“ rì ní mǎ ， huán qián ！”
“日尼玛，还钱！”
"F*ck, pay back the money!"
“ wǒ shuō nà lǐ fán ， zěn huì tū rán rú cǐ hǎo xīn ！ tíng le xǔ jiǔ de mù zī jì huà ， háo wú zhēng zhào de jiù chóng qǐ le ！ chóng qǐ jiù chóng qǐ le ba ， hái qǔ xiāo le mù jí shàng xiàn ！ yuán lái shì zài zhè děng zhe wǒ men nà ！”
“我说那李凡，怎会突然如此好心！停了许久的募资计划，毫无征兆的就重启了！重启就重启了吧，还取消了募集上限！原来是在这等着我们那！”
"Li Fan, how could he suddenly become so benevolent! After a long pause in fundraising plans, they just restarted without any warning! Restarting is one thing, but canceling the upper limit on contributions? It seems like he's been waiting for us all along!"
“ jiù shì ， cǐ rén tuī yǎn néng lì yǐ dá huà jìng ， lián wàn xiān méng hé wǔ lǎo huì tíng zhàn zhè zhǒng shì qíng dōu néng wèi bǔ xiān zhī ， zhè cì fàng kāi gōng fǎ ， tā yān néng tuī cè bù chū ？ wǒ kàn tā jiù shì xiǎng chèn zhe zhè ge jī huì ， kēng xiōng dì men yī bǐ ！”
“就是，此人推衍能力已达化境，连万仙盟和五老会停战这种事情都能未卜先知，这次放开功法，他焉能推测不出？我看他就是想趁着这个机会，坑兄弟们一笔！”
"That’s right. His ability to predict future events has reached the realm of transformation. He could foresee even something as significant as the ceasefire between the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association. How can he not figure out what we’re doing now? I think he just wants to take advantage of this opportunity to fleece us!"
“ bù zhì yú ba ， yǐ mì shǐ dà rén rú jīn de shēn jiā dì wèi ， hái kàn dé shàng zán men zhè diǎn xiǎo qián ？”
“不至于吧，以秘使大人如今的身家地位，还看得上咱们这点小钱？”
"Come on, with Secret Envoy大人's current status and wealth, does he really care about our small contributions?"
“ yī rén 、 shí gè rén ， huò xǔ tā hái bù xīn dòng 。 kě zhè cì cān yù mù jí de xiū shì ， hé zhǐ shàng wàn ！ zhè me duō gòng xiàn dù ， bié shuō tā yí gè xiǎo xiǎo de zhōu yù mì zì shǐ le ， jiù suàn shì hé dào xiān zūn ， kǒng pà yě dōu yào yǎn hóng ！ nǐ men kàn zhe ba ， yī huì zhǎo hé zhèng hào yào huí wǒ men gòng xiàn dù de shí hòu ， tā bì dìng bǎi bān tuī cí ！”
“一人、十个人，或许他还不心动。可这次参与募集的修士，何止上万！这么多贡献度，别说他一个小小的州域秘字使了，就算是合道仙尊，恐怕也都要眼红！你们看着吧，一会找何正浩要回我们贡献度的时候，他必定百般推辞！”
"One person or ten people might not move him, but there are more than ten thousand cultivators participating in the fundraising! So many contributions; even a minor regional secret envoy like me would be envious. Just wait and see how he will refuse to give back our contributions when we ask for them."
bù shǎo xiū shì de gǔ dòng xià ， yī shí jiān rén xīn huáng huáng 、 qún qíng jī fèn 。
不少修士的鼓动下，一时间人心惶惶、群情激奋。
With the encouragement of many cultivators, the crowd outside was agitated and excited.
wéi zài bù zhèng táng mén kǒu ， jiǔ jiǔ bù yuàn lí qù 。
围在布政堂门口，久久不愿离去。
They lingered around the Office of Administration, unwilling to leave.
