Every eye turned toward him, filled with undisguised admiration and respect. Within a single day, the prestige and popularity Poison Chaser had accumulated over years had been completely eclipsed by a certain "disgrace of a Fire Specialist" from Songhai.
It felt good to be respected. Zhang Yuanqing instinctively raised the drink beside him, but seeing that it was cola, he flared up in mock anger. "Who poured me cola?! How can a real man indulge in soda? Bring this humble monk some proper liquor!"
Xie Lingxi chimed in at once, "Yes, yes, yes, my oversight! I'll bring Lord Deacon some booze right away!"
She immediately poured him a glass of Brave the World beer.
Zhang Yuanqing lifted the glass and downed it in one gulp. The beer went off to "bravely venture the world" inside his stomach.
'Tastes like utter crap.' Yet he let out a hearty laugh. "Good booze! Fill it up!"
The civilian staff and Spirit Walkers seated around nodded among themselves—now that was how a Fire Specialist was supposed to act.
Deacon Sanqing Daozu had been too calm before, so calm that they had all doubted whether he was truly a Fire Specialist.
Xie Lingxi refilled his glass. Zhang Yuanqing picked it up and was just about to unleash his impassioned, extroverted socializing skills when he suddenly remembered his current persona as a Fire Specialist.
A Fire Specialist didn't bother with fancy rhetoric. A Fire Specialist would only say: *Brothers, great job! Come, drink! Fuck, this booze packs a punch!*
And so, shifting gears, he boomed, "Brothers and sisters, thank you for your hard work! Let's drain this cup, and then I've got a present for all of you."
He shot a look at the three beauties beside him.
Queen led Annie and Xie Lingxi out of the cafeteria.
The crowd stood and raised their glasses, their eyes following the three women as they left, flashing with anticipation.
Having downed the opening toast, the famished crowd dug in ravenously. The Fire Specialists had the worst table manners, the Scouts had the stiffest posture, and the rest were fairly ordinary.
Moments later, Xie Lingxi, Queen, and Annie returned, each pushing a cart stacked high with silver suitcases.
The staff put down their chopsticks and stopped eating, turning to look.
The three women parked the carts beside the dining tables. Upon receiving Zhang Yuanqing's nod, they hauled the suitcases onto the tables and popped them open with sharp clicks.
All ten large suitcases were packed full of bright red hundred-yuan banknotes.
The clatter of dropped chopsticks echoed through the room. Everyone stared blankly at the mountains of cash inside the cases, unable to tear their eyes away.
Zhang Yuanqing announced loudly, "There are thirty million yuan here. I plan to divide it equally among everyone. That's six hundred and sixty thousand each."
Clatter! Clatter!
More chopsticks clattered to the floor one after another, followed by the sound of muffled gulps.
The gazes glued to the cash instantly blazed with heat.
Their average salary was only five to six thousand yuan a month. Factoring in promotions, performance bonuses, and merit rewards, it came to around a hundred-odd thousand a year. For civilian administrative staff, it was half that.
Six hundred and sixty thousand yuan was five to ten years' worth of savings without eating or drinking.
As a Swordsman, Poison Chaser's expression changed drastically. Everyone's expressions lay bare before his Insight; the longing and greed in his subordinates' eyes were verging on spiraling out of control.
Poison Chaser immediately stood up and said in a grave voice, "Deacon Sanqing Daozu is only joking with you. This is confiscated illicit money; it must be handed over to the Qinghe Branch."
The yearning and hope in the crowd's eyes died down. Knowing the rules, they forced awkward smiles.
"I almost bought it, ha... haha..."
"Cost of living in Nanming City isn't high anyway. What would we even do with that much money? The Qinghe Branch audits the books."
"My current salary is enough to feed my family."
Zhang Yuanqing swept an impassive gaze across the crowd and repeated, "What I just said stands. It's real."
Everyone froze, looking back and forth between him and Poison Chaser in silence, as if waiting for a definitive verdict.
Poison Chaser gazed deeply at Zhang Yuanqing. "A word in private."
Zhang Yuanqing stood and followed him out to a planter outside the cafeteria. The autumn night was crisp and breezy. Poison Chaser lit a cigarette, taking a drag until the tip glowed bright crimson, then exhaled forcefully, letting the white smoke drift away on the wind.
"I know you have good intentions, but there's no need," Poison Chaser said, shaking his head. "It will only cause endless harm."
