Chapter 785: Section 573: Yan Yi Consultation (Extra update for 2800 monthly votes last month)
As a middleman, Yan Yi found Hun Tong and hid the truth about the contribution intelligence. He simply stated, “I was pressured by Tan Mo and had no choice but to act as the intermediary. That damned Tan Mo is extremely despicable, he sees that I’m only at Bronze Level and bullies me like this!”
Hun Tong felt delighted upon hearing this but patted Yan Yi on the shoulder with a concerned face, trying to empathize, “You and I are on the same side. When we first cooperated, it was out of kinship.”
“That Tan Mo bastard is relentless when it comes to money, he disregards everything. Unfortunately, he has a strong background among the empire’s spies, he has been extorting for so many years, and nobody has been able to bring him down!”
Yan Yi said frankly, “This time, Tan Mo’s attitude is particularly menacing and resolute. He says he won’t stop until he gets at least 30,000 Gold Coins.”
Hun Tong flew into a rage, “The nerve of him to demand that!”
He had worked hard to raise funds, and he was still some distance away from 30,000 Gold Coins. However, it wasn’t much further. To reach 30,000 Gold, he would have to dig into his personal reserves to make up the difference.
Yan Yi pleaded, “Lord, the situation is beyond us, taking a step back will lead to a bigger sky ahead.”
Hun Tong struggled to suppress his anger and, under Yan Yi’s pleading gaze, eventually chose to compromise, “30,000 Gold, can it really not be any less?”
“To tell you the truth, I can come up with 30,000 Gold. But my concern is that this will invite even greater greed from Tan Mo.”
“Bargaining is necessary. I must make him understand my bottom line!”
Yan Yi hurriedly said, “Lord, having this attitude is truly wise.”
“Rest assured, as a middleman, I will do my utmost to haggle with Tan Mo, trying to make him realize that 30,000 Gold is the bottom line.”
Tan Mo nodded, “Shadow, I have great confidence in your work. If someone else were the intermediary, I’d be worried about inappropriate words upsetting Tan Mo and worsening the situation. But you, you would never make such a mistake, right?”
Yan Yi’s body trembled slightly, understanding this was a warning from Tan Mo, and quickly assured, “Of course! Lord, you can be completely at ease.”
Yan Yi left Hun Tong and went to meet with Tan Mo, after communicating.
With the results of the communication, Yan Yi reported back to Hun Tong.
Hun Tong fumed, “What? Tan Mo has his eyes on my Alchemy Components? Aside from the 30,000 Gold Coins, he also intends to take the Golden Level as a bonus?”
Yan Yi said, “Tan Mo suggested, since the Lord is unable to repair the Golden Shiny, why not let go of the Golden Eye?”
“He also said, just the name alone matches his Treasure Chest perfectly.”
Hun Tong was so angry he laughed.
“The surveillance component Golden Eye on the Golden Shiny ship, is a Golden Level alchemy creation, and could even be seen as a Holy Artifact of the Wealth Sect!”
“Because it constantly uses the Valuation Skill!”
“It can appraise every single thing within its surveillance range. It’s an unconventional, highly effective surveillance tool.”
“Its market price, conservatively estimated, is 4000 Gold. And in Tan Mo’s mouth, it’s just a mere ‘addition’?”
At this point, Hun Tong stared at Yan Yi with a dark expression, not hiding his rage.
Yan Yi took a step back, sweating profusely, “Lord, I have really done everything I could in the negotiations.”
“Tan Mo’s greed is truly shocking.”
“When I was on my way back, I clearly told Tan Mo that his demands are very unlikely to be fulfilled. He shouldn’t get his hopes up.”
“Perhaps, Lord, if you confront him face-to-face and express a firm stance, it might make him truly recognize reality.”
Hun Tong did not nod to Yan Yi’s suggestion.
For Hun Tong, he needed a mediator to coordinate this matter.
He was reluctant to face Tan Mo directly, partly due to contempt and pride, and partly because he was at a disadvantage in such negotiations. He needed leeway for maneuvering, and Yan Yi was that leeway, the frontline of defense he set up.
Yan Yi was well-suited for this job.
For one, Yan Yi held a high position and considerable weight as the head spy of Twin Eyes Island. On the other hand, Yan Yi was easily manipulated. A Bronze Level was truly insignificant compared to a Golden Level.
After some thought, Hun Tong said, “I will not let go of Golden Eye, but I can pay a bit more in terms of Gold Coins.”
“If 30,000 Gold Coins are not feasible, 32,000 Gold is possible.”
“Remember, this is my bottom line on the price. Go and negotiate again!”
Hun Tong sent Yan Yi away.
Yan Yi found Tan Mo again, and after some communication and negotiation, returned to Hun Tong with the results.
After several rounds, not only did the negotiation show no signs of ending, it had worsened significantly.
Tan Mo’s demands grew higher and higher, while Hun Tong, constrained by circumstances, could only step back further.
But Hun Tong was no pushover, as the rage and heat built in his heart.
“That villain Tan Mo!”
“I, the influential Lord Hun Tong, am actually being threatened by him!”
“He holds no respect for me, thinking I’m old, thinking I’m easy to bully!!”
“I’m starting to envy the Ice Sculpture Kingdom. If only we had such customs here, I would surely challenge him to a duel of honor!!”
Yan Yi kept on earnestly advising Hun Tong.
