Chapter 347: Extortion
Chapter 347: Extortion
What a headache! Mira looked at Lu Yin helplessly, as this was the first time she had realized how troublesome it could be when someone had too many influential positions. This Lu Yin had relied on his numerous statuses to fearlessly charge into San Dios all by himself. He was confident that no one would kill him even if he roamed the universe alone.
“You’re rather annoying to deal with,” she commented.
Lu Yin laughed. He was a two-star Discerning Junior Lockbreaker, had two Honor Points, was a member of the Council of Astral Academy, and was a representative of the Outerverse Youth Council. Just one of these identities could safeguard his life, which made things much more interesting. It almost seemed like “the more the merrier.”
“Alright, I’ve said what I needed to. You’re like a hedgehog, able to retaliate no matter what direction someone approaches you from.” She rolled her eyes at Lu Yin.
He smiled. “No matter what, I still have to thank Senior Mira.”
Mira’s eyes lit up, and she lifted Lu Yin’s chin with a hand. “If you really want to thank me, then answer one question.”
“You are prettier,” Lu Yin replied seriously.
She was left speechless. “I haven’t even asked yet.”
“No matter who you may be compared to, Senior Mira is still the prettiest.”
She chuckled. “Alright, I’ll accept your compliment, and I’ll pass it on to Wendy Yushan as well.”
Lu Yin was taken aback by her response and left without saying another word. This woman was crazy in the head! It seemed as if she enjoyed sowing dissent.
Lu Yin released his domain after leaving the tower and relaxed his mind. San Dios’ scope was not that large, and he quickly arrived at the boundary of the floating city. If one looked down from the edge of San Dios, they would see a pretty good view.
The five arched entrances were obvious, and each guard was a Cruiser from the Prairie Flame Continent, not someone from the younger generation.
Lu Yin walked out a short ways away from the arched entrance and looked down. A layer of clouds was blocking his view, so he raised his hand and used a wave of energy to disperse them. Then, the vast mainland finally entered his sight.
The scenery from the top was indeed very different.
At that moment, a figure bursting with bloodlust appeared about one hundred meters behind Lu Yin and stabbed at him with a sword. It was Yan Feng.
Lu Yin had discovered him long ago, but he couldn’t be bothered to do anything.
The guarding Cruiser at the arched door immediately reacted. His strength already easily eclipsed that of his peers, which was why he was qualified to guard San Dios. He quickly suppressed the severely injured Yan Feng and pinned him firmly down to the floor.
Yan Feng raised his head and stared at Lu Yin with venomous eyes. “Lu Yin, you won’t have a good death! You caused countless to die on Firesmelt Planet! I must return this favor!”
Lu Yin walked over to Yan Feng and slowly squatted down next to him. “You also watched the battle of Firesmelt Planet. The one who killed countless people was your father, Yan Wujiu, not me.”
“You’re the one who instigated the war! My father was forced to those extreme actions against his will! Lu Yin, you will pay with your life for the countless lives lost on Firesmelt Planet, as well as for my father’s!” Yan Feng screamed maniacally.
Lu Yin sighed and raised his hand to pat Yan Feng’s shoulder. “You’re clearly tired of living. Go on then, join your father.” As Lu Yin stood up, Yan Feng’s eyes became bloodshot, and his head slowly drooped down. Lu Yin had applied some force, completely shattering all of Yan Feng’s organs and instantly killing him.
The pupils of the Cruiser shrank. He gave Lu Yin an apprehensive look before returning to his post.
Ambushing a representative was a rather serious offense. Lu Yin would not be held accountable for killing Yan Feng in the slightest.
The final danger of Firesmelt Planet had been eliminated, and Lu Yin lazily stretched his body. From now on, Firesmelt Planet was no more. He raised an arm and activated his gadget. “Formulate a battle plan to the unify Frostwave Weave.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Huo Qingshan’s voice could be heard in response.
“Seventh Bro, you must have purposely come here to give Yan Feng this opportunity, right?” the Ghost Monkey probed.
