“Little Boy?”
Ye Xuan was puzzled, “That name?”
Qin Guan smiled, “A bit strange?”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Indeed!”
Qin Guan chuckled, “Come on, let’s head to Boundless City!”
With that, she rode her sword into the air, vanishing into the depths of the starry sky!
Little Boy!
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, shook his head, and disappeared into the distance.
Not long after they left, a woman suddenly appeared.
It was Wu Jun, from the Tai Ling Clan!
After learning Ye Xuan and Qin Guan had returned to the Boundless Universe, she followed at once.
The Tai Ling Clan was now all but extinct. Back then, aside from those not in the clan, everyone else was obliterated in an explosion!
This grudge, Wu Jun could not let go unavenged!
She stared at the distant horizon, silent, lost in thought.
A moment later, her figure flickered, and she vanished.
…
Boundless City.
Boundless City was the most prosperous in the Boundless Universe, housing over ten billion people. The city was vast, its walls stretching so far they seemed endless.
As the most thriving city, it was heavily guarded by the personal army of the Boundless Lord.
Notably, the city’s lord was the Boundless Lord himself, though he rarely appeared.
Qin Guan and Ye Xuan strolled boldly into the city. On the streets, Qin Guan glanced around, then said, “To the city centre!”
Ye Xuan nodded.
Soon, Qin Guan led Ye Xuan to the bustling heart of the city. She scanned the area, then approached a grand hall, the largest chamber of commerce in the Boundless Universe: Boundless Chamber!
Inside, a woman greeted them with a smile, “Welcome, esteemed guests. How may I assist you?”
Qin Guan glanced at Ye Xuan, sending a telepathic message, “This chamber’s intelligence is lacking, they don’t even know who we are!”
Ye Xuan nodded in agreement.
Qin Guan turned to the woman, smiling, “I want to see your president!”
The woman hesitated, then asked, “May I know who you are?”
Qin Guan smiled, “I’m Qin Guan, head of Immortal Treasure Pavilion! I’m here to buy your chamber. Have your president come talk to me!”
Qin Guan!
The woman was about to speak when footsteps approached.
Ye Xuan turned to see a woman in a purple gown, a red mark between her brows, exuding elegance and beauty.
She walked up, smiled, “So it’s Pavilion Master Qin. I’m Yong Ya, president of Boundless Chamber. Shall we talk elsewhere?”
Qin Guan nodded, “Fine!”
Led by Yong Ya, they entered a private room with a view of half of Boundless City.
Yong Ya looked at Qin Guan, “Pavilion Master Qin wants to buy our chamber?”
Qin Guan nodded, “Yes!”
Yong Ya sipped her tea, then smiled, “Pavilion Master Qin, our Boundless Chamber has tens of thousands of branches across the Boundless Universe, each earning hundreds of billions in cosmic veins monthly. The main city’s chamber alone makes over a trillion.
“I know you’re wealthy, the richest in the current universe, but acquiring our chamber might be…”
Qin Guan smiled, “I’ll be blunt. First, if you’re willing to sell, name a price. Second, if I open an ImmortalIOP Treasure Pavilion here, I’ll crush your chamber within a month. Believe me?”
Yong Ya stared at Qin Guan, “The major forces of the Boundless Universe won’t let you open a chamber here!”
Qin Guan blinked, “If I do, who’d dare touch it? Your Boundless Lord? If he tries, I’ll blow up the Boundless Universe, believe it?”
Yong Ya’s gaze turned cold, “Are you threatening us, Pavilion Master Qin?”
Qin Guan shook her head, “I’m giving you a chance! In business, competition’s normal. If you won’t sell, we’ll compete, but you’ll lose.”
Yong Ya smiled faintly, “If that’s how you put it, I’ve nothing to say. Boundless Chamber is not for sale!”
Qin Guan laughed, “I figured as much!”
She turned to Ye Xuan, “Let’s go!”
Ye Xuan nodded.
They left.
In the room, Yong Ya’s gaze was icy, lost in thought.
Outside, Ye Xuan said, “You knew they wouldn’t agree to be acquired, didn’t you?”
Qin Guan nodded.
Ye Xuan smiled, “You deliberately let them know Immortal Treasure Pavilion’s coming to Boundless City, right?”
Qin Guan grinned, “Go on!”
Ye Xuan said seriously, “Now they’ll be on guard, maybe even try something underhanded. If they don’t, fine, but if they do, we can openly retaliate, a bit like baiting them into a trap, right?”
Qin Guan rolled her eyes, “I’m not as devious as you think! Keep going!”
