urgently reported to his father,
“I have received a secret message, which should be accessible once the door is opened and by moving closer to it.”
“Prosperous Hybrid Master hopes that we successors, while taking the Grafted Magic Plants, will also place a new Magic Plant inside the secret door to establish a new legacy, so it continues to be passed down.”
Master Da Bei listened and a slight glimmer passed through his eyes, “This indeed reflects the Druids’ manner of conducting themselves.”
This legacy was like a small cabin in the woods.
It welcomed and was willing to help all travelers who took shelter inside. Meanwhile, it also hoped that each visitor could do something within their capabilities for the cabin. For instance, splitting a pile of firewood before leaving, so that later visitors could light it immediately on rainy days to warm themselves.
This promoted the idea of everyone taking turns to assist one another, benefitting mutually.
“Great news, Father!” Zhong Bei was animated, “This message also tells me that as long as we place the new Magic Plant in there, and if the plant is acknowledged by the secret door, we will get the specific location of another inheritance left by Prosperous Hybrid Master!”
Hearing this, Master Da Bei raised his eyebrows, looking again at Cai Jing.
Everything became clear.
He quickly understood the unspoken intentions of Cai Jing, and his wariness towards him rapidly diminished.
Zhong Bei walked back, visibly excited.
He said to Cai Jing, “This matter holds great potential! We continue using cryogenic techniques, extensively cultivating Magic Plants for grafting, and we’re bound to get a pot that meets the standard. By inserting it, we would get information about the second inheritance location.”
But on this matter, Cai Jing had a different opinion: “We previously used cryogenic techniques as an advantage in quantity. In fact, it was just filling the quota and bluffing our way through. According to my estimation, cultivating a Grafted Magic Plant that meets Prosperous Hybrid Master’s standards is much more difficult than opening the secret door. Using our previous methods, the likelihood of success is not great.”
Zhong Bei paused, then his face reflected a contemplative expression.
The analysis of Cai Jing made sense.
Zhong Bei’s enthusiasm wasn’t reduced in the slightest, and he continued, “If that is the case, then we can only engage in long-term research. I believe with the combined strength of both our parties, as long as we cooperate sincerely, we will definitely cultivate Magic Plants that meet the standards in the future.”
In the view of Zhong Bei, this was completely worth investing in! This was, after all, a legacy left by a Legendary figure.
And they had already succeeded once, although only harvesting one Grafted Magic Plant, but even this single result was immensely valuable and brought them huge profits.
But hearing Zhong Bei speak thus, Cai Jing slightly smiled and shook his head.
Zhong Bei’s face showed puzzlement; he did not understand Cai Jing’s intention.
His father, Master Da Bei, gently reminded him, “Fool, why should we be led by the nose by a dead piece of inherited information?”
“Prosperous Hybrid Master arranged this indeed shrewdly knowing human nature, but after all, he’s a Druid, still a bit too naive.”
“This is indeed a clue, but the cost is high. We do not have to follow his arrangement, we can find our own clues and deduce other inheritance locations.”
“In this regard, Master Cai Jing, you certainly have profound insights!”
Zhong Bei turned his burning gaze towards Cai Jing.
Cai Jing spoke in a calm tone, “Simply put, it’s quite straightforward.”
“According to records, Prosperous Hybrid Master traveled the entire world. Being a Legendary figure, wherever he went, he almost certainly caused significant disturbances and left behind deep historical records.”
“This greatly facilitates our search for clues. Often, we just need to “follow the vine to get the melon.”
Zhong Bei slightly frowned, “Prosperous Hybrid Master indeed traveled the entire world. To my knowledge, he even entered Dragon Island and the strange Elemental Realm. But to search for inheritance, the scope of the entire world seems too broad.”
Cai Jing continued, “In the early stages of Prosperous Hybrid Master’s travels, the likelihood of him leaving behind an inheritance was very small.”
“In general, he gained insights during his travels. Once he accumulated enough insights, he would settle in a place for a brief period to conduct research. Only after he achieved results would he leave behind an inheritance.”
“Just like the inheritance we obtained, Prosperous Hybrid Master settled here on this Deserted Island, after traveling through the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, and named it Flower Skirt Island. He achieved results here and left them, establishing this legacy. That is his way of conducting affairs.”
Zhong Bei suddenly had an epiphany and blurted out, “I’ve got it!”
“Grafting Mountain!”
“The Flourishing Hybrid Master once stayed on Grafting Mountain for a period. Now, Grafting Town below the mountain also originated from him.”
Master Cai Jing smiled, nodding as he added, “The Flourishing Hybrid Master also ventured deep into the heart of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, entering Anqiu. It took him over ten days to emerge, and the likelihood that he left behind a legacy there is very high.”
