Chapter 967: Chapter 347: Making Money
When Shen Xi and Su Lingkou found Ning Zhuo, the latter was at one of the counters in the Internal Affairs Hall, conversing quietly with a cultivator.
“Daoist Fellow Ning Zhuo,” Shen Xi softly greeted.
Ning Zhuo turned, revealing a slight smile, showing no hint of the cloud of being driven out: “Ah, it’s you two, Shen and Su. I didn’t expect to meet you here again.”
Following that, he proactively introduced the cultivator behind the counter: “This is Daoist Fellow Cao Gui, I’ve been having a pleasant conversation with him.”
“If you two wish to rent a cave mansion, his skills should meet your satisfaction.”
Shen Xi first nodded with a smile to Cao Gui, then looked at Ning Zhuo: “This time, I’m here looking for you, Daoist Fellow Ning. Please step aside for a talk.”
“Oh?” Ning Zhuo was slightly surprised.
The three immediately left the Internal Affairs Hall, standing under the shade of a tree outside, conversing.
Shen Xi expressed that he had heard of Ning Zhuo’s predicament and specially brought him some intel.
Ning Zhuo took the Jade Slip handed by Shen Xi and with a sweep of his divine sense, found it was all about Yu Heye.
He couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows slightly, scrutinizing Shen Xi.
Shen Xi’s actions caught Ning Zhuo off guard.
Earlier, Shen Xi showed goodwill, which wasn’t excessive, but to actively assist now must have some internal reason.
Previously, Ning Zhuo might choose to feign politeness and slowly observe from a state of restraint, but now, having experienced the wars of Liangzhu Country and the adventure in White Paper Immortal City, he had unconsciously nurtured a bold spirit in his heart, fearless of risks.
He stared into Shen Xi’s eyes and bluntly asked: “Daoist Fellow Shen, we are just fleeting acquaintances, why pay such attention to me and assist me like this? Do you have any agenda?”
Shen Xi was slightly taken aback, not expecting Ning Zhuo to be so direct.
Su Lingkou felt offended, and immediately snorted coldly: “Ning Zhuo, your attitude is somewhat ungrateful.”
“My cousin favors you and wants to elevate you, yet you suspect us. Hmph, you wouldn’t think we’re trying to take advantage of you, would you?”
Just as she was about to continue talking, her shoulder was gently patted by Shen Xi.
Su Lingkou immediately fell silent.
Shen Xi came to his senses and looked at Ning Zhuo with a gaze filled with admiration: “Daoist Fellow Ning Zhuo, straightforward words, so I’ll speak frankly.”
He explained his intentions, stating that initially, he valued the fate of arriving with Ning Zhuo at the same time, noticed companions nearby Ning Zhuo, suspected to be True Inheritance of Myriad Images Sect. Thirdly, he speculated Ning Zhuo’s outstanding power, wanting to co-rent and cooperate to tackle the Feiyun Conference.
The Feiyun Conference just held wasn’t of such scale; indeed, its original intent was to concentrate forces, letting the sect collaboratively clean up the backlog of sect tasks.
Ordinary superpower sects might not have so many sect tasks, but the Myriad Images Sect is different. It’s too massive, with too many outposts everywhere, its sphere not only covering the whole Flying Cloud Country but also extending to the surrounding countries.
White Paper Immortal City is a vivid example, where the Myriad Images Sect had an outpost long before.
The White Paper City Lord once faced a crisis of being unable to guard the Immortal City and requested aid from Myriad Images Sect through this outpost, receiving strong reinforcement from cultivators like Meng Yaoyin and Wen Ruanyu.
The Yin Tide Black Swamp is a buffer zone between two cultivation kingdoms. The White Paper City Lord sought aid, but not from the North Wind Country or Flying Cloud Country.
Seeking aid from any cultivation kingdom represents a fairly strong political stance. If White Paper Immortal City becomes closer to the North Wind Country, it might suffer repression from Flying Cloud Country, and vice versa.
This is one of the advantages of a super sect.
Getting along with countries, various sensitive nerves are easily touched, making it difficult to perform actual deeds, constrained. However, cooperating with a super sect like Myriad Images Sect is entirely different.
The forces of a super sect can extend into many cultivation kingdoms.
Even some cultivation kingdoms hope these super sects establish outposts within the country. This move can not only strengthen the national power but also help in resource extraction and stimulate regional development.
Moreover, using super sects as a bridge, one can achieve private cooperation with other cultivation kingdoms, or change stance, resolve conflicts, form alliances swiftly, etc.
When it comes to real combat capability, cultivation kingdoms, of course, are the most capable. Such organizational form controls national power, official power, military power. This method of utilizing forces is extremely efficient, capable of gathering people to transcend levels, mobilizing heavenly forces, utilizing lifespan mystically, wielding ghost god’s might.
This is a golden age of cultivation!
Super sects, alliances, families, and other organizations fill the gaps between cultivation kingdoms, together composing the stable form of cultivation society shaped through long-term contests.
Su Lingkou said, “We’ve already joined forces with two other geniuses, forming a clique. My cousin recommended you; however, because you backed down before, moving out of Stone Spring Cave Mansion, it displeased one of the geniuses greatly.”
Shen Xi explained, “So-called clique is merely customary arrangement agreed upon within Myriad Images Sect, not a sect regulation, not included in our acquired intelligence.”
“Everyone tacitly agrees that only when one can control a clique, making all cave mansions on said mountain belong to one’s people, such power can truly establish foothold, be eligible for competition, worthy of support.”
“Viewed from another angle, the eight main peaks are like this too.”
Ning Zhuo smiled lightly, “I see.”
Previously, he didn’t understand the implication of co-renting. But this morning, after conversing with Cao Gui, he understood that co-renting isn’t jointly renting a cave mansion or multiple cave mansions, taking advantage of each other’s strengths, sharing costs.
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