The seven major peak lineages and the sect’s outer court alone could not fully represent the entire Kongshan Sect.
It was the tens of millions of mu of spirit farmlands scattered across the Chenping Continent, and the hundreds of mines, that formed the true foundation supporting this colossal sect.
Those spirit farmlands and mines provided the cultivation resources the sect’s disciples needed for their daily practice.
The Kongshan Sect also sold lower-tier immortal cultivation resources through the Mingxiao Peak ferry to ordinary sects, generating spirit stone income.
Spirit stones, as the common currency of the cultivation world, could also aid practice to some extent depending on their quality.
For the past ten years, Qiguan Jin had been embezzling a substantial amount of spirit stones each year by falsifying accounts and secretly sending them to Pei Qingshan on Yuanhua Mountain.
“Why does Pei Qingshan need so many spirit stones?” Chen Yan asked.
“That’s not something I can say for certain.” Qiguan Jin wore a troubled expression and then shook his head.
“Supervisor Pei provides me with certain cultivation resources. In return, I help him smuggle spirit stones. It’s simply a transaction.”
“All I can say is that the cultivation resources received by every core disciple on the entire Mingxiao Peak probably don’t amount to as much as what I get,” Qiguan Jin said, then shook his head and let out two bitter laughs.
“But I’m well aware that my cultivation ceiling can’t be pushed any further.”
Talent is the most merciless thing in this world.
Some people have it, some don’t.
The Qi Sea Realm was already Qiguan Jin’s limit; no matter how many pills he consumed, there was no chance of advancing further.
Only an extraordinary opportunity could change that.
“But you still agreed to do it for him,” Chen Yan said.
“What right do I have to refuse?” the slightly plump middle-aged cultivator in front of him replied with a tone of self-mockery.
Indeed.
Qiguan Jin, an outer court disciple, had no backing.
He survived by making money; his work at the sect ferry simply made practical use of his skills.
Qiguan Jin had no capital to resist Pei Qingshan, or the huge force behind Pei Qingshan.
Even Chen Yan, the Chief Disciple of Kongyuan Mountain, found it extremely difficult to face pressure coming from the Supreme Imperial Law Court.
He could only choose to comply.
“It was Elder Fu of Qingchan Peak who asked me to come find you,” Chen Yan said.
“I know,” Qiguan Jin answered.
“After the calamity on Heavenly Summit Mountain, Elder Fu Qian came to me. He said, sooner or later, Chief Disciple Chen, you would come to see me.”
Oh?
Chen Yan’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
If you don’t want others to manipulate your fate, you must manipulate theirs first.
Chen Yan suddenly remembered the words Fu Qian had once said to him.
Rather than being a choice, it felt more like Fu Qian’s gamble.
Fu Qian was betting whether Chen Yan would, for the sake of survival, choose to side with the Imperial Law Court.
Of course Chen Yan would not. He had fought hard to attain his current status and accomplishments, and he possessed two peerless arts on the Chenping Continent: the Hidden Immortal Art and the Great Derivation Art.
How could he willingly become someone else’s lapdog?
He would rather die.
“Chief Disciple Chen.” Qiguan Jin looked straight into Chen Yan’s eyes, his expression utterly sincere.
“I am only a Qi Sea Realm cultivator, and in this life I will only ever be a Qi Sea Realm cultivator,” Qiguan Jin said.
“To be able to firmly root myself at this ferry, to offer more spirit stones to the sect, is my lifelong pursuit. As for anything else, I have no interest. Do you understand what I mean, Chief Disciple Chen?”
Chen Yan nodded.
He already understood the true meaning Qiguan Jin wanted to convey.
Qiguan Jin had indeed done work for Pei Qingshan, but he truly had no other choice.
After the deaths of Wei Mian, Pei Qingshan, and others, Qiguan Jin had begun to worry about his own safety.
So he needed a new supporter.
That supporter was Chen Yan and the inner-line force of Kongyuan Mountain behind him, led by the current sect leader Yun Yichen.
What Qiguan Jin did not expect was that Chen Yan’s own situation had already become quite precarious.
That was only natural. From Qiguan Jin’s perspective in the sect hierarchy, a peak elder of He Furen’s level surely seemed capable of casting a shadow over everything.
It had once been the same for Chen Yan.
Back when he was still in the outer court, even the outer court stewards at the Martial Spring Realm made him look up in awe.
As for the Supreme Imperial Law Court’s level, Qiguan Jin simply could not have access to it.
He might even have believed that the true culprit behind the Heavenly Summit calamity was only the scapegoat that had been exposed, Wei Mian.
If that were the case, Qiguan Jin might gain nothing from him.
The reason his name appeared on the list could have been simply that he helped Pei Qingshan and He Furen, not because he actually held any useful information.
Still, it was worth a try.
“What can I do to help you, Transmitter Qiguan?” Chen Yan asked.
At Chen Yan’s words, Qiguan Jin’s eyes brightened slightly.
“Chief Disciple Chen, actually there are still eighty thousand spirit stones being held here at the ferry. They were originally meant for Pei Qingshan, but now…”
Then Qiguan Jin displayed a conflicted expression.
By falsifying accounts, Qiguan Jin had made those eighty thousand spirit stones, which should have belonged to the sect, vanish without a trace in the records.
Making them disappear was easy; making that sum legitimately reappear on the accounts was nearly impossible.
And for a lowly ferry transmitter like Qiguan Jin to swallow such a large stash of spirit stones would be virtually unthinkable.
If the scheme blew up, the consequences for Qiguan Jin would be unimaginable.
“I understand. You just send those eighty thousand spirit stones to the Kongyuan Mountain Alchemy Hall,” Chen Yan said calmly, pausing for a moment.
“Say that these spirit stones are from Chen Yan, in filial respect to Elder Lin Qifeng.”
Handling these eighty thousand high-grade spirit stones was no trouble for Lin Qifeng.
“Thank you, Chief Disciple Chen. You’re doing me a huge favor!” Qiguan Jin stood up respectfully, then bowed to Chen Yan.
“How did you normally transport spirit stones to Yuanhua Mountain before?” Chen Yan asked.
“In the past, I didn’t need to specially transport spirit stones to Yuanhua Mountain. Pei Qingshan would send someone to collect them, and sometimes he’d even come in person,” Qiguan Jin replied.
“Send someone?”
Chen Yan asked again.
“Yes. I think it was a transmitter disciple from Yuanhua Mountain. Not a big figure, but at least one of Supervisor Pei’s people. I even had him over for a meal at Mingxiao Tower once…” Qiguan Jin said, squinting slightly as the slightly plump middle-aged cultivator continued:
“That transmitter disciple seemed to be called—what was it… Li Hanzhou?”