Chapter 664: From Darkness to Light

Soon after.

Huang Ji brought people to Lian Dan Tang.

Greetings, Hall Master.

How's the situation?

"This is some information we've gathered; please review it, Hall Master." Huang Ji presented a jade slip and said.

Yan Buji looked and asked: "What about Xu Hu?"

Huang Ji was stunned, didn't expect Yan Buji to ask that, and said: "Xu Hu has fallen."

"Huh? What happened?"

"When we went to investigate..."

Huang Ji said, it turned out that when they infiltrated a sect, Xu Hu accidentally triggered a grand formation and was killed on the spot.

Yan Buji sighed: "I sent you to investigate, not to die; why infiltrate?"

Saying this, Yan Buji looked at Huang Ji: "Does Xu Hu have any family?"

"Yes, his family of three lives in a mortal dynasty near Long Qi Cheng."

Yan Buji nodded, took out the spiritual stones given by the hall masters earlier: "Here are thirty thousand medium-grade spiritual stones!"

Yan Buji shouted loudly; the surrounding cultivators stared wide-eyed, not understanding what he meant.

"These thirty thousand medium-grade spiritual stones are for your investigation expenses and compensation for the deceased." Yan Buji casually tossed them to Huang Ji.

Huang Ji hastily took it, hesitating: "Hall Master, this isn't proper, after all, using sect funds arbitrarily..."

"This is my own money; I don't know how you've been doing things before, but I have only three requests."

Yan Buji looked at them: "First, ensure your own safety; we're here to do business, not to fight. Even for gathering intel, if money can solve it, spend money—no need to risk your lives."

The surrounding cultivators were moved; they hadn't expected Yan Buji to personally fund their activities.

"Second, since we're all striving for the sect's development, we should value harmonious relationships; I don't want to hear of anyone in our group starting an unjust conflict. If they're in the right and someone causes trouble, I'll step in. Moreover, these funds go to Huang Ji, who will handle external intelligence work."

"Third, everyone remember: do what you're supposed to do; don't seek quick gains, and don't overstep before things become urgent."

Having said that, Yan Buji looked at them: "Any opinions?"

"We are willing to serve you, Hall Master!"

"No, not for me, but for the sect's development, then our own interests." Yan Buji smiled.

"Once the Youming Jie trade route opens, we'll naturally need many to maintain this business. Initially I'll oversee each place to avoid coordination issues. You will gradually take charge of various aspects. The others should return to cultivate; Huang Ji, stay."

"Yes!"

The crowd left happily; at least Yan Buji's attitude toward them is beyond reproach—paying for work isn't that obvious?

Many who invoke the sect's righteousness to shirk work are plentiful; still, money talks, and these demonic cultivators' eyes have cleared considerably.

Huang Ji's attitude also changed greatly; he stood respectfully to the side.

Yan Buji glanced at the jade slip and casually said: "Have a seat."

"Yes, Hall Master." Huang Ji sat down, not daring to disturb Yan Buji.

Yan Buji reviewed the intelligence; regarding spiritual materials from Youming Jie on the market, they mainly come from three directions.

"From the West Sand River Basin, plus a local force called Dragon Void Cave and the Zhong Tian Zhi Yu United Chamber of Commerce?" Yan Buji carefully examined the intelligence on these three sides.

The spiritual materials from Youming Jie that flow in from the West Sand River Basin are all consumed in the Heavenly Spirit Realm, so they have no impact on the local market of Zhong Tian Zhi Yu.

Meanwhile, the Youming Jie spiritual materials on the local market are monopolized by Dragon Void Cave and the United Chamber of Commerce. Yan Buji pondered: "Did you get caught sneaking into Dragon Void Cave?"

"Yes, both seem to have a way into Youming Jie, but it doesn't appear to be led by a single great expert; they're mostly headed by Void-Reaching, Spirit-Uniting cultivators. Moreover, we found they likely mastered a method to shuttle between Youming Jie and the mundane world."

Yan Buji thought: "I never heard of living-person trade in the original Youming Jie; it seems they're using the underworld route."

However, now Youming Jie has been unified; although the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk hasn't merged, causing missing laws, conversely the spatial nodes won't fluctuate, making their trade route actually stable.

"Having uncovered this much is enough; do you know which faction of Youming Jie they're trading with?"

"This..."

"Since you don't know, what's the total amount of Youming Jie spiritual materials on the market now?"

"Total amount?"

"That is, the circulation volume; although Zhong Tian Zhi Yu is vast, since it's controlled by these two forces, how much Youming Jie spiritual material have they circulated recently?"

Huang Ji's expression changed; he lowered his head and said nothing.

"Haven't you investigated yet? Give me a month; I want the share of Youming Jie spiritual materials that have flowed into the market over the past ten years—can you find out?" Yan Buji said calmly.

"Can do!" Huang Ji immediately replied.

"Hmm." Yan Buji continued looking at the intelligence.

Some things, Yan Buji only needs a result; since they were assigned here and he gave them money to work, if he still has to teach them how to do it, he might as well go to the Sect Master and request a replacement crew.

Huang Ji naturally understood this as well; although he hadn't done such work before, he realized that the person before him, Hall Master Yan Buji, is a hotshot in the sect, able to see the Sect Master anytime and favored by the patriarch.

Furthermore, the stakes of what he's doing now are huge; Huang Ji knows if he can't keep up, he'll likely never even get to eat leftovers later!

Huang Ji hesitated, then whispered to show loyalty: "Hall Master, I feel we might be walking a tightrope, not knowing how many are waiting for us to fall so they can feast on our flesh!"

"Hmm?"

Yan Buji frowned: "What do you mean? Does anyone else in the sect want my position?"

Huang Ji shook his head: "Now you have the patriarch's and Sect Master's favor, your status is at its peak, so no fool would openly provoke you. But privately it's different; as far as I know..."

Huang Ji said that within the sect, some privately resent and envy Yan Buji, and others even plot to strike at this matter.

Yan Buji narrowed his eyes, then said: "You mentioned those people—specifically who are they? Point them out, I'll take care of them."

"Yes!"

Huang Ji then told Yan Buji many names.

Yan Buji found it strange, looking at Huang Ji: "You wouldn't also have been bribed by them, would you?"

Huang Ji's old face turned red, he coughed once: "I now plan to abandon darkness and turn to the light!"