Deities: Starting From Goblins

Chapter 476: 291: Raise Funds_1

This statement was half-true, half-false. The safe actually contained four hundred thousand spirit stones, but half of them had been allocated for the enormous expenses of the family; these, of course, could not be touched. Otherwise, the Westman Family could pronounce bankruptcy within a day.

“You have 15 minutes,” Logan said casually, causing the family head to frown. This was too urgent. Though the Westman Family had businesses throughout the city, it would take half a day to gather spirit stones from all sources. Logan certainly couldn’t wait that long, putting him in an extremely difficult position.

If they made Logan compromise any further, the consequences might be beyond measure. The head of the Westman Family turned to the Grand Elder, who understood his meaning and summoned over a dozen puzzled elders. They did not dare to disobey.

“You are all esteemed members of this family, having divided many spirit stones amongst yourselves over the years. Each of you likely has over a hundred thousand spirit stones. We’re not asking for too much, just two thousand spirit stones from each of you. Once the family reaps profits from our ventures, we’ll personally reimburse you.”

“This issue concerns the safety of the whole Westman Family. I hope you all understand which is the greater priority. If anyone is caught hoarding for little profits, don’t blame me for being unkind. I believe all of you have at least two thousand spirit stones on you. If not, send someone to fetch them and consider the time it would take to cancel the transaction.”

At the Grand Elder’s command, all the elders looked at each other. Producing two thousand spirit stones just like that carried a hefty sting. After all, their monthly stipends amounted to only a few thousand spirit stones, requiring a full year to accumulate two thousand. The Grand Elder refrained from providing clear terms, leaving them guessing as to whether this was a loan or a donation.

Regardless of whether it was a loan or a gift, the children were certain that the family wouldn’t reimburse them. Once the two thousand were taken out, they could hardly expect to get them back. With the Grand Elder’s words carried that far, no one dared to refute him. Given the Grand Elder’s temperament, he would likely expel whoever disobeyed from the family.

One elder, his face bitter and helpless, spoke, “Grand Elder, you know me. I’ve always led an honest life and have given all the family’s spirit stones to the younger generations for cultivation. Hence, I don’t have two thousand spirit stones or even two hundred. I’ve always been a loner with no businesses to my name.”

“You don’t have to contribute,” the Grand Elder shot back, giving him a glance. This elder, within the family, genuinely had nothing. Last year, the family had given him ten thousand spirit stones, which he had immediately exchanged for resources and sent back to the Westman Family. Despite being in the Perfect King’s Seat for many years, he remained a mystery.

The Grand Elder respected this elder for his selflessness and devotion to the Westman Family, unlike the other elders who only fought for their own interests, leaving the Westman Family riddled with holes. All that was left was an exterior facade of honor. As the Grand Elder noticed the elder’s difficulty, he wouldn’t force him to contribute.

After all, with a total of fifteen elders, if five didn’t contribute, the remaining ten could still gather two hundred thousand spirit stones. Coupled with the four hundred thousand spirit stones in the safe, they could just about accumulate six hundred thousand spirit stones for Logan. However, when the Grand Elder uttered these words, the other elders immediately expressed dissatisfaction.

“Grand Elder, isn’t this favoring one over the other? We, all family elders, are supposed to give two thousand each, but he can be exempted by expressing hardships. However, every one of us has our own difficulties. Two thousand spirit stones may be trivial to the family, but for us cultivators, it’s a huge amount.”

“My situation is even worse. A previously cultivation mishap requires me to buy medicinal herbs, costing two thousand spirit stones every month, without any contribution from the family. I’m old now and have devoted many years of my life for the family. Can’t that count for two thousand?”

“I receive a monthly stipend of three thousand spirit stones, but I have thirty descendants. Each month I barely manage to split it among them, and each can only get a few dozen at most. It’s been miserable these past few years, and I only wished for a little support from the family. After all, I have contributed in maintaining the lineage of the family.”

Noise filled the room as everyone had a grievance to air. The Grand Elder was suddenly hit by a headache; why did things always get this way at crucial moments? Couldn’t they just pool together the six hundred thousand spirit stones now and have the family discuss matters later? How long would they keep arguing like this?

The Grand Elder knew that while these men claimed their grievances were serious, they were actually storing a large quantity of spirit stones. They each had at least several dozen businesses under their names. They earned several tens of thousands spirit stones a month, in addition to the benefits they gleaned from shops along the streets. Each one of them was extremely wealthy.

At this point, the head of the Westman Family stepped forward, bowed to the Grand Elders and spoke, “Elders, let’s not beat around the bush. Assess the situation for yourselves. We were unable to defeat Logan in the previous battle, and the disparity in strength was substantial. Logan claimed that if six hundred thousand spirit stones cannot be handed over in 15 minutes, the entire Westman Family would be exterminated.”

“For the future of the Westman Family, let everyone first contribute two thousand spirit stones. As the family head, I assure you that you will not be wronged. Once the profits from our family business comes in, I’ll personally return the two thousand spirit stones to each one of you. I swear on my honor and credibility, and everyone here can witness this.”

All the elders fell silent. It wasn’t the head’s stirring words that silenced them, it wasn’t that they were touched, nor did they feel a shred of guilt. It was the head’s acknowledgment of their defeat to Logan and the imminent annihilation of the Westman Family, which filled them all with unprecedented dread. Everything today came about because of the Westman Family. If the Westman Family were to be destroyed, how could they continue to wield power?

Seeing truly is believing; the two representatives of the family indeed were no match for Logan. Especially because of the mysterious array he used earlier, which isolated them from the inside world of the barrier. Although they couldn’t see what was happening, they could guess the general situation.

The elders glanced at each other and then said, “The family head has given us his assurance. We are not ignorant of the importance of this matter. We’ll pool together the twenty thousand spirit stones to help the family overcome this crisis. We believe in the integrity of the family head and the authority of the Grand Elder, and we are certain that they will not mistreat their own kind.”

Each of them handed over two thousand spirit stones, totaling three hundred thousand, which was one hundred thousand more than expected. The family head, together with the two hundred thousand spirit stones that were retrieved, went to the safe to get another two hundred thousand spirit stones. Finally, they managed to gather the six hundred thousand spirit stones. The heavy burden was finally lifted from the family head.

At this point, the family still had two hundred thousand spirit stones in the safe. However, it would be another month before the next profits from the family’s ventures. These two hundred thousand had to support over a thousand people, creating a great deal of pressure. The resources needed for the younger generation’s cultivation alone would cost four to five thousand spirit stones a day.