Hearing Gao Zhen's question, Guard Xue said without holding anything back.

"Well, isn't that obvious? Although he was somehow able to win the favour of Patriarch Zhou, we still don't know what means he used to achieve such results.

So, in whichever way I see it, gifting a measly First Level Meridian Refinement Cultivator who has already reached adulthood a storage ring worth a hundred High-grade spirit stones is a complete waste!

For a merchant, a sound judgement is the most important. And your decision just now was anything but sound!

Such mistakes were acceptable before, but now that the Heir Selection has begun and all your actions are under the scrutiny of the Guild Master, I fear that this incident might cause Lady Gao to lose points.

I can already sense Master Gao's disappointment when he hears about this expenditure from your side later,"

A trace of anger and helplessness was apparent on Guard Xue's face when she finished. She had been protecting Gao Zhen from the shadows since she was a little girl, so seeing her make such a mistake during such a crucial period greatly confused her.

Gao Zhen patiently heard all that Guard Xue had to say without batting an eye.

Seeing that she had stopped, Gao Zhen finally opened her mouth.

"Guard Xue," she smiled softly and said, "I know that you're worried since the sudden arrival of the Heir Selection letter came as a surprise to us. However, in your anxiety, you have failed to truly decipher what father meant by the words he had written in that letter.

It's true that from now on all my actions will be under deep scrutiny by my father to check whether I'm working towards achieving either of the conditions he had put forward in that letter.

However, your judgment that my decision just now will negatively impact me is completely wrong."

Gao Zhen said confidently and paused before asking.

"You said that for a merchant, a sound judgement is the most important one, right?"

"Correct." Guard Xue nodded with a frown. Seeing Gao Zhen's confidence, she was starting to doubt whether she missed something or not.

"You're only half right. Yes, sound judgment is crucial in forming a merchant guild. However, is our Red Velvet Pavilion a normal Merchant Guild?

It's not! It's the most powerful merchant guild in the entire kingdom, with its branches spread all across the continent. To get to this scale, do you think Father relied on sound judgment and playing it safe all the time?!

No! He didn't. He took risks! If he didn't, then the Red Velvet Pavilion wouldn't be what it is today."

"This…"

Guard Xue was starting to realise her mistake, but still, a cloud of confusion was covering her mind.

"But what does that Meridian Refinement Cultivator have to do with anything? How will he be able to help Lady Gao when the deadline for the Heir Selection is one year?" She asked.

Even if Yi Chen ends up being a great genius hiding his strength and she was mistaken, he won't be able to be of any help to Gao Zhen because of his present cultivation stage.

"You ask this because Guard Xue has also fallen into the trap which my father had laid in that letter of his. Hoping to achieve the obvious, you failed to even consider what wasn't specified," Gao Zhen smirked, and the next moment walked towards her table's drawer.

Soon, an elegantly engraved parchment was spread on her table, and pointing towards a particular point, she said.

"Father had clearly stated that I need to achieve one of the three options he had given to be chosen as the guild's heir, didn't he? Gao Zhen said as her fingers stopped at a particular place on the parchment.

First Option: Use your branch's yearly funding as efficiently as possible and raise your profit by 30 times that of last year.

Second Option: Win the trust of Core Building Stage Cultivators and make them join the guild. Requirement: 10 cultivators.

Third Option: Achieve the Impossible.

"From one glance, it seems obvious that the first option is the correct one, while the other two are traps laid just to distract us, isn't it?" Gao Zhen asked with a smile.

"Isn't that obvious, Lady Xue? A Core Building Stage Cultivator can easily find his own sect in the low-ranking Kingdoms and enjoy a luxurious life. So, with our branch's limited resources, the most we'll be able lure will be three of them.

As for the third option? Don't even speak about it. It's so vague that it's obvious that it's there to act as a distraction and waste one's time. The first option is the only true option and matches the qualities that need to be tested for a future Heir."

Guard Xue stated.

The smile on Gao Zhen's face widened, and she answered confidently, "Wrong! In reality, the only correct option in here is the third one."

Guard Xue: "???"

"As we grew up, Father had regularly told us siblings about the difficulties he had faced while trying to build the guild into what it is now. In every one of those stories, he always told us that it seemed completely impossible that he would be able to achieve what he was able to when he was going through those difficult times.

He also boasted during those moments that in the end he was able to achieve the impossible and unshackle his limitations."

With this said, Gao Zhen asked Guard Xue, "How about now, Guard Xue? Now that you know something which only my other two siblings know of, do you still think the first option is the correct one?"

"…no, I don't, Lady Gao," Guard Xue accepted her faults.

"So, you finally understand," Gao Zhen pursed her lips, "Knowing my father well, if we fail to satisfy him in this test, then he'll definitely end up choosing an external candidate as the guild's heir."

As she finished her words, a serious expression formed on her face.

Guard Xue's expression was also grim as she asked, "Then…has Lady Gao been able to find this impossible task?"

"Yes, I have," Gao Zhen stated confidently and said, "I've been researching impossible feats throughout the continent in the last few weeks.

In our vast continent, there is clearly no dearth of them…. from going into the depths of the Valley of Death to taming a Grade 10 beast. I've gone through it all.

Initially, I was a little confused between entering the Valley of Death and this one, but after meeting Young Master Chen, I've made up my mind. I'm going to explore the Sky Devouring Tomb.

"Sky Devouring Tomb?! Lady Gao, you shouldn't!" Guard Xue exclaimed in fright, "The Sky Devouring Tomb has claimed more lives than any other ancient ruins have!"

Being a tomb with a low entry level and a cultivation restriction of Meridian Refinement Stage, the Sky Devouring Tomb was the most famous ruin among the young cultivators and also the most dreaded.

Every year, hundreds of young, overconfident cultivators would attempt to explore this tomb in order to discover some great treasures, only to never return. So, hearing Gao Zhen mentioning it, how could Guard Xue not panic?

"I still have the Space Shattering Array with me, so you can relax." Gao Zhen said as if it was obvious and said with a smile, "If things don't go my way, I'll just escape from the ruin. It would be a pity, but in the end, nothing is as important as my life."

A serious expression formed on Guard Xue's face as well when she understood the depth of the matter.

"…How sure are you of that man being able to help you clear that ruin?" Guard Xue asked the next moment.

"I'm not sure at all, but my intuition tells me that he's worth betting on,' Gao Zhen answered with a thoughtful expression.

"Lady Gao, this is no time to joke!" Guard Xue almost lost her composure when she heard this. If anything happened to Yi Chen, then they would end up attracting Zhou Tian's ire.

"Do you think I'm joking right now?" Gao Zhen asked with a frown and explained, "With only a few months to the opening of the Sky Devouring Tomb, I must find a group of suitable Meridian Refinement Stage cultivators as fast as possible.

She paused and continued, "Now you tell me, in the entire White Jade Kingdom, is there any other Meridian Refinement Stage cultivator who was able to gain the favour of a Core Building Stage Cultivator?

"This…" It was only when Gao Zhen put things like that that Guard Xue realised that her decision wasn't as absurd as she had thought. Yi Chen was indeed worth betting on.

"It's good that you understand. Send one of your shadow guards to be by his side at all times. If he refuses to comply later, then I need to have a hold of his few weaknesses to convince him, isn't that right?"

"I understand, Lady Gao," Guard Xue bowed, and her figure disappeared the next moment.

Although her actions would mean crossing Yi Chen and the Zhou Clan in the long run, if it could solidify her position as the Guild's Heir, Gao Zhen didn't care.

Meanwhile, Yi Chen had taken a local wagon from outside the Red Velvet Pavilion and was on his way to the Feng Clan.

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