Chapter 510: Teaching Ji Tianya a Lesson

Chapter 510: Chapter 508: Teaching Ji Tianya a Lesson

Xiao Longjiang took another sip of tea and said, “The Jun Tian Association has a deep pool of talent, all famous, unaffiliated masters. I thought with my reputation, I should be able to find a decent expert.”

“But I need a master at the Peak of Grandmaster. Ji Tianya keeps giving me the runaround, either quoting exorbitant prices or saying there are too many people and I have to get in line. It’s just outrageous!”

“The market rate for a Peak of Grandmaster is less than thirty million, and there’s usually a discount for a yearly contract. But for me, he’s demanding fifty million, and it has to be a yearly contract, no negotiation… It’s true I have money, but I won’t spend it on people like that.”

“Ji Tianya is just trying to mess with me, trying to make me a sucker. But how could that be possible? I’ll never give him that chance!”

Mu Lin rubbed his hands together. ‘I can’t just let Xiao Longjiang struggle with this,’ he thought. He stood up and said, “Uncle Xiao, I’ll go talk to him for you. Where is he? Take me to him.”

Xiao Longjiang’s eyes lit up, and he instantly felt more confident. With Mu Lin around, he wasn’t afraid of Ji Tianya causing trouble.

“Mu Lin, this way please. Follow me!”

Xiao Hongling and Li Xue rose together, following closely behind. But their gazes were a little evasive; both felt a knot in their hearts, though they didn’t let it show.

In the room where Ji Tianya was, he was holding a glass of red wine, savoring it. His subordinate leaned in close and said:

“Hall Master, aren’t we being a little too hard on Xiao Longjiang? He’ll probably hold a grudge against us. Antagonizing the richest man in Nanjiang is bad for us!”

This functionary was heavy-hearted. He was the one who had to do the actual work, and if they created unnecessary resistance, it would have a huge impact on their future business.

Ji Tianya, however, said with complete indifference, “If Xiao Longjiang wants to find a master at the Peak of Grandmaster, we’re the only ones who can help him.”

“Without the Jun Tian Association’s assistance, Xiao Hongling will be in grave danger! Xiao Longjiang isn’t stupid; he’ll definitely agree.”

“The price is fifty million, and not a cent less. Otherwise, you can pay the difference out of your own pocket!”

The functionary’s expression turned grim. Ji Tianya was really putting him in a difficult position.

Just as Ji Tianya finished giving his smug command, Mu Lin’s voice came from outside.

“Hall Master Ji, what an imposing air! Your business is really booming!”

Ji Tianya convulsed. He was all too familiar with that voice; it clearly carried a hint of the Eight-Section Golden Dragon Roar.

Besides, that voice was one that was etched into his very bones.

The door was shoved open mercilessly. “Hall Master Ji, I just knew a gathering of Di Yang’s elite wouldn’t be complete without you!”

Mu Lin stared coldly at Ji Tianya. Behind him stood Xiao Longjiang, his expression exceptionally grim.

The moment Ji Tianya saw Mu Lin, he could no longer stay seated. He sprang to his feet. Life was just so exhausting.

“Mr. Mu, you… you… please, have a seat!”

Ji Tianya was frantic. A moment ago, he had been so smug, but now he had fallen into a terrifying abyss.

‘What chance do I have now! One wrong move and I’m probably a dead man.’

“Ji Tianya,” Mu Lin said coldly, “That was quite a speech you just gave. Truly wonderful.”

Ji Tianya’s mouth was dry, but he didn’t know how to defend himself. The more he tried to explain, the angrier Mu Lin would become.

“Mr. Mu, please, let me explain, it was just a misunderstanding… If this…”

Mu Lin said indifferently, “A misunderstanding? How impressive. Truly impressive. As a Martial Dao organization, does the Jun Tian Association accept Martial Dao challenges?”

Ji Tianya lost his composure. Mu Lin’s meaning was obvious—he wanted to challenge their entire organization!

‘How could it come to this?’

‘The Jun Tian Association isn’t my business alone. If something happens, what will I do?’

‘If I had known Xiao Longjiang knew Mr. Mu, how would I have dared to be so arrogant?’

Xiao Longjiang never would have imagined that Ji Tianya would be so terrified of Mu Lin.

After all, Ji Tianya had been so high and mighty with him, completely dismissive.

You could have cooked a meal with that arrogance of his!

“Mr. Mu, please be merciful. Can’t we just de-escalate this…”

Ji Tianya was truly at his wits’ end. He couldn’t win in a fight, and he couldn’t talk his way out of it.

Mu Lin said, “A fifty-million-a-month employment fee. I’m surprised you had the gall to name that price.”

Ji Tianya wailed, “A misunderstanding! It’s really a misunderstanding! If I knew you were going to… I would have…”

“You would have what?” Mu Lin shot back.

“Let me make this clear. My Uncle Xiao can afford that money, and he’s willing to pay it. But can the person the Jun Tian Association provides actually live up to the name?”

