After meeting with the guild master, Sun Jianhong and company decided to split up.
"Let's meet up again when it's time to go to the event." Xue Chang suggested.
The guard captain nodded and thanked the group for accompanying him before walking away in the opposite direction.
After he was out of sight, Xue Chang continued to travel around the street a little more along with his guards.
"So what do you think about the guild master's request?" As they continued around, Tian Hai couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer and asked Xue Chang about his thoughts.
Xue Chang shook his head, "I don't know. He didn't seem angry or anything, but I can't imagine what he wants to meet me for. I'll go talk to him later, for now we should spend a bit of time relaxing."
The two brothers agreed as they lazily strolled around the streets.
As they continued to speak with one another, their conversations slowly turned from normal everyday life to cultivation.
As one would expect, Tian Hai was becoming a cultivation maniac. Especially now that he was so close to making another breakthrough in his internal cultivation.
"I'm so close, just a little push and I'll certainly reach the next level." Tian Hai proudly boasted while nudging Tian Kai in his ribs.
The brothers have a small rivalry going on, especially with how they each have obtained successes in different fields.
Although Tian Kai was ahead of Tian Hai in cultivation, Tian Kai was still just a martial warrior. He still had yet to achieve the level of a martial master.
"What are you showing off for. Even if you reach the fourth level for internal cultivation, you'll still be beneath me in the fifth level. Who knows, I might even make it to the primary stages before you reach the fifth level!" Xue Chang had already told his friends about the truth about their cultivation stages.
While it shocked them at first, they had to admit that it made sense to an extent. As such they've been practicing using the original descriptions that most people used, instead of the level system. Although they had to admit it was quite hard to compare each other when doing this.
Xue Chang laughed at his guards' bickering while feeling a headache coming on. Yes, he was happy that they were getting stronger, but this was causing their condensed earth fire reserves to drain rapidly.
At this rate he might not be able to afford getting Tian Hai to the fourth level much less getting Tian Kai to the sixth.
In such a situation 'Yong Heng' would have to return to active service again.
As the group finished up any errands they had, Xue Chang finally split from the group to meet with the guild master.
The guild master's office had been through several renovations. Now that the economy of the city was much better than the past, everyone was able to afford better offices and buildings.
The guild itself no longer looked like some rundown bar, but instead an official establishment.
Even the standards of hunters have grown, now having plenty of cultivators participate in missions and adventures.
As Xue Chang walked towards the guild master's office in the upper floor, anyone who recognized him didn't even bother to stop him.
And while some of the new receptionists made a move to stop him, the older ones held them back with a single shake of their heads.
Everyone went about their business as Xue Chang met with the guild master.
Casually opening the door, he was met with the sight of the guild master prepping himself for a meal.
A well seasoned steak along with fine wine and bread on the side was set up in the office. Clearly, from the expression in the guild master's face, he was very eager to dig into his meal.
"Shouldn't you be working right now instead of goofing off?"
"The day you become the leader of an organization is the day you'll realize how important a single meal can be." The guild master sneered at Xue Chang and waved toward a chair.
Xue Chang didn't even hesitate as he plopped down right onto the couch.
"So what am I here for?"
It took a while for Xue Chang to get a response as the guild master continued to silently eat his meal. But once he was finally finished, he picked up a towel and wiped his mouth before speaking.
"I want to make an investment Yong Heng. On you."
Standing up grandly, the guild master opened up a drawer beside him and pulled something out of it. Displaying it to Xue Chang, he couldn't help but straighten up from shock.
"An imperial insignia."
For the first time in a while, the guild master expressed his surprise, "You recognize this?"
Normal people might not know what an imperial insignia represented, but Xue Chang wasn't truly a normal person.
He was still a member of the Xue Family.
"One of the three overlords of the mainland, a symbol to show your relation and status within the northern empire of the mainland. The imperial insignia."
The guild master nodded.
Within the Grand Celestial World that Xue Chang lived on, there existed only one continent. A continent which stretched over an area of several million kilometers. So big that no mortal had ever succeeded in mapping out the entire continent.
The continent was split up into two groups. The Mainland and the Savage Land.
Water Cloud City actually sat on the very borders of the mainland, connecting to the savage land.
While the savage land was a chaotic area with no true ruler or controller, the mainland was split between three factions.
The Northern Empire, The Four Great Sects, and the Inmortal Families.
Each of which controls a portion of land, with the Northern Empire being the largest among the three.
The imperial insignia was a special token of the Northern Empire. To have the guild master have it held no meaning toward his own status due to what the insignia was used for. But the fact that the guild master had an insignia meant only one thing.