àn lǐ shuō ， zhè xiān chéng zhōng yāng hé xīn qū yù ， wú guān rén děng shì bù yǔn xǔ jù jí de 。
按理说，这仙城中央核心区域，无关人等是不允许聚集的。
Logically speaking,无关 individuals were not allowed to gather in this central core area of the Immortal City.
nài hé zhè cì mù zī shì jiàn qiān chě de rén tài duō ， lián bù shǎo tǐ zhì nèi xiū shì dōu gòng xiàn le quán bù shēn jiā 。
奈何这次募资事件牵扯的人太多，连不少体制内修士都贡献了全部身家。
However, due to the complexity of this fundraising event, even some internal cultivators had contributed their entire assets. With the current 50% discount on techniques, these people couldn't immediately come up with enough contributions.
rú jīn gōng fǎ wǔ zhé ， zhè xiē rén yī shí jiān tāo bù chū zú gòu de gòng xiàn dù lái 。
如今功法五折，这些人一时间掏不出足够的贡献度来。
Their special status prevented them from bothering their superiors, but they were willing to let things slide and allow them to "defend their rights."
tā men shēn fèn tè shū ， zhǎo dǐng tóu shàng sī de má fán zì shì bù gǎn 。
他们身份特殊，找顶头上司的麻烦自是不敢。
Thus, this chaos ensued.
kě zhēng yī zhī yǎn 、 bì yī zhī yǎn ， fàng zhè xiē rén jìn lái “ tì zì jǐ wéi quán ” de dǎn zi ， què shì yǒu de 。
可睁一只眼、闭一只眼，放这些人进来“替自己维权”的胆子，却是有的。
Outside was a cacophony of voices. Inside the Office of Administration, Gao Yuan and He Zhenghao were calm and unconcerned.
yú shì biàn zào chéng le zhè děng hùn luàn de jǐng xiàng 。
于是便造成了这等混乱的景象。
"A bunch of troublemakers!"
wài miàn fèi fǎn yíng tiān ， bù zhèng táng nèi ， gāo yuǎn yǔ hé zhèng hào què shì yí rán zì dé ， yì diǎn dōu bù dān xīn 。
外面沸反盈天，布政堂内，高远与何正浩却是怡然自得，一点都不担心。
"We agreed on five years. Five years! How long has it been? They're already clamoring to redeem their contributions?"
“ yī qún diāo mín ！”
“一群刁民！”
"Is this really what I signed with you all after so much hard work?"
“ dāng chū shuō hǎo shì wǔ nián 。 wǔ nián jiù wǔ nián ！ zhè cái guò qù duō jiǔ ， zhè jiù chǎo zhe yào shú huí gòng xiàn dù le ？”
“当初说好是五年。五年就五年！这才过去多久，这就吵着要赎回贡献度了？”
He Zhenghao's tone was disdainful as he scanned the descriptions on a small mirror.
“ zhēn dāng wǒ gēn nǐ men yī fèn fèn xīn kǔ qiān dìng de shāng qì shì jiǎ de ？”
“真当我跟你们一份份辛苦签订的商契是假的？”
"The *Tiger Ascending Nine Transformations* technique, a cultivation method that can transform one into a divine being. It requires 950,000 contributions. By transforming like a dragon, it can change fate and reshape oneself..."
hé zhèng hào yǔ qì bù xiè ， yǎn shén zài qián fāng tiān xuán xiǎo jìng de jìng miàn shàng bù duàn huá guò 。
何正浩语气不屑，眼神在前方天玄小镜的镜面上不断划过。
"The *Sleeve of Mountains and Rivers* technique, another cultivation method requiring 1 million contributions. When fully mastered, one can sweep away mountains with a wave of the hand..."
“《 lóng téng jiǔ biàn 》， huà shén gōng fǎ ， jiǔ shí wǔ wàn gòng xiàn dù 。 rú lóng tuì biàn ， kě nì tiān gǎi mìng ， zhòng sù jǐ shēn ……”
“《龙腾九变》，化神功法，九十五万贡献度。如龙蜕变，可逆天改命，重塑己身……”
...
