Cohabitation with Sword Spirit

Chapter 532 - 33: What It’s Like to Have a Rich Woman Backing You

May 16, 2018

In the Assembly Hall of Cyan Lotus Academy, the mistress of Anping Money Shop, Hu Yu, eyed the newly appointed dean of Cyan Lotus Academy like a predator, while her right hand gently tapped on the loan contract spread out on the table, deeply sensing that this business deal was truly profitable.

Anping Money Shop is a first-class money shop in Heaven-Reaching City, with a long history and strong capital, and its branches are spread across Xiangzhou, serving clients from major sects and the Three Academies to ordinary commoners, all-encompassing.

Compared to the immense scale of Anping Money Shop, the 300,000 Spirit Stones borrowed by the Academy’s former dean Sang Yue, is not quite a drop in the ocean, but still not enough to warrant the mistress herself coming forward to collect the debt.

The key issue is not how much money was borrowed, but who borrowed it. With the loan contract signed by the Great Cultivator, the dean of the Three Academies, and notarized by the Saint Sect, the contract itself holds extraordinary value. Generally, even a large establishment like Anping Money Shop rarely has the opportunity to lend to a dean of the Three Academies.

But the timing was just right, with the internal instability of Cyan Lotus Academy, the eagerness of both the chief and vice chiefs, and their long-standing deficiency in financial management leading to financial straits, providing an opportunity for the money shop to intervene.

However, the real opportunity came from within the Academy itself.

Thinking of this, Hu Yu glanced sideways at Tan Luo at the conference table.

The facilitator of this loan contract was none other than Tan Luo, the Elder of Cyan Lotus Academy. It was he who suggested that the financially-strapped sisters seek support from a money shop, and proactively contacted their long-term partner, Anping Money Shop, facilitating this loan contract.

At that time, it was considered a win-win-win transaction.

Sang Yue and Sang Jing acquired the funds needed to explore the Primordial at the lowest cost, with the three hundred thousand Spirit Stones arriving overnight, allowing them to enter the Golden Cloud Peak ruins at the ideal time.

Tan Luo, on one hand, gained the trust of the two chiefs and obtained preference in research budgets, and on the other, received benefits from Anping Money Shop, playing both sides.

And Hu Yu also made a steady profit with no loss.

If the Sang Sisters successfully returned from the exploration, Anping Money Shop could share an invaluable Primordial heritage and establish deep personal friendships with the Sang Sisters.

If the exploration failed, and even both sisters perished... then the money shop would have a chance to demand substantial compensation. A loan of three hundred thousand Spirit Stones turning into a million in three months, even robbing would not be this fast!

Moreover, instead of just grabbing money, Hu Yu would much rather take this opportunity with the million in compensation to establish deeper connections with the Three Academies. For example... if she could slightly participate in a few research groups of the Academy, even if only entitled to a ten or twenty percent profit-sharing, it would be like discovering a gold mine for Anping Money Shop. What these mass-capital money shops most need, and find the hardest to obtain, is close links with high-level immortal cultivation organizations.

In comparison, three hundred thousand Spirit Stones, or even a million Spirit Stones, are bearable costs.

But now, looking at the newly appointed dean, Hu Yu felt her heart, long dulled by money, stirring once again.

For many years, she had been working tirelessly for her family’s business, boosting the asset scale of Anping Money Shop by more than half, and leapfrogging it into a top-tier money shop. During this period, she dealt with money every moment, and only money. Watching as she aged—not young even with the aid of various tools and resources to step into the gates of immortal cultivation—her emotional life was almost zero.

Hu Yu had always considered herself naturally different, inherently detached from the mortal world’s pedestrian desires and able to focus on the magnificent endeavor of asset appreciation. After all, how could love between men and women compare to mountains of gold and silver?

But now, it seemed she just hadn’t met the right person. When she saw the face of the new dean, Hu Yu realized how her years of restraint and principles vanished in the blink of an eye.

Rather than establishing any connection with Cyan Lotus Academy, she preferred to establish a private connection with this young man so handsome he’d defy common knowledge.

Of course, the newly appointed dean might not be overwhelmed by tens of millions in compensation, and Hu Yu also didn’t want to leave a pushy, money-obsessed impression. So after presenting the loan contract, she immediately changed her tone, expressing willingness to negotiate the compensation issue privately.

At these words, Tan Luo was taken aback.

This wasn’t part of the plan!

