ATG : NCF Chapter 13 : A gift (Patreon)

As Feng Qianhui stared at the Emperor Realm Ice Dragon core with undisguised shock, I suppressed a satisfied smile.

Our choice of Frozen Cloud Asgard as our cultivation backing hadn't been random—it was the result of careful analysis.

The four major sects of the Blue Wind Empire each had different operational models.

Heavenly Sword Villa, Burning Heaven Clan, and Xiao Sect all maintained extensive business networks, controlling markets and resources throughout the empire.

They didn't merely provide services—they owned enterprises, dominated industries, and extracted profits from territories under their influence.

Frozen Cloud Asgard operated differently.

Their isolationist culture and all-female membership meant they focused primarily on cultivation, taking commissioned missions, and selling resources gathered from their territory rather than running businesses directly.

This crucial difference made them the only major sect that would accept a pure commission arrangement without demanding an ownership stake in Golden Pavilion itself.

Had we approached any of the other three major sects, they would have insisted on becoming "partners" in our business—claiming twenty to thirty percent of our profits in perpetuity.

Given Golden Pavilion's actual revenue, such an arrangement would cost us far more than the ten million purple profound coins we'd just agreed to pay Frozen Cloud Asgard.

The Imperial Family was even more dangerous.

As the ruling power of the empire, they could simply decide to nationalize any business that caught their interest.

Their current annual income of thirty million purple profound coins made them the wealthiest faction in the empire, but that sum paled in comparison to Golden Pavilion's true profits.

Our advantage lay partly in the empire's tax structure.

Businesses weren't required to report annual income but instead paid a lump sum once every decade based on self-reported figures.

We had paid our initial tax during the first year of operation—a substantial amount, but still just a fraction of our actual earnings.

The full extent of Golden Pavilion's success remained hidden from public knowledge.

Watching Feng Qianhui's normally impassive face transform with wonder as she beheld our gift, I felt a surge of satisfaction.

In business, as in cultivation, the weaker party in any alliance must provide additional value to maintain balance.

A gift that impressed even an Emperor Realm cultivator would cement our relationship and ensure Frozen Cloud Asgard remained motivated to uphold their end of our arrangement.

Trust was a luxury I couldn't afford in this world.

Even a sect as relatively honorable as Frozen Cloud Asgard might reconsider its commitments if it ever realized the true scale of our wealth.

Greed had a way of corrupting even the most principled cultivators. Better to secure their loyalty through visible generosity than risk future complications.

"This..." Feng Qianhui finally broke the silence, her voice uncharacteristically unsteady. "This is a remarkable gift."

Bai Ning Ning offered a respectful nod.

"We acquired it specifically from the Black Moon Merchant Guild. It is the core of an Ice Dragon at the peak of the Emperor Profound Realm."

Feng Qianhui carefully lifted the core from its velvet nest, examining it with the eye of a master cultivator.

The swirling energies within responded to her touch, resonating with her own ice attribute power.

"Such a core could provide breakthrough insights for cultivators at the Emperor Realm," she murmured, almost to herself. "The resonance patterns alone contain cultivation insights worth years of cultivation."

I could see her making calculations.

A treasure of this caliber would typically sell for at least thirty million purple profound coins at auction—double Frozen Cloud Asgard's annual income.

Such cores were exceptionally rare; most Emperor Realm beasts were simply too powerful to be hunted successfully, and their cores too unstable to be preserved after death.

What Feng Qianhui didn't know was that we hadn't purchased this core at all.

It had been part of a treasure hoard discovered during the construction of one of our branches in a remote mountain region of the Divine Incense Nation.

Rather than report the find to local authorities, we had quietly secured it for future use. Its ice attribute made it the perfect gift for Frozen Cloud Asgard.

After several moments of silent appreciation, Feng Qianhui carefully returned the core to its box. Her expression had shifted subtly—the faint condescension that all-powerful cultivators showed toward mortals had been replaced with something else.

"I accept this gift on behalf of Frozen Cloud Asgard," she said formally.

While she couldn't bring herself to actually thank mortals—her pride as an Emperor Realm cultivator wouldn't allow such humility—her next words conveyed her gratitude clearly enough.

"In recognition of our new partnership, I will personally ensure all requested disciples are dispatched within two days rather than the seven originally agreed upon."

Bai Ning Ning produced another container, this one a finely crafted metal box etched with security formations. "The first quarterly payment, as agreed," she said, presenting it with both hands.

Feng Qianhui accepted it with a nod, passing it to a senior disciple who had appeared silently at her side.

"Frozen Cloud Asgard honors its commitments. Your Golden Pavilion establishments will receive our full protection."

With the formalities completed, we took our leave. To my surprise, Feng Qianhui assigned a Sky Profound Realm elder to escort us safely from the mountain.

"The paths can be treacherous for those unaccustomed to high altitudes," she explained, though we all understood this was another gesture of respect rather than concern.

The female elder accompanied us down the mountain.

Unlike the initial reception we'd received, she treated us with careful courtesy, perhaps having been informed of the value of the gift we'd presented.

When we reached the nearest city to the Blue Wind Imperial Capital, the elder took her leave with a formal bow. "May your business prosper under Frozen Cloud Asgard's protection," she said before disappearing in a blur of movement too fast for mortal eyes to track.

Bai Ning Ning arranged for a carriage to take us back to the capital. As we settled in for the journey, I gazed out at the mountain range receding behind us.

"I wonder what happened to our bulls," I mused, a moment of levity after days of tense negotiation.

Bai Ning Ning's normally serious expression cracked into a small smile. "Perhaps they've found freedom in the mountain meadows. A retirement more pleasant than pulling our carriage."

"Free-range bulls, courtesy of Golden Pavilion," I quipped. "Another charitable contribution to the Blue Wind Empire."

The jest was minor, but it helped release the accumulated tension of the past few days. We had secured protection from one of the four major sects, effectively neutralizing the threat from the Burning Heaven Clan.

More importantly, we had established a relationship with a power that would prove valuable in the years to come.

As our carriage rolled toward the capital, I began mentally planning the next phase of our strategy. With Frozen Cloud Asgard's protection secured, I could focus on the approaching milestone that would change everything—my twelfth birthday and the beginning of my cultivation journey.

Just half a year remained until I could finally begin harnessing the profound energy I'd been forbidden to touch.

The anticipation was almost unbearable, but the wait would be worth it. Unlike Yun Che in the original timeline, I wouldn't be starting from nothing. I had resources, knowledge, and now powerful connections.

The board was set. The pieces were in position. Soon, the real game would begin.