Chapter 167: You Treat Me as a National Scholar

“You are the Centurion of the Flourishing Tang Empire?”

Looking at the silver token on the table, Ma Qingshan said with disbelief. He had heard a little about the Flourishing Tang Empire. Though he did not know much, he still understood that the empire did not accept useless people. Every Primordial Warrior who could join the Flourishing Tang Empire was one in ten thousand, and being able to join was an honor in itself.

Becoming a Centurion of the Flourishing Tang Empire, a third-tier ruler with power equivalent to a sixth-level official, was even more remarkable. Such a significant figure was rarely seen by Ma Qingshan.

Even at the peak of his career, when he served as an adviser to the Li family, one of the top three major families in Xiangcheng, he had only occasionally encountered five or six such figures, none of whom would ever talk to him so amiably.

Seeing Ma Qingshan’s astonished expression, Jiang Xincheng smiled and said, “If you don’t believe me, Mr. Ma, you can come with me to the Wu’an Department in Xiangcheng to verify.”

“I believe you. How could someone who can offer treasures that restore Meridians and Dantian deceive me about something so trivial?” Ma Qingshan took a deep breath, suppressing his shock. “None of the forces or individuals who tried to recruit me before had the power and status you possess, Mr. Jiang, nor could they guarantee the safety of my friends and family. You have resolved my second difficulty. As for the first one, once my Meridians and Dantian are restored, I will catch up to those from Chenggang Group who killed my brother Chen Yong within ten years and take revenge myself. So, Mr. Jiang, you have also helped me with my first difficulty. Therefore… I accept your offer.”

Seeing that Ma Qingshan agreed to manage Jianghe Group for him, a smile crossed Jiang Xincheng’s face. With the assistance of Ma Qingshan, a peerless business genius rarely seen in the world, it would be impossible for Jianghe Group not to grow and prosper.

Jiang Xincheng, who was well-acquainted with Ma Qingshan’s situation, clearly knew that the Reincarnation of Zhuge Liang, Ma Qingshan, excelled in business ability, cultivation speed, and personal character. If he could recruit him, the likelihood of betrayal was less than one in ten thousand.

Moreover, Jiang Xincheng treated Ma Qingshan with sincerity, sparing no effort to provide him with a treasure like the Golden Body Stone, helping him escape the troubles with Chenggang Group, and planning to give him further precious gifts. The chance of Ma Qingshan’s betrayal would decrease even more.

Thus, the Reincarnation of Zhuge Liang, Ma Qingshan, was absolutely trustworthy for Jiang Xincheng and deserved increased investment. In return, Ma Qingshan would bring tenfold, a hundredfold, or even a thousandfold returns.

Simply from the fact that Jiang Xincheng resolved two of Ma Qingshan’s difficulties, while Ma Qingshan handled the third one on his own without wanting to trouble Jiang Xincheng further, showed his character.

However, to help Ma Qingshan grow faster and provide greater assistance, Jiang Xincheng would naturally help him resolve the first difficulty more quickly.

“Good. I’ll leave your enemies for you to deal with, but I will give you a hand.” Jiang Xincheng smiled slightly and placed a handwritten book in front of Ma Qingshan. “I suppose you know that the cultivation world roughly classifies Origin Force Cultivation Methods into Divine Grade, Mysterious Rank, Yellow Rank, and Mortal Grade, with Divine Grade being the stuff of legends. This is the Mysterious Rank Low Tier cultivation method, Thick Earth Art, recently developed by the 327 Research Institute. It is one of the world’s top-tier Origin Force Cultivation Methods.”

“I heard you had already reached the Bone Tempering Late Stage before. With the help of this Mysterious Rank Low Tier cultivation method, your cultivation speed will improve rapidly. Combined with your previous cultivation experience and top talent, you can return to your peak in just one or two years, or even reach a higher realm. Consider this Thick Earth Art my way of helping you with your first difficulty. What do you think?”

“This… this is a Mysterious Rank Low Tier cultivation method?” Ma Qingshan stared in disbelief at the grey handwritten book in front of him, his mouth wide enough to fit an egg.

In the current world, the most popular and only publicly available Origin Force Cultivation Method was the Mortal Grade Low Tier Primordial Ultimate Art. It could be said that over 99% of the world’s Practitioners used the Mortal Grade Low Tier Primordial Ultimate Art. As for higher-level cultivation methods, 99% of people believed none had been developed yet, and Primordial Ultimate Art was the only one globally.

Not only ordinary citizens like Ma Qingshan but even the higher-ups in Xiangcheng and the province primarily cultivated using Primordial Ultimate Art. Ordinary people had never even heard of other Origin Force Cultivation Methods, let alone practiced them.

If someone were to tell the higher-ups in Xiangcheng that a Mortal Grade Medium Tier cultivation method was for sale, these officials would stop at nothing—even resorting to murder, arson, or wiping out entire families—to obtain it.

Higher-level cultivation methods meant not only faster cultivation speeds but also longer lifespans, stronger families, more resources and wealth, and greater power and status… The New Era belonged to Practitioners. Powerful Practitioners could command wind and rain, live for a hundred, two hundred, three hundred, or even five hundred years, and possess world-shattering power.

Thus, any treasure that could enhance cultivation speed was pursued frantically by all forces, let alone an Origin Force Cultivation Method that could serve as the foundation of a family’s legacy.

A Mortal Grade Medium Tier cultivation method could plunge Xiangcheng, or even the entire province, into chaos, with rivers of blood and heads rolling. A Mysterious Rank Low Tier cultivation method, a full grade higher than Mortal Grade, was even more extraordinary.

Such a divine treasure was akin to a Divine Artifact, capable of sparking a national war. Who was he, Ma Qingshan, to deserve such an honor? As an ordinary citizen, he had the chance to possess a divine text like Thick Earth Art.

What Jiang Xincheng gave him was not just a copy of Thick Earth Art but a treasure that could establish the Ma family’s legacy for a hundred years, enabling Ma Qingshan to stand at the forefront of the world, reach greater heights at the fastest speed, and fulfill his aspirations.

Looking at the Thick Earth Art before him, Ma Qingshan trembled all over. For the first time, he felt the sentiment: “You treat me as a national scholar, and I will repay you as one.”

A scholar dies for his confidant. Jiang Xincheng had shown him such profound kindness and righteousness; how could Ma Qingshan not pledge his loyalty and serve Jiang Xincheng with utter devotion, even unto death.

From this moment on, for the rest of his life, only you could betray me, never I you.