Chapter 107: We Live to Find Some Pictures at the Dock
At dusk, Hua Jianglian sat in the office, staring at the planning proposal handed over by Young Master Sang.
The big bold letters read:
Holy Land Promotion Plan.
After a long pause, she slowly lifted her head and looked earnestly at Young Master Sang, saying:
“Are you an idiot?”
Young Master Sang: “…”
Can you at least go yell at that glasses-wearing, snooty girl instead?
Because I think this whole thing is pretty idiotic too.
But she swore up and down it was gonna work.
What could I do?
“The only reason the three major holy lands are where they are today is that they have powerhouse cultivators at the Great Ascension Stage.”
“We, the Demon Cultivators, can barely scrape together two at the Crossing Tribulation Stage, with Yu Xia included,” Hua Jianglian glared at Young Master Sang. “Are you planning for us to become a laughingstock if we try to level up to a holy land?”
Young Master Sang thought the same.
But Nian Nian was totally relaxed, encouraging him to go for it.
She even kindly shared tips on how to persuade Hua Jianglian.
“Hey, Sect Leader, you’re wrong!”
Suddenly, Young Master Sang donned a flattering smile, rubbing his hands together as he sidled up to Hua Jianglian.
“Who doesn’t know that the Demon Cultivators’ Sect Leader, Hua Jianglian, has unparalleled talent and limitless potential?”
He waved his arm grandly: “In the entire cultivation world, who dares to claim they have a better chance than the great Hua Jianglian to step into the Great Ascension Stage first?”
“Your might is legendary, Sect Leader. A mere Great Ascension Stage is nothing to you. With your powers, reaching the Great Ascension Stage is just a matter of time.”
A round of flattery really did make Hua Jianglian feel good.
Her anger gradually morphed into an annoyed huff as she crossed her arms and said:
“Hmph. I’ll admit you have some good taste.”
“I’m a once-in-a-thousand-years talent in cultivation, and there’s no one among my peers who can match me.”
“Exactly!” Young Master Sang jumped in.
“Since the Great Ascension Stage is not an issue for you, our Demon Cultivators becoming a holy land is just a matter of time.”
“Whether it happens a few days sooner or later, what’s the difference?”
Hua Jianglian sensed something was off but couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
She frowned, slowly saying, “But I’m not at the Great Ascension Stage yet…”
“Hey, just because it’s not today doesn’t mean it can’t be in the future.”
Young Master Sang explained, “Look at the times. We can’t just take it step by step! Those who only invest in the present are already begging on the streets.”
“We need to look to the future and invest in it.”
“Think about it: if we promote to a holy land now, wouldn’t our prestige and cultivation resources shoot up? Even the right path cultivators who usually oppose us will have to think twice!”
“That in turn means you’ll reach the Great Ascension Stage faster!”
“Just consider it as borrowing a Great Ascension Stage for now and returning it later!”
“Debt—do you understand the future market?” he said eagerly.
Hua Jianglian furrowed her brows, thinking deeply for a long time.
Then she decisively shook her head, “Nope. Not getting it.”
…Well, that’s that.
Talking to a wall.
However, Young Master Sang wasn’t expecting her to get this kind of stuff at all.
He had a simpler method of temptation.
“Let’s take a step back. If we promote to a holy land, won’t you earn more money?”
“Then the next time Fusa Pavilion releases new manga merchandise, you won’t be short on cash, right?” he said, rubbing his hands together.
In an instant, Hua Jianglian’s eyes sparkled with realization.
“Right.”
“I get it,” she said, clapping her hands. “It’s like I’m borrowing money from my future self, right?”
“Exactly! You’re a genius!”
Hua Jianglian patted Young Master Sang’s shoulder with satisfaction, saying, “In this context, thinking about my little treasury, you’re really loyal!”
Young Master Sang forced a smile.
“My loyalty to the Sect Leader can be witnessed by heaven and earth…”
“Then I’ll leave the Holy Land promotion in your hands.”
Hua Jianglian was too lazy to continue looking at the proposal and just tossed it back to Young Master Sang. “Just don’t make a fool of yourself when the time comes.”
“You can discuss the details with Tang Yubbing. As long as you two agree, all the resources of the Demon Cultivators are at your disposal.”
Young Master Sang was overjoyed: “I won’t let the Sect Leader down!”
Just as he was about to bounce off to plan everything, a melancholy voice interrupted from behind:
“Are you leaving just like that?”
With a pitiful glare, Hua Jianglian pouted in mild annoyance. “You haven’t even showed me any manga today.”
“…Oh.”
—
—
By the time he finished reading manga and returned home, it was already night.
In the bath, as Young Master Sang leaned lazily against the edge of the tub, Nian Nian explained the key points of this plan to him.
“The most important key to promoting to a holy land is whether there is a Great Ascension Stage cultivator present.”
“We might not have one, but the good news is, no one knows if we do or not.”
“So, the Holy Land Promotion Plan is all about how well the host can pretend to be a Great Ascension Stage powerhouse.”
“As long as, during the promotion ceremony, you can fool the sects and clans attending and intimidate them into not daring to cause trouble, then it’s a success.”
That made sense.
But as a mere Foundation Establishment stage nobody, how can I pretend to be a huge Big Shot?
On the bank, Nian Nian’s delicate black stockings overlapped, her pleated skirt resting on her thighs as she playfully pushed up her glasses:
“A Great Ascension Stage cultivator is like the supreme power in this dimension—a peerless existence beyond all living beings.”
“Those who reach this level are often pure and selfless, with hearts free of distractions, leaving only an extreme devotion to the Dao.”
“This kind of lofty and pure feeling is the hardest to fake.”
“The host needs to think carefully; if you become an unrivaled overlord, what would you be like on a daily basis?”
“What would you most likely do? What do you most want to do?”
Young Master Sang pondered seriously for a moment.
Then cautiously asked, “Find some pictures?”
“…You misunderstood me. I meant the ultimate goal of your life, fundamentally speaking, why do we live?”
“To go to the dock and find some pictures?”
At that moment, Nian Nian, as a system, faced an unprecedented sense of defeat.
She suddenly felt that humans were impossible to comprehend.
What they thought about was more unfathomable than ancient gods.
“I meant,” Nian Nian, struggling to suppress her urge to explode, took a deep breath and said, “Great Ascension Stage cultivators are often pure-hearted people; only by being free of distractions can one reach the peak.”
“For example, the head of the Sword Flower Palace, one of the three major holy lands, has the heart of swordsmanship.”
“The host also needs to find a focus, a belief in a path that will lead to your Great Ascension.”
Young Master Sang, with a look of sudden enlightenment, immediately responded with seriousness.
“Alright.”
“Then the path I believe in is to find some pictures at the dock!”
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