"I've heard that Young Friend's Ling Clan now has the potential to dominate the Eastern Territories?"
Su Wenye picked up a black stone and gently placed it on the Go board.
Ling Xiao merely shook his head slightly, immediately following with a move of his own—no hesitation, no reservations.
Su Wenye was momentarily stunned, giving Ling Xiao a meaningful look.
Decisive enough, but lacking in cunning.
But then again, he's only seventeen or eighteen. How could his scheming compare to mine?
"Or is it not? I heard even the ancient Qin Clan has submitted…"
"Alliance Master, how much truth and how much falsehood is in the words of the common people? If someone takes the opportunity to fan the flames, the narrative forms itself! I don't believe someone of the Alliance Master's status is unaware of the truth, or that my words would change what you already think. So… why bother asking?"
Ling Xiao smiled faintly, still without the slightest hesitation, placing another stone.
He wasn't an expert at Go, but… the System was!
Right now, he had just spent 100 Villain Points to exchange for a 'Compendium of Go Mastery'.
For such a mundane item, even 100 points felt like the system was price gouging.
Of course, with his current divine sense, mastering a compendium took only two or three seconds.
So he could roughly tell that Su Wenye was setting up a trap for him on the board.
But…
If Ling Xiao broke the trap completely, it would inevitably make Su Wenye wary.
Better to be cautious, break half the trap, and then let him turn the tables with a single move at the end. That way… the Yun Alliance Master's impression of him would probably be perfect.
Decisive, resilient, somewhat scheming, but not to the point of being fearsomely sinister.
Most importantly, he must make the Yun Alliance Master feel that he could control the overall situation.
Otherwise, how could he bear to entrust both his daughter and the Yun Alliance to him?
Heh.
This kind of test really held little challenge for Ling Xiao.
After all, he had seen plenty, and the patterns were clear by now.
He even controlled his facial expressions perfectly—sometimes frowning, sometimes calm, projecting confidence without arrogance, youthfulness without impetuousness.
Actually, regarding scheming and cunning…
How to put it?
During the conflict between Daoists and Buddhists back in the day, the Sages weren't allowed to intervene directly.
Did you think the players on the board were just a bunch of Golden Immortals [Daluo]?
What a joke!
The Sages set the board; all living beings were merely pieces.
If you had no cunning, didn't understand strategy, who were you trying to fool by setting up a board? Yourself?
But throughout history, who ever called the Sages sinister?
Those who went around killing and burning were indeed the villains, practically writing 'villain' on their faces. If the righteous path didn't eliminate you, would they keep you around to plague the world?
The Ling Clan?
Our Holy Church is so scared!
Dammit!
So, the process really wasn't important.
What mattered was that you had to win in the end.
"True! The words of the common people are indeed unpredictable and unreliable."
A flicker of appreciation passed through Su Wenye's eyes.
This Ling Xiao was truly remarkable!
Forget his scheming for now; the game wasn't over.
But the words he just spoke showed far greater insight than the average proud talent.
Those who achieve great things don't care about the gossip of the masses.
"Hehe, Young Friend speaks wisely. It seems I was being narrow-minded. However… Young Friend is sharp-minded. There's one matter I'd like to hear your opinion on."
Although Su Wenye was speaking, he wasn't distracted in the slightest. The entire Go game was under his control.
Although Ling Xiao seemed to have detected some of his traps and was trying to break them…
Heh, still too young after all.
But if he could see through all his setups, this young man's temperament would be truly terrifying.
Too much is as bad as not enough.
"Alliance Master, please speak!"
"In the last five years, my Yun Lai Merchant Alliance has actually been operating at a loss. Where do you think the problem lies, Young Friend, and what solutions are there?"
Su Wenye suddenly looked up at Ling Xiao.
The latter merely frowned, looking at him with some confusion. "The Alliance Master is a prodigy in the world of commerce. For an outsider like me to comment on such a problem…"
"Hehe, feel free to speak, Young Friend! If you can have such a deep understanding of the Dao, I imagine the mere art of commerce should be child's play for you?"
Su Wenye shook his head with a smile, like a kindly elder testing an appreciated junior.
"Since the Alliance Master insists, then I, Ling Xiao, will offer my superficial view."