“《 xiù lǐ shān hé 》， huà shén gōng fǎ ， yì bǎi wàn gòng xiàn dù ， xiū zhì dà chéng ， jǔ shǒu tóu zú jiān kě fú xiù shōu shān hé ……”
“《袖里山河》，化神功法，一百万贡献度，修至大成，举手投足间可拂袖收山河……”
He Zhenghao casually picked through various techniques that he previously couldn't have imagined obtaining.
……
……
After following Li Fan for just a few years, he was no longer the frugal Lustrous Island guardian who had to carefully manage every 100 contribution points.
yī mén mén yǐ wǎng xiǎng dōu bù gǎn xiǎng de gōng fǎ ， rú jīn tā què shì sī háo méi yǒu fù dān de suí yì tiāo xuǎn 。
一门门以往想都不敢想的功法，如今他却是丝毫没有负担的随意挑选。
"Although these divine transformation techniques are decent, they still lack something. It would be better to directly exchange for transcendent cultivation methods."
gēn zài lǐ fán shēn hòu duǎn duǎn jǐ nián ， tā zǎo yǐ bú shì dāng chū nà ge ， lián yì bǎi diǎn gòng xiàn dù dōu yào jīng dǎ xì suàn de liú lí dǎo zhèn shǒu le 。
跟在李凡身后短短几年，他早已不是当初那个，连一百点贡献度都要精打细算的琉璃岛镇守了。
...
“ suī rán zhè xiē huà shén gōng fǎ dōu hái bú cuò ， dàn zǒng guī chà le diǎn yì si 。 bù rú yī bù dào wèi ， zhí jiē duì huàn hé dào gōng fǎ 。”
“虽然这些化神功法都还不错，但总归差了点意思。不如一步到位，直接兑换合道功法。”
"This is a rare opportunity."
“ jī huì nán dé a 。”
“机会难得啊。”
After staring at several transcendent cultivation methods, He Zhenghao suddenly felt compelled to make his choice.
tiǎo huā le yǎn de hé zhèng hào ， cǐ shí yí gè niàn tou yǒng xiàn ， jiù zài yě yì zhì bú zhù 。
挑花了眼的何正浩，此时一个念头涌现，就再也抑制不住。
After carefully reviewing the descriptions of some of those techniques, he found them uninteresting in comparison.
zǐ xì duān xiáng le jǐ bù hé dào gōng fǎ de shuō míng hòu ， xiān qián zhōng yì de nà jǐ bù huà shén gōng fǎ ， dùn jué suǒ rán wú wèi 。
仔细端详了几部合道功法的说明后，先前中意的那几部化神功法，顿觉索然无味。
"Hmm... These are all not ordinary items. At minimum, they require 2 million contributions. I don't have enough."
“ ń …… zhè xiē dōu fēi fán pǐn ， zuì dī yě yào liǎng bǎi wàn gòng xiàn dù ， shǒu tóu gòng xiàn dù yǒu diǎn bù gòu 。”
“嗯……这些都非凡品，最低也要两百万贡献度，手头贡献度有点不够。”
"If I choose one that suits me better, it will be even more."
“ yào shì tiāo xuǎn bǐ jiào shì hé wǒ de ， nà chà de jiù gèng duō le 。”
“要是挑选比较适合我的，那差的就更多了。”
"But, there might still be a way to handle this..."
“ bù guò ， yě bú shì bù néng xiǎng diǎn bàn fǎ ……”
“不过，也不是不能想点办法……”
He Zhenghao began to think of ways out.
hé zhèng hào xīn zhōng àn zì pán suàn qǐ lái 。
何正浩心中暗自盘算起来。
Meanwhile, Gao Yuan remained silent throughout, his excitement clearly visible in his eyes.