“The market price is thirty million, but you jacked it up to fifty million. You’ve really got some balls!”

Mu Lin clasped his hands behind his back, his expression also grim. He said coldly, “You know, I enjoy sparring with experts. Tomorrow morning, I’ll go have a match with your Peak of Grandmaster. I want to see just how I stack up against a fifty-million-dollar Grandmaster.”

“Sparring can get a little rough sometimes. I’m sure you understand, right?”

Ji Tianya was trembling uncontrollably. He begged, “Mr. Mu, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I was wrong! Please, let me off!”

Seeing Ji Tianya acting like a dog before Mu Lin, Xiao Longjiang and Xiao Hongling were both stunned.

This was a leading figure in the Jun Tian Association, one of the four Hall Masters—Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. In Di Yang, if not the absolute top, he was still someone who couldn’t be easily offended.

Even someone of Xiao Longjiang’s status had to be thoroughly respectful to Ji Tianya.

Even setting aside his position in the Jun Tian Association, Ji Tianya himself was a great master, no weaker than many others.

But toward Mu Lin, he could only be courteous, not daring to show the slightest bit of nerve.

Heaven knows how Mu Lin had put him in his place, but Xiao Longjiang could only think that Mu Lin did a great job, and that Ji Tianya deserved it.

Xiao Longjiang felt that Mu Lin was truly a great treasure. If one were to dig carefully, there would surely be more surprises. And the job of digging would have to be handed over to his daughter.

‘I must investigate Mu Lin’s background thoroughly!’

Xiao Longjiang secretly made his decision. He couldn’t let an opportunity involving such a great master slip by.

Mu Lin studied Ji Tianya and said, “Hall Master Ji, have you realized your mistake?”

“I have, I have!” Ji Tianya kowtowed like he was pounding garlic.

“Since that’s the case, then talk. What happened? Why did this situation come about?”

Ji Tianya was filled with sorrow. Knowing there was no turning back the tide, he began to explain.

They had learned through the grapevine that Xiao Longjiang wanted to hire someone to protect his daughter. Based on their assessment of the situation in Di Yang, they concluded he wouldn’t be able to find anyone suitable.

So they immediately approached Xiao Longjiang and quoted the sky-high price of fifty million a month.

After all, Peak Grandmasters were generally cultivated internally by the major powers; the supply on the open market was all but exhausted.

The few remaining Free Martial Artists also had a tacit understanding with the Jun Tian Association, waiting to see when they too could be “sold.”

Xiao Longjiang had searched for a long time but hadn’t found a single satisfactory candidate, forcing him to negotiate with Ji Tianya in the end.

But as a result, Ji Tianya ran headfirst into Mu Lin. Ji Tianya was filled with regret. ‘Why did I have to talk about this at the banquet? Wouldn’t any other venue have been better? Maybe then I wouldn’t be losing all this money.’

‘Right now, I’m helpless. I just have to endure it.’

‘Otherwise, the only other path is to fall out with Mu Lin. But he’d probably kill me on the spot.’

This whole process was more or less what Mu Lin had guessed. He then asked, “So, what do you think is a fair price for my Uncle Xiao to hire a Peak Grandmaster?”

Ji Tianya thought frantically, ‘How about thirty million?’

Mu Lin said nothing, which scared the daylights out of Ji Tianya. He hastily waved his hands, retracting his previous statement. “Then… twenty million?”

“Can you show a little sincerity? Stop dilly-dallying. If it was twenty million, would he even need to go through you?”

Ji Tianya was extremely nervous. “Mr. Mu, please, have mercy. This line of work isn’t easy. The profit margins are slim, and the options are already very limited…”

“Then I’ll go to the Jun Tian Association myself. I refuse to believe no one wants to work for Uncle Xiao. And if they’re not willing, I’ll just beat them to death and be done with it.”

Ji Tianya twitched uncontrollably and quickly begged for mercy, “Mr. Mu, I’m begging you, call off your divine powers! This isn’t how things are done!”

“Then you figure it out. The matter has to be settled. If you don’t settle it, I’ll settle it my way!”

“Hall Master Ji, show a bit more sincerity. What price do you think is appropriate?”

The functionary standing to the side was dumbfounded; he was utterly terrified. Just moments ago, Ji Tianya had been so proud when assigning him the task, and now he was this servile.

‘Who on earth is this Mu Lin? And what is his relationship with Hall Master Ji?’

Ji Tianya was speechless. He finally sighed and said, “Chairman Xiao, this is the final, rock-bottom price, five million. If you still think it’s too high, Mr. Mu might as well just kill me!”

Xiao Longjiang quickly said, “Look at you! That price is very suitable! Let’s settle on that!” Xiao Longjiang was genuinely afraid Mu Lin would push it too far, and it would be hard to clean up the mess afterward.

Mu Lin still wanted to squeeze him a little more, hoping to get Ji Tianya to send someone over for free.