Chapter 298: Chapter 15 Traditional Sales Pitches Don’t Work On Him
Following that, besides Ling Yunpo, everyone else took turns to take the stage.
Whenever one person came back empty-handed from a failed negotiation, Elder Guan would drag that person aside, demanding a complete report of what was said to Ouyang Zhao and how he responded.
Then, he would discuss and analyze with everyone what personality traits of Ouyang Zhao these responses reflected, and so on.
Ling Yunpo listened carefully, thinking to himself: Isn’t this like creating a psychological profile used in criminal investigations?
Good heavens, relying on the fact that Ouyang Zhao is detained here, they are using an unlimited number of samples to test him, right?
However, he also knew that Elder Guan was placing all his hopes on him—using the failures of others to pave his way!
Therefore, Ling Yunpo also paid the utmost attention, silently noting down the results of everyone’s discussions.
From the last dream realm experience, it was evident that Ouyang Zhao and his wife Yin Xiaojing were very much in love.
However, Ouyang Zhao’s attitude towards outsiders was one of rebellion and cynical disdain.
Lin Duanshan tried to persuade him to prioritize the greater good of the Human Race and return the Sun True Obscure Sword, but he was completely ignored.
Duan Fenhai used the example of his entire family being killed before he began his Taoist practice to persuade him, only to be met with a scornful “Can’t even protect your wife, what a waste.”
Guan Shanyue lied to him by saying “I have someone I love,” but was seen through by him and never got a response again.
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The most outrageous was An Zhisu, who harshly reprimanded Ouyang Zhao for not recognizing earlier that Yin Xiaojing “was not human” but “a demon,” falling in love with the wrong person was “asking for trouble.”
Finding himself to have made a grievous mistake, he actually fled with his wife (instead of first clearly explaining the situation to his mentor) and took the Tai Yin and Sun swords with him, compounding his errors.
Then she changed her tone, saying, imagine you died alone at the Boundary Gate of the Eastern Emperor Realm, leaving your wife friendless in the Demon Realm, and the child born without a father, that’s simply cold and unfeeling.
In short, your life is one of “personal guilt” and “abandonment of righteousness,” a failure amidst failures!
Ouyang Zhao, having been scolded by her for a long time, was at a loss for words, eventually squeezing out a “you’re right” before going silent.
Elder Guan highly praised Senior Sister An’s speech because it was the first time he had seen someone breach Ouyang Zhao’s defenses…
“You must understand.” Elder Guan said, “Our attempts to test Ouyang Zhao have accumulated to at least tens of thousands of times up to now, so general rhetoric is fundamentally useless against him.”
“To make him slip up, you must come with a surprise tactic and pique his interest immediately.”
“Secondly, he is somewhat rebellious by nature.”
“He might not pay attention to you if you speak to him nicely; if you scold him directly, however, he might actually listen.”
“You could try angering him, but don’t use the grand rhetoric of racial justice, which he’s probably become numb to by now.”
“Try criticizing from other angles, such as his inability to protect his wife and daughter, or how he has let down the mentor who raised him, and try to reflect care and human warmth as much as possible…”
He rattled on, and Ling Yunpo took serious note of it all.
“…But,” Elder Guan suddenly changed his tone, “you can’t just mechanically recite it, you must not have a rigid conversation.”
“No one can perfectly predict what state he is in now or how he will react after hearing your words, only you can make the best response on the spot.”
“If you successfully get him to set conditions, I have an Azure Spirit Divine Bead here, a wonderful material for creating an External Incarnation, and I will give it to you as a reward,” said Elder Guan, throwing in a hefty incentive in the end.
Azure Spirit Divine Bead! External Incarnation! Ling Yunpo was astounded and confused.
Hosting this object in a Flying Sword or Magical Treasure would allow for easy manipulation as easily as if it were part of one’s own body, and combined with the Two-Handed Sword Control Technique, it would mean controlling three swords at once, more than doubling combat effectiveness!
