Chapter 824: The Richest Kid

"Benefits?" On top of the pavilion master's building, Zhou Yuan stared at Ye Bingling, pondering, "Are the Fire Pavilion's benefits much better?"

"Our Wind Pavilion's regular members receive twenty Genesis Treasure Coins a month. Do you know how many the Fire Pavilion members get? Forty!"

"That's twenty more coins a month, which adds up to over two hundred coins a year. That's no small sum."

"The reason those prodigies come to the Four Pavilions is for the four ancient Genesis Runes of the Four Spirits Genesis Tower. The number of Genesis Treasure Coins they have will determine their final achievements. So, talking to them about anything else is useless; only Genesis Treasure Coins are the most direct incentive!"

"However, the Fire Pavilion can be so generous because they profit from the Scar Tracking Rune. Only with such massive profits can they afford to be so extravagant!"

"But if our Wind Pavilion were to do that, given our current resources, we'd collapse within days. We probably wouldn't even be able to issue a single Genesis Treasure Coin then," Ye Bingling's heavy voice sounded.

In the end, it all came down to financial constraints hindering their ambitions.

Yi Qiushui also nodded lightly, saying, "Each year, the higher-ups allocate resources to the Four Pavilions, but these allocations are fixed. So, if we want more, each pavilion has to figure out a way to get it themselves."

"And the Fire Pavilion's method is the Scar Tracking Rune."

Zhou Yuan tapped his finger lightly on the railing and asked, "Are all the profits from the Scar Tracking Rune given to the Fire Pavilion?"

Ye Bingling shook her head. "Sixty percent of the Scar Tracking Rune's revenue goes to the Fire Pavilion. Of the remaining forty percent, Lu Xiao and Zhu Lian each receive twenty percent."

Zhou Yuan calculated and realized that even twenty percent was an enormous sum. It would be more than enough for cultivation at Lu Xiao's level, with a substantial amount left over. After all, the Scar Tracking Rune was sold to all Four Pavilions, so its revenue was naturally much higher than the Wind Mother Rune's.

According to his estimation, just ten percent of the annual income might be tens of thousands of Genesis Treasure Coins, while twenty percent would be over a hundred thousand, or even more.

With sixty percent going to the Fire Pavilion, it was no wonder they were so wealthy.

"I didn't expect Lu Xiao and the others to be so selfless," Zhou Yuan said with a wry smile. Handing over sixty percent of the revenue to the Fire Pavilion showed considerable generosity.

Yi Qiushui, however, whispered, "I secretly heard my grandfather say that the creation of the Scar Tracking Rune might have involved guidance from a master of the Heavenly Spirit Sect... That's why Lu Xiao and Zhu Lian wouldn't dare claim full credit."

Zhou Yuan nodded slightly and, after a moment of thought, said, "Starting today, I will only take twenty percent of the Wind Mother Rune sales. Seventy percent will go directly to the Wind Pavilion for its disposal, and the remaining ten percent will be distributed among high-ranking members like the deputy pavilion masters, commanders, and deputy commanders, based on their rank and contribution."

At his words, everyone present was astonished, their faces showing surprise.

Yi Qiushui quickly said, "Zhou Yuan, you don't have to do this. The creation of the Wind Mother Rune is entirely your own achievement."

Lu Xiao and Zhu Lian did what they did because their mission from the Heavenly Spirit Sect was to strengthen the Fire Pavilion. But Zhou Yuan had no such concerns, so there was no need for him to act similarly.

Zhou Yuan smiled and said, "What use would I have for too many Genesis Treasure Coins? This currency is worthless outside the Four Pavilions."

Yi Qiushui shook her head, saying earnestly, "You can't say that. When you leave the Four Pavilions, you can hand in your Genesis Treasure Coins and exchange them for many valuable items."

Zhou Yuan casually asked, "Could I even exchange them for a Minor Saint Art?"

It was just a casual question, but to his surprise, Yi Qiushui nodded and said, "Yes, for eight hundred thousand Genesis Treasure Coins, you can."

Zhou Yuan's expression immediately stiffened, and he said in disbelief, "Really? Eight hundred thousand Genesis Treasure Coins?"

