From time to time, strong and powerful voices echoed through the sky above Lotus City.
"Do you know that you're breaking the law?"
"Spy, you've exposed yourself; come with me, Zhang San, for a trip."
"Still talking back? You're no ordinary spy at this point."
Of course, these were the lucky spies; as long as they surrendered, they'd simply be stripped of their belongings, interrogated, and then sent to the mines for labor, waiting for their factions to redeem them.
If it were the likes of corpse demons and evil spirits, then it would be your end.
For such pestilent beings, Zhang San, there's only killing!
This is the crushing blow from a top expert with the power to see through anomalies and the Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique.
At first, the Hehuan Sect's enforcement team thought that Yi Chen was capturing them indiscriminately, but once anyone confirmed by Yi Chen as a spy, not one of them got away with it.
It was at this point that everyone in the Hehuan Sect realized that Zhang San wasn't capturing them without reason, he clearly came prepared~
"Who are you, and why have you come to my Hehuan Sect?" A young disciple in white, with greenish features and sleeves embroidered with two cloud patterns, blocked Yi Chen's way up the mountain.
As soon as the disciple in white spoke, two groups of panting enforcement disciples caught up behind Yi Chen, cursing, "Are you blind, this is the Sect Master's appointed first honored guest of our Hehuan Sect, Head Zhang."
"You're just a two-stripe disciple; which hall do you belong to, daring to be so disrespectful?"
Then, two fair-faced female cultivators ran up, gently brushing away the yellow withered leaves on Yi Chen's black cloak.
The disciple in white fell silent as if struck by a chill, knowing well that he had stopped someone he shouldn't have.
Although he did not recognize Yi Chen's face, all those who followed Yi Chen were well-known figures within the Hehuan Sect.
Yi Chen waved his hand to signal everyone to be silent.
"We are all working for the sect. This young brother is dutiful; what manner of speaking is this?"
"Questioning the identity of those who come up the mountain is his duty. Little Ye, give this little brother three thousand taels of silver notes as a reward."
Suddenly, a male disciple stepped forward to hand three silver notes of one thousand taels each to the disciple in white, and the group continued onwards.
Why do the high-ranking officials of the Hehuan Sect listen to Yi Chen so obediently?
For no other reason than making money.
White wine reddens faces, gold moves people's hearts.
The many resources Yi Chen seized in Lotus City were all sold to these officials at five to seven discounts off the market price; they all made money together.
Yi Chen didn't have the channels or the energy to sell them slowly; it was better to perform a good deed in passing, allowing his work to be more efficient.
Even so, he had still amassed twenty drops of gold essence in just two short days.
Most of the spies who had been lurking for years had assets in hand, and the wealth was only spared from being thoroughly scraped clean by Yi Chen's leniency.
But it was of no concern; after he and the officials had their share, the common disciples also got to have a taste.
Tightening the black cloak around him, Yi Chen clapped his hands and gestured to the three people behind him to come forward, "Little Ye, Little Qing, Xiao Bai, pay attention."
"Keep a strict eye on the captured spies; don't let them die in the mines."
"That's all our money."
"After three days through that threshold, various sects will come to redeem their people, set the prices based on their identities."
"I'll speak with the Sect Master when I go up the mountain. Of the money obtained, I'll take thirty percent, you guys share ten percent together, and the He and Huan lineages of our sect each take thirty percent."
"You know how to do the accounts without me teaching you, right?"
Upon hearing this, excitement appeared on the faces of those behind Yi Chen.
Even for that ten percent in their hands, they'd have to go back and persuade their superiors.
The young man whom Yi Chen called Little Ye looked at his silhouette with an even deeper respect in his eyes.
He didn't love cultivation, just money.
The casual business lessons from Head Zhang were strategies he had never even considered.
Aside from being a bit unscrupulous, they were simply impeccable~
"Don't worry, Head Zhang, leave it all to me," as an Elder's grandson responsible for safeguarding, Little Ye couldn't help but promise loudly.
Everyone behind him echoed in unison.
Yi Chen turned his head upon hearing this, smiling again as he said, "That's right, Little Ye. Although those spies can't be worked to death in the mines, wearing them out half to death is no problem."
"Make them suffer a bit; the extra mining profits are for you to divide."
"Remember! Labor is the most beautiful thing!"
With that said, the adoration in Little Ye's eyes intensified.
On the third day, as the morning sun rose high, its path brightly illuminated.
The high-ranking experts from various sects arrived one after another to aid the Hehuan Sect.
Head Zhang sat outside the main hall, sipping wine and eating Spirit Fruit, maintaining the order of the front hall.
As for Miao Zi, it had gone out to play, deeply favored by the female bodhisattvas of the Huan Hall.
"Liyuan Sect's True Monarch Xiaotian has arrived!"
"Spirit Sword Sect has arrived!"