Chapter 141. Competition (1)
“D-Dad! No, Vice Chairman!”
Watching Liu Xianfei panic, Kang Yujin found himself surprised.
She’s Liu Zhenping’s daughter?
Liu Zhenping looked at least over seventy, while Liu Xianfei seemed to be in her early twenties.
He must have had a daughter very late in life.
“Why are you suddenly saying something like that...”
“Be quiet.”
Liu Zhenping gave her a single glare.
Liu Xianfei flinched and lowered her head.
Apparently, she wasn’t the type who could openly defy her father.
“Kang Yujin, what do you think of this child?”
“I don’t really think anything of her...”
“Even I can admit she is fairly attractive.”
Liu Zhenping smiled.
“She is also an excellent Contractor. She is still young, but before long she will rise to a high position as an executive of the Black Dragon Society.”
He nodded toward her.
“In other words, she is a young woman blessed with both beauty and ability.”
Then his smile widened.
“She has never dated anyone and is rather inexperienced, so perhaps she lacks charm in that regard... but doesn’t that innocence have its own appeal?”
“To be honest, I have no idea why you’re doing this.”
Kang Yujin glanced at Liu Xianfei.
She sat rigidly with her head lowered.
“Is there some reason you need to marry your daughter off quickly? You seem awfully impatient.”
“When a good son-in-law candidate appears, of course I become impatient.”
“You should ask what your daughter thinks too.”
“Haha. She’s the type who gets too embarrassed to speak in situations like this. Look at her now. She’s lowering her head because she’s shy.”
That didn’t seem to be why she was lowering her head at all.
“What exactly do you want?”
Kang Yujin asked directly.
Liu Zhenping smiled.
“I already told you. Become my successor.”
“You mean you want me to join the Black Dragon Society?”
“Exactly. You are someone capable of leading the Black Dragon Society in the future.”
Liu Zhenping turned his eyes toward Ma Taesu.
“Wouldn’t you agree, Ma Taesu?”
“Yes. Kang Yujin is undoubtedly an extraordinary talent.”
Ma Taesu answered calmly.
“However, Vice Chairman, I have also spent quite some time trying to recruit Kang Yujin.”
His gaze remained neutral.
“And he has consistently refused me. I hope you keep that in mind.”
“You simply failed to offer sufficient compensation.”
Liu Zhenping didn’t lose his smile.
“Kang Yujin, if you become my successor, you could truly have everything.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not particularly interested in things like that.”
Kang Yujin shrugged.
“I’m just someone who goes around fighting whenever I feel like it.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
“Yes. So I doubt trying to persuade me will mean much.”
“Then what if I help you with that fighting?”
“What?”
Liu Zhenping smiled and reached inside his clothes.
Then he took out a small paper box and pushed it forward.
“Try this.”
“What is it?”
Kang Yujin accepted the box.
Ma Taesu, who had been watching from beside him, immediately changed expression.
“Vice Chairman.”
“Stay out of this.”
Liu Zhenping stopped him.
“I’m giving it to him for free. There’s no need to feel burdened. Just accept it.”
"...?"
Kang Yujin opened the box.
Inside was a round pill covered in gold leaf.
It gave off a faint herbal fragrance.
“Ma Taesu, what is this?”
“It’s the spiritual elixir you were looking for.”
A spiritual elixir.
A mysterious medicine said to increase internal energy simply by being consumed.
“It is the finest spiritual elixir specially manufactured by the Black Dragon Society.”
Liu Zhenping smiled.
“The Great Spirit Pill.”
He gestured toward it.
“I’m giving it to you as a special gift. Try it.”
“You want me to eat it right now?”
“Yes.”
Kang Yujin felt slightly suspicious, so he looked at Ma Taesu.
Ma Taesu sighed.
“Kang Yujin, that really is an excellent medicine. Among the spiritual elixirs available here, it’s one of the best.”
“You’re saying he really gave something like this to me?”
“Yes. The Black Dragon Society sometimes serves that elixir to important guests.”
“It’s not something strange, right?”
“They’re trying to recruit you. Why would they feed you something suspicious?”
Ma Taesu sighed again.
“It has no side effects. You can eat it safely.”
Even while saying that, Ma Taesu looked strangely conflicted.
“Then I’ll try it.”
One of the reasons Kang Yujin had come here in the first place was to obtain spiritual elixirs.
Besides...
his body was immune to all poisons.