"How so?" Zhang Yuanqing asked for a cigarette too, lit it, and took a few shallow puffs without inhaling into his lungs.
"Do you know? Salaries for police and Spirit Walkers on the border are never high. Higher-ups give us hidden benefits, generous pensions, privileges, and solid security so we have no worries about the future. But they will never give us massive amounts of disposable cash." Poison Chaser fixed his gaze on him. "Once a person has money, they lose the will to risk their lives and their fighting spirit. Only someone with nothing to lose will take on the dirtiest, most exhausting jobs. That is human nature, and human nature stands up worst against the temptation of money. Giving them this cash isn't helping them; it's corrupting them."
Zhang Yuanqing smiled faintly. "I get it. You can't test cadres with money—what cadre can withstand that kind of test?"
Poison Chaser replied coldly, "Brushing me off with a movie line?"
His Insight told him that Sanqing Daozu hadn't taken his words to heart at all.
Putting away his smile, Zhang Yuanqing said somberly, "I'm an idealist. I don't care much for grand moralizing, but since you want to talk principles, let's talk. The ancients said, 'Those who carry firewood for the crowd must not be left to freeze to death in wind and snow.' Doesn't that make sense too?"
Poison Chaser frowned. He still didn't agree, but found himself at a loss for words.
"You see, the world is full of principles, and some of them contradict each other. So when it comes to living and doing things, you don't need to overthink principles—just follow your heart." Zhang Yuanqing flicked away the ash. "So what if they're corrupted? So what if they go soft? They've already sacrificed so much for the border. Why squeeze them dry until they become martyrs? If they take the money and leave Nanming City, successors will step up to fill the void. When those newcomers save up enough money and want to leave, let them leave too; another batch will take their place. Do you really have to watch a batch of your brothers die in battle before you replace them?"
Poison Chaser was stunned, struck dumb for a moment. Only after a long pause did he say heavily, "You truly follow your heart. I know who you are now."
Zhang Yuanqing curled his lips. "Remember to keep it a secret!"
He wasn't afraid of Poison Chaser learning his identity. Poison Chaser wouldn't betray him—partly out of Zhang Yuanqing's trust in his character, and partly because of his connection to Wanderer in the Mortal World.
Furthermore, even if he were betrayed, Zhang Yuanqing had nothing to fear. He had a teleportation jade talisman in hand; with a single thought, he could return to the study at Fujia Bay in Songhai, bow down, and request Fu Qingyang's help.
Zhang Yuanqing returned to the cafeteria. Under everyone's eager, craning gazes, he called out loudly, "It's settled! Let's split the cash!"
Applause and cheers erupted instantly, plunging the entire hall into a frenzy. The female staff voluntarily helped count the bills, stacking them in piles of six hundred thousand yuan, pile after pile laid across the tables.
The food instantly lost its appeal; the only thing left in anyone's eyes was money.
Having put their lives on the line for years, they had seen far greater sums, but they had never seen so much money that actually belonged to them.
Poison Chaser stood tall outside the cafeteria, silently watching his beaming subordinates chant, "Thank you, Deacon Sanqing Daozu!"
He pushed the cafeteria doors open.
The raucous cheering died down immediately, everyone settling down in spite of themselves.
With a cold face, Poison Chaser walked over to the tables, his eyes staring impassively at the neat stacks of banknotes.
The branch staff bowed their heads in silence.
Poison Chaser picked up a bundle of bills, tapped it against his palm, and said flatly, "Is there a share for me?"
Cheers erupted once more.
The meal didn't wind down until four in the morning. Each branch member carrying a woven plastic sack, they headed back to the dorms in groups.
Zhang Yuanqing led his three female teammates back to his quarters. Shutting the doors and windows, the four sat around the table for a quick meeting.
"Based on my Stargazing experience, the soil gathered from the slumber site can only pinpoint a rough area—maybe a village, maybe a county. It can't provide a precise location," Zhang Yuanqing analyzed. "To avoid startling the snake, we have to wait until he falls into slumber."
"Then during this time, we just stay at the Nanming Branch?" Annie asked worriedly. "Will that Dominator from the Spirit Society retaliate?"
A Dominator was stationed in Nanming City's jurisdiction. Last night, the Nanming Branch had uprooted six of the Spirit Society's strongholds; there was no way the Spirit Society would let the matter rest.
