Chapter 405: Negotiation

“Confusion, that’s your problem, isn’t it?” Li Qi stood before him and said.

“It’s okay to make mistakes; you can correct them. We can give you infinite chances to make mistakes. You won’t die; every time you fall, you can start over.” Li Qi spread his arms.

He stared into Ga Ga’s eyes and said, “There is fire in the marsh; a gentleman uses it to govern the calendar and clarify the times. Its ‘Tuan’ says: ‘Heaven and Earth are transformed, and the four seasons are formed.’ Infinite innovation is the way to solve problems.”

These words instantly made Ga Ga’s breathing heavier, and his vocal organs emitted a ‘Ga Ga Ga Ga’ sound.

That was the Holy Flame Clan’s equivalent of an ‘involuntary astonishment’ expression, though their insect-like faces had no expressions to speak of.

Li Qi knew that this was the biggest problem plaguing Ga Ga.

Ga Ga knew that the past days were not good, so he wanted to fight on his own, to kill all those deeply hated bandits and tyrants, to kill all those Immortal lackeys.

He didn’t trust Immortals, even more so he hated those sectarian lackeys, couldn’t stand other powerful forces, refused the Holy Flame Clan’s old path—the old path abandoned by the Holy King—and was unwilling to follow the Immortals on a new path.

He couldn’t stand these existing paths, but he didn’t know how to create a new one.

Therefore, he could only focus all his energy on improving his cultivation first.

Because no matter what, he knew one thing: if he wanted to avoid being slaughtered by others, he had to keep going, become a little stronger, see a little more, and perhaps tomorrow, he would find the answer he had been diligently seeking?

This was the driving force that supported him through life-and-death situations for several years.

If not for this, even with a cheat by his side, it would have been impossible to go from unranked to Peak Eighth Rank in two years.

This speed was already excessively strong, even for a Child of Destiny who carried the Luck of the world.

And now, powerful Immortals from outside the domain said they would give him infinite chances to make mistakes…

“Then… what’s the price?” Ga Ga looked up and asked seriously.

“None needed. You have nothing that we value. Everything in this world is not worth mentioning,” Li Qi shook his head and said.

“Impossible. If that were truly the case, then those Immortals before wouldn’t have bothered with what you called the ‘Four Extremes Array,’ nor would they have tried to refine the Heavenly Dao. It’s even less likely that you would have even glanced at us, and you all seem very interested in the Sacred Flame.” Ga Ga immediately retorted, and by the end, he even brought up the matter of the Sacred Flame.

Li Qi, however, smiled, “Why impossible?”

“You might be mistaken. For us, we lack nothing of yours. The only thing we care about, the only thing of value you possess, is actually yourselves.”

Yourselves.

As soon as these words were spoken, Ga Ga immediately understood.

To these ‘Immortals,’ the Holy Flame World was nothing special.

What they needed was just ‘population.’

They needed high intelligence, they needed individuals with subjective initiative—‘people.’

People are the cheapest, and also the most valuable.

When they are cheap, a mouthful of grain can buy several lives.

When they are valuable, ‘people’ can create everything in the world. It can be said that all civilization, cultivation, and knowledge are essentially created by individuals.

To want yourselves means to need everything you create, to need you to labor, to innovate, to fully utilize everything as high intelligences, to create new things.

The Holy Flame World cannot provide the material things Immortals value; what Immortals want is merely the creativity brought by a sufficiently large population.

“So… you just have different political views?” Ga Ga’s voice carried a hint of weakness.

Different political views, just like what the Holy Flame Clan used to do to other races.

Some advocated destruction, while others advocated coexistence.

And now, the Holy Flame Clan had become the one being chosen.

“My enemies, they want to domesticate you, to turn the Holy Flame World completely into a slave world, a slave race. But we don’t think so. We believe that perhaps you can… truly join us, become a part, rather than becoming private property,” Li Qi said candidly.

“You can trade with other worlds, you can exert your own strength, accomplish what you can do, and create a better life for your own world.”

Li Qi hadn’t finished speaking when Ga Ga interrupted him.

Ga Ga said, “It’s like… being a vassal?”

“No, I prefer to call it a companion. Although there is indeed a distinction of strength, there is no hierarchy in status,” Li Qi responded calmly.

“Even if you are so powerful?” Ga Ga’s tone was somewhat disbelieving.

