Chapter 491: Chapter 485: Fifty Years, 1.5 Million Spiritual Jade

It was common knowledge that a Tributor was someone who would step in when needed but would shrink back when faced with true danger. They would never fight to the death.

The bond between a Tributor and their patron was a bit stronger than that of an Honored Guest Elder, but it was by no means a pledge to live and die together.

Those who lived and died with their masters were called Death Warriors.

An ordinary Nascent Soul Late Stage Cultivator might amass a total fortune of only seven or eight million Spiritual Jade over more than a thousand years.

Therefore, Zhao Shan’s offer to hire Du Youqian as a Tributor for three million Spiritual Jade per century was an incredibly generous one.

Such terms were enough to make some Nascent Soul Cultivators grit their teeth and risk their lives.

But even though Du Youqian was tempted, he had no choice but to refuse.

This was because he was a man with his own power base, and he had to devote most of his energy to managing it.

He simply couldn’t settle down in the Zhao Kingdom for a long period.

And as a Tributor, while he wouldn’t have to constantly fight life-or-death battles, residing with his patron was an implicit part of the arrangement.

Otherwise, if you were wandering abroad all year long and your patron couldn’t even find you when they needed your help, what use would you be as a Tributor?

"A century is too long. I will have some matters to attend to then. Fifty years, however, is possible. Fifty years for one million Spiritual Jade," Du Youqian said.

’One million Spiritual Jade was nothing to sneeze at; in his past life, Du Youqian had haggled over mere hundreds of thousands.’

Zhao Shan let out a delicate chuckle. "Fellow Daoist, you truly are... Fine, fifty years it is. Fifty years for one and a half million Spiritual Jade. We of the Zhao Clan may not have much else, but we have plenty of money, and we hope to make more friends."

Since Du Youqian planned to "foster" his confidants and friends in the Zhao Kingdom, he had naturally investigated its circumstances.

It was true that the Zhao Kingdom had a lot of money, but the "not have much else" part was just a humble pleasantry.

As the nation that had enjoyed the longest period of peace in the vicinity, it was impossible that this peace had been obtained through simple kindness or by wagging its tail and begging for mercy.

Naturally, they had beaten every surrounding power into submission, thrashing them so badly that no one dared to speak out of turn in their presence. Only then could they enjoy their peace.

Moreover, the Zhao Royal Family, the Zhao Clan, hailed from the renowned major sect, the Ten Thousand Laws Sect.

Although the Ten Thousand Laws Sect was suppressed to a pitiful state in Momenan, constantly kowtowing and acting subservient, its reputation there couldn’t even compare to the Chongzhen Sect or the True Preservation Sect.

But in the Human World, the Ten Thousand Laws Sect was so tyrannical that it could overwhelm the likes of the Chongzhen Sect, the True Preservation Sect, and the Zhongxuan Sect (which had always been extremely powerful in the Human World), almost rivaling the Taihe Sect.

With such a backer, and being a credit to themselves by producing genius Cultivators in every generation, the Zhao Kingdom naturally prospered day by day, while all its neighbors kowtowed and acted subserviently.

Du Youqian was also satisfied to serve as a Tributor for such a kingdom.

At the same time, this was also his path to intervening in and understanding the Human World.

If he remained in the Immortal City Alliance or stayed cooped up in the Four Principles Sect, he would still be seen as a country bumpkin in the eyes of others, even if he broke through to Divinity Transformation.

There would be no way for him to integrate into the upper echelons of the Human World. He would only be able to rely on hearsay for many things, unable to access the truth of history, let alone cross paths and interact with the truly great figures.

Unless he had the power to flip the table entirely.

But that, of course, was impossible.

After Du Youqian agreed to become a Tributor, host and guest were, of course, perfectly pleased. Du Youqian also promised that he would return to the Zhao Kingdom to continue his service as Tributor once he finished his own business.

’To be honest, serving as a Tributor for a power overseen by a Void Step Great Power is a matter where the pros absolutely outweigh the cons for me.’

