"You really are something. These so-called talents, others can't even touch one of them, yet you've managed to gather them all together. Truly, what a group of 'talents' you've collected." Yi Tianxing's expression was strange as he spoke. Talents they might be, but the problem was—these were all figures recorded in history, men whose influence had shaken their respective eras. Each of them had great ability, but the fact remained: they were either corrupt officials, treacherous ministers, or infamous leaders of eunuch factions. This was without question a collection of villains.
What kind of luck did Altai have, to be able to assemble so many of them? It was as if fate had handed him a massive "surprise."
"What? Is there something wrong? Or were these men deceiving me before?" Altai caught the odd tone in Yi Tianxing's voice and couldn't help but ask in puzzlement. But it made no sense—in his understanding, all of these men were high-ranking officials.
To reach such positions, how could they not be talents? They were certainly far more intelligent than most ordinary people.
"There's nothing wrong. They can count as 'talents.' I'll accept them. In my hands, no matter what their past is, they can be taught and corrected." Yi Tianxing smiled faintly, calming his mood before speaking slowly.
Treacherous ministers?
Great Yi was not without them. For example, the infamous corrupt official Heshen was currently doing quite well within Great Yi. Now holding high office and great power, he had turned the cunning once used for corruption into governing affairs. Today, he had carved out a proper place for himself.
It could be said he had found his true value in life. His old reputation, over the years, had already been largely cleansed. As long as Heshen did not repeat the mistakes of the past, his position would not be too adversely affected. In the court of Great Yi, he still had room to rise. A man once labeled a treacherous minister might yet become a pillar of the realm.
With Great Yi's vast scale, its complete institutions, and nearly flawless system of oversight, becoming a corrupt minister within its walls was no easy task. The true virtuous and weighty officials of Great Yi would never allow such men to rise unchecked.
Great Yi had no tolerance for sycophancy or flattery. It demanded real achievements. Only by meritorious service could one rise and open the channels of promotion. If you could not deliver, then be prepared to toil in obscurity for a lifetime. There were no jokes in this.
Someone like Gao Qiu, for instance, would be heavily scrutinized in Great Yi. If he showed the slightest impropriety, he could forget about ever rising. But if he followed the right path, what was due to him would not be withheld. This was the benefit of a complete system and transparent rules—it made the path of advancement as fair and just as possible.
"Besides these, are there any others?"
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and turned his gaze back to Altai.
Bringing back a batch of treacherous officials… though he wasn't truly worried, it still left him uneasy. If these men entered the court of Great Yi, it might become a far livelier place in the future. What the outcome would be, even he could not predict.
As for Wei Zhongxian, he would be thrown into the Immortal Palace to be disciplined for a few years. With the Sunflower Ancestor and others there, Yi Tianxing believed they had ways to make him obedient, aware of his station, and understand what it meant to stay within his bounds.
"Of course there are more. Over here, too, are capable men who once held office."
Altai said with a cheerful grin.
When he collected talents, how could it be just a handful? This was only a portion. He was perfectly aware of what kind of "merchandise" was most precious. Anyone who had been an official must be an intelligent man. And intelligent men, naturally, had abilities far above the common run.
"This one is Hai Rui, a righteous high official, loved by the people. That one is Song Ci, and here—this is Zuo Zongtang…"
Altai quickly introduced the other outstanding figures he had gathered.
This time, Yi Tianxing's expression improved considerably. At least it wasn't a complete gathering of notorious villains. Otherwise, he truly would have felt the urge to strangle Altai.
Among these names were men well known for their virtue and abilities. Their character had been proven. Once they joined Great Yi and underwent some period of training, their path in the court would be smooth. Special considerations and favor would always exist for them—provided they were the real thing.
Altai had gathered millions of officials from many worlds. Among them, of course, there were unqualified ones—men without true talent or learning, who had risen through petty schemes. Such men would inevitably be weeded out. Their abilities had no stage to shine upon within Great Yi.
Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing waved his hand again, taking all of these "talents" away and producing the equivalent Eternal Coins. The transaction was complete.