“Strength earns respect, but the strong have their boundaries, which is why I’m telling you all this,” Li Qi said.

These words were not a lie.

Shaman Dao had always been like this externally.

“Then cooperating with you… let’s call it cooperation. What do we need to give?” Ga Ga changed his question.

“You don’t need to give anything. You just need to not be like the Immortals who tried to refine the Holy Flame World before,” Li Qi smiled gently.

“I don’t believe it. You can’t be asking for nothing.” Ga Ga shook his head, “If you don’t make it clear… then please choose someone else. I hope he’ll be foolish enough to listen to your nonsense.”

If you don’t tell me, then kill me.

How resolute.

“…Do you think you have anything worth us asking for?” Li Qi retorted.

“No, but your intentions can’t be that simple.” Ga Ga insisted on this point.

“Young man, your vision is too shallow.” Li Qi smiled, “What we do is simply because ‘we want to,’ that’s all. You still have time; I’ll come find you again after a while.”

With that, he gently pushed, and Ga Ga instantly vanished from his spot.

Originally, only his Spirit Soul had come, and now it was merely sending his Spirit Soul back into his body, simple and easy.

Ga Ga only felt his vision blur, then he suddenly opened his eyes.

He found that he was still sitting in his room.

He closed his eyes and continued to sit in silence.

It seemed he wouldn’t be getting good sleep lately.

— — — — — — — — — —

“Phew~.” Li Qi wiped his sweat, let out a long breath, leaned back, and sighed, “Talking to a Child of Destiny is truly exhausting. My sixth sense is constantly buzzing, giving me warnings.”

It was truly dangerous. When he spoke, the premonitions from his Shaman Dao constantly gave him a feeling of ‘heart-pounding fear.’

It was as if… he could be struck by lightning at any moment.

And Li Qi knew this wasn’t an illusion; the Heavenly Dao of this world was genuinely trying to strike him dead.

So he was carefully choosing his words, trying to guide the Child of Destiny.

Fortunately, the Heavenly Dao had no consciousness, only the instincts of a spirit.

Therefore, as long as the Child of Destiny didn’t harbor absolute hostility, and he didn’t cause a major impact on the world, then the heavenly lightning wouldn’t strike.

Just being struck by lightning would be fine; the little rabbit could block it for him. But in that case, nothing he did in this world would go smoothly.

He had to eliminate the Child of Destiny’s hostility and let the Child of Destiny make his own decisions.

He needed to be patient and guide him, this Child of Destiny was too suspicious.

He was practically his grandfather, and he still didn’t trust him, truly…

“Cough cough… full of lies, truly despicable and shameless.” At this moment, a voice was heard.

Li Qi looked up and saw Jin Buhuan hanging to one side.

Ah… Li Qi had almost forgotten about him.

“Brother Jin, you’re still alive!” Li Qi stood up and looked at Jin Buhuan.

Jin Buhuan seemed surprised that Li Qi would acknowledge him and froze for a moment.

Before, no matter what sound he made, what he wanted to do, or how he struggled, that woman over there remained unresponsive. Jin Buhuan had thought he would be treated this way until the end.

But unexpectedly, Li Qi actually replied!

So he immediately perked up and struggled to say, “Li Qi… my father is almost here. Why don’t you quickly release me? That way, if you lose in battle, you can still use this to beg my father for mercy—”

“Alright.” Li Qi nodded directly, then reached out and untied Jin Buhuan.

Jin Buhuan was stunned, the rest of his words caught in his throat, unable to be spoken for a moment.

Li Qi, however, ignored that. He smiled and patted Jin Buhuan’s shoulder, “Brother Jin, let’s go. It’s almost time for you and your father to reunite. When you go back, remember to apologize to the Lu Mountain God for me and tell him that Li Qi has prepared a banquet and is waiting for him to visit.”

Only then did Jin Buhuan react.

Then, he shivered, quickly transformed into a golden-furred white-spotted fierce tiger, and turned into a streak of light, fleeing directly.

Li Qi watched Jin Buhuan leave.

He was already prepared, just waiting for the Lu Mountain God to arrive.

He just didn’t know if the Heaven-Devouring Demon Lord would come.

After watching Jin Buhuan leave, the cave was completely devoid of outsiders, leaving only Li Qi and Shen Shuibi.