After several days of feasting and drinking in Xiangya City, having become superficial friends with Zhao Shan and the other Cultivators, Du Youqian prepared to take his leave to continue his task of guiding Li Fei and the beautiful Daoist Wu Ai.

However, Zhao Shan asked him to stay for a couple more days.

"The Old Ancestor will soon be coming out of seclusion. Fellow Daoist, why not wait a few more days? If the Old Ancestor summons you, you might receive some benefits."

Although Du Youqian’s Divine Sense was much stronger than Zhao Shan’s, it wasn’t yet at the level where he could probe the other man’s thoughts and emotions without being detected.

But judging from Zhao Shan’s expression and tone of voice, he seemed to be genuinely sincere.

After a moment’s hesitation, Du Youqian agreed.

Core Formation Cultivators were generally not qualified to meet a Divinity Transformation True Monarch.

Take Sui Zhi, for example. He had sought an audience with a Divinity Transformation cultivator from the Immortal City Alliance for many years, sending countless gifts, but the person didn’t even bother to acknowledge him.

Sui Zhi would only have been qualified to be summoned by that person if he had presented a piece of Tier Six Jade.

However, the status of a Nascent Soul Master was different. If Du Youqian sought an audience with a Divinity Transformation True Monarch, while he couldn’t just meet them whenever he pleased, the other party would most likely be willing to find an opportunity to meet him and hear what he had to say.

Therefore, this opportunity to meet a Divinity Transformation True Monarch wasn’t exactly a lottery-winning jackpot for Du Youqian, but it was certainly a valuable chance worth waiting a few days for.

If it were a chance to meet a Void Step True Monarch, Du Youqian would have fought tooth and nail for it.

It was said that a Void Step True Monarch was already wreathed in Dao Essence. If a Nascent Soul Master could meet with a Void Step True Monarch frequently, they could be influenced and transformed by this Dao Essence, which would deepen their foundation and increase their chances of advancing to Divinity Transformation by at least ten to twenty percent.

Thus, Du Youqian remained in Xiangya City.

The city also had a street dedicated to serving as a Marketplace for Cultivators.

The various Treasures, Elixirs, Talismans, materials, and Inheritances in the Marketplace were abundant and of high tiers.

Du Youqian browsed for two days and came across several pleasant surprises.

He wouldn’t easily part with the materials he had acquired in Momenan. He would need large quantities of these Tier Four and Tier Five Materials whether for improving his Artifact Refining, Puppet, or Talisman Making techniques in the future, or for Array Formation.

He also had a considerable amount of Spiritual Jade on him, and the number of useless Treasures he had seized was enough to form a mountain. So, he sold off a few items in exchange for some things that caught his eye.

As for Inheritances, there was no need to buy any.

He still hadn’t found the time to study the Tier Five and Tier Six Inheritances he had obtained from True Monarch Zhaoxiang Guangde.

In a while, he would also have to find an opportunity to make a trip to Momenan to claim all the other Tier Four Inheritances that Zhaoxiang Guangde True Monarch had sent.

Of course, he wouldn’t study them all at once; that would be too time-consuming.

But he could certainly memorize them first and improve upon them when he had the leisure.

Once he reached Divinity Transformation, he could easily raise many Cultivation Techniques to Tier Three and Tier Four. Even for techniques in which he had no talent, he could rely on his powerful Divine Sense to improve them rapidly.

After a few more days, Zhao Shan came to inform him, "The Old Ancestor is out of seclusion. She wants to see you."

On the way to see the Old Ancestor, Zhao Shan gave Du Youqian a brief introduction.

This Old Ancestor’s Daoist title was "Yu Shang True Monarch." She was not a Zhao by birth but had married into the Zhao family and had once served as the Queen.

Her age was... well, you can guess her age for yourself. Zhao Shan didn’t dare say. In any case, she had been Queen eighteen hundred years ago.

Yu Shang True Monarch had a very good temperament and enjoyed promoting juniors. None of the Cultivators in the Zhao Royal Family disliked her.

This was why Zhao Shan had persuaded Du Youqian to stay a few more days. According to Yu Shang True Monarch’s style, upon learning that the Royal Family had found a new Court Artist, it was very likely she would offer some kind of gesture.

