Chapter 1169: The Way Out

"You left yourself a way out?" Chen Yu looked at him with surprise.

"There was no other way." The butler steadied himself and said, "Cao Zhengde has done too many things over these years, and they were too outrageous, so I had to leave myself a way out."

"The Cao Family values you so much; I thought you were very loyal."

"What loyalty? I am nothing but a dog to the Cao Family, or perhaps even less than a dog." The butler squeezed out a smile that looked worse than crying.

"Very well, at least you know what's good for you." Chen Yu smiled slightly and said, "Now, hand over the items."

The butler led Chen Yu to his room and carefully took out a notebook from under a floor tile beneath the bed. Chen Yu flipped through the notebook and took a look, discovering that it was densely packed with records of all the illegal and illicit activities the Cao Family had committed over the years.

The matters recorded therein also implicated a series of leaders in Shu City. If this document were submitted, the Cao Family would surely fall, and Shu City itself would experience a massive earthquake.

"Hmm, the Investigation Team has been working themselves to the bone lately just to find this, and here you are, having recorded it all clearly." Chen Yu nodded slightly; this item would indeed be of great use.

"Ye-yes." The butler wiped a cold sweat from his forehead: "Mr. Chen, I have recorded everything I know."

"Please, just let me go this once. Being a lackey for the Cao Family before was just a desperate way to make a living; I was forced into it." The butler hypocritically wiped away tears, putting on a pitiful act: "I still have an eighty-year-old mother at home."

"You were just trying to make a living, while others had to pay with their lives for it." Chen Yu sighed slightly and said, "How can you expect me to let you go with peace of mind?"

"Mr. Chen, you... you promised me. I've handed everything over to you; you cannot go back on your word." The butler was shocked.

He had originally thought that if he handed these things over, Chen Yu would spare him, but he never dreamed that Chen Yu had no intention of letting him go.

"It is a pity that you have done too much evil, so I cannot let you go." Chen Yu shook his head helplessly and sighed slightly: "I will give you enough time to go home and see your old mother one last time; that is the absolute limit."

Chen Yu slowly raised his right hand, aimed it at the butler's forehead, and released a faint trace of True Qi.

*Puff*, a touch of finger force penetrated into the butler's mind. He stumbled back a few steps, eyes wide, as the finger force took root inside his body. Within twenty-four hours, this force would erupt, and at that time, it would inevitably claim the butler's life.

Although he felt nothing unusual in his body, the butler was still scared out of his wits; he knew deep down that this finger strike from Chen Yu was certainly not simple.

He screamed in terror, but unfortunately, Chen Yu had already walked away.

Casually tossing the documents to the Investigation Team, Chen Yu left. How to investigate further and how to pass judgment were matters for the Investigation Team; they had nothing to do with Chen Yu.

Over the next few days, Shu City did indeed experience a massive earthquake.

The once arrogant Cao Family first suffered the death of a Direct Descendant, and immediately after, the behemoth known as the Cao Corporation collapsed with a crash.

The Cao Family was like a great tree with deep, intertwined roots; to outsiders, it seemed impossible for it to fall, but after this earthquake, the Cao Family was as finished as could be.

As the Investigation Team dug deeper, more matters surfaced one by one. Many leaders in Shu City were implicated, the Cao Corporation went into bankruptcy liquidation, and the Head of Family, Cao Zhengde, committed suicide.

Calling it suicide was merely the official narrative; the true cause of death was known to only a very few, and of course, these details would not be made public.

The fall of the Cao Family seemed to inject vitality into other companies in Shu City. The Cao Family had previously monopolized many industries, and all the money went into the pockets of those surnamed Cao; even if outsiders wanted a sip of the soup, they had to watch the Cao Family's expression.

But that was no longer necessary. With the fall of the Cao Family, many businesses sprang up; "when a whale falls, everything else thrives"—that is the logic behind it.

Of course, these are matters for later, and they have nothing to do with Chen Yu. He did not come to Shu City just to target one Cao Family.

The reason he sought trouble with the Cao Family was because the victim, Xiao Zhengguo, had inadvertently helped him. But it was a pity that Xiao Zhengguo was determined to die; there is nothing more sorrowful than a dead heart. With his family destroyed and his life ruined, the Cao Family also met its doom; this time, he could finally depart in peace.

The Demon Department has been established, but Chen Yu still had a headache regarding the sect gate standing there. After all, this group of creatures could not be brought to Shengjing, and Dragon Breath had not provided him with a sufficient budget.

Therefore, the matter of the sect gate would have to come slowly. Of the dozens of small demons rescued that day, two-thirds were willing to follow Chen Yu. After all, in their view, rather than hiding everywhere, it was better to find a place to settle down, which would allow them to stabilize their lives.

Moreover, since they were following Chen Yu, they would be eating the "imperial grain" from now on, and perhaps there would be other benefits—why wouldn't they be happy to do so?

To stabilize morale, Chen Yu first helped Liu Xian and several other demons who wished to follow him to undergo their tribulation and take human form, allowing them to become true humans in a sense. This way, he could attract more people to come and work for him.

Regarding this group, Chen Yu also followed the principle of "education without discrimination," believing that in the future, this group would be of great help to him.

The matter of Xuankong Cave had already been put on the agenda. Calculating the date, the time for the cave entrance to open was near, and Chen Yu had been making preparations these past few days.

As for what exactly was inside the cave, he would have to go in and explore further.

Ning Ruoxue had finished her business and was touring the surrounding area accompanied by Liu Xian, while Sanwei followed Chen Yu everywhere.

Emerging from a Shu-style restaurant with decent flavors, Sanwei rubbed her round belly, looking completely satisfied.

"Chen Yu, I've discovered that I was right to agree with my mother to leave the Demon Realm. The human world is truly wonderful; there is good food and fun things to do," Sanwei said proudly.

"Although I haven't met your mother, I know that she let you out so that you could achieve enlightenment, not for you to come here to eat, drink, and play," Chen Yu looked at her helplessly.

This little fox was truly carefree, hanging out with outsiders, eating and drinking every day without any pressure, knowing only how to enjoy herself from morning till night. It was truly nice to be so worry-free.

"My mother also said that the matter of enlightenment depends on fate. Hehe, anyway, I haven't reached the time for enlightenment yet," Sanwei giggled.

Just at this moment, Chen Yu's gaze shifted to the front, and his expression changed slightly.

He saw that where his gaze landed, a huge tabby cat was staring straight at Chen Yu, then licking the fur on its body, looking completely relaxed.