Chapter 413: Soul Search

"Not to mention, your words contain many errors."

"Even so."

Xu Jia Nian sneered: "Even if there are slight gaps in the team, does that mean research results won't emerge? Who made up this rule? Ridiculous."

"Whether it is ridiculous or not is not for you to decide."

Liu Yan calmed down, cupped his hands, and said: "Two fellow Daoists, this Bureau suspects the Tianfang Group has hidden a large portion of its own research results, yet after paying patent fees, it freely uses our Bureau's and the Immortal Sect's latest research results in various fields, artificially monopolizing scientific research."

"Causing the consequence that the more our Bureau researches, the more results we send to them."

"Over these hundreds of years, every time our Bureau developed a new result, just as it was about to finish and release it, the Tianfang Company would always get there a step ahead, rendering our Bureau's years of accumulation and effort completely in vain."

Liu Yan's eyes turned red, with tears secretly flowing down; it was all genuine emotion.

If the Liu Family Military Industry collapsed, with his qualifications, forming a Golden Core would have absolutely no hope.

One could say the company passed down by his great-grandfather was no different from his life; even facing a Soul Transformation expert, he would dare to fight head-on.

"This unfair competition violating the First Law of the Immortal Sect must be terminated!"

"Please, two fellow Daoists, examine this clearly."

He cupped his hands and bowed deeply.

"Hidden a large portion of research results?"

Jiang Ding and Luo Luo Zhongfu exchanged a glance, their faces turning serious.

For other Immortal Sects and other organizations, this would be nothing; human nature can understand it.

Who would be willing to publish the results they worked so hard to produce just because of some patent fees?

Isn't monopolizing sweet?

But, within the Immortal Sect, this is a heinous crime!

No one can freely enjoy benefits, freely access the Immortal Sect's various advanced research results, without following the Immortal Sect's rules.

If this situation is allowed to continue, the current excellent situation of knowledge sharing will instantly collapse.

"I, of the Xu Family, am clear as water!"

Xu Jia Nian said coldly.

The two chief officials did not answer, waiting silently.

More than thirty days later, members of the Economic Investigation Division returned, handing over stacks of documents that piled up into a small mountain before the two men, the quantity being extremely vast.

Jiang Ding swept with his divine sense, transmitting the documents into the Legion channel.

"We investigated some tax evasion matters."

A staff member of the Economic Investigation Division reported: "There are also illegal tax avoidance, withholding bonuses, and other matters, involving about one billion low-grade spirit stones. As for evidence touching the First Law of the Immortal Sect..."

He wore a difficult expression.

"Not yet discovered."

"What do you mean 'not yet discovered'?"

Xu Jia Nian showed a hint of joy: "Fellow Daoist, please watch your words. We admit to tax evasion and such matters, but touching the First Law of the Immortal Sect is absolutely impossible."

Tax evasion and related fines involving one billion low-grade spirit stones were once earth-shattering matters; now they are nothing, of secondary importance.

"... You are right."

The staff member of the Economic Investigation Division said helplessly.

"This is impossible!"

Liu Yan's face turned deathly pale.

"Impossible?"

Xu Jia Nian sneered, his gaze carrying a touch of killing intent: "Director Luo, Sword Disciple Jiang, now we need to talk about false accusations."

Liu Yan and the high-level executives of the Liu Family Military Industry shuddered.

Violating the First Law of the Immortal Sect is a grave crime; false accusations related to it are naturally the same. If proven, not only would the Liu Family Military Industry face total destruction, but his latter life would also be spent in prison.

Luo Luo Zhongfu frowned.

The detailed investigation report arrived; the personnel situation within the Xu Organization inside was even worse than Liu Yan described.

Over thousands of years, even the direct lineage had bred a large population, all of whom needed placement. Except for a barely adequate research team, the Xu Family's research capability was terrifyingly low.

One breakthrough at a time would be fine; attributing it to luck is understandable; many things in research are like that.

Breaking through once every hundred years is completely unscientific.