ér yī páng de gāo yuǎn ， cóng shǐ zhì zhōng jiē shì chén mò bù yǔ 。 zhǐ shì yǎn zhōng xīng fèn de shén qíng ， zěn me dōu zhē yǎn bú zhù 。
而一旁的高远，从始至终皆是沉默不语。只是眼中兴奋的神情，怎么都遮掩不住。
Like He Zhenghao, he was also selecting techniques for himself.
gēn hé zhèng hào yī yàng ， zhèng zài tiāo xuǎn zhe xīn yí de gōng fǎ 。
跟何正浩一样，正在挑选着心仪的功法。
Only Zhou Qingang, sitting between them, closed his eyes and remained unmoved.
wéi yǒu duān zuò èr rén zhōng yāng de zhōu qīng áng bù tóng 。
唯有端坐二人中央的周青昂不同。
"This Zhou Qingang's ability to cultivate is increasingly impressive. Even such temptations can't sway him," both He Zhenghao and Gao Yuan thought as they glanced at Zhou Qingang.
zhǐ shì bì mù chén sī ， bù wèi suǒ dòng 。
只是闭目沉思，不为所动。
After being constantly harassed by cultivators who wanted to redeem their contributions early, the three of them had hidden here with the door closed for some time now.
“ zhè zhōu qīng áng yǎng qì gōng fu yù fā lìng rén chī jīng le ， zhè zhǒng yòu huò dōu néng dǐ kàng zhù 。 yě nán guài mì shǐ dà rén yuè lái yuè zhòng shì tā 。” hé zhèng hào gēn gāo yuǎn jiàn xì shí bù jīng yì de piē guò zhōu qīng áng ， jù shì rú cǐ xiǎng dào 。
“这周青昂养气功夫愈发令人吃惊了，这种诱惑都能抵抗住。也难怪秘使大人越来越重视他。”何正浩跟高远间隙时不经意的撇过周青昂，俱是如此想到。
Soon after, Zhou Qingang suddenly spoke up: "Letting them continue like this isn't a good idea."
zì cóng bù jiǔ qián ， lù lù xù xù yǒu xiū shì zhǎo shàng mén 、 xiǎng yào tí qián shú huí gòng xiàn dù hòu ， tā men bèi sāo rǎo de bù shèng qí fán hòu 。
自从不久前，陆陆续续有修士找上门、想要提前赎回贡献度后，他们被骚扰的不胜其烦后。
"We don’t care. Let them think whatever they want. The only concern is that in their anger, they might say something that could tarnish Secret Envoy大人's reputation."
sān rén jiù yì qǐ duǒ dào le zhè lǐ ， dà mén jǐn bì ， yǎn bù jiàn wéi jìng 。
三人就一起躲到了这里，大门紧闭，眼不见为净。
"Words can be dangerous! If it gets out, people might really think Secret Envoy大人 is a petty person who covets others' assets!"
bù jiǔ zhī hòu ， yì zhí bì kǒu bù yán de zhōu qīng áng hū de kāi kǒu dào ：“ rèn yóu tā men zhè me nào xià qù ， dào yě bú shì bàn fǎ 。”
不久之后，一直闭口不言的周青昂忽的开口道：“任由他们这么闹下去，倒也不是办法。”
Gao Yuan reacted quickly and agreed with Zhou Qingang: "That’s right. Secret Envoy大人 was hoping to use this to win hearts. If we drag this on, it might delay his plans."
“ wǒ men dǎo shì wú suǒ wèi ， rèn píng tā men zěn me qù xiǎng 。 jiù pà tā men xiū nù zhī xià kǒu bù zé yán ， huài le mì shǐ dà rén qīng yù 。”
“我们倒是无所谓，任凭他们怎么去想。就怕他们羞怒之下口不择言，坏了秘使大人清誉。”
He Zhenghao looked up in surprise and asked, "What do the two of you suggest?"
“ rén yán kě wèi a ！ dào shí hòu chuán chū qù ， bù zhī qíng de wài rén ， hái zhēn yǐ wéi mì shǐ dà rén shì nà zhǒng tān tú bié rén zī chǎn de xiǎo rén ne ！”
“人言可畏啊！到时候传出去，不知情的外人，还真以为秘使大人是那种贪图别人资产的小人呢！”
"Secret Envoy大人 had mentioned before that according to the contract, early redemption is possible but with a penalty fee and lifetime prohibition from future fundraising."