Ling Xiao placed a stone, then pondered for a moment.
"Actually, the Alliance's losses are probably because… the world is too peaceful."
Boom!!
That single sentence nearly made the piece in Su Wenye's hand fall. His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
"What does Young Friend mean by that?"
"When the world is peaceful, conflicts between cultivators decrease significantly. The Yun Lai Merchant Alliance primarily sells spirit treasures and pills. With less warfare, the demand for these things naturally drops. However, the Alliance Master should be happy about this. After all, a peaceful world allows us to cultivate the Dao in peace, without worrying about survival."
Ling Xiao smiled gently, but a sharpness appeared in his eyes. "Alliance Master… what do you think?"
Just kidding.
Su Wenye was a third-grade Divine Emperor. Even with billions in wealth, if he didn't have the backing of an ultimate power behind him, he absolutely couldn't have achieved such pervasive influence and monopolized the Sacred Dynasty's commerce.
There were traces of the Holy Church's shadow on him.
Ling Xiao just wasn't sure, so… he was testing the waters too.
Su Wenye was a smart man. The deeper meaning in Ling Xiao's words was merely asking for his opinion, without the slightest disrespect towards the Holy Church.
Therefore, no matter how he answered, he wouldn't suspect Ling Xiao of anything. It's just… human desires are never about being content with subordination.
Especially now, when Su Wenye mentioned the Alliance's losses, wasn't it also a worry about the Su family's fate?
If you don't give him some xiaren [shrimp], how can you zhuxin [affect his heart; a pun on meaning 'to devastate psychologically']?
If his heart isn't affected, how would he get himself killed by the Holy Church?
If he doesn't die, when will the control of the Yun Alliance fall into my hands?
Heh…
The smartest hunters always disguise themselves as prey.
But in the end, who hunts whom…
Sure enough!
Su Wenye hesitated for a long time before placing his next piece.
For the first time, he was hesitant, just looking at Ling Xiao with a complex expression.
"Alliance Master?"
Only when Ling Xiao looked at him with some confusion did Su Wenye finally smile and nod. "Young Friend… makes a valid point! But I am a merchant. So, perhaps what I want isn't merely peace."
He stopped there, saying nothing that could cause offense.
Although there was some subtext… it was flawless.
"Young Friend, you've lost."
The final piece was placed, the trap sprung, the game won.
Su Wenye smiled and nodded. "It's been a long time since someone could give me a good game. Those who played with me before either feared me and deliberately lost, or were overthinkers, hesitant and indecisive. Only you, Young Friend, were decisive and serious. I have high hopes for you."
"The Alliance Master's skill is superb. I, Ling Xiao, am not your match."
Ling Xiao smiled humbly. Just then, footsteps sounded from the corridor.
Su Yan walked in from outside, holding the Green Demon Ancient Cauldron. Seeing the smiles on their faces, surprise flashed in her beautiful eyes.
"Father, Young Master, what were you talking about? You both seem very happy?"
Su Yan returned the Green Demon to Ling Xiao. "Young Master, I've sealed the Spirit Flame in another divine vessel. This cauldron… you can return to Auntie."
"Good! Yan'er, I heard the chrysanthemums at the foot of Enlightenment Mountain are in full bloom all over the slopes. Shall we go see them?"
Ling Xiao put the cauldron away with a gentle expression. Su Yan glanced at Su Wenye, who let out a helpless sigh. "You young people's affairs… I won't interfere anymore from now on. Do whatever you wish. Your father will support you."
"Thank you, Father!!"
Su Yan's delicate frame trembled, and a bright smile instantly lit up her pretty face. She directly grabbed Ling Xiao's hand and pulled him towards the door.
"Young Master… what did you say to Father? How did he change his mind so suddenly?"
"Nothing much. Uncle Su is a very… compassionate person."
Ling Xiao smiled faintly, but a cold glint flashed deep in his eyes.
This Su Wenye was truly an old fox, as expected.
A person who prioritized profit above all was dangerous, but wasn't he also… an easily controlled pawn?
People, if they have desires, have… weaknesses!
I, Ling Xiao, a beacon of the righteous path, how could I harm my future father-in-law!
Wouldn't that make me a beast?
If Su Wenye were to die one day, it would certainly be… a death born of greed.