Wu Chai stood amidst the crowd, watching Ning Zhuo speak, his eyes widening slightly in disbelief.

He was merely a Qi Refining cultivator, with poor aptitude, barely able to cultivate. He had no family or teachers, simply stumbling upon a fragmented scripture that began his journey of cultivation. After nearly a century of trials and tribulations, he remained only at the Qi Refining stage. He had reached his limit; this was the extent of his talent.

Yet, Wu Chai refused to give up, even though he was old and his time was short. He had spent all his family’s wealth, even selling his defensive and offensive magical tools, just to gather enough money to board the teleportation array. The main sect of Wanxiang Sect could only be reached by teleportation.

Upon arrival, Wu Chai was almost penniless, unable to afford any spiritual food, and naturally, couldn’t rent any cave dwellings. Fortunately, the main sect of Wanxiang Sect was a geomantic treasure land, rich in spiritual energy, allowing an old pauper like Wu Chai to survive by eating and sleeping in the open, foraging for wild fruits and hunting.

His entire life had been unlucky; even in this golden age of cultivation with abundant resources, he had never encountered any fortuitous opportunities.

Ning Zhuo’s claim of a good business venture that required no personal cost immediately piqued everyone’s interest, and they looked at him with heightened spirits.

Ning Zhuo then explained the entire process, which was very simple: he would provide the funds for these people to go to the Internal Affairs Hall and rent cave dwellings. All these cave dwellings were located on the same mountain peak as the Shiquan Cave Dwelling.

At that time, Yu He Ye would undoubtedly send people to evict them again, just as the cultivator had offered ten mid-grade spirit stones to dismiss Ning Zhuo. Then, the cultivators present would also receive ten mid-grade spirit stones, accept the offer, and withdraw from the mountain peak. Afterward, the cultivators would return to the Internal Affairs Hall, cancel their leases, and retrieve their rent.

The profits would be split evenly. Ning Zhuo would recover the rent and receive five mid-grade spirit stones, while the remaining five would go to the others.

After Ning Zhuo finished explaining his plan, someone immediately asked a question. Ning Zhuo did not conceal Yu He Ye’s existence, which caused a momentary silence throughout the audience. No one was foolish; they all knew that Ning Zhuo’s actions were clearly using them as pawns to deliberately provoke a Golden Core cultivator! If this Golden Core cultivator became enraged and decided to deal with them, wouldn’t it be a fatal disaster?

Of course, the rules of Wanxiang Sect were strict; no matter how arrogant Yu He Ye was, he wouldn’t dare to casually kill anyone within the sect. But the opponent was a Golden Core cultivator! A single word from them could torment these low-level cultivators present, making their lives miserable and their future bleak.

The crowd’s reaction did not surprise Ning Zhuo. He was quite confident, smiling assuredly, “Everyone, money isn’t that easy to earn.”

“What kind of good fortune would allow you to gain five mid-grade spirit stones for no reason?”

“You must pay a price—”

Before Ning Zhuo could finish, Wu Chai loudly interrupted, “I’ll do it!”

He had invested all his savings to teleport here, hoping to make one last gamble in his life through the Feiyun Grand Assembly. However, Wu Chai’s days of wandering various mountain peaks had made it clear to him: at this rate, with his meager strength, he probably wouldn’t be able to complete any missions and would merely prolong his existence. This opportunity was the only one he had encountered and could seize since arriving here!

What if he was being used? What if he might antagonize a Golden Core cultivator? What did he have left now? But if this matter succeeded, it would be five mid-grade spirit stones! A full five mid-grade, mid-grade spirit stones.

Ning Zhuo glanced at Wu Chai, seeing a frail, white-haired old man, and nodded slightly. Things were going more smoothly than he had expected. “Good,” Ning Zhuo praised immediately, then directly took out a jade tablet in front of everyone. “This contains a portion of my magical power, a proof of aura.”

“Take this to the nearest branch of the Internal Affairs Hall and find an active cultivator named Cao Gui.”

“I have already discussed it with him and prepaid a large sum of spirit stones. He will guide you to rent a cave dwelling there.”

The funds for renting the cave dwelling certainly couldn’t be handed directly to these people. It was simple: five mid-grade spirit stones, or dozens? The difference was quite obvious, and it was hard to guarantee that some wouldn’t be overcome by greed and impulsively run off with the money.

Cao Gui was different. He was also carefully selected by Ning Zhuo after purchasing information, and they had formed a divine pact. There was no need to form a pact with these low-level cultivators, as a single contract was very valuable. These were all costs!

Wu Chai received the jade tablet and immediately released a withered yellow paper crane, sitting on it and wobbling away.

After a moment of silence, a second and third person stepped out of the ranks and collected jade tablets. Soon after, most cultivators took their jade tablets and began their actions. Only five or six, timid at heart, voluntarily withdrew.

