Nine Nether Cult headquarters.
In a pitch-black room, four pairs of eyes shone like a wolf pack's.
Starting from Cult Master Qin, the Nine Nether Cult had championed frugality in all matters. As mighty Body Integration stage cultivators, light and darkness made no difference to them; there was no need to light a lamp.
This was an internal high-level conference of the Nine Nether Cult, convened and presided over by Mu Baiyi and attended by the three vice cult masters. Its main purpose was to review the cult's quarterly gains.
Holding the quarterly report for their barbecue restaurants, Shi Huagu—a veteran arch-demon—could barely suppress the delight spilling from his eyes as he looked over their earnings.
"Copies of the report have been distributed to everyone. I trust that you've all read it before the meeting."
"The barbecue chain's profitability is delightful. In particular, ever since our cult partnered with Fellow Daoist Tao Yaoye of the Dao Seeking Sect to advertise in the opening credits using 'Dream Bubble,' our brand awareness has soared. It's safe to say that nowadays, even if someone hasn't eaten our skewers, they've at least heard our name."
Tao Yaoye was only at the Nascent Soul stage, so strictly speaking she was not qualified to be addressed as "Fellow Daoist" by Shi Huagu. But Shi Huagu cared nothing for such decorum; anyone who helped him make money was his fellow daoist.
With the rise of the barbecue business, the Nine Nether Cult had begun consolidating the other industries it previously operated—such as the zoo, funeral services, smuggling, and grave-robbing, which fell under Vice Cult Master Xiang's jurisdiction.
Among them, smuggling and grave-robbing provided a steady stream of talented exports to Great Xia's prisons each year. Of course, they were only scaling back, not shutting down completely.
Mu Baiyi knew well that if the Nine Nether Cult's economy was to develop in a healthy manner, relying solely on the barbecue business was like hopping on one leg; one needed to walk on multiple legs to remain steady.
Privately, rumors whispered that Shi Huagu would soon replace Vice Cult Master Xiang as the new executive vice cult master. Whether this was mere gossip or an insider scoop remained to be seen.
What Vice Cult Master Xiang regretted most was not reaching out to the Heavenly Court Cult first, allowing Shi Huagu to seize the initiative. The barbecue profits made everyone's mouth water, but Shi Huagu guarded them like his own life and refused to let anyone else meddle.
What a joke—this was his life-saving money. Touch it, and he would come at you with everything he had.
"Since revenues are so impressive, I wonder when the funds to build Fengdu will be approved?" Vice Cult Master Shi asked Mu Baiyi directly. He was the vice cult master in charge of constructing Fengdu.
Mu Baiyi cleared his throat twice. "Constructing Fengdu is certainly important, but right now our cult is in a phase of rapid expansion. I must ask Vice Cult Master Shi to consider the big picture and set aside the matter of building Fengdu for now."
Until they secretly paid off their debts, work on Fengdu remained suspended.
Seeing Mu Baiyi's brooking-no-argument tone, Vice Cult Master Shi dropped the subject.
Mu Baiyi asked Shi Huagu across from him, "Vice Cult Master Shi, I notice the taxes our barbecue restaurants pay are rather steep. Is there any way to get an exemption or reduction?"
At this question, Shi Huagu's face fell into a grimace. "I'm looking into it, but we fall under the food manufacturing sector, and the imperial court doesn't offer any major tax relief policies for that."
"Is that so..."
Mu Baiyi felt a touch of regret. Then he produced another report.
"This report came from the branch master of our Chunjiang Branch. It was delivered into my hands right before the meeting began. Take a look, everyone."
When the three vice cult masters read the contents of the report, their hearts seized with shock, and their voices trembled. "Th-this... The cult master of the Heavenly Court Cult is an immortal?!"
The report had been penned by the female ghost Xiao Cui. It detailed the clash between the two Supremes in Chunjiang City, how Cult Master Yun had displayed supreme divine might to capture them alive, and how the barbecue restaurant had bravely acted for justice by slaying the Night Pavilion assassin, earning a brocade banner from the local magistracy.
When Mu Baiyi had first learned of this intelligence, his reaction had been hardly any better than that of the three vice cult masters. Who could have imagined that the Cult Master Yun he had met at the barbecue restaurant headquarters was a legendary ancient immortal?