'Could it be a Soul Transformation expert acted?'

Luo Luo Zhongfu looked at Xu Jia Nian's confident expression and wavered somewhat.

If a Soul Transformation expert acted, these things would naturally be understandable; a Soul Transformation expert only needs to spend twenty or thirty years every hundred years, without needing anyone's assistance, to produce it themselves.

That person was the top expert in the industry back then; the Tianfang Group was built upon the vast research wealth he left behind.

Of course, after betraying the Immortal Sect, top-tier Immortal Dao research had ceased cooperation with him; he needed to explore it himself.

"Do the two of you intend to show favoritism?"

Seeing the silence, with no one replying for a long time, Xu Jia Nian's gaze turned hostile: "The Immortal Sect's public tools are not for you to use for favoritism and framing; the Xu Family is not weak and bullyable!"

"This..."

Luo Luo Zhongfu hesitated somewhat.

"Wait a moment."

Jiang Ding frowned; he hadn't found any problems either, and asked: "Senior Luo, could you let the Immortal Sect's top research talents take a look at the relevant research materials?"

He absolutely did not believe any high-level cultivator, having already left such a huge fortune for their family, would spend so much time doing research on basic military arrays that had no use for their own cultivation.

The Xu Family's self-developed research also had logical loopholes.

That clearly indicated it was caused by our own group's insufficient research level.

This was normal; neither he nor the people from the Economic Investigation Division possessed sufficient expertise in Immortal Dao scientific research.

"Oh, oh!"

"That works."

Luo Luo Zhongfu snapped out of his daze: "This case is now receiving top-level attention throughout the Immortal Sect; we can apply for assistance from the senior leadership of the Immortal Sect Academy of Sciences."

He had walked into a mental dead end.

Even within the Immortal Sect, Nascent Soul cultivators were among the top-tier practitioners; if lower-rank cultivators called for help whenever they encountered an unsolvable problem, it would easily breed resentment. Do it too often, and they would immediately lose their posts, leaving their futures bleak and dim.

Forget about claims that the matter was urgent or that helping occasionally wouldn't waste time.

The Immortal Sect had numerous departments, each facing one or two emergencies annually; if Nascent Soul cultivators helped with all of them, they would have nothing else to do but work for lower-rank cultivators day and night.

"Um, Great Sun Sword Disciple."

Luo Luo Zhongfu was about to submit the report, but paused, then gave a sheepish smile: "May I place your name at the very beginning of the submission list? That way, it will attract more attention from the elders."

"And it won't deduct the annual bonuses of the brothers."

The Jin Dan and Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Economic Investigation Division nearby all looked over eagerly.

"Fine."

Jiang Ding pondered for a moment, then agreed.

He currently had no salary, so he had nothing to fear from deductions.

"Generous!"

Overjoyed, Luo Luo Zhongfu quickly filled in the two characters "Jiang Ding" at the very beginning of the report and sent it out.

The matter received extremely high priority, and a response came immediately.

"It is the Dean of the Immortal Sect Academy of Sciences, Master Dinghai Master Dinghai Zhenjun, who has taken the case!"

Luo Luo Zhongfu's spirits lifted: "With this big shot intervening, if there are any flaws in the Tianfang Group's scientific research data, they will surely be detected."

Everyone looked over tensely.

Liu Yan carried hope.

Xu Jia remained utterly confident.

The spiritual sense of a Nascent Soul cultivator operated at incredible speed; in less than half an hour, the investigation report had been sent back.

"There really is a problem."

Luo Luo Zhongfu looked up, exclaiming with delight: "Master Dinghai Master Dinghai Zhenjun said that every hundred years, the Tianfang Group's scientific research data contains logical flaws; the inherent conditions are insufficient to derive their results. This situation has occurred five times."

"This conclusion is currently undergoing multi-layered verification by the Immortal Sect Academy of Sciences. Once confirmed legally, this will constitute major evidence, allowing an application for the Central Array Spirit Computer to conduct harmless soul-searching on the core scientific personnel."

(End of this chapter)