How could he not have heard this saying? It was practically a household phrase. Since his debut, he had found himself in similar situations countless times, and Yang Kai understood its meaning better than most.
"This was simply a misstep on my part — I let your little scheme succeed. Now, quite a few people outside believe that the Golden Crow corpse is in my hands." Madam Lan lifted her gaze toward him. "Since that's the case, I don't mind making those guesses a reality. The First Inn will take on this burden. What do you think?"
Yang Kai said, "You mean for me to hand over the Golden Crow corpse?"
Madam Lan replied, "Not for free. I'll give you ample compensation!"
Yang Kai pondered for a moment. "May I hear the details of this compensation?"
Madam Lan smiled and raised a single finger. "The first option: Open Heaven Pills. This many!" As she spoke, that finger gave a heavy wag right in front of Yang Kai's eyes.
"Ten million?" Yang Kai's expression shifted.
Madam Lan nodded!
Yang Kai said, "You're quite generous!" Ten million Open Heaven Pills was no small sum — for any Emperor Realm cultivator, it was an immense temptation.
"If there's a first option, there must be a second. I wonder what it is?"
Madam Lan glanced at him. "The second option is that the First Inn acquires fifth-grade Yin-Yang Five Elements materials for you, helping you achieve fifth-grade Open Heaven!"
That was another enormous benefit. If fifth-grade Yin-Yang Five Elements materials were converted to Open Heaven Pills, they'd be worth roughly seven and a half million. But considering the rarity and difficulty of obtaining materials of that grade, their value was probably comparable to ten million Pills.
Moreover, fifth-grade Open Heaven was no weakling even in this Outer Expanse — it was the middle tier among mid-grade Open Heaven cultivators. Duan Hai had only been fourth-grade, and the Qiqiao Tianjun Yang Kai had never met was only fifth-grade. Xu Lao was also fifth-grade. In other words, with fifth-grade Open Heaven, one had more than enough standing to carve out a foothold and build an enterprise in the Outer Expanse.
Madam Lan's sincerity was genuine, but the more she offered, the more acutely Yang Kai felt the true value of the Golden Crow corpse. If it weren't worth far more, why would Madam Lan be willing to pay such a steep price?
The Golden Crow corpse's value must far exceed whatever compensation Madam Lan was putting on the table!
"Is there a third option?" Yang Kai asked.
Madam Lan scowled. "Two options aren't enough for you? Don't be so insatiably greedy, brat."
Yang Kai raised his hand. "I'm just asking, don't be angry, don't be angry." He hurriedly poured her a cup of tea, lest this woman fly off the handle again.
Madam Lan snorted coldly, picked up the teacup and took a sip, then shot him a sideways look. "Just be content. Countless newcomers like you wander the Three Thousand World struggling for decades or centuries without achieving anything. You've barely set foot in the Outer Expanse and already have this kind of luck — do you have any idea how many people would kill for it?"
Her words reminded Yang Kai of Die You and Old Fang. The two of them had been in the Outer Expanse for quite a few years now, yet they'd been trapped in Qiqiao Di the entire time, never even advancing to the Open Heaven Realm. Compared to them, Yang Kai's situation was considerably better. Then again, the fact that he had choices at all was something he'd risked his life to earn — it had little to do with luck.
He took a sip of water himself. After a moment of silence, Yang Kai said, "Proprietress, I'm quite tempted by both of your offers, but I don't know how to choose between them."
Madam Lan said, "Want some advice? It's up to you whether you take it."
"Please, go ahead!"
"If I were you, I'd pick the second option. Open Heaven Pills are tangible, but you're just an Emperor Realm cultivator — carrying that many Pills around isn't safe. Besides, you don't have the connections to buy those materials yourself. You'd be far better off letting the First Inn acquire fifth-grade materials for you and just reaping the rewards!"
"Good point." Yang Kai folded his arms and sank into deep thought.
The proprietress watched his expression and let out a subtle breath of relief. Seeing him like this, she knew the matter was very much on the table. If Yang Kai had refused to even discuss it, there would have been no hope. Now he clearly understood just how scalding-hot the Golden Crow corpse was.
For ordinary people, the Golden Crow corpse was indeed a death warrant. But for a power like the First Inn, it was a treasure that simply could not be found no matter how one searched. As long as they could obtain it, what were a few sacrifices?
Yang Kai brooded, and Madam Lan didn't disturb him.
Who knew that after a full incense stick's worth of time, Yang Kai still hadn't reacted. Madam Lan said, exasperated, "Have you made up your mind or not?"
Yang Kai's brows were knotted into a character for "river," his face a picture of anguished indecision. Hearing her prodding, he turned to look at her. "Proprietress, I'm quite satisfied with both offers. But what about my two Mie Meng Golden Feathers — can the First Inn compensate me for those losses?"
It was one thing not to mention the Mie Meng Golden Feathers, but bringing them up immediately set the proprietress off. When Yang Kai had deployed them earlier, she'd been caught off guard and injured — it had been an outright humiliation!
"You want the First Inn to compensate you for those too? What kind of dream are you having?" Madam Lan snapped.