Otherworldly Affairs Office

Chapter 1030: Shaking Down for Benefits

Yiqiu? Pei Yan paused for a moment before remembering that this seemed to be Lin Daozi’s real name. He put down the raised teacup and curiously asked, "After that battle, we never met again. I’m wondering how Brother Lin’s body recovered after the unexpected attack?""Ah!" Lin Ruxue sighed deeply upon hearing the question and shook her head. "His physical body is intact. The Power of Origin from Candle Dragon instantly devoured all the origin flow within him. After the match, I broke down that Power of Origin, guided most of the origin to return to his body, and with my assistance in regulating it, he soon recovered most of his former strength. However, he is now somewhat mentally exhausted."

"Victory and defeat are common occurrences for strategists. Sister Lin, you should advise Brother Lin not to dwell on the loss in this battle. It’s clear to everyone that it was only due to Nero’s despicable methods that he lost. He didn’t lose to Nero; he lost to a Lord of the Plane. Losing is not humiliating; the opponent is the one embarrassed." Pei Yan shrugged, sincerely trying to comfort her.

Lin Ruxue waved at Pei Yan, offering a bitter smile. "He is quite open-minded about victory and defeat. He understands that the defeat in this battle wasn’t his fault. The real trigger for his Heart Demon was the betrayal by those close to him." As Lin Ruxue spoke, her eyes revealed some sadness and anger. "Although Yiqiu was my early choice for the Child of Origin, he never became arrogant and rude in his dealings. On the contrary, he was always very kind to those serving around him. Even with a few servants, despite the master-servant relationship, he never belittled them and often took time to correct their cultivation mistakes. But it was these closest ones who caused him to suffer his first major defeat in a crucial match, and such a blow was just too hard for him to accept at the moment."

"Uh~." Pei Yan was at a loss for words. He could completely understand Lin Daozi’s emotions, but outsiders can’t offer comfort; the more one advises, the more he might blame himself and get stuck in a vicious cycle, eventually becoming a Heart Demon that only he can find a way to overcome."

"Forget it, let’s not talk about it anymore!" Lin Ruxue waved her hand calmly. "My disciple is not that fragile. I believe he will overcome this in time. Now that the first matter is settled, let’s discuss the second issue."

Lin Ruxue looked at Pei Yan, her expression suddenly turning serious, and asked solemnly, "Are you confident of victory in this battle?"

"Yes." Pei Yan answered with certainty without a second thought.

"And does your investigation bureau have absolute confidence in winning?" Lin Ruxue continued to ask.

"Uh...," Pei Yan was momentarily at a loss, looking towards Lin Junzhao, who was lazily curled up in the Grandmaster Chair and casually said, "Speak truthfully, don’t hide anything."

"Alright!" Upon hearing the direct order, Pei Yan turned to Lin Ruxue and said, "After our calculations, if Blood Rakshasa remains at the same level as the previous tournament, we have at least a... seventy percent chance of winning."

After thinking for a while, Pei Yan provided a relatively conservative estimate and continued, "But if the competitors undergo any changes these few days, this figure might decrease. But regardless of how they change, I can ensure my battle will be worry-free."

"Your certain victory doesn’t determine the tournament outcome. From Candle Dragon’s actions for victory at all costs in this competition recently, it’s evident they are determined to win first place in the battle, and Blood Rakshasa will surely enhance their strength during this time." Lin Ruxue spoke as she looked toward Lin Junzhao and inquired, "What preparations have you made for your disciple for this battle?"

"Waiting for you."

"Uh~." This time it was Lin Ruxue who was left speechless. She came prepared to discuss this matter with Lin Junzhao, but she didn’t expect that she would brazenly bring it up.

"Oh," Lin Junzhao saw Lin Ruxue’s awkward expression and reached for the newly replaced fruit on the table, taking a piece and chewing, saying reasonably, "What else can I give them? Besides fragments of the Origin Law, I have nothing left to give. But you know although this item can grant them an additional layer of supernatural abilities, everyone has a limit to what they can absorb. For them as Children of Origin, they would naturally awaken a new ability every time they advance two levels. Most of these abilities will align with their existing powers, so I don’t want to fill them with unnecessary abilities while they still have room for growth, potentially capping their future development. Aside from that, I’ve already exhausted my resources. I have to save some for the investigation bureau to maintain appearances. As you can see..." Lin Junzhao pointed at himself, helplessly saying, "For this battle, I’ve almost depleted everything. To have my power restored to its current state today is sheer luck."

"So, you’re just here to shamelessly extort from me?" Lin Ruxue realized it seemed she took the initiative to bring them over to extort and felt a headache, covering her forehead, unable to laugh or cry.

Knowing that in dealing with her longest companion, who was both teacher and friend, a little bit of playfulness might work wonders, Lin Junzhao reached out to hold Lin Ruxue’s hand, saying, "I’m poor, aren’t I? Aren’t you my teacher? How could a disciple’s request from a teacher be extortion? Plus, had I not been imprisoned for over a decade, working like a beast of burden, would my former strength have dwindled so much? Little..."

"Alright, alright!" Lin Ruxue hastily interrupted before Lin Junzhao could finish, waving her hand. "Stop playing the victim. I fear you two. Jun Zhao, I understand now; these days spent with the youngster have influenced you for the worse than before. You used to be upright and carefree, now how come..."

"Upright and not bending won’t fill one’s belly, and being carefree can’t ensure one’s safety." Faced with Lin Ruxue’s question, Lin Junzhao casually left a sentence and helplessly continued.

Lin Ruxue felt emotional but found no words to retort, her eyes swept over Pei Yan who pretended to focus on eating fruit while eavesdropping on gossip with ears perked, bringing a surge of anger as she leaped up to slap the back of his head.

Seeing the motion, Pei Yan instinctively shrunk his neck, yet straightaway Lin Ruxue shouted, "How dare you dodge!"

Smack! Pei Yan, who needed favors and dared not dodge, received a solid blow on his head, looking aggrieved and bewildered, and Lin Ruxue’s mood immediately improved. She exhaled deeply and sat back, speaking calmly, "Alright, tell me, what do you need to win?"

"Divine Artifact!" Pei Yan immediately stated his first demand.

Lin Ruxue’s expression remained unchanged upon hearing this, calmly replying, "Hmm, for this competition and to prepare for any upcoming major battles that might occur afterward, our Immortal Palace has invested quite a number of Divine Artifacts in several Children of Origin for this tournament. In this contest, the Daoist Realm has already been defeated, bound to gain nothing further. Giving you three more Divine Artifacts might provoke dissatisfaction or opposition within the Immortal Palace."