Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 690: Young Creed Leader Lu Seemed to Have Said That Creed Leader Yun and Yun Zhi Fought to a Draw

Chapter 690: Young Creed Leader Lu Seemed to Have Said That Creed Leader Yun and Yun Zhi Fought to a Draw

In a pitch-black room at the Nine-Netherworlds Creed headquarters, four pairs of eyes gleamed like wolves.

Since Creed Leader Qin’s time, the Nine-Netherworlds Creed had advocated for simplicity in all things. As Fusion experts, the presence or absence of light made no difference to them; there was no need to light lamps.

This was an internal meeting between the higher-ups of the Nine-Netherworlds Creed, presided over by Mu Baiyi, with the three vice creed leaders in attendance. The primary purpose was to summarize the creed’s gains for the quarter.

Shi Huagu held the quarterly report for the barbeque business. As a veteran great devil, he could barely contain the joy in his eyes upon seeing the quarter’s earnings.

“The report has already been distributed to everyone. I believe everyone has reviewed them prior to the meeting.

“The barbeque business’s profitability is positive. Especially after our creed’s collaboration with Fellow Daoist Tao Yaoye of the Dao-Seeking Sect, where we inserted advertisements before the opening of her ‘Dreamlike Bubble Mirage,’ the barbeque business’s reputation has increased drastically. It can be said that even if someone hasn’t eaten our barbeque skewers yet, they’ve certainly heard of us.”

Tao Yaoye was only at the Nascent Soul Stage. By convention, she wasn’t qualified for Shi Huagu to address her as a “fellow Daoist.” However, Shi Huagu didn’t care about such rules and formalities. Anyone who could help him make money was a “fellow Daoist” to him.

With the rise of the barbeque restaurant, the Nine-Netherworlds Creed’s previous ventures—such as the zoo, funeral services, smuggling, and tomb raiding—were gradually being scaled back. These industries were under Vice Creed Leader Xiang’s purview. Among them, the smuggling and tomb raiding operations provided a steady annual output of “talent” to Great Xia’s prisons.

Of course, they were merely being scaled back, not shut down entirely.

Mu Baiyi was well aware that for the Nine-Netherworlds Creed’s finances to develop healthily, relying on the barbeque business as their sole pillar was insufficient. They needed multiple pillars to walk steadily.

Rumors circulated privately that Shi Huagu would soon replace Vice Creed Leader Xiang as the new Executive Vice Creed Leader. Whether this was hearsay or insider information remained unknown.

Vice Creed Leader Xiang’s greatest regret now was not being the first to make contact with the Heavenly Court Creed back then, allowing Shi Huagu to seize the initiative. The barbeque business’s profits made everyone drool with envy. Shi Huagu guarded it like a precious treasure, allowing no one else to interfere.

He wasn’t joking. This was his lifeline money. He would fight anyone who tried to touch it.

“Since the income is so substantial, I wonder when the funds for constructing Fengdu Ghost City will be approved?” Vice Creed Leader Shi asked Mu Baiyi directly. He was the vice creed leader specifically in charge of Fengdu Ghost City’s construction.

Mu Baiyi coughed twice. “While constructing Fengdu Ghost City is undoubtedly important, our creed is currently in a period of rapid development. Vice Creed Leader Shi, please prioritize the bigger picture and temporarily set the Fengdu Ghost City project aside.”

Fengdu Ghost City’s construction was temporarily on hold until they secretly paid off their debts.

Seeing that Mu Baiyi’s tone brooked no objection, Vice Creed Leader Shi did not raise the issue again.

Mu Baiyi asked Shi Huagu, who sat opposite him. “Vice Creed Leader Shi, I notice our barbeque business pays rather high taxes. Is there any way to reduce the taxes?”

Hearing this question, Shi Huagu’s face was plagued with frustration. “I’m finding a way. However, we’re considered to be in the food manufacturing industry. The imperial court doesn’t have any significant tax relief policies in this area.”

“Is that so...” Mu Baiyi was slightly regretful. Then, he produced another report. “This is a report from the Chunjiang Branch Leader. It just reached me before the meeting. Everyone, take a look.”

The three vice creed leaders read the contents of the report. Their hearts trembled, and even their voices quivered.

“This...this...the Heavenly Court Creed Leader is an immortal?!”

The report was written by the female ghost Little Cui. It detailed the battle between the two supreme lords in Chunjiang City, how Creed Leader Yun demonstrated her mighty prowess to capture both supreme lords alive, and how the barbeque shop acted courageously for justice by killing the Dark Night Pavilion assassins, earning a commendation banner from the authorities.

