The information revealed by Lady Kang was concerning to hear. Lin Mu even wondered if this was fine to be revealed like this.
"Are you sure you want to tell me this?" Lin Mu asked, just in case.
"It's fine." Lady Kang replied. "This hasn't been a secret for a long time." She added.
"I see…" Lin Mu replied, as he thought about the implications of it all.
While he was thinking this though, something obvious became apparent to him.
"Wait… If you need to find the seal, why are you asking me?" Lin Mu questioned. "I'm sure with your clan's resources, finding a much more renowned Spatial Master shouldn't be hard." He was rather doubtful.
"There's another reason why I'm asking you rather than utilizing my clan's connections." Lady Kang said, making Lin Mu look at her with full attention. "My clan cannot know that I am looking for the seal. Or rather… The other Branch Head cannot know." She added.
Lin Mu felt like his hunch was right and there was indeed more to it. Content © 2024.
'Some kind of internal conflict perhaps.' Lin Mu thought to himself.
"So why is it that you need the seal?" Lin Mu questioned next, hoping to figure out more things from it.
"The Kang Clan owns several businesses and not just the Auction house. It just so happens that the Auction house is more well known now under my control." Lady Kang started to speak. "But in addition to the Auction house, we also have a Merchant Union, an Alchemy pavilion, a Weapon and Immortal Tool Refinement hall, as well as an Immortal Herb farm. Each of these are run by different branches of the clan, and at the top of them are branch heads." She explained.
"Hmm… So you are the head of the Auction house branch and cannot let the others find out about this?" Lin Mu inquired.
"More specifically I cannot let the Mercenary Union Branch Head find out about it." She replied.
"And why's that?" Lin Mu furrowed his brows.
"Because he's my competitor in the position for the head of the entire clan." Lady Kang revealed which almost made Lin Mu chuckle.
'It really was a clan conflict.' He hadn't expected his guess to be this close.
Still, Lin Mu didn't think it was the time to shoot down the offer yet. He still wanted to see what could be obtained from this. Plus, it didn't seem like a commission that would lead to direct conflict with others, and as such he decided to listen to more information first.
"So from what I'm getting… You all are competing for the position of the clan head and the one that obtains the clan seal will become one?" Lin Mu questioned.
"No, that's not correct. There is a replacement clan seal, it just isn't the same as the original one." Lady Kang spoke. "While I might still be able to become clan head without that, I won't have all the power over the clan. The Clan head right now is mostly a nominal position, with the other branches still having voting power.
But it was not so in the past. The past clan heads had full power over the decision making of the entire Kang Clan. Once the Clan seal was lost though, the branch of Kang Clan that used to rule, lost its support and the clan's power became divided.
But I wish for it to reunite again." She explained in detail, her eyes overflowing with ambition.
"I see… and if others learn that you are searching for the Original Clan Seal, they will probably interfere in it." Lin Mu replied after listening to it all.
"Indeed." Lady Kang nodded. "There's a reason why the original clan seal hasn't been found even after all these years. The branches have a tacit understanding of not finding it if they wish to keep their power. They prevent each other from finding it as well.
As such, using the clan's resources to find a proper Spatial Master to find the Clan seal is simply impossible. The only way left was for me to find someone not affiliated with the clan and its network, which was basically impossible since almost all Spatial masters are well known." She stated.
"So that's why you came after me… Someone who hasn't been known to the others." Lin Mu realized.
"Indeed." Lady Kang nodded. "If you can help me find the original Clan seal, it'll solidify my position as the absolute Clan Head of the Kang Clan, and for that I'll be willing to pay a suitable cost." She said looking directly into Lin Mu's eyes.
Hearing this, an idea appeared in Lin Mu's mind. 'Could that work?' "Hmm… What would be the limitation of the payment?" Lin Mu asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Our clan has vast connections across the Immortal realm along with the Immortal Court. Thus whether it be specific resources, pills, cultivation manuals or Qi skills, we'll be able to find them. If you need rare spatial elemental resources, we can obtain those too… Including Spatial Skills." Lady Kang answered with a slight smile. She knew her offer would tempt Lin Mu, especially the latter parts of it.
'Spatial Skills are the hardest to obtain. Even if one has a natural affinity with the Spatial Element, if they do not have suitable Spatial Skills, it is a waste.' Lady Kang thought, but didn't know that Spatial Skills held the least value in Lin Mu's eyes.
'With Senior Xukong, what spatial skills would I even need that he cannot teach?' Lin Mu laughed in his mind.
"Forget all those." Lin Mu suddenly spoke. "Would you be able to obtain someone from the Immortal Court instead." He turned the conversation in another direction.
"Yeah that is possible." Lady Kang nodded her head. "If you need an entry into the Immortal Court, or wish to become the disciple of an elder, that can be arranged too." She stated.
But both of these things weren't something Lin Mu needed either. Plus they were something he could very easily obtain if he wished to with his own abilities.