Chapter 376: Leaving

376. Chapter 376: Leaving

"Are you asking about the terms of the arrangement?"

Before Jiang Cheng could speak, Gu Zhanglin hurriedly asked.

"Hmm."

Jiang Cheng nodded.

"What terms do you have here?"

Jiang Cheng glanced at Gu Zhangkong and said honestly, "Gu Dage promised me that for each furnace of pills I refine, I can take half of the profit."

Gu Zhanglin's pupils narrowed slightly, and he also looked at Gu Zhangkong.

"Yes."

Gu Zhangkong nodded, "Brother, Jiang Lao Di is no ordinary person; his talent for refining pills surpasses even the alchemists in our clan, so I think giving him half the share is entirely reasonable."

Gu Zhanglin let out a hearty laugh upon hearing that.

"Alright, Jiang brother, whatever terms you have with Lao San will remain the same when you come to me. Moreover, if you perform even better later, the profit split can be raised; a 60‑40 split, or even 70‑30, isn't impossible."

"Changlin brother, you're being modest; getting half is already more than enough for me."

Jiang Cheng hurriedly said that when one's own strength is insufficient, greed only harms oneself.

Not to mention, the other side is just being polite; who would dislike having more money? Gu Zhangkong let out a soft sigh.

He had expected Gu Zhanglin to agree, but didn't anticipate the other side would consent so quickly.

That is also why he cannot muster a competitive thought in his heart.

"Any other questions?"

"Hmm, it's about my family. Offending that person might endanger not only me but also my relatives."

Gu Zhanglin smiled,

"I was wondering what the issue was; since you've given me work, I'll naturally ensure your safety and that of your family. Even if Gu Zhangjun wanted to kill you, what of it? There are plenty of people around me who want to kill you."

"Indeed, Jiang Lao Di," Gu Zhangkong said with a wry smile, "The defensive forces at my brother's place are more than ten times those here. As long as you get there and stay inside, there'll basically be no problem."

"That's true."

Gu Zhanglin nodded.

"Not only you but also your family—once inside, it's best not to run around. If you truly need to leave, wait until the heat dies down."

Jiang Cheng nodded.

From their brief interaction so far, Gu Zhanglin left a good impression; if one had to compare, he seemed like an upgraded version of Gu Zhangkong.

Of course, if he doesn't wish to enter the Inner City, there's another option: call Qin Lao. He believes that once he chooses to join, they'll quickly send someone to fetch him.

This method is safer, since even Gu Zhangjun's reach can't extend into the deep mountains.

However, doing so would somewhat betray Gu Zhangkong, who finally got a chance to enter the Inner City; abandoning him would make it hard for him to answer Gu Zhanglin.

Secondly, who knows what the others around Qin Lao think? If he arrives and they treat him as a mere alchemy tool—he isn't even a Grandmaster—then he'll be left with no help at all.

"Brother Changlin, I'll go back now and have my family pack their luggage."

"I'll go with you."

Gu Zhanglin smiled.

He wasn't really worried Jiang Cheng would run away, but it's better to have an extra precaution.

"Alright."

Jiang Cheng turned to Gu Zhangkong again, took the Xuan Gui Shield from his body, and handed it over.

"Gu Dage, thanks to your care these past days; I'll repay the debt I owe you as soon as possible."

"It's fine, no rush," Gu Zhangkong took it, patted Jiang Cheng's shoulder, "I still owe you thanks; without you, I also… never mind, we'll still have chances to meet in the future."

By the end, he was a bit uncertain.

Because even if he wanted to find Jiang Cheng, Gu Zhanglin might not agree.

A few people quickly arrived at Jiang Cheng's home; the Old Man, Chen Sao, and the third person were all a bit taken aback and reluctant.

Having been here for several months, they had begun to blend in, and the people around them were full of goodwill.

Now, they must enter the Inner City, that unknown place.

Jiang Cheng had no choice.

He actually wanted his family to stay here to avoid traveling, but Gu Zhangjun's side not acting is fine; once they act, the defensive forces here would be unstoppable.

A few people quickly packed their luggage and boarded the larger flying craft at the back.

"Gu Dage, we're leaving."

Gu Zhangkong heard this and felt a touch of sadness.

"Alright, once you get there, focus on refining; brother won't shortchange you."

Accompanied by a rumble, the two flying crafts rose slowly, reaching over two hundred meters in the sky, heading toward the high wall of the Inner City District.

Jiang Cheng gave his family a reassuring glance, his gaze fixed on the distance; as they drew nearer, he gradually sensed the wall's grandeur.

Its height was probably over a thousand meters, seemingly made of some metal, smooth as a mirror, its surface flickering with faint glows.

When he got closer, he saw countless "windows" on the wall, with innumerable flying crafts entering and exiting.

Many of them were similar to the one he was aboard.

Some were as large as a house, accompanied by a swarm of tiny flying devices; if you looked closely, you could even see the cannons beneath them.

Jiang Cheng withdrew his gaze and looked ahead.

So the secret passage was that the entrance to the Inner City District was actually above.

At a height of over a thousand meters, it rose straight up; even a Grandmaster couldn't climb it without a flying craft, unless one could fly.

At that moment, a flying craft passed through a window, the view darkened briefly, then opened up brightly.

It was like entering a steel forest, with skyscrapers hundreds of meters tall everywhere, and aerial tracks extending in all directions that dazzled the eyes.

The aircraft quickly folded its wings, hovered above the road below, and continued forward.

Chen Sao and the two others had already been so shocked they could not speak.

At first, they, who had lived in the Poor District, upon seeing the Outer City District, were all utterly shocked, let alone the Inner City District.

Jiang Cheng was a bit better, but he was still greatly shocked.

Although he had seen similar scenes many times in sci-fi works before his transmigration, actually witnessing such a sight with his own eyes was another matter entirely.

Unfortunately, from inside the aircraft, all he could see was the outside appearance.

Soon, the two aircraft arrived above the ground and stopped at the entrance of a residential compound.

Jiang Cheng knew they had arrived at the destination.

Looking up, he saw that this residential compound differed from Dinghu Compound, mainly consisting of low-rise buildings; the first thing that caught his eye here were several buildings a hundred to two hundred meters tall.

"Here is different from outside; space is limited."

Gu Zhanglin's voice sounded,

"Fortunately, the whole compound is mine, and everyone inside is my people, so living here there's no need to worry about safety—come on, I'll take you in to have a look." (End of chapter)