Chapter 90: Successfully Subdued
2023-04-04 Author: Fu Hejun
Seeing that Niu Gao was already swayed, Ye Cheng didn't press the advantage or say anything further. He simply picked up his teacup in silence and slowly savored it, allowing Niu Gao, who sat opposite him, to undergo his intense inner turmoil. He had already said what needed to be said. Now it was up to Niu Gao's choice.
"..." His expression remained uncertain for a long while before Niu Gao slowly raised his head, looking directly at Ye Cheng. "Your Excellency's conditions are indeed generous, but to be honest, ever since the Clear Sky Sect incident, I've developed a psychological shadow towards pledging allegiance to other factions. It's usually fine, but the moment a crisis arises, they just push us subordinates out to take the fall. They're utterly heartless and disloyal!"
His tone was mournful and resentful, his emotions complex and hard to describe.
Ye Cheng, who had read the original work, also clearly understood Niu Gao's concerns. During that battle between Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect back then, the Four Great Clans had eagerly expected the Clear Sky Sect to come and rescue them from their misery. In the end, all they received was news of the Clear Sky Sect's reclusion. This made all the sacrifices of their affiliated clans, who had fought bravely on the front lines and resisted to the death, into a complete joke. Every single death was utterly in vain.
If only the Clear Sky Sect had been a little tougher back then, fighting to the death without retreating and battling alongside their affiliated sects, even if all their affiliated clans had died in battle, Niu Gao, even in the Nine Springs, would never have resented the Clear Sky Sect one bit. He would only have hated Spirit Hall, the true culprit. But the Clear Sky Sect chickened out. They hid deep in the mountains and old forests, abandoning their affiliated sects without hesitation, leaving them to face the ferocious and evil Spirit Hall alone.
Was this something a damn human could do?!
Clear Sky Sect? The Foremost Sect Under Heaven? Bah!
"You can rest assured on that point." Ye Cheng saw that Niu Gao had openly and frankly expressed his concerns, so he naturally wouldn't put on any aloof airs. He said straightforwardly, "I have come here to rebuild White Cloud City. Therefore, I need some people to help me manage the city and expand its population. If you agree to join my command, then your entire clan can migrate into the city.
I can promise that as long as I, your City Lord, am here, White Cloud City will stand! If White Cloud City is ever destroyed, it will certainly be because I, your City Lord, have already died first. You will absolutely not suffer the same fate as the Clear Sky Sect."
Upon hearing Ye Cheng's words, Niu Gao's eyes immediately lit up. The previous Clear Sky Sect was self-contained; their dwelling place was clearly vast and expansive, yet they weren't willing to share even a bit with their affiliated clans, openly treating them as outsiders. When trouble arose, the Clear Sky Sect themselves cowered within their heavily defended sect fortress, yet forced their affiliated sects to clash head-on with Spirit Hall outside the fortress.
If their affiliated clans had also resided in the same place as the Clear Sky Sect back then, there would never have been a situation of fighting alone. It would have been impossible for the Clear Sky Sect to abandon them even if they wanted to.
Without a doubt, the promise Ye Cheng made successfully moved Niu Gao.
"Damn it, I'll do it!" Niu Gao gritted his teeth, rose directly from his seat, and then, with a thud, fell to his knees in prostration!
"Your subordinate, Niu Gao, greets master!"
Ye Cheng remained seated, calmly accepting this grand gesture of respect. Only then did he help Niu Gao up and say, "From now on, you are people of my White Cloud City. You may simply address me as City Lord."
If it were a beautiful maid addressing him that way, Ye Cheng would be very happy. But with a big, burly man calling him master, he figured it was best to skip it. Simpler was better; City Lord was fine.
"Yes, City Lord." Niu Gao readily changed his address. Internally, his recognition of Ye Cheng couldn't help but increase further.
In fact, no one truly wished to be a servant. Especially after experiencing betrayal from his previous master, it made him particularly resistant to the title of "master." Even if their hierarchy of status hadn't substantially changed, simply the respect in the address made him exceptionally happy.
"Very good." Ye Cheng nodded, then took out a gold card and handed it to him. "This is a gold card with over 230 million stored on it. The money inside is for you to use in constructing White Cloud City's outer defensive perimeter and the core City Lord's mansion. Don't be afraid to spend. Just make sure it's done well. If you need more funds later, come find me."
Niu Gao cautiously took the gold card, unable to help but exclaim with emotion, "This is the first time in this subordinate's life that I've held so much money!"
"City Lord, do you have any plans regarding the construction of White Cloud City?" he asked.
"I don't have a detailed plan, only a general framework." Ye Cheng shook his head, then extended a finger and tapped Niu Gao's brow. Using Dream Bubble Illusion, he transmitted all his general conceptions for White Cloud City, as well as the most crucial image of the City Lord's mansion – the Forbidden City Imperial Palace – to him in one go.
Niu Gao's eyes turned blank as his mind processed the information images Ye Cheng had transmitted to him...
After a moment. Once he had finished digesting the information transmitted by Ye Cheng, Niu Gao pondered for a bit before saying, "City Lord, the outer defensive perimeter of the city is manageable, but constructing this City Lord's mansion will be somewhat troublesome. Your subordinate will need to spend time creating a detailed plan, and there might be some changes to the layout then. I wonder..."
Ye Cheng directly waved his hand. "No need to worry. When it comes to building, you are the professionals. I'm merely providing a general framework. As for how to construct it specifically, as long as it doesn't stray from the main theme, you can proceed according to your own ideas."
"Alright, that makes things much simpler." Niu Gao breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. In the past, when building castles for other nobles, the most annoying type was those nobles who feigned expertise. They would constantly dictate and propose troublesome suggestions.
Each time, they had to patiently make changes according to the other party's demands, only for it to get worse with every revision. Then, just as it was nearing completion, the other party would suddenly declare, "The initial design was still the best." At those moments, they were so enraged their soul power almost went berserk, nearly causing them to lash out directly!
How great was this new boss? He fully entrusted the construction to them and wouldn't interfere with their plans. He gave money when asked and granted authority when needed. Where else could they find such a good boss?
After simply explaining the construction matters, Ye Cheng changed the subject and said, "Additionally, White Cloud City is currently in its initial stages of establishment and requires a large amount of talent. I know the Single Attribute Four Clans are closely related. You might as well contact the other three clans and see if they are willing to join my command, just like you."
These words made Niu Gao ponder slightly. To be honest, if it were in the past, he would certainly have rejected it without a second thought. But currently, the Single Attribute Four Clans were indeed not doing so well. The most comfortable was the Destruction Clan, while the most miserable was the Agility Clan. If the Defense Clan left, and no one shared the Agility Clan's pressure, the Destruction Clan would also suffer.
So, if he could persuade the other three clans to join White Cloud City at this moment, Niu Gao believed it would absolutely be a huge benefit. After all, the conditions given by this newly recognized master were extremely generous in all aspects. It was enough to allow their Four Great Clans to escape their current predicament. Joining would undoubtedly bring a hundred benefits with not a single drawback.
(end of chapter)