Chapter 87: Charitable Merchant

Cassius retrieved a fresh jade slip from a hidden drawer.

His demeanor shifted, shedding any trace of humor for strict business.

The Pavilion Master pushed the jade slip across the smooth wood of the desk. "We will transport the Void-Stone Monolith, lock it inside our highest-security qi vaults, and manage its continuous upkeep."

Theo leaned forward. He focused his attention on the glowing script emanating from the jade.

"What exactly is my share of the benefits under this arrangement?"

"To begin, you maintain unrestricted primary access," Cassius outlined clearly. "The core meditation chamber, situated at the exact epicenter of the artifact’s qi field, will belong exclusively to you, free of any sect levies. Secondly, the Pavilion will pay you a stipend of five hundred thousand spirit stones every month simply for allowing our elite enforcers to cultivate in the outer radius. Lastly, the monolith naturally condenses excess qi into liquid Void Dew over time. A single drop of this essence can stabilize erratic meridians and repair internal injuries. We will split that harvest sixty-forty. The larger share goes directly to you."

The Pavilion Master paused, letting the magnitude of the wealth settle over the room.

"We shoulder the security burdens, the transport logistics, and the vault maintenance. You gain a continuous fortune and a peerless training sanctuary. What say you?"

Theo stared at the glowing characters. His mind raced.

Five hundred thousand spirit stones a month, a private core chamber, and the lion’s share of rare cultivation resources.

For a junior disciple lacking deep clan backing, this was an unfathomable windfall.

An offer any sane cultivator would accept without a second thought.

Yet, Theo was not an ordinary cultivator...

If he simply agreed to a standard commercial lease for the artifact, the Heavenly Mandate System would categorize it as a mere business transaction.

According to his past trials the system only triggered its legendary rewards for genuine investments in others’ destinies. Handing a rich clan a training room for a fee was commerce.

Providing a desperate, talented soul a lifeline was an investment. If the Pavilion paid him a flat rate to train their elites, it wouldn’t count toward his system progression.

However, if he rejected the spirit stones or the Void Dew entirely, it would raise immediate red flags.

In a world where cultivators murdered for scraps of resources, sudden, extreme altruism was highly suspicious.

A leader like Cassius would undoubtedly investigate his motives...

He needed a way to secure enough capital to maintain his facade as an ambitious disciple, while carving out a specific loophole to utilize the monolith as a system-investment engine.

"The terms are remarkably generous, Lord Frost," Theo said. He leaned back into the plush chair, locking eyes with the veteran leader. "It shows the Pavilion truly respects its partners. I am willing to proceed, but I wish to propose a slight adjustment to the structure of the pact."

Cassius raised a single brow. A flicker of intrigued amusement crossed his sharp features. "Let us hear your counter."

"I have no issue with your elite enforcers utilizing the outer qi zone, and the monthly stipend of five hundred thousand spirit stones is entirely agreeable," Theo said calmly. "However, I wish to adjust the Void Dew harvest split. We will change it from sixty-forty down to an even fifty-fifty."

Sylvia blinked in astonishment. Her gaze snapped from the documents straight to Theo. Cassius leaned forward, his interest fully captured. A young disciple willingly surrendering a ten percent share of priceless alchemical resources was practically unheard of.

"You wish to surrender a portion of your own passive revenue?" Cassius asked. His tone dripped with sharp curiosity. "What exactly do you demand in return for that ten percent, young master Theo?"

"I do not demand much, Lord Frost," Theo replied. He kept his expression unwaveringly calm. "I simply require a few extra meditation chambers within the inner radius."

The Pavilion Master paused. The mundane request caught him slightly off guard. He exchanged a brief, assessing look with Sylvia before leaning back in his heavy chair.

"I see. Is the primary core chamber insufficient for your personal cultivation needs? Or do you harbor other plans for the space? Do not tell me you intend to play merchant."

"Something along those lines," Theo replied with a noncommittal nod.

"Greed often breeds ruin, Theo," Cassius warned. A knowing, calculating smile touched his lips as he drummed his fingers against the desk. "If your goal is to charge exorbitant entry fees and sublease those chambers to wealthy merchant clans or arrogant provincial heirs, the logistics will become messy. Our high-security vaults are fortified military installations guarded by complex array formations. They are designed to protect the capital’s deepest secrets. They are not meant to be turned into a bustling public marketplace where any spoiled noble with a fat purse can wander freely."

Theo shook his head, offering a reassuring smile.

"You misunderstand my intentions, Lord Frost. I have no desire to sublease them for profit. In fact, I plan to give those chambers away without charging a single spirit stone."

"What?" The question escaped Cassius’s lips in a rare moment of genuine bewilderment.

Beside him, Sylvia stared at Theo. Her hand froze over her jade tablet, her usual professional composure cracking entirely.

For several seconds, a stunned silence dominated the executive office.

"You want to give them away... for free?" Cassius repeated slowly.

He leaned forward, squinting as if trying to ensure he had heard the young disciple correctly. "You are willingly sacrificing ten percent of your continuous resource revenue to secure premium cultivation chambers, just to hand them out without demanding any compensation?"

"Yes," Theo stated calmly. "I intend to lend those chambers to others free of charge. However, I have a few specific conditions regarding who is allowed to enter them."

Cassius folded his hands over his desk. His piercing eyes narrowed, gleaming with profound, analytical scrutiny.

"Let us hear these conditions."

"The candidates must be low-level independent cultivators or struggling outer peak disciples currently trapped at a cultivation bottleneck," Theo outlined, drawing upon a perfectly crafted logical facade. "They must be individuals who genuinely lack the wealth to afford premium spirit stones or high-grade array facilities. Yet, they must possess a resilient moral foundation, unyielding determination, and a solid work ethic. I wish to provide the underdogs a fair opportunity to rewrite their destinies and grow."

He paused. "But naturally, I am merely a single disciple," Theo continued. "I lack the time, the influence, and the administrative network to scout, background-check, and manage such a diverse group of people across the province. That is why I require the Grand Bounty Pavilion’s assistance. I need your vast intelligence network to filter, verify, and deliver these specific candidates to me according to my exact specifications."