Chapter 51: Lord Li, the Swindler

“What is it—do you wish to leave something behind?”
Seeing Wang Yang return, Li Jiansan asked with a faint smile.

“No, no, no.”
Wang Yang immediately shook his head vigorously, then explained,
“It’s like this—my father has always deeply admired a genius such as yourself, sir, so I would like to invite you to our residence for a chat.”

Li Jiansan paused for a moment before replying, “Very well.”
Whether or not they talked was of little importance; what mattered was that Li Jiansan intended to take full advantage of this opportunity.
Since they regarded him as a person of great stature, he would be certain to teach them a lesson—
A peerless master is not someone you encounter casually. If you do meet one by chance, more often than not, that so-called master is nothing but a fraud.

Upon hearing Li Jiansan’s agreement, Wang Yang quickly nudged his attendant and barked, “Go notify everyone at once—tell them a distinguished guest has arrived.”
Then, grinning, Wang Yang gestured to Li Jiansan, “This way, sir.”

Seeing this, Chu Xier said anxiously, “Senior Li, perhaps we shouldn’t go?”
Li Jiansan patted her head, smiling, “Don’t worry. I’ll show you a bit of the world.”

...

A short while later, Li Jiansan and his companions arrived before the gates of the Wang estate.
Glancing at the grand mansion, Li Jiansan couldn’t help but think,
“They’ve set this up rather impressively. My coming here to give them a vivid lesson in ideology will not be in vain.”

Soon, under Wang Yang’s guidance, Li Jiansan and his party entered the main hall of the Wang residence.
Inside, a middle-aged man was already seated.
Li Jiansan surmised that this must be the head of the Wang family.

“This must be Lord Li, I presume? Upon seeing you, you are indeed elegant and dignified.”
The Wang family head, upon catching sight of Li Jiansan, immediately stepped forward and lavished him with flattery.

Seeing Li Jiansan remain impassive, the family head was not at all surprised and maintained his hearty smile.
“Please, Lord Li, take a seat. I am Wang Tianhong, head of the Wang family.”

“I am Li Jiansan.”
Li Jiansan replied coolly, only uttering a few words.

Noticing how carefully guarded Li Jiansan was, Wang Tianhong’s expression faltered slightly.
He had hoped to glean some information from Li Jiansan’s first words, but now he was disappointed.
His gaze toward Li Jiansan subtly changed; though the man before him was young, he seemed far more composed and seasoned than his years would suggest.

If it weren’t for Li Jiansan’s still-youthful features, Wang Tianhong might have believed he was facing an old man who had lived for over a century.

“Heh, earlier, my son had a slight conflict with you, which angered you, sir. I am here to apologize on his behalf. Might you forgive his rashness?”
After a brief pause, Wang Tianhong added with a genial smile.

“He has already paid the price for that. There’s no need to mention it further, Patriarch Wang.”
As Li Jiansan spoke, Wang Tianhong noticed for the first time that his son’s arm was missing.
A fleeting flash of anger crossed his face, but he quickly smiled and said,
“It’s nothing. My son has been unruly since childhood. That you, sir, would discipline him on my behalf is only fitting.”

“Since that matter is settled, may I ask if our Wang family might have the honor of befriending you, sir? Would you consider introducing my son into your esteemed circle?”

At these words, a cold, mocking smile flickered across Li Jiansan’s face.
So, the old fox finally shows his tail.
As expected, he wants to curry favor with me, hoping to gain from my influence.

Still, as the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole lurks behind…
Expressionless, Li Jiansan looked at Wang Tianhong. “I imagine you’ve already guessed a bit about my identity. Let me be frank: everyone within that organization is a paragon of their field, a renowned figure.”

“Of course,” Wang Tianhong replied eagerly.

“Therefore, if your son wishes to join, he must possess sufficient strength.”

“Ahem… May I ask what level of strength is required?”
Li Jiansan responded blandly, “Martial prowess, wealth, or influence—any one of them, so long as you can prove your capability.”

“And how might we prove it?” Wang Tianhong pressed.

Li Jiansan glanced around at the Wang family, “From what I see, your family has never produced a single Golden Core expert, has it?”

“Golden Core?”
Wang Tianhong drew in a sharp breath. To think that in that circle, the starting point was the Golden Core realm—he truly had managed to connect with a person of status this time.

After a brief pause, Li Jiansan continued,
“Moreover, in this small place, there isn’t any great power to speak of. Even your local Alchemists’ Guild is the lowest-tier organization back where I come from.”

Wang Tianhong’s pupils contracted sharply.
Here, the Alchemists’ Guild was a thriving force, yet in this man’s eyes, it was nothing but a minor group.
What sort of power stood behind him, if even this was beneath his notice?
Wang Tianhong dared not imagine further—he had truly struck gold this time.

He gazed at Li Jiansan with anticipation. “Sir, is there any way you might help us?”

Li Jiansan put on a troubled expression. “Well…”

“As long as you have a way, sir, we are willing to pay any price!”

After a moment, Li Jiansan slapped the table and said, “Very well. Since you lack both martial strength and influence, you’ll have to rely on your wealth.”

“Prepare ten thousand spirit stones, and with my personal recommendation, there should be no problem.”

“In that case, we are most grateful, sir.”
A moment later, Wang Tianhong’s expression grew awkward. “However, we cannot gather such a large sum of spirit stones at a moment’s notice.”

Li Jiansan waved his hand helplessly. “Then there’s nothing I can do.”

Wang Tianhong clenched his teeth. “If we mortgage some of our assets, we might be able to come up with eight thousand spirit stones. Would you be willing to consider an alternative?”

Li Jiansan hesitated before saying, “Eight thousand spirit stones… Very well. I will request a letter of recommendation from my father. That should suffice.”

“Then we are truly in your debt, sir.”
Delighted, Wang Tianhong thanked him profusely.
In his heart, he was overjoyed: once his son entered that organization, their rise would be meteoric.
By then, what would the Alchemists’ Guild matter? It would be beneath his notice.

“We will prepare the spirit stones at once.”

To their credit, the Wang family’s efficiency was impressive.
In no time at all, all eight thousand spirit stones were gathered.

Wang Tianhong said courteously, “Sir, the eight thousand spirit stones are ready for your inspection.”

“No need,” Li Jiansan replied indifferently. With the identity he now played, he doubted they would dare deceive him.

He brushed his storage ring, and all eight thousand spirit stones vanished within.
Seeing the ring in Li Jiansan’s hand, Wang Tianhong’s eyes gleamed again.
A storage ring! In his entire life, he’d never managed to obtain one.
Yet this youth possessed such a treasure—truly a man of great background.

Though he coveted the ring, Wang Tianhong dared not harbor any designs against Li Jiansan.
After all, the young man was from an extraordinary power. To act rashly would invite calamity upon the entire Wang family.

“In that case, await my message,” Li Jiansan said, taking Chu Xier’s hand and preparing to leave.

But just then, Wang Tianhong’s voice sounded behind him.
“Sir, please wait!”

Hearing himself called back, Li Jiansan was taken aback.
Had he been found out?