Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

The main hall of the Tianyan Chamber of Commerce was built in a hundred-foot-tall white jade pavilion in the center of the city, with golden plaques hanging on all four sides, their spiritual light never fading.

As Jiang Yining stepped onto the third step, Xie Wuwang behind her was still grinding his teeth.

"You laughed at the entrance of the inn just now."

"So what if you laughed?"

"You're smiling like you're going to a banquet."

"Isn't earning money by taking on challenges more respectable than robbing people?"

Xie Wuwang snorted, picked up the empty wine jug, and followed with long, heavy steps.

The main hall doors were wide open, and two rows of servants bowed their heads in greeting, their gazes quickly averted after sweeping over the oppressive aura emanating from Xie Wuwang.

Qian Yong was already waiting in the front hall, and bowed as he led the two into the back hall.

In the center of the back hall stood a long sandalwood table covered with a star-patterned array.

A person was sitting behind the desk.

He wore a white robe with gold thread, a jade belt with dark patterns around his waist, and held a folding fan painted with ink bamboo in his hand.

He had exceptionally beautiful features, with smiling eyes and a perpetually calculating and charming smile. He looked like a fox that had just crawled out of a golden den.

Yun Zhongce, the young master of Tianyan Chamber of Commerce.

The moment his gaze fell on Jiang Yining, his hand holding the fan paused.

"Yo."

The folding fan snapped shut, and Yun Zhongce, resting his chin on his hand, looked her up and down, a knowing smile curving his lips.

"Qian Yong, you said a master of formations has arrived, but why didn't you mention she's a fairy?"

Qian Yong wiped his sweat and smiled apologetically, "This... I..."

Jiang Yining ignored his words and walked straight to the long table, her gaze sweeping over the array diagram.

"The Nine Heavens Star Array is missing three core array eyes. The reward you posted was for repairs, but the array diagram on this map is missing array eyes."

She raised her hand, her fingertip touching a barely noticeable fine line in the lower left corner of the drawing.

"Here, the return path of the array base is broken. You drew the broken path at the position of the array eye to deliberately confuse the situation."

Yun Zhongce stopped fanning himself completely.

He sat up straight, the smile in his eyes fading slightly, replaced by a more serious expression.

"Young lady, you have a keen eye. I've hidden three layers of illusions in this broken loop. None of the seven array masters I invited last month could spot it."

"The illusion is not bad, but you used overlapping imprints to block it. The spiritual light frequency of the Returning Origin Circuit is different from that of the array eye. Relying on overlapping imprints can only fool people with insufficient cultivation."

Yun Zhongce leaned closer, and Jiang Yining withdrew her hand and took a half step back.

"Let's get down to business. What you really want to repair isn't the array's core, but this path of returning to the origin, right?"

Yun Zhongce clapped his hands slowly twice, his eyes half-closed, glancing at the other person out of the corner of his eye. The other person's features were exquisitely sculpted, and it seemed that everything about him was just right, as if he had found the perfect match in people's hearts.

"Great, then I won't beat around the bush."

He took out a broken jade plate from under the table and pushed it in front of Jiang Yining.

"This is the core hub of the ancient Spirit Gathering Array. After the Returning Origin Circuit was broken, the entire array was mostly destroyed. I would like to ask you to take a look and see if it can be repaired."

Jiang Yining picked up the jade plate and flipped it over, tracing the patterns with her fingertips as she pondered for a moment.

A moment later, she placed the jade plate back on the table.

"It can be repaired."

Yun Zhongce's eyes lit up.

"Alright, name your price, young lady."

"Five million top-grade immortal crystals is the amount you wrote on the bounty. Repairing the array eye is worth that price, but repairing the Returning Origin Path is ten times more difficult than repairing the array eye. You know that in your heart."

Jiang Yining's voice was calm, concealing the calculating glint in her eyes: "Fifty million."

Qian Yong nearly dropped the teacup in his hand.

Yun Zhongce blinked and twirled the folding fan twice in his palm.

"Girl, your mouth is more likely to make money than my treasure-gathering bone."

"If you think it's too expensive, you don't have to repair it. By the time you find another person who can spot the broken loop, the spiritual foundation of this formation will probably have completely collapsed."

After saying that, Jiang Yining turned and left.

"etc."

Yun Zhongce stood up from his chair, pressed his folding fan against his lower lip, and stared at her back for three breaths.

"Fifty million is too much, thirty million, plus three Heaven-rank array materials from the Heavenly Evolution Treasury that you can choose from."

"Forty million, five array materials, plus the right to use the intelligence network of all branches of the Tianyan Chamber of Commerce in the Xuantian Realm."

"Intelligence network?"

Yun Zhongce choked for a moment, a hint of bitterness creeping into his smile.

"Young lady, my chamber of commerce has never been devoured whole in one go."

"If the young master feels he has been cheated, he can do the math."

Jiang Yining turned around and pointed to three spots on the array diagram.

"After the Guiyuan Path is repaired, the spiritual energy gathering efficiency of the Spirit Gathering Array will increase by at least 40%, and the annual output of your Tianyan Mine will double. You will be able to break even in one year, and the net profit after three years will be enough for you to build two more chambers of commerce."

Yun Zhongce's folding fan stopped in mid-air.

He stared at the three locations she pointed out, his pupils slightly contracting.

These three points happen to be the bottlenecks with the lowest efficiency in the entire spirit gathering array. It took him two years to figure them out, but she saw through them at a glance.

"...Just what level is your skill in formations?"

"Enough to repair your array."

Yun Zhongce gave her a deep look.

He snapped the folding fan shut and suddenly laughed.

"Deal, forty million, five pieces of Heaven-Rank array materials, and I'll grant you three years of access to the intelligence network."

