Martial Arts: I Have a Wilderness World

Chapter 642: Chapter 328: Fealty Contract (Part 2)

"Lady Qin, do you have any good ideas?" Cheng Zongyang asked.

Lady Qin looked at Cheng Zongyang and said, "The best way is to come clean. Otherwise, no one can get someone away from the Immortal Sect. Pulling strings won’t work either. The order came from the Immortal Sect’s Golden Core Steward, who’s also the highest authority in Zi’an County. Who would dare to defy him?"

Cheng Zongyang said helplessly, "I know, but I’m worried they’ll find an excuse to come after me."

’Where did the Foundation Establishment Pill come from? What power is backing me? What is my purpose in Zi’an County? What’s my relationship with Lin Changfeng? If we have no relationship, why was he staying at the Cheng Mansion? Where does the underground Teleportation Array lead...?’

He didn’t even have to go to the Immortal Sect’s office to imagine the barrage of questions they would ask.

’Even though everyone who teleported in signed a contract, so I’m not worried about secrets leaking, who knows what methods they’ll use to investigate?’

Lady Qin said, "You have no other choice right now. If you want to stay in Zi’an County, you have to do what the Immortal Sect wants. Otherwise, you can just abandon those two and leave."

Cheng Zongyang was silent for a moment before telling Lady Qin about Lin Changfeng.

Of course, he embellished the story. He claimed he had used a single-use Magical Treasure to trap him, but only managed to cut off one of his limbs before Lin Changfeng turned into a black mist and escaped. He could produce the severed limb as proof at any time.

After listening, Lady Qin had a good grasp of the situation. She didn’t doubt Cheng Zongyang; after all, she had a rough idea of his financial standing. It was plausible that he could afford a single-use Magical Treasure for protection, one that even a Martial Artist could use. She then said,

"The proof is all that matters. It’s enough to distance yourself from him. As for everything else, that will depend on the Golden Core Steward’s attitude."

"Alright, I know what to do." Cheng Zongyang felt a sense of resignation. At least he had managed to learn a great deal from Lady Qin.

After bidding Lady Qin farewell, Cheng Zongyang left Spring Pavilion. As he walked down the street, his mind raced with a thousand thoughts.

He first left the County Town and returned to the cave.

Lin Feng was a little surprised to see Cheng Zongyang return. He didn’t know where Cheng Zongyang had gone, but he didn’t press the issue.

Cheng Zongyang glanced at Lin Feng, who was just finishing his Martial Arts Training, and asked directly, "Have you made up your mind? Is there anything else you can tell me?"

Lin Feng paused. After pondering for a moment, he asked, "I have a question for you. If you can help me with something, I can tell you a few things I’ve overheard. They aren’t just rumors or things I’ve made up."

Hearing this, Cheng Zongyang nodded. "What is it?"

"To repair my Dantian," Lin Feng said. "I don’t know if that old bastard is dead or not. But like you said, you have a huge grudge against him, so he’s a dead man walking. You also mentioned he successfully refined a Spirit Revival Pill. I want my Dantian repaired."

Cheng Zongyang hadn’t expected the boy’s objective to be so unwavering. He asked with a wry smile, "Do you have any idea how many Spirit Stones a single Spirit Revival Pill costs?"

"A minimum of three hundred thousand Spirit Stones, but that’s not the final price. It’s just the estimated floor price."

But the young man rattled off the details as if he knew them by heart. "It’s mainly because the ingredients for a Spirit Revival Pill are astounding. Five Foundation Establishment Pills, seven kinds of three-hundred-year-old Spirit Medicine, and one Thousand-Year Spirit Medicine. That’s worth at least three hundred thousand.

"Of course, more importantly, very few people can actually refine it. No one dares, nor can they bear, to trade five Foundation Establishment Pills and a Thousand-Year Spirit Medicine for an elixir that *only* repairs a Dantian, and success isn’t even guaranteed on the first try. A single failure is a catastrophic loss. Not even an Immortal Sect is wealthy enough to casually waste Foundation Establishment Pills.

"That old bastard failed three times! Those fifteen Foundation Establishment Pills were either robbed or stolen."

This was also why Zhang Ye hadn’t disturbed Lin Changfeng’s elixir refinement and, in the end, wanted nothing but the Spirit Revival Pill.

It wasn’t just expensive; it was extremely rare.

Cheng Zongyang chuckled. "Since you know all that, do you really think your information is worth a Spirit Revival Pill?"

"No." Lin Feng shook his head without hesitation. "That’s why I’m willing to work for you for a set period of time, to do your bidding, in exchange for this elixir."

’Work for me?’ Cheng Zongyang was surprised he would make such an offer.

