Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Oro was momentarily speechless; his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a word.

Oin took a step closer, and a slight amount of the pressure that belonged to a second-tier extraordinary being unconsciously overflowed:

"It's certainly beneficial for Austin's faction. But it's absolutely not beneficial for 'us'!"

He snorted coldly and continued pacing down the corridor, casually outlining the pros and cons for his son:

"If the support for West London is merely a nominal gesture, providing a few pounds or some privileges each month, that would be fine."

But that old fox Austin clearly intends to focus his support on Westren!

Oin held up one finger: "First, tell me, since he's receiving special support, what breathing technique does he want to practice?"

Oro thought for a moment, then recalled the contents of the family treasury:

"Since he is a genius, the clan leader will definitely give him the most powerful technique, and it must be suitable for his commoner background and his foundation which is inclined towards yin and cold... It should be the 'Mysterious Yin Breathing Technique'."

Oin sneered, "That's right, the Mysterious Yin Breathing Technique."

You know very well that the most important factors for this technique are aptitude and resources.

Speaking of resources, cultivating it requires extremely rare 'Yin Spirit Source Water'.

Where will this huge expense come from? It'll come from your share, won't it?

Aoin stared intently at his son: "Among the main lineage's offspring, only you have a constitution that is compatible with this breathing technique."

If he comes, as long as he demonstrates a higher level of talent than you, the family's resources will immediately be allocated to him.

At least 20-30% of your resources will be taken away!

O'In continued his tally, raising his second finger:

"Secondly, if he is included in the family genealogy, some of his influence outside, namely that Brotherhood, will also be brought along."

They are now entrenched in the slums of the North District and on the edge of the armed insurgents' territory. Whose territory is that?

That's an industrial area under Austin's name! Then, all that land and manpower will rightfully fall under Austin's control.

Oin continued coldly, "Besides, if he really does join a prominent family, who will he marry?"

Oro gasped sharply, as if waking from a dream.

Oin sneered repeatedly: "I only have one son like you. Do you expect him to be enrolled in the family register and become your sworn brother?"

Impossible! He must be raising Austin's unmarried daughter!

"At that time, the main branch will have gained a promising henchman, and might even bring back political capital from the upper district. Our branch will then be completely doomed."

Oin stopped at the top of the stairs, his gaze sweeping over the lobby on the first floor, and gave a cold snort, reprimanding:

"In the future, use your brain more to think about what others say in meetings and what stance they actually represent."

That Xilun is a huge hidden danger for us.

He has both talent and temperament, and if he were to be brought in and brought under Austin's wing, it would be a problem.

We need to clear this obstacle for you beforehand.

He narrowed his eyes: "Moreover, if this person really has an identity, that he is the illegitimate son of a count in the investigation mission, and if his family finds him later, his status will immediately rise."

"At that time, Austin will have done a great service in helping the dragon rise to power, but what about us?"

"So, what does Father intend to do?" Oro asked in a low voice.

"Get him out of here." Oin straightened his cuffs. "A commoner genius with a strong sense of self-respect who has just achieved some success cannot stand this kind of insult from a powerful family."

I went to kick him out, and Austin couldn't find any obvious major fault on the surface.

……

On the other side, inside the main hall.

Xilun had been waiting for a full forty minutes.

He had already finished the tea on the table. He poured himself another cup, but the tea had gone completely cold.

He didn't make any hasty movements; he just sat there quietly, closing his eyes to rest.

In his mind, the "Moon Memory Meditation Method" left by Lady Black Crow was slowly operating, and a cool spiritual energy flowed deep into his consciousness, allowing him to be fully aware of the subtle movements around him.

Finally, a series of chaotic footsteps echoed down the corridor.

About five or six people walked in, with a younger, blond man in a suit leading the way.

His hair was meticulously combed, and he wore a flawless, well-trained smile.

The man walked over and sat down opposite Siren, smiling as he looked him over before saying, "Hello, are you Mr. Siren?"

Xilun slightly opened his eyes, nodded, and remained calm.

The man immediately introduced himself: "My name is Black Star Tusol, and I'm in charge of some external liaison work for the family."

Black Star rested his elbows on the table, interlaced his fingers, and smiled:

"I have already learned about your current situation."

A promising young junior knight-fighting champion. Now, let me confirm: are you willing to accept the Tusol family's "inclusion sponsorship"?

