Qian Jin doubted his own hearing and vision. Here, in the headquarters of the premier bandit group beyond the frontier, he heard the familiar gravelly voice of Uncle Mu Gui Wuxin, and saw his massive, robust frame. Indeed! Qian Jin watched the uncle stride towards him from the distance, his face contorted in an ugly expression of excitement. It was Uncle Mu Gui Wuxin, whom he hadn't seen in days. “Kid! You worried me sick!”

Wuxin Mu Gui Wuxin easily shoved aside the fat, heavy body of Te Jiao Fei with a great hand. His heavy fist hammered against Qian Jin’s chest, making his heart thump loudly: “It’s a relief you’re alright! I was truly worried sick!”

Qian Jin still found it hard to believe this was real. Mu Gui Wuxin was here, inside the encampment of the Eight Desolations Lifeless. The surrounding bandits clearly saw the uncle wasn't local, yet they didn't display even a shred of hostility. They even treated the appearance of the ugly Uncle Mu Gui Wuxin as if he were completely invisible! “Da Qi…” Qian Jin forced himself to steady his spirit, which had been repeatedly challenged: “How did you end up here?”

“The Eight Desolations Lifeless investigated your background these past few days, learned about your situation, and then sent someone to notify me at my post.”

Background check? Qian Jin nodded, understanding dawning on him. It was natural for a bandit king outside the city to possess formidable capabilities and investigate anyone who suddenly appeared. “I heard you plan to stay here for a few years?” Mu Gui Wuxin immediately posed the question that concerned him deeply.

Qian Jin shrugged: “Yes.”

“Serving as a bandit official,” Mu Gui Wuxin frowned deeply, “That’s no good. I’ll go talk to Eight Desolations Lifeless later. We can discuss what price can be paid to trade you out.” “If you can trade me out, remember to trade me out too.”

Mune Zhen Ce moved his neck, swaying his folding fan with an exhausted yet faintly smiling expression as he approached.

“No discussion.”

A calm but overwhelmingly authoritative and decisive voice drifted into their ears once more from nearby. Eight Desolations Lifeless approached with the powerful stride of a dragon, his entire being radiating an overbearing kingly aura as he looked at Mu Gui Wuxin: “I only sent someone to inform you that he wasn't dead, telling you not to impulsively run out to the frontier to cause trouble and mess things up. This King fears neither the Torrent Fortress nor Yongliu. I just don’t want you running around causing a ruckus on my turf.”

“Bandit King,” the conditions Yongliu can offer are likely far greater than you imagine…”

“This King knows.” Eight Desolations Lifeless casually sat down on the ground, as if an emperor were taking his throne. He raised a hand, signaling everyone to sit: “Qian Jin, the future President of the Yongliu Blacksmiths’ Guild, the future Master of Torrent Fortress, the future President of the Wudao Society, and I even heard the Alchemists’ Guild is interested in having him take over, with the complete support of the City Lord.”

Yi’s eyes widened in astonishment as he gazed at Qian Jin. What did this mean? This young man not only had the support of almost every major power in Yongliu City! But also—he controlled immense power that Yi couldn't even fathom.

Yongliu wasn't a small city; it was the center of an entire province! The powers here didn't just cover one city; they could be said to cover the entire province. Other cities within the province used this city's guilds as benchmarks. This young man… Yi repeatedly sized up Qian Jin. He was so young! When Yi was this age, he was just an insignificant student in the War Academy with no backing whatsoever.

“Someone like this…” Eight Desolations Lifeless raised a hand and pointed at Qian Jin: “The price Yongliu can offer is likely astonishingly high.”

Mu Gui Wuxin nodded repeatedly. It was precisely because of this confidence that he had come to negotiate with the Bandit King. Li Deyuok had already said that as long as they could bring Qian Jin back, he would contact every power he could reach to ransom him. Mune Zhen Ce’s tired eyes lost their calm, his pupils darting around Qian Jin’s body: This… this powerful…

“I just,” Eight Desolations Lifeless continued, pulling a letter with a few hastily scrawled words from his Dou Realm, “received a letter from Isabella of the Conquest Academy: ‘Qian Jin is my student, return him to this old woman immediately.’” Those few short words were filled with an overbearing aura no less intense than Eight Desolations Lifeless’s! Through the text, Qian Jin could even sense Isabella’s emotions at the time—the genuine flavor of anger.

The Academy was a place easily overlooked by ordinary adults, who thought it merely a training ground for warriors, mages, or other students. Only those belonging to truly powerful factions knew that while the Academy seemed weak in peacetime, once provoked, the power it unleashed often exceeded imagination. The real strength didn't come from the students currently enrolled, but from the graduates who had left years ago. They formed a massive collective force, using the Academy as a hub, communicating and connecting across various fields to create an almost impenetrable network. This network was usually invisible and intangible, but once activated, it would unleash a force that would be remembered for a very long time. Even all the bandit groups beyond the frontier combined would not easily provoke a War Academy. Currently, countless generals in the Zhen Ce Dynasty’s legions hailed from one Academy—the pressure facing the frontier bandits when confronted by such a massive group was easy to imagine.

