Five people stood in the courtyard of the Soaring Feather Trading Company, still under the veil of the Protective Formation, readying to go out in the early hours of morning, when the sky was just turning light gray.
"Sothing tells this wouldn’t be a pleasant eting", Old Man Zhao sighed.
"Weren’t you also once a governor, of an entire continent no less? This is just a City Lord. The Boundless World might be different, but the essence of politics and interpersonal relationship dynamics are almost the sa, so you know what to expect", Wu Long was staring at his palm slightly covered in thin veil of dark gray ethereal mist swirling around it.
"I wasn’t as ambitious as this guy, or as power-thirsty, although I was probably just as, or even more prideful in my youth... heh, maybe even in old age... I guess what humbled was eting you, Valley Master", Zhao Xieren chuckled.
Wu Long shrugged his shoulders in agreent, "If he was easy to deal with, or at least sowhat tolerable, we wouldn’t need to work with... eh... errm~... what’s his face...? his son... Ko Budan?"
"Ko Fuan", Zhao Xieren shook his head with a light smile.
"Yeah, him", Wu Long nodded, "Regardless, you don’t need to worry, it’s probably not going to be so bad. There’s likely going to be so pressure to try and bring us under his influence, but I doubt he’s going to be too forceful at this point in ti"
"Is it because of the Iron Claw City?", Zhao Xieren asked.
Wu Long continued focusing on the mist that grew a bit more dense, "Yes, he wouldn’t risk completely souring the relations. While it is unlikely for us to take our business to the Iron Claw City on this short notice, he is at least aware that there is now a definite chance we might do it, that’s why we officially bought a building there after all"
This was the thing that Old Yen and Nie Guanting did earlier, freeing Wu Long’s ti after the eting with the Ember Palm Pavilion.
Covertly purchasing a sizable building in the Iron Claw City, and then after a few machinations to obscure the purchasing routes, openly transferring it to the Soaring Feather Trading Company, a move in anticipation of pressure from City Lord Ko, creating a leverage in any potential talks.
After all, shifting location of an auction on a short notice was not that big of a problem if it was on the sa continent.
Doing so right under the nose of the Palace of Secrets - even if it was a very small branch for this continent - and maintaining anonymity, was a very delicate endeavor.
It was the reason Wu Long initially intended to do it personally, and was so impressed when Old Yen and Nie Guanting, after pleading with him to let them handle it, did it so cleanly.
Old Man Zhao, anwhile, was still not convinced by Wu Long’s reasoning though, letting out a heavy sigh.
’For all his vast wisdom and great foresight, Valley Master is still thinking like an immortal would, surrounded by immortals’, he thought.
Wu Long, as was often the case, still slightly underestimated the power that emotions and montary impulse held over mortal people with shorter lifespans, and had a tendency of assuming that most intelligent people would behave rationally with long-term vision.
This showed most clearly in his initial conflict with Gu Zhen, when Wu Long did not expect the extent to which the forr would be volatile, which resulted in the need to calibrate Wu Long’s response and strategy several tis.
But it also manifested in smaller ways, like his assumptions about the 5th prince which resulted in miscalculation, or the way he now viewed the City Lord as soone ambitious and power-hungry, but one who would ultimately behave rationally.
’On the other hand he is almost abnormally perceptive and quick to adapt and adjust...’, Zhao Xieren reassured himself, ’Once he interacts with City Lord Ko a bit closer, things will beco clearer, there’s always a chance I’m wrong in being worried about this eting, or rather, I hope I am’
After all, while Wu Long could underestimate the power of emotions when planning ahead or making preliminary analysis, he was very sharp about perceiving them upon eting soone in person.
This was the reason he adapted to Gu Zhen’s rapid shifts in mood or thinking without missing a beat even if he did not anticipate them, or knew right away that both the noble whose business was disrupted by Kwon Qianhong in the Erald Falls City, and the descendant of the dicine God’s Lin Family he t in the Feiling continent, shouldn’t be left alone, but dealt with right away.
"Your son has done a lot of groundwork in the Iron Claw City, which was essential for Old Yen and Nie Guanting to succeed", Wu Long suddenly noted, taking Zhao Xieren out of his thoughts.
