"You can't possibly expect me to step in and purchase all those supplies you've been skimming," Li Fan said, his expression unchanged as he sipped his tea, gaze fixed on Zhou Kebao. "I may be relatively well-off, but my contribution points didn't fall from the sky. Besides, those supplies are of little use for anything outside of constructing immortal cities."
Zhou Kebao shook his head hastily. "How could we be so unreasonable?"
He stole a careful glance at Li Fan and bowed slightly, his manner placating. "In truth, I came to find you, Fellow Daoist, in hopes of reaching an arrangement that benefits us both—"
Li Fan set his teacup down with a sharp crack. The sound cut Zhou Kebao off mid-sentence and made him straighten abruptly.
Li Fan's face had gone cold, a flash of killing intent in his eyes. "An arrangement that benefits us both? That doesn't sound like what you had in mind from the start."
"Skimming this many supplies, especially after I had already submitted my military pledge, is as good as forcing me onto a path of certain death."
Zhou Kebao raised both hands, trembling as he explained, "That was never our intention! Never! From beginning to end, we were only after profit..."
Li Fan's tone was flat, giving nothing away. "What's done is done. I won't hold it against you any further."
Zhou Kebao's face flooded with disbelief.
Before he could draw a breath of relief, Li Fan continued, "However, once Congyun Immortal City is formally completed, the report submitted to our superiors must include all details of the process, without a single omission.
"After all, completing the city's construction without wasting a scrap of material would only serve to demonstrate my own considerable capabilities, would it not?
"Such a feat ought to be announced to the world, made known to everyone. If every City Lord in the Alliance were as efficient as I, wouldn't the Myriad Immortals Alliance's annexation of the Five Elders Council be just around the corner?
"What do you think, Fellow Daoist Zhou?" Li Fan declared, without a trace of shame.
"Ha, you jest, Fellow Daoist," Zhou Kebao said, mopping cold sweat from his brow. He had already caught the threat beneath the words. "Whatever you require, please state it plainly. We will see to it. This matter must not be allowed to escalate."
He thumped his chest in assurance.
"Don't tell me what you think I want. Consider what you actually have to offer," Li Fan said, stepping forward and clapping Zhou Kebao on the shoulder.
"Contribution points? Do I lack those?"
A look of pride settled over Li Fan's face. "My divination arts are renowned throughout the land. Turning wealth into greater wealth is a trivial matter. Contribution points are, to my eyes, nothing more than a string of numbers."
Zhou Kebao shuddered faintly.
"Furthermore, once Congyun Immortal City is completed, the rewards from above will certainly not be modest. At that point, as a high-ranking official, my permission level will rise accordingly.
"With contribution points and clearance, how many things in this world are truly beyond my reach?
"What, then, could you possibly offer to sway me?"
Li Fan's gaze was intense, burning into Zhou Kebao.
Pressed by Li Fan's stare, Zhou Kebao felt that his words made complete sense. His thoughts fell into disarray, and he could not produce a suitable answer.
"Come find me again once you've thought it through. I have official duties to attend to. You'll have to excuse me," Li Fan said coldly, and with that, the dismissal was issued.
Zhou Kebao withdrew, his face clouded with worry.
Li Fan's meaning had been perfectly clear.
The act of sabotage could be let go and forgiven. But compensation of sufficient value would be required.
The most difficult demands are those with no specific requirements. Zhou Kebao sighed inwardly.
He glanced back at the room Li Fan occupied. In the short time since he had left, seven or eight cultivators, stiff-faced and formal, had been coming and going with unusual frequency.
His influence has already taken root. It would be unwise to oppose him directly.
Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to turn an enemy into a friend. From what I've seen, he doesn't seem the type to nurse petty grudges. With a sufficiently enticing offer, he can be swayed.
Zhou Kebao's thoughts raced, and in an instant, his resolve was set. He turned and hurried back to confer with his group.
Five days later, Zhou Kebao stood before Li Fan once more, brimming with confidence.
"Fellow Daoist, observe this."
He pointed at the air, and a miniature depiction of a floating city materialized between them.
Li Fan studied it for a moment but could not discern its purpose. His expression remained neutral. "What is this?"
Seeing Li Fan's reaction, Zhou Kebao's confidence grew. A knowing smile played at his lips.
"A cave dwelling modeled after the Myriad Immortals Alliance's floating immortal cities, perhaps even superior to them..."
"Might you be interested, Fellow Daoist?" Zhou Kebao asked, his voice dropping low.
"Oh?" Li Fan's gaze sharpened. He turned to scrutinize the slowly rotating miniature more carefully. His mind worked furiously, and he couldn't hold back a sharp intake of breath.
"The supplies you embezzled were actually more than double what was allocated to me? Your audacity is staggering."
Zhou Kebao quickly raised a hand. "Ah, you misunderstand, Fellow Daoist.
"While it's true we initially withheld a significant portion in our scheme against you, that amount alone is far from sufficient to construct an entire floating city from scratch.
"In truth, these materials are the surplus we've accumulated over the years from repair and renovation projects across the provincial immortal cities.
"You understand how it works, Fellow Daoist Li. The Myriad Immortals Alliance allocates project budgets generously, accounting for all manner of contingencies. And we, being seasoned in this trade, have grown exceedingly efficient. Actual material wastage is minimal.
"So every project yields a surplus. That extra portion, naturally, is not something we report. It finds its way into our pockets instead."
Zhou Kebao smiled faintly and let his words hang there, the implication clear.
"We amassed these materials over the years. Rather than let them gather dust in a warehouse, it's better to put them to good use and resolve this misunderstanding between us.
"Public resources turned to private use, an immortal city as a personal cave dwelling. I dare say, even within our Myriad Immortals Alliance, such a thing is far from commonplace."
Li Fan stared fixedly at the slowly rotating image, clearly tempted.
Seeing this, Zhou Kebao pressed on.
"Aside from the inability to connect directly to the Myriad Immortals Alliance headquarters, this immortal city cave dwelling can be outfitted with facilities identical to any standard immortal city.
"Of course, if you find it too conspicuous, concealment functions can be added. Structures such as the Administration Hall and the Martial Hall can be rendered invisible and summoned forth only when needed.
"We will also leave ample room within the cave dwelling for future modifications.
"Should you later wish to reinforce its protective arrays or restrictions, it would be a simple matter.
"Naturally, if you are willing to part with some contribution points, we could handle those upgrades on your behalf.
"Should you be sufficiently generous, even an ultra-long-range teleportation array, or a virtual mustard-seed microcosm array, could be negotiated.[1]
"A portable immortal city cave dwelling, complete with teleportation functions, capable of both offense and defense...
"Does this satisfy you, Fellow Daoist?" Zhou Kebao asked, his tone persuasive.
Li Fan responded with a hearty laugh.
1. 芥子: a mustard seed. In Buddhist philosophy, it represents the smallest possible space. The principle of this array is that a vast space is compressed into an impossibly small area. ☜