Medical Sage

Seeing Red Lion Daoist’s reaction, Luo Quan became even more certain about his suspicions. No longer panicking, he became more audacious and continued, ”Whether it’s our Red Lion Cave or the other twelve grottos, we have to turn over seventy percent of our resources to the Purple Flame Palace every three years. Once those resources are handed over, what do we have left? Practically nothing is left.”

As one of the thirteen grottos under the Purple Flame Palace, it is under a subordinate relationship. Naturally, it is an unavoidable obligation to pay tribute and show respect annually.

The rule of the Purple Flame Palace is that every three years, seventy percent of the resources produced across all sites must be handed over, along with a certain number of Spirit Stones.

All the production sites within the territories of Enlightened Deity Cave, Red Lion Cave, and so on have been thoroughly inventoried by the Purple Flame Palace. They know exactly how much each site produces annually. There’s no room for deception.

But seventy percent of the resources! It’s practically bloodsucking.

So, don’t be fooled by the impressive appearance of the thirteen caves under the Purple Flame Palace over the years. In reality, only they know their own suffering.

Long ago, due to these exorbitant tributes, the thirteen grottos have been grumbling in private. Seeds of dissent have already been sown.

No one speaks of it openly. That’s why Luo Quan dared to ask such bold questions earlier.

Dammit, how ruthless! It’s utterly vampiric! He doesn’t believe the Red Lion Daoist can just accept being exploited.

”But what does this have to do with joining forces with Cloud Dragon Mountain?” Red Lion Daoist said coldly.

”By teaming up with Cloud Dragon Mountain, we have at least a ninety percent chance to wipe out the Enlightened Deity Cave and seize the Black Profound Copper Vein. Even if we’re colluding with the enemy, Cloud Dragon Mountain must still be wary of us.”

”In this way, without anyone being the wiser, our Red Lion Cave can acquire the Black Profound Copper Essence and quietly lay low. Given enough time, if you, Lord Cave Master, have enough time, then even if it’s Cloud Dragon Mountain or the Purple Flame Palace, so what?”

Luo Quan finally finished saying what he had been wanting to say and even flattered Red Lion Daoist.

However, it wasn’t really flattery but rather the truth.

For the true form of the Red Lion Daoist is the king of all beasts—a tiger! He is inherently more powerful than demon beasts of the same level and even more powerful than humans of the same level. In such a give-and-take situation, Red Lion Daoist’s combat power is actually not inferior to some ordinary cultivators at the Peak of Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

Yet his current cultivation realm is only Second Level Late Stage Beast!

So, if Red Lion Daoist can break through to the Peak Realm of a Second Level Beast and acquire a Top Grade Magic Artifact, then forget about Cloud Dragon Mountain, even the Purple Flame Palace wouldn’t dare to touch their Red Lion Cave lightly.

By that time, wouldn’t all problems be solved?

As for where the resources and Spirit Stones to break through to the Peak Realm of a Second Level Beast and acquire a Top Grade Magic Artifact come from... isn’t it simple?

If the Black Profound Copper Essence beneath that Black Profound Copper Vein has truly formed a scale, or even a micro-scale, then forget one Top Grade Magic Artifact, they could surely acquire ten!

The value of such top-tier crafting materials is not to be underestimated.

”But what if the Purple Flame Palace finds out that I’m colluding with Cloud Dragon Mountain and sends people down to cause trouble for me?”

Red Lion Daoist accepted Luo Quan’s flattery with pleasure.

Because he himself harbored such confidence. If he could break through to become a Peak Second Level Beast expert and acquire a Top Grade Magic Artifact, by then, even a regular Foundation Establishment True Person Realm expert wouldn’t easily dare to mess with him.

Because at that point, he would have the ability to trouble even a regular Foundation Establishment True Person Realm existence, making things difficult for them.

But although that’s what he said, he hasn’t reached that stage yet. He worries that if he truly joins forces with Cloud Dragon Mountain and the Purple Flame Palace finds out and sends people to cause trouble, things would go awry.

”Lord Cave Master, what I’m suggesting now is just to cooperate with Zhou Long, at least not in name with Cloud Dragon Mountain... if the Purple Flame Palace is that petty and interferes in such matters, can’t Second Cave Master intervene and say something?”

Upon hearing this, Luo Quan said without hesitation, ”Second Cave Master is currently in Ghost Wolf City, serving as the mount for the son of Master Yee Mu, one of the Seven Sons of Yan Zhen Sect. As the saying goes, ’Don’t look at the monk’s face but at the Buddha’s face.’ Even if the Purple Flame Palace is more domineering, would they dare not give face to the son of Master Yee Mu among the Seven Sons of Yan Zhen?”

”Second Cave Master, Seven Sons of Yan Zhen...” Upon hearing this, a complex expression immediately appeared in Red Lion Daoist’s large tiger eyes, but soon, that complexity was replaced by intense pride.

The Yan Zhen Sect is a superpower second only to the City Lord’s Mansion in Ghost Wolf City!

It’s even stronger than the Pei family’s ancestral house behind the Pei family.

And the reason why their Second Cave Master, Yun Shi Taoist, is not in the cave, is because he has been favored by the son of Master Yee Mu among the Seven Sons of Yan Zhen Sect and accepted as a mount, currently serving in Ghost Wolf City’s Yan Zhen Sect.

In this way, Luo Quan was indeed correct; this was his plan.

A mere Purple Flame Palace, although it seems powerful to their Red Lion Cave, in the eyes of a behemoth like Yan Zhen Sect, it’s no different from an ant.

”Lord Cave Master, our immediate priority is to quickly seize the Black Profound Copper Mine Cave. As long as we act swiftly and swallow the Black Profound Copper Essence, in the end, even if the matter is exposed, considering your and Second Cave Master’s status, who could make us spit out the meat that’s already in our mouths?”

Seeing Red Lion Daoist fall silent once more, Luo Quan started to get anxious and continued to persuade, ”Even if the Purple Flame Palace learns about this later, as long as they don’t bite off more than they can chew, we can still negotiate. But if the Purple Flame Palace wants to demand too much, we might as well burn together and hand the Black Profound Copper Essence over to the Yan Zhen Sect.”

”I think it would still be better to survive under the Yan Zhen Sect than the Purple Flame Palace, wouldn’t it? At least Yan Zhen Sect wouldn’t be as heartless as the Purple Flame Palace, constantly thinking about how to bleed us dry.” With that, Luo Quan finally stopped speaking. Because he had said everything he wanted to say.

This was his plan. Being able to align with a superpower like the Yan Zhen Sect would be far better for him than his current situation. However, due to Red Lion Daoist’s position, he phrased it this way to make it easier for the latter to accept.

Upon hearing this, Red Lion Daoist remained silent for a long time, once again pacing restlessly back and forth in the secret chamber.