Chapter 431: Finalizing the Helpers

When Li Luo walked out of the stone chamber, Yu Hongxi was still waiting there. She was leaning against the wall, her expression carrying a trace of inexplicable melancholy, but as Li Luo emerged, she quickly reined in these emotions.

"Did you get it?" Yu Hongxi asked.

Li Luo nodded.

Seeing this, Yu Hongxi said no more and led Li Luo back along the path they had come.

"President Yu." Li Luo caught up in two steps, walking side by side with her, and hesitated slightly before saying, "There is a matter I would like to ask for your help with."

Yu Hongxi did not stop walking and said indifferently, "If it is a matter of business, we shall handle it according to official procedure. Since you helped Qinger at the Golden Dragon Dojo, I will grant you many concessions, but if it is something that would compromise the stance of our Golden Dragon Treasure House, you need not bring it up."

"I need to refine something, and I require the full assistance of a Marquis-realm expert," Li Luo said directly, without concealing anything.

A flash of surprise crossed Yu Hongxi's eyes. What was this kid trying to refine? To actually require the assistance of a Marquis-realm expert...

"I cannot help. If it requires a Marquis-realm expert to take action, what you are refining must be of great significance. If word of this gets out, it will cast doubt on the Golden Dragon Treasure House's stance among the various factions in the Great Xia." Yu Hongxi did not agree easily, speaking instead with a touch of coldness.

Li Luo was not surprised by Yu Hongxi's response. Although he could sense that her refusal was not particularly firm, he did not intend to test her bit by bit, so he said clearly and directly, "President Yu is a businessperson. If I have sufficient compensation, I wonder if President Yu would agree?"

"Compensation? Are you trying to hire me?"

Yu Hongxi curled her red lips and said playfully, "I am very expensive. Can your House Luolan afford me?"

Facing Yu Hongxi's bold self-reference, Li Luo did not mind. He extended his palm, and in it lay a jade gourd, the golden substance inside flowing slowly like a living thing.

Yu Hongxi's gaze had been wandering listlessly toward the jade gourd, but when she saw the golden substance within, her eyes suddenly narrowed. The footsteps she had been taking forward came to an abrupt halt, and her expression became intensely burning.

"President Yu, you should know what this is, right? I wonder if this compensation is enough to ask for your help?" Li Luo asked with a sincere expression.

As he spoke, he slowly began to withdraw the jade gourd, and Yu Hongxi's gaze followed his moving hand incessantly.

"If this isn't enough, then I can only ask someone else." Seeing that Yu Hongxi did not answer, Li Luo sighed with regret and made a move to put the jade gourd away.

But before he could grasp the jade gourd, Yu Hongxi reached out and grabbed his wrist, then used her fingers to lift the jade gourd up.

"Good kid, trying to play me?" Yu Hongxi sneered.

"This is indeed a good thing, but if you were to reveal this casually in front of other Marquis-realm experts, it would only serve to attract more hungry wolves to your House Luolan for nothing."

Li Luo said obediently, "Isn't it because I trust that you, President Yu, are not one of those unprincipled hungry wolves that I took it out?"

These words made Yu Hongxi's expression soften a little. She toyed with the jade gourd and said, "Li Taixuan and Tantai Lan really did leave you some good things."

Clearly, she had guessed that this was what Li Luo had just retrieved from the stone chamber.

Li Luo asked expectantly, "Does that mean President Yu has agreed?"

Yu Hongxi pondered for a few seconds and nodded slightly: "Although I don't know exactly what you are refining, I am indeed tempted by this compensation. As you said, I am a businessperson; since you have provided sufficient compensation, I naturally have no reason to refuse."

"Then many thanks, President Yu."

Li Luo was overjoyed, and then he took a list out of his robe and smiled, "Since President Yu is willing to help, I would like to trouble you with one more small matter. I hope you can help me gather the materials on this list."

These materials were all required for refining the Lesser Non-Phase Divine Wheel. The requirements were complex and trivial, and if he had to gather them himself, it would waste a lot of time; handing it over to Yu Hongxi was the best option.

Yu Hongxi took it and glanced at it, saying, "The items you want are quite peculiar. I don't know what you are refining, but the price of these materials is not cheap. It should add up to about seven or eight million Heavenly Amount Gold, but you don't need to pay for this; I will take care of it for you."

Li Luo said with emotion, "President Yu is truly generous."

At the same time, he sighed in his heart: what a wealthy woman; this is what it means to be one. With a light word, she waived several million.

"This bit of material cost is not worth mentioning compared to your 'King's Marrow'. I don't want to take advantage of a junior; otherwise, if Qinger finds out, she could nag in my ear for an entire day," Yu Hongxi said casually.

"By the way, when will you start refining?" she asked.

Li Luo said, "In ten days."

Ten days later, the Holy Grail Battle would begin, and he would be leaving the Great Xia, so he needed to successfully refine the Lesser Non-Phase Divine Wheel before he left.

"And the location?"

Li Luo thought for a moment. If he were to ask Yu Hongxi and Instructor Xi Chan for help, the refining location certainly could not be at the House Luolan headquarters, because the headquarters had a strange array that would suppress the strength of Marquis-realm experts. However, refining the Lesser Non-Phase Divine Wheel was extremely important to him, so he had to find an absolutely safe place.

"Let's refine it at the Astral Sage College," Li Luo smiled. If there was any place in the entire Great Xia that could be called safe, it was likely the college.

"At the college?" Yu Hongxi was startled, then nodded, "That is indeed a safe place."

"My refining this time requires the assistance of two Marquis-realm experts in total, so besides you, President Yu, I will be looking for one more," Li Luo reminded her.

Hearing this, Yu Hongxi's willow brows furrowed slightly, and she said, "Li Luo, I warned you earlier that the King's Marrow is very attractive to Marquis-realm experts. Do not use this item to lure them indiscriminately. Although House Luolan already has enough debts to worry about, it is better to provoke as few people as possible."

Li Luo knew that Yu Hongxi was giving him well-intentioned advice, so he nodded obediently and said, "President Yu, rest assured, I understand this. As for the other Marquis-realm expert, I plan to invite my instructor, Xi Chan. I trust her character, and as an instructor at the Astral Sage College, she and the Golden Dragon Treasure House both maintain a neutral stance."

"Xi Chan..."

Upon hearing this name, Yu Hongxi nodded and said nothing more. It seemed she knew something about Xi Chan, and this was indeed a relatively good choice.

"I will have all the materials prepared for you in these next few days. When the agreed time comes, I will go to the college to find you."

Li Luo nodded, feeling a quiet sense of relief in his heart. It was fortunate that he had the King's Marrow left by his father and mother; otherwise, finding two Marquis-realm experts to help would have truly left him frantic. After all, whether it was Yu Hongxi or Instructor Xi Chan, they both held neutral positions. Without sufficient compensation, relying solely on personal connections would only waste their goodwill.

Now that things were settled with Yu Hongxi, the next step was to see about Instructor Xi Chan. Thus, the problem of refining the Lesser Non-Phase Divine Wheel was half-solved.