"Although I've never seen a Foundation Establishment Pill with my own eyes, Han Li was crystal clear about its value and importance! Just think—at the Ascending Immortal Assembly on the Heavenly Mist Platform, nearly a thousand cultivators had fought to the death on the ring. For what? Wasn't it overwhelmingly because of the temptation of this very Foundation Establishment Pill? And this Elder Ye actually planned to trade for it with a handful of spirit stones and a few magical tools. Did he really think I was some naive brat fresh from the mountains?" Han Li sneered to himself, but his face had already returned to a respectful expression, as if he were listening earnestly to what the other was saying.
The grey-robed elder surnamed Ye was quite satisfied with Han Li's reaction. After all, the future junior nephew hadn't immediately refused the moment he heard about trading the Foundation Establishment Pill. It seemed there really was room to work with.
From the start, he'd never actually believed the items he'd mentioned would be enough to secure the Foundation Establishment Pill. No one with half a brain would trade away something so precious for so little. His opening offer had merely been a probe.
But now, seeing the young man's attitude, it really did look like things were negotiable. This sent a thrill of delight through the elder's heart!
As long as the other party was willing to trade, the elder was absolutely confident he could meet his demands and walk away with this Foundation Establishment Pill. At this thought, the smile on Elder Ye's face grew even wider, and he found that Han Li looked considerably more pleasant than before.
"Martial nephew Han, you must already know the attributes of your Spirit Root, yes? To be honest, with your aptitude, even if you took a Foundation Establishment Pill, your chances of successfully establishing your foundation would be slim at best! At most, the pill would help you advance your Magical Power by a couple of levels in your basic cultivation technique! If that's the case, then using a Foundation Establishment Pill on yourself would be a terrible waste! For you, martial nephew, it would be far more practical to trade this item for something more immediately useful. That would be a much better deal. If you were to..." The elder launched into an eloquent, ceaseless stream of persuasion aimed at swaying Han Li.
On the surface, Han Li appeared to be listening attentively to Elder Ye's lengthy lecture, but in his mind, he was already analyzing and weighing the pros and cons, running the numbers ceaselessly.
In truth, he was well aware that what the elder said was correct—after taking even a single Foundation Establishment Pill, his odds of successfully establishing his foundation were truly minuscule! But simply handing the Foundation Establishment Pill over to Elder Ye was something Han Li was deeply unwilling to do. After all, however slim the chance, there was still at least a sliver of possibility, wasn't there?
Yet if he didn't give the Foundation Establishment Pill to this Elder Ye, then his days in Huang Feng Valley would certainly not be pleasant. Nine times out of ten, he would make an enemy of this man for no reason at all. And from the elder's demeanor, it was clear he held a certain amount of real authority within Huang Feng Valley. That would make things even worse.
"Elder, may I ask who this Foundation Establishment Pill is for? Surely the elder himself no longer has need of it." After thinking for a long while, Han Li decided it was better to feel out the other party's position first.
Although the elder had been interrupted, no displeasure showed on his face. Upon hearing Han Li's question, he hesitated for a moment before speaking:
"Since Martial nephew Han has asked, there's no need for me to hide it. This Foundation Establishment Pill is for my grandnephew. I hope martial nephew can see fit to oblige?"
Hearing this, Han Li bitter-laughed inwardly and couldn't help but think:
"A grandnephew—that's still a fairly close relation! And to go to such lengths, even stooping to ask a junior like me for the Foundation Establishment Pill, it must be someone he truly dotes on. If I refuse, there's no doubt at all it will enrage this old man, and I can forget about having any peace in Huang Feng Valley. I have no choice but to swallow the pain and agree. As for my own foundation establishment, I'll have to find another way later. I still have that mysterious small bottle—as long as I have the recipes and time, what pill can't I refine?"
Having made up his mind after weighing all the factors, Han Li still intended to extract as much blood from the elder as possible. He therefore put on a troubled expression, his face a picture of wretched indecision.
"Elder, it's not that this junior doesn't respect his elders, but this Foundation Establishment Pill is tremendously important to me as well! Even if my aptitude is a bit lacking, doesn't there remain at least a thread of hope? But if I give up on this chance to establish my foundation, then for the rest of my life I'll truly have no path to the Great Dao!"
The elder inwardly scoffed at Han Li's words. He thought: "With aptitude like yours, to even consider matters of the Great Dao—what a laughable notion."
But outwardly, the elder continued to urge Han Li with heartfelt sincerity from every angle, making numerous empty promises, applying pressure to erode Han Li's resolve and get him to agree to the trade.
After listening to these hollow words, Han Li laughed coldly to himself. But what came out of his mouth grew weaker and more yielding by the sentence, which only further energized the elder, who kept offering increasingly generous terms.
"Martial nephew! If you're willing to give up the Foundation Establishment Pill, then as for the various miscellaneous tasks that every disciple in the valley must perform—Uncle here can let you choose whichever ones you like!" Seeing that Han Li was on the verge of agreeing, the elder finally deployed his trump card.
"Miscellaneous tasks?" Han Li was genuinely taken aback.
"That's right. You should know that every low-level disciple in Huang Feng Valley must complete a certain quota of assigned work each month. For example: supervising miners at various mining sites, serving as an administrative disciple in the markets run by our sect, tending to the spirit beasts and unusual creatures kept in the valley, planting spirit root herbs and rare medicines—that sort of thing. Based on how well the work is completed, the sect distributes a modest amount of low-grade spirit stones each month as a reward. And I happen to be the valley's steward responsible for assigning this kind of work. So if you have a preference for any particular type of task, it's nothing more than a word from me." As he spoke, Elder Ye puffed out his chest, and indeed looked the part of someone wielding considerable power.
Han Li was momentarily speechless upon hearing this! It seemed that no matter where you went, there would always be those who abused their authority for personal gain. Even within a major cultivation sect like Huang Feng Valley, this universal truth held firm.
However, when the elder had mentioned the task of planting rare herbs, something had stirred in Han Li's heart. That job seemed practically tailor-made for him. And the elder had already promised quite a bit. If Han Li kept stalling, it might genuinely create the impression that he was too greedy. Better to take what he could get.
At this thought, Han Li put on an expression of finally being won over and said to the elder with great reluctance:
"Since Elder Ye has put it this way, it would be rude of this junior to continue refusing. As long as the elder can truly honor the conditions he just stated, then this junior's Foundation Establishment Pill shall go to your grandnephew. May your grandnephew succeed in establishing his foundation!"
The elder was overjoyed upon hearing these words and immediately assured him:
"Martial nephew, rest easy! Every word Uncle says carries weight. But when we meet the Sect Master later, the transaction itself can be made known to the others—however, the private arrangements I've promised should not be mentioned, yes?"
Han Li understood perfectly and smiled, replying with great tact: "Rest assured, Elder. This junior knows the score. I would never do something so foolish."
The elder beamed, thoroughly pleased by Han Li's docility.