“In case… I mean, just in case,” Elder Guan seemed not satisfied enough and continued, “if you manage to get him to hand over the Sun True Obscure Sword, I won’t just personally refine the External Incarnation for you, but also speak on your behalf to Long Eyebrow. Su Jian is a Direct Disciple of Long Eyebrow, and I’ll have Long Eyebrow change your and Su Jian’s relationship to that of a mentor taking a disciple on behalf of his master, how about that?”
Ling Yunpo: ???
Outrageous! He wouldn’t be coming back out!
Simply put, Ling Yunpo was originally taken as a disciple by An Zhisu on behalf of Qi Sha True Person Su Jian.
With a word from Elder Guan, it changed to Su Jian taking a disciple on behalf of his master, and Ling Yunpo became a disciple of the Long Eyebrow Immortal.
Since Ling Yunpo initially wasn’t personally taught by Su Jian, this change wouldn’t pose any significant ethical problems.
A master as secluded as Su Jian turning into the sect’s supreme elder, Long Eyebrow True Man, wasn’t simply a case of a chicken flying to heaven, but more like a sparrow transforming into a roc, a major cheat indeed.
However… by doing so, wouldn’t he become An Zhisu’s martial uncle?
No, no, that can’t be right! How can there be romance with such different seniority?
Ling Yunpo unconsciously wanted to decline, but upon another thought, the Sun True Obscure Sword was far from assured, and to set conditions now seemed utterly preposterous.
Thus, he revealed a resolute demeanor and confidently said,
“With the great trust of the elder, this junior will certainly give it his all!”
Looking at the others, their expressions also changed from envy to shock.
If Ling Yunpo became the Direct Disciple of the Long Eyebrow Immortal… Shushan would be upended!
The status of Qingluo Peak, which had declined due to Su Jian’s seclusion, was set to skyrocket once again.
However, everyone quickly realized that this was a reward for Ling Yunpo’s retrieval of the Sun True Obscure Sword.
In actuality, how could it be so easy? If it were, then what were the countless Shushan Sword Immortals who had tried over the past tens of thousands of years – complete fools and imbeciles?
“Good!” The Guan Family patriarch repeated the word ‘good’ three times, waving his hand grandly, “Go ahead and negotiate without any pressure!”
Thus, under everyone’s watchful eyes, Ling Yunpo headed towards the direction of the Eastern Emperor Realm Boundary Gate and the boundless sea of fire.
As he drew increasingly closer to the sea of Sun True Fire, all the trees disappeared, turning into dry shrubs and barren grass.
Continuing forward, even shrubs and barren grass were no longer there, and even the soil beneath his feet turned into gravel.
A massive stele stood by the roadside, engraved with the ancient seal characters for “Eastern Emperor”.
Ling Yunpo touched it and felt a bit of heat.
Hmm?
This material, isn’t it almost identical to the stele in the Five Qi Dynasty Yuan Cave?
After pondering for a moment, Ling Yunpo asked the Kunlun Mirror and the Green Duckweed Sword,
“Ah Jing, Qing Ping. What is this stele made of?”
“I don’t know,” the Kunlun Mirror replied honestly.
“Don’t know,” the Green Duckweed Sword also responded.
“Qing Ping,” Ling Yunpo said patiently, “if you know something, feel free to speak up.”
“Why do you only suspect me and not her?” the Green Duckweed Sword asked perplexedly.
“Because there’s something off with your tone,” Ling Yunpo said.
“What could possibly be wrong with my tone!” exclaimed the Green Duckweed Sword.
This bickering between the man and the sword quickly led them past the boundary stele, through the wasteland, to a bubbling spring.
The spring was not large, about the size of a washbasin, and one could not see its bottom at a glance.
The surface of the water boiled incessantly, with bubbles of all sizes bubbling up.
This was the place. Ling Yunpo stood firm by the spring and then cleared his throat.
“Uh…”
He suddenly found himself at a loss for what to say.
“Hello, is this Ouyang Zhao?” Ling Yunpo called out in the direction of the sea of fire.
There was no response from the other side, as if it was somewhat speechless at him, or as though it simply didn’t exist.
Ling Yunpo took a deep breath, feeling as if a soul of a Sword Practitioner had possessed him.
“I wish to speak with the last Sun Sword Master,” he said in a deep voice.