Logically, those heartless businessmen from the money shop would surely seize the opportunity to demand money mercilessly, and this newly appointed dean couldn’t possibly come up with the funds—even if he could, spending a million Spirit Stones for a dean’s position at the Academy? That would hardly be worth it! Afterwards, he would undoubtedly resign in disgrace, and the current Elders would jointly act as dean to handle the debt crisis. Then, those incapable peers couldn’t possibly cover the million Spirit Stone gap, nor did Cyan Lotus Academy’s current account balance have that much. It was better to kill them than make them cut research budgets. In such a critical juncture, Tan Luo, an unparalleled middle-aged genius of Cyan Lotus Academy, would propose a groundbreaking invention, not only to be chronicled in the history of Cyan Lotus, but its commercial value could immediately solve the debt crisis. Thereupon, amidst everyone’s veneration, Tan Luo would naturally become chief elder—created to honor elders who made exceptionally outstanding contributions, whose status is higher than the dean—and then he’d choose a poor sap to be dean, who, during his tenure, would pay off Anping Money Shop’s debt with the help of Tan Luo’s genius design, while acting as Tan Luo’s puppet, making budget decisions favorable to Tan Luo. As for Tan Luo, he would enjoy a carefree life as chief elder, researching whatever he desired, free of obligation yet wielding power above that of the dean.

This was the most logical progression of events! So why had the first step gone awry? This woman, notorious as a money-obsessed demon with extinguished humanity, surprised him with the distinct aura of being in heat, subtly implying she would forgo pursuing the million debt!

That is a million spirit stones! That’s the annual budget for many prominent sects! Even for Anping Money Shop, that’s a number significant enough to alarm the entire upper management, and you actually want to use it to make a shady deal with a young man you just met?!

What about the principles you’ve upheld for decades? Your relentless pursuit of wealth? Are you going to throw it all away just for a man?!

Why?! Just because he’s handsome?!

But I’m not bad either! Many brothers in the Illusion Group say I look especially good when I’m focused!

——

Meanwhile, the other elders were also somewhat bewildered.

The reputation of Hu Yu, the mistress of Anping Money Shop, was something even these scholars, who paid no heed to the affairs of the outside world, had heard of; she is definitely a ruthless character who seizes every opportunity to gain profit at any cost. Over the years, in order to expand Anping Money Shop’s influence, she has offended countless people, yet even with numerous people resenting her, Hu Yu remains unfazed.

Why did she suddenly exhibit such an intense, irrational infatuation as soon as she entered today?

Could it be the recent changes in the Heaven and Earth Spirit Wind in Heaven-Reaching City, causing a late spring phenomenon across the city, affecting the divine sense of those cultivators not resistant to the spirit wind’s mutation, leading to judgments that deviate from common sense?

This truly is a natural wonder worth studying, but compared to researching the late spring phenomenon, the more important thing is...a queen in heat, in possession of immense capital, was sitting at the conference table! Brazenly expressing that even a million spirit stones she would generously give away during her infatuation!

Why should such a profit be monopolized by a newcomer dean? Wealth ought to be shared equally among all! Although the new dean’s looks indeed surpass everyone else’s, those present, as top cultivators in Xiangzhou, each have their own unique personal charms... Thinking of this, everyone couldn’t help but get restless.

As long as Wang Jiu’s forthcoming response had the slightest flaw, they would pounce like a pack of wolves to replace him!

——

At the same time, Wang Jiu paused for a moment and said, "No need. Since everything has rules, let’s follow them. I will pay this compensation."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Assembly Hall fell into dead silence.

Hu Yu was the most incredulous: "Wait, I mean, you don’t need to pay..."

However, Tan Luo urgently interrupted, "Dean, that’s a million spirit stones!? Can you afford it!?"

Hu Yu also added, "Yes, yes, according to the loan contract, principal, interest, and penalty need to be paid in one installment, and if payment is delayed, additional interest will be calculated. Given the current compensation amount..."

Wang Jiu said, "Of course, it’s a one-time payment. Otherwise, paying an extra hundreds of thousands of spirit stones daily isn’t worthwhile."

Hu Yu was stunned for a long time: "You can pay a million spirit stones in one go?"

"I should be able to," Wang Jiu said. "Though I personally don’t have that much asset, I have a friend with considerable wealth who can pay on my behalf."

Hu Yu was dazed again for a long time, extremely begrudgingly saying, "It has to be cash, not equivalent goods, because appraising value takes time, so taking some ancestral treasures to offset the cost won’t work, unless..."

"Cash should also be fine. My friend is very rich." After saying that, Wang Jiu slightly lifted his head, and in the next moment, a beautiful female figure gracefully entered from outside the door.

"Dear, it’s rare that you need something from me, so I came immediately. A million spirit stones? It’s a piece of cake, no problem."

In the Assembly Hall, Zhao Chenlu smiled charmingly, exuding an allure that no one could directly gaze upon, then her eyes landed on Hu Yu.

"By the way, who was in charge of collecting debt for my dear, was it you, Hu Yu?"

At the same time, Hu Yu was already drenched in a cold sweat like rain.