While eight hundred thousand seemed like a frightening sum, it wouldn't be difficult to accumulate over three years, considering the sales volume similar to the Scar Tracking Rune. After all, just from selling the Wind Mother Rune, Zhou Yuan was already getting nearly a thousand Genesis Treasure Coins daily.

Ye Bingling couldn't help but chuckle, "Now you're feeling the pinch, aren't you?"

Zhou Yuan looked a bit displeased, then sighed, "Forget it. I'm not a miser. Am I really going to save for three years just to get a Minor Saint Art? Rather than that, it would be quicker to just rob the Grand Pavilion Master."

"Let's stick to what I said earlier."

In truth, Zhou Yuan had already planned this when he became pavilion master. With the Fire Pavilion setting a precedent, if he kept all the Wind Mother Rune's income entirely for himself, while others couldn't criticize him, it would still hinder his efforts to win over the Wind Pavilion members' hearts.

In Zhou Yuan's view, having enough Genesis Treasure Coins for cultivation was sufficient. If the surplus could help him completely win over the hearts of the Wind Pavilion members, it would be well worth it.

Seeing that Zhou Yuan had made his final decision, even Ye Bingling stared at him, somewhat lost in thought.

That was potentially millions of Genesis Treasure Coins!

He was just letting go of it like that? This kind of boldness made even the usually proud and aloof Ye Bingling feel a surge of admiration in her heart.

As for Xiao Hong and the other commanders behind him, their faces flushed with excitement, and they couldn't help but shout, "Pavilion Master's noble decision!"

They clearly understood how much benefit Zhou Yuan was giving them. At this moment, a deep respect truly arose in their hearts for him, as not everyone was willing to share such profits with their subordinates.

"Once your decision gets out, the entire Wind Pavilion will probably be in an uproar," Yi Qiushui murmured.

This meant that everyone in the Wind Pavilion would owe Zhou Yuan a debt of gratitude. If anyone were to try and challenge Zhou Yuan's position as pavilion master now, even the neutral factions would likely jump out to fight fiercely. Zhou Yuan's move to win over hearts was simply perfect.

Ye Bingling also gave a wry smile and said, "Looking at it now, your becoming the Wind Pavilion's master is actually a blessing for the Wind Pavilion."

If it were her, she probably wouldn't have such boldness, and certainly not the capital to do so.

Zhou Yuan merely smiled. As a direct disciple of Master Cang Yuan, he was, in a sense, already part of the highest echelon of the Tianyuan Region. After all, according to Master Cang Yuan's regulations, all his direct disciples were qualified to become governing elders.

Their status was equivalent to that of Sect Master Xuankun!

"I have a stake in the entire Tianyuan Region! Why would I begrudge a few Genesis Treasure Coins?"

Zhou Yuan comforted himself with these thoughts, then waved his hand and said, "Furthermore, at the upcoming Freshmen Ceremony, I will announce new benefits for Wind Pavilion members. From now on, the Wind Pavilion will no longer be a dumping ground. I want those prodigies to break their heads trying to get into my Wind Pavilion."

"However, this also comes with a cost. From now on, the Wind Pavilion will establish a strict assessment mechanism. Those who perform poorly in the annual assessments will be eliminated."

"I don't want to use these Genesis Treasure Coins to foster useless freeloaders. If you lack ability, leave early and don't waste resources."

Hearing Zhou Yuan's ambitious words, Yi Qiushui was startled and quickly reminded him, "Don't get carried away. Although the Wind Mother Rune brings in good income, its use is limited to the Wind Pavilion. So, in terms of financial resources, we still can't compare to the Fire Pavilion."

The Fire Pavilion dares to raise benefits because the Scar Tracking Rune supports them. The Scar Tracking Rune is applicable to all Four Pavilions. Although its effect in the Wind Pavilion might not be as good as the Wind Mother Rune, it's still irreplaceable for the other three pavilions.

She was worried that Zhou Yuan might overextend himself just to save face, which would inevitably lead to the Fire Pavilion financially draining them until they collapsed. If that happened, everything would be ruined.

As for the strict assessment, she was very supportive, as it would foster healthy competition within the Wind Pavilion.

Zhou Yuan nodded, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

"Don't worry... I have my own plans."

"From now on, our Wind Pavilion will be the richest among the Four Pavilions!"