Chapter 81: Mercenary Guild Extends an Olive Branch? Cooperation! Must Join

"Clan Leader, didn't you hear? Those wandering cultivators outside now call you 'Old Wang', saying your pill and talisman mastery is peerless, mysterious, and truly formidable!" Wang Zhitao's eyebrows shot up, his face animated, his spit about to spray onto Wang Shan's face, as if he were about to dance to add to the merriment.

Wang Shan sat upright like a pine, not even flicking his eyelids.

This reputation is the result of his deliberate cultivation; neither too big nor too small, just enough to make some self‑righteous types restless and come knocking on his own.

Sure enough, as soon as the words finished, Wang Zhize hurried in from outside, his face showing a barely restrained excitement: "Clan Leader, the Mercenary Guild! They say it's their branch Steward, specifically requesting an audience with you!"

"Hmm." Wang Shan gave a soft reply from his nostrils, his voice low yet it instantly quieted the courtyard, "Let him in."

Not long after, a middle‑aged cultivator in a sturdy blue cloth stepped in.

The man was about forty, his features sharp, exuding a competent bearing in his walk and posture; his aura was compact and lingering, unmistakably the pinnacle—eighth peak—of Body Refining.

As soon as he entered, his gaze silently surveyed Wang Shan, then he bowed and spoke in a resonant voice:

"I am the Steward of the Mercenary Guild, Qian Sihai, and I have met Old Wang."

Wang Shan pointed to the crude stone bench in the courtyard and said succinctly, "Manager Qian, sit. If you have something to say, speak directly."

Qian Sihai did not bother with formalities; he flicked his robe and sat on the stone bench, leaning slightly forward, assuming an open‑hearted stance: "Old Wang, indeed you are straightforward! Then I shall not beat around the bush. Your peerless skill in pill‑making and talisman‑craft, now known throughout Heishi Town, is admired by all. Our Mercenary Guild, vast and prosperous, holds those with true talent in highest regard. I have come today simply to befriend you, to discuss a long‑term, mutually beneficial trade. How does that sound?"

He paused, apparently gauging Wang Shan's reaction, then continued, "Old Wang, you know our Mercenary Guild has been entrenched in Heishi Town for years; our words carry weight. As long as you give a nod, the safety of you and your clan, within the protection our Guild offers, I, Qian, can guarantee that no one will dare act with ill intent."

"The precious pills and lifesaving talismans you refine, our Guild can purchase entirely, providing you with the most secure market; the price will be absolutely fair, never shortchanging Old Wang. Moreover, the herbs, talisman paper, cinnabar and such that you need for pill‑making and talisman‑craft, our Mercenary Guild can, thanks to our channels, source them completely. Old Wang, how do you find this sincerity of ours?"

Qian Sihai finished in one breath, then smiled brightly at Wang Shan, awaiting his reply. He considered the terms already quite generous.

Wang Shan tapped his finger lightly on the rough stone table, producing a soft "knock‑knock" sound; for a moment the courtyard held only that monotonous noise.

He did not respond immediately.

The deal Qian Sihai painted was indeed substantial—protection, market, raw material supply; the Mercenary Guild seemed to want to make the Wang Family an exclusive production hub for pills and talismans.

Only, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

After a while, he finally lifted his eyes to Qian Sihai, his tone even: "It sounds, indeed, not bad."

Qian Sihai's smile widened threefold: "Old Wang, wise indeed!"

"However," Wang Shan shifted his tone, "I have a few conditions."

Qian Sihai's eyebrows involuntarily lifted; a thought of "here it comes" flashed in his mind, yet his face remained smiling: "Old Wang, feel free to speak, I am all ears."

Wang Shan extended a single finger: "First, safety. My Wang Family, over twenty members, must have absolute safety in Heishi Town. I do not wish for blind flies to buzz at our doorstep every few days—do you understand my meaning?"

His voice was low, but the undeniable weight of his words made Qian Sihai feel a slight chill.

This old fellow's tone is far from ordinary! Claiming 'absolute safety'?

Qian Sihai's eye corner twitched imperceptibly; he steadied himself and said in a deep voice, "Old Wang, rest assured. As long as it is within Heishi Town, our Mercenary Guild still has a modest reputation. As for the Shi Clan… our Guild will send someone to 'pay a visit', guaranteeing they will no longer disturb Old Wang's peace."

"Very well." Wang Shan nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. He then raised a second finger: "Second, I need information."

"Information?" Qian Sihai was slightly startled.

"Yes, information." Wang Shan's tone unchanged, "Any leads on the Foundation Establishment Pill, including the primary herbs needed for its refinement, such as the rare spirit medicine Purple Monkey Flower, I require. Additionally, any rumors—true or false—about Ancient Cultivator Cave Dwellings or hidden realms deep in the Man Yun Mountain Range or near Heishi Town, I also wish to know."