At this moment, the little rabbit was seen rising gently but swiftly.

Her dress fluttered in the air, and then she somewhat discontentedly hugged Li Qi’s chest, pressing her face against it, and whispered in a complaining tone, “Am I the third?”

“Huh? What third?” Li Qi naturally hugged the little rabbit and sat down on the side, but he was still a bit confused by her words.

Confused as he was, his heart was still somewhat touched.

Truly touched. Besides this word, no other phrase could describe Li Qi’s current mood.

A the little rabbit he could touch, truly… it had been so long since he last saw her.

Although Li Qi already possessed a long life, he was only in his early thirties and was not accustomed to living for centuries at a time. A year of separation was already very long.

Especially… in this year, he had experienced quite a lot of things, each of which made him feel mentally exhausted, as if something was chasing him from behind.

Especially the existence of the Heavenly Demon made him tread on thin ice. When he occasionally had time to himself, he was also fully engaged in thinking, deliberating, cultivating, or researching.

To be honest, being so tense for so long was extremely tiring. Thinking itself was a very stressful and painful activity.

Many people, in order to escape this pain, would even choose to engage in foolish games and entertainment, just to clear their minds.

But Li Qi couldn’t clear his mind; if he did, he would be waiting for death.

Now, the matter of the Heavenly Demon was temporarily concluded, and he no longer had to worry about the Heavenly Demon appearing at any moment.

‘I am I’ was no longer pressing; he had already found his answer.

The Shamanic Silkworm Artifact matter was on track, and he no longer needed to worry about it.

Imperial Academy was on holiday.

The matter of the Holy Flame World was also coming to an end.

Almost everything was resolved, and he finally got a rare moment of relaxation, and at this moment, the little rabbit was by his side.

Oh, no, not just by his side, but in his arms.

Finally, he could stop thinking, lay down his burdens, clear his mind, and enjoy the pleasures life should offer.

He used some force to hold the little rabbit tightly, then buried his head in her neck and took a deep breath.

Then he relaxed and asked again, “What does ‘three’ mean? I don’t quite understand?”

But as Li Qi asked this, the little rabbit’s expression, which had been slightly displeased, returned to a calm one, and she rarely couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. Then she sat on Li Qi’s lap and gently shook her head, “Nothing, don’t mind it.”

Actually, what she wanted to say was that after Li Qi arrived, the first thing he did was find the Child of Destiny.

The second thing was to release Jin Buhuan.

The third thing was to come find her.

So she was a little unhappy.

Those things should have been dealt with later; they were minor matters, and there was no need to rush to finish them as soon as he arrived.

But now it seemed… it was not bad. This was his personality, after all.

When he ate, he always liked to save his favorite dishes for last, and when doing things, he liked to finish them before resting.

This proved that… she was meant to be saved for last, the most favorite thing.

the little rabbit was not stupid; she was very intelligent, so she easily detached herself from those minor dissatisfactions, though she herself didn’t realize that she never used to care about these things before.

The former the little rabbit paid absolutely no mind to the surrounding world. For her, only the mysteries and logic she explored internally were important.

But now, besides that, there were other things that could engage her thinking ability.

Li Qi, having given up his thinking ability, naturally wouldn’t think too much. If the little rabbit said it was nothing, then it was nothing.

They sat there for a while, holding each other, enjoying the quiet moment.

Suddenly, the little rabbit looked up and said, “Move your hand away a bit, it’s still daytime.”

Li Qi, however, smiled and said, “There’s no sense of time in the mountains. Since we’re in the mountains and in a sealed cave, what’s wrong with it being daytime? It’s not like we can’t turn off the lights.”

“No…” the little rabbit’s face was slightly flushed, but she still lowered her head, unwilling to give in.

“Then I’ll just hug you, nothing else.”

“…If it’s just that, then as you wish, but nothing else… no…”

Time passed bit by bit.

From noon until night.

Li Qi put on his clothes, feeling refreshed.

the little rabbit was wrapped in a sheet, her face flushed, and her eyes complex.

Li Qi used to never tell her a single lie…

How did he become like this after only a year apart?

What on earth had he experienced outside?

“Yuer—”

“You go out, don’t talk to me… I’m angry.”

“Alright!” Li Qi quickly ran out of the cave.

Refreshed, so refreshed, his mood had brightened.

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