gāo yuǎn fǎn yìng jí kuài ， zhōu qīng áng huà yīn wèi luò ， tā jiù fù hè dào ：“ bù cuò ， mì shǐ dà rén hái xiǎng zhe kào cǐ shì lǒng luò rén xīn ne 。 ruò shì zài tuō xià qù ， pà bú shì yào dān gē dà rén móu huà ！”
高远反应极快，周青昂话音未落，他就附和道：“不错，秘使大人还想着靠此事笼络人心呢。若是再拖下去，怕不是要耽搁大人谋划！”
"You go out there and explain this. If they still insist on it, just give them back their contributions."
hé zhèng hào zhè shí tái qǐ tóu ， lèng lèng dì wèn dào ：“ liǎng wèi dào yǒu yǒu hé gāo jiàn ？”
何正浩这时抬起头，愣愣地问道：“两位道友有何高见？”
"I'll register the names and report to Secret Envoy大人. The issue should be resolved," Zhou Qingang said calmly.
“ mì shǐ dà rén zhī qián bú shì yǒu guò jiāo dài me ， shāng qì shàng yě qīng qīng chǔ chǔ de xiě míng liǎo 。 xiǎng yào tí qián shú huí ， yě bú shì bù xíng 。 wú fēi jiù shì kòu chú diǎn wéi yuē jīn ， bìng qiě zhōng shēn jìn zhǐ cān yù yǐ hòu de mù zī jì huà bà le 。”
“秘使大人之前不是有过交代么，商契上也清清楚楚的写明了。想要提前赎回，也不是不行。无非就是扣除点违约金，并且终身禁止参与以后的募资计划罢了。”
He Zhenghao inwardly groaned: "You make it sound so easy—just a penalty fee? That's actually one-third! How many people would agree to that? If I say this, they'll tear me apart!"
“ nǐ chū qù gēn tā men jiǎng qīng chǔ 。 rú guǒ tā men réng rán yī yì gū xíng ， nà jiù bǎ gòng xiàn dù huán gěi tā men jiù shì 。”
“你出去跟他们讲清楚。如果他们仍然一意孤行，那就把贡献度还给他们就是。”
He looked desperately at Gao Yuan, who was still engrossed in his own thoughts.
“ míng dān nǐ dēng jì hǎo ， wǒ shàng bào gěi mì shǐ dà rén 。 zhè shì bù jiù jiě jué le ma ？”
“名单你登记好，我上报给秘使大人。这事不就解决了嘛？”
"Friend He?"
zhōu qīng áng màn tiáo sī lǐ de shuō dào 。
周青昂慢条斯理的说道。
With Zhou Qingang’s stern tone, He Zhenghao reluctantly agreed.
hé zhèng hào xīn zhōng què shì àn zì jiào kǔ bù dié ：“ nǐ shuō de qīng sōng ， nà shì yì diǎn wéi yuē jīn ma ？ nà kě shì zú zú sān fēn zhī yī ！ dōu shì xīn xīn kǔ kǔ zǎn xià lái de ， yǒu duō shǎo rén shě de ？ zhēn yào zhè me shuō ， tā men hái bù bǎ wǒ gěi shēng sī le ？”
何正浩心中却是暗自叫苦不迭：“你说的轻松，那是一点违约金嘛？那可是足足三分之一！都是辛辛苦苦攒下来的，有多少人舍得？真要这么说，他们还不把我给生撕了？”
The moment he stepped out of the Office of Administration, the noisy crowd suddenly fell silent, all eyes on him.
qiú jiù shì de kàn xiàng gāo yuǎn ， què jiàn tā yǎn guān bí 、 bí guān xīn ， yī fù shì bù guān jǐ de mú yàng 。
求救似的看向高远，却见他眼观鼻、鼻观心，一副事不关己的模样。
"Boom!"
