Chapter 124

Fengxi was smiling.

He smiled very strangely and wonderfully.

However, the clever and quick-witted Yuchen instantly grasped its true meaning.

Our hearts are in sync, we understand each other instantly!

Everything is understood without words!

Of course, to prevent situations like misjudgment from occurring.

Only to see, somewhat unexpectedly yet not unexpectedly, a cold light flashed on the Seven-Star Treasure Sword hanging at his waist—

"Screech!"

With a sweep of the sword light, the binding of that account book was cut!

Moreover, the sword light was too sudden, startling both of them, and they let go at the same moment.

In an instant, the paper pages fluttered like snowflakes, scattering everywhere.

"Ah!"

Yuchen cried out, repeatedly apologizing, "Sorry, this innate spiritual treasure, I've only had it a short time, my grasp isn't fine enough, I often make mistakes... sorry sorry!"

Then he immediately crouched down to pick up the scattered pages.

"It's fine, it's fine." Fengxi expressed a gentle, magnanimous demeanor, "A small mistake, what's there to worry about?"

"Everyone has had moments of clumsiness!" He spoke calmly, reflecting, "In my past life, I watched people work in the antique appraisal business."

"That person was a grand master deeply versed in this field, with decades of experience... yet there was a day when he made a mistake!"

"He mistakenly gave a low price to a priceless treasure, and someone snatched it up!"

"An occasional employee who took an interest just got rich overnight, becoming a big tycoon!"

Fengxi said, shaking his head repeatedly, "Even experienced veterans make mistakes, let alone a newcomer."

He sighed continuously, meanwhile cooperating with Yuchen to pick up the scattered papers on the floor.

However, Fengxi only managed to pick up one sheet, just for show; the rest were quickly tidied up by Yuchen's swift movements.

"Pay attention next time." Fengxi chuckled lightly, handing Yuchen the sheet recording part of the projected expenses, and winked.

"Sure! Sure!" Yuchen took it, glanced sideways, his face breaking into a smile, and he winked as well.

The painter standing nearby felt a creepy chill all over his body watching this.

He secretly shook his head, muttering complaints nonstop.

"What are two grown men doing, winking at each other?"

"Don't you know it's hard on the eyes?"

"It's just me, relying on experience to understand your little calculations..."

"If someone unaware saw this, they'd think you two were exchanging loving glances, love at first sight!"

The painter sighed, morals are declining, people's hearts are not as they used to be.

One after another, thick-browed, big-eyed fellows actually doing such things.

On the other side.

"Brother Feng, just wait for my good news." Yuchen patted his chest, saying, "At the latest in three days, you'll get the result!"

"Alright, I'll wait." Fengxi nodded with a smile.

……

It didn't take three days.

Just half a day.

Yuchen then brought Fengxi great news.

The various lineages of the Daoist sect were largely mobilized.

Especially the disciples and descendants of the Treasure Sovereign Lingbao were thoroughly mobilized, becoming an organized, core teacher group.

Under the banner of "avoiding internal vicious competition," the Jie Sect united as one, becoming the most competitive external team, and vigorously entered the master platform opened by the Wu Clan.

And the Wu Clan's platform did not disappoint expectations.

Through advertising promotion and hype, an enormous seeker-of-the-Dao market was fully opened, releasing its potential.

The beings of Honghuang, in their pursuit of the Great Dao, have nothing they are unwilling to give.

After all, this represents power, it represents the right to future survival!

They would smash pots and sell iron to scrape together tuition, to change their fate and develop toward a higher direction.

The educational institutions promoted by the Wu Clan satisfied their wishes.

Races originally suppressed and bound by the food-chain hierarchy, here found a slim chance to turn things around.

Once they possess power and broaden their horizons, looking back, how will they view that race's tragic fate?

Unbeknownst to them, a spark of star fire was planted.

Of course, that will only blossom and explode in the distant future.

In the current platform, nobody thinks that far ahead.

Many are delighted, excited.

Like Duo Bao, like Yuchen.

One is the person designated by the Treasure Sovereign Lingbao, the main person in charge of selling the Jie Sect teachers' labor resources and calculating financial returns; the other represents the Wu Clan of Kunlun Mountain, having partial bargaining power over the labor value of Jie Sect disciples and responsibility for paying wages.

The great success on the Wu Clan intermediary platform shows that both of them are making money hand over fist.

