Yun Hong allowed Ying Dan to enter because Ye Yu had instructed her regarding a matter of tokens. However, Ye Yu never disclosed the specifics, keeping it hidden from her. This demonstrated how deeply and how seriously Ye Yu concealed this matter.
At the entrance to the secret chamber, Ying Dan knelt, his face filled with barely concealed excitement. He declared loudly, "Young Sect Master, Ying Dan has returned!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Yu hastened forward, helping Ying Dan up from his kneeling position. His tone was sincere as he said, "Ying Dan, you have been through hardship. If you hadn't gone undercover in the Ministry of Revenue, my plan would not have proceeded so smoothly." He added, "Fortunately, you have returned safely; otherwise, my conscience would surely be uneasy."
Even the usually calm Ye Yu showed signs of emotional turmoil at this moment.
Ying Dan rose and cupped his hands. "Young Sect Master, your subordinate has not failed his mission. The task of instigating Minister Liu Ba of the Ministry of Revenue to carry out the harvest has finally been completed!" As Ying Dan spoke, his voice choked with emotion. Who knew that a minor figure, a mere pawn, could influence the life and death of an entire board, and steer the course of destiny for the realm?
Ye Yu looked at Ying Dan in this state, feeling immensely satisfied yet also touched by a sense of wistfulness. He had spent many years preparing for this financial storm of spirit stones. However, the most crucial link lay with Ying Dan. Would Ying Dan successfully gain the trust of Minister Liu Ba of the Ministry of Revenue? Could he persuade Minister Liu Ba to enter the chaotic market? He had no certainty, he did not know... Fate decides success, but man proposes. Any meticulously crafted plan could fail, and any rough plan could succeed. All Ye Yu could do was gamble and believe.
"I truly feel self-reproach. If Ying Dan, you had been exposed, you might not have returned..." Ye Yu said with some shame, looking at the loyal Ying Dan. "If that had happened, it would have meant I harmed you!"
"Young Sect Master, to treat your subordinate like this, I am ashamed. I do not deserve such profound kindness from you!" Ying Dan replied, tears welling in his eyes upon hearing Ye Yu's words.
Regardless of whether both were feigning or one was acting, at that moment, their interaction conveyed a deep bond between master and servant to all observers.
As more than ninety percent of the cultivators in the Purple Continent's immortal cultivation world became active, many extremely hidden matters were uncovered. These incensed cultivators, upon discovering that the central imperial family of the Great Jin Celestial Dynasty, the Liu clan, was indeed manipulating the harvest from behind the scenes, wasted no time in attacking sites, post stations, and convoys bearing the banners of the Great Jin Celestial Dynasty's imperial court. Many sites, post stations, and convoys were quickly destroyed, leaving no survivors. During this process, a team of cultivators, while slaughtering a convoy, discovered treasures worth millions of spirit stones! The rumors were true; the vast wealth amassed by the Great Jin Celestial Dynasty's central imperial court, piles of treasures taller than mountains, had not all been transported back to Chang'an. Trillions of spirit stones, treasures piled higher than mountains, and countless elixirs. The thought alone invigorated everyone. From then on, all cultivators went mad, their eyes red, launching assaults on all strongholds displaying the banners of the Great Jin Celestial Dynasty's central imperial court. In this world, nothing could ignite more fighting spirit than money, and in the immortal cultivation world, spirit stones were the equivalent of mundane currency. Especially for cultivators who had been utterly squeezed dry, their storage bags empty, possessing nothing but their lives. These individuals, who had nothing to lose but their lives, went truly insane upon receiving this news. All cultivators were wildly wielding their weapons. Not every convoy, post station, or site held such vast treasures, spirit stones, and elixirs. However, every captured location yielded substantial gains, at least a significant bounty for those who survived. This was the case in the Golden Domain, the Wood Domain, and the Fire Domain. All 108 domains of the Great Jin Celestial Dynasty were in an uproar. Everyone was in a frenzy, even ascetics who remained oblivious to the outside world were no exception. Streaks of escape light crisscrossed the sky. Fire, lightning, thunder, stone, wood, various divine abilities, spells, magic treasures, and artifacts clashed and resonated across the sky and earth. The infighting among cultivators even affected mortals, causing many to suffer without cause. Despite this, not a single cultivator chose to stop; the conflict not only failed to cease but escalated further! Because, periodically, groups would return to cities ostentatiously displaying piles of treasures. Faced with this situation, even the cautious observers could no longer remain idle.