Xilun blinked, his deep, dark eyes remaining completely calm.

He looked at Black Star, and the other person looked at him, maintaining that polite yet scrutinizing smile.

He remembers making it very clear that he accepted nominal funding.

So, is he just playing dumb with himself?

"No." Siren's tone was calm and decisive. "I only accept nominal sponsorship."

Black Star feigned surprise, raising an eyebrow and leaning forward slightly. "Mr. Siren, don't you have any expectations or longings about joining the Tusor family?"

He stretched out a hand, pointing to the luxurious decorations around him, and introduced them:

"The inclusion of the Tusol family in the genealogy is an honor that not many people can obtain."

Once you sign the contract, you can bear the Tusol surname and enjoy the family's highest level of protection. Please consider this carefully.

Xilun shook his head, his voice still flat: "I don't have that plan for the time being."

Black Star was not discouraged. Instead, he adopted the posture of an elder instructing a junior, and said:

"You may not be aware of the scale of the Tusol family's patronage. I think I can explain it to you."

Although you have obtained the title of First-Tier Knight, you may not know that if you want to advance to this level in the future, the resource consumption will be several times, or even ten times, greater.

Black Star deliberately withheld some information, intending to use resources to exert control:

"Moreover, many precious resources used for cultivation are difficult to collect, have limited production, and are all monopolized by major powers."

If one were to fight alone, it would be very difficult to sustain further cultivation.

After listening, Xilun replied calmly, "I am currently serving the Brotherhood and have no intention of working for any other family."

In Xilun's mind, he was the absolute governor of the Brotherhood, with immense freedom and no constraints.

I came here for equal exchange, not to sell myself into slavery.

Black Star was about to say something more, trying to break down Xilun's psychological defenses with more words.

Just then, Oin, who had been sitting in the shadows not far behind and had been listening for a long time, finally seized his opportunity. He decided to use the most direct method to persuade Xiren to quit.

"That's enough!"

O'In suddenly stood up and let out a loud shout that echoed throughout the hall.

He strode forward, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt, and shouted sharply:

"It seems this person has absolutely no respect for our Tusol family! Black Star, you have repeatedly given us kind advice, yet he remains so dismissive."

"That ungrateful wretch, let him go back!"

Xiren frowned slightly and turned to look at the middle-aged man who had suddenly launched the attack.

This person exuded a strong aura of blood energy, and behind him stood a silver-haired man who looked to be about twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old.

Black Star's expression changed slightly, but he still introduced in a low voice, "This is our clan's third elder, Oin Tusor."

Xiren nodded slightly, not intimidated by Oin's imposing aura, and calmly said:

"I come with a sense of awe and hope to establish a partnership with the Tusol family."

Everyone gets what they need; I hope you will be accommodating.

Oin walked to the table, looked down at Xiren, and sneered, "However, the Tusol family doesn't need you."

Xiren sat in the chair, his gaze level with Oin's:

"But I remember that when I won the junior knight fighting championship, it was the Tusol family that sent me an invitation, hoping that I would come to discuss sponsorship matters."

Oin shook his head, a cruel smile curving his lips: "Things are different now."

He placed his hands on the table, almost touching Xiren's face, and said, word by word:

"I think you should know that communication between people needs to be on the same level."

"We have at least fifty, if not eighty, second-tier extraordinary individuals in our clan! One more or one less makes no difference."

Oin suddenly waved his hand, pointed towards the gate, and shouted:

"Go back! We don't need you here. Commoners should just stay in the stables and wait to be fed by the nobles. Don't even think about climbing onto a table that isn't yours!"

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

Xilun's face remained as calm as still water; he neither flew into a rage nor blushed.

With the powerful computing ability of an intermediate scholar, he quickly thought through the matter.

Before this, I had absolutely never offended this person named Oin.

The other party's attitude was so intense, even bordering on impatient, that they were clearly doing it on purpose.

What is the other party afraid of? Or rather, what threat does my presence pose to them?

After a moment's thought, Xilun realized that since the other party was not willing to give the higher-ups a chance to make contact, there was no point in staying here and wasting time.

He stood up, smoothed out the wrinkles on his trench coat, and said calmly, "Sorry to bother you."

Throughout, his expression remained eerily calm.

Although a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes, he turned around decisively and prepared to leave.