“ hé dào yǒu ？”
“何道友？”
The door quickly closed behind him. He Zhenghao forced a grimace: "Please listen to my explanation!"
tīng zhe zhōu qīng áng zài dù jiā zhòng de yǔ qì ， hé zhèng hào wú nài ， zhǐ dé yìng zhe tóu pí dā yìng 。
听着周青昂再度加重的语气，何正浩无奈，只得硬着头皮答应。
...
dāng tā zǒu chū bù zhèng táng de chà nà ， yuán běn rén shēng dǐng fèi de xiū shì qún tǐ ， hū de jí tǐ ān jìng xià lái 。
当他走出布政堂的刹那，原本人声鼎沸的修士群体，忽的集体安静下来。
While He Zhenghao was trying to reason with the cultivators, Han Yi remained in deep regret.
qí shuā shuā dì kàn zhe hé zhèng hào 。
齐刷刷地看着何正浩。
After learning about the discounted techniques, although he had no money now, he still studied the list out of curiosity.
“ hōng ！”
“轰！”
Seeing it made him feel unbalanced.
shēn hòu dà mén xùn sù guān bì ， hé zhèng hào lù chū yí gè bǐ kū hái nán kàn de xiào róng ：“ zhū wèi ， qǐng tīng wǒ jiě shì ！”
身后大门迅速关闭，何正浩露出一个比哭还难看的笑容：“诸位，请听我解释！”
There was a technique called *The Book of Void Tribulation* that could help avoid disasters and calamities. At 50% off, it only required 1.1 million contributions.
……
……
"If combined with my Destiny Scripture, I can significantly reduce the consequences of fate's backlash."
zhèng dāng hé zhèng hào jiǎo jǐn nǎo dài ， gēn yī zhòng xiū shì men jiǎng dào lǐ de shí hòu 。
正当何正浩绞尽脑袋，跟一众修士们讲道理的时候。
"I won't have to worry about random disasters anymore."
hán yì què shì réng rán méi cóng jí dù ào huǐ zhōng huǎn guò shén lái 。
韩易却是仍然没从极度懊悔中缓过神来。
"It’s perfect for me..."
gōng fǎ dǎ zhé de xiāo xī gōng bù hòu ， tā suī rán rú jīn shēn wú fēn wén ， kě yě bào zhe còu rè nào de xīn tài ， yán jiū qǐ le zhè cì gōng bù de gōng fǎ míng dān 。
功法打折的消息公布后，他虽然如今身无分文，可也抱着凑热闹的心态，研究起了这次公布的功法名单。
The more he thought about it, the more regretful he felt.
bù kàn hái hǎo ， zhè yī kàn ， ràng tā xīn lǐ shùn jiān yǒu diǎn shī héng le 。
不看还好，这一看，让他心里瞬间有点失衡了。
"How could I not control myself back then?"
qí zhōng yǒu yī mén míng wèi 《 kōng jié hùn yuán shū 》 de gōng fǎ ， yǒu bì zāi huò 、 duǒ jié nàn de miào yòng 。
其中有一门名为《空劫混元书》的功法，有避灾祸、躲劫难的妙用。
His frustration caused him to choke on his own blood.
"F*ck, pay back the money!"
"Li Fan, how could he suddenly become so benevolent! After a long pause in fundraising plans, they just restarted without any warning! Restarting is one thing, but canceling the upper limit on contributions? It seems like he's been waiting for us all along!"
"That’s right. His ability to predict future events has reached the realm of transformation. He could foresee even something as significant as the ceasefire between the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association. How can he not figure out what we’re doing now? I think he just wants to take advantage of this opportunity to fleece us!"
"Come on, with Secret Envoy大人's current status and wealth, does he really care about our small contributions?"
"One person or ten people might not move him, but there are more than ten thousand cultivators participating in the fundraising! So many contributions; even a minor regional secret envoy like me would be envious. Just wait and see how he will refuse to give back our contributions when we ask for them."
With the encouragement of many cultivators, the crowd outside was agitated and excited.
They lingered around the Office of Administration, unwilling to leave.
Logically speaking,无关 individuals were not allowed to gather in this central core area of the Immortal City.
However, due to the complexity of this fundraising event, even some internal cultivators had contributed their entire assets. With the current 50% discount on techniques, these people couldn't immediately come up with enough contributions.
Their special status prevented them from bothering their superiors, but they were willing to let things slide and allow them to "defend their rights."
Thus, this chaos ensued.
Outside was a cacophony of voices. Inside the Office of Administration, Gao Yuan and He Zhenghao were calm and unconcerned.
