txolops Chapter 149 Using various pretexts to amass wealth
Chapter 149 Using various pretexts to amass wealth
The spring rain is continuous.
Between the gray tiles and white walls, beneath the upturned eaves, rainwater forms a thin line, dripping and pattering down onto the moss-covered base of the wall.
The distant Changdang Mountain was shrouded in a hazy mist, and the smoke from the chimneys in the city was scattered by the spring breeze as soon as it rose.
In the backyard of the Zhenmosi County Government Office, a few petals of a newly blossoming peach tree were knocked off by the rain and stuck to the wet soil.
Gu Yan stood under the eaves, the hem of his black robe spotless.
He stretched out a hand to catch the raindrops falling from the eaves, feeling the coolness on his fingertips, and his smile grew even wider.
Holding a thick stack of gold invitations, Song Hong strode into the inner courtyard, her footsteps splashing water in puddles, a look of disbelief on her face.
"Junior brother, all one hundred invitations are ready. They are all made with the finest red gold foil, and as you instructed, they have been stamped with the official seal of our Demon Suppression Division."
Song Hong handed the invitation to Gu Yan, then hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.
Gu Yan casually picked out a card, flipped it open, and looked at it.
The invitation was written in elegant small regular script with several lines of polite words, and the signature was Gu Changsheng in large characters.
"Junior brother, are you really planning to do this?"
Song Hong swallowed hard and asked in a low voice, "If we just make up some excuse to make money, what if the spies from those sects don't fall for it, or if they make a big fuss? Our Changning County will be in a very passive position."
Gu Yan closed the invitation and tapped it gently in his palm.
"Sister Song, the matter of face depends on the situation. Right now, in their eyes, I have a Nascent Soul cultivator standing behind me who can crush a heavenly tribulation with a single finger. As long as this cultivator is alive, I am their ancestor. Since I am their ancestor, it is only natural for them to offer some tribute to their ancestor."
Gu Yan turned around, his eyes serious, and looked at Song Hong.
"Besides, when I'm out and about, I represent the dignity of Changning County, so I can't be shabby. Go and distribute these invitations. Send three to the traveling merchant in room number one of the Yuelai Inn, one to the blind fortune teller in the west of the city, and two to the fake manager of the pawnshop on South Street. Send one to every unfamiliar face in the city who has a cultivation level of at least Foundation Establishment. Don't miss a single one."
Song Hong was startled when she heard Gu Yan recount the hiding places of the spies as if they were his own treasures.
Only then did she realize that Gu Yan had already figured out exactly what was going on with the eyes that had been lurking in the shadows all these days.
"I understand. I'll get on it right away."
Song Hong took a deep breath, accepted the order, and withdrew.
……
Half an hour later.
The top floor of Yuelai Inn.
Three traveling merchants, dressed in coarse linen clothes and with ordinary faces, were sitting around a round table.
A defense map of Changning County was placed on the table, and the group was communicating silently using telepathy.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew open the tightly closed window.
The three crimson-gold invitations, like three sharp blades, pierced through the rain and landed squarely on the solid wood table in front of them.
The invitation was so detailed that the end was still trembling slightly.
The three were shocked and quickly pulled out their magical artifacts, frantically scanning outwards with their divine senses, but found nothing.
One of them mustered his courage and pulled out the invitation card, flipping it open.
He glanced at it once, and his face turned deathly pale, his eyes widening in shock.
"What's wrong?"
People nearby quickly stepped forward.
The handwriting on the invitation caught their eye.
"Tomorrow at 1-3 PM, in the main hall of the Demon Suppression Division. It is the 3,000th anniversary of my master's enlightenment. I, Changsheng, have prepared a small feast and invite all fellow Daoists to join me in this grand occasion. Changning County is poor in water and soil, so I hope that you will not come empty-handed, lest you spoil my master's enjoyment. Those who do not come will be considered to have shown great disrespect to my master, and Changning County will mobilize the entire city to demand an explanation."
There isn't a single word about killing in the text, but it's full of blatant extortion and threats.
Upon closer examination, they were horrified.
The fact that this invitation could be delivered into their room, which was filled with restrictions, meant that their covert infiltration over the past two weeks was, in Gu Yan's eyes, as ridiculous as wandering naked in the street.
The same scene was playing out in every corner of Changning County.
The blind fortune teller crushed the copper coin in his hand, and the pawnshop owner accidentally knocked over the account book.
Hundreds of spies from various factions, lying in wait, stared at the death warrant in their hands, sinking into deep despair and panic.
They dared not run.
The invitation clearly states that not attending would be disrespectful to a powerful deity.
