NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25: Chapter 23 Persuasion
The Prison Warden had been having good days recently, as his superiors had praised him.
While chatting with a friend, his friend said with a smile that Meng Yu had saved Hongye Prison at least tens of millions in advertising expenses. It was a pity he couldn't make it to the end, otherwise, he would have been even better than a celebrity endorsement worth hundreds of millions.
But now, he had actually proposed to compete with the same old weapons!
The Prison Warden was not afraid of authority and did not accept bribes; he was a good man who kept his nose clean.
But if he rejected Meng Yu's suggestion and forcibly prevented him from competing, he would surely be removed from his position soon, then the whole system would curse him as a fool, and then he would be transferred to some backwater department to handle miscellaneous tasks for a lifetime!
Because he refused Meng Yu who sought legitimate interests for the collective.
The first and foremost duty of a department leader, apart from seeking promotion, is to seek profits for the department.
The annual college entrance exam competition was always a feast of advertising. Countless manufacturers invested countless resources, money, including connections, to make a name for themselves. A champion or top hundred master's weapons and protective armor were the focus of attention, and every few years, some small and new brands would rise from this.
So, where was the gimmick with Meng Yu?
A prisoner wielding only an ordinary Red Maple Wooden Sword, donned in prison garb, making waves in the college entrance exam competition, even entering the top hundred, or top ten. Then, the Red Maple Wooden Swords of Hongye Prison would be famed far and wide, selling like hotcakes.
The sales could skyrocket by a hundred or even a thousand times. Hongye Prison might even receive requests from other units to just rinse their crabs—no, to buy some of their Red Maple, Red Locust, and Redstone Wooden Swords to rebrand and sell!
By then, Hongye Prison's year-end bonuses and dividends would skyrocket, not to mention the profits handed over, and this process would continue for several years, making everyone happy.
This was a real possibility, with Meng Yu possessing two Sword Intents. He would definitely draw immense attention, and people would certainly notice his simple weapons and his successive victories.
But he, without any evidence, would have hindered this from happening. What would the others in the prison think? What about everyone's welfare and year-end bonuses? Even the superiors might think he was crazy, suspecting something was wrong with him. A significant part of Hongye Prison's annual income had to be turned over!
This damned kid, he actually understood economics!
The Prison Warden was silent for a full ten minutes, staring intently at Meng Yu who wore the Binding Ring.
The Binding Ring could suppress a person's True Qi (not completely erase it, because everyday life would be affected, as many facilities in the prison were designed for those with True Qi and also to prevent some bad things from happening). As long as it was someone at the Foundation Establishment level or below, they would be affected. If he made a move now, could he kill this brat?
However, this thought was just a fleeting one. Putting aside whether he would inform a certain partner in advance and the severe consequences that would follow, if he didn't succeed... this guy was a genuinely ruthless character!
Just look at his grandfather, his uncles, and Old Liefire.
He now had to make a decision. Unless he killed him now, if he didn't agree to let him compete, as soon as he walked out and told other prison guards and leaders that he had trained two Sword Intents but couldn't enter the competition, what would be the outcome?
That afternoon, there would be an executive meeting in the prison, suggesting he take sick leave. If he still didn't agree, a direct transfer order would come from above asking him to go somewhere else for a good rest!
Remember, the college entrance exam competition was an event that the entire Immortal Sect paid attention to. Advertising started at hundreds of millions!
And that was without knowing the effectiveness of the ads!
So, what if it was certain that a young man could enter the top hundred or even top thirty, or top ten... or even more extreme, what if he made it into the top five?
This was a genius with two Sword Intents!
The Prison Warden would bet that once the higher-ups learned of this news and found out that Meng Yu was a genius, they would extend their claws directly to cling onto him, like making Meng Yu change his weapon, asking him to draw a logo on his bald head, or attaching the fist products of other prisons to him, like enjoying a certain lollipop before a match, and so on!
Once the news spread out, there would be nothing more for him to do. By then, he would be hated to death by all his colleagues! The Prison Warden quickly made a decision.
"You won't bring other equipment but will only use the 9,999 Red Maple Wooden Sword? No Spirit Armor, no Alchemical Elixir, and no other items?"
