The Daoist Scripture Hall was the same as ever, but many of the people Wang Ping knew were gone.

Zi Luan was also the same as ever, the smile on his face never wavering. Hongchen’s descent into madness seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever. Perhaps his long years had exposed him to too many partings and deaths, leaving him numb to such things. His constant smile might have been a mask for this emotional numbness.

"Fellow Daoist Changqing, it’s been a long time. I was originally thinking of working for another century and then having you take up the mantle of Pacification Envoy for Nanlin Road. But the Lord said you shouldn’t be so constrained, so I’ll have to use the next few decades to see who else in Nanlin Road can take my place."

Zi Luan spoke as if he considered Wang Ping an equal, a friend.

But Wang Ping didn’t dare to actually treat Zi Luan as a friend. He waited for Zi Luan to finish, then rose and bowed formally. "Thank you for your high praise, Daoist. This junior will take it to heart."

’One must always be clear about their station. No matter the time, you can’t let people fixate on you.’

"First, I must congratulate you on your promotion to the Second Realm, Fellow Daoist." Zi Luan returned the courtesy while still seated. You see, from this small detail, it was clear that deep down, he still saw Wang Ping as just a small fry.

"It was just a fluke, a fluke..." Wang Ping naturally had to be modest.

"You’re being too modest, Fellow Daoist." Zi Luan stared into Wang Ping’s eyes. "If your success was just a fluke, then the rest of us must have stepped in dog shit on our way out the door."

’This man definitely has something on his mind.’

Before Wang Ping could feel awkward, Zi Luan changed the subject. "Now, let’s talk about official business."

Wang Ping cupped his fist in salute again and sat down properly. In his Spirit Sea, Yu Lian commented, "This old man is a deep one."

"First things first..."

Zi Luan began in his usual bureaucratic tone. "The world is peaceful, and the people live and work in contentment. However, this has also bred greed and allowed some demonic creatures to slip through the cracks. After discussing with the other Patrol Envoys, we’ve decided to re-establish the network of covert outposts throughout Nanlin Road. We also need to construct new Monitoring Arrays along the border. This will require a great deal of money, which I intend to raise from various regions."

There was a slight edge to Zi Luan’s words. He claimed to have "discussed" this with the Patrol Envoys, but to Wang Ping, it sounded like a notification. Only after finishing did he add an explanation: "You were in seclusion when we discussed this matter, so we didn’t disturb you."

"You will be responsible for fundraising in Sanhe Prefecture, Wudao Prefecture, and Shang’an Prefecