Chapter 556: The Price of Establishing a Sect

One could imagine the extreme joy in the hearts of the eight people from Liangshan after realizing this. Having given up completely and prepared to go and die, they never expected that, just when all seemed lost, Manager Lin, who had previously shown no willingness to help, was now ready to assist them again.
“Senior Liang, we might be able to rebuild our sect after all.”
Mu Xueqing couldn’t hold back her emotions and rushed at Liangshan, her voice choked with tears.
Liangshan was so overjoyed that he didn’t know where to put his hands. His fellow disciples smiled like the warm sunshine of March, radiant and bright.
“Without any kin or ties, would he really help? You’re dreaming! Don’t end up helping them count the money after being sold!” On the ground, Jiang Huan, whose cries went unheeded, shouted, “I’m the eldest senior! I decide everything. Hand over the silver to me to keep. Sister Mu, they’ve all lost their minds. Take me away from here. Once I’m healed, I’ll take you to a newly discovered place full of high-grade materials for cultivation. With time, I’ll surely restore the glory of the Kongyu Sect.”
Liangshan sneered and said, “Don’t keep Manager Lin waiting. Sister Mu, fellow disciples, shall we go?”
Everyone nodded and strode toward the back door. The youngest disciple turned to look at Jiang Huan and asked with a smile, “Eldest senior, are you coming?”
“Of course! Rebuilding the sect is my duty. How could I not go? Junior, carry me there.” Jiang Huan quickly nodded.
The young disciple grabbed Jiang Huan’s ankle and dragged him toward the back door.
“Damn it! Do you want to rebel? I’m the eldest senior! I’m the heir of the Kongyu Sect…”
With a thud, Jiang Huan’s head hit the threshold. The pain left him too exhausted to scold his junior; all he could do was cry out in agony.
In the backyard, Lin Dong had been waiting on a stone bench for a while when Liangshan and the others hurried over.
“Manager Lin, what you said earlier means…” Liangshan bowed, looking at Lin Dong with hope in his eyes.
“What price are you willing to pay to help us establish a sect?” Lin Dong asked.
Upon hearing Lin Dong’s confirmation, Liangshan and the others were overjoyed. After calming their excitement, they discussed it carefully before electing Liangshan as their representative. He spoke up, “For a hundred years, half of the resources under our Kongyu Sect will be given to Manager Lin. If we’re no longer around before that time—should the hundred years not be fulfilled—we’re willing to send an equal number of elders to take the poison given by Manager Lin’s descendants.”

“Damn it, Liang Shan! I am the heir of the Empty Jade Sect. It should be me who handles this matter. You don’t have the qualifications; only I can represent the Empty Jade Sect!” Jiang Huan shouted. “Shopkeeper Lin, talking to him is useless. Don’t worry—I’m willing to offer 80% of our resources. If Shopkeeper Lin agrees to support me as the sect leader, 90% is fine too! I promise to be utterly loyal to Shopkeeper Lin, doing whatever it takes.”

“Jiang Huan, shut up!” Liang Shan snapped angrily.

“Shut up? Why should I shut up? You’re the one who should shut up!” Jiang Huan retorted. “Shopkeeper Lin, this Liang Shan—and all of them—are full of malicious intentions. If you help them, they’ll definitely turn against you later. I’m willing to take poison and swear an oath of loyalty to Shopkeeper Lin, swearing on the ancestors of the Empty Jade Sect that I’ll remain utterly devoted to him. If Shopkeeper Lin tells me to go east, I’ll never go west.”

Lin Dong smiled but ignored Jiang Huan, offering no clear reply. Instead, he said, “You’re a pill-making sect, right?”

Liang Shan was stunned and unable to speak.

“Yes, yes! We’re a pill-making sect. Shopkeeper Lin, to show my loyalty, I’m willing to hand over the pill-formulation recipes of the Empty Jade Sect, as well as our eighth-level spiritual skill, the Ten-Step Sword Technique,” Jiang Huan cried out. “Shopkeeper Lin, my loyalty to you is as clear as the sun and the moon!”

The eight men around Liang Shan looked deathly pale, and the faces of the junior disciples brought by Jiang Huan were even more grim.

All eight clenched their fists, harboring murderous intent toward Jiang Huan, yet they dared not act, fearing Lin Dong would intervene and make things worse.

“Don’t worry. I’m not after your pill-formulation recipes or spiritual skills,” Lin Dong said calmly. “Since you’re a pill-making sect, you must have grown quite a few spiritual materials. Coincidentally, I need them. If I guarantee that your Empty Jade Sect won’t be destroyed during the transaction period, what price can you ask?”

All eight breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if they’d survived a disaster.

In their eyes, whether to support Jiang Huan as a puppet or themselves hinged entirely on Lin Dong’s decision. Honestly, supporting Jiang Huan seemed more advantageous, as they could still obtain the Empty Jade Sect’s pill-formulation recipes and spiritual skills.

If he chose them, it meant this Shopkeeper Lin had a sense of justice and wasn’t acting purely for profit.

Their thoughts weren’t far off. The only thing they overlooked was that Lin Dong hadn’t chosen them solely out of a sense of justice. Another major reason was that Jiang Huan didn’t possess the conditions to carry out hidden missions—only those eight did.

