Nie Yan would not be assassinated by Shadow Kill as long as he remained cautious. After grasping the techniques and improving his awareness as a Shadow Dancer, combined with his top-notch equipment, he was definitely no worse than anyone else when it came to assassination.
Regarding Shadow Kill’s provocation, Nie Yan remained indifferent.
As for the bounty on Nie Yan’s head, reaching a hefty 3,900 gold coins, he chuckled, never expecting himself to be so valuable—more than double what Fox Half Awake and others were worth, which indirectly reflected his status among players. With Shadow Kill’s failed assassination attempt, this bounty was likely to increase.
Looking into the development of the Assassin Alliance, after a period of aggressive expansion, the alliance now had over 20,000 members. Almost every renowned professional player had registered, even attracting players from other cities. The gathering of top-tier professional players attracted countless customers from all factions, who posted various tasks with rewards ranging from a few to tens of thousands of gold coins. This influx of missions further motivated professional players to constantly elevate their ranks within the Assassin Alliance.
Currently, the Assassin Alliance had one Marquis, three Earls, over 1,200 Viscounts, and more than 7,000 Barons. With so many members, they generated massive amounts of gold for Nie Yan and others daily.
As players gradually accepted the Assassin Alliance, its income increased exponentially. Yesterday’s revenue had been around 5,000 to 6,000 gold coins, but today it had already exceeded 10,000. The alliance had become a massive money-making machine, unleashing its full potential.
Even dividing the daily income of 10,000 gold coins among the shareholders still yielded a significant amount.
Besides the Assassin Alliance, some players had attempted to establish similar organizations using their backgrounds. However, most failed to develop, and some even faced issues of embezzling transaction fees, casting shadows over those organizations. Professional players had reached a consensus: apart from the Assassin Alliance, most other professional player alliances were untrustworthy. The Assassin Alliance occupied about 98% of the market share, while the remaining organizations failed to gain traction. Even if a new organization emerged, it would face suppression from Fox Half Awake and Falan, leaving it no chance to grow.
Of course, the Assassin Alliance had encountered incidents during its development. Some accused it of embezzling transaction fees, attempting to tarnish its reputation. However, Fox Half Awake exposed the truth—every transaction was recorded by the system, immediately silencing the accusers.
After experiencing several incidents, the Assassin Alliance had reached its current state with great difficulty.
Looking at the top members of the Assassin Alliance, Nie Yan recognized some familiar names. In his previous life, they were all well-known professional players. Nie Yan sent each of them an invitation to the Bull Tribe. Upon receiving the invitation from Nie Yan, they could join the Bull Tribe and receive the most favorable treatment. Even if only one or two of them joined, it would be a significant gain for the Bull Tribe.
In fact, many who received Nie Yan’s invitation were thrilled. Many of them were still relatively unknown, while others had some minor fame, but none reached Nie Yan’s level. For Nie Yan himself to personally send them invitations carried great weight—it was a sign of his recognition.
Nie Yan could only wait and see how many of them would eventually join the Bull Tribe.
Glancing at the mission posting board, there were around 50,000 to 60,000 tasks, allowing professional players to filter based on conditions. When the Assassin Alliance first started, there were only two or three missions daily. Now, with 50,000 to 60,000 missions posted daily, it marked a tremendous leap.
Nie Yan posted several missions. The first was to assassinate the leader of the Warblade Bloodthirsty Guild, Xue Xue Kuang Dao, with a reward of 2,300 gold coins. The second was to kill Po Tian, offering 1,200 gold coins. The third was to assassinate the leader of the Sacred Guardians Guild, Shen Sheng Guang Hui, with a reward of 2,100 gold coins.
The rewards for assassinating these individuals naturally couldn’t exceed his own bounty. Otherwise, it would imply that Nie Yan considered Xue Xue Kuang Dao or Shen Sheng Guang Hui more valuable than himself.
After managing the Assassin Alliance, Nie Yan exited the channel, wondering whether anyone would accept these three missions. He would see in the future.
Just then, Nie Yan suddenly received explosive news from Fox Half Awake—he was secretly meeting with Ye Po Shenguai, the leader of the Light Holy Flame Guild. Relations between Light Holy Flame and the Triumph Empire had not been pleasant, and Ye Po Shenguai was willing to reach a reconciliation with the Bull Tribe’s alliance.
Ye Po Shenguai was unwilling to be controlled by factions like Warblade Bloodthirsty, Sacred Guardians, and the Mage Alliance. On the other hand, Bull Tribe dominated Carol City, and Light Holy Flame’s several strongholds were under Bull Tribe’s threat. Thus, reaching a truce with the Bull Tribe was naturally appealing. However, as Light Holy Flame’s leader, Ye Po Shenguai needed to maintain some leverage. At the very least, the Bull Tribe had to offer certain commitments before he would consider it.
