Chapter 430: Immortal Dynasty's Endorsement

Manager Li's breath instantly became rapid, his originally gloomy face flushed red.

As the Chancellor's confidant, he had seen vast wealth, yet such a massive hand still left him feeling unprecedented shock.

What kind of meager gift is this?

This is literally putting the annual tax revenue of several heavenly layers of the Immortal Dynasty straight into his hand!

"You... what do you mean by this?"

His voice unconsciously carried a hint of tremor.

"It means nothing."

Gu Linjiang remained as nonchalant as ever,

"This is our Gu Clan Bank's supreme black card specially prepared for the Chancellor, the immortal crystals inside are merely a sign‑up gift; each month we will pay interest… filial tribute based on the Chancellor's deposits with our bank."

The meaning of his words could not be clearer.

Manager Li's heart gave a hard thump.

He recalled the Chancellor's pig‑raising theory.

But looking now, the other party is hardly a fat pig ready for slaughter.

Clearly a primordial beast capable of swallowing and spitting out mountains of gold!

He forcibly suppressed his greed, snorted coldly, pushed the black card back, and restored his arrogant expression:

"Hmph, do you think we and the Chancellor are those money‑grubbing sorts? A mere ten billion…"

Before he finished speaking, Gu Linjiang produced another storage ring and shoved it into his hand.

"This is your tea money, Manager, ten billion."

Manager Li: "……"

He swallowed hard, stared at Gu Linjiang, and said word by word:

"The Chancellor's meaning is…… next month, he wants to see…… double…… in his card."

"No problem." Gu Linjiang agreed without hesitation.

Now Manager Li was utterly speechless.

He put away the black card and ring; the arrogance on his face had vanished completely, replaced by an expression of extreme complexity.

He knew he had probably come to the wrong place today.

No, he had come to the right place.

"There's one more thing."

Gu Linjiang seemed to see through his thoughts and suddenly spoke,

"I have an immature idea that might…… multiply the Chancellor's deposits several times in a short period; Manager, would you be interested in passing this along?"

"What idea?"

Manager Li asked instinctively.

Gu Linjiang's lips curled into a mysterious arc.

"War."

……

……

Elsewhere.

Immortal Dynasty's Heavenly Capital, Chancellor's Residence.

Li Si listened to the report brought back by his confidant Manager Li; in those old eyes that were usually half‑closed, seeming indifferent to everything, a terrifying gleam burst forth for the first time.

He slowly rose from the Grand Tutor's chair, paced back and forth in the study, his face usually wearing a gentle smile now clouded and uncertain.

"Did he really say that?"

"Reporting to my lord Chancellor, not a word differs."

Manager Li respectfully bowed and presented the supreme black card and storage ring with both hands,

"The head of the Gu Clan Chamber of Commerce also said that they dare offer such astronomical monthly interest of ten lis because they have found…… a completely new, unprecedented profit channel."

Li Si did not look at the wealth that would drive any cultivator mad.

The entire study fell into a deathly silence.

After a long while.

"Hahaha…… hahahaha!"

A burst of unstoppable laughter filled with joy and excitement exploded from Li Si's mouth.

His murky old eyes shone terrifyingly bright at that moment.

"Wonderful! Truly wonderful!"

"I originally thought they just wanted to use an illusory bubble to shake the foundations of the entire Immortal Dynasty, but I never imagined their ambition far exceeds what I had imagined!"

"They actually intend to plunder resources from other worlds by waging war abroad to fill this bottomless pit!"

Manager Li listened, heart pounding:

"My lord Chancellor, this…… isn't this dealing with a tiger for its skin? What if they……"

"No 'what if'."

Li Si waved his hand, cutting him off, his eyes flashing with calculating light,

"Since they dare tell us this plan, it shows they need us."

"They need the Immortal Dynasty's credibility to endorse them. They need us to turn a blind eye, to give them the green light."

"All we need is to sit at home, wait for them to hand over the wealth they plunder from other worlds, and obediently share it with us."

"How much should we split?"

Li Si sketched a number.

Manager Li exclaimed in shock: "We have to give them seventy percent?!"

Seventy percent? That's ours—don't forget this immortal dynasty is our immortal dynasty.

