Dual Cultivation God Returns-Chapter 789: A chance of a lifetime

"It is good work", Wu Long put away the ruler back into the Spatial Ring, and placed it on the table, implying that he has not yet taken possession of it.

After all, even if Kai Huoshi raised the issue of the technique and payment, they haven't come to any agreement.

"Thank you, Master Wu", the young Forging Master spoke with a light bow.

"Now, let's discuss why I sought you out a few days before", Wu Long reminded him that this order was a kind of test.

"Y-yes... It's just the technique you gave is... its better than our house's legacy secret technique...", Kai Huoshi nodded, but then, as if not able to get it out of his head, added with a bewildered look, still struggling to believe he received something so precious with such ease.

"We will come to the matter of the technique later", Wu Long smiled, "What I want to offer you, is a deal first, and then a job"

"A... job?", Young Master Kai finally seemed to be calmed down by the sudden shift in topic that took him by surprise, jolting him out of his excited state.

"If seen by a third party, it may sound strange for someone of your status to be given such an offer, but someone familiar with your situation will not be so surprised", Wu Long nodded.

"You mean that I am the third son?", Kai Huoshi made a wry smile, understanding what was implied. He would not be inheriting the Family Head position, and was destined to be relegated to the background.

"That, and the fact you will be sacrificed - metaphorically speaking - in servitude of your family's future. I am talking about, of course, your marriage with Young Lady Shan, it is basically set in stone, is it not?"

"It seems the rumors are spreading outside the family as well...", Kai Huoshi chuckled.

"What if I offered you a way out of that fate? That is the deal I spoke about"

"A way out? What makes you think I would take that deal?"

"The fact you did almost everything to sabotage that marriage during your hunting trip, appearing as unappealing to her as possible without letting her and the other Young Masters know it was on purpose. As far as I can tell, even though you hid it pretty well under the mask of being her admirer, you abhor that woman"

"...", Kai Huoshi slightly widened his eyes in shock. It was one thing for Wu Long to somehow know secrets that could still be found out through various information brokers or rumors, it was completely another to know something only Young Master Kai knew, and never divulged to anyone. Rather, it was something he tried his best to conceal, as it went against his family.

"Not only that, your mind is likely set on a different woman. If you take the deal, not only will I help you to get out of marriage with the Shan Family's Young Lady, I will do what I can to help you with the one you really want to be with", Wu Long added.

He noticed that Young Master Kai never showed any interest in Wu Long's women. There was admiration, but only a natural reaction, like when witnessing a truly beautiful scenery or a wonder of ingenuity. Yet he was largely unmoved, his heart already belonging to someone else, and given the steadiness of his commitment, it was very possible that the romance with that someone had already started in secret. It was also the reason he was the only man among that hunting group who didn't try approaching them.

Meanwhile, Kai Huoshi's shock intensified, however, he quickly was brought down to earth with a realization, "And how are you going to achieve that? The Family Patriarch and Elders have already decided... they will never back down. I tried my best to find a way out for half a year already, but it was all futile"

"Who said I will be persuading them? It's not really up to them whether this marriage happens or not, after all, it isn't the Shan Family that is struggling and really needs this marriage, but the Kai Family", Wu Long shook his head, "And there happens to be another noble family who could profit from such a marriage, the Rou Family. Their Second Young Master also is an admirer of that Young Lady, a genuine one unlike you, even if he's fickle about it. But from what I've seen, they're practically made for each other"

As he spoke the last part, both Sui Luxiao and Nie Xiwang gave him a side-eye with wry smiles, knowing full well that a marriage of those two was basically throwing both into a fiery pit of misery. At the same time though, that would potentially save two innocent people from having to marry one of them.

"...you never stated what you get out of that deal...", Young Master Kai carefully asked, understanding that this man might really be able to do what he said he was going to do.

"The first part is quite simple, I just need to know where the designs for the retractable armor that the Imperial Guards use came from. You will likely be able to find out from your family's archives or by just asking your father, the Patriarch. I don't think he will think much of telling you. It is not a publicly available information, but is perfectly harmless to your family even if you divulge it"

"...", Kai Huoshi touched his chin with his hand in thought. So far, it really seemed like a harmless deal, one skewed extremely in his favor.

Meanwhile, Wu Long continued, "...the second part is a bit more tricky, and it also is connected to the job I talked about earlier. In fact it would be better to discuss the job before discussing the second part of the deal"

"The job... are you... offering me to be your exclusive Forging Master?"

"Indeed, but it is a little more than that. I'm offering you to leave this city behind and work for me. Of course, I will help you take your woman with you"

"Leave the city?", Kai Huoshi raised his eyebrows, the thought seemingly never even occurring to him.

"There is a much wider world outside", Wu Long nodded with a smile, "Not only will you be able to learn and see new things, but you will have a real opportunity to reach heights of Forging Dao you could never achieve here. The forging technique I gave you before is only a small piece of what you could gain"

As he was speaking, Young Master Kai's eyes visibly livened up.

"But perhaps even more importantly, you will be free to be with your lover, unrestrained by the boundaries of your family, and able to forge your own path", Wu Long added, "Since what I would require from you is only to do what you already love doing, Forging"

Kai Huoshi's throat became dry as he thought about the possibilities. After all, he knew what kind of life he would lead here even if he made a deal with Wu Long and there was no marriage with the Shan Family.