He turned his head to look at Qian Yong.

"Go and draft the contract."

Qian Yong scrambled out of the back room.

Yun Zhongce walked around the long table to Jiang Yining and took out a shimmering purple-gold card from his sleeve.

"Also, this is for the girl."

He opened his palm, and the purple-gold merchant card lay quietly on it.

"The Tianyan Chamber of Commerce Unlimited Purple Gold Card, there are only three in the entire Xuantian Realm. With this card, there is no limit to spending at any branch. Consider this my personal sincerity."

Xie Wuwang, who was leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed in the corner, suddenly darkened his gaze.

He hadn't moved an inch since he entered, his long legs crossed, looking utterly bored.

But those dark purple eyes were fixed on Yun Zhongce from beginning to end, especially when the man smiled at Jiang Yining, his fingers tightened in his arms.

Yun Zhongce handed the Zijin Business Card to Jiang Yining.

The moment the card slipped from his palm, his fingertips brushed against the back of her hand, intentionally or unintentionally, the touch extremely light, accompanied by a warm current of spiritual energy.

He leaned slightly forward, his peach blossom eyes half-curled, and his voice lowered by two decibels.

"Miss Jiang is such a wonderful person, talking about money is too vulgar. Why don't we talk about something else?"

The words were still lingering in the air.

A cold light slashed across.

Xie Wuwang had already arrived beside Yun Zhongce without anyone noticing. The black blade of annihilation that he conjured in his left hand was pressed against Yun Zhongce's neck, the blade less than an inch from his skin.

The oppressive aura of a peak True Immortal Realm expert exploded in the back hall, the array diagram on the table was blown away by the shockwave, and the long sandalwood table creaked.

His entire body, from his spine to his fingertips, was taut in a straight line, and his eyes were brimming with undisguised killing intent.

"Touch her again, and I'll chop off your hand."

The voice wasn't loud, but every word carried a chilling intensity.

Yun Zhongce's folding fan fell to the ground.

He turned his head to look at the black blade light pressed against his neck, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

"Brother, could you please introduce yourself before drawing your knife? The last time blood was shed in the back hall of the Tianyan Chamber of Commerce was three hundred years ago."

"Who do you care who I am?"

Xie Wuwang twisted his wrist, and the blade moved forward half an inch, slicing through the gold thread at Yun Zhongce's collar.

"Put your hand back."

Yun Zhongce slowly withdrew his hand, which was still hanging in mid-air, pinched two fingers together, and gave Jiang Yining a pleading look.

Jiang Yining reached out and slowly pulled the Purple Gold Merchant Card out from the gap between the blade and her neck.

The card still carries the warmth of Yun Zhongce's body.

She tucked the merchant card into her sleeve and turned to face Xie Wuwang.

"Take it."

Xie Wuwang did not move.

"It wasn't enough that you took it; his claws just now rubbed against the back of your hand."

"It's normal to touch hands when handing things over in business."

"normal?"

Xie Wuwang scoffed, and the blade moved forward another inch.

Yun Zhongce's back was pressed against the pillar, a forced smile still on his face, and fine sweat trickling down his temples.

"Brother, my neck is valuable; it's not worth cutting it off."

Jiang Yining raised her hand and pressed down on Xie Wuwang's forearm, releasing a wisp of wood energy from her fingertips.

"That's enough, put the knife away."

Xie Wuwang looked down at her fingers pressing on his arm and gritted his teeth.

The black blade of annihilation dissipated inch by inch, but he did not withdraw his hand. Instead, he slashed past Yun Zhongce's neck, wrapped his arm around Jiang Yining's waist, and pulled her half a step towards him.

Jiang Yining was pulled into his arms, her back pressed against his chest.

She didn't struggle, but simply turned her head and smiled slightly at Yun Zhongce.

"Young master, I have a bad temper, please excuse me."

Yun Zhongce rubbed his neck, his gaze lingering for a moment on the hand Xie Wuwang had wrapped around Jiang Yining's waist.

He bent down to pick up the folding fan, dusted himself off, and stood up straight again.

The smile on his face did not fade; instead, it gained an inexplicable and ambiguous interest.

"It's okay to have a bad temper, as long as I can make money."

He unfolded his folding fan, covering half of his face, revealing only his bright, piercing eyes.

"Miss Jiang, the contract will be delivered to the inn tomorrow. A deposit of ten million will be paid upfront, and the remainder will be settled according to the progress. But there is one condition."

"explain."

"During the repair of the formation, the young lady must personally stay at the site, residing in the VIP courtyard of my Chamber of Commerce, with all expenses covered."

His gaze passed over the top of the folding fan and met Xie Wuwang's face, which looked as if it were about to burst with sweat.

"Of course, the young lady's guard can also stay here. I, Yun Zhongce, have always been fair in my business dealings."

Xie Wuwang's fingers, which were wrapped around Jiang Yining's waist, sank into the fabric.

"Who wants to live in your dilapidated yard?"

"The client's price of forty million is up to the young master." Jiang Yining slapped his hand away and nodded to Yun Zhongce. "Send over the list of array materials tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."

Yun Zhongce watched the two leave the inner hall, twirling his folding fan three times in his palm.

Qian Yong ran back with the contract in his arms, and when he saw the knife cut on the young master's collar, his legs went weak.

"Young Master, are you alright?"

"fine."

Yun Zhongce touched the faint mark on his neck, and the corners of his mouth curved up.

"Qian Yong, have you ever seen a bodyguard hold a knife to a client's throat while negotiating a deal?"

“No, no…”

"I've never seen it either."

He flung open the folding fan, glanced at the door, his eyes a mixture of shrewdness and curiosity.

"Interesting, much more interesting than that formation."