Dantai Quan, Let's End Our Cooperation

After making some brief preparations, Xu Mu drove off to find Tantai Quan.

He was the type of person who knew when to stop; unless dealing with an enemy, he wouldn't demand an exorbitant price.

Exchanging two tons of spirit stones for three Grade-Nine stalks of natural treasures that could boost one's strength was already considered a massive hemorrhage of wealth.

This time, Xu Mu packed a huge amount of spirit stones. Aside from the two tons meant for exchanging treasures, there were another three tons for Nalan Shisan.

...

He drove all the way to the hotel where Lumang Mountain was located.

Xu Mu parked his car in an outside spot and walked inside.

Lumang Mountain looked no different from before. Upon arriving at the exchange center, there were still quite a few people trading at the counters.

Not long after Xu Mu arrived, a middle-aged man in a suit walked over with a smile.

"Sir, Sister Quan asked you to go up."

"Alright."

Xu Mu nodded slightly and headed to the second floor.

Even before coming in, he had used his perception to locate Tantai Quan.

Pushing the door open, he stepped into a dimly lit room.

Tantai Quan was wearing a gorgeous off-the-shoulder Hanfu. Her charming face carried a natural trace of melancholy.

She was sitting on the sofa, holding a jade pipe in her hand, with wisps of blue smoke curling up from the bowl.

It had to be said that this woman was truly formidable.

Even after seeing her multiple times, the feeling she gave off remained exactly the same as the first time.

If Dai Xingluo wearing a Hanfu gave off the vibe of a noble lady from a prominent family, then the Tantai Quan before him looked more like a top-tier courtesan from an ancient brothel.

"You're here."

Tantai Quan tapped out the ash from her pipe and looked at Xu Mu with a smile. "Please, have a seat."

Xu Mu sat on the sofa and crossed his legs. "Speaking of which, I've been meaning to ask. This room clearly has windows, so why do you always keep the curtains drawn?"

"Because when I'm at home, I naturally do whatever makes me comfortable. I don't want to wear colored contacts in my own house."

As she spoke, Tantai Quan stood up with her jade pipe, walked to the window, and pulled the curtains open just a crack.

The sunlight from outside shone through the glass, first sweeping across Tantai Quan's profile.

She looked at Xu Mu. As the light filled the room, the originally round pupils in Tantai Quan's alluring eyes gradually morphed into the vertical slits of a beast.

Seeing this, Xu Mu finally smiled. "Beast eyes. Whether it's a tiger, a lion, or a venomous snake, they're all like this. When facing strong light, their pupils shrink into a vertical line."

"Don't lump us in with mere animals. We are the Flood Dragon clan, one of the top-tier races in the Inner World."

Tantai Quan walked over and sat beside Xu Mu, her face full of apology. "I'm sorry. I implicated you. Is your family alright?"

"If something had happened to them, I wouldn't be here looking for you."

Xu Mu looked at Tantai Quan with a calm expression.

"I'm really sorry. This was all my fault. Who could have thought that my driver would sell out my whereabouts for his own selfish gain?"

Tantai Quan deliberately leaned against Xu Mu's shoulder.

The cleavage on her chest became even deeper and more pronounced because of this movement.

"Cut it out! Who doesn't have a crack? I've got one on my ass too."

Xu Mu pushed Tantai Quan away. "Tantai Quan, let's terminate our partnership."

"Why? It wasn't my fault this time."

Tantai Quan puffed her cheeks slightly. Paired with her bewitching face, it looked exactly like she was acting spoiled.

"The reason I'm canceling our cooperation isn't because of this incident. It's because you've been taking my pills and secretly funding the rebel army of the Flood Dragon clan, right?"

Xu Mu crossed his arms and cast a faint glance at Tantai Quan.

However, that cleavage was indeed incredibly deep. His eyes seemed to have an auto-aim function, always landing right there.

Finally, he had to look straight ahead, forcing himself to stop looking at her.

"You even know about that?"

Tantai Quan frowned in disbelief. "Just what exactly did you find out?"

Xu Mu didn't hide anything and recounted the entire sequence of events from beginning to end.

Hearing this, Tantai Quan finally sighed. She slumped back onto the sofa and looked up at the ceiling.

"So that's how it is. It was the First Commander's people."

Tantai Quan tilted her head to look at Xu Mu. "You're right. I have indeed been funding my master."

"Your master?"

Xu Mu frowned slightly.

"My master used to be my father's right-hand man. My father didn't have time to teach me, so he let my master guide me."

Tantai Quan explained, "Now, he is the one leading our former subordinates."

Xu Mu nodded. "So you gave all those pills to them?"

"Yes, I've been doing this all along. Or rather, I established Lumang Mountain specifically to help them grow stronger."

Tantai Quan tightened her grip on the jade pipe. "However, alchemists ask for too high a price. There hadn't been any substantial results over the years—until you appeared."

She had to admit that Xu Mu's alchemy skills were superior to anyone she had sought out before.

Moreover, he was still in a growth phase. Her master had even specifically sent someone to ask if she had changed alchemists again.

Because the pills he received were getting stronger every time, her master even suspected that the alchemist might be a Grade-Nine master.

The key was that such a powerful alchemist was still splitting the profits four to six.

It could be said that from the moment she met Xu Mu until now, in this short period of time, the overall improvement in their strength surpassed the previous five or six years combined.

"That's exactly why I want to cancel our partnership. You belong to an alien race. Regardless of whether you can seize power in the future, your kind has always harbored hostility toward us descendants of Yan and Huang, haven't you?"

Xu Mu glanced at Tantai Quan. "No need to lie. Tell me the truth."

Tantai Quan pondered for a long time before giving a slight nod. "That's right. Our Flood Dragon clan fought multiple massive wars with your people in the past. In your perception, Flood Dragons are the embodiment of evil, and to our clan, your people are the same."

"I don't need to explain further now, do I? If you sell the pills to major families or sects, most of them are descendants of Yan and Huang, and that's none of my business. But you're giving them to the Flood Dragon clan. What if you grow strong enough to threaten us?"

Xu Mu stood up from the sofa. "Wouldn't that make me a sinner?"

"Xu Mu, I..."

Tantai Quan's throat bobbed, but she didn't say the rest of her words.

"Spit it out if you have something to say."

"If... you can help me become the new Flood Dragon King, I promise I will never make a move against your people."

As Tantai Quan said this, she felt uncertain herself, and her voice grew quieter. "The chances are very low, but it's not impossible."

"And the price?"

Xu Mu looked at her with a flat expression. "If I really help you become the Flood Dragon King, what price are you willing to pay?"

"From now on, for all the pills I ask you to refine, we'll split the profits fifty-fifty."

Seeing that Xu Mu was relenting, Tantai Quan immediately struck while the iron was hot.

"Not enough."

Xu Mu shook his head.

"Four to six, then? I take four, you take six."

Tantai Quan bit her lip. "I can't go any lower. If you take seven and I take three, I might as well just eat these natural treasures raw instead of having them refined into pills."

"I'm not talking about the pills."

"Then what is it..."

Tantai Quan thought for a moment before a look of sudden realization dawned on her face. "Ha! I knew it! You're actually after my body!"