Judging by the young woman's words, taking Qian Yue's primordial yin now and then redeeming her afterward would cost considerably less — which was exactly what Yang Kai and Qian Yue had worried about beforehand. But how could Yang Kai do such a thing?
There was nothing to be done but grit his teeth and swallow the bitter pill. Yang Kai was seething inside.
With a cold expression, he said, "I'm afraid I cannot accept the young lady's proposal. Let's just say your argument has merit."
Seeing that he had conceded, the young woman immediately broke into a cheerful smile. Then she continued, "Setting aside the resources spent raising Yue-er all this time, the dual cultivation technique that Miss Yue-er practices alone is a closely guarded secret of our Harmony Pavilion. Since you intend to redeem her, have you thought about what to do about the technique she's cultivated? Surely you don't plan to purchase the dual cultivation technique along with her?"
Yang Kai's expression shifted slightly. He suddenly realized he had overlooked this issue entirely. But his mind was quick, and he immediately countered, "You jest. Your pavilion's dual cultivation technique is indeed remarkable, but as I understand it, there are quite a few hidden dangers involved, aren't there?"
The young woman's gaze turned cold as she glanced at Qian Yue, apparently thinking that Qian Yue had let something slip.
Yang Kai said evenly, "Don't worry — Miss Yue-er hasn't told me anything about the dual cultivation technique. But I know there's no such thing as a technique that offers benefits that conveniently. Your pavilion's dual cultivation technique does have its merits, but it inevitably carries hidden risks."
The young woman's expression shifted several times, but she showed no intention of denying it. Instead, she nodded and said, "It seems you are a man of considerable knowledge, young master. You're right — our Harmony Pavilion's dual cultivation technique does carry hidden dangers. But this is hardly a secret. Many people are well aware of it, and even our customers know."
"Oh?" Now it was Yang Kai's turn to be surprised. "Would you care to elaborate?"
"There's no harm in telling you. You could find out by asking around anyway. The hidden danger is this: if one uses the dual cultivation here to break through a bottleneck, one's cultivation may never advance beyond that point ever again. You'd be stuck right there."
"So that's how it is!" Yang Kai nodded slowly. "If you know there are hidden dangers, why do people still come here to break through their bottlenecks?"
"Because those customers feel they have no hope of breaking through in this lifetime, so naturally they don't care about any hidden dangers. Coming here might at least allow them to advance one more level and fulfill their wish. If you, young master, were stuck at a bottleneck for decades or even centuries with no way to progress, and you learned that our Harmony Pavilion had the opportunity to help you break through — what would you choose?"
Yang Kai thought for a moment, then said seriously, "I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation either."
"Exactly. Even with its hidden dangers, this dual cultivation technique is still a rare and valuable art. You want to redeem Yue-er, and Yue-er has cultivated this technique. Who's to say you don't have your eye on the technique itself?"
"You know perfectly well why. Why bother using that to threaten me?" Yang Kai snorted coldly. "I'm not stupid enough to destroy my own promising future by relying on a single session of dual cultivation."
The young woman chuckled softly. "I wouldn't call it a threat. I merely have both the right and the obligation to remind you of this. However, if you insist on taking Yue-er away, there is still room for negotiation."
"I'm all ears!" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
"If Yue-er had cultivated the dual cultivation technique to its deepest levels, then no matter how great a price you offered, I wouldn't dare release her. Fortunately, Yue-er hasn't been cultivating for long and hasn't accessed the later stages of the technique. That leaves room for some flexibility. I have two proposals — it's up to you to decide."
With that, she looked at Yang Kai. After he gestured for her to continue, she said casually, "The first proposal is simple: we simply destroy Yue-er's dual cultivation technique."
At these words, Qian Yue's face went white, and her delicate body trembled.
Yang Kai couldn't help frowning. Although the dual cultivation technique had been forced upon Qian Yue after she arrived at the Harmony Pavilion, she had nonetheless cultivated it. Abolishing it would inevitably harm her foundation. With good luck, she would only suffer some damage to her energy and might recover after a period of rest. With bad luck, no one could say what might happen.
So Yang Kai immediately shook his head. "That won't work. Tell me the second one."
The young woman seemed to have anticipated this. She smiled and continued, "The second proposal requires a greater price from you, young master."
"Essentially, I'd be purchasing the early stages of the dual cultivation technique that Yue-er has learned?" Yang Kai mused.
"You could put it that way. I consider myself a reasonable person — you won't find it too burdensome, will you?"
"Your proposal is perfectly reasonable. I have no objections." Yang Kai nodded slightly.
The young woman's face brightened. "Young master is indeed a straightforward man. But in that case, the price you'll have to pay won't be small."
"Then what price is your pavilion asking?" Yang Kai looked at her calmly.
The young woman's delicate brows furrowed slightly. After a moment of careful thought, she named a figure.
Standing behind Yang Kai, Qian Yue's body shuddered, and a flash of despair crossed her beautiful eyes. The sum was beyond anything she had ever dared to imagine. With even her meager knowledge of the Dark Star, she knew that amount of saint crystals would be enough to purchase an exceptional void-grade artifact. It might take an entire lifetime to accumulate that much wealth — if she could even manage it at all.