It seemed Ling Tianyu had learned that the master of this house was a master teacher, which was why he had rushed over. And with that, Sun Qiang's own status had risen!
That was right. After all, he was a master teacher's steward. Even the kingdom's prime minister would have to humble himself and flatter him. No matter how influential Ling Tianyu was, he was still just a merchant. What was there to be afraid of?
Realizing this, all fear vanished from Sun Qiang's heart. He immediately straightened his back and spoke with an air of superiority: "I apologize, but my master has already gone to sleep. He just gave instructions that he won't see anyone, no matter who it is. I'm afraid, Master Ling, you may have made this trip for nothing."
This felt incredible! Utterly exhilarating! In the past, whenever he spoke with Master Ling, he was always deferential and dared not utter a single unnecessary word. When had he ever dared to refuse him directly, let alone so openly and with such conviction?
"Asleep?" Ling Tianyu's mouth twitched. The other party had just left, and he had immediately followed, arriving barely three to five minutes later. "Already asleep... Who are they trying to fool?" It seemed he truly had offended this master teacher and incurred his displeasure!
Offending a master teacher... Even if he were more than just a merchant, even Emperor Shen Zhui of the Tianxuan Kingdom would likely be unable to withstand the repercussions. Moreover, his wife could pass away at any moment. This master teacher had instantly identified her symptoms, which surely meant he had a solution. Under no circumstances could he give up.
With this in mind, Ling Tianyu became even more careful: "It was my subordinate's mistake just now, which caused Brother Sun to be injured. Here are some healing medicines I've acquired; they work wonderfully for injuries. And these, they mean nothing else, I just wanted to trouble Brother Sun to help convey a message..."
As he spoke, he produced a jade bottle and a stack of gold notes, offering them. Sun Qiang didn't reach out; he merely lowered his head for a glance, his pupils contracting in surprise.
As a merchant who spent his days frequenting trading houses, he naturally possessed a keen eye. The contents of the jade bottle were called Wound-Mending Pills, true healing elixirs—treasures that only genuine alchemists from the Alchemist Guild could refine. Each pill alone cost tens of thousands of gold coins. The man had just offered an entire bottle... Most crucially, the gold notes in his hand were each denominated at five thousand, and there were twenty to thirty notes in the stack. In other words, for him to simply relay a message, Ling Tianyu was offering at least a hundred thousand gold coins!
Good heavens! Such immense generosity! However, despite his astonishment, he knew that Ling Tianyu's humble attitude and these riches were born from his reverence for Sun Qiang's master, and had little to do with Sun Qiang himself. If he were to act greedily and displease his master, everything would amount to nothing.
With this thought, he gritted his teeth and declared, "I apologize, but Master Ling, please show some self-restraint! My master personally instructed me not to let anyone in, so there's nothing I can do. If you truly wish to come, I suggest you try again tomorrow!"
He waved his hand dismissively, suppressing the pang of regret in his heart, appearing utterly unconcerned with the wealth in Ling Tianyu's hands, as calm as a clear sky.
There was no other way. From today onwards, he was a master teacher's steward, his status rising rapidly. He had to maintain a dignified demeanor and learn to put on airs. If he were to be bought off by a mere bit of money and some pills, who would ever respect him again?
"Tomorrow?" Ling Tianyu's face fell. It was uncertain if his wife would even survive the night. If they truly waited until tomorrow, there might only be a corpse remaining.
"Please, Brother Sun, I truly have an urgent matter that requires me to see your master." He took out another stack of gold notes and offered them, his expression sincere.
"I'm sorry, but I truly can't help you." Seeing Ling Tianyu offer more and more, Sun Qiang found his resolve wavering. He waved his hand, turned, and walked inside, calling out, "Close the gate!" With that, he entered the courtyard. *Creak!* The gate swung shut.
"Brother Sun..." Ling Tianyu called out urgently. Although he had reached the seventh level of martial arts, the Tongxuan Realm, and these few guards were merely at the Skin and Bone Realm—a vast difference—he still dared not take a single step forward.
"Brother Ling..." Master Cheng Yuan, standing behind him, couldn't help but look over. "Ah, it's all my fault," Ling Tianyu sighed, shaking his head. "If only I had been able to stop the Master Teacher earlier, it wouldn't have come to this." The other party had directly closed the door and refused him entry, yet Ling Tianyu was not angry. He could only blame himself for doubting and insisting on verification; now, having displeased the Master Teacher, this outcome was entirely his own doing.
"So what do we do now?" Master Cheng Yuan couldn't help but ask. "We wait! Even if it means waiting all night, I will wait! I've already missed one opportunity; I don't want to miss a second!"
A determined glint appeared in Ling Tianyu's eyes. It was precisely this unwavering resolve that had transformed him from an unknown pauper into a financial magnate. Furthermore, if it meant saving his wife, what did waiting all night matter, let alone three days? Beyond making *him* wait, even if Emperor Shen Zhui himself were to come and be refused entry, he would not utter another word. A master teacher possessed both the capability and the standing to do so.
***
"Did I really shut him out?" As Sun Qiang walked into the courtyard, he still felt as if he were dreaming, his body light and airy. Who was at the gate? Ling Tianyu! If not the wealthiest man in Tianxuan Royal City, then certainly one of the richest—a true magnate. When such a figure came to call, even the prime minister or top-ranking officials would rush to greet him, never daring to be remiss. Yet, he had actually refused him entry... It was simply unbelievable to comprehend. And despite this, the man still dared not show even a hint of dissatisfaction.
If he could even shut out someone like Ling Tianyu, did that mean his own status would continue to rise, eventually making him a notable figure in the Tianxuan Kingdom? It seemed that abandoning his shop and directly becoming a steward was absolutely the wisest decision he had ever made in his life.
"This is... a true Master Teacher!" Only at this moment did he truly confirm it in his heart. Previously, when the other party claimed to be a Master Teacher, Sun Qiang had felt a bit uneasy. But seeing Master Ling's profound respect, he finally understood: only a genuine Master Teacher would possess such courage and methods.
"Aren't you powerful? What does it matter how powerful you are? Before a Master Teacher, everything else is insignificant."
"I'll go find the Master!" After indulging in a moment of secret self-satisfaction, Sun Qiang walked towards the main hall once more. True enough, he saw it brightly lit, with his Master quietly seated, not resting.
"Master, Ling Tianyu has arrived." He took two steps forward and respectfully cupped his fists.
"Hmm!" Zhang Xuan nodded in acknowledgment, but paid him no further mind.
"He wants... to see you..." After a brief hesitation, Sun Qiang couldn't help but add.
"Let him wait a night first," Zhang Xuan said indifferently. "If he can't wait, tell him he needn't come back ever again."
By touching the stone lion, he had learned that the item was not Tianan Green Jade and thus understood its dangers. Although the Library of Heaven's Path didn't offer a specific cure, it provided a detailed description of the condition of ordinary individuals whose essence, energy, and spirit had been absorbed by blood jade. They wouldn't die within a short time. Since that was the case, he decided to let the man wait outside.
With this multi-millionaire waiting outside, his reputation was sure to spread quickly. He needed to earn over twenty million within nine days, so there was no other way around this.
"Understood!" Sun Qiang nodded and withdrew.
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