Chapter 557: Chapter 529: Using the Immortal City as a Cave Mansion
âYouâre not seriously expecting me to go and buy back the materials youâve seized.â Li Fan remained unfazed, calmly sipped his tea, eyeing Zhou Kebao. âAlthough Iâm quite wealthy, my contributions didnât just come to me by the wind. These materials, apart from building the Immortal City, seem to have no other use.â
Zhou Kebao quickly shook his head: âWe wouldnât be so ungrateful.â
He cautiously glanced at Li Fan and hunched over pleasingly: âIn truth, I came to find you in the spirit of peace and mutual benefitâŠâ
Li Fan abruptly set down his teacup, causing a loud clang, instantly silencing Zhou Kebao and causing him to stand upright.
Li Fanâs expression became grim, a flash of murderous intent present in his eyes: âPeace and mutual benefit, doesnât seem to have been your plan earlier.â
âSeizing so many materials, even after I established my military orders. Are you trying to force me, Li Fan, into a corner?â
Zhou Kebao frantically waved his hands, trembling as he explained: âNo such intention! No such intention! From the beginning to end, at most, it was only for financial gainâŠâ
Li Fan offered neither agreement nor disagreement, he merely stated indifferently: âAt this point, I wonât fuss with you anymoreâŠâ
Zhou Kebao hearing this, with a look of disbelief on his face.
However, before he could relax, he heard Li Fan continue: âYet, after the completion of Misthaven Elysian City, all reports to higher-ups shouldnât be less than a bit.â
âAfter all, the completion of the Immortal City construction without wasting a single bit of material, doesnât it demonstrate my capability?â
âIsnât it better to announce to the world, making everyone know? If all city masters are like me, wouldnât the Alliances of Thousands of Immortals swallowing the Five Elders Organization be soon at hand?â
âWhat do you say, fellow Taoist Zhou?â Li Fan brazenly stated.
âHaha, you jest.â Zhou Kebao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, finally understanding the threat in Li Fanâs words.
âWe will meet whatever demands you have. We need not cause a ruckus over this matter.â
Zhou Kebao pat his chest in assurance.
âItâs not about what I want, but about what you have.â Stepping forward, Li Fan patted Zhou Kebaoâs shoulder.
âContribution points? Do I lack them?â
Li Fanâs face showed his pride: âMy Art of Deduction is renowned throughout the world, with wealth I can multiply wealth, and I only deal in easy affairs. In my eyes, these so-called contribution points are just a string of numbers.â
Zhou Kebao shuddered slightly at his words.
âBesides, once Misthaven Elysian City is completed, the corresponding rewards certainly wonât be meager. By that time, my authority level, as an officer, would surely rise.â
âWith contribution points and authority, what in this world canât fall into my hands?â
âWhat can you offer to move me?â
Li Fanâs gaze was burning, focused intently on Zhou Kebao.
The pressure of Li Fanâs gaze left Zhou Kebao feeling that the manâs words were extremely reasonable. His mind suddenly plunged into chaos, leaving him unable to come up with a suitable answer.
âYou can come to find me again when youâve thought it over. I have official duties to attend to and canât entertain you.â Li Fan coldly issued the eviction order.
Zhou Kebao, wearing a distressed expression, backed down.
Li Fan made his intentions very clear.
This matter of them scheming could be considered water under the bridge.
But they needed to provide sufficient compensatory value.
âAn undefined demand is the most troublesome.â Zhou Kebao sighed slightly.
He looked back at the room where Li Fan situated.
Since he left such a short while ago, seven or eight monks with rigid expressions had come and gone frequently.
âHis momentum is established, and he cannot be forcibly opposed.â
âIf so, then we should seize this opportunity to make an enemy into a friend. This man doesnât seem to be one to hold grudges. As long as we have enough bargaining chips, we wonât worry about not moving him.â
Zhou Kebaoâs thoughts raced, and he quickly made a decision.
So he hurried back to discuss with his accomplices.
Five days later, Zhou Kebao reappeared before Li Fan, full of confidence.
âTake a look at this.
With a wave of his hand, a miniature view of a floating city appeared in mid-air.
âWhat is the meaning of this?â Li Fan glanced at it for a moment, unable to understand its significance.
Without changing his demeanor, he asked.
Seeing Li Fanâs reaction, Zhou Kebaoâs confidence increased and he unveiled a mysterious smile.
âA Cave Mansion that is identical, and even superior, to the Alliances of Thousands of Immortalsâ Suspended Immortal CityâŠâ
âAre you interested?â
Zhou Kebao softly asked.
âHmm?â Li Fanâs gaze focused and he turned to carefully examine the miniature view in the air once more.
A sudden realization hit him and he couldnât help but gasp.
âThe materials youâve seized are more than what youâre supposed to give me? Youâre being a bit brazen, arenât you?â
Zhou Kebao quickly said, âHaha, you misunderstood.â
âItâs true that we did reduce a lot at first for the sake of scheming against you, but itâs far from enough to fully rebuild a Suspended City.â
âIn fact, these materials are the remaining ones we saved during repairs and renovations in various states of the Immortal Cities.â
âYouâre aware too, Li Fan, that the Alliances of Thousands of Immortalsâ construction fund takes into account all sorts of unexpected situations, so the budget is abundant. And we, who are always doing this kind of work, are skilled at saving. The actual wastage is minimal.â
âSo there are always leftovers each time. Naturally, we canât hand over the extra, so it ended up falling into our pockets.â
âŠ
Zhou Kebao gave a slight smile, ending his speech, leaving everything unspoken.
âOver years, weâve accumulated these materials. Instead of letting them collect dust in the warehouse, we might as well put them to good use and dissolve this misunderstanding between you and us.â
âPublic resources for private use, turning the Immortal City into a Cave Mansion. Haha, I can assure you, even within our Alliance of Thousands of Immortals, this is not a common occurrence.â
Li Fan stared intently at the rotating illusion of the Immortal City, clearly stirred.
Seeing this, Zhou Kebao seized the opportunity to enhance his sales pitch.
âThis Immortal City Cave Mansion, apart from being unable to connect with the Immortal Alliance Headquarters, we can make all the facilities identical to a typical Immortal City.â
âOf course, if you think itâs too high-profile, we also provide a concealed function. Buildings such as the Governance Hall and the Martial Arts Battle Hall can usually be hidden from sight, and only summoned when needed.â
âWithin the Immortal City Cave Mansion, we would also leave plenty of room for later renovations.â
âIn the future, you might want to strengthen the Protection Matrix and the ban, it wouldnât be a problem.â
âOf course, if youâre willing to offer some contribution points, it wouldnât be a problem for us to do it for you.â
âIf you are generous enough, even the Long-distance Transfer Array, and even the Virtual Mustard Seed Shrinkage Array, these can also be discussed.â
âAn Immortal City Cave Mansion that can be carried with you, comes with a built-in transfer function, and can be used for offense or defenseâŠâ
âAre you satisfied?â Zhou Kebao tempting asked.
Li Fan burst into hearty laughter in response.`