Chapter Eighty-Six: The Chief Administrator of the Paradise on Earth

Manager Wen had been the chief supervisor of Paradise on Earth thirty years ago and was already a master at the Cloud Soaring stage back then. In Gathering Area No. 3, he was undoubtedly among the highest echelon of figures. As for his real name, most newcomers didn't know it well; everyone simply called him Manager Wen.

He took the cigar that the beautiful woman had lit for him, drew in a couple of deep breaths, and exhaled a plume of smoke that twisted into the shape of a small dragon, which shot downward. Such an act would have seemed extraordinary to ordinary people, but those present weren't impressed. Controlling smoke in such a way was child's play—even a Heartstring-level practitioner could do it, let alone a master of this caliber.

But soon, they realized they had underestimated him.

The smoke dragon plunged into the lake below, the water erupting in a towering jet as if detonated. They were atop the highest floor, over fifty meters above the water, yet the column shot straight up and crashed directly into Zhou Wantiger's open mouth as he was speaking.

Zhou Wantiger staggered backward, shrieking in agony, his tongue half-blasted apart and several teeth lost, making it nearly impossible for him to utter another word.

The others were so terrified they trembled, Zhou Wantiger included, who now stared at Manager Wen with terror, not daring to make another sound.

"Ten million. Tell Zhou Wanlong to bring ten million as a penalty. If you dare cause trouble in Paradise on Earth again, not only will you be finished, but your entire Wanlong Monster Hunting Team will be wiped out."

After savoring a few more puffs of his premium cigar, Manager Wen finally spoke.

Zhou Wantiger quivered, opening and closing his mouth in protest, but no sound emerged. His eyes, however, blazed with indignation, for he had made it clear—he had been set up and hadn't actually attacked anyone.

"They have to pay ten million, and you deliberately provoked them and injured yourself to frame them. You tell me, how much is your life worth?" Manager Wen asked lazily from where he reclined.

Those at Paradise on Earth were used to such scenes—if the Wanlong Monster Hunting Team weren’t involved, backed by a Cloud Soaring master, Manager Wen wouldn’t even have needed to intervene. Even so, a few words from him would have resolved the matter.

Hearing this, Zhou Wantiger’s heart sank. They had their eyes on a fat sheep, but from Manager Wen’s words, if their target couldn’t pay enough, he’d be killed on the spot. Revenge was one thing, but losing resources and ten million was true pain. Even if their target paid, killing him afterward might not be worth it.

Zhou Wantiger was crushed. Was this youth a jinx, determined to ruin himself and drag others down with him?

He never would have imagined a day would come when he would feel heartbroken not because his enemy was to be killed, but because the penalty he’d secured would be too severe—a pain like slicing his own flesh.

“If you’d let me have one too, name your price—I won’t haggle,” Lin Qingyun said, no longer covering his wound. He took out a healing pill and swallowed it, his injury healing visibly.

His reply caught Manager Wen off guard; for the first time since their entrance, Wen turned to look at their group, fixing his gaze on Lin Qingyun.

“You won’t haggle? What if I ask a billion?” Manager Wen’s eyes narrowed.

Lin Qingyun smiled. “If you dare take it, I don’t mind.”

Lin Qingyun had learned a thing or two about Paradise on Earth recently, both from hearsay through Little Black and from intelligence he had paid for. He understood the basic power structure, and as a major shareholder in the Lin Pharmaceutical Group, he had connections here. More than that, Lin Qingyun was not the least afraid of anyone’s backing. Not only was his Lin Pharmaceutical identity formidable, but the token he’d received from the Desert Wind King, Nangong Aoshi, was enough to deter most troublemakers.

Especially in chaotic places, claiming to be from a domestic financial group might not count for much, but to offend a superpower like Nangong Aoshi was to court death. Hanzawa was not like the Relic Realms, where even the Desert Wind King could not always enter; here, if you angered someone powerful, they could kill you without consequence.

He’d already checked the basics with Little Black and found nothing unusual—so when the Wanlong Monster Hunting Team tried to intimidate him, Lin Qingyun seized the chance to interact with the real powers of the gathering area.

