Chapter 223 - 223 204 Signing the Contract

Words : 1479 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

223: Chapter 204: Signing the Contract 223: Chapter 204: Signing the Contract The Scholar profession is indeed very special, as it provides the fundamental “Reading and Writing” ability. While not significant on its own—since typists, transcriptionists, and other operators are easily replaceable—when combined with other jobs or content, it often leads to transformations. The various branches of “Scholars,” including craftsmen, singers, chess players, painters, sculptors, magic alchemists, chefs, and others, span all aspects of civilization. Many “late-stage” professions, such as Gardeners and Healers, do not require scholars to hold a second job, but most people choose to utilize their support abilities. When the “Life” and “Finance” concepts of the Life Bank encountered the “Contract,” “Writing,” and “Offering” abilities of the Scholar Contractors, a natural transformation occurred. “Well, my abilities have upgraded, and you should be able to ‘borrow’ 200 points. Whether you choose to do so depends on your own judgment. After all, there’s no stable mechanism for points income right now, the market is very small, and honestly, the tax rate isn’t low…” Lu Ping’an felt somewhat helpless; perhaps this was what he envisioned as the combination of “Bank” and “Life” in the Life Bank, which operated strictly by the rules. Simply put, it made a lot of money and collected heavy taxes within the rules, but offered no feedback outside of them, acting indifferent to whether customers used the bank or not. At present, the “market” is too small, and people worry that having too much negative points will lead to a series of consequences. Opening loans may not actually stimulate the market, but it could be useful if new players enter the scene later. The “Offering” and “Auction” functions in the trading column are also quite user-friendly, whereas prior person-to-person trading had many limitations. Now, one party only needs to propose an “Offer,” set restrictions for “Task Content,” “Transaction Content,” and “Assigned Reward,” and wait for the trading party to complete it directly. The flexibility and convenience of this process are greatly improved; however, the issue remains that everyone is short on money and the market is small. But the newly unlocked feature seems to be addressing the problem. “…If you breach the contract, the Life Bank will seize equivalent ‘Life Properties’ in its name. If you disclose the secrets of the Life Bank, your life will be seized… Can you bear such a heavy penalty?” Still in the reception room, the spirit-body-transformed Guan Xinxian was not opposed to the strictness of the “contract” but rather doubted whether Lu Ping’an could bear such a high cost. A supernatural contract is actually composed of three parties: Party A, Party B, and the contract maker/guarantor. There are no lawyers or judges in the mortal world to handle contract disputes, so a third party is necessary to ensure the validity of the contract. This is the fundamental reason for the birth of the Contractor profession. In a sense, this is a “self-cursing” contract, and the self-cursing of Party A and Party B makes it impossible for them to evade the penalty clauses therein. However, the contract maker must also exert some power. Even if it takes only a small amount, a deficit warning is cheap and useful, as the low burden on the Contractor comes from the minimal threat of the penalty. To “curse to death” a third-tier individual, one must leave enough curse-power in the contract, and the energy expended would be enough to severely damage the vitality of a second or third-tier Contractor. So the contract is extremely expensive. “The guarantor is not me, but…” Lu Ping’an gestured to the ground, and Guan Xinxian suddenly understood. The Life Bank, an above seventh-tier Abnormal Ability and an independent Life Secret Realm, is the “Contract Guardian” that assumes the role of intermediary and guarantor. “…It can be considered a very high-level contract. You should see how advanced the life-points are. As for the consequences of breaching the contract, they’re beyond our short-term reach…” Lu Ping’an didn’t conceal anything and explained everything clearly. Upon reviewing the terms once more, Guan Xinxian confirmed their content. This long-term cooperation and confidentiality contract included providing various basic facilities of the courtyard, priority access to investment, sharing of Abnormal Abilities, and more. Both parties have relatively consistent positions, focusing more on rapid growth through resource accumulation, and the contract contents primarily concern growth. While the revelation penalty being heavier than the breach penalty feels a bit odd, it’s clear there’s sincerity from all parties. Is the punishment too heavy? The mere sight of it all suffices to establish its value. After reviewing hundreds of contracts and proposals, Lu Ping’an referred to common collaboration and confidentiality contracts to create a fairly lenient set of terms. If all goes well, the newcomers should sign one later on. “Pleasant cooperation.” As the signature fell onto the paper, three copies of the agreement were completed. One of them silently burned and disappeared in the reception room… This meant that Life Bank had completed its record keeping. Incidentally, this contract paper is not an ordinary item. The more powerful the contract, the more powerful the carrier it requires. A few thousand-dollar contract paper outside wouldn’t be enough for Life Bank to bear the life-and-death triggering contract. Fortunately, after obtaining the “Contract” rule, the bank itself can mass-produce contract paper… But it seems that the paper is also a product of the rules, once it goes out and is far from Lu Ping’an, it will naturally dissipate. This is similar to the “Name Card” Lu Ping’an had obtained before. It’s likely a part of the bank’s operation, except this time it’s a paid service… “Ten life-points for a set, it’s worth it for peace of mind.” When everything settled down, Lu Ping’an let out a sigh of relief and smiled contentedly. It’s not that he had any doubts about Guan Xinxian, but the smooth completion of the agreement allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief and proceed with his plan… All along, he had been hesitating whether to open the Secret Realm, fearing that the secret would be leaked. With the Life Bank, at least a seventh-tier, serving as the “Contractor” for confidentiality clauses, anyone who leaks secrets will have their life taken in an instant. At last, he can loosen up a bit and consider recruiting more reliable allies into his ranks. After joining the group, Lu Ping’an naturally had to make the most of the new member… ahem, introduce him to the benefits of the local team. “Snap!” With a snap of his fingers, the sealed first-floor door opened, revealing a world beyond. Through the thick fog shrouded by spirit bodies, Lu Ping’an saw Guan Xinxian’s astonished and shocked face. Perhaps, before this, these two rooms were all he had. A small independent room and a complete secret realm are not the same concept. At this moment, he was truly frightened. “Ahem, come, let me show you my garden. I can give you a plot of land in it. Don’t underestimate my garden. This is a high-level land of life, a gardener’s paradise…” The garden is not yet a rule building designated by the bank, but this time, the bank’s upgrade has allowed the Secret Realm to expand significantly. A lot of wasteland can be used for “farming” with just a little bit of cleaning up. It would be a waste if Lu Ping’an used it all by himself. This high-level, almost unimaginable land could even nurture rule-level Magic Plants. Naturally, he could offer it as a benefit, something gardeners could only dream of. And Lu Ping’an had some personal ideas. “… This is the design sketch for my landscape, as well as the current design ideas. Look, I’ve planted magic plants here. Help me figure out if I can strengthen it further…” The garden is the gardener’s workshop, and to improve his own “combat power,” Lu Ping’an needed the guidance of an older brother figure on the scene. “By the way, do you have any ideas about the garden? After all, I’m a newcomer, and the arrangement and development are all textbook approaches…” And the design and layout of the gardener’s garden also needed guidance from a true expert. The more Guan Xinxian explored, the more shocked and uneasy he became. This land was extremely fertile, with a ‘pollution concentration’ that allowed his low-level Magic Plants to sprout within minutes. However, the most absurd thing was that he didn’t feel “polluted” at all. This meant that all pollution was neatly ordered, and all had been completely domesticated. The life pollution in the soil was so strong, yet the life on it seemed completely unaffected. This contradictory and wrong feeling reminded Guan Xinxian of a legend, an unheard-of myth… “God Realm, Earthly Divine Kingdom…”

Chapter 223 - 223 204 Signing the Contract

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