As for whether there are any shady financial gains here, involving any dirty trades, eating demon-blood steamed buns, exploiting the labor value of disciples and descendants—

Rest assured.

The wool comes from the sheep.

Wouldn't it be fine to just collect a bit more tuition?

Under Yuchen's covert suggestion, the tuition fees posted on the platform kept rising.

Even for some master teachers' large lecture classes, there were very harsh talent requirements for Tao-listening students; those who didn't meet the standard were outright rejected… All that happened under that suggestion, with some indicators quietly released.

As long as one pays the so-called 'high sponsorship fee,' they can sneak in, sit quietly in a corner, and listen to top-tier master teachers' lectures.

"This is really extortionate, sparing no expense." Qingxuan understood the situation, shaking his head repeatedly, criticizing Yuchen: "You're messing around like this… Those students lack talent, pay a huge sum, sneak in, and still learn nothing!"

"Heh." Yuchen curled his lips, "One wants to hit, the other wants to be hit."

"They failed the exam, their comprehension and aptitude don't meet the requirements, yet they insist on sneaking in… I think they should be mentally prepared to bear the consequences."

"Some people simply have no sense of limits." Yuchen said lightly, "Others have other purposes in mind."

"What if my talent for the Dao is poor? So what?"

"As long as you know friends with high comprehension and strong aptitude… isn't that enough?" He chuckled, "I've given them such an opportunity to enter a circle of future potential powerhouses who are still weak now, to make friends and forge deep fellow-student bonds."

"I might be a weakling myself, but I know ×××… That's also a kind of deterrence!"

"The high sponsorship fee I set is actually payable only by those whose families have mines, lacking no material resources…" Yuchen said leisurely, "Investing that material resource and converting it into future powerhouse connections… what's that worth?"

The qualification to enter the circle of social relations is also a kind of potential value.

Yuchen gained insight from Fengxi's act of building the platform and monetizing the channel, imitating it with some effort, and the results seemed not bad.

"The Honghuang world is rich and colorful."

"The races and beings living within it are diverse."

"Each being's talent differs, and the futures they can choose also differ."

"Some love cultivation, some love art, some enjoy pleasure… We cannot demand that everyone develop in the field of cultivation—because we cannot guarantee, with limited resources, that they all become talented."

"We also lack the authority to decide their lives for them."

"All we can give is a relaxed environment, a suitable platform, and to some extent avoid harm from force and violence… so they have the condition to pursue their own likes."

"Even if I can't become a strong person myself, knowing strong people can bring them to bolster the scene… Look, isn't that also pretty good?"

"Fellow-student bonds, mutual help, we're all one family… When truly encountering difficulties, a call summons everyone to gather!"

Yuchen spread his hands.

"Sigh… really tough on you." Qingxuan shook his head, "Drilling into the money eye, you can come up with all sorts of crooked ways and still justify yourself."

"If you can justify yourself, it's not called heretical." Yuchen said confidently, "No matter how you say it, it's still an unorthodox path!"

"Fine, fine, fine!" Qingxuan didn't want to argue, changed the topic, "Do you feel it?"

"In Kunlun Mountain now, there seems to be a surging undercurrent."

"Quite normal." Yuchen said calmly, "Our movement is so huge, the Demon Race's high-ups aren't blind—how could they not notice?"

"That is, Fengxi and Hougang erupted consecutively, operating madly, causing the stall to spread rapidly in the shortest time, hard to stop… otherwise someone would have already blocked it."

"But over the past period, those who should have reacted have reacted."

"Even targeting our platform, I estimate those people have already prepared countermeasures… if they don't act, fine; once they act, it's lethal!"

"Just watch." Yuchen gripped the sword hilt, his expression solemn, "It'll be lively then."

"All kinds of miraculous operations—nothing we can't think of, nothing they can't do."

"This place has already become the center of too many yin and yang conspiracies, the greatest place of right and wrong!"

: "……" -> "……" (ellipsis). We'll output as is.

Establishing oneself in a place of right and wrong, as the source of the vortex, Fengxi is very calm.

Day to day, he eats what he should, sleeps what he should; after listening to the Moral Heavenly Venerable's lecture, he also went to listen to Yuanshi Tianzun's public class.

Unfortunately, this class was very quiet, with no talented person from the Wu Clan to give him a chance to be shocked.

