Chapter 86: A Wise Man

Cassius Frost waved a hand, dispelling the glowing array of intelligence reports hovering above his desk. He stood up. For a man commanding the provincial underworld, he projected no overbearing pressure. His movements were smooth and composed.

He walked around the heavy mahogany desk and extended a hand. A polite, welcoming smile touched his lips.

"Young master Theo, it is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Theo recovered from his internal shock instantly. He kept his expression neutral and grasped the man’s hand firmly.

"The pleasure is mine, Lord..." Theo let his voice trail off. He played the part of a junior disciple meeting a regional titan for the first time perfectly.

"Cassius. Cassius Frost," the Pavilion Master supplied smoothly. His piercing eyes evaluated Theo with quiet interest.

"Right. Lord Frost." Theo nodded.

"Please, sit," Cassius gestured toward the plush chairs facing his desk. He turned his attention to his subordinate. "Overseer, would you mind having the attendants prepare some spiritual tea?"

"Right away, Pavilion Master," Sylvia replied with a crisp nod. She stepped out of the office.

An easy silence settled over the room. Cassius leaned against the edge of his desk, his posture relaxed.

"You have built quite a reputation recently," Cassius remarked. His tone was relaxed yet attentive. "A junior disciple from the outer peaks handling elite Syndicate assassins with such efficiency is a rare sight."

"I simply prioritize returning alive, Lord Frost," Theo replied smoothly. "Meticulous preparation usually saves a lot of trouble. Especially when dealing with shadows."

Cassius let out a soft chuckle. "A wise philosophy. Too many young cultivators rely entirely on brute strength. They think a higher cultivation realm guarantees victory. They realize their mistake far too late when a prepared opponent outmaneuvers them."

"The Syndicate thrives on exploiting arrogance," Theo added. "Underestimating them is a fatal error."

The heavy doors clicked open. Sylvia returned, sliding back to her position beside the desk. The brief window of small talk closed.

"Now, down to business," Cassius said. He straightened up and met Theo’s gaze. "I am sure Overseer Sylvia already notified you. Our appraisal masters finished analyzing the Void-Stone Monolith you recovered from the Syndicate cache ahead of schedule."

Theo recalled the chaotic aftermath of the courier station battle. After Zuo Qiuyang fled, Theo had scoured the hidden compartments of the assassins’ carriage. He discovered the Monolith securely sealed in a lead-lined lockbox. He knew instantly it was a treasure of immense value.

"We determined its primary effects and exact grade," Cassius continued. "The good news is the artifact is entirely stable and poses no threat to the capital. However, because of its unique nature, I need to negotiate its official ownership and rights with you."

Theo nodded slowly. "What exactly do you wish to discuss regarding ownership?"

"First, let me explain what we discovered about its identity and capabilities," Cassius folded his arms. "Once we establish the baseline, we can move on to our proposal."

"I am listening." Theo kept his expression neutral.

"Excellent. Overseer Sylvia, give him the appraisal slip."

Sylvia pulled out a sleek, high-grade jade slip and handed it to Theo.

Theo accepted the jade. He infused a sliver of his Inner Scenery energy into it, scrolling through the comprehensive breakdown in his mind.

As he read the Pavilion’s findings, he noted how flawlessly they aligned with what the Heavenly Mandate Divine Eye had originally revealed to him upon discovering the lockbox. The Pavilion’s appraisers were truly skilled, but they still relied on tedious testing. His system bypassed all of that instantly.

The report classified the Void-Stone Monolith as a unique utility artifact. Its primary function was to draw raw, unfiltered qi directly from the surrounding atmosphere and compress it into a highly refined state. By doing so, it generated a localized high-density qi zone, effectively tripling the cultivation speed of anyone training within its active radius.

For a sect or a powerful clan, an artifact like this was a foundation-building treasure. It could accelerate the growth of an entire generation of disciples.

Theo’s mind raced. His Abyssal Forge required an astronomical amount of spiritual energy to progress. Even with Liana’s dual-cultivation accelerating his refinement, the sheer volume of his dantian meant he was looking at years of steady cultivation to reach the next bottleneck. The Void-Stone Monolith was exactly the catalyst he needed. Tripling his cultivation speed wasn’t just a luxury. It was a necessity if he wanted to keep pace with the rising threats in the province.

The report also listed minor secondary effects, such as stabilizing ambient spiritual fluctuations and cleansing impurities from the immediate area.

After reviewing the technical readout, Theo withdrew his energy. He handed the jade slip back to Sylvia and looked at the Pavilion Master.

"Oh? You do not seem particularly surprised by the findings," Cassius observed. A knowing smile played on his lips as he noticed the young disciple’s lack of a dramatic reaction.

Theo, already anticipating the question, gave a polite shrug. "I had my theories about its nature after being in close contact with it during the fight. Seeing your report simply confirmed those initial suspicions, though I managed to learn a few more technical details. Your appraisal masters truly did an exceptional job."

"They did," Cassius said. A genuine smile broke through his strict demeanor. "Those old fools actually managed to do something useful for once."

He walked back around his desk and took his seat. He leaned forward slightly as the mood in the room grew serious. The playful banter was over.

"Anyway, shall we get to the main topic?"

"Mm." Theo settled back into his chair, bracing himself.

"Good. Then here is our offer," Cassius began, tapping a finger on the desk to emphasize his words. "The Grand Bounty Pavilion would like to buy the full ownership of the Void-Stone Monolith from you. In exchange, we will provide you with—"

"No," Theo interrupted decisively. His voice cut through the Pavilion Master’s sentence with unyielding finality. "I will not sell it."

Cassius paused. His extended hand froze mid-air.

The office went incredibly quiet for a moment. The difference in their realms made the interruption seem almost suicidal to an outside observer. Cassius was a man used to deference. Disciples and mercenaries alike usually hung on his every word, eager for scraps of favor from the Pavilion Master. Yet here was a junior disciple, barely out of the outer peaks, shutting him down before he could even list the compensation.

It was bold. It was audacious. And surprisingly, it was refreshing.

"Well..." Cassius breathed out. A look of unexpected amusement flashed across his sharp features as he lowered his hand. "That was quite a blunt rejection."

"I apologize for the interruption, Lord Frost," Theo said. He maintained his polite composure despite the decisive refusal.

Cassius let out a low chuckle, leaning back in his chair. "You certainly do not look apologetic, young master Theo."

Theo chose to remain silent. He offered no verbal defense as a slight wave of inward embarrassment washed over him. He knew he had broken professional etiquette, but protecting the Void-Stone Monolith was a boundary he could not afford to compromise on.

Selling a treasure that tripled cultivation speed for a one-time payout was a fool’s bargain.

"Not that we anticipated anything different," Cassius chuckled. "Considered it a shot in the dark to spare both of us the tedious formalities. Now that we’ve cleared that off the table, let me show you the real deal."