Demon Sword Sect's Undercover-Chapter 782 - 781 Pain and Pleasure

It took two hours to finally deal with these pesky minor cultivators; what gave him a headache was that such troubles would continue the next day and keep persisting until the relocation started.

He really wanted to use the excuse that the higher-ups had ordered a pause to avoid many troubles, but he also knew that if it were the real Liu Yishou, he would never do that—he would take advantage of the situation until the very last day.

He continued to meticulously check each large box, not able to familiarize himself with every single item, but at least he needed to understand the overall situation, such as the distribution of the Five Elements among the treasures, the quality, the range of effects, and how often they were used... freēwēbηovel.c૦m

Understanding this would help him figure out how to sneak around and filch treasures without being discovered... Of course, at the beginning, he would start with those objects that had not been borrowed for a long time, were incomplete, unpopular, or lacked power. It wasn’t that he was kind-hearted; it was to prevent problems if someone checked and he couldn’t produce the item.

As for how to start and where to begin, he must have an overall plan; otherwise, his sneaky thefts could not last.

He had to admit, the accumulation of nearly two thousand years by the Wu Sect was astounding, but because of the long passage of time, many artifact treasures had lost their usefulness. Jinxiu was a new cultivation world, so there was no such thing as ancient treasures. Here, the newer the treasure, the greater its power, because the cultivation philosophies were more complete, the artifact-making techniques more advanced, and the experience richer.

If these treasures were classified by age with a thousand years as the dividing line, then those made before a thousand years really looked somewhat unimpressive by current standards: insufficient power, laughable philosophies, and crude workmanship... as a result, no one borrowed these items, for fear they would be embarrassingly outmoded.

There were nearly ten thousand such items in the Inner Warehouse, taking up a third of the total inventory—these were the targets he was preparing to prey upon.

When it was nearly time to end his shift, the Inner Warehouse’s chief supervisor, the Golden Core Daoist Hu, arrived for the routine inspection. He seemed very satisfied with the orderly arrangement of the boxes and cabinets,

"Yishou, you’ve worked hard, busy with both the lending of artifacts and the arrangement of treasures. I’m really reliant on you for this Tongtian Realm artifact matter."

Hou Niao was sincerely fearful, but he could understand the deeper meaning in his immediate superior’s words: while it was an appreciation for his method of organizing the boxes and cabinets, it was also a warning not to be too greedy and not to cause too much resentment among the junior cultivators below him. Clearly, he had already heard about the matter of Xiang Tianxing.

But he couldn’t explain directly; that was not the way a cultivator should behave. He needed to be indirect and sidestep the issue.

Showing a troubled expression, "Thank you for the praise, Uncle-Master, but your disciple feels there is still something not quite satisfactory..."

Daoist Hu’s brows raised slightly, "Oh? Let’s hear it."

Hou Niao spoke softly, "The instruction from above is to classify the artifacts according to the Five Elements and organize them into boxes; but in disciple’s opinion, this is actually not very strict. Many old artifacts that haven’t been used for a thousand years are mixed with new ones, causing confusion and adding to the workload. You see, is it possible to separate the artifacts by age first, with a thousand years as the boundary?"

Daoist Hu frowned, as this was an old discussion. The higher-ups had long considered this idea, wanting to reforge and recycle these old items to make new artifacts, but there were many difficulties and complexities involved.

Moreover, for artifact-making cultivators, directly using materials to create artifacts is very convenient. Reforging old items adds a complicated step and the costs are not easy to calculate, so even though there was an intention, it was not decided upon, and this delay has lasted for hundreds of years.

"The higher-ups have had this intention for a long time, would doing it now be complicating things unnecessarily, superfluous?"

Hou Niao spoke eloquently, "This may seem like adding chaos to chaos, but from another angle, it might also be seen as breaking and then establishing, solving the issue once and for all?

The new Mountain Gate should have a fresh image. These old and outdated objects have been stored for too long and have tarnished the reputation of our Wu Sect. Storing them for future use also represents a certain attitude—isn’t it a good opportunity to curry favor?

Uncle-Master Hu has always been diligent in Daoist affairs, with previous sealing and packing, and now dismissing the old and welcoming the new, this relocation will surely earn high praise from the higher-ups... Moreover, among nearly ten thousand artifact treasures, which ones are new, which ones are old? Isn’t it Uncle-Master who has the final say?"

Daoist Hu’s mind was stirred by the suggestion; this could be a good opportunity. The move—whether it was from the old residence in Jiangning or to the new Mountain Gate in Langya—was in a state of chaos, and the higher-ups were displeased. But things like this were unprecedented, nobody in the Daoist Sects did such large-scale relocations for fun, it was everyone’s first time, so it was understandable.

However, if he could stand out and make a show during this, organizing the Inner Warehouse’s artifacts clearly and with novelty, he would gain favor from the higher-ups. This would be a tremendous help for the Elder Council qualification he longed for; it was an achievement that deserved to be splendidly recorded, distinguished among all the warehouse supervisors.

As for the matter of new versus old, that just hinted at sacrificing the public good for personal benefit, essentially meaning replacing good with bad or bad with good, making a tidy profit either way. He wasn’t averse to the idea at all, otherwise, why would this fellow suggest and contribute so enthusiastically?

Being motivated by benefit isn’t scary; it creates a traceable trail. Which cultivator isn’t like that? What’s frightening is being motivated without interest; that becomes uncontrollable.

This Liu Yishou wasn’t bad—he could make things happen and knew how to go about them, and it was much better than having some stiff and dull Daoist idiot sitting in this position.

"There’s less than a month left, is there enough time?"

Hou Niao looked respectful, "As long as you are interested, there will definitely be enough time. If necessary, we can work overtime. All of these disciples can be arranged."

Daoist Hu grandly declared, "In that case, it’s my unavoidable duty for such a beneficial sect matter. I will report to the higher-ups promptly; you should receive a reply in a day or two. Make preparations beforehand.

Hmm, about the new and old issue, I’d better not get involved. You just bring me a list when you come back."

Hou Niao inwardly smiled, this was the typical way of the Daoist Sect—greedy yet slippery. Not getting involved meant not wanting to take responsibility, leaving him to bear the brunt. If there were any complications, it wouldn’t be the superior’s fault. As for what list to bring, it was essentially a matter of giving a bribe; what was due to him couldn’t be shorted.

"I understand, please rest assured, Uncle-Master. A gentleman loves wealth and acquires it in an upright way; I will be sure to grasp the subtleties properly and will not cause trouble for Uncle-Master."

This meant that he wouldn’t be excessively greedy; whether true or not, as long as he knew the extent not to exceed, it wouldn’t be too much.

Daoist Hu was very pleased and becoming more and more fond of this disciple before him,

"Very good! I’ve heard some below say Yishou is corrupt, bullying lower-level cultivators. I never believed it; they’re all just jealous of talent, maliciously slandering. The moment I catch the rumor-monger, I’ll make sure to punish them severely.

Yishou, keep up the good work. With me here, no one in the Inner Warehouse dares to make things difficult for you."

Hou Niao bowed deeply, "Your disciple will not dare to fail Uncle-Master’s trust, will work to the utmost, and only stop when completely exhausted."