Master Zhong Bei looked hesitant, “Anqiu… that’s just a rumor, right? Although the Flourishing Hybrid Master was indeed invited by the Royal Family, there’s no clear record whether he actually entered Anqiu.”
“It would be extremely difficult to search for the master’s legacy within Anqiu.”
“The Royal Family doesn’t allow entry. It’s one of the most important forbidden lands in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom!”
“At the same time, we’re also unsure whether the Flourishing Hybrid Master left any legacy there.”
Master Zhong Bei, affiliated with the Alchemy Guild, held a considerable respect for the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
But Master Cai Jing had a different opinion, “We have now unlocked one of the Flourishing Hybrid Master’s legacies, and from what we have gained, it appears very likely that we will benefit greatly.”
“The huge profits we’re making can help us build even greater influence. Over time, we can completely negotiate with the Royal Family.”
“As long as the power is equivalent and the interests are sufficient, there’s nothing that can’t be discussed.”
Master Da Bei nodded, “There indeed lies a possibility of that. As one of the elders of the Alchemy Guild, I can also use the guild’s channels to facilitate negotiations with the Royal Family.”
“Of course, before that, it would be best if we could confirm that the Flourishing Hybrid Master truly left a legacy in Anqiu.”
Master Zhong Bei’s expression was vacant.
Master Da Bei looked towards Master Cai Jing with a serious tone. “Please forgive my audacity, Master Cai Jing. I now formally invite you to join our guild on behalf of the Alchemy Guild’s elders, if that’s acceptable?”
Upon hearing this, Master Zhong Bei’s mouth fell open.
He clearly remembered: Master Cai Jing had been expelled and exiled by the Alchemy Guild. His father’s direct invitation, representing the guild, was that even possible?
Master Zhong Bei, though middle-aged, was still much more naive, especially compared to Master Da Bei and Master Cai Jing.
The latter two, seasoned and cunning, understood what each other wanted. Sometimes a sentence meant multiple layers of implications. Master Zhong Bei struggled to keep up with their pace, let alone grasp their true intentions.
Master Cai Jing nodded slightly, his eyes lying but his expression serious and earnest, “In fact, I have always had a strong fondness for the Alchemy Guild. It would truly be an honor to join it!
“However, timing might be a bit inconvenient recently.”
Master Da Bei nodded.
Master Zhong heard the two seemed to have made an agreement, and he became anxious again. He felt his father was making empty promises, and Master Cai Jing took them seriously.
In reality, he knew the Alchemy Guild had an extremely negative view of Cai Jing, and his father was just one of many elders in the guild, not influential enough to represent the entire guild personally.
“What if my father can’t convince the Alchemy Guild upon returning, and we fail Master Cai Jing, what then?”
Yet Master Da Bei and Master Cai Jing were confident in making the partnership happen.
Everything was about interests!
Previously, Master Cai Jing had manufactured fake drugs for his own gain, harming the Alchemy Guild’s profits. Therefore, he was ostracized and expelled.
Now, with the allure of the Flourishing Hybrid Master’s legacy, the Alchemy Guild of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom was sure to put past grievances aside and integrate Master Cai Jing into their endeavors to mutually explore opportunities.
Why Master Cai Jing chose to continue collaborating with Master Da Bei and others was for that reason.
On one hand, he needed the territory and talent to massively cultivate Grafted Magic Plants and earn stable profits. On the other hand, the Flourishing Hybrid Master’s legacy was likely within the Ice Sculpture Kingdom. He needed to delve deeper into the territory to unearth more of the legacy.
It was time to turn foes into allies!
Master Da Bei and Master Cai Jing exchanged glances, agreeing to deepen their partnership, finding each other more agreeable.
Master Da Bei finally stared at the secret door of the legacy, “Although discovered here, to buy time, we should destroy this secret door.”
Master Cai Jing shook his head slightly, “I have already tried many methods, the possibility of destroying the secret door is small. A more practical approach is to erase the legacy information here. This information is a rather obvious clue for those who come after.”
The mages were no Druids, they had no empathy for the arrangements of the Flourishing Hybrid Master. To safeguard their own interests, they planned to destroy the secret door without any scruples or hesitation.
But just then, an extremely intense presence suddenly approached.
The mages’ expressions changed in unison.
By the time they realized an attack was incoming, it was already too late.
Boom!
A violent explosion occurred, and even Flower Skirt Island seemed to tremble.
The attacker hovered mid-air, overlooking the rolling smoke below.
When he attacked, his Holy Domain level presence could no longer be concealed, clearly revealed!