It had to be said — dealing with independent cultivators was truly more exhausting. The powerhouses of the independent cultivation world were indeed a more sensitive lot.
A casual remark from Jiang Chen had been interpreted by them as an attempt to recruit their services.
In an instant, every one of these independent Great Emperors bristled like hedgehogs, their spines standing on end, radiating wariness.
Jiang Chen laughed in amusement. "Are you a worm in my stomach, sir? How could you possibly know I intended for you all to follow Peacock Holy Mountain?"
"Isn't that the case?" the man replied coldly.
"Of course not. Even if I were a fool, I'd know that picking you off one by one would be far more effective than hosting you all at a banquet like this," Jiang Chen replied with a chuckle. "Besides, there are twenty or thirty Great Emperors here. Even if Glazed Royal City had that large an appetite, we haven't prepared for such a thing. You eat according to how big your stomach is. I, Zhen, am not so presumptuous as to overreach."
Hearing Jiang Chen's words, the crowd began to waver between belief and skepticism.
Indeed — if Young Lord Zhen truly intended to recruit everyone, approaching them privately one by one would certainly have been far more effective. Why make such an announcement publicly?
When such matters were announced openly, a single objection would trigger a subconscious wave of resistance from the rest — entirely unsuitable for recruitment.
Could it be that Young Lord Zhen truly harbored no such intention? Had they all misunderstood him?
That Great Emperor, however, had a stubborn tongue. Even though he suspected he might have overthought things, he pressed on defiantly. "Then what is this stake you speak of?"
A stake that everyone here could produce — now that was puzzling. While they were all Great Emperors, their abilities certainly varied, and their wealth differed in measure.
If it was something everyone could produce, then the only answer was Ling Shi.
Could it be that the Pine Crane Pill could truly be purchased with mere Ling Shi?
Jiang Chen gave the man a brief, indifferent glance but did not answer. Instead, he turned his deep gaze to Emperor Jingzhong. "Senior Hui, my Pine Crane Pill requires no Ling Shi and no other stake. I only need you to lend me a hand once."
"Lend you a hand once?" Emperor Jingzhong's eyes brightened. "How so, exactly?"
"Very simply — when I need it, you strike once for me," Jiang Chen explained.
"Who would the opponent be?" Emperor Jingzhong was visibly tempted.
"Regardless of who the opponent is — can Senior Hui agree to that?" Jiang Chen asked with a smile.
Emperor Jingzhong pondered for a moment. "Young Lord Zhen, are you planning to declare war on Pill Fire City? If that is the case, we truly cannot make any promises. The independent cultivation world has never involved itself in conflicts between factions, nor will we upset that balance. To put it bluntly — even if we helped you destroy Pill Fire City, Glazed Royal City would not emerge the victor. You would become the target of everyone's arrows."
This was not Emperor Jingzhong merely trying to scare anyone — it was the inevitable outcome.
Employing independent cultivators to participate in factional warfare and annihilate a major power would be the gravest taboo in the cultivation world. It would inevitably provoke revulsion among the other factions, even trigger panic. To protect themselves and avoid becoming the next target, they would unite — their spears all pointed at Glazed Royal City.
Such an irrational act was something Jiang Chen would naturally never commit.
Jiang Chen laughed. "Senior Hui, do you really think I, Zhen, am that brainless? If I were to declare war on Pill Fire City, I would do so openly and honorably — I would never borrow the hand of the independent cultivation world. Such a victory would be dishonorable. Winning wouldn't be glorious, and losing would be utterly humiliating."
"Then what are you after?" Emperor Jingzhong was growing confused.
"The help I'm asking for is absolutely not an attack on any faction. In fact, the place where you'd act would not extend beyond the borders of Glazed Royal City."
Within Glazed Royal City's territory?
Everyone's hearts stirred. If it was within Glazed Royal City's territory, then that changed things entirely. Even clashing with Pill Fire City's forces would be acceptable.
Helping to attack Pill Fire City was one thing; helping Glazed Royal City with its defense was another matter entirely.
Since ancient times, launching an attack was aggression. But helping with defense was simply self-defense. The nature of the two was entirely different.
"Is it really that simple?" Emperor Jingzhong was now somewhat disbelieving.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly and flicked a Pine Crane Pill straight toward Emperor Jingzhong. The emperor was stunned but instinctively caught it.
"Young Lord Zhen, what is this?" Emperor Jingzhong was completely bewildered.
"Brother Mo often speaks of you, Senior Hui. He says you are one of the very few in the independent cultivation world whom he truly admires. For Brother Mo's sake alone, you deserve to have this Pine Crane Pill. Consider it my respect for you, Senior — payment first, business discussion after. How does that sound?"
Jiang Chen's gesture left Emperor Jingzhong feeling somewhat embarrassed.
That was how many people in the independent cultivation world were. If you rubbed them the wrong way, everything became impossible to negotiate. But if you showed them deference, treated them with respect at every turn, they found it hard to refuse.
Emperor Jingzhong was exactly this kind of person.