They simply did not know her title.
Shi Huagu's brows knitted tightly as he recalled what Young Cult Master Lu had once said. "No, there's another piece of intelligence hidden within this report."
"What is it?" Vice Cult Master Xiang had failed to notice anything unusual.
"When I first met Young Cult Master Lu, he told me that their cult master had once crossed swords with Yun Zhi of the Dao Seeking Sect..." Shi Huagu paused, as if speaking those words might summon a heavenly disaster, but pressed on nonetheless. "...and the outcome was a draw."
"What?! How is that possible?!"
"Old Shi, are you saying that Yun Zhi of the Dao Seeking Sect is also an immortal?!"
Mu Baiyi rapped his knuckles sharply on the table. "Quiet. Silence, everyone."
"You are all Body Integration stage cultivators. Have you forgotten a cultivator's most fundamental principle? When a fact has occurred, our duty is to accept it, not question it!"
"Do not forget, the Heavenly Court Cult has never lied to us. If Young Cult Master Lu said so, then so it is!"
"This is a piece of intelligence that ten thousand pieces of gold could not buy. Who else in the world knows that Yun Zhi of the Dao Seeking Sect is this formidable? Only we know!"
"No doubt this was originally a piece of intelligence gifted to us by the Heavenly Court Cult as a gesture of goodwill. Alas, our vision was too limited, and only today do we finally understand the Heavenly Court Cult's intentions!"
Shame washed over the three vice cult masters, and they lowered their heads.
Mu Baiyi looked grim, his brow shadowed with worry. "If Yun Zhi of the Dao Seeking Sect is an immortal, then the imperial court's power is even more terrifying than we imagined."
"The Dao Seeking Sect harbors an immortal, yet makes no attempt to contest power with the imperial court. That suggests the imperial court might have an immortal of its own as well!" The three vice cult masters fell silent. If that were true, even if their Fengdu were completed, they would be no match for the righteous path.
Mu Baiyi remained the calmest among them. "Things haven't deteriorated to that point just yet. The righteous path may have two immortals, but the Heavenly Court Cult also has Dou Tianzun and Cult Master Yun—two immortals as well. They are evenly matched."
"We can draw closer to the Heavenly Court Cult by presenting gifts to Young Cult Master Lu."
"As Dou Tianzun's disciple, Young Cult Master Lu will certainly hold the reins of the Heavenly Court's overall affairs in the future. Now is the perfect time to invest!"
***
"You're saying the Shining Sun Cult wants to meet you?" Lu Yang looked at the Shining Sun Token in Meng Jingzhou's hand, feeling slightly bewildered.
On the Shining Sun Token was a message left by Cult Master Chi for Meng Jingzhou: *Holy Son Long, our cult has gained some insights on how to improve cultivation methods for absorbing the power of the sun. If Holy Son Long is interested, please come to Poyang City in Yuzhou for a discussion.*
"Are they offering to share cultivation secrets with you?" After reading the message on the Shining Sun Token, Lu Yang was even more perplexed. Wasn't this attempt to curry favor a bit too blatant?
"Could it be that they heard about what happened in Chunjiang City and want to butter me up?"
Lu Yang thought about it. That really was possible. As for why they had waited over half a month before contacting Old Meng, it was probably because the Shining Sun Cult felt that waiting a while would make it seem like they weren't reaching out out of sheer terror of Cult Master Yun.
Before Lu Yang could say anything more, he felt a vibration from the Nine Nether Token in his robe. He pulled it out to look.
"What is it?" Meng Jingzhou craned his neck to see.
Lu Yang openly displayed the Nine Nether Token. "The Nine Nether Cult is looking for me."
"...What should we do? Split up, or bring both cults together?"
Lu Yang stroked his chin. "No rush to reply. Let's head over to Senior Brother Dai for some intelligence first." With Li Haoran around, they knew plenty about the Nine Nether Cult, but knew very little about the Shining Sun Cult.
***
The Mission Hall.
Dai Bufan scrutinized the two of them with an odd expression.
"You're saying that the Nine Nether Cult and the Shining Sun Cult are both trying to bribe you in secret?"
Chapter 691