Lin Dong already disdained Jiang Huan; compared to the rewards for hidden missions, the spiritual techniques and alchemy formulas of the Empty Jade Sect, along with the compensation it could offer after its establishment, were utterly insignificant.
“Does Master Lin mean that within a hundred years, if our Empty Jade Sect encounters a powerful enemy, you’ll come to our aid?” Liang Shan asked after discussing it with the others.
“The premise is that you don’t deliberately stir up trouble and… your reputation is good,” Lin Dong replied without hesitation. “I have no interest in acting as a shield for a sect with a notorious reputation. I can’t afford such disgrace.”
“I wonder what Master Lin’s current strength is…” Liang Shan hesitated. They could accept those conditions—the Empty Jade Sect had always maintained a good reputation and would only provoke other sects if there was significant gain. What worried them was Lin Dong’s strength.
If he had the strength of the Eighth or Ninth Stage of the Mental Realm, they wouldn’t need to think further. A quasi-powerful individual under thirty could easily reach the Seventh or Eighth Stage of the Mental Reversal Realm in the future. A being at the Seventh or Eighth Stage of the Mental Reversal Realm would be more than enough to serve as the Empty Jade Sect’s shield.
“Ninth Stage of the Mental Reversal Realm!” Lin Dong said calmly.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, only to freeze again suddenly.
“Ninth Stage of the Mental Reversal Realm? Or the Ninth Stage of the Mental Realm?” Liang Shan was astonished.
Lin Dong smiled leisurely, his spiritual energy surging. The eight people were shocked to find their bodies floating in midair, beyond their control.
“Believe it now?” Lin Dong asked. With a wave of his arm, all eight fell to the ground, staring at him with deep reverence.
Over by the side, Jiang Huan was utterly confused. Just the night before, he had offended a super genius at the Ninth Stage of the Mental Reversal Realm? Moreover, this genius wasn’t just highly talented—his current strength alone was enough to make him stand out in the Great Han Kingdom.
“Master Lin… with such strength, you don’t even need to force us to take poison,” Liang Shan said, his expression strange. He envied Lin Dong’s talent and was pleased that his strength exceeded expectations.
Lin Dong shook his head with a smile. “An extra dose of poison provides extra security. I don’t like leaving any loopholes for myself. Speaking of which, demanding most of your sect’s resources at once might be acceptable in the short term or out of gratitude, but in the future, resentment might arise.”
Liang Shan and the others fell silent. They could guarantee they wouldn’t harbor resentment toward Lin Dong in their lifetime, but they couldn’t ensure the same for their successors. After all, each generation has its own thoughts.
“One more guarantee. No need for a hundred years—thirty years will suffice!” Lin Dong said slowly.

The eight of them exchanged glances, and Liang Shan bowed and said, “Shopkeeper Lin, aside from half of the resources, I can guarantee that as long as we eight are alive, any spiritual materials or beasts collected or exchanged by the sect’s elders and disciples will all be brought to Lin’s Inn.”
“Spiritual materials or beasts of fifth rank or higher will do, and I only want those I don’t already have,” Lin Dong said with a smile. “If the materials or beasts you collect can be transplanted or are living creatures, send someone to inform me. I’ll have you deliver them, and you’ll surely receive rewards for it.”
“Shopkeeper Lin, we owe you a great debt of gratitude!” Liang Shan knelt on one knee, and the other seven followed suit. The price Lin Dong offered was far lower than what they had expected; he could have demanded even more if he wanted to.
“Alright, are there any other difficulties regarding establishing the sect?” Lin Dong was even more anxious than Liang Shan and the others, so he decided to resolve everything at once.
“Besides the founding ceremony, there’s also the location and construction of the sect…” Liang Shan hesitated to speak further.
After agreeing on the terms, aside from any unknown hidden task rewards, the compensation promised by the eight was quite substantial. After some calculation, Lin Dong said, “I’ll take care of these matters for you. Stay at Lin’s Inn for now, and come take over once everything is settled.”
The eight’s gratitude was beyond measure.
“Also, my main job is running an inn, and I don’t want people to know my strength,” Lin Dong said with a smile. “Can you keep this a secret for me?”
The eight shook their heads vigorously. Liang Shan said seriously, “Shopkeeper Lin, rest assured. We swear we will never reveal your strength.”
“It’s not that serious. Just don’t go around telling anyone. And then…” Lin Dong turned his gaze to Jiang Huan, who looked disheartened. “What about him?”
“Don’t kill me, Shopkeeper Lin, please don’t kill me…” Jiang Huan was terrified, kicking desperately to get away, already regretting coming here.
“Shopkeeper Lin, he’s still one of our peers. If you don’t want to keep him, Liang Shan hopes we can wait until we leave before dealing with him,” Liang Shan said, casting a disgusted look at Jiang Huan.
“I said the day before yesterday that killing him would dirty my hands,” Lin Dong shook his head. “Do whatever you want to him, just make sure he doesn’t spread nonsense around.”
“Shopkeeper Lin, you’re truly generous. Liang Shan admires you. We’ll keep a strict watch over him, preventing him from stepping inside the door, and the same will hold true in the future,” Liang Shan hurriedly said.
“Alright! Go back and wait for news!” Lin Dong waved his hand.

The eight men from Liangshan expressed their deepest gratitude and left the back yard with Jiang Huan. Watching them go, Lin Dong couldn’t help but smile—a half of the hidden mission rewards was already in his hands. He believed the other half would follow soon.