Seeing this, Black Star frowned and quickly stepped forward, saying, "Elder Oin, this matter is not completely settled yet..."

"Shut up!" Black Star's words were quickly and rudely interrupted by Oin. "Don't tell me about this."

If you have any complaints, write a report and report it to Austin, then have Austin come to me in person!

Black Star was speechless, and could only watch helplessly as Xilun's tall figure walked towards the door.

As Xilun was about to leave the house, Black Star looked thoughtful.

Should he just let him leave like this? He felt a little regretful, after all, he was a rare talent.

Xilun walked out of the central hall and along the path paved with white pebbles toward the main gate.

After walking for a while, as we passed a maze-like thicket of bushes, someone suddenly called out to us.

"Are you Xilun?"

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried a sense of composure that came from someone who had long held a high position.

Xilun stopped and turned around.

A middle-aged man in dark brown casual clothes was standing in the shadows watching him, with a distinctive goatee on his chin.

The man's eyes were very gentle, like those of a kind elder.

Xilun nodded slightly, looking at the other person warily: "I am."

The man stepped out of the shadows, smiled, and said, "Looks like something unexpected happened."

Otherwise, discussing the details of the funding would take a long time. How come it's settled so quickly?

He rested his chin on his hand, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, and asked:

"If you're not in a rush, how about we talk?"

Xiren frowned; his intuition told him that this person seemed to be waiting specifically for him.

A moment later, the two evaded outside eyes and appeared in a secluded and luxurious private study inside the manor.

The man walked behind the desk, but instead of sitting down immediately, he introduced himself: "My name is Austin Tussor, just call me Austin."

One of the dominant powers in the North District, and the patriarch of the Tusol family.

Austin took two parchment contracts from the drawer, pushed them to the edge of the table, and handed them to him: "I hope you'll reconsider your sponsorship of inclusion in the genealogy. As a condition..."

He narrowed his eyes slightly and dropped a bombshell: "I'll consider letting you be with my daughter."

Austin stood with his hands behind his back, looking out the window, seemingly lost in thought, his voice softening slightly:

"She's nineteen years old and just graduated from school. She's currently interning as a nurse at a hospital in the southern district."

He turned his head and sighed:

"Ah, she doesn't have any extraordinary talent, she's just an ordinary person."

But she always wanted to achieve something to prove herself, and I tried to persuade her not to work in such a dangerous place, but I couldn't change her mind. What a silly girl.

Austin looked at Xilen and smiled:

"Although she is only of average appearance, being my daughter does not require a beautiful face to be happy."

"Once you sign this contract, you will be the son-in-law of the Tusol family's main branch."

Xilun listened quietly to these tempting words, thought for a moment, and then retorted:

"A beautiful face does not necessarily bring happiness. Like a caged canary, it may die at any moment when the cage collapses."

Austin sensed the resistance in his voice and laughed, "Young man, you have a lot of ideas. So, what's your decision?"

Xilun picked up the contract on the table, quickly scanned it with his eyes, then put the contract back on the table, shook his head and said, "I still don't want to choose to be included in the sponsorship program."

Austin looked at him, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes, then shook his head and sighed, "It seems you have big plans."

He keenly sensed that what Xilun was after might be more than the Tusol family could offer, and that the young man's ambition was not blinded by immediate gains.

"But I'll say it again." Austin wasn't angry. He casually tossed the two contracts into a drawer. "It's fine to just have someone else's name on them."

"As long as you sign the nominal contract, I can grant you access to some core knowledge within the family, including the right to purchase certain second-tier cultivation resources."

He leaned back in his chair: "In return, when the family has major events, we will occasionally assign you to appear or cooperate with us to do some publicity or promotion on the outside."

These are all very easy things; you don't need to work your ass off.

Austin muttered to himself, "That's how it is when you get old. In this position, there's not even anyone around who tells you the truth."

When I meet a young person as poised and confident as you, I feel more inclined to speak.

He laughed and said, "Just now in the main hall, it was probably Oin who advised you to leave, right?"

He's a stubborn old man. Perhaps he has his own ulterior motives and ideas, but I think sponsoring you might be a good decision.

It would be such a shame to let him force you to give up like this.

After a moment's thought, Xilun realized that this offer did indeed address his most pressing need.

He took out a pen from his pocket and signed his name on a new nominee contract that Austin had drafted.