Lu Yin blinked. “Who knows? He went crazy long ago, and now, he’s dead.”
“That’s so scary,” the monkey mumbled.
The only person that could threaten Lu Yin in San Dios anymore was Puyu. Lu Yin could not deal with Puyu for now, but he was not in any hurry either. If Puyu was eliminated, then Lu Yin would be done for as well.
For the next few days, Lu Yin peacefully stayed in San Dios, and no one created any trouble for him.
Puyu spent that time investigating the matter of Firesmelt Planet, but strangely enough, he did not cause Lu Yin any trouble. It could only be said that storms were brewing on the horizon.
The other representatives under Wendy Yushan did not automatically express their goodwill to Lu Yin, but he did not pay them any mind. When Puyu previously roped them in, they had only merely feigned their approval. Their ardent desire to preserve their own lives was much stronger than any desire they held for power.
Meanwhile, something happened that caused Lu Yin to feel more awkward—Michelle contacted him.
He had promised to help her comprehend battle force. This would be the third time he had to postpone his promise, and he felt a little embarrassed about doing so.
The battle plans for the Great Yu Empire to unify the Frostwave Weave had already been formulated, and it developed inconceivably quickly. Lu Yin did not even need to look into it to guess that this plan had already been in the works while Undying Yushan was still in power. The plans had not been executed due to various reasons, but now, it was their ideal opportunity to strike.
Lu Yin had wanted to use this plan to drag Wendy Yushan back to the Great Yu Empire, but unfortunately, her ambitions pointed elsewhere. She was already planning to return to San Dios in a few more days.
Jenny Auna had also been sent back to Zenyu Star and had been handed over to the Auna family. Xueshan Auna was extremely grateful for this matter. After all, regardless of how he had tried to use Jenny, she was still his daughter. Thus, the Auna patriarch was deeply grateful towards Lu Yin for not simply killing her.
Lu Yin spent two days perusing all the available information concerning Bushtree Planet since he planned to head over there and retrieve some natural treasures in a few days. However, there was another matter troubling his mind—his financial status. Without money, he would have no use for any of the natural treasures.
The fastest way for him to earn money right now was through lockbreaking, so it looked like he could only focus on that for now.
Hold on. Lu Yin suddenly thought of something. They should have received many spoils of war from invading Firesmelt Planet, so why had he not received a cut of anything?
He immediately contacted Huo Qingshan, whose expression turned strange. “Your Highness, the spoils of war from invading Firesmelt Planet must all be handed into the empire’s treasury.”
“I can’t even get a little?” Lu Yin was unsatisfied.
Huo Qingshan considered the question. “Your Highness, the empire currently requires too many resources to rebuild. With the recently formulated plans to unify the Frostwave Weave, the greatest challenge to the empire is its lack of resources. You-”
“Alright, alright, I get it. Basically, there’s no money,” Lu Yin impatiently interrupted.
Huo Qingshan replied. “Your Highness, I’m not the one you should be asking about this. The new finance minister, Gavin, would know more.”
Lu Yin directly disconnected the call. Surprisingly, the Empire was actually broke. Actually, it was very normal for it to have no money since war burned money like nothing else.
“Seventh Bro, you’re too much of a money-grubber,” the Ghost Monkey commented.
Lu Yin rolled his eyes; no one could sympathize with his plight. If he had enough money, then his power would increase rapidly beyond measure. Unfortunately, that much money was too hard to come by, making him eternally wish that he had the support of a large financial group.
Lu Yin suddenly thought of Darkvoid; he was a seed of Shamrock Enterprises and therefore should not be lacking in money. However, he was the most envious of Lulu, who was so rich that she could take out an absurd amount of money without even batting an eye.
He still owed Lulu a significant sum, and he started wondering if that brat had already gone to the Great Yu Empire. She had wanted to search for information relating to the Court of Seven Names there, but it was bound to be a wasted trip.
At this time, Barley requested an audience with him.
