It must be said, Ran Qingqiu was a born traitor to the Demon Sect.
In the years since Li Chang’an had put her to work, she had poached nearly every Demon Sect Disciple and high-ranking member from all of Chun’an County and even most of Shanghang Prefecture.
As for why she’d done it?
In the beginning, Ran Qingqiu never expected things to turn out this way.
It was just that the Cultivation Techniques Li Chang’an provided were of such high quality and the organization’s funding was so plentiful. Ran Qingqiu figured that since the money had to be spent, it might as well go to her own people rather than strangers.
So she simply started hiring Demon Sect Disciples to help with the work.
Over time, practically every Demon Sect Disciple in Shanghang Prefecture learned that the Greed Wolf Organization offered good pay for little work, plus top-tier Cultivation Techniques.
With the "charitable" Demon Sect traitor Ran Qingqiu acting as a go-between and pulling strings, things just naturally ended up this way.
If the gate hadn’t been inscribed with "Champion Scholar’s Mansion," Leng Yanran probably wouldn’t have batted an eye if Ran Qingqiu had told her this was the new headquarters for the Demon Sect.
Li Chang’an, for his part, showed no remorse for his poaching.
He led the ashen-faced Leng Yanran on a tour of the Champion Scholar’s Mansion, briefly reviewing the Greed Wolf Organization’s progress before they returned to the main hall and sat down.
The Greed Wolf Organization had now expanded to a thousand members.
And this was no small number. Even excluding the turncoat Demon Sect Disciples, there were nearly seven or eight hundred core members.
These core members had been trained from a young age. While their Cultivation was not yet profound, their greatest asset was their unwavering loyalty to Li Chang’an.
With this backbone of seven to eight hundred people, as long as Li Chang’an could provide enough resources, he could expand the Greed Wolf Organization at a moment’s notice.
Building something from nothing is always the hardest part.
But once that initial foundation is laid, the rate of expansion tends to grow exponentially.
Li Chang’an was very pleased. Right in front of Leng Yanran, he rewarded Ran Qingqiu with ten thousand taels in silver notes and said, "Report. What have you found?"
Ran Qingqiu had no idea how her master had gotten involved with Li Chang’an.
’In her eyes, the two of them were as different as night and day. Seeing them together now was truly disorienting.’
But this was obviously not something she dared to ask about.
Especially not while her master was still seething.
Ran Qingqiu swallowed hard, not daring to accept the ten thousand taels in silver notes in front of Leng Yanran.
She could only brace herself and say, "Following the information you provided, we investigated every region where Cultivators might have appeared."
"Most of that information turned out to be nothing more than baseless rumors."
"Only a few leads seemed to have some substance, but even then, any related evidence or traces had long been buried by the sands of time. We couldn’t find anything concrete..."
"So far, our only lead is a complex of ancient tombs beneath a few desolate mountains northwest of Li Yang. We don’t know which dynasty they belong to, and most have already been emptied by grave robbers. However, there’s one tomb, the grandest of them all, that we haven’t been able to open, no matter what we try."
Hearing Ran Qingqiu’s report, Li Chang’an asked, "Is that area also one of the locations where Cultivators were suspected to have appeared?"
Ran Qingqiu nodded.
Li Chang’an fell silent, turning to Leng Yanran. "Sect Leader Leng, you heard her. The northwestern mountains. Your own disciple said it, not me. I wasn’t trying to deceive you."
Leng Yanran had quieted down by now. She glanced at Ran Qingqiu and asked again, "Are you certain this information is accurate?"
Ran Qingqiu cautiously glanced at Li Chang’an.
The meaning was clear: even when questioned by her own master, she wouldn’t dare reveal anything without Li Chang’an’s permission.
Noticing this detail, Leng Yanran’s brow furrowed even more deeply.
’She had no idea what kind of potion Li Chang’an had given her disciple to make her so devoted to him in just a few short years—so much so that she no longer recognized her own master.’
Seeing Li Chang’an nod,
Ran Qingqiu finally nodded and said, "Master, it’s true."
"According to the residents near the desolate mountains, that tomb has been there for thousands of years. In any case, it’s been there for as long as their village has existed."
"And yet, a tomb that’s been there for millennia... our members still can’t force it open."
At this, her voice paused, and a rare gravity crossed her face. "I always thought Cultivation was just something out of folktales. But after seeing that tomb, even though we haven’t opened it, I truly believe it has something to do with the legendary Cultivators."
Hearing this, Leng Yanran said nothing.
But her heart grew heavy once more.
After a long silence, she flicked her sleeves, stood up, and said, "There’s no time to waste. Let’s set out now. I’m rather curious to see what kind of tomb can hold a supposedly immortal Cultivator!"
She rose, ready to leave at once.
She didn’t want to spend another moment in this mansion.
But now it was Li Chang’an who was in no hurry. "Sect Leader Leng, not so fast," he said. "I have a few things to take care of here. Besides, your emotions are rather unstable right now. Let’s wait a couple of days for you to calm down before we depart."
He hadn’t been back to Chun’an County in many years.
’Who knows when I’ll be back after this trip?’
Therefore, he needed to make some time to catch up with his family and, while he was at it, address a few potential issues with the Greed Wolf Organization’s development. Only then could he set off again without any loose ends.
Over the years, Tian Fugui and Li Chang’an’s birth mother had moved to live near the Champion Scholar’s Mansion at his suggestion, and he invited them all over.
Zhang Xiang was already at the Champion Scholar’s Mansion.
The two brothers, Cao Tianlong and Cao Dilong, were managing the Greed Wolf Organization’s business affairs.
They had both received word and rushed back as well.
That night, the two families held a banquet in the main courtyard of the Champion Scholar’s Mansion, drinking and feasting until nearly dawn before everyone went their separate ways.
...