“When we take a step back, the sky and sea are wide, Lord.”
“The future is yours, this setback in your life is but an embellishment, highlighting your admirable ability to be flexible.”
“We’ve endured the Fishman’s siege, and we’ve endured the crisis caused by the Devil’s Coin. We persisted through such hardships. There’s no need to ruin everything at the last hurdle.”
Aside from urging him, Yan Yi also offered Hun Tong strategies.
For instance, “My Lord, you could actually leverage support.”
“The capital held by those guilds is substantial.”
Hun Tong refused.
Yan Yi then suggested, “Since your Lordship wishes to bring in the Justice Sect, those people can also be leveraged. Borrow a large sum of money from them! They surely have the funds, what with the development capital for the new parish.”
But Hun Tong had already tried that.
Yan Yi, out of options, suggested again, “My Lord, perhaps you could sell some furnishings, cellared wines, or antiques from the City Lord’s mansion.”
Hun Tong shook his head and flatly criticized the idea as atrocious. By doing that, he would lose all the nobility’s face.
Realizing he had hit rock bottom and refusing to relent any further, Hun Tong asked Yan Yi if he could support him with some funds.
Yan Yi admitted he was utterly destitute, the gold coins given before were all his assets.
Hun Tong angrily rebuked that there was no need for such deceitful ghosts’ tales in his presence.
Yan Yi reiterated, he truly had nothing left.
Hun Tong then said, “As the leader of the spies, can’t you access the organization’s operational funds?”
Yan Yi was shocked: At this critical juncture, if he were to use the organization’s funds again, wouldn’t he be handing over leverage? Tan Mo would be delighted to learn of it.
Hun Tong’s face turned cold, “I am already in this state, do you still have these concerns?”
“Moreover, we are one and the same, this time it’s about us overcoming the difficulty together.”
“Once this is over, I will compensate you doubly!”
Pressed into a corner, Yan Yi reluctantly nodded, agreeing to draw on the funds to see what could be done.
After being pushed once more, Yan Yi approached Tan Mo and said, “I have a good method that can get the Lord at least 50,000 gold.”
Tan Mo was momentarily stunned, then intensely curious.
Like Hun Tong, he too had reached his limit in these arduous negotiations and was running out of patience.
He had considered that the other party might relent, but from the agreed upon 20,000-plus gold coins to suddenly 50,000—there was definitely something fishy!
Yan Yi, observing the surprised expression on Tan Mo’s face, spread his hands and said, “The person who can give out these 50,000 gold coins is not Hun Tong. Lord Tan Mo, please allow me to introduce you.”
Tan Mo’s expression returned to calm as he looked intently at Yan Yi, “Lead the way.”
The submarine broke through the icy blue waters and cold layers peppered with ice chips, carving out a path.
The sub was very small and cramped inside, barely enough for two people.
Clearly, this miniature submarine, although a demon energy vessel, was a special craft, incomparable to the Deep Sea Monster Fish.
It was only suitable for certain special scenarios.
Such as the current escape.
Hiding inside the submarine were Zi Di, along with Yuan Ci the elder.
This elder of the Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce, with his pale complexion, bearded face, and large frame, looked alarmingly thin.
This was quite different from the image of Yuan Ci that Zi Di had in memory.
In her recollection, Elder Yuan Ci was tall and strong with a booming voice, who, during negotiations, liked to use his loud voice to overpower his competitors’.
Most importantly, he was an ordinary person. But now, he was showing the aura of a Silver Level Mage.
Zi Di, while investigating the Purple Vine Shop in the Ice Sculpture Royal Capital, was ambushed. Just when she was about to be overtaken and killed, Elder Yuan Ci suddenly arrived in the submarine, breaking through the floor of ice, and dramatically rescued Zi Di.
Of course, the enemies who ambushed Zi Di did not give up easily and chased after them full force.
The sub, under Elder Yuan Ci’s control, sped wildly and fled desperately, eventually shaking off the pursuers.
During this time, Zi Di and Yuan Ci had a brief exchange and established initial trust.
“After this layer of ice fragments, we’ll reach my Alchemy Laboratory,” said Yuan Ci.
“I never imagined that beneath the Ice Sculpture Royal Capital lay such a sight,” Zi Di exclaimed.
The Ice Sculpture Royal Capital was a magnificent city built on a ten-thousand-year-old Ice Lake. Beneath the city was not soil but dense, thick ice.
Yet it was not just dense ice layers.
According to Yuan Ci: The Ice Lake had four major ice layers.
The topmost was ten-year ice, which after countless years of reinforcement and numerous Magic Arrays constructed by the Kingdom, has become very tough and thick.
Below that was the hundred-year ice layer, from which Hundred-Year Ice could be harvested.
Deeper still was thousand-year-old ice.
And the last layer was ten-thousand-year-old ice.
The ten-thousand-year-old ice enveloped the Divine Level remains of a dragon whose great power, even after countless years in death, affected the entire Ten-thousand-year-old Ice Lake and the Ice Sculpture Royal Capital at all times.
Floating around each ice layer were layers of ice fragments, where cold ice fragments and the lake water intertwined, continuously transforming.
Between layers of ice flowed the lake water, along with a unique cold freshwater ecosystem.
Almost all creatures thriving there were Magic Beasts, many species unique to the Ten-thousand-year-old Ice Lake.
Apart from that, there were the Alchemy Rooms.