When he heard Sage’s words, Li Song frowned. While the man in front of him looked like he was fawning over him, in fact he’d already started to come up with ways to strengthen his bargaining position. Li Song suddenly felt a headache start. The man in front of him was acting like he was doing them a favor, when actually he was fortifying his position.

“In that case, just tear it all down. We certainly wouldn’t want you to get a heart demon from unfinished work. If you just cancel the work and take it apart it wouldn’t count as something unfinished. We can even compensate you for the trouble.”

Sage wiped his forehead again and looked behind himself at the array formations and the waist-height wall, “Ah, it is as you say. I can tear it all down and it will keep from harming my will. Even as much as I respect the great Cloudmetal Consortium, I just don’t want to step back from this project. Even though I’ve only just started, this wall and formation have inspired me. If I complete the project, I have the feeling that I can have a breakthrough in my Formation and Refining skills.”

Li Song smashed his hand down on the table, “Nonsense! It’s just some stones and a hastily set array. How would that provide you with a breakthrough!?”

Li Song lost his composure, the earnest expression on Ling Sheng’s face was just too much for him to handle. The lady at his side, Li Zhen put her hand onto Li Song’s shoulder, “Please calm down, Brother.”

She could also tell that the humble character and earnest expression of the man was an act, but in order to continue friendly negotiations they just had to accept it. Li Zhen helped Li Song take a step back from the discussion and she took over.

“It would truly be a fortuitous event if you were to reach a new level in your skills. From what I see so far, you’re already quite an accomplished personage. I have a solution. We can offer you double the price for the Mine now, and you can feel free to continue your work. Once you’re finished we can evaluate the final product and I promise you we will offer a price far above the market rate for it.”

She drew out another scroll and quickly outlined a new contract with the changed stipulations. She handed it over to Sage and he read through it.

Honey instead of vinegar I see. These two make quite the pair. Now that she’s pulled back her angry brother she offers me an even better deal. They will even call in an independent appraiser to evaluate the protections after I complete them and pledge to offer 50% more than normal for them.

Sage had to admit it was a good move, but he wasn’t going to let up now. He held up the scroll and rose from his seat, pacing back and forth in an agitated manner. He glanced at the scroll and then did a few more laps, “Good! Truly Wonderful! Li Zhen, you and the Cloudmetal Consortium are surely my lucky stars! With this deal, I can rest assured that my work will be valued and appreciated!”

Then he stopped and looked around at all the troops that had gathered, both from the Cloudmetal Consortium and his own. Then he frowned slightly, “It is just… I am worried. There’s so many troops here creating a distraction. If you start mining, it will only get worse. Such conditions are far from ideal if I’m to breakthrough to a higher level. What if there’s a battle or a cave in and the disturbance causes a deviation in my mental state? Won’t my skills not only fail to improve, but suffer a terrible setback?”

Li Song heard this new claim and nearly choked on his tea. Coughing and covering his mouth with his hands, it took all his effort not to just spit it all back into the teacup. If he did it would be a truly rude gesture and from the way things were going, this Ling Sheng might use that as even more ammunition to make more ridiculous demands. Li Zhen only smiled gently and nodded, “You are quite right, this is a very fragile place to work on a breakthrough. How about this: my men shall set up a special residence for you. You can go into secluded meditation and focus on your upcoming breakthrough. In the meantime, we can set up a larger perimeter to protect the vicinity of the mine and your work.”

Who said I was a snake… this lady is truly the one with the vicious tongue. She wants me to sit aside and set up a bigger and more powerful formation while I just wait and watch? Yeah right!

Sage turned to stare off into the distance. His gaze seeming listless and whimsical, “Ahh, if only I could just lock myself off from the world and ruminate on the mysteries of the world. It is so kind of you to offer, Lady Li Zhen. It is just a shame that I cannot accept. Even as we speak now, I can feel my inspiration fading and it pains me. I must get back to work immediately, or this momentary flash of insight might be gone forever. Please pull back your men a dozen miles and make sure nobody else approaches. That contract you wrote was so excellent, please let me finish first and then we can discuss again.”

Without waiting for any further discussion, he turned around from where he was standing and marched back towards the defensive line the Hoplites had formed. The insect men stepping to the side to form a passageway for him. The moment he walked in they immediately tightened their ranks once again and presented a quite impressive wall of shields and spears.

Li Song called out at him as he walked away, still trying to bring him back to the negotiation table, but Li Zhen could only shake her head and lead their small group back to their soldiers. If they were to be violent right now, they might be victorious, but it might also lead to heavy losses. Even if the Jade Horde finished their wall and formations, they couldn’t stand up to the full might of the Cloudmetal Consortium. Li Zhen instead sent a message to their headquarters to wait for more backup. The home base of the Cloudmetal Consortium was not in the 10,000 Wave or Bronze Tiger province. They had already brought over all the non-essential troops they had available locally. Things had not progressed past negotiations yet, so she didn’t dare risk her forces for no reason.

To her side, Li Song was quite annoyed. They had come here expecting to easily secure some merit for themselves. Since when had anyone dared to defy the Cloudmetal Consortium? They had already completely destroyed a half dozen different groups in the past, all through different methods. Outside of the Provincial Leaders and the Royal Family, who could stand up to them?

“Don’t worry, Sister. I have a plan.”

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t! We are to leave the option of friendly negotiation open until others from the main base arrive to handle the situation. We don’t have enough military might to ensure a victory right now and once that wall and the second layer of formations are complete, we won’t stand a chance. It will only take a couple weeks for the main base’s forces to arrive, just endure it.”

Li Song smiled, “No need to fret, I’m not a fool. My plan will not implicate us. We just need to use a borrowed knife to accomplish our goals.”

“Ahh, good idea, Brother! I know just the knife to borrow. Send a message to the Fierce Tigers.”