Ye Xuan shook his head with a smile, “What if they compete fairly?”
Qin Guan chuckled, “Then we compete fairly.”
She looked at him, “To conquer a world, it’s not just about force. What else, do you know?”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “Cultural invasion?”
A spark of surprise flashed in Qin Guan’s eyes, “You’ve surprised me!”
Ye Xuan grinned, “Looks like I got it right!”
Qin Guan nodded, “Cultural invasion, assimilation. Guanxuan Universe and Boundless Universe will eventually become one, but their martial cultures, values, and interests differ. If we conquer by force, you’ll see fierce resistance, maybe even unified opposition.”
She gazed into the distance, “Force is the worst approach. If our chamber and your academy spread across the Boundless Universe, soon their interests will align with ours, like in Guanxuan Universe. Those forces don’t resist us because following us gives them better lives, makes them stronger. Haven’t you noticed? Their top talents are now scrambling to join your academy.”
Ye Xuan nodded.
Guanxuan Universe was harmonious, very harmonious. The major forces didn’t resist Guanxuan Academy, they eagerly sent their prodigies there!
Why?
Because the academy had wealth, resources, and better opportunities for growth!
Qin Guan continued, “Haven’t you noticed? The Boundless Universe has thin spiritual energy, far less than our universe! Their resources are hoarded by the top powers, making them strong, but what about those below?”
She glanced around, “Look, they only have the strongest and the weakest, with a gap in the middle, barely any middle tier. If our chamber and academy change this, opening academies here, giving the lower tiers a chance to learn, to rise, to have hope, do you think the people of Boundless Universe would side with their top powers against us?”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Qin Guan added, “The Boundless Universe wants our universe for resources, for spiritual energy, it’s invasion. We conquer theirs to make it better. As long as we’re selfless, the Boundless Lord is no match for us.”
Ye Xuan looked at her, “Change the universe!”
Qin Guan nodded, “Yes!”
Ye Xuan smiled, “Let’s do it together!”
Qin Guan laughed, “Work hard!”
They shared a smile.
Qin Guan said, “Our first task is to establish an Immortal Treasure Pavilion, recruit local talent, get more to join us, help us. Most importantly, use this pavilion to connect with Guanxuan Universe, enable trade. Then, open an academy, recruit their talent. Their martial culture is higher than ours, we can have their experts teach in our universe for profit…”
She shook her head with a smile, “The details, we’ll leave to those below. Your job now is to have Qingqiu pick capable, strong people to come to Boundless City and set up the academy.”
She looked at Ye Xuan, “Win the people’s hearts, win the world!”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Got it!”
Qin Guan turned, “My people are here!”
An old man approached, knelt before Qin Guan, trembling, “Greetings, Pavilion Master!”
He then bowed deeply to Ye Xuan, “Greetings, Young Master Ye!”
Qin Guan smiled, “Rise!”
The old man stood, still half-bowed.
Qin Guan smiled, “Let me introduce Qian Lao, one of my stewards, skilled in commerce!”
Ye Xuan smiled, “Pleased to meet you, Qian Lao!”
Qian Lao quickly replied, “Pleased to meet you, Young Master Ye!”
Qin Guan handed Qian Lao a storage ring, “Crush Boundless Chamber in one month.”
Qian Lao took the ring, saying firmly, “Half a month will do!”
Qin Guan laughed, “Good!”
Ye Xuan, curious, asked, “How do you crush Boundless Chamber so quickly?”
Qian Lao stroked his beard, smiling, “Simple, meet all customers’ needs! I’ve brought enough goods, daily auctions of supreme divine artifacts, daily auctions of Divine Tribulation Realm inheritances…”
He paused, then added, “Most importantly, we’ve contacted some of Boundless Chamber’s stewards and talent. Once we open, they’ll join us!”
Ye Xuan blinked, “Poaching?”
Qin Guan laughed, “Yes! Everyone has a price! People work for money, not dreams. Offer enough, they’ll follow us.”
She looked at Ye Xuan, “In this era, what’s most important? Talent! From now on, we compete with Boundless Universe’s forces for talent! Resources, divine items, none matter as much as talent. My chamber thrives because I have many, many outstanding people working for me!”
She gazed at the horizon, “People think I go places to grab resources, to profit. But my first step is always to recruit, unearth, and nurture talent! Now, I’ll bring the Boundless Universe’s talent under my wing. Conquering a universe needs force, but managing it needs talent!”
Ye Xuan thought, then gently tugged Qin Guan’s skirt, “It’s ‘us’, your talent is my talent!”
Qin Guan: “…”