"Big brother, if we can just plunder one convoy filled with riches, we'll be set. We won't have to worry about anything anymore and can focus on cultivating in peace."
"Hahahaha, one convoy? That's not enough for us. We brothers will seize two, three, four, five..."
"Hahahaha, big brother is right..."
"We need to act quickly! The prey is plentiful, but the wolves are many. By the time those fellows snatch it all, there'll be nothing left for us to eat." A group of demonic cultivators, radiating an aura of杀气 (killing intent), gathered, excitedly discussing the matter. Because of Ye Yu's plan, the entire Purple Continent's immortal cultivation world had descended into utter chaos. The noble families, who originally maintained order and peace in their regions, no longer had the inclination or energy to manage these affairs. In fact, they had instigated this looting. The strongholds of the Great Jin Celestial Dynasty's central imperial court naturally had their own guardian cultivators, who were not to be trifled with. Relying on terrain and formations, they launched counterattacks. However, they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of looters and robbers. Even elite cultivator armies could not withstand such numbers. Furthermore, as time passed, these frenzied cultivators began targeting not only the Great Jin imperial court but also the estates and cave dwellings of neighboring noble families. Chaos had fully erupted. For Wu Tao and Ye Yu, the challengers, a world in turmoil was far more advantageous than a peaceful one. It was in times of chaos that true heroes emerged. In times of peace, no matter how talented or capable, without the opportunity to stir up trouble, one would ultimately remain a coward. The storm stirred up by Ye Yu, while not as devastating as the several world-ending battles recorded in the history of the Purple Continent's immortal cultivation world, was merely the beginning. No one knew what it would evolve into. The cultivators had disrupted the Purple Continent's immortal cultivation world, disturbing the tranquility of the lake. "We want to get rich, we want to get rich! Whoever stands in our way, we'll cut them down." Cultivators were still human, albeit humans with extraordinary power. Similarly, were the garrisoned cultivators and soldiers under the control of the Liu clan not also cultivators? In each city, the gatekeeping cultivators and soldiers, watching convoys filled with treasures being brought in from outside, and then looking at their own meager storage bags, felt an overwhelming sense of bitterness. "Why can others feast and live lavishly while we cannot? Are we that much inferior to them?" Every gatekeeping cultivator and soldier questioned themselves. No one considered themselves inferior, even if they truly were. Moreover, they were not inferior at all. "Damn it! I'm not guarding this damned city anymore. Brothers, follow me! I know of a place piled high with spirit stones, treasures, and elixirs. If we seize it, we'll be rich, and we'll never have to worry about cultivation again!" declared a late-stage Core Formation regional general. "General, the imperial court strictly forbids us from leaving our posts without authorization..." a deputy general, in the early stage of Core Formation, hesitantly reminded his superior. "Boy, have you been kicked in the head by a donkey? Are you a Liu? Or have they truly brainwashed you? We're just a local ragtag army, unloved by our maternal uncles and uncared for by our mothers. Is the meager stipend the imperial court provides enough for our daily expenses? There's glittering wealth right there, and you're still hesitating? If you hesitate any longer, we won't even get a sip of soup! If we absolutely have to, we'll shed this official uniform. We are cultivators who can soar through the heavens and traverse the earth, not those mortals in the mundane world..." "Are you coming or not? If you're not coming, I'll take these brothers!" The late-stage Core Formation regional general roared with anger, his patience wearing thin. Observing a flicker of killing intent in the eyes of the late-stage Core Formation regional general, the deputy realized that if he said anything more, his life might be in danger. "General, I didn't say I wouldn't go. I just wanted to discuss it further!" The deputy, of course, was not a fool. He sensed the faint killing intent emanating from his superior and immediately changed his tune. This was merely the situation in one immortal cultivation city. With 108 domains in the Great Jin Celestial Dynasty, and so many cities, how many cultivators were sharpening their blades, their murderous intent fully displayed? In such chaotic times, no one could concern themselves with others; merely protecting oneself was enough.
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