"How could that be acceptable?" Jiang Wang interjected, "The Tai Xu Corner Tower is being built on your territory. You will need to take care of it in the future. Moreover, I still feel guilty towards you, Brother Lv, about the matters of the Heavenly Abode Secret Land. No matter what, you have to let me give you an explanation."

"One thing at a time, business cannot be discussed in such a manner," Lv Zongxiao said excitedly, "Can’t I see the future of the Tai Xu Corner Tower? It is enough to ensure the long-term prosperity of Heavenly Mansion City! It’s uncertain what will happen eleven years from now, and even if you dismantle the Heavenly Abode Secret Land! I have no complaints! It’s worth it!"

By establishing the Tai Xu Corner Tower in Heavenly Mansion City, Lv Zongxiao could participate in its operation in the name of the city lord’s mansion and gain profits, but this was only part of the benefits. Those who came because of the Tai Xu Corner Tower, those who were enhanced within the Taixu Illusion Realm... they were all adding to the foundation of Heavenly Mansion City.

Who would reap the greatest benefits? Precisely Heavenly Mansion City, precisely the City Lord of Heavenly Mansion City.

So even if he only got one-tenth of the profits, he was still gaining a great advantage.

As for his seemingly offhand remark—"Even if you dismantle the Heavenly Abode Secret Land, that would be enough."

If it was meant to be heard, then one should take it seriously. If it was not, then it could be disregarded.

Had Lv Zongxiao, having been the City Lord of Heavenly Mansion City for so long, really not noticed any changes in the Heavenly Abode Secret Land?

When Zhu Biqiong entered, she was on her last breath, powerless to return to the heavens; yet when she came out, she was full of life and energy. Has the Heavenly Abode Secret Land ever had such an experience?

But what is truly the best choice?

To tear this matter apart and fall out with Jiang Wang on the spot, would there be a good outcome? Could he escape his own responsibility?

Or if he pretended to be unaware... then he could peacefully get through the next eleven years, and after that, see how Jiang Wang would deal with it. With Jiang Wang’s character of valuing loyalty and righteousness, and having made a commitment, it was unlikely he would let himself be at a disadvantage.

And if he himself could achieve God Arrives in eleven years, he would not have to worry about taking responsibility. If he could not, then retiring would also be fine.

So when Zhu Biqiong left alone, he chose not to question, and to listen to Jiang Wang’s explanation.

From the moment this young Jiang took out the Yunmu Vessel and the Xingsi Staff, he knew his decision was right. The man was truly a divine prodigy who took on responsibilities. The rewards after eleven years were worth the wait.

However, he truly didn’t anticipate that, without having to wait for eleven years, in just a few short days, Jiang Wang would bring him such a generous gift.

What else was there to consider? Such friends, the more you have, the better. The closer and more cordial the relationship can be, the more you should strive for that level of closeness.

Jiang Wang looked deeply at Lv Zongxiao, understanding that to be able to serve as the city lord of such a critical city like Heavenly Mansion City, it was not possible solely through one’s cultivation. Vision and tactics were also indispensable.

If he had initially harbored ill will, wishing to make Lv Zongxiao bear the losses of the Heavenly Abode Secret Land alone, then they would have certainly become sworn enemies. Who knows, they might be in court battling it out right now.

Whereas his intention had always been to take on the responsibility and solve the problem, this attitude was what brought about Lv Zongxiao’s silence regarding the Heavenly Abode Secret Land.

"Brother Lv, I will not speak empty words to you. I plan to let my De Sheng Trading Company build and manage the Tai Xu Corner Tower. I will not always stay in Heavenly Mansion City, and this is a long-term business that requires the city lord’s mansion to maintain order and ensure no one causes trouble. Therefore, out of these five shares, you should take another one."

Jiang Wang’s meaning was clear, to take another share of the profits, and for the city lord’s mansion to permanently station a contingent of guards at the Tai Xu Corner Tower.

It’s not that he couldn’t recruit a few enforcers privately, but the guards he would bring in covertly, even if they were from the Zhong Xuan Family, would have a completely different significance. The guards from the city lord’s mansion represented Heavenly Mansion City, and by extension, Qi Country.

With guards standing at the entrance, attacking the Tai Xu Corner Tower would be like attacking the city lord’s mansion. Looking across Qi Country, how many would have such audacity?

One of the reasons why Jiang Wang did not choose to establish the Tai Xu Corner Tower in Qingyang Town was because Qingyang Town lacked the power to ensure the normal operation of the Tai Xu Corner Tower. He could not possibly be stationed at the Tai Xu Corner Tower all the time, tying himself to these profits.

And if he were to leave the entire responsibility to the Zhong Xuan Family, then whose business would it be, his or the Zhong Xuan Family’s?

He didn’t mind giving all the profits of the Tai Xu Corner Tower to Zhongxuan Sheng, but the problem was, the Zhong Xuan Family was not the same as Zhongxuan Sheng. Zhongxuan Zun, who had eclipsed his peers in brilliance, was about to emerge...

Confident as he was, he could only say he dared to battle, unafraid to draw his sword. As for the outcome, it was truly hard to predict.