All he could do was publish a textbook after class to strengthen the foundation of the Wu Clan master-teacher platform.

The rest is to steadily promote the platform's expansion, with all-encompassing publicity—"Find master teachers, go to New Kunlun Education Institution"—hiding some brainwashing publicity covertly.

There's propaganda praising the Wu Clan as how noble and powerful; there's propaganda about innate talent being useful, constantly heating up for the Universiade…

While holding overall control and steadily advancing, Fengxi occasionally goes out to stroll the streets, browse for treasures.

Maybe he just snagged a bargain!

Right?

To be a Wu, one must have a dream.

Believe in your own luck, after half a lifetime, there will be a day of good fortune!

"I gamble on stones, never relying on any secret techniques!"

Standing at a stone-gambling workshop opened by a certain disciple of Lingbao Tianzun, Fengxi, amidst countless eyes of envy, jealousy, and hatred, spoke in a tone begging for a beating, saying that under his feet, inside a huge stone that had been cut open, there was a small box made of immortal gold.

Not mentioning what's sealed inside, just the box's material is unknown how many times the investment in stone gambling.

"I can open treasures, it's all thanks to the heavens' favor!" Fengxi pretended to sigh, "Technique? Not needed!"

"The heavens feed me… what about you guys?"

"Sigh…"

A long sigh made his opponent, who had gambled on stones for millions of years, fume with smoke from all seven orifices, trembling as he stretched out a finger to point, unable to speak clearly, "You… you you…"

"What do you mean 'you'?" Fengxi glanced, "Unconvinced? Even if unconvinced, you gotta hold it in!"

After the mockery, he rolled up his sleeves, taking advantage of the many onlookers, good witnesses, Fengxi felt around the box, looking for a way to open it.

Unexpectedly simple.

So simple that just a light lift opened the box.

At the moment of opening, a brilliant golden light flashed into view.

The source of the golden light was a series of Xuanhuang-colored coin-like objects.

The big stone in Fengxi's heart fell to the ground all at once.

Good teammate!

Really on point!

Really in sync!

"I get what you mean… uh, wait, something seems off?" The stone in his heart lifted again.

"These Xuanhuang coins seem to have a pattern? No way!" Through the golden light, Fengxi vaguely saw something, "How careless of Yuzhen to handle affairs?"

"Even Houtu doesn't erase the mark?"

"Isn't this trapping me?"

A small heart thumped, Fengxi forced a calm look, took out the Xuanhuang coins, and immediately noticed the difference.

These Xuanhuang coins are not very similar to the usual Houtu.

First is thickness, much thicker than Houtu, looking quite solid.

Moreover, the pattern differs: not the majestic Houtu ancestral witch, but a hazy-faced emperor wearing ceremonial robes, hands behind back, as if watching the changes of heaven and earth.

Finally, the issuer.

The big words "Heaven and Earth Bank" made Fengxi feel like he had a lot to say but didn't know how to vent.

"Lingbao Tianzun… does he like joking that much?" Fengxi muttered in his heart, "Heaven and Earth Bank… I still have the Underworld Bank!"

"Are there any bills worth hundreds of millions?"

Fengxi, startled, put the Xuanhuang coins back in the box with a sullen face.

However, this couldn't stop the onlookers' curiosity.

After all, Xuanhuang merit coins, such a lofty thing, are something they could never encounter or understand in their lifetimes.

What is that?

It seems to be a kind of currency, right?

Youngster, could you let us see it again?

They didn't know what it was.

Thus, there was no successive exclamation—"Good heavens, that actually is…"

This left Fengxi feeling no joy even when he displayed his powers before others.

So he simply stopped pretending.

Making a fortune quietly is also fine.

All that's needed is an audience, merely a crowd to bear witness.

Carrying a box of Xuanhuang coins, Fengxi strode back to the Wu Clan's headquarters.

Unbeknownst to him, among the onlookers was a passerby eating melon, glancing at what happened here; his gaze grew deep, and a strange smile curled his lips.

Heh…

……

This is this month's platform revenue; with the improvement of teaching resources, it has increased compared to last month…

In the Wu Clan's embassy, Hougang reported to Fengxi, who had just returned here.

"Do we need to pay tribute to the clan?"

"Pay what?" Fengxi retorted, "Does the clan lack this little bit of money?"

"Now is the honeymoon period of our cooperation with the Dao Sect; we need to continue investing and deepening the collaboration."