On the other hand, taking the offer of a stranger like Wu Long was risky, since he did not know what he would be getting into.

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The dilemma was between a known, but guaranteed life of mediocrity and very subtle, gnawing misery that bit off chunks of him slowly day after day, and a chance of unknown, which could turn out far worse, but could also be better.

After lowering his head and closing his eyes for a full minute in thought, he looked back up at Wu Long with a look of determination in his eyes.

"I hope to not let down your generous offer", he spoke realizing that if Wu Long really possessed more than the technique he gave him, it was a great fortune to be given such an offer.

Wu Long smiled, definitely satisfied with how decisive the young Forging Master turned out to be.

He continuously marveled at the ability of Mortals and Transcendents to take such life-changing decisions with such haste and decisiveness, which was hardly seen from Immortals and Gods.

It could be seen as reckless, and at the same time there was a certain charm to it. It was fascinating at the very least.

"Good choice. Now, for the second part of this deal, is to extend this offer of employment to the second and third sons of the branch families of your Kai Family, as well as vassal families, perhaps even a portion of your hired artisans, though just arranging for a meeting is fine by me. It would be even better if you would get in touch with those Second or Third Young Masters of the other four families that you have good relations with and who you believe do not get the respect and treatment they deserve where they are"

Kai Huoshi froze, since this conversation suddenly veered into a very dangerous territory. Poaching talent of noble families was viewed as a serious insult, if not outright a declaration of war. It was fine if it was only Kai Huoshi, since that could be possibly disguised as him simply running away, eloping with his beloved. It was another if they started recruiting in numbers.

"This...", he didn't know how to reply.

"Since you took my offer, I'll be honest with you. The Kai Family might seem fine on the surface, but it has been in steady decline for some time, unable to compete with the other four families in the same business, losing some of their auxiliary business such as forging materials refinement workshops to them, and most importantly, accumulating more loans with the Trading Companies. Their desperate marriage proposal to the Shan Family is a sign they won't last much longer. If this marriage falls through, the decline will continue, and once they do show visible cracks the collapse will happen very fast", Wu Long spoke in a calm tone.

Here Nie Xiwang joined the conversation, adding, "Once that happens, they will seek to become a vassal family to one of the other four families in order to prevent completely losing everything they have. They tried to do it in a more graceful manner, through marriage bonds with the Shan Family, but at that time they would have no choice but to enter into a less dignified deal and become a lesser noble house instead of gradually merging into the other family while saving their status"

"At that time...", Sui Luxiao continued the explanation, "...the family that will accept them as a vassal will seek to cut losses in order to not bring in a burden. The main family would be left intact, and branch families would likely only have to purge the non-heirs, leaving only the first son of each branch family, maybe a second son as well for some. But the vassal families and hired artisans would be likely almost entirely let go, sent packing with little to nothing"

As they spoke, meticulously describing the future collapse of the Kai Family, Kai Huoshi's gaze became more and more horrified.

"This would also happen, by the way, even if the marriage does happen", Wu Long added, seeing a certain doubt forming in the young man's eyes, "So you sacrificing yourself into marriage would not change this outcome by that much"

"Unfortunately so", Sui Luxiao nodded with a regretful expression, "None of the four families have the ability to gobble up the entire Kai Family along with their debts, including the Shan Family. So parts would have to be cut off"

Nie Xiwang sighed, "And the Main Branch of the Kai Family will not allow for a partial absorption of their people to noble families other than the one they become a vassal to. It would be too shameful for them, and in breach of the conditions under which they would be accepted as vassals. If there would appear signs of that happening, they very well might go to the extreme and cut down those they could not retain instead of letting them go"

"But...", Kai Huoshi spoke up in shock, unable to speak further.

Wu Long made a nod, with a look of understanding in his eyes, adding "I understand it might be hard to process. But as Xiwang said earlier, this marriage proposal is just a way to save face. In reality it would not be able to save the family. Why do you think they chose you, and not the First Young Master? It is because the Kai Family would not be welcoming in the Young Lady of the Shan Family, you will be married into it instead"

The room became silent for some time, as Kai Huoshi lowered his face in thought, a heavy expression in his eyes.

Wu Long and his ladies did not interrupt his thoughts or urge him, understanding that he needed a bit of time to not only come to terms with what was revealed to him, but also to think over what Wu Long was offering.

"You are saying... that you are taking people who will likely lose everything anyway... why don't you wait for that to happen, since then no one will refuse and be even more grateful to you when you do?", Kai Huoshi raised his head again, asking slightly nervously.

"Because this is not a charity. What I want are people with ambition, who will grasp the opportunity I give them even if their current conditions look stable to them. I do not plan to advertise my proposal beyond what is necessary to understand its significance, much less try to persuade those who scoff at my offer, that would be just inviting trouble later on", Wu Long shook his head.

The young Forging Master gulped, realizing why Wu Long made his offer before explaining the difficult situation that the Kai Family was in. He understood, that if he refused the offer, Wu Long would not proceed to tell him the second part of the deal, and would not persuade him by explaining all of this either.