"Bah, good to hear that the rascal was of so help, I guess at least he’s doing sothing other than drinking...", the latter snorted, though anyone could tell that a proud look appeared on his face.
A corner of Wu Long’s mouth went up as he saw that expression.
They were all ready to go out, only Wu Long was standing with gradually condensing mist around his palm, making everyone wait.
The next 3 minutes passed in complete silence.
"By the way... the Three Pillars Sect is doing better than anticipated at building up their strength... especially Yu Zhen", Old Man Zhao spoke up, trying to smooth out the slight awkwardness of the mood in this silence for the others.
"Did he advance to Essence Gathering already?", Wu Long asked, since he was in Mortal Transcendence Realm just a bit over a year and a half ago.
"No, but he is close to, he’s at the peak of Essence Awakening Realm now... though it seems his rapid rise in cultivation is creating so internal tensions, but I made sure to avoid eting other Elders or Grand Elders, keeping him as the only point of contact", Zhao Xieren shook his head.
"Well, it was your project to raise him into the position of the Sect Master", Wu Long nodded without any concern in his tone or expression, showing he trusted Old Man Zhao to access risks and probabilities, as well as prepare counterasures, all on his own.
Zhao Xieren showed a glint in his eyes, feeling encouraged by that trust, which ant even more considering how Wu Long usually preferred to maintain a grasp on everything himself.
"What about his trusted right hand? The older one, with sharp perception?", Wu Long asked, recalling the eting with Yu Zhen.
"Yi Pong... he was apprehensive in the beginning, but it seems since you, who he was most wary of, stopped appearing, he slightly lowered his guard toward us, not completely though", Zhao Xieren , chuckling.
Wu Long smiled as well, "Understandable... I’d be wary of soone like as well"
"He noticed my intentions of propping up Yu Zhen, but it seems he recognized I was sincere in that regard, and thus haven’t shown any adverse reaction", Old Man Zhao added, correctly guessing the reason Wu Long was bringing him up.
The latter nodded with satisfaction, and then made an expression of having suddenly rembered sothing, adding, "Though the Three Pillars Sect is not alone. The Iron Claw Group’s shoring up their strength as well, no doubt with backing from the Thousand Treasures Hall through the Silverleaf Trade Hall. That guy who was arguing with Yu Zhen when we first arrived on this continent..."
For a mont, it seed like Wu Long was going to try to rember the na as he did with Ko Fuan, and then "... whatever his na was, he was already in the 2nd level of Essence Awakening Realm at the ti when we returned from the Wei Dynasty... and there were a couple of people in 1st level as well..."
"Mm, it seems they are pouring more support now that this place is on the verge of regaining part of its past glory", Zhao Xieren took out a scroll with so notes he made on the recent cultivation of the forces on the continent, and the approximate rates of growth, looking it over, "Not to ntion, the Silver Wing City Guard are training hard as well, with resources likely stored up by City Lord Ko in preparation for this mont"
He then rolled up the scroll again with a chuckle, "But none of them can match our support to the Three Pillars Sect, since it includes superior core techniques for their mbers from Valley Master, whereas they are simply pouring cultivation resources, even if they do it in greater quantities the quality of progress is just not the sa. In those terms, by the ti that the conflict starts in full, the Three Pillars Sect would likely be very effective against the Iron Claw Group"
"So you don’t need more resources on that project...", Wu Long concluded.
"Yes", Zhao Xieren confird, "Everything is on schedule and within bounds of the originally allocated resources"
He knew that Wu Long turned the conversation in this direction to ask if Zhao Xieren needed sothing, structuring his response to go over the assesnt.
Wu Long smiled at that extrely bureaucrat-like response, signifying that Zhao Xieren was well on his way of regaining the work ethic and focus he had when he was a governor in his approach to his job.
The signs of decay also faded, as new vigor appeared in his previously quite frail body after he advanced and finally expanded his lifespan.
The mist in Wu Long’s hand beca more and more saturated, until it suddenly began quickly dissipating, revealing a wooden mask, similar to the one worn by 3 other people aside from Zhao Xieren, who were also wearing similar clothes.
He raised the mask, that was still slightly leaking dark mist from its corners, to his face, covering it, thus completely blending in with the three others, "Let’s go"
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