Li Si looked at Manager Li, and on his face he put back that gentle smile:

Go tell them, just say that as Chancellor, I greatly admire their boldness; we have accepted their tribute of a hundred billion.

Furthermore...

He shifted the topic,

You go again to the Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of War, Ministry of Personnel… and say that as Chancellor I've discovered a new source of wealth, ask them if they're interested in jointly investing.

……

When the will of the Chancellor's residence was transmitted to the various power centers of the immortal dynasty,

The entire high echelon of the immortal dynasty was thrown into an uproar.

Initially, many hardliners thought this move was too risky, tantamount to binding the future of the immortal dynasty to a mysterious merchants' association.

However, when Li Si placed before them the supreme black card pre-loaded with a hundred billion top-grade immortal crystals, as well as the promise of 'a hundred billion per month,'

All opposition vanished.

Although most of them were low-grade immortal crystals.

But by paying a certain price they can be refined into top-grade immortal crystals!

That is a strategic resource that is only minimally produced in the core region of the Thirty-Three Heavens!

Usually, to obtain even a piece, they have to expend great effort.

And now, someone is willing to give them hundreds or even thousands of pieces for free!

Who can withstand this?!

Risk?

What is risk? Can you eat it?

Thus, under an extremely strange tacit understanding, the highest power echelon of the immortal dynasty quickly reached agreement.

One after another, red-headed documents bearing the immortal dynasty's jade seal were issued from the imperial capital, transmitted at the fastest speed to every corner of the Thirty-Three Heavens.

By the Mandate of Heaven, the Immortal Emperor decrees: There is the Gu Merchant Association, which cherishes the world and seeks to relieve the suffering of all peoples in cultivation; it therefore establishes a bank to benefit all beings—this is a great benevolent act that profits the state and the people, and my heart is greatly pleased. I hereby bestow a golden plaque upon the number one merchant association in the world as a reward. May you all faithfully fulfill your duties, and for the prosperity of the immortal dynasty, achieve new merits. This is the imperial edict.

When this edict was issued, the entire Ruin-Heaven world boiled over completely!

Official endorsement!

Even the Immortal Dynasty's emperor personally stepped forward to endorse the Gu Bank!

This even completely dispelled the doubts of the most stubborn and cautious cultivators.

Quick, quick, quick! Go to the Gu Bank—if you're late, you won't even get any soup!

My goodness! Even the Immortal Dynasty supports it—what is there to hesitate about?!

I've heard that the Gu Bank is so rich because they've opened a trade route to foreign realms, allowing them to obtain vast amounts of resources from other worlds!

Not just a trade route! I heard from a distant maternal uncle who works in the imperial capital that behind the Gu Bank stands a transcendent being from beyond the heavens! They are not engaged in commerce; they are... conquering the world!

Rumors, under the prompting of interested parties, evolved into various bizarre versions.

But no matter the version, the core idea is only one—

Gu Bank, awesome!

Deposit your money and you're guaranteed to profit without loss!

For a time, the entire Ruin-Heaven world fell into an unprecedented financial frenzy.

Countless sects, families, and even some remote small states began to exhaust their national strength, pouring the wealth they had accumulated over countless years into the Gu Bank's great crucible without cease.

The Gu Bank's cash flow, in just half a month, broke through an astronomical figure that would shock even the Immortal Dynasty's Minister of Revenue.

And the architect of all this, Gu Linjiang, was leisurely seated in an elegant room on the bank's top floor, watching the numbers on the light screen roll rapidly, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Lin Feng stood beside him; although he was still nervous, after Gu Linjiang's half-month of careful instruction, he could barely keep his composure.

Senior Elder, we... really have to go to war?

He still couldn't help but ask the question that had troubled him for a long time.

War? Fight what? Do we have a world to give them to fight?

Gu Linjiang shook his head.

The so-called new world is merely a pretext they give to the immortal dynasty, and the immortal dynasty gives to outsiders.

A reason that justifies the Gu Bank offering extremely high interest.

A reason that justifies the immortal dynasty reasonably disposing of the Gu Bank.

But in the end, who will dispose of whom is uncertain.