“I’m even more interested in a warrior that this girl favors,” Eight Desolations Lifeless smiled faintly, storing the letter in his Dou Realm: “If that girl dares to make a move against the frontier, I will be the first to kill the hostage. The Bandit King will not be threatened or tempted by any force.”

Mu Gui Wuxin froze in place. Although he had never met the Bandit King Eight Desolations Lifeless, he had always believed that offering immense benefits could persuade him. To his surprise, he found it impossible to sway the man.

“Since you could become the President of Yongliu’s Blacksmiths’ Guild, I assume you have some skill in forging?”

Qian Jin calmly met Eight Desolations Lifeless’s gaze. Facing such an overbearing, high-pressure aura, someone else might feel intimidated or fearful, but Qian Jin was already completely immune. Compared to Master Oulala’s aura, this Bandit King’s aura was somewhat lacking. Uncle Black looked like a simple farming peasant, and having spent time by his side, Qian Jin had come to disregard any domineering presence. In the eyes of a farmer, the greatest things in the world were Heaven and Earth. As long as Heaven and Earth existed, crops could be grown. All that powerful Dou Qi and dazzling magic meant nothing in the farmer's eyes; no matter how strong they were, they couldn't be stronger than Heaven and Earth. Having achieved a sense of calm when facing Heaven and Earth, Qian Jin maintained a very peaceful demeanor even when questioned under the oppressive gaze of Eight Desolations Lifeless, which was akin to an emperor addressing a commoner.

“I studied for a few days.”

Eight Desolations Lifeless raised an eyebrow. He had deliberately exerted considerable pressure when questioning him just now, yet this young man maintained such stability. “And alchemy?”

“Also studied for a few days.”

“There are many excellent materials at the headquarters; you can use them freely.” Eight Desolations Lifeless added after a moment’s thought: “However, every time you use materials, you must forge equipment or create potions of equivalent quality as material fees.”

“Equivalent to the materials?” Qian Jin’s steady eyes looked directly into Eight Desolations Lifeless’s superior gaze: “Or equivalent to the items I produce?” Yi was astonished to see that Qian Jin’s aura hadn't changed at all when facing Eight Desolations Lifeless. He wasn't trying to counter the pressure, nor was he being suppressed; it was a tranquility akin to, you are the gale, I am the cloud—scatter me, and I will reassemble.

This mindset… Yi admitted to himself he couldn't achieve it. Facing Eight Desolations Lifeless’s pressure, he would choose to resist, holding out as much as he could. This state of Qian Jin, almost ignoring the pressure and existing within his own sphere, was beyond him; he would inevitably be affected by Eight Desolations Lifeless.

“Heh heh…” Eight Desolations Lifeless smiled faintly: “What do you think?”

“Materials, you profit,” Qian Jin pointed to his own chest with his thumb: “Equivalent to the item, I profit—a great profit. I don't like taking advantage of others, nor do I like being taken advantage of.”

Eight Desolations Lifeless narrowed his eyes and nodded slightly. Young people who achieve success at this age are often prone to arrogance, cultivating a so-called aura of might. This young man, however, lacked that pride, displaying his unique spirit with a clean, straightforward honesty. Dare to do, dare to admit! Eight Desolations Lifeless liked this disposition: “In that case, double the value of the materials.”

“That’s fair enough.”

Qian Jin shrugged. The premier bandit group beyond the frontier hadn't been rampaging for just a year or two; their accumulation in this area must be quite rich. He wanted to modify the Moon Shooting Bow, and he had even greater desires for other creations, all requiring massive amounts of materials. Although he had raided many bandits across the frontier recently and seized a lot of their treasures, it still wasn't enough. Having an opportunity to use materials almost for free, Qian Jin had no intention of being polite to Eight Desolations Lifeless.

Eight Desolations Lifeless slowly stood up, his eyes fixed on the ground above, muttering to himself: “My entire life’s pursuit has been nothing more than the word fairness. Young man, when you forge weapons or concoct potions, have someone notify me.”

“Bandit King…”

Eight Desolations Lifeless turned back to look at Mu Gui Wuxin, who had started to speak, and shook his head gently: “He agreed to serve as a bandit here for five years; he must complete the full five years. Of course, if he can defeat me, he can leave early. If Yongliu insists on taking Qian Jin away prematurely, I don't mind fighting Yongliu, or even the entire Zhen Ce Dynasty. In the frontier, this King is not subject to anyone’s jurisdiction, nor is he threatened by anyone.”

“Da Qi…” Qian Jin placed his hands on Mu Gui Wuxin’s shoulders to steady him as he angrily stood up, intending to speak again. “Sit down! Hua Yanjian saved my life that day. As a man, as a warrior, that debt of gratitude must be repaid.”

Mu Gui Wuxin sighed, then shook his head: “You should have told me earlier…”