You Must Listen to Me in Everything

"I'd rather lust after your grandma!"

Xu Mu scoffed coldly. "I can continue working with you, but we need to set three ground rules."

"Which are?"

Tantai Quan took out her phone and opened a notepad app. "Let me jot them down."

"I won't take advantage of you. First, from now on, any pills you ask me to refine, we split the results fifty-fifty."

Xu Mu walked over to the window and stood with his hands behind his back. "My master says my alchemy skills are close to the ninth tier. I'm already giving you a huge discount."

Tantai Quan nodded slightly. "I agree."

She could feel it herself; Xu Mu's alchemy skills were constantly improving. After all, she had consumed the pills herself.

She had great confidence in him.

He would definitely become a legendary ninth-tier alchemist in the future.

"Second, after you become the new Flood Dragon Queen, you cannot make a move against my people."

Xu Mu turned his head to look at her. "I'm not an unreasonable person. If someone bullies your side and you retaliate to get even, I won't say a word."

"Alright, I agree to that too."

Tantai Quan didn't even have to think about it.

"Finally, before you become the Flood Dragon Queen, you must agree to any and all of my requests."

Xu Mu leaned against the window, his arms crossed, and looked at her calmly. "Just as an example: even if I told you right now to give me all the heavenly materials and earthly treasures in Lumang Mountain, you would have to comply."

Hearing this, Tantai Quan's expression changed. "Isn't that going a bit too far? Any request, with no limit on the number of times? How would I be any different from a servant?"

"That will test your ability to weigh your options. As long as you feel that what I'm asking you to do far outweighs the value of our partnership, you can refuse. The choice is yours."

Xu Mu shrugged. "Going back to the previous example: if you feel that you've worked too hard to build up Lumang Mountain and don't want to just give it to me, then simply refuse."

"And if I refuse, what are the consequences?"

"No consequences. I just won't work with you anymore. It's that simple," Xu Mu said calmly.

His purpose in saying all this was simply an indirect way to get Tantai Quan to work for him.

To put it bluntly, it was about gaining another subordinate. He only stipulated that she must listen to him before she became the Flood Dragon Queen.

As for what happened after she became Queen, Xu Mu didn't care.

Because by then, his own strength would definitely far surpass hers.

At that point, he naturally wouldn't need her to do anything for him anyway.

"I understand. To put it bluntly, for everything you ask me to do from now on, you'll be using our partnership as a threat."

Tantai Quan looked at Xu Mu. "For example, if you wanted me to be your wife, I would have to consider which is more important: being your wife or partnering with you. If I felt the partnership was more important, I would have no choice but to agree."

"Exactly. That's what I mean. So the choice is yours. If you think my request is out of line, you are entirely free to terminate the partnership."

Xu Mu nodded.

"Alright. It sounds extreme, but thinking it over, it's not bad. All the power of choice rests with me. If your request upsets me, I can just turn around and walk away."

Tantai Quan nodded gently. "I agree."

In truth, she knew very well that this arrangement was ultimately a test of Xu Mu's character.

But Tantai Quan didn't mind. Just as Xu Mu said, she could end it at any time, so she had nothing to lose.

"Straightforward. But I hope you won't play any mind games with me. For example, if I ask you to provide a specific heavenly material and you clearly have it, but you deliberately claim you don't."

Xu Mu said expressionlessly, "If I find out, it won't be as simple as terminating our partnership. I'll have my master come over and seek justice for me."

Tantai Quan said softly, "Don't worry. At least with you, I wouldn't do that."

She could tell from Xu Mu's pills that he took every single one very seriously.

He was leagues above the alchemists she had worked with in the past.

The previous alchemists had agreed to a fifty-fifty split, and they did indeed follow through.

However, when refining the pills, the efficacy was highly inconsistent, and they always cherry-picked the most potent ones for themselves.

Xu Mu was different. He would take the initiative to let Tantai Quan choose, and there was almost no difference in the potency of his pills.

"Alright, let's leave it at that. I've brought you my two tons of spiritual stones. Bring me the three stalks of ninth-tier heavenly materials to boost my strength."

Xu Mu said, looking at her.

"I thought the first thing you'd ask me to do was sleep with you. I know you're absolutely dying for it."

As Tantai Quan spoke, she leaned forward slightly. Her voluptuous curves were on full display, almost giving the illusion they were about to burst free.

"Stop trying to seduce me. I'm a man of honor; I won't be bewitched by you!"

Xu Mu said with righteous indignation.

"I believe you. But since I'm yours now anyway, why bother paying with spiritual stones? Couldn't you just have me bring them to you directly?"

Tantai Quan asked with a smile.

Xu Mu waved his hand and said, "I'm a good-hearted person. I don't like taking advantage of others."

[Affection +5]

Holding her jade smoking pipe, Tantai Quan stood up from the sofa with a smile. This Xu Mu was indeed quite interesting.

Led by Tantai Quan, Xu Mu accompanied her deep into the ruins.

Through his perception, Xu Mu sensed an old man, who was the nominal boss of Lumang Mountain.

However, this old man was clearly under Tantai Quan's orders.

Tantai Quan brought Xu Mu to the front of a cave. Xu Mu was surprised to find a weighbridge here, the kind typically used to weigh heavy trucks.

"Put your spiritual stones on it. You don't need to step off; your hundred-plus pounds of body weight can count as a discount."

Tantai Quan took out a match and lit her jade pipe.

Xu Mu nodded. He took out several spatial rings from his person, extracted all the spiritual stones, and stacked them neatly on the scale.

He kept his eyes on the monitor to the side, only stopping when it hit exactly two tons.

"Alright, step down. What kind of heavenly materials do you need?"

A wisp of blue smoke escaped Tantai Quan's lips.

"Like we discussed: three ninth-tier stalks that boost strength. As for exactly what you give me, that's up to you."

Xu Mu walked over to her.

"Okay, I'll have someone bring them over right now."

Tantai Quan took out her phone, sent a message, and then put it away. "Xu Mu, I've bet my entire fortune on you. I hope we have a bright future ahead."

"The more you bet on me, the greater your returns will be."

Xu Mu looked at her. "If you are completely sincere with me, you will reap the benefits within half a year."

"Then I'll just wait for my good fortune to arrive."

Tantai Quan smiled.

A short while later, a middle-aged man in a suit walked over from a distance.

"Sister Quan."

He handed a dark red wooden briefcase to Tantai Quan and then retreated.

Tantai Quan opened the wooden case, revealing three stalks of heavenly materials resting inside.

Xu Mu glanced at them and smiled. "Ancient Wood Ginseng? You really went all out. This ninth-tier heavenly material is much stronger than ordinary ninth-tier ones."

"It's a treasure I acquired recently. It cost me quite a bit."

Tantai Quan closed the box and handed it to Xu Mu.

"I'll refine these heavenly materials into pills to boost my strength, and I'll give some to you when the time comes."

Xu Mu stored the wooden box into his spatial storage. "Don't worry, they'll be free of charge."

[Affection +6]

Tantai Quan flashed a smile. "Xu Mu, if I become your wife and give you a son, does that mean you'll work for me for free?"