The De Sheng Trading Company was a business entirely controlled by him and Zhongxuan Sheng; handing over the Tai Xu Corner Tower to the De Sheng Trading Company to operate was his way of providing Zhongxuan Sheng a backup plan. Even if he failed to compete for the Family Head, he would still have such a career.

And entrusting the safety of the Tai Xu Corner Tower to Heavenly Mansion City was not only to compensate for the Heavenly Abode Secret Land, but also to bind yet another source of help. The status of the City Lord of Heavenly Mansion City was not much inferior to that of the Prefectural Governor of Linhai County.

Having gotten to this point in the conversation, Lv Zongxiao no longer beat around the bush, "Alright, elder brother will take advantage of this opportunity just this once. We’ll divide the commercial tax into five parts, with you taking three and me two. This matter of the Tai Xu Corner Tower will be handled by elder brother with absolute care and attention!"

Jiang Wang always acted decisively—either he did not do something, or he did it without delay. With a few words agreed upon, he immediately went with Lv Zongxiao to seek the location, toured around several times, and finally decided to build it on the west side of Heavenly Mansion City.

Lv Zongxiao directly allocated twenty acres of land for Jiang Wang to develop freely.

Moreover, he marked off a large part of the city area, including the construction site of the Tai Xu Corner Tower, and on the spot, commanded the officers below to renovate and reform the area. Taverns, inns... all were to be relocated to this area.

Heavenly Mansion City had risen because of the Heavenly Abode Secret Land, and he knew too well how to utilize advantageous resources like the Tai Xu Corner Tower.

For the City Lord of Heavenly Mansion City, the city’s prosperity was not just his political achievement; it would also benefit his cultivation.

The Official Way is a strict and complex cultivation system, incorporating theories from various factions such as Taoism, Confucianism, Legalism, Mohism, and so on—an effective complement to cultivation.

It’s not only about status but also about the real influence of power.

Different positions naturally offer different levels of support.

For instance, although Green Sheep Town’s goodwill was available, it provided negligible benefit to Jiang Wang, hardly keeping up with his rate of cultivation. On the other hand, for Dugu Xiao, who officially took up the role of town leader, the gains were not insignificant.

The benefits brought by the hereditary and unalterable Marquis of Bowang, in contrast to a mere male of small Green Sheep Town, were naturally worlds apart.

For Lv Zongxiao, a position equal to that of a Prefectural Governor, like City Lord of Heavenly Mansion City, was beneficial to his cultivation as well.

But the Official Way can only serve as a supplement to cultivation, not as its foundation.

For example, if Dugu Xiao achieved the Tongtian Environment, through the status of town leader of Green Sheep Town, she could absorb Vitality more quickly, consolidate her Path Origin, and enhance her cultivation pace, even mobilizing the power of the town domain against enemies. If she remained an ordinary person, then becoming a town leader would be of no use— the most it could do would be to protect her with official aura, warding off some lost spirits and ghosts.

Therefore, many cultivators disdain the Official Way, considering the entanglement of worldly affairs more trouble than they’re worth.

The benefits of the Official Way vary greatly depending on the person, and even at different stages of life. For example, Du Ruhui, the State Minister of Zhuang Country, in the early days, the position of State Minister indeed greatly increased his cultivation speed.

But now, at his current level, as he strives for the Insight of Truth, the mere position of State Minister of Zhuang Country can no longer offer him significant assistance. Instead, he is shackled by this post, burdened by state affairs, and his cultivation slows.

As for Jiang Wang, his current office and title, aside from their substantial status, are essentially just for collecting his stipend. If he were truly to govern a place, even if he were given the post of Prefectural Governor in Qi Country, it might not necessarily be faster than his current cultivation speed.

There were no fundamental difficulties in the construction of Tai Xu Corner Tower.

Despite the fact that the materials were precious and required a significant initial investment, it was merely a matter of following the diagram to search for the horse.

Having personally selected the site, Jiang Wang immediately sent a message, instructing the staff of De Sheng Trading Company to take charge of purchasing the required materials, while asking Lv Zongxiao to request the help of the Ministry of Works for the construction— this was inherently a choice to make Qi Ting trust him further.

The main value of the Tai Xu Corner Tower lay in its connection to the Taixu Illusion Realm. The tower needed only to provide a seat inside, and the twenty acres allocated by Lv Zongxiao would surely be more than enough. As for how to plan specifically, Jiang Wang left all of that for Zhongxuan Sheng to worry about; after all, he excelled at this.

Indeed, the expansion of the Taixu Illusion Realm was so important that Zhongxuan Sheng had put aside his overseas affairs and returned—of course, he had more or less completed what he could do abroad.

In fact, changes in the Taixu Illusion Realm had been slowly taking place for some time, with signs early on. But it was not until the Sea Hero Chart appeared that the pace suddenly accelerated.

Zhongxuan Sheng had discussed it with Jiang Wang before.

However, at that time, he only had a vague idea of some news, with very limited intelligence. After all, being an outsider, his position was not high enough. Unexpectedly, Jiang Wang had quietly become a messenger of Tai Xu, an "insider"!