He showed no fear, even though Manager Wen was a Cloud Soaring master. Judging by his own experience, Lin Qingyun estimated Wen must be at the ninth stage of Cloud Soaring.

Their conversation left Zhou Wantiger and his group dumbstruck. Even the staff who had brought them in stared at Lin Qingyun as if he were mad. Manager Wen had clearly been mocking him with the billion-figure—was this kid too dense to realize?

And yet, he dared to reply, to accept the challenge—just who did he think he was?

Had he lost his mind, coming here to spout such nonsense? Even Zhou Wantiger glared at Lin Qingyun. They’d guessed Haifeng was wealthy, and his brother wanted to kill him for his resources. But even so, no one had expected him to boast like this.

Lin Qingyun’s answer even threw Manager Wen for a loop, leaving him momentarily speechless.

“Heh…” Manager Wen chuckled. “Perhaps I’m out of touch—has the world changed so much in a few years?”

He studied Lin Qingyun intently. He’d intended to say more, but Lin Qingyun’s calm gaze made him pause. Raising his hand, he waved the others away.

“You may all go. Take these men and lock them up; release them only after Zhou Wanlong pays the penalty.”

Manager Wen had planned to resolve the matter with a few words, not bothering to look twice at the group. But Haifeng’s boldness surprised him; there was something different about this man.

After a century of spiritual resurgence, strength was everything.

Especially in Hanzawa, most low-level cultivators wouldn’t dare breathe before a Cloud Soaring master, let alone someone who ruled Paradise on Earth. Yet in Lin Qingyun’s eyes, there was no fear. It wasn’t an act—it was the composure of one long accustomed to the company of the powerful.

His words and demeanor piqued Manager Wen’s interest.

“She’s with me. She stays,” Lin Qingyun said when Paradise on Earth’s staff tried to take Little Black. They glanced at Manager Wen, who nodded, and so left her be, taking the others away.

Elsewhere, Zhou Wantiger, now locked up, had taken a healing pill; though his teeth wouldn’t grow back at once, his tongue was mostly mended.

“What’s going on? That kid’s background seems off,” muttered one of the deputy captains.

“Tiger, what’s happening? He doesn’t seem like an ordinary monster hunter…”

“Does he have some major backing?”

The remaining vice-captains discussed anxiously. They didn’t know much, but this turn of events made them uneasy.

“Bah,” Zhou Wantiger spat out bloody flesh, snarling, “This is Hanzawa, a forsaken land. So what if he’s got connections? If worst comes to worst, we’ll head to another place via Gathering Area Five. Are we supposed to be scared?”

“That brat’s bluffing. This isn’t over. Once my brother pays to get us out, we’ll plan our next move. We’ll get him.”

“Damn, can’t believe that brat tricked us. This isn’t over. If he really has connections and resources, we’ll just go big—nothing to lose if we have to leave.”

Back in Manager Wen’s room, Lin Qingyun made himself at home. Seeing that the others had been dismissed, he took a limited edition cigar from the humidor and handed it to Little Black.

Manager Wen’s eyes flickered with curiosity when he saw the cigar Lin Qingyun selected—the best in the box, one of his few remaining, reserved for a good drink in a few days.

“Here’s your chance—show what you’ve learned.” Information wasn’t completely closed off in this place, and Little Black had found chances to study, albeit mostly from books.

She accepted the cigar with both hands, casting a nervous glance at Manager Wen. Only when he showed no displeasure did she proceed. Though not yet practiced, she performed the ritual meticulously and handed the lit cigar to Lin Qingyun after a couple of minutes.

Throughout the process, Manager Wen said nothing, reclining in his chair, puffing his own cigar as he watched.

“Excellent,” Lin Qingyun said, clearly knowledgeable even if he didn’t smoke often.

“Having tasted my cigar, you ought to say something—whose family do you belong to?” Manager Wen finally spoke.

“I wouldn’t dream of taking your cigar for nothing.” As Lin Qingyun spoke, a cigar box appeared in his hand, another global rarity—a limited edition crafted from tobacco leaves specially cultivated for their unique spiritual properties during the century of spiritual resurgence.

Of course, these were constantly being updated as cultivation techniques and spiritual energy advanced, and many new luxury cigars had emerged in the past decade. But such commemorative editions were now priceless.