The entire space was once more swept clean, everything taken into the Heavenly Emperor's Pagoda of Hongmeng.
In Altai's eyes, joy burst forth—he couldn't stop smiling. This was a massive deal. The profits from trading with Yi Tianxing alone far exceeded what he would normally earn in centuries of business.
This was a true golden patron.
"Haha, Brother Yi, you are indeed straightforward. As it happens, I've just come across a batch of premium stock. I'm in a good mood today—why don't you go inside and choose one hundred of them as a gift from me, to celebrate our successful trade?" Altai said cheerfully.
"What premium stock?"
Yi Tianxing asked with interest. In his heart, he knew what Altai meant—slaves, and very likely top-grade slaves.
"Hehe, not long ago, a top-tier dream world collapsed within the Nightmare. During its fall, many races of excellent bloodlines were drawn into the Nightmare. My people found them and captured them. They're here now. There are elves, dragons, beastmen, goblins, vampires… all rare and precious stock."
Altai smiled. "I'll take you over right now. If you like any, you can take them immediately."
"Elves and dragons? Truly top-tier stock. Altai, this time you're going to strike it rich."
Thousand Faces's (Qianmian) eyes lit up with envy.
As for how they had fallen into Altai's hands, he did not ask. That was the man's own business. To pry would only invite trouble. But elves as slaves—in the Nightmare World, they were exceedingly rare. Elves, whether male or female, were all beautiful. Not one of them was ugly. They were like the darlings of heaven itself, the most perfect slaves in the hearts of countless strongmen.
And dragons—even if they couldn't compare to the true dragons of the East, they were still of high rank. For many cultivators, having a dragon as a pet was not degrading at all. On the contrary, it added luster to one's prestige.
These slaves of many races were valuable treasures to countless cultivators.
Yi Tianxing, however, was not particularly impressed. Within the territory of Great Yi, there was room for all races. Though humans were dominant, other races were accepted as well. Elves had long since begun to intermarry with Great Yi's people. Their descendants inherited the advantages of both bloodlines. And one thing was plain—the offspring were uniformly beautiful. It was difficult to find an ugly one among them.
Swish!
Under Altai's guidance, they quickly arrived at the third level.
Here, they saw countless strange and varied races sealed within shimmering bubbles, as if in deep slumber.
Large groups of elves, dragons, and others were clearly visible. Each one was real and alive—the feeling unmistakable.
"They truly are elves. And their bloodlines don't seem ordinary. Their grade must be high."
Thousand Faces' eyes gleamed with amazement.
"The bloodlines are indeed high," Altai said with a smile. "These are all high-grade elves of different types—blood elves, night elves, wood elves, natural elves, and so on. Many may even carry the cultural inheritances of the elven race."
Clearly, they possessed notable inheritances—elven druids, sharpshooters, phantom archers, and more. The value of these alone was considerable.
"How many elves are there in this group? And how will the price be calculated?" Yi Tianxing asked after a moment's thought.
"Not many—fewer than one million."
Altai grinned. From Yi Tianxing's tone, he could sense a trace of interest.
"These elves are priced by cultivation level. Below the third tier—1,000 Nightmare Coins each. Fourth tier—10,000 each. Fifth tier—100,000 each. Sixth tier—1,000,000 each. In the Nightmare Sacred City, this is absolutely a fair price."
"Good. Calculate the price—I'll take them all."
Yi Tianxing agreed without hesitation.
Elves were one of the easiest races to integrate with humans. Such integration was useful for improving human bloodline aptitude. By raising the baseline of Great Yi's population, future generations' talent could be steadily enhanced. Acquiring this batch of elves was entirely worthwhile.
"And these?"
Yi Tianxing suddenly pointed toward another cluster of slaves.
Looking closely, he saw strange figures sealed within the bubbles. They resembled humans, yet bore notable differences. Some looked as though their entire bodies were made of deadwood, their faces like bark etched with strange patterns, leaves sprouting from their heads and bodies. Yet within them pulsed living hearts, with organs and viscera no different from humans.
Others shone with metallic luster, their whole bodies gleaming like iron, as though they were living statues of steel.