“Representative Lu, there are some registered individuals from the Innerverse who wish to formally enter San Dios,” Barley happily informed.
Lu Yin was astonished. “Registered members? Who?”
“Yue Xianzi and An Shaohua.”
Lu Yin was puzzled. “What motives could they possibly have for coming here now?”
“It should be due to hearing Representative Lu’s fame, and they are coming here on account of your reputation.”
Lu Yin smiled; attracted by his fame? It would be strange if Yue Xianzi didn’t scold him upon seeing him since he had toyed with her a bit back on the Shenwu Continent. “When will they arrive?”
“Within two days.”
Lu Yin rubbed his chin. “Tell them that not just anyone who wishes to come can come. They can wait since they are so keen to register.”
Barley felt lost. Lu Yin obviously wanted to pull these nominees over just a few days ago, so what had caused this change now?
“Go on and tell them.” Lu Yin shook his head.
Barley immediately agreed.
“Seventh Bro, what are you scheming?” The Ghost Monkey was very curious.
Lu Yin smiled. “What do you think they’re trying to achieve by coming to San Dios at this time? Logically, if they truly intended to join the Outerverse Youth Council, they would look for Puyu. Given their statuses as descendants of powerful Innerverse organizations, Puyu definitely would not treat them unfairly. However, they actually chose to approach me, and don’t forget that Yue Xianzi holds a grudge against me.”
The monkey guessed, “Could it be because of the strength that Seventh Bro displayed?”
Lu Yin nodded. “Most likely. There’s only a few Ten Arbiters candidates who are publicly recognized as such even when both the Innerverse and Outerverse are taken into consideration. Also, a few of the Ten Arbiters won’t be part of the younger generation for much longer, so the contest for their positions will start soon.”
“Even so, it won’t be Seventh Bro’s turn next. You’re just a Limiteer, and I believe that there are also Explorers who are Ten Arbiters candidates, like the top ten in the Top Hundred Rankings.” The monkey didn’t believe Lu Yin’s reason.
Lu Yin raised his head. “They’re playing the long game. What would you know? You monkey.”
“If you truly wanted to compete, then you should look to rope in those people.”
“I’m not completely certain yet, but we can try for now. If they truly want to rely on me, then they’ll need to show some sincerity.”
“Don’t be gullible, and don’t forget that Yue Xianzi’s Frostmoon Sect is in the Daynight Flowzone. Do you think that they will openly cast their lots with you?”
Lu Yin smiled. “Every generation has its own issues. Even though Yue Xianzi is the Frostmoon Sect’s young mistress, there are other disciples besides her, and they might even be more than ten years older than her. Those people might be assisting the Daynight clan and can’t be bothered with her. Regardless, she must have her own reasons for coming to me.”
The monkey mumbled, “You’re always so reasonable.”
Nearby, Barley passed Lu Yin’s message onto Yue Xianzi and An Shaohua. They had different reactions; An Shaohua was astonished and asked Barley how he could enter San Dios. Yue Xianzi, on the other hand, gnashed her teeth in outrage. However, the outcome for both of them was still the same since she still wanted to become Lu Yin’s subordinate.
Lu Yin considered the matter. “It’s not impossible for them to join me, but the Great Yu Empire’s finances are strained right now, and I’m a bit troubled over this matter. Let them wait for a little while longer.”
Barley was stunned. Is he extorting them?
The Ghost Monkey was also rendered speechless. “Seventh Bro, this money-grubbing sickness of yours is really getting worse.”
Lu Yin’s lips quirked up. He did not mind the monkey’s words since it was just as he had said. Even if the Ten Arbiters gave up their positions, he still was not capable of replacing them. Thus, he was in no rush to gather geniuses under himself. And no matter if it was Yue Xianzi or An Shaohua, neither one was an overly important character. It was up to Lu Yin to accept them or not since these two could look towards no one else apart from Lu Yin if they wanted to participate in the contest for the position of the next Ten Arbiters. Lu Yin was confident in his calculations.