When Mu Baiyi first learned of this intelligence, his reaction hadn’t been much better than the three vice creed leaders’. He never imagined that the Creed Leader Yun they had met at the barbeque shop’s headquarters was a legendary ancient immortal. It was just that they didn’t know her title.

Shi Huagu’s brows were tightly furrowed as he recalled something Young Creed Leader Lu had mentioned. “No, there is another piece of intelligence hidden within this report.”

“What is it?” Vice Creed Leader Xiang hadn’t spotted anything amiss.

“When I first met Young Creed Leader Lu, he told me that their creed leader once fought Yun Zhi of the Dao-Seeking Sect...” Shi Huagu paused, as if uttering these words might attract a calamity, but he continued, “...and the result was a draw.”

“What? How is that possible?!”

“Old Shi, are you saying the Dao-Seeking Sect’s Yun Zhi is also an immortal?”

Mu Baiyi rapped the table loudly with two fingers. “Quiet. Everyone, quiet. You are all Fusion cultivators. Have you forgotten the most fundamental notion of cultivators? When a fact occurs, we ought to accept it, not question it!

“Don’t forget, the Heavenly Court Creed has never deceived us. If Young Creed Leader Yu said it is so, then it is so! This is intelligence worth more than thousands of gold. Who else in the world knows that the Dao-Seeking Sect’s Yun Zhi is this powerful?

“We’re the only ones.

“I believe this was intelligence the Heavenly Court Creed offered us as a goodwill gesture. Unfortunately, our vision was too limited to recognize their intent before today!”

The three vice creed leaders hung their heads in shame.

Mu Baiyi’s expression was grave, his expression brooding. “If the Dao-Seeking Sect’s Yun Zhi is an immortal, the imperial court’s strength is even more terrifying than we had imagined. The Dao-Seeking Sect has an immortal, yet they show no intention of vying for power with the imperial court. This suggests that the imperial court may also have an immortal!”

The three vice creed leaders fell silent. If that were the case, even if their Fengdu Ghost City’s construction was completed, they would not be a match for the righteous path.

Mu Baiyi was the calmest. “The situation isn’t that dire. The righteous path has two immortals, and the Heavenly Court Creed also has two—Dou Heavenly Sovereign and Creed Leader Yun. They are evenly matched.

“We can get closer to the Heavenly Court Creed by presenting gifts to Young Creed Leader Lu. As Dou Heavenly Sovereign’s disciple, he will surely oversee the Heavenly Court’s affairs in the future. Now is the perfect time to invest!”

~~~

“You’re saying that people from the Radiant Sun Creed are looking for you?” Lu Yang looked at the Radiant Sun Token in Meng Jingzhou’s hand with slight bafflement.

The Radiant Sun Token reflected a message from Creed Leader Chi to Meng Jingzhou:

Holy Son Long, our creed has gleaned some insights regarding cultivation methods to enhance the absorption of the sun’s power. Would you be interested? Please come to Poyang City in Yu Province for a discussion.

“Are they planning to share cultivation secret manuals with you?” Lu Yang was even more befuddled after reading the message. Isn’t this overture to express goodwill too obvious?

“Could they have heard about the Chunjiang City incident and want to curry favor with me?”

Lu Yang mulled over it and found it plausible. As for why they contacted Meng Jingzhou after a delay of over half a month, the Radiant Sun Creed probably thought that a longer interval might make it seem like they weren’t approaching Meng Jingzhou because they feared Creed Leader Yun.

Before Lu Yang could speak, he felt movement from the Nine-Netherworlds Token in his robe. He pulled it out for a look.

“What is it?” Meng Jingzhou craned his neck to see.

Lu Yang openly showed the Nine-Netherworlds Token. “The Nine-Netherworlds Creed is looking for me.”

“...What should we do? Split up or gather both creeds together?”

Lu Yang rubbed his chin. “Don’t be in a rush to reply. Let’s go get some intelligence from Senior Brother Dai first.”

With Li Haoran around, they knew a lot about the Nine-Netherworlds Creed, but their knowledge of the Radiant Sun Creed was limited.

~~~

In the Great Mission Hall, Dai Bufan looked the two up and down with a peculiar expression.

“You’re saying the Nine-Netherworlds Creed and the Radiant Sun Creed are each trying to bribe you in private?”