This was fine. Ning Zhuo had anticipated this situation, so he had gathered a larger number of people. The cultivators he had gathered were, without exception, similar to Wu Chai—in dire straits, with meager wealth. Five mid-grade spirit stones, even if not a huge sum, were a timely relief that could quench their thirst.

“Hehehe, Cousin, we have a good show to watch,” Su Ling Kou witnessed this scene firsthand, her eyes gleaming with anticipation for what would happen next.

Liu Fu was the Foundation Establishment cultivator dispatched by Yu He Ye, who had proactively approached and “expelled” Ning Zhuo.

“How many people did you say?” When he learned that five new people had suddenly appeared on his mountain peak and rented cave dwellings together, he didn’t react for a moment.

His subordinate provided a clear report again. Liu Fu’s brow furrowed immediately. After a moment of thought, he asked, “Are these five people a group?”

The subordinate shook his head, indicating they didn’t seem to be. Liu Fu lost his patience and reprimanded, “Don’t seem to be? Can’t even find that out? Get out and investigate thoroughly!”

“Yes,” the subordinate nodded hastily and exited the room.

“Get back here!” Liu Fu suddenly waved him back, changing his mind. “This matter—I’ll have to handle it personally.”

A faint sense of unease settled in Liu Fu’s heart. He immediately set off, rushing to the various cave dwellings rented by the newcomers to negotiate.

Wu Chai and the others were the first wave. Seeing Liu Fu appear, they thought, “Finally here,” and stepped out of their cave dwellings. Liu Fu directly offered ten mid-grade spirit stones for these newcomers to all leave. The newcomers were very cooperative, taking the ten mid-grade spirit stones. Some left immediately, while others even smiled and thanked him.

Liu Fu finished his task, breathed a sigh of relief, and returned to his residence. However, not long after, the second batch of cultivators arrived, still five people. Liu Fu’s pupils contracted sharply, his heart skipping a beat. “Damn it, someone must be orchestrating this, making trouble for me!”

Immense pressure weighed on Liu Fu’s heart. Why? The reason was that he had benefited from this—Yu He Ye had genuinely paid in spirit stones, giving twelve mid-grade spirit stones for each eviction. Liu Fu had been secretly manipulating the situation, pocketing two stones for himself and only giving ten mid-grade spirit stones to the outsiders.

This was a small secret. Even if it were exposed, Liu Fu had calculated that Yu He Ye wouldn’t care—how much money was this, after all? On the contrary, if Yu He Ye questioned or punished him, it would only make him, a dignified Golden Core cultivator, seem petty.

The initial situation was like this. But gradually, as more and more cultivators were evicted, the number of spirit stones Liu Fu secretly withheld increased. The small secret, unknowingly, became a big secret.

Liu Fu was actually starting to regret it. The number of spirit stones he had withheld was making his hands feel hot. But he couldn’t stop. The reason was simple. If he were to give twelve mid-grade spirit stones to the newcomers, what would the previous cultivators think if they heard about it? They were all evicted, so why should one get more than another? Everyone was smart and would naturally suspect something—oh, Liu Fu had taken a cut.

So, for Liu Fu to do that would be tantamount to self-incrimination. He could only comfort himself secretly: “Bear with it, just a little longer.”

“Soon, the Feiyun Grand Assembly will officially begin.”

“By then, not many people will unknowingly come here to rent cave dwellings.”

“Soon, very soon…”

While Liu Fu eagerly awaited the Feiyun Grand Assembly, Ning Zhuo’s plan began. The first wave of five cultivators, and then the second wave of five, made Liu Fu’s heart clench, immediately sensing trouble!

“Someone is targeting me! Who is it, who?!” It wasn’t difficult for Liu Fu to find out who was behind it. The low-level cultivators Ning Zhuo used were all greedy. Liu Fu only needed to offer one or two mid-grade spirit stones, and they would talk.

“Ning Zhuo?” Liu Fu frowned, puzzled by the answer. He had initially thought that the one targeting him was a cultivator close to Yu He Ye. There wasn’t just Liu Fu in the small faction surrounding Yu He Ye; there were others with various ulterior motives.

Liu Fu carefully recalled, but couldn’t remember Ning Zhuo’s appearance. He did remember that there was such a youth. “A youth? A youth, indeed—”

“Couldn’t bear the insult, so he’s seeking revenge?”

Liu Fu thought he had seen through Ning Zhuo’s intentions. He immediately found an excuse, flew out of the mountain peak, proactively sought out Ning Zhuo, and directly offered a bribe. Liu Fu’s meaning was simple: “I’ll give you money, brother, just stop! Give up. I can represent Yu He Ye and let bygones be bygones. Young people are impulsive and make mistakes.”

He still carried a lot of arrogance. Although they were both Foundation Establishment cultivators, he had Yu He Ye backing him.