Lin Feng, who seemed to know a great deal about the Cultivation Immortality Realm, nodded and said,

"I know my own aptitude. Five Spirit Roots and Five Spirit Bones, also called an Immortal Body. It’s not that my cultivation speed is incredibly fast, but rather that someone with this aptitude is the most likely to become an Immortal, provided they have the resources. They don’t need to supplement their Spirit Root quality along the way, and their combat power is nearly unrivaled among peers of the same level. As long as you restore my Dantian so I can resume my Cultivation, I will pledge my life to you. How long do you need me?"

But Cheng Zongyang suddenly asked, "How do you know so much? Do you just spend all your free time reading?"

Lin Feng nodded. "You could say that. If you want to pursue Cultivation Immortality, you first have to understand the affairs and rules of the Cultivation Immortality Realm. Many of the situations you encounter are documented in books, along with how to resolve them. By understanding them, you’ll be able to handle it if you ever face them for real. Just like I’m doing right now."

Cheng Zongyang burst out laughing. He was starting to really like this kid’s personality.

’As long as he doesn’t die, he could even make a name for himself in the mortal world. He’s perfectly suited for survival of the fittest.’

"Alright." Cheng Zongyang nodded slightly. "I can help you repair your Dantian, but you have to sign a contract. I don’t trust verbal promises from strangers. Only a contract drafted by me will put my mind at ease. Wait here."

With that, Cheng Zongyang entered another room and closed the door.

About fifteen minutes later, Cheng Zongyang had drafted a brand new loyalty contract.

One clause stated that if neither party negotiated to terminate the relationship within three days of the ten-year term’s expiration, the contract would automatically renew.

It also documented confidentiality clauses and the benefits Lin Feng would receive in the future.

After reading the contract Cheng Zongyang gave him, Lin Feng was lost in thought.

His gaze drifted around the room as he weighed the pros and cons over and over in his mind. Time seemed to freeze, and the air grew heavy.

After a long while, Lin Feng finally nodded slowly. He pressed his finger onto the contract, leaving a print, and signed his name.

He didn’t ask a single question from start to finish, as if he had already made a desperate, all-or-nothing decision. ’Of course,’ he thought, ’it’s not like I have a choice!’

The moment the contract was sealed, Cheng Zongyang took out the gourd containing Wilderness Bean Water and gently tossed it to Lin Feng.

"Have a sip," Cheng Zongyang said, his voice calm and steady.

This time, Lin Feng didn’t hesitate. He pulled off the lid, tilted his head back, and began chugging it down. Seeing this, Cheng Zongyang was rendered speechless. He snatched the gourd back and said with exasperation, "I told you to have a sip! Why are you drinking so much? What a waste of my ingredients."

A look of astonishment crossed Lin Feng’s face. Before he could react, an intense wave of drowsiness washed over him.

The next moment, with a THUD, he collapsed to the ground, fast asleep.

Soon after, Cheng Zongyang carried the unconscious Lin Feng into the Hall of Ten Thousand Races within the Wilderness World.

He entered the trading room and placed Lin Feng on the treatment bed.

An examination revealed that Lin Feng had no external wounds, but only one Internal Injury: a shattered Dantian.

This type of Internal Injury was equivalent to having all one’s meridians severed, and it was classified as High Level—costing Three Thousand Points to heal!

This was a "perk" that only High Level members of the Ten Thousand Races Spirit Seal would have in the future. Of course, it still came at a price.

Compared to a Spirit Revival Pill worth several hundred thousand Spirit Stones, Three Thousand Points was a bargain. He could even auction off the pill later for a huge profit. If he knew the Elixir Recipe, he could even refine more in the future once he had the resources.

Pulling his thoughts back to the present, Cheng Zongyang began the healing process for Lin Feng.

While Lin Feng was being healed, Cheng Zongyang paid a visit to Lin Changfeng’s room.

He knew that to get Li Yihuo and the others back, his excuse had to be convincing.

His original idea was to present a severed arm to the Golden Core Steward to prove his story. After all, handing over the actual person was out of the question. If even a Golden Core expert couldn’t catch the guy, how could he, a mere Innate Martial Artist, possibly have done so?

Besides, Lin Changfeng was still too useful to be killed. For one thing, his Black Death Qi was a cash cow he could milk for some time.

But then another thought occurred to Cheng Zongyang. ’If Lin Changfeng is missing an arm, what if it hinders his Cultivation? Wouldn’t that be a problem?’

And so, his gaze fell upon Lin Changfeng’s thigh. ’Losing a leg probably won’t affect anything,’ he thought.

Cheng Zongyang decisively grabbed Lin Changfeng and headed for the trading room in the Jade Stone Market.