Jian Long narrowed his eyes as he stared at Zhou Quan.
"Should I take it from what you're saying that you don't want to take part in this operation?"
Zhou Quan smiled and shook his head.
"No, of course not. On the contrary, this is an opportunity that may never come again."
His expression then turned serious.
"All I'm saying is that we need to proceed with caution ,In fact, based on everything you've told me, I believe we'll be safe from the Heavenly Army."
Jian Long raised an eyebrow, prompting Zhou Quan to continue.
"When a clan suffers a disaster like the Bai clan did, the first thing it does after rebuilding is conceal the location of its new settlement. It keeps its whereabouts secret until it has recovered a portion of its strength, fearing that another force will take advantage of its weakness and attack."
"In other words... the Heavenly Army most likely doesn't even know where the Bai clan has settled."
He took a sip of tea before continuing.
"If we succeed in wiping them out, it could be a very long time before the Heavenly Army even discovers what happened. In fact, if we manage to erase most of the evidence linking the incident to us, they may never discover the truth at all."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"And even if they eventually do uncover the truth, I doubt they'll consider us a target worth wasting their resources on."
"Despite their strength, the Heavenly Army doesn't possess unlimited resources. Their primary focus is hunting Rank Five and Rank Four demonic Gu Masters, since those are the ones who pose the greatest threat."
"As for a mere group of Rank Three and Rank Two Gu Masters... they would most likely receive very little attention ,But even so, we still need to be careful."
Zhou Quan's tone grew more serious.
"The last thing I want is for us to attract the attention of the Heavenly Army."
He continued calmly,
"At best, they can issue orders barring us from entering the territory of any super clan. That may not sound particularly dangerous right now, but it's an extremely troublesome punishment for any Gu Master who travels between different regions."
He shook his head before continuing.
"In reality, the super clans don't care much about what demonic Gu Masters do, no matter how atrocious their actions may be, so long as those actions do not directly threaten the clans' own interests."
"That's why you'll see plenty of demonic Gu Masters moving freely through the territories of the super clans. As long as they behave themselves and don't cause trouble, nobody pays much attention to them ,But everything changes when an order comes from the Heavenly Army ,When that happens, no super clan will hesitate to carry it out, even if they had ignored that person for decades beforehand."
He paused for a moment before adding,
"As for the worst thing the Heavenly Army can do...Let's put it this way: unless you're an exceptionally powerful Rank Five Gu Master, willing to spend the rest of your life fighting pursuits and battles..."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"...it's better to leave the Southern Border entirely before your name ends up on their list."
Jian Long placed a hand on his chin and pondered for a few moments.
"I understand."
He then raised his head and looked at Zhou Quan.
"Since we've finished discussing the basic plan, let's move on to the most important part,How large a share do you want in exchange for helping me?"
The moment the conversation turned to profits, all traces of relaxation vanished from Zhou Quan's face.
He straightened his posture and leaned slightly forward.
Deep down, he knew this might be the most important deal of his life.
If he could secure a substantial share of this operation, he might be able to purchase enough resources to raise his aptitude to B-grade, perhaps even A-grade.
After a moment of thought, he said,
"Considering the scale of the risks involved, the work required, and the connections I'll be providing, I believe five percent is a fair share."
Jian Long burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Are you trying to rob me?"
He shook his head.
"Five percent? That's far too much,Don't forget that we're talking about a fortune worth more than ten million primeval stones,five percent would be well over half a million primeval stones."
He pointed a finger at Zhou Quan.
"I'd say half a percent is more than generous for you."
Zhou Quan's expression didn't change.
It was as though he had expected this response from the very beginning.
"You're looking at the size of the fortune while ignoring the value of time."
He continued calmly,
"Don't forget that time is not on your side,Every day that passes gives the Bai clan another opportunity to recover its strength,If you wait too long, they'll reorganize themselves, rebuild their defenses, and stabilize their situation."
"And when that happens, attacking them will become many times more difficult."
He leaned forward even further.
"That's why you need someone you can trust,someone who knows this city, knows the right people, and can reach them quickly,and fortunately for you... that person is me."
"Someone I trust?!"
Jian Long scoffed as he shook his head.
"That's a huge exaggeration."
He then pointed a finger at Zhou Quan.
"In truth, I wouldn't trust you with even half a primeval stone."
A mocking smile appeared on his face.
"The only thing I trust is the contract between us."
He continued calmly,
"I could simply make the same contract with someone else, or even search the city myself for the people I need."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"The truth is, I don't need you specifically."
Rather than becoming offended, Zhou Quan smiled as if he had been expecting those words.
"Yes, of course you can."
He shrugged indifferently.
"You can look for someone else."
Then he leaned forward slightly.
"But how long will it take you to find that person?"
"And how will you know whether they possess the connections you need?"
"Will they be able to perform the job with the same level of efficiency?"
He paused for a moment before adding,
"And even if you do find someone with those qualifications, do you really think they'll accept a mere half percent?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Not to mention that every time you approach a new person, you increase the chances of being deceived or having your plan exposed."
Jian Long tapped a finger against the table.
"That still doesn't make your services worth five percent."
"And it certainly doesn't make them worth half a percent."
Zhou Quan replied immediately.
"Which is precisely why we're negotiating."
The bargaining continued for quite some time.
Each of them tried to squeeze out as many benefits as possible without pushing the other party into abandoning the deal altogether.
After a lengthy back-and-forth, they finally reached an agreement.
One percent Neither of them was completely satisfied with that number.
And that was exactly why both of them knew it was a fair deal.