"So, pour all of it into the platform's expansion… uh…" He stroked his chin and instructed, "Part of the money will be allocated as welfare for Dao Sect students stationed on the platform, giving out some small gifts."

"As for this, you can leave it to Yuzhen to handle… Also, tell him we could consider converting the gifts into shopping cards by value, letting those intern teachers go to the designated market to exchange for goods they like, so we won't be accused of being inhumane, applying a one-size-fits-all approach, and giving out useless gifts."

"……" Hougang gave Fengxi a deep look, "Alright, you're now my superior; your word is law."

Having said that, he no longer brought up the tax issue, shifting to the All-Heaven Games: "Our promotion for the Duti Cup is about done; everyone who should know already does."

Under our relentless publicity, the tribes of Kunlun Mountain trust our Wu Clan, not fearing that high-ranking tribes will wantonly slaughter low-ranking ones; some gifted beings already have the idea to compete.

Furthermore, by raising the actual benefits for awardees and combining them with top-tier teacher resources, Hougang said, "Whoever wins a prize and attains a certain rank, our platform will guarantee them a spot, allowing them to study for free with some of the highest Taiyi masters, receiving a personalized cultivation plan…"

This edition of the games has been thoroughly heated up.

"Good, good, good!" Fengxi praised, "You've done a great job!"

This way, participants will flock in, all lured by benefits into the pit!

"Too bad they don't know." Fengxi sighed, "Sometimes, free things are actually the most costly!"

"Once they enter the competition, what follows is no longer up to them."

"The ranking of tribes, strengths and weaknesses in various fields, the exposed flaws… the food chain ranking, hunting versus being hunted, leaves no room for retreat."

"Are the recording preparations ready?" Fengxi looked at Hougang.

"Already ready." Hougang nodded, "We're just waiting for the participants to take their places."

"Then let's pick up the pace." Fengxi glanced at the sky outside the hall, "To avoid long nights and many dreams."

"Dragging it out, we still don't know what tricks the Demon Race has waiting for us."

"Good." Hougang smiled and accepted the task.

"You may withdraw now; I want to cultivate seriously for a while." Fengxi waved his hand, letting Hougang retreat.

After the hall doors had been closed for a while, he swiftly laid out the harvested gambling stones, his face breaking into a brilliant smile.

"One, two…"

As he counted the Xuanhuang coins one by one, golden light of merit flashed in Fengxi's eyes.

After counting several times, he finally restrained his excitement and began to make plans.

"This part is for enhancing my daily cultivation…"

"This part is for nurturing my trumpet…"

One big, one small, two piles of Xuan Huang coins, glittering and heart‑moving.

Mm, I don't know how my Trumpet has been doing these years.

It should be doing fine, right?

Fengxi pondered.

My Trumpet, with just one percent of my brilliant martial prowess and supreme wisdom, could get by anywhere.

Impossible!

He was so confident.

Using an innate spiritual treasure, Fengxi was about to initiate contact and communicate with his Trumpets.

But…

Before he could begin, a startling change occurred.

A grand, towering aura descended, covering this space‑time.

The Nine Nether Diagram trembled, protecting Fengxi… but that was all it could do.

Any further counterattack? It doesn't exist.

Fengxi hastily gathered the Xuan Huang coins, then his expression grew solemn as he stared fixedly at the hall's doors.

Crack.

With a soft sound, the doors opened.

A burly figure strode in, his steps exuding a fierce, blood‑tinged killing intent that shocked the heart and spirit.

"General You…" Fengxi rose and bowed to the newcomer.

Grand Witch—You!

"My lord, coming here, I failed to greet you properly—truly discourteous." Fengxi said, somewhat uneasy, "I don't know what important business brings you here that I should attend to."

A Grand Witch arrived all too suddenly.

You looked at Fengxi, paused briefly, then sighed, "Fengxi, come with me."

"Huh?" Fengxi was bewildered.

"A trip back to the clan." You shrugged, "Someone anonymously reported you."

"The source of your vast wealth is unclear, suspected of embezzlement, bribery, and falsifying accounts… therefore you must go at the appointed time and place to give a detailed explanation of this matter."

"So, please." You gestured with an outstretched hand.

"I…" Fengxi wanted to curse.

But after thinking, he chose to follow his heart, his face darkening as he fell in step, "I request that the clan's legal procedures be followed, with presumption of innocence."