This time, Qian Sihai truly could not sit still; his smile almost slipped, frozen in place.

Foundation Establishment Pill?! Purple Monkey Flower?! Ancient Cultivator Cave Dwelling?!

This old fellow aiming for the heavens, perhaps?

Which of these is not a treasure that countless cultivators, sharpening their minds, all covet?

Not to mention that even as a mere branch Steward of Heishi Town, let alone the Guild's headquarters, such level of information is hard to come by.

He let out two dry laughs, his tone a bit hoarse: "Old Wang, you… you truly present me, Qian, with a monumental dilemma! The Foundation Establishment Pill, Purple Monkey Flower—these exist only in legend; they don't appear just because we say so. As for the Ancient Cultivator Cave Dwelling and hidden‑realm rumors, they are even more ethereal, ninety percent likely just mis‑propagation…"

Wang Shan's gaze remained calm and unruffled, and he lightly interrupted, "Whether they exist or not is your Mercenary Guild's concern. I only present my demand. If you cannot even gather such tidbits, or are unwilling to expend effort, then this cooperation holds no meaning to me."

"No, no, no!" Qian Sihai, upon hearing this, muttered silently "old fox" in his heart, realizing they were trying to leverage him with the cooperation! Yet on second thought, a figure capable of consistently producing pills and talismans, and who appears to conceal even more advanced methods, is of such value… absolutely worth the Guild's great effort to court! This deal is a gamble!

"Old Wang, calm your anger; calm your anger, then we can proceed!" Qian Sihai quickly waved his hand, forcing a smile back onto his face, though slightly stiffer than before, "The Foundation Establishment Pill and hidden‑realm matters are indeed too vague; I cannot guarantee we can obtain them. But I can assure you, after returning, I will mobilize all the Guild's forces to investigate to the best of our ability! This is no empty promise!"

He then shifted his tone again, adding, "However, Old Wang, the map of the various forces surrounding Heishi Town, as well as recent significant events inside and outside the town, the frictions among factions, etc. —these pieces of information our Mercenary Guild can provide immediately. Consider it a token of our sincerity, a good start to our cooperation. What do you think?"

Wang Shan pondered briefly, then nodded, "Fine. Then it is settled. The specific terms of cooperation, and the items I need, we will discuss in detail once you have concrete leads."

Qian Sihai, seeing Wang Shan finally relent, let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if he had just finished a hard battle. He rebuilt a warm smile on his face: "Straightforward! Old Wang truly is straightforward! Here is our Mercenary Guild Contact Token; in the future, whenever Old Wang has orders, or the pills and talismans are ready, send someone bearing this token to the Mercenary Guild branch at the town center to find me, Qian Sihai."

As he spoke, he took a palm‑sized bronze token from his chest and handed it over with both hands. The token's front bore a crossed sword and shield; the back bore a simple ancient character meaning "servant".

Wang Shan took the token; it felt slightly heavy in his hand, of fine quality.

Qian Sihai, seeing the matter settled, rose and bowed, saying, "Since that is so, I shall take my leave, awaiting good news from Old Wang! I also wish our cooperation a pleasant outcome!"

"No escort." Wang Shan said lightly.

After sending off the still‑smiling but noticeably lighter‑stepped Qian Sihai, Wang Zhize immediately stepped forward, his face showing some worry and confusion: "Clan Leader, this Mercenary Guild… can we trust their words? Are we to cooperate with them like this?"

Wang Shan toyed with the bronze token, still faintly warm, his gaze deep as he looked toward the dark night sky beyond the courtyard, and after a long pause said, "Whether we can trust them is irrelevant. What matters is that we need them now, and they need what we can produce."

Negotiating with a tiger, how could he not know the risks involved?

The Mercenary Guild's seemingly enticing olive branch today is nothing but a recognition of his endless value in producing pills and talismans.

Yet now, the Wang Family is weak; to secure a foothold in the peril‑filled Heishi Town, they must learn to leverage power. Tapping the Mercenary Guild's line to obtain urgent information, exchange for cultivation resources, and perhaps gain some protection, overall yields more benefit than harm.

"At least," Wang Shan's corner of the mouth lifted a barely perceptible curve, his voice unusually clear in the night, "our Wang Family has managed to tear a opening here in Heishi Town."

the Wan family's bounty, the Shi family's covetousness, the scarcity of resources… these are mountains pressing overhead.

He knows in his heart this is only the beginning. The Foundation Establishment Pill, the Wan family… Wang Shan still has a long road ahead. This chaotic Heishi Town is merely the first stepping stone on the Wang Family's rise.