Chapter 613: What are you people?

Yang Yunshu looked over and sighed: "Indeed, it's not very effective."

Ma Liu stood to the side, watching the troublemaking disciples obediently leave; he probably also understood the method they used.

It was nothing more than Yao Wen first releasing his aura to pressure these disciples into silence, letting them calm down so the situation wouldn't get out of control.

Soon after, the Law Enforcement Hall personnel arrived and brought the situation under control; a good-cop, bad-cop routine settled the matter.

"What now?" Ma Liu looked at Yang Yunshu.

"Let's go back first and talk about it."

The two left.

Yao Wen, his face dark in front of the Treasure Vault, gave the three Hall Masters a look, and several people walked into the hall.

Smack!

"This Feng Yue is bullying people too much!!"

"Exactly, he actually incited disciples to cause trouble at the Treasure Vault; aren't we afraid he'll do the same to us?"

Yao Wen, from his initial anger to now, suddenly thought of something and smiled: "It's fine, everyone; being able to resort to such despicable tactics only shows that Feng Yue has no way to deal with us."

"So what do we say now? We can't just watch Feng Yue make a move and not retaliate, can we?"

Yao Wen thought carefully: "This matter isn't really a big deal; if it blew up, it wouldn't benefit either him or me. Basically, he just wants to disgust me a bit, and at the same time use this incident to make Outer Gate disciples think that as long as resources are lacking, causing a ruckus here will get them benefits. But we, on the other hand, cannot do that."

"Why?"

"If we incite disciples to cause trouble for the Internal Affairs Hall, Feng Yue will surely seize the opportunity to blow this up, possibly even dragging it to the Inner Gate. When the Inner Gate investigates and discovers our scheming, they will definitely hold us accountable."

"But..." the three Hall Masters frowned: "Wasn't this matter started by him in the first place?"

"But don't forget, we are disciples of the Paolong Sacred Land; we should have the ability to manage and stabilize the situation. Once this happens, it's likely to cause the higher-ups to lose trust in us."

"Unless it's absolutely necessary, there's no need to fight Feng Yue to mutual destruction." Yao Wen said with a smile.

"Then what do you plan to do?"

Yao Wen thought: "Basically, Feng Yue is just saying that he hasn't made up for the disciples' resources lately; this is also our weakness, so we just need to find a way to solve the resource problem."

"That's easy to say, but how do we do it?"

Yao Wen's eyes shifted: "Wasn't there a batch of spiritual materials logged in earlier, but it's been useless all this time?"

"You mean that cloud iron?"

"Yeah, my meaning is, using this batch of cloud iron, we take a loan from the outside merchants' association, first make up for the disciples' shortages these few months, then talk."

"What?!"

The three Hall Masters started: "If we get caught, that's a major crime!"

"So my idea is, this batch of cloud iron won't be taken out of the sect; I'll just use my name to take out a loan, and as for the rest, you all just keep your mouths shut."

"Huh?"

"That merchant association is as sly as a mouse; without seeing the actual goods, can they give you collateral?"

"Do you have that much face?"

Although the three didn't understand Yao Wen's idea, they still agreed.

Since Yao Wen voluntarily took responsibility for this, they didn't need to worry further.

After the three Hall Masters left, Yao Wen pondered a moment, then wrote a letter and sent it to the Inner Gate.

Elsewhere.

He Caifei came again to the Alchemy Hall.

"What are you up to again?" Mo Dengqing stood at the Alchemy Hall doorway, looking at him displeased.

He Caifei smiled: "Miss Mo, you're not even from the Alchemy Hall, so why are you always guarding this place?"

"What's that got to do with you?"

"Then I'll return those words to you unchanged, Miss Mo."

He Caifei ignored Mo Dengqing and walked into the main hall.

Seeing no sign of Yan Buji around, He Caifei asked: "Where is Brother Yan?"

"He's not here." Mo Dengqing said unhappily.

But before He Caifei could speak, Yan Buji walked out of the alchemy room, smiling: "Brother He, why have you come back again?"

"Hehe, naturally I'm looking for Brother Yan because I have something to discuss."

He Caifei had made two round trips in a single day, and Yan Buji was naturally curious about what new news he brought this time.

The two sat aside, while Mo Dengqing stood nearby listening.

He Caifei didn't mind Mo Dengqing's presence either, and said: "Brother Yan, how is your alchemy technique these days?"

"Oh?" Yan Buji showed some curiosity: "I, Yan Buji, am untalented; I'm merely a Fifth Transformation Alchemist. Do you have any advice, Brother?"

"I previously obtained a pill recipe, and wanted to try refining it myself, but my alchemy technique is just average and I lack the key points, so I'd like to ask for guidance."

"A pill recipe? Please go ahead, Brother."

He Caifei wrote down some spiritual materials and handed them to Yan Buji; Mo Dengqing frowned beside them, glanced over the pill recipe and saw nothing wrong, and also found He Caifei's behavior strange.

Watching the two chat more and more happily, Mo Dengqing always felt something was off, but couldn't put his finger on it.

After a while, He Caifei stood up and left, as if he had come just to discuss the pill recipe with Yan Buji.

"He Caifei's alchemy skill isn't low at all; why hasn't he been recruited to work in the Inner Gate?" Yan Buji suddenly asked.

Mo Dengqing shook his head: "I don't know, but he was originally Yao Wen's man; maybe Yao Wen pulled some strings. By the way, are you really discussing the pill recipe with him?"

Yan Buji sighed: "He didn't just come to me purely to discuss the pill recipe."

Mo Dengqing blinked: "Then what were you two talking about just now?"

"This person, while borrowing the pill recipe just now, hinted to me about arranging a meeting at a secret place, but I think you wouldn't be able to keep it from you."

"Is that so..." Mo Dengqing reflected, wondering whether in his earlier conversation with He Caifei he had mentioned this matter.

Yan Buji gave her a strange look and said, "If you don't believe me, send a message to Elder Feng—he'll naturally understand."

"Then what do you plan to do?"

"Of course I'm going to see what he's up to." Yan Buji laughed.

Yan Buji watched Mo Dengqing's silent demeanor and suddenly realized something.

This girl seems strange; she might be feigning ignorance, deliberately guiding me to do something.

Thinking this through, Feng Yue couldn't have sent a fool to spy on him; thus this woman is likely to twist his words and report them to Feng Yue.

"If you're going, go—but when you come back you have to tell me what you all said."

"That's only natural."

Night fell.

Yan Buji arrived at the place he had agreed upon with He Caifei and looked around.

Fellow Daoist Yan.

He Caifei stepped out from the shadows, smiling as he looked at him.

Yan Buji raised his eyebrows: "Who is Mo Dengqing?"

"Huh?" He Caifei's heart jumped: "Fellow Daoist Yan, why would you say that?"

"Stop pretending; you also carry a hint of yin‑miasma, similar to hers. I don't know what you're really after, but this is at least the Paolong Sacred Land—I won't partake in your wrongdoing."

He Caifei froze, then burst out laughing: "Fellow Daoist Yan, you're quite the character—go ahead and guess who I am."

"You're not with Yao Wen's side, nor with Feng Yue's. It seems you, like Mo Dengqing, come from another faction—if I'm not mistaken, is it because of the Youming Jie affair that you've been revived?"

Yan Buji speculated that the two might have a close relationship; although they are in the Paolong Sacred Land, he isn't here just to make a quick profit and leave—he came to make a name for himself in the Paolong Sacred Land.

He certainly didn't want to get dragged into some vortex beyond his control for no reason.