This huge accusation is something that even their sect leader couldn't withstand, let alone them.
But if you go to a banquet, the invitation's blatant demand for gifts is even more outrageous than that of bandits in the secular world.
……
The rain stopped the next day.
A few white clouds drifted in the sky, and the sunlight shone again on the streets of Changning County.
The newly renovated main hall of the Demon Suppression Division was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers.
The necks of the two enormous stone lions were adorned with bright red silk ribbons, giving them a festive appearance.
Just after noon, hundreds of cultivators began to gather outside the main hall.
These spies, who used to lurk in various places and pretend not to know each other, all met at the entrance of the Demon Suppression Bureau.
They looked at each other and could see the bitterness and helplessness in each other's eyes.
"The envoy of the Azure Dragon Sect stationed in Changning County has come to offer birthday wishes to the great senior."
A deacon from the Azure Dragon Sect gritted his teeth and was the first to approach Song Hong, who was in charge of announcing the ceremony at the door.
He took out a jade box from his storage bag, presented it with both hands, and trembled with heartache.
Song Hong took the jade box, opened it, glanced at it, and announced loudly with a blank expression: "The Azure Dragon Sect presents a three-hundred-year-old Ganoderma lucidum."
Gu Yan's leisurely voice echoed from inside the lobby.
"Fellow Daoists of the Azure Dragon Sect are very kind. However, my master has been eating Ganoderma lucidum like a radish for two thousand years, and it's easy to get a sore throat from eating it now. But since it's a token of your filial piety, I, as your disciple, will accept it on your behalf. Please come in and sit wherever you like."
The Azure Dragon Sect deacon nearly coughed up blood.
A three-hundred-year-old Ganoderma lucidum would be enough to cause a fierce battle among most Foundation Establishment cultivators in the outside world, but here it has become a radish that is easy to cause internal heat.
Besides, are you serious about a Nascent Soul cultivator getting a sore throat from eating Ganoderma lucidum?
The Azure Dragon Deacon remained silent, his face dark, and dared not lash out.
With the first person taking the lead, the scouts behind had no choice but to bite the bullet and move forward.
"Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons presents one inner core of a third-tier demon beast."
"The Cangxuan Sect presents ten pieces of top-grade ice crystal stones."
"Tianyin Pavilion presents one bottle of Youth Preservation Pill."
Song Hong's chanting echoed outside the main hall, and all sorts of rare and precious materials flowed into the Zhenmo Division's warehouse like a river.
The spies handed over gifts that would bankrupt them, and entered the hall with trepidation.
The lobby was decorated in an extremely luxurious manner.
The ground was covered with precious beast pelts, and the surrounding area was filled with the calming fragrance of sandalwood.
Above the main hall is a grand master's chair.
The armchair was empty, with only a plain gray cloth robe draped over it.
Yet this empty cloth robe exudes an aura of destruction that sends shivers down one's spine.
The aura, faint yet palpable, pressed down on the hearts of every cultivator who entered the hall, like a tangible mountain.
This is the result of Gu Yan using a wisp of the Dao trace of the Nascent Soul rule separated from the Divine Demon Golden Pill, which was attached to the cloth robe.
As soon as the spies entered, they felt the aura emanating from the room and their legs went weak. They all bowed deeply to the empty chair.
"This junior pays respects to the senior and wishes him a long and healthy life."
A moment later, Gu Yan, dressed in a festive dark red robe, stood beside the grand master's chair, looking at the terrified fat sheep with a big smile on his face.
"Please rise, everyone. My master prefers quiet and is currently cultivating deep within the earth's veins in the backyard. He cannot personally come out to greet you. I will certainly convey your kind intentions to you in detail."
Gu Yan waved his hand, signaling everyone to take their seats.
Dozens of rosewood chairs were placed on both sides of the hall. The spies were so uncomfortable that they only sat on half of their buttocks and didn't dare to breathe loudly.
After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,
Although the food on the table was all rare delicacies in the mortal world, none of the cultivators present had the heart to touch their chopsticks.
They just wanted this torment to end as soon as possible so they could return to their sect and report back.
Just when everyone thought that giving gifts would avert disaster and cost them money, Gu Yan put down his wine glass and let out a long sigh.
The sigh sounded particularly abrupt in the lobby, instantly making everyone's hearts leap into their throats.
"Commander Gu, is it that the gifts we brought do not meet your expectations?"
A steward from the Cangxuan Sect asked cautiously.
Gu Yan shook his head, a look of extreme distress on his face.
"Your gifts are very generous, and I am deeply grateful. However, my master recently woke up and felt that the air in Changning County was a bit dry. He casually mentioned that he wanted to build a water-gathering array to regulate yin and yang in the backyard of the county government office."
