The Grand Elder leaned forward, still grinning. "We bet on what your first concern would be upon walking through that door. I said you’d fret over some looming threat. The City Lord thought you’d demand explanations or pensation."
"And?" Lin Mu prompted.
"And I was right!" Grand Elder Huo crowed, raising his cup in victory.
The City Lord chuckled again before growing more serious. "But to the matter at hand. I called you here, Lin Mu, not for talk of sect wars or calamities. Rather, it concerns the new Huo-Lin Transcendent Will Valley."
Lin Mu stilled.
The Grand Elder leaned back with a smirk. "In short, boy, the City Lord wants to discuss how you’re to be paid your share."
Lin Mu blinked once, then twice. "...Share?"
The City Lord nodded gravely, though his eyes sparkled with satisfaction. "Of course. The valley would not exist without you. By rights, half its renown belongs to you, as does a portion of its profits. Cultivation grounds of this caliber will generate wealth beyond imagining for centuries to e. It is only proper that you benefit."
For the first time in a long while, Lin Mu found himself dumbfounded. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.
The Grand Elder chuckled at his expression. "Hahaha! What’s wrong, boy? You look like someone just told you the heavens fell. Did you not expect to be paid for carving half a valley out of the world?"
The City Lord leaned forward. "Now, since you won’t always be in Ash Crown City, perhaps not even in this world, it would be simplest if we send your share directly to Lady Kang of the Great Kang Auction House.
She is your panion, is she not? She can handle the funds and secure them in your stead."
Lin Mu sat there, momentarily stunned into silence.
’Profits? Shares? Sending money to Lady Kang?’
The weight of their words sank in like a mountain.
For once, all he could do was stare with a dumbfounded expression, utterly at a loss for words.
The room grew quieter after the City Lord finished speaking, the warmth of wine and laughter still lingering in the air.
Lin Mu, however, did not immediately reply. He sat in silence, his hands resting calmly on the table, his gaze lowering ever so slightly as his thoughts turned inward.
This was not something he had expected. Wealth, tributes, profits, these were things he had never pursued. His entire life, cultivation and survival had always been at the forefront.
What need did he have for riches, when his strength had always been his greatest reliance?
"I..." he finally began, his voice steady, though tinged with hesitation. "I had no intention of claiming something that belongs to the city. The valley is on your land, City Lord. It would be unfair for me to demand any part of it.
My battle with Grand Elder Huo was not meant to create a cultivation ground, nor was it planned. To take from you as though it was my right feels... undeserved."
Meng Bai looked at his master with surprise.
He had already thought the arrangement sounded generous, even wise. But to Lin Mu, the weight of responsibility was never a thing to be taken lightly.
The City Lord blinked once, then laughed—full-bodied, hearty laughter that shook the wine in his cup. "Hahaha! Undeserved, you say? Lin Mu, do you truly think it would be so simple? If I claimed the valley solely for the city’s coffers, do you know what would happen?"
Lin Mu raised a brow but said nothing.
The City Lord leaned forward, his mirth settling into a sharp, almost cunning smile.
"There would be no shortage of voices crying injustice. The merchant unions, the sects, the roaming experts: every one of them would pounce on such a chance. They’d accuse me of greed, of robbing the Xian Sword Sect, or of exploiting you.
Rumors would spread like wildfire, and Ash Crown City would find itself buried under suspicion and scorn. Even if I had a thousand tongues, I could not silence them all. My authority would erode, my position weakened.
Tell me, Lin Mu, do you think I could allow that?"
The City Lord’s words struck with the weight of truth. This was the secular world, and not the sects where the orders of the elders were final. Here, the City lord needed to consider a lot of political factors before doing anything.
Grand Elder Huo chuckled, lifting his cup. "He’s right, boy. This isn’t about charity or reward... it’s about balance. If the city tried to hoard everything, it would backfire faster than a shattered sword array. Better to share the spoils openly and strengthen ties rather than create enemies."
Lin Mu’s expression softened, his brows easing slightly. "...So that’s how it is."
The City Lord nodded firmly. "Exactly. And let me be clear, you are not the only one who benefits. The Xian Sword Sect will also receive regular tributes, and free entry for the sect’s disciples to train in the valley.
That alone will elevate the sect’s standing further beyond measure. And as for the city... we still keep a share large enough to profit, while also ensuring maintenance and order."
At this, Meng Bai finally spoke up, his voice carrying both awe and practicality. "Master, this is a good thing. Having another source of ine will only help in the long run. And Lady Kang is trustworthy, from the stories that you’ve told me. If the city sends the funds to her, she’ll safeguard them, and you’ll have access whenever you need."
Ashy gave a cheerful chirp of agreement, fluttering her wings as though to punctuate Meng Bai’s words. Though internally she was wondering how many more ’shinies’ she could buy with the allowance Lin Mu gave the beasts.
Lin Mu looked at his disciple, then back to the two old men across the table. Slowly, he exhaled, the last remnants of resistance leaving him.
"...Very well. If this is not only just but necessary, then I will accept. What are the terms?"
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