"Right, two swords, just in case one gets damaged."
"Okay, sign an agreement. As for Old Liefire's incident, I'll investigate it (get rid of all traces). If it wasn't you (if there's any problem, you'd better speak up quickly), you won't be wronged (rest assured and go to compete, I'll handle the prison affairs). Oh, here's a piece of Cold Jade that I've always carried with me (it's quite valuable), take it and use it to soothe your temper (let's all forget the past, focus on the future, cool it down, and I'm not bad to you). Also, these days, you can use the Spiritual Energy Room in room 'Jia' as you please. Let me know if you need any Alchemical Elixir, and it will be immediately provided (don't be shy, everything for victory)."
"Thank you, Uncle Li, by the way, do you have the Central Thick Earth Sword and the Black Water Myriad Waves Sword here?"
"Ah, the Central Thick Earth Sword and the Black Water Myriad Waves Sword?"
The Prison Warden was taken aback for a moment, "These two sword techniques are ancient and profound, what do you want to practice them for?"
"It's like this, I've discovered that I'm a genius in sword training, so, I have this idea to understand different Sword Intents and follow my own path.
Before, I cultivated the White Crane Swordsmanship and developed the Sword Intent of the Wind, then my cultivation went from Qi Cultivation Second Order to Third Order, and now I've understood the Sword Intent of Fire, my cultivation became Qi Cultivation Grade Five, so if I train in other sword techniques, perhaps I could comprehend even more Sword Intents and also make my True Qi surge forward."
"Ah!"
The Prison Warden admitted, at this moment, his heart started to twist.
If it hadn't been for the various checks when Meng Yu entered the prison, if he didn't know how many resources this guy had in prison, if he hadn't seen him train hard in swordsmanship, using fire, he definitely would have peeled this guy open to see what Golden Finger he had.
"Why these two sword techniques?"
The Central Thick Earth Sword and the Black Water Myriad Waves Sword are long-standing, traditional sword techniques, fundamental cultivation techniques, practiced by many.
"Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, I've now cultivated the Sword Intent of Fire and the Sword Intent of the Wind, so, I can also cultivate the Central Thick Earth Sword and the Black Water Myriad Waves Sword, the four great elements all empty, completing the cycle, by then, not only will Foundation Establishment be no problem, but even forming a Golden Core will likely be trivial."
Meng Yu said calmly.
"You..."
The Prison Warden knew that envy was not good, but at this moment he just felt an overwhelming sourness in his mouth.
"Earth, Fire, Water, Wind... then you might as well add a metal-based sword technique and the Green Wood Eternal Life Sword, Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, plus the flow of Wind, wouldn't that be great? Are you planning on also cultivating the Immortal Technique of Growing Golden Lotus?"
The Prison Warden was forty-seven years old this year, and he would attempt Foundation Establishment in a couple of years, which was his lifelong dream, so of course he had researched countless methods and means for Foundation Establishment.
Generally speaking, everyone would choose one among the Five Elements as their main focus, at most combining Yin Yang, Water and Fire, and so on, but now what was he hearing? Meng Yu was actually talking about making the four great elements all empty, Earth, Fire, Water, Wind.
"Ah, that might not be a bad idea?"
Meng Yu held his chin, suddenly falling into deep thought.
However, to the Prison Warden, this deep thought seemed nothing short of mockery!
Whether it was the four great elements all empty or the flow of the Five Elements, was this something a human could do?
He also knew some favored children of heaven, extraordinary beauties with uncommon talents, but now, when the true genius appeared before him, truly contemplating cultivating six kinds of Sword Intents, he still found it, too infuriating!
"Get out!"
All of a sudden, the Prison Warden could no longer contain his anger, and he slammed his hand on the table!
"What's the point of showing off in front of me like this?"
His eyes were bloodshot with envy, and at this moment, his soul was completely twisted!
"Get out, get out, get out!"
That's right, he hadn't even mastered a single martial arts true intent, and hadn't even thought about being able to do so.
Even if he had established his foundation, it still would be impossible.
Human energy and time are limited; often one must give up many things.