Gu Yan's gaze swept across the entire room, and he rubbed his hands together.
"This water-gathering formation isn't difficult, it's just that I lack a few hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones as the formation's core. As a disciple, I'm truly ashamed of my lack of funds and have failed my master's teachings."
The entire room fell silent, muttering to themselves, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
Hundreds of thousands of low-grade spirit stones, that's equivalent to the annual income of a medium-sized sect.
In their eyes, Gu Yan wasn't gathering the array's core at all; he was clearly robbing them with the knife of a Nascent Soul cultivator held to their throats.
"What, fellow practitioners, are you all standing by and watching me die?"
Gu Yan's tone turned cold, and the aura of destruction emanating from the gray robe on the armchair intensified.
Inside the hall, several spies with weaker cultivation levels were forced to lie face down on the table, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.
"Here you go! My Ten Thousand Poisons Valley is willing to contribute 50,000 spirit stones to help you build the array, senior."
The scouts of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons could not withstand the oppressive force and shouted at the top of their lungs.
"My Azure Dragon Sect will also contribute 50,000."
"The Cangxuan Sect will contribute 100,000."
In the face of life and death, these spies did not hesitate to empty all the funds in their storage bags that they had used for their covert operations, and even poured out their own savings accumulated over many years.
Before long, a small mountain of spirit stones radiating light appeared in front of Gu Yan.
Looking at the Spirit Stone Mountain, Gu Yan's worried expression disappeared, replaced by his extremely honest and simple smile.
"Oh, you are all too kind. My master would be very pleased if he knew how understanding and righteous you are."
With a flick of his sleeve, Gu Yan stored all the spirit stones into his storage ring. His movements were so swift that the eyes of those present twitched in disbelief.
Now that the breach has been made, Gu Yan certainly won't give up.
He knew that these sect spies all possessed life-saving trump cards and operational treasures bestowed upon them by their respective sect leaders. If he didn't squeeze them dry, he would be letting down the grand scheme he had laid out.
"Oh, right."
Gu Yan slapped his forehead again, as if he had remembered something extremely important.
"Besides complaining about the dry air, my master also keeps an invisible void beast as a pet. That little fellow has a very picky appetite; it won't eat ordinary food, only rare and precious herbs containing metal-elemental spiritual energy. I see that the flying swords and magical artifacts hanging at your waists are all quite good, so perhaps..."
Before Gu Yan could finish speaking, the sound of magical artifacts disintegrating echoed throughout the hall.
In order to survive, these cultivators, who usually regarded their flying swords as their lives, did not hesitate to break their own flying swords. They even took out their protective mirrors engraved with array patterns and handed them to Xiao Chen, who came forward to collect scraps, with trembling hands.
A full hour.
Gu Yan used the name of his master, a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator, to create various pretexts.
From celebrating the master's birthday to building formations, to pet food, and even the absurd reason that the master is afraid of being disturbed while sleeping and needs high-level soundproofing incantations, they have all come up with these excuses.
Hundreds of spies were exploited layer by layer, and in the end, apart from the close-fitting Taoist robes they wore, they were completely clean and penniless.
Even the white jade storage ring that was usually used to make a show of things was forcibly confiscated by Gu Yan on the grounds that "my master likes to collect all kinds of jade artifacts".
Looking at the cultivators below, who were on the verge of tears and had lifeless eyes, Gu Yan touched the storage ring in his hand with satisfaction.
The travel expenses for this Eastern Continent Grand Competition, plus the resources needed for daily cultivation over the next few years, have finally been earned in one go.
It's time to close the net.
Gu Yan suppressed his smile, straightened his clothes, and became extremely solemn.
"I, Changsheng, appreciate your filial piety on behalf of my master. Since you have generously given your wealth to celebrate my master's birthday, my master will naturally not be stingy."
Upon hearing this, a glimmer of light finally appeared in the dim eyes of those spies.
Could it be that this powerful senior is going to bestow some supreme cultivation technique or elixir?
Gu Yan closed his eyes, and the Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword Technique, which had reached the master level, quietly circulated within his body.
However, he did not release any killing intent. Instead, he gently integrated the sacred incense power from the left half of the Divine Demon Golden Core into the sword energy.
Gu Yan raised his hand and waved.
A pure white cloud of mist appeared out of nowhere in the lobby.
The mist had no chill; instead, it carried a strange warmth that could cleanse the soul.
The mist spread throughout the hall, seeping into the mouths and noses of every cultivator.
This is Gu Yan's unique application of the sword technique, combining the incense offerings of countless families.
