Chapter 142: The Negotiation
Leo and Vera shared the same thought. A fully mature Youth Preservation Fruit was worth even more than Purple Ginseng — enough to trade in for credit toward Foundation Establishment Pills. But if they got their hands on one, neither Quincy nor Vera would want to trade it. Better to find an alchemist within the sect to refine it into Youth Preservation Pills. According to the Palace's reward system, if they turned in four or five rare treasures, they could each keep one for themselves.
They had the strength to compete. Facing a treasure worth fighting for, Leo saw no reason not to try. But there was a certain finesse to it—ask for too little, and you sell yourself short; push too hard, and you'd end up in a real conflict with those formidable Ancient Sword Sect cultivators.
"Is that so?" Ethan's face darkened. "So the Palace intends to wade into this muddy water and make an enemy of the Ancient Sword Sect?"
He was young — only twelve or thirteen, at the tenth level of Qi Refining. But the Blazing Sun Sword had been forged for him alone. It consumed far less of his spiritual energy than any ordinary artifact would. In a real fight, he could last longer than most late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.
"We have no intention of making an enemy of the Ancient Sword Sect," Leo said, stepping in before Quincy could open her mouth and say something reckless. "But there are eight Youth Preservation Fruits. As the number one sect in the Moonwatch cultivation world, the Ancient Sword Sect deserves the largest share. That said, the rest of us here are no pushovers. Taking two or three fruits for ourselves isn't unreasonable."
Vera breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She wanted a Youth Preservation Fruit as much as anyone, but she had no desire to throw down with the Ancient Sword Sect's best.
"Two or three?" Ethan scoffed, sweeping his gaze over Leo and the others. "I don't see that kind of strength."
A wave of jeers rippled through the surrounding cultivators.
"This guy opens his mouth asking for two or three Youth Preservation Fruits? He should take a good look in the mirror — see who he thinks he is. The Palace is just a mid-tier sect. What a joke," one cultivator sneered.
"Exactly. Standing in front of the master of the Blazing Sun Sword — a disciple of the number one sect — and demanding such a big cut? He's lost his mind. If I had that sword, I'd run him through right now just to shut him up," another cultivator from the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion chimed in, stirring the pot.
Quincy, Vera, and Leo exchanged a glance. Then they each brought out their magic artifacts.
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Lowell's eyes widened when he saw the Black Flood Dragon Shears in Leo's hands. He had no idea Leo had that kind of card to play. But with so many sects gathered around and hostile eyes everywhere, Lowell didn't hesitate. He had always supported Quincy without question. He summoned his own artifact — the Lightning Spear.
The cultivators who had been mocking Leo just moments before went silent as if someone had grabbed them by the throats. The riverbanks grew quiet. The two loudest troublemakers turned pale and slipped to the back of the crowd, terrified that Leo might remember their faces and settle the score later.
Ethan's expression shifted when he saw the display of force. He hadn't expected a mere squad of a dozen or so from the Palace to have four core disciples. And Quincy — she wielded two magic artifacts. Her strength surpassed that of an ordinary core disciple.
Ethan weighed his options. With the Blazing Sun Sword and another artifact in his storage pouch, he was confident he could defeat Quincy given enough time — maybe even kill her — while also holding off one other core disciple. That was his limit. But four core disciples at once? Even with all his arrogance, he knew he'd be torn apart in seconds.
"Then you're declaring yourselves enemies of the Ancient Sword Sect?" His tone remained lofty, unyielding.
"We're not looking for a fight. But the Youth Preservation Fruit is a rare treasure. We have four core disciples. We have the strength to claim a share." Lowell stepped in, unhappy that Quincy and Vera seemed to be letting Leo take the lead.
Leo smiled to himself. Let Lowell handle the talking. He was happy to stay out of these petty squabbles. Lowell had grown steadier than before. As long as he didn't make a disastrous blunder, Leo didn't care who spoke for the group.
Truth be told, Leo had no interest in making enemies or drawing attention to himself. If one day he became strong enough to crush everything in his path, maybe then he could do whatever he wanted without caring what others thought. But for now, there were people who hid their strength even deeper than he did. And there were plenty of others just as strong — or stronger. And once they left the Bloody Battlefield, those with powerful backgrounds were everywhere. A Qi Refining cultivator could be as fierce as he wanted inside the forbidden ground, but back in the Palace, he would be bound hand and foot by rules and politics.
Leo knew himself well. Even with the same Foundation Establishment Pill, his chances of breaking through were lower than Vera's, lower than Lowell's — lower than anyone's. As for Quincy? Her grandfather was a Golden Core Master. For her, Foundation Establishment was a foregone conclusion. A Foundation Establishment cultivator might struggle to get a pill, but for a Golden Core cultivator, it was no trouble at all.
Thinking about all that, Leo found little reason to be proud.
Ethan ran the numbers in his head. Even without the ongoing fight against the Demonic Sun Sect and Void Heaven, even with his fellow disciples beside him, they were only about even with the Palace squad — maybe slightly stronger, but not by much. If Quincy, Leo, and the others decided to stir up trouble, the Ancient Sword Sect's reputation wouldn't be enough to suppress the greed of the crowd. The idea of hoarding all eight fruits was no longer realistic.
After a moment of calculation, Ethan spoke. "If you want a share, then you'll have to form a temporary alliance with the Ancient Sword Sect on this matter. Otherwise, everyone here will want a piece, and there won't be enough fruits to go around."
Lowell looked to Quincy — her opinion mattered most. She had at least two artifacts. She was the strongest among them. But to his frustration, Quincy looked to Leo. Even if Leo had an artifact, he was just another core disciple. What had happened between them? A bad feeling crept into Lowell's chest. He would have to watch Leo carefully.
Leo, however, kept his eyes down, his face blank, pretending not to notice Quincy's gaze.
Ethan had slipped a quiet condition into his offer — a temporary alliance on the matter of the Youth Preservation Fruits. After the fruits were divided, the alliance would end. That was fine. Neither side expected anything more. Their interests aligned for the moment, and that was all that mattered. When enough profit was at stake, even a verbal promise wouldn't hold.