At the Nine Nether Cult headquarters, a large rectangular conference table stood in the center of the room. The Cult Master sat on one side of the table, while the three vice cult masters sat on the other. Beside each of them rested a white ceramic cup filled to the brim with boiled water.
The Cult Master cleared his throat twice and flipped open a notebook. "Let us begin today's regular meeting. There are three items on our agenda. Starting with the first item: Vice Cult Master Xiang, please deliver the activity report for the Nine Nether Cult over the past month."
Vice Cult Master Xiang had an uncanny appearance, bearing three eyes on his forehead that allowed him to see in all directions and perceive everything. He served as the executive vice cult master.
"Since the start of the sixth month, our cult's overall situation has demonstrated a steady and positive trend.
"This month, we recruited thirty-three new cultists, comprising twenty-three male cultivators, ten female cultivators, and three who are non-human, being ghosts.
"The proportion of male cultivators remains somewhat high. The Cult Master's directive to 'recruit more female cultivators' has not been adequately implemented. We will certainly continue rectification efforts following this meeting, striving to achieve gender balance as soon as possible.
"This month, eighteen cultists were arrested by the Great Xia Dynasty, three lost contact in the Demon Domain, and two turned themselves in after being persuaded by the Hanging Temple.
"According to reliable sources, in response to the increasingly rampant ghost activity, the Great Xia Dynasty is currently revising the *Great Xia Dynasty Ghost Management Measures*. Once these regulations are enacted, the movement range of our cult's ghosts may be restricted, thereby indirectly affecting the construction progress of Fengdu.
"Regarding innovative entrepreneurship, our cult has thoroughly implemented the spirit of the Cult Master's directives, vigorously promoting diversified business ventures. We now offer comprehensive one-stop funeral and cremation services, encouraging commoners and cultivators to inter remains in cemeteries established by our cult. We also provide grave-leasing services, with plans to collect rent once every fifty years.
"Our cult has also vigorously developed our smuggling operations, which effectively propelled the enactment and enforcement of the *Great Xia Dynasty Anti-Smuggling Law*. The Great Xia Dynasty offered encouragement and support to our cult, even issuing a brocade banner, though no one from our cult dared claim it. At present, the smuggling industry is struggling and yields meager profits; we need to develop fresh approaches.
"In the course of expanding our grave-robbing business, we encountered the Grand Elder of the Dao Seeking Sect multiple times. It is suspected that the Dao Seeking Sect has already obtained certain clues regarding our cult's grave-robbing patterns.
"Furthermore, while excavating tombs, our cult inadvertently dug up a slumbering ancient Body Integration stage cultivator. After a fierce battle, both sides were ultimately arrested by the Great Xia Dynasty.
"Lastly, following a rigorous and meticulous inspection, we have completely eliminated all communication channels established by the Immortal Cult. It is impossible for the Great Xia Dynasty or the Dao Seeking Sect to contact us through any remnant channels left behind by the Immortal Cult.
"That concludes the report."
Listening to the report, the Cult Master secretly sighed. The Nine Nether Cult was truly impossible to manage. What a load of utter nonsense!
Money was truly hard to make.
"Old Xiang, how did those eighteen unlucky bastards arrested by the imperial court get caught?" asked another vice cult master curiously. His surname was Shi, and he was a ghost cultivator.
He had once been a Buddhist disciple who exerted himself a bit too zealously while chanting the Rebirth Mantra, accidentally delivering his own soul to the afterlife. After his soul departed his body, the Nine Nether Cult discovered him and inducted him into their ranks.
Vice Cult Master Xiang sighed. "Apart from the ten people I mentioned earlier, who dug up that ancient Body Integration cultivator and got arrested because their fight made too much noise, the remaining eight are utter fools.
"I assigned those eight the task of opening a brothel. After conducting some field research, they decided that the taxes on brothels were too steep, so they brought several dozen female shapeshifting demon beasts from the Demon Domain and registered a zoo instead, where the tax rate is much lower.
