Chương 66: Recruitment

Qinghe County, Sea of Clouds Pavilion Branch. Looking down at his two hands, it took a long while before Yun Shan sighed emotionally:"The younger generation is truly fearsome! I'm getting old; I have no choice but to admit it!"

"Chief Manager Yun, you praise me too highly. If you hadn't held back, this junior would have been defeated long ago."

"This old man has only cultivated for a few more years, that's nothing. Within a few years, Young Master Song, you will inevitably surpass this old man by far." Yun Shan was open-minded. His true passion lay in business; he didn't view martial arts as the absolute most important thing. Although he hadn't easily subdued the opponent as planned, he didn't feel particularly embarrassed. He quickly resumed a cheerful conversation with Song Que. A moment later, Yun Jiu returned, carrying a long wooden box.

Inside should be the 400-year-old wild ginseng. Seeing Song Que's eager gaze, Brother Jiu didn't stall. He smiled, placed the wooden box on the table, and gently opened the lid for him to see. Inside lay a wild ginseng root, significantly larger than the one Song Que had dug up previously. It had been preserved exceptionally well, practically intact without a single scratch.

"Is Young Master Song satisfied with what you see?" Yun Jiu asked with a smile.

"Extremely satisfied! Thank you, Chief Manager Yun. Thank you, Brother Jiu. Please calculate the total so I can settle the bill."

"This ginseng is priced at 800 taels, plus the bow at 150. The total is 950 taels. With the 10% discount, I'll charge you a round 850 taels, Young Master Song," Yun Jiu replied with a smile. Seeing Song Que preparing to pull out silver to pay, Yun Shan, who had been silent on the side, spoke up.

"Hold on. Wait a moment before paying, Young Master Song. First, listen to a few words from me." Having already anticipated this, Song Que paused and looked at him inquiringly.

"Young Master Song, your cultivation has already reached perfect tendon refinement. Right now, you must be searching for suitable martial arts and opportunities to break through to become a Fourth-Grade martial artist, correct?"

"Chief Manager Yun is correct."

"I wonder if Young Master Song has found a path yet?"

"I won't lie to you, Senior. As of now, I have not," Grandee Song admitted openly. Hearing this, Old Yun and Brother Jiu felt a surge of joy in their hearts. Yun Shan began his passionate persuasion:"Then, Young Master Song, what do you think of this? On behalf of the Patriarch, I invite you to join the Yun Family! As long as you agree, these items today will be considered a greeting gift!"

"Furthermore, the Yun Family will spare no effort in nurturing you, Song Que! The Yun Family's martial arts library will be entirely open to you, and senior members of the clan will personally guide and teach you!"

"You will lack for no resources! This will save you from many detours and hardships on your path!" Hearing the other party's words, Song Que was genuinely tempted. But in this world, there is no gain without a corresponding loss. Therefore, he needed to know what the other party wanted from him.

"And what must I give up in return?"

"Haha, Young Master Song, you're making it sound too serious! You don't need to give up anything. You only need to change your surname to Yun, or marry into the Yun Family, and promise to dedicate yourself to the clan in the future. That way, we will be one family, and nurturing you will naturally be a given." Deep in thought, weighing the pros and cons, Song Que ultimately refused:"Thank you, Chief Manager Yun, but this junior is used to freedom.

I fear that if I enter the Yun Family, I wouldn't be able to handle the restrictions. I must respectfully decline this offer."

"Young Master Song, you're overthinking it. No one will restrict your freedom! You can do whatever you want; no one will force you. All we ask is that once you mature, you stand up to protect the family. Moreover, the ladies of our Yun Family are all beauties of national grace and heavenly fragrance! We absolutely will not wrong you, Young Master Song!" This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Trying to use the honey trap on me?

My ambition is to soar through an entire forest of flowers! How could I hang myself on a single tree?! Song Que firmly shook his head this time:"I am truly sorry, Chief Manager Yun, but I cannot agree to this." Seeing the other party's resolute rejection, Old Yun frowned slightly. In his opinion, these conditions were incredibly generous and magnanimous! For the other party to reject them so bluntly made him quite displeased. But thinking of this kid's potential, he continued trying to persuade him.

"Then how about I change the condition?"

"Oh? Please speak, Senior." This time, Song Que was curious.

"Our Yun Family will nurture you, and in return, you, Song Que, will serve the Yun Family for twenty years."

"No, that's too long." Without even needing to think, Song Que shook his head like a rattle-drum and refused.

"Then, in Young Master Song's opinion, how many years would be reasonable?" Pondering for a moment, Song Que offered a number he felt was quite reasonable:"Three years. If the Yun Family provides me with resources, I will dedicate myself to the Yun Family for three years. After that, I will naturally leave." Hearing this brat's counteroffer, Old Yun was so furious he nearly frothed at the mouth:"Are you crazy?! In three years, you won't even have fully matured!