"A bunch of troublemakers!"
"We agreed on five years. Five years! How long has it been? They're already clamoring to redeem their contributions?"
"Is this really what I signed with you all after so much hard work?"
He Zhenghao's tone was disdainful as he scanned the descriptions on a small mirror.
"The *Tiger Ascending Nine Transformations* technique, a cultivation method that can transform one into a divine being. It requires 950,000 contributions. By transforming like a dragon, it can change fate and reshape oneself..."
"The *Sleeve of Mountains and Rivers* technique, another cultivation method requiring 1 million contributions. When fully mastered, one can sweep away mountains with a wave of the hand..."
...
He Zhenghao casually picked through various techniques that he previously couldn't have imagined obtaining.
After following Li Fan for just a few years, he was no longer the frugal Lustrous Island guardian who had to carefully manage every 100 contribution points.
"Although these divine transformation techniques are decent, they still lack something. It would be better to directly exchange for transcendent cultivation methods."
...
"This is a rare opportunity."
After staring at several transcendent cultivation methods, He Zhenghao suddenly felt compelled to make his choice.
After carefully reviewing the descriptions of some of those techniques, he found them uninteresting in comparison.
"Hmm... These are all not ordinary items. At minimum, they require 2 million contributions. I don't have enough."
"If I choose one that suits me better, it will be even more."
"But, there might still be a way to handle this..."
He Zhenghao began to think of ways out.
Meanwhile, Gao Yuan remained silent throughout, his excitement clearly visible in his eyes.
Like He Zhenghao, he was also selecting techniques for himself.
Only Zhou Qingang, sitting between them, closed his eyes and remained unmoved.
"This Zhou Qingang's ability to cultivate is increasingly impressive. Even such temptations can't sway him," both He Zhenghao and Gao Yuan thought as they glanced at Zhou Qingang.
After being constantly harassed by cultivators who wanted to redeem their contributions early, the three of them had hidden here with the door closed for some time now.
Soon after, Zhou Qingang suddenly spoke up: "Letting them continue like this isn't a good idea."
"We don’t care. Let them think whatever they want. The only concern is that in their anger, they might say something that could tarnish Secret Envoy大人's reputation."
"Words can be dangerous! If it gets out, people might really think Secret Envoy大人 is a petty person who covets others' assets!"
Gao Yuan reacted quickly and agreed with Zhou Qingang: "That’s right. Secret Envoy大人 was hoping to use this to win hearts. If we drag this on, it might delay his plans."
He Zhenghao looked up in surprise and asked, "What do the two of you suggest?"
"Secret Envoy大人 had mentioned before that according to the contract, early redemption is possible but with a penalty fee and lifetime prohibition from future fundraising."
"You go out there and explain this. If they still insist on it, just give them back their contributions."
"I'll register the names and report to Secret Envoy大人. The issue should be resolved," Zhou Qingang said calmly.
He Zhenghao inwardly groaned: "You make it sound so easy—just a penalty fee? That's actually one-third! How many people would agree to that? If I say this, they'll tear me apart!"
He looked desperately at Gao Yuan, who was still engrossed in his own thoughts.
"Friend He?"
With Zhou Qingang’s stern tone, He Zhenghao reluctantly agreed.
The moment he stepped out of the Office of Administration, the noisy crowd suddenly fell silent, all eyes on him.
"Boom!"
The door quickly closed behind him. He Zhenghao forced a grimace: "Please listen to my explanation!"
...
While He Zhenghao was trying to reason with the cultivators, Han Yi remained in deep regret.
After learning about the discounted techniques, although he had no money now, he still studied the list out of curiosity.
Seeing it made him feel unbalanced.
There was a technique called *The Book of Void Tribulation* that could help avoid disasters and calamities. At 50% off, it only required 1.1 million contributions.
"If combined with my Destiny Scripture, I can significantly reduce the consequences of fate's backlash."
"I won't have to worry about random disasters anymore."
"It’s perfect for me..."
The more he thought about it, the more regretful he felt.
"How could I not control myself back then?"
His frustration caused him to choke on his own blood.