The fundraising progress for the contribution points was proceeding far faster than He Zhenghao had anticipated.
Once he leaked word that Li Fan was reopening the fundraising scheme, the many cultivators of the Congyun Sea, terrified of missing this rare opportunity to strike it rich, scrambled over one another to transfer sum after sum of contribution points to He Zhenghao without a second thought.
He Zhenghao was run ragged, experiencing a mixture of torment and sheer delight.
In less than seven days, he had already reached half the target, collecting nearly fifty-three million contribution points.
Handling such an astronomical quantity of contribution points caused subtle, unconscious shifts in He Zhenghao’s mindset.
"Ah, what kind of life was I living before I met Lord Secret Emissary?"
"Pinching pennies, living on edge every single day, all for a measly two or three hundred thousand contribution points."
"It was truly stifling!"
Looking back on the past, He Zhenghao could not help shaking his head with deep emotion.
"Fortunately, those bitter days are gone for good!"
Watching the numbers steadily climbing in the ledger, He Zhenghao could barely contain his excitement.
If nothing went awry, once this round of fundraising was complete, Lord Secret Emissary would surely share a sliver of the profits with him, just like before...
Even if it was just one percent...
No, as long as it was a third of one percent, He Zhenghao would be completely satisfied.
After all, with Lord Secret Emissary’s abilities, earning a profit equal to the principal was hardly a difficult feat every time.
Calculated that way, it meant he would receive at least three hundred thousand contribution points as a reward...
At this thought, a foolish grin spread across He Zhenghao’s face.
Only after a long while did he snap out of his daydream.
He began preparing to transfer the contribution points he had gathered over to Lord Secret Emissary.
Yet very quickly, something happened that caught him entirely off guard.
The Heavenly Profound Mirror actually notified him that the transaction target could not be found, and the transfer had failed.
Beads of sweat instantly rolled down He Zhenghao’s forehead.
There were only two explanations for such an occurrence.
The first was that he had entered the wrong recipient, and no such target existed.
The second was that the other party had temporarily suspended all their permissions and functions within the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
He Zhenghao quickly realized where the problem lay.
The first possibility was out of the question. Lord Secret Emissary had been personally appointed by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals to govern an entire region.
Which meant...
Recalling how Li Fan had pointedly stated before that he was entering deep secluded cultivation and forbade anyone from disturbing him, and had then left behind a Divided Spirit Jade Slip for emergency use...
"Damn it!" He Zhenghao slapped his thigh hard.
"It seems this really is a test from Lord Secret Emissary, just as that brat Gao Yuan said!"
Looking at the astronomical figure in his account, He Zhenghao’s face turned deathly pale.
The contribution points that had looked so delightful a moment ago now seemed like a death warrant.
"This is bad, truly bad. My knack for investing might be exceptional, but that depends on the scale!"
"A few tens of thousands, or one or two hundred thousand points, I can barely manage."
"Over a hundred million contribution points—how could I dare operate that?"
"If by some stroke of luck I turned a profit, that would be fine. But if I lost it, wouldn't they demand I pay them back?"
The more He Zhenghao thought about it, the more his heart trembled in terror.
He knew all too well that those cultivators who had pleaded with him today and cordially addressed him as 'Fellow Daoist He' and 'Brother He' were only doing so because they expected to make money.
The moment they suffered losses to the contribution points they had scraped together with their entire life savings, they would be the first to tear him limb from limb and devour him alive.
A bout of dizziness washed over He Zhenghao. His knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed onto the floor.
In that fleeting instant, a fleeting thought of absconding with the funds crossed his mind.
Fortunately, he managed to cling to a shred of reason.
Shaking his head to banish this idea that amounted to nothing less than seeking his own death, He Zhenghao gathered his wits and rushed off in a frantic hurry to find Gao Yuan.
Upon hearing about the matter, Gao Yuan also looked solemn.
However, he did not rashly offer advice. Instead, he furrowed his brow and habitually tapped on the table, lost in thought.
He Zhenghao did not dare interrupt, only able to wait on pins and needles at the side in agonizing suspense.
After a long while, Gao Yuan’s brow smoothed, and the gloom vanished from his face.
He consoled, "Rest easy, Fellow Daoist He. You don't need to act rashly; just wait patiently for Lord Secret Emissary’s orders."
He Zhenghao was taken aback. "Brother Gao, what do you mean by that?"
Gao Yuan smiled, speaking with absolute confidence. "What kind of person is Lord Secret Emissary?"
"While he might not care much about these hundred million contribution points, even I know that a sum of this magnitude is entirely beyond an ordinary person's capacity to control."
"Fellow Daoist He, though you possess some renown, you obviously lack the confidence to manage it at a profit."
Hearing this, He Zhenghao hurriedly nodded in agreement.
Gao Yuan continued, "Exactly. Since both of us are well aware of this, how could Lord Secret Emissary fail to understand it?"
"Remember the Divided Spirit Jade Slip he left us? When the Lord gave his instructions, he said we could use it to contact him."
"Look at it the other way around: that Divided Spirit Jade Slip contains a wisp of his divine sense. Thus, he can naturally use it to contact us when the time comes."
At these words, enlightenment dawned on He Zhenghao.
"As for how this hundred million contribution points should ultimately be handled, the Lord has surely made arrangements long ago. Fellow Daoist He, you just need to carry out what he instructed and finish raising the points."
"Then wait for his directives."
"Remember, for subordinates like us, the greatest taboo is taking the initiative on our own and being clever for our own good," Gao Yuan warned.
"Fortunately, you chose to consult me this time rather than panicking and immediately using that Divided Spirit Jade Slip to report to the Lord."
"Otherwise, I fear you would have failed this test," Gao Yuan said with heartfelt gravity.
He Zhenghao pondered the words and gasped in dread. He hurriedly stood up and bowed deeply to Gao Yuan.
"Thank you for coming to my rescue, Brother Gao! If you ever have need of me in the future, just say the word!"
"Haha, Brother He, you take it too seriously. Serving under the Lord from now on, you and I ought to look out for and support each other," Gao Yuan replied with utmost courtesy.
Having received Gao Yuan’s guidance, He Zhenghao finally set his mind at ease.
He hurried back once more to continue his fundraising operation.
Meanwhile, Gao Yuan watched He Zhenghao’s departing figure with an inscrutable look in his eyes.
The reason he had repeatedly sought to win He Zhenghao over was that he could tell this man held a rather peculiar standing in Lord Secret Emissary’s eyes.
Although both of them were merely 'tools,' there was no doubt that some tools were held closer than others.
A tool that felt handy was the one a master habitually picked up the next time.
And He Zhenghao seemed to be precisely that kind of presence.
Chapter 547