Chapter 4148 — Joining the Center
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Yet the overwhelming aura of the mysterious man opposite pressed down on him until he dared not stir at all. Nan Tianjiguang even suspected that if he dared refuse to his face, he would probably not walk out of here today.
He dared not leave, yet he would not consent. Nan Tianjiguang was caught in a dilemma; within moments sweat poured from his brow, and his whole back was soaked through.
"What? You are unwilling?" A hint of menace entered the mysterious man's voice. He released no earth-shaking aura, yet it was enough to leave Nan Tianjiguang, an expert of the early Profound Ascension stage, gasping for breath in fright.
"Old friend Nan Tian, just take it quickly. We would never do you harm." Seeing this, Si Haitao hurried to chime in: "Nothing is gained without giving. If you want higher power and standing, you must show sincerity. Otherwise, how could the Center justify investing even more in you? Don't you agree that this is the way of things?"
One applied coercion, the other temptation. Nan Tianjiguang could no longer refuse even if he wished to—and besides, Si Haitao had spoken truly. In this time he had witnessed the immense power of the Central Chamber of Commerce and knew well how fearsome and astounding it was. If he could obtain its full support at any cost, the very thought of such a prospect was enough to set a man's blood racing.
In the end, Nan Tianjiguang gritted his teeth, picked up the pill from the table, and swallowed it. There was no help for it—if he did not, he could forget about leaving here in one piece today.
"Good. From this moment you are one of us. Rest assured, the Center has never treated its own shabbily." The mysterious man smiled in satisfaction.
"What should this subordinate do next? I beg Senior to instruct me," Nan Tianjiguang asked respectfully.
Nan Tianjiguang was a man who knew how to read the times. Having taken the pill, he knew that going back on it was now impossible; better to lower his posture altogether, serve this mysterious man well, and reap greater benefits in the future.
"Since you failed this time in the contest for deputy island lord of Central Island, we will look for another opportunity next time. What you must do now is lie low in the Cultivator Academy for a while, secure your footing, and find a way to make a bid for the post of executive vice principal. As for other matters, we will decide later," the mysterious man instructed.
"Yes. I shall obey Senior's instructions." Nan Tianjiguang accepted the order with alacrity.
Since he could not contend for deputy island lord of Central Island again in the near term, then securing the post of executive vice principal of the Cultivator Academy first was a fine idea as well. With the Central Chamber of Commerce at his back, he believed this step would be his for the taking.
Coming out of the mysterious man's room, Nan Tianjiguang felt as though he had just sat through a sauna—his whole body was drenched in cold sweat. Looking back at the tightly shut door, he was seized with lingering fear. Fortunately he had known how to read the times just now; otherwise, had he said half a word amiss, he might well be a corpse by now.
Since Nan Tianjiguang had been settled, Patriarch Xuanchen, who had been waiting outside the door, naturally joined the Center as well. But unlike Nan Tianjiguang, a valued core figure, even after taking the pill he could only count as a peripheral member, and in days to come he would remain Nan Tianjiguang's underling and follower.
To celebrate the two men's entry into the Center, Si Haitao had a private room prepared and a table of fine dishes laid out, and the three of them drank and made merry. R1152