"They won't!" Queen shook her head. "I asked the branch's Spirit Walkers. The Spirit Society and the Qinghe clan have a tacit understanding: Dominators usually only guard their strongholds and won't go out of their way to bully the weak. If a Spirit Society Dominator retaliates, the Qinghe clan won't be able to sit idly by and will definitely launch a counterstrike."
After all, the Qinghe clan received so much money from the Five Elements Alliance headquarters every year. While they could act as hands-off managers on ordinary days, if the Spirit Society sent out a Dominator to bully county-level branch outposts, the Qinghe clan would have to intervene, or headquarters wouldn't let it slide.
Over time, the Qinghe clan and the Spirit Society had developed an unspoken rule: no matter how much ruckus the subordinates caused, Dominators were not to get involved. Of course, if someone stubbornly insisted on breaking that truce, so be it—they just had to prepare to return to the Spirit Realm.
Zhang Yuanqing smiled. "That's how it is. No need to worry about retaliation from a Dominator. Though this was exhausting, the haul wasn't small. Everyone gets a one-million-yuan bonus."
Queen cheered excitedly, and Xie Lingxi put on an obliging, delighted smile. Only Annie, the foreigner, asked bluntly, "Mr. Yuanshi, you confiscated ninety-three million, six hundred and twenty thousand yuan in total this time. Are you only giving us one million each?"
Xie Lingxi scolded her at once. "Whatever Brother gives is what we get! That's Brother's money. Even if he gave me a single cent, I'd be happy all day!"
Zhang Yuanqing felt deeply gratified. Lingxi wasn't very old, but her green-tea art was undeniably consummate.
"Next, we just wait for the Qinghe Branch to classify the case, issue an announcement, and then wait for our Morality Points to arrive." Zhang Yuanqing walked over to the bed and flopped down heavily. "Sleep, sleep."
***
In the underground parking garage of a residential complex next to the Public Security Bureau.
During the same late hour, Poison Chaser arrived for his meeting carrying a bag of cash. Stepping behind the pillar, he tossed the heavy woven sack stuffed with banknotes over.
"Take this. Six hundred and sixty thousand."
Wanderer in the Mortal World nodded slightly. "Not bad. Making 1.1 million in cash this year while lying flat—it's a bumper harvest."
He didn't stand on ceremony with his brother.
Still, even brothers had to check for counterfeits. He opened the sack, pulled out a few notes to inspect them, and nodded in satisfaction. "Where did the money come from?"
"We took down six Spirit Society strongholds today and swept this up from inside," Poison Chaser said.
"You've changed your tune?" Wanderer in the Mortal World scoffed. "Pocketing seized illicit funds lands you in prison. That's not your style."
"This money wasn't from me. It was Yuan—Deacon Sanqing Daozu who had me bring it to you. Everyone in the branch gets a cut." Poison Chaser shook his head helplessly.
'It's him...' Wanderer in the Mortal World's eyes flickered slightly. "What kind of person do you think he is?"
Poison Chaser thought for a moment and weighed his words. "A good person. A powerful person. An easygoing, unrestrained person..."
Then he added, "An idealist."
Wanderer in the Mortal World, who had remained indifferent and impassive until now, finally gave a slight nod upon hearing that final assessment.
If his earlier sense of identification had stemmed from their shared faith in Master Wuhen's group, he now held a genuine personal impression and appreciation of this Yuanshi Tianzun.
***
In Nanming City, at a massive underground casino.
The owner was a burly, imposing middle-aged man wearing loose black martial arts robes. Holding a purple clay teapot in hand, he sat beside the second-floor viewing terrace, looking down impassively at the bloodshot-eyed gamblers filling the main hall.
The casino's equipment had all been shipped from the Eastern gambling capital, and its layout was modeled after the grand casinos there.
Dignitaries and officials from several border counties and cities enjoyed dropping by for a few games. With protection from up above, the establishment had always enjoyed smooth sailing.
The casino engaged in no side businesses—it was strictly a gambling den. Thus, even official Spirit Walkers never investigated it.
Yet in truth, the casino's owner, Lord Dou, was a Dominator of the Spirit Society.
"Lord Dou!" A beautiful woman in a cheongsam walked over gracefully and whispered a few words into his ear.
Lord Dou's expression darkened abruptly. "A deacon sent down from headquarters?"
Chapter 575