After hearing Fox Half Awake’s report, Nie Yan snapped back to reality. Previously, he had been mistaken. In his past life, Light Holy Flame and the Triumph Empire were acquired by Cao Xu, becoming his subordinates. Hence, Nie Yan instinctively regarded them as enemies. However, in this timeline, due to the Bull Tribe’s emergence, Cao Xu was forced to abandon his acquisition of Light Holy Flame and the Triumph Empire. Po Tian and Cao Xu were business partners in real life, making their relationship difficult to shake. But what connection did Ye Po Shenguai of Light Holy Flame have with Cao Xu?
In this timeline, Ye Po Shenguai had no relationship with Cao Xu, neither sharing any interests nor having any personal rapport.
If Light Holy Flame could be won over, only the Triumph Empire would remain resisting in Carol City. How would the Triumph Empire survive then? It might not be long before it disbanded. Thus, Carol City would be dominated solely by the Bull Tribe, rendering the Warblade Bloodthirsty, Mage Alliance, and Sacred Guardians’ plan to use Light Holy Flame and the Triumph Empire as tools against the Bull Tribe completely ineffective.
“Whatever the cost, we must win over Light Holy Flame. Show them enough sincerity and let them propose their conditions. As long as they’re reasonable, agree to everything. We must secure Light Holy Flame!” Nie Yan replied to Fox Half Awake.
Light Holy Flame would definitely try to maintain its leverage and wouldn’t easily defect. However, regardless of their demands, agreeing to them was worth it. Light Holy Flame’s defection would significantly impact the overall situation.
“Fox, bring Falan over. I have something to discuss,” Nie Yan said to Fox Half Awake, as inspiration struck him.
Currently, the Bull Tribe was the top guild in Carol City. The Holy Roman Empire and the Jaden Temple relied heavily on the Bull Tribe in many matters, and their members generally followed the Bull Tribe’s lead. The Bull Tribe had already infiltrated them, making it clear that a conflict with the Bull Tribe was undesirable. However, continuing like this meant the Holy Roman Empire and the Jaden Temple would eventually be absorbed by the Bull Tribe, leading them to resist in certain matters.
The relationship between the two sides was extremely complex.
Even before receiving the investment from the Longyue Capital Group, the Bull Tribe’s position had been solid. After the investment, its development became even more enviable.
Nie Yan understood these dynamics well.
“Okay,” Fox Half Awake replied. After a while, Falan joined them.
“Now, I want to discuss cooperation with you both. Previously, the Longyue Capital Group invested in the Bull Tribe with gold coins and capital, purchasing a portion of its shares, which you both are likely aware of. For a guild, such investment allows better development. The Longyue Capital Group’s representative approached me before, expressing willingness to invest in your guilds and asking me to act as their representative. I’m curious about your price range,” Nie Yan explained. He intended to use the Longyue Capital Group’s name to acquire the Holy Roman Empire and the Jaden Temple, secretly transferring them under his control, thereby gaining command over both guilds.
As for why he used the Longyue Capital Group’s name, it was to avoid provoking resentment from Fox Half Awake and Falan, considering their existing private conflicts.
Currently, Nie Yan earned around 7,000 to 8,000 gold coins daily from the auction house, Starry Pharmacy, the Assassin Alliance, commercial real estate, and other sources. Accumulated income had reached approximately 50,000 to 60,000 gold coins. Additionally, he could freely withdraw around 30,000 to 40,000 gold coins from the Bull Tribe. With future daily income, acquiring the Holy Roman Empire and the Jaden Temple would be more than feasible.
Fox Half Awake and Falan pondered for a moment.
“What are their conditions?” Falan asked. Indeed, without investment from a powerful financial group, a guild’s survival was difficult. Take the Jaden Temple, for example—earning around 2,000 gold coins daily, yet facing massive expenditures for fortress construction and providing mounts for members, the gap between them and the Bull Tribe, backed by Longyue Capital, was widening. It was impossible for them not to feel anxious.
“The Longyue Capital Group requires roughly 35% ownership, registered under their representative’s name. Additionally, I will contribute funds to acquire approximately 25% ownership. You both will remain the leaders of the Holy Roman Empire and the Jaden Temple, and they won’t interfere with any of your decisions,” Nie Yan stated calmly. Given Fox Half Awake and Falan’s likely suspicion of his motives, demanding 60% ownership upfront was indeed quite aggressive. However, in the case of financial groups acquiring guilds, it was customary to require at least 60% ownership, as seen when Cao Xu acquired the top five guilds in the previous timeline. The Longyue Capital Group acquiring the Bull Tribe with only 30% ownership was an exception, quite rare.
Falan’s eyes flashed with a sharp glint as he asked, “Is that 35% ownership genuinely held by the Longyue Capital Group?”
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