This old man will make a concession: fifteen years minimum. Otherwise, there's no need to discuss this further." Song Que knew his own growth speed perfectly well. Let alone fifteen years, he couldn't even accept five years!

"My growth will be faster than you imagine. Five years. I can only accept a maximum of five years. If not, then forget it." Glaring at the arrogant brat in front of him, Yun Shan was furious beyond words. He truly wanted to slap him to death! Suppressing the irritation in his heart, he forced a sneer:"It seems you are very confident in yourself, Song Que. Very well, let's leave today's matter at that. I hope you will think it over carefully. The doors of the Yun Family will always be open to welcome you."

Truth be told, selling his life to someone else made Song Que feel uncomfortable anyway. Now that the other party had dropped it, he decisively cut off the thought, inwardly heaving a sigh of relief. It seems I still can't completely resist temptation. Grandee Song shook his head and smiled:"Thank you for your favor, Chief Manager Yun. Then this junior will take his leave for today." Going out with Yun Jiu to pay and collect his items, Song Que called Zhong Hong, and the two brothers returned home together.

Watching the two walk away, Yun Jiu felt a sense of panic in his heart. A vague feeling nagged at him, as if he had just missed out on something incredibly important. Shaking his head in confusion, Yun Jiu stopped his wild thoughts, turned, and headed toward Yun Shan's quarters. He was full of questions regarding Yun Shan's actions today and wanted answers.

Originally, the two of them had discussed that if Old Yun felt Song Que was moldable talent, he would extend an olive branch and invite him to be a Guest Elder of the Yun Family. Why did he suddenly change the plan to trying to completely conquer the kid and make him sell his life to the clan?! Pushing the door open and entering the room, he saw Old Yun sitting calmly, sipping tea. Yun Jiu frowned:"Chief Manager, didn't we discuss this beforehand? Why did you change the plan?

You have to trust my judgment, this person..." Raising a hand to stop Yun Jiu from continuing, Yun Shan nodded solemnly:"I have personally experienced what kind of person he is today. A'Jiu, your eyes are not bad. This person, Song Que—his aptitude is rarely seen in my entire life!" Hearing him evaluate Song Que so highly, Yun Jiu was shocked, followed by even more confusion:"Then why wouldn't you make a suitable concession to recruit him? Why press him so hard?"

"Hmph! I value his future even more than you do! That's exactly why I want to tie him tightly to our Yun Family! But you saw how that brat acted today. He won't be easily subdued. We need to grind down his sharp edges a bit!"

"Chief Manager, if other factions also try to recruit him, I'm afraid that by the time we act, it will be too late for regrets!" Although he understood Yun Shan's analysis, Yun Jiu was still worried.

"Hmph, what is there to fear? In Qinghe County, is there any faction that can compare to our Yun Family? Moreover, you saw the conditions I offered just now—they were absolutely generous! If that brat wasn't tempted by that, there's no way anyone else can offer a price that will satisfy him!" Yun Shan spoke disdainfully, his tone clearly expressing his deep-seated pride. But hearing these words, Yun Jiu also deeply agreed.

"Even so, we still need to keep a close eye on this brat. Don't let any unexpected variables occur. Have someone secretly investigate where he's been, what he's done, and who he's met since arriving in the county city. We need to know everything so we can prepare countermeasures in advance."

"Understood! I will have someone investigate secretly and report back to you by tomorrow!"

"Mm, when you handle things, A'Jiu, my mind is at ease." For the next week, Song Que barely showed his face on the streets. During these days, he spent most of his time in the backyard, focusing on refining the wild ginseng and familiarizing himself with the Iron-Arm Bow. Occasionally, he would drop by Old Zhan's place, wanting to chat and deepen their relationship. But somehow, over these past few days, Old Zhan had grown increasingly disgusted with him.

Whenever he saw him, he became as vigilant as if looking at a thief, absolutely refusing to give him any chance to get close. This left Grandee Song feeling incredibly stifled and annoyed. Little did he know that a few days prior, Zhan Sheng had accidentally overheard some street gossip. The rumors claimed that back in Yellow Leaf Town, Song Que was a notorious playboy, leaving a trail of broken hearts wherever he went! Hearing this, Old Zhan was terrified, deeply afraid his precious daughter would be deceived!

That was why his attitude toward Song Que had turned so hostile. Song Que was completely oblivious to this point. Otherwise, if he knew which son of a b*tch was spreading fake news, he absolutely wouldn't stop until he tore their mouth to pieces! Training martial arts during the day, he transformed into the 'God of Gamblers' at night, diligently visiting the casinos in the county city. By now, Song Que had visited every single gambling den in Qinghe County.

He visited the smaller ones once, and the larger ones two or three times. Among all these places, the Golden Deer Casino remained the one that left the deepest impression on him.