"They called it a zoo, but in reality, they ran the exact same business as a brothel. Whenever the imperial court conducted inspections, they disguised it as a legitimate zoo."
"Well, that sounds rather clever," the ghost cultivator Vice Cult Master Shi remarked in surprise, thinking those eight were quite innovative.
Vice Cult Master Xiang said faintly, "The problem is, ordinary zoos don't post signs saying 'Minors Strictly Prohibited.'
"What was truly fatal was that a private school teacher heard a zoo had opened in the city, so under the pretext of broadening his students' horizons, he led them on a field trip.
"And their horizons were indeed broadened."
Vice Cult Master Shi: "..."
"Ahem. Sharing experiences can wait until after the meeting. Let us move to the second agenda item," the Cult Master said. "Vice Cult Master Shi, please report on the progress of constructing Fengdu."
"Everything is proceeding smoothly. Eighty percent of the work is already complete. As long as funds are in place, the remaining twenty percent can be finished very quickly."
Hearing this, the Cult Master let out a breath of relief. It was finally near completion. To build Fengdu, he had nearly pawned his own underwear.
Unfortunately, he did not belong to the phoenix clan; otherwise, he would have been tempted to sell his own blood.
Weren't demonic cults supposed to be local tyrants of the underworld, strutting about flaunting their power? How had their Nine Nether Cult fallen so low?
Just look at the Immortal Cult, the Shining Sun Cult, and the Emotionless Cult—did any of them live like this?
Upon hearing the news, the other two vice cult masters showed excitement in their eyes.
Fengdu was their long-cherished wish. As the Nine Nether Cult, how could they not have a Fengdu to symbolize the city of the afterlife?
"How many spirit stones are still needed?"
"3.8 billion."
The Cult Master's hands trembled. This was going to be the death of him.
Was it too late to abdicate now?
Seventeen years ago, Qin Haoran's life slip shattered, and his sudden demise plunged the Nine Nether Cult into chaos. The four vice cult masters refused to yield to one another, each vying to become the cult master.
The cultivation realms and spheres of influence of the four vice cult masters were roughly equal, making it difficult to determine a victor. It was then that a sudden idea struck him: he promised that if he became cult master, he would definitely see Fengdu built.
This pledge won him the support of a vast number of Nine Nether Cultists, allowing him to take the position of cult master as a matter of course.
He shouldn't have run his mouth back then! Whoever wanted this wretched title of cult master could have taken it!
Now, it was too late for regrets.
Qin Haoran had ruled for eight hundred years without managing to erect Fengdu, yet he, the new cult master, had nearly finished it in seventeen years. Naturally, he had his methods.
He was a master of transformation arts. Over the past seventeen years, he had used the identity details of every single cultist to take out loans.
If this ever came to light, it wouldn't just be the end of his tenure as cult master—it would be the end of his life.
"The Immortal Cult was destroyed only recently, and the Great Xia Dynasty and the Five Great Immortal Sects are watching us very closely. For safety's sake, we should temporarily put the construction of Fengdu on hold."
The Cult Master's remarks received the support of all three vice cult masters. Although ideological differences prevented the Four Great Demonic Cults from truly forming a united front, they had coexisted for over ten thousand years after all. When one cult fell, the remaining three felt their own necks were on the line.
The demonic cults had survived for so long precisely because they always kept one principle in mind: safety first.
"Now for the third and final agenda item: regarding Qin Haoran's reincarnation, and the authenticity of the Heavenly Court Cult."
"The Heavenly Court Cult?" Vice Cult Master Xiang and Vice Cult Master Shi looked at each other, thoroughly bewildered by this topic. There had always been only the Four Great Demonic Cults; when had a Heavenly Court Cult appeared?
And what did this have to do with Qin Haoran's reincarnation?
The two of them had also arranged for minor cultivators of their own to claim to be Qin Haoran's reincarnations.
"Vice Cult Master Shi Huagu, you know this matter best. Why don't you explain it?"
Chapter 308