"Don't worry about that." You smiled, "You do have some standing; to take you down, solid evidence is required."

He said, his smile widening, "Of course, given your ability, merely cooking the books for profit, as long as you don't collude with external foes, even mountains of evidence aren't a big deal… the clan is currently in need of talent."

"But to uphold judicial fairness, you must still accept the appropriate sanctions—removal from office, confinement for a period, which can be regarded as closed‑door cultivation."

Fengxi's eye twitched.

If he's to be demoted, just how much petty cash will he lose!

"I just got the first rebate from the Wu Clan's livelihood, still warm in my hands, and then this happens… I'm so miserable!"

"I earned that rebate from the trading party through my own ability—what grounds do they have to accuse me of falsifying accounts?"

Fengxi, feeling miserable, followed You onto the warship, under the gaze of many lesser witches crowding out to watch the spectacle, evoking a bleak, desolate feeling like the wind whistling over the icy Yi River.

"Chief Feng, have a good journey!" Hougang produced a handkerchief from somewhere, waving it back and forth, making Fengxi want to rush down and kill him.

Too bad, he couldn't.

At the same moment.

In a well‑known inn, Hei Ze, who day after day tended the shopkeeper's duties, set down his pen, slightly lifted his head, his eyes vacant as if gazing through time‑space, a live broadcast.

"It is accomplished."

He spoke leisurely, his ease and contentment beyond words.

"…" The presence in the corner remained silent.

After a long while, he sighed and said, "You really are something."

"Heh." Hei Ze chuckled indifferently, "As one who lives by his wits, of course I must use stratagems."

"I'm not like you, with your peerless assassination skills; I can only scratch out a living by writing denunciation letters and such."

"Fortunately, the report succeeded." Hei Ze sighed, "Regardless of whether he returns, for the time being this place is leaderless."

"Do you fear him a little?" the assassin in the corner remarked teasingly.

"Exactly." Hei Ze nodded calmly, "He's not an easy opponent; his wit and schemes match mine."

"All these years, I still haven't found many flaws."

"Wit and scheming…" the presence in the corner seemed amused, "I'd say there's more than that; what are mere intellectuals to you?"

"To fight you, wit alone isn't enough; one also needs a sufficiently low moral bottom line… am I right?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Hei Ze drawled, "Am I really that depraved?"

"I'm merely carrying out someone's entrustment, being loyal to their cause."

"Just a blade, a sword… it's because Di Jun demanded I leave no means untried that I act this way."

"How can you blame me?" Hei Ze sighed, slowly rising, "Well, let's not talk about this anymore."

"Go ahead and carry out the next plan."

"Whatever the Wu Clan seeks to achieve, we destroy it… if they want to promote a positive image of the Wu Clan, we ruin it; if they build educational institutions, we smear them with filth."

"Destruction is always easier than creation."

Hei Ze said leisurely, "Go and sacrifice the Wu Clan, luring them into danger zones; go and vilify the platform, claiming its members lack moral integrity."

That little guy, he's a bit young.

The struggle for freedom of speech is not that easy!

He's still far too short... far too short!

……

Do you know?

It seemed as if they had been prepared in advance.

After Fengxi was taken away from Kunlun, a wind began to blow.

My great-uncle's nephew's sister's neighbor's brother's friend works part-time at an educational institution jointly run by the Wu Clan and the Dao Sect. A mysterious-looking person said this, drawing a crowd of listeners.

Do you know? There are extremely terrifying and dark things in there!

Oh? What is it? Hurry up and say it!

As a matter of fact, such rumors always have a market and can always attract the curiosity of idle people.

I'll tell you now…… you must absolutely not spread this! The speaker looked around furtively, then continued in a low voice, "Inside that institution…… it's dirty! So dirty!"

There are many scoundrels!

Among those teaching inside, there are many hypocrites; while teaching, they rely on their great strength or the cultivation knowledge they master to lure young females!

Wow! Really? Is it that terrifying? The melon-eating crowd was stunned.

Not only that! the person continued, "Even handsome males, they will also lay their hands on them!"

Do you know? My great-uncle's nephew's sister's neighbor's brother's friend told me that this institution, nominally for teaching, actually provides ludicrous services for many people of high status!

It's very scary!

It's very evil!

You absolutely must not spread this!

If they find out, I'm doomed!

(End of chapter)