Even if someone had mixed something strange into it, it probably wouldn’t work.
I’ll eat this, then ask them to hurry up and bring out the next dish.
With that thought, Kang Yujin put the pill into his mouth.
A fragrant aroma spread across his tongue the instant it touched his mouth.
Its texture was somewhat similar to sweet bean jelly.
He chewed it, swallowed...
and Liu Zhenping’s eyes lit up.
He took the bait!
Liu Zhenping grinned.
Nothing is more expensive than something free, young man!
Watching everything proceed exactly according to plan, Liu Zhenping celebrated inwardly.
Still, I’m only doing this for your own good! There’s no malicious intent!
Despite how pleased with himself he was...
Liu Zhenping had not actually deceived Kang Yujin.
The Great Spirit Pill he had just given him was unquestionably genuine.
There were no strange side effects.
No hidden tricks had been added.
Once consumed, it would definitely increase Kang Yujin’s internal energy.
Instantly.
Without even needing breathing exercises or meditation.
Because it really is an excellent medicine!
That was right.
The Black Dragon Society’s Great Spirit Pill truly was a superb spiritual elixir.
So superb that anyone who tried one would inevitably become attached to the Black Dragon Society.
The Great Spirit Pill is an incredibly sweet temptation!
Normally, accumulating internal energy required learning a cultivation method and spending long years training.
Even then, someone without talent might train endlessly and accumulate only a tiny amount.
But the Great Spirit Pill could greatly increase internal energy simply by being eaten.
For Contractors who trained martial arts-type Skills, that was an enormous advantage.
Not a single person who ate one has ever managed to resist becoming attached to the Black Dragon Society!
Whenever there was a Contractor the Black Dragon Society absolutely wanted to recruit, they gifted that person a Great Spirit Pill.
The Contractors who ate it were immediately stunned by the increase in internal energy.
Some even cried, asking how such a miraculous medicine could exist.
Occasionally, someone would pretend not to care and simply leave.
But even those people would contact the Black Dragon Society first within a few days.
Once a Contractor became fascinated by the Great Spirit Pill, that was when the serious recruitment negotiations began.
If they wanted priority access to more Great Spirit Pills...
they could join the Black Dragon Society and work hard.
Of course, joining the Black Dragon Society didn’t mean they received another Great Spirit Pill immediately.
Only after producing enough achievements would they be given another.
Even so, everyone was satisfied.
Because by joining the Black Dragon Society, they had secured a real opportunity to continue increasing their internal energy.
Kang Yujin! You’ll be the same!
Perhaps it was a slightly underhanded tactic.
But Liu Zhenping was doing it because he genuinely wanted Kang Yujin.
After hearing how he had erased Turtle-Head Mountain at the harbor, Liu Zhenping became certain.
This was a talent they had to secure by any means necessary.
Liu Zhenping was prepared to give Kang Yujin everything to recruit him.
“This is...”
After swallowing the pill, Kang Yujin frowned.
Then he pounded his chest as though something felt blocked inside.
That was a common reaction after taking the Great Spirit Pill, so Liu Zhenping watched with a smile.
"..."
Kang Yujin took several deep breaths.
Then he closed his eyes and focused.
Immediately afterward, a powerful energy began emanating from him.
“How is it, Kang Yujin?”
Liu Zhenping asked with a smile.
“You can clearly feel the difference, can’t you?”
“Yes.”
Kang Yujin slowly nodded.
“It’s changed a lot.”
His voice was still blunt.
But Liu Zhenping could tell that he was genuinely surprised.
“This really is incredible.”
“I had no idea something like this existed.”
“Haha. Everyone says the same thing.”
“Thank you for giving me such a valuable gift.”
Kang Yujin bowed politely.
The difference from his arrogant attitude just moments ago was enormous.
It worked perfectly!
Liu Zhenping celebrated internally.
No matter how proud a man is, one Great Spirit Pill is enough to shake him!
After confirming that the same strategy he had used countless times before had worked again, Liu Zhenping slowly spoke.
“Kang Yujin.”
His voice softened.
“If you join the Black Dragon Society, I can arrange for you to receive priority access to these Great Spirit Pills.”
“Priority access?”
“The Great Spirit Pill is normally consumed only within the Black Dragon Society.”
Liu Zhenping continued.
“It is medicine made for our own people, and the cost and effort required to produce it are beyond imagination.”
He smiled.