Whether you called it winning people over for the Zhao Royal Family or a simple love for talent, the result was beneficial and harmless. So why not take the opportunity?

Du Youqian nodded repeatedly. "Indeed, indeed. Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist, and for giving me this opportunity to have an audience with the True Monarch."

’It’s not that I’m coveting the potential reward. No matter how much this Yu Shang True Monarch likes to promote juniors and appreciate talent, it’s impossible that she would just bestow a Tier Four Treasure upon our first meeting. Besides, even if Yu Shang True Monarch really did bestow a Tier Four Treasure... it’s a mere trifle worth only three or four hundred thousand Spiritual Jade. I wouldn’t find it that special.’

"Reporting to the Old Ancestor, not long ago, I recruited a passing Nascent Soul Master, Sui Xiao, to be a Court Artist. Master Sui greatly admires the Old Ancestor and wishes to listen to your teachings in person. I wonder if the Old Ancestor has time to grant him an audience?"

Standing outside Yu Shang True Monarch’s bedchambers, Zhao Shan put away his effeminate and charming demeanor and spoke with a serious expression.

"Oh, it’s little Shan’er. Bring your guest in," came a female voice that sounded very young and friendly.

Zhao Shan shot Du Youqian a look. A dazzlingly beautiful maid at the Foundation Establishment Realm pushed the door open. Zhao Shan gave the maid an ingratiating smile, discreetly handed her a Storage Treasure Pouch, and, with his lips unmoving, likely used Telepathy to say a few words before walking in with his head held high.

Du Youqian followed closely behind.

The maid accepted the Storage Treasure Pouch and led them inside as if nothing had happened.

These small actions certainly couldn’t have escaped Yu Shang True Monarch’s notice. Since she paid them no mind, it meant she didn’t care about such trivialities.

She was not the type of person who couldn’t tolerate a single speck of dust in her eye.

Inside the room, a stunningly beautiful woman in an elaborate palace gown sat cross-legged on a Lotus Throne carved entirely from Tier Four Beauty Jade. Though she wore no makeup, her beauty was peerless. She also had a red flower-shaped mark on her forehead, identical to the one on Zhao Shan’s.

"Old Ancestor!" Zhao Shan immediately knelt.

Du Youqian, naturally, did not kneel. He merely bowed deeply in salute. "Sui Xiao pays his respects to the True Monarch! May the True Monarch’s path on the Dao be smooth, and may your immortal fortune be everlasting."

"Alright, rise and speak, both of you." Yu Shang True Monarch, who appeared as a middle-aged beauty, laughed in a frank and magnanimous manner. Her beautiful eyes carefully sized up Du Youqian.

"So you are Sui Xiao? Truly extraordinary. I have never seen such a talent in my entire life. The Zhao Kingdom is vast and abundant, a place where the Human Dao Fortune is concentrated. Little friend Sui Xiao, since you are willing to become a Court Artist for our Zhao Kingdom and link yourself to its fortune, the future will surely be one of mutual benefit. You will undoubtedly advance smoothly to Divinity Transformation and Void Step, and the Zhao Kingdom will flourish even more because of you."

Zhao Shan couldn’t help but be moved. He had never expected the Old Ancestor’s evaluation of Du Youqian to be so high!

In every part of her speech, Master Yu Shang had not truly treated Du Youqian as a junior.

Du Youqian didn’t feel intimidated in the least. He simply thought that this Master Yu Shang had excellent judgment and was a skilled speaker.

He naturally respected a Divinity Transformation True Monarch, but he was confident that he, too, would become one in the near future. Therefore, while he was respectful, it was impossible to expect him to grovel or act subservient.

Thus, Master Yu Shang’s attitude gave him a very favorable impression.

"Thank you for your undeserved praise, True Monarch. Since I have the honor of being a Court Artist, I will naturally perform my duties with diligence."

Yu Shang True Monarch changed the subject. "Little friend Sui, since you are just passing through our kingdom, may I ask what important business brings you here?"

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