"The guild is an organization under the Northern Empire?"
The guild master nodded slowly.
"Yes, the guild was an organization created by the Northern Empire. After some trials and tribulations, it became a widespread group that covered the entire mainland."
Xue Chang was shocked by this revelation, "Does the Immortal Xue Family know about this?"
"Of course. No matter how powerful the guild becomes, you can't expect us to hide our identity from a power like the immortal families do you?"
At this point Xue Chang was completely focused, "But then why do they allow you to remain in their territory? Don't they fear you might be spies?"
"Yong Heng, the pros outweigh the cons. While the guild may prove to be a powerful web to gather intel, it is not all knowing. We cannot figure out all of the secrets the other axises hold even if we wanted to. And on the flip side, we are also an organization that specializes in dealing with monsters and protecting the masses. As long as the great powers aren't stupid enough to reveal one of their most deeply hidden secrets, then we are basically just free labor and defense for them. Even the four great sects have a branch of the guild in their territory."
Finally Xue Chang understood what was happening. The guild was a great source of information, but the axises were smart enough to hold back on anything confidential. So any information that the guild collected wouldn't threaten the powers at all. Instead they provided a source of manpower for the other factions to use.
The empire could extend its reaches and the great sects and immortal families received workers, it was a win-win for everybody.
"So why are you telling me this? I'll be frank, I don't plan on changing my allegiance to the empire."
The guild master released one of his classic hearty chuckles as he shook his head, "I didn't plan on recruiting you to the empire either. If there's one thing I know about you it is that you enjoy your freedom. And honestly you'd be more of a detriment than a merit."
Xue Chang couldn't help but snigger at the jest.
"Instead I told you this because I see potential in you Yong Heng. It's clear that you hold immense talent, and you're not one who will remain in this city for the rest of your life."
While the guild master was right, he was off about some facts.
Xue Chang did intend to leave the city and go explore the continent, but this was more to help him find resources to improve his soul and give him a longer life.
The guild master continued, "And that's why I have a favor to ask. Although the guild is loyal to the empire, I have never been a fan of our subservience. We provide them with information and manpower at every request, yet those high ranking noble bastards don't ever provide us with the resources we need to keep the guild functioning. Everything we have we obtained ourselves."
"Careful now, I don't know how I feel about you insulting the empire while holding their insignia."
Another grin escaped from the guild master's lips as he paused for a second.
"Anyway, as I was saying, the guild is basically a solo organization all on its own. Although we still listen to the empire, there are some officials from the guild who view us as a separate entity from them. But that's beside the point. What I'm trying to get is that I was born and raised in the guild. Literally, my parents raised me within a guild hall inside the empire's territory. As such I hold a deep connection to it. I just hope, that for old times sake, if ever comes a day where you can help out the guild a little, would you?"
The request was a strange and sudden one. Never in his wildest dream did Xue Chang expect the conversation they were having today would lead to this.
"I'm not-"
"Before you say you're not strong enough to help or you're not a saint, I don't mean free of charge. The guild always repays its debts, that is one of the principles of the guild. And you don't need to fight the empire for us or anything. Just if ever comes a situation where you can side with us, then please do."
Seeing how the guild master brought down the requests to such simple tasks, Xue Chang would feel awkward if he didn't accept. Especially with all of the help the guild had provided him over the passed few years.
Xue Chang nodded silently.
"Thank you Yong Heng. I appreciate it, I really do." The guild master collapsed back into his chair as if a ton of weight had just been lifted off of his shoulder.
"Also one more thing, if you meet someone named Long Tianyu, then help him out especially. He's a cousin of mine who still lives in the empire's territory and also works in the guild. Although I doubt you'll ever see him, if you get the chance help him out as well."
Finally Xue Chang couldn't stop himself as he snorted at the guild master's new request, "What's next? You're going to give me the names of your family members and location and tell me to watch over them next?"
"Well now that you mention it." The two men went back and forth like this for several minutes joking around before Xue Chang finally made his declaration of leave.
Exiting the guild hall, he couldn't help but think that he had grown closer to the guild master.
It wasn't a mutually beneficial relationship anymore, but closer to a friendship.
"Friends with that old fool? Nah, it couldn't be."
Xue Chang laughed to himself while quickly returning home, not noticing the pair of eyes staring at him from the guild windows.
"Why do I feel like we've become more like friends now?" Turning around and looking at the paperwork behind him and remembering the annoying favor Xue Chang asked for, the smile on the guild master's face crumpled, "Friends with that bag of bones. NEVER!"