It has no real destructive power, but it can soothe the fear and agitation in the cultivators' hearts in an instant, making them feel extremely comfortable as if they are bathed in divine grace.
Those spies who had just felt extorted found their minds clearing up after inhaling the white mist.
The cultivation bottlenecks that had plagued them for years seemed to have loosened somewhat in this mist.
"This is the baptism of the Great Dao!"
An elderly monk, tears streaming down his face, knelt down on the spot and kowtowed repeatedly to the grand master's chair.
"Thank you for your blessing, senior. Thank you so much for your blessing."
The other cultivators also realized what was happening and were so excited that they trembled all over.
What are a few hundred thousand spirit stones? What are a few magical artifacts?
To receive the Great Dao baptism personally descended by a Nascent Soul cultivator is a blessing they have accumulated over eight lifetimes.
Having undergone this baptism, if they happen to gain some insight, they will not only not be punished when they return, but will also be richly rewarded by the sect for their great contributions.
Gu Yan looked at these spies who were being sold out but were still helping to count the money, and sneered inwardly.
That's nothing more than the incense and prayers of the people of Changning County. Aside from bringing peace of mind, it's not a true baptism of the Great Way.
But at this critical juncture, they have no choice but to believe it.
As the clouds dispersed, only the sounds of gratitude echoed throughout the hall.
Gu Yan walked to the lobby entrance, put his hands behind his back, and looked at the sky outside.
"The blessing has been bestowed, but our fate has run its course."
With the blessing of spiritual power, Gu Yan's voice became ethereal and profound.
"My master said that he prefers peace and quiet. There is too much noise in Changning County, which makes it difficult for him to sleep. From today onwards, no uninvited cultivators are allowed to enter Changning County except for local residents and personnel from the Demon Suppression Division."
Gu Yan turned his head, his eyes filled with an undeniable chill.
"Now that you have received my master's favor, please leave Changning County immediately. If any unfamiliar faces are seen acting suspiciously here in the future, my master will assume they are assassins with ill intentions. At that time, don't blame me for killing you without warning and going directly to your respective sects to demand an explanation."
This sentence became the last straw that broke the camel's back.
All the spies felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and dared not stay in Changning County for even half a second longer.
They readily agreed, scrambling out of the county government office, hoisting their remaining flying magical artifacts, or simply using their legs to attach talismans, and running wildly towards the outskirts of the city like stray dogs.
Not only did they have to run themselves, but they also had to relay the great power's decree back to their sect as quickly as possible: Changning County had become an absolute forbidden zone, and the Nascent Soul stage expert had an eccentric temper; they should not send anyone to investigate further, lest they bring trouble upon themselves.
In less than half an hour, the evil thoughts and consciousness lurking in the shadows of Changning County receded completely like the tide.
The vast Changning County has finally ushered in a period of true tranquility.
Inside the main hall of the Demon Suppression Division.
Song Hong and Xiao Chen stared into silence at the empty chairs and the mountain of treasures piled up in the back hall.
Xiao Chen held the Broken Karma Sword, a rare twitch appearing on his face.
He practiced swordsmanship and cultivated his mind, emphasizing unwavering determination and unyielding spirit. He simply couldn't understand how his junior brother, the commander, could portray swindling and deception with such righteous indignation, making the victims feel grateful.
Song Hong's eyes lit up. She held a new account book in her hand and her fingers flew across the abacus, making a crackling sound as the beads struck.
"Junior brother, we're rich! We're absolutely rich!"
Song Hong's voice trembled with excitement.
"A preliminary estimate suggests that there are over a million low-grade spirit stones alone. The various second-tier spirit herbs, pills, and ores are countless. This wealth exceeds the tax revenue of Changning County over hundreds, even thousands of years!"
Gu Yan walked back to the back room, picked up a piece of ice crystal of excellent quality, looked at it, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.
"The money comes from the people anyway. These powerful sects usually exploit the people. I'm just doing what's right by doing this. Taking some of their money to spend isn't excessive."
Gu Yan tossed the ice crystal to Song Hong.
"Senior Sister, leave 500,000 spirit stones and essential pills for the daily operations of Changning County. With the remaining resources, you and Senior Brother Xiao should focus on your secluded cultivation and strive for improvement, choosing what you need. Pack up everything else."
Gu Yan walked to the entrance of the lobby, looking at the clouds gathering again on the horizon, his eyes sparkling with ambition for the future.
"I will use this year to improve my cultivation. When the Eastern Continent Grand Competition begins, I will see if I can buy a comfortable spot on the stage of the Eastern Continent's prodigies with this generous sum of money."
The wind swept through the empty lobby, dispersing the last wisp of sandalwood incense.