“What does Ning Zhuo have? Clearly, he’s a newcomer, here to try his luck and broaden his horizons at the Feiyun Grand Assembly.”

No wonder Liu Fu guessed this; the Feiyun Grand Assembly had become a grand event in Feiyun Kingdom. Expectations poured in from all corners of the country, from small and large factions, and powerful entities.

Ning Zhuo remained amicable, then smiled and said he couldn’t do it.

“Can’t do it? How can you not do it?” Liu Fu shouted with dissatisfaction. “You must do it, whether you want to or not!” He slammed his palm on the table, then stood up and looked down at Ning Zhuo.

Any ordinary cultivator might have been intimidated by Liu Fu. But Ning Zhuo had even dealt with Soul Transformation cultivators; what fear did he have of a minor figure at the same level? He grinned, revealing an even more sincere smile, but his words were full of provocation: “Someone, send five people to rent cave dwellings right now!”

Seeing Liu Fu’s face flush red and his anger intensify, Ning Zhuo laughed aloud, “Oh, no, this time, send ten people!”

Liu Fu’s anger froze on his face. At this moment, he realized that he couldn’t easily intimidate Ning Zhuo. “What do you want?!” Liu Fu hissed, his veins throbbing.

Ning Zhuo’s smile receded slightly, and he pointed at him: “Speak properly, don’t scare my people.” Ning Zhuo wasn’t interacting with Liu Fu alone; Qing Chi also stood beside him. The girl was from the Ghost Human Race. Liu Fu glanced at her, assuming she was Ning Zhuo’s maid, and paid no mind. Ning Zhuo, because Qing Chi had lost her memory, had a caring heart and brought her along to experience more things, using these events to teach the girl how to navigate the cultivation world.

Liu Fu braced his hands on the table, lowered his head, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths. He suppressed the anger in his heart, then suddenly opened his eyes again: “Young Master Ning, what do you want?” He almost gritted his teeth as he spoke.

Ning Zhuo rubbed his finger: “Give me a thousand mid-grade spirit stones, and I will drop this matter.”

Liu Fu’s eyes widened, and he roared at Ning Zhuo in disbelief: “Are you insane?! A thousand?! What do you take me for? A fool?”

“Is my head as big as yours?!”

Ning Zhuo: “A thousand—it does seem a bit excessive.”

“How about this, let’s cut it in half.”

Liu Fu’s eyes were bloodshot, and he calculated in his mind: “Five hundred? If I pay that, won’t I still be losing money?”

“Such a price is also very unreasonable!” Liu Fu shouted, lowering his voice again.

Ning Zhuo: “I’m not a pauper either, so I’ll cut it in half for you again. But—”

Ning Zhuo took out a letter: “This is my formal visiting card for Senior Yu He Ye. Please deliver it on my behalf. Rest assured, I won’t report you to him; I simply wish to make his acquaintance.”

Liu Fu looked at the visiting card, his expression changing unpredictably, unable to fathom Ning Zhuo’s intentions. Shouldn’t ordinary cultivators avoid such a situation? Why was this youngster actively seeking it out? Wasn’t he afraid that his small Foundation Establishment arms and legs would be beaten black and blue by a Golden Core cultivator?

Liu Fu realized that this visiting card was Ning Zhuo’s true objective. He gritted his teeth and said, “What exactly do you want to do?”

Ning Zhuo smiled faintly, slowly shaking his head: “You don’t need to know.”

Liu Fu took a deep breath and slowly reached out, taking the visiting card into his hand.

Half an incense stick later.

He knelt in the Pan Shi Cave Dwelling, his face filled with shame. The negotiation with Ning Zhuo had made Liu Fu realize that the former, though young, was not to be trifled with and had ulterior motives. This frightened Liu Fu. So, after much painful introspection, Liu Fu rushed back and confessed to Yu He Ye, admitting his guilt.

Yu He Ye smiled: “It’s nothing more than a few hundred mid-grade spirit stones. It’s fine.” He looked at the visiting card in his hand, the one Ning Zhuo had asked Liu Fu to deliver. A ball of fire suddenly erupted in Yu He Ye’s hand, burning the visiting card to ashes. He snorted coldly: “A mere Foundation Establishment youth dares to pay me a visit? Does he think he has already won?”

“Heh, naive.” He looked at Liu Fu: “Why do I keep you by my side and cultivate you?”

“This group of people Ning Zhuo has gathered, though numerous, are of such low cultivation.”

“You all should act together, using the martial arts arena to issue challenges to them. Once these people are constrained and taught a lesson, who else will come to rent cave dwellings?”

Yu He Ye could not personally act. He was a dignified Golden Core; if he were to deal with some low-level Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators, wouldn’t he lose face? But the cultivators around him could. They should also step forward to deal with the current situation and relieve Yu He Ye of his worries.