Influence did not arrive loudly.
It arrived disguised as politeness.
On the seventh day after the villagers' visit, Azure Cloud Sect received gifts.
Official ones.
Neatly packaged.
Sealed with jade tags.
Delivered by cultivators who smiled too much.
Lin Chen stared at the growing pile in the courtyard.
"…We're being courted," he said flatly.
Zhao Feng blinked. "Master, isn't that good?"
Lin Chen picked up one jade tag and read aloud.
"Warm congratulations to Azure Cloud Sect for its harmonious land management."
He flipped it over.
"We humbly request a discussion regarding cooperative soil usage."
He sighed.
"They want our dirt."
---
> System Analysis:
Incoming Parties:
– Merchant Alliances
– Minor Sects
– One Extremely Polite Major Sect Proxy
Primary Goal: Resource Access
Secondary Goal: Control
Lin Chen rubbed his forehead.
"So peace really is inconvenient."
---
Little Green rolled over with a new sign:
NO DIRT SHARING
LIMIT ONE RADISH PER VISITOR
Lin Chen patted it. "You're promoted to security."
The radish saluted.
---
The first meeting was with merchants.
They smiled, praised the sect's "innovative land techniques," and slid contracts forward.
Lin Chen glanced at the numbers.
"…You want exclusive rights to our harvest."
"Yes," the merchant said smoothly. "In exchange, we offer protection."
Lin Chen smiled back.
"From what?"
The merchant paused.
"…Other people offering protection."
Lin Chen stood.
"Meeting over."
---
The second meeting was worse.
A representative from a mid-tier sect bowed deeply.
"Azure Cloud Sect need only lend us guidance," he said.
"Our sect will handle expansion."
Lin Chen replied calmly.
"You mean ownership."
The representative laughed nervously.
"…Shared ownership."
The ground rumbled.
The man stopped laughing.
---
By sunset, Lin Chen had refused everyone.
And felt it.
The air tightened.
The mountain grew alert.
> System Notice:
Refusals Logged
Reputation Shift:
Difficult to Influence
Lin Chen exhaled.
"Good."
---
That night, Lin Chen gathered his disciples.
"We are at a turning point," he said.
"From now on, we will be tested—not with force, but with offers."
Su Ming frowned. "Isn't that easier?"
Lin Chen smiled faintly.
"No," he said. "It's harder to refuse politely."
---
He looked toward the distant horizon.
Somewhere out there, larger powers were recalculating.
Azure Cloud Sect was no longer a curiosity.
It was a variable.
And variables—
Were either controlled.
Or eliminated.
Lin Chen placed a hand on the earth.
"We'll stay steady," he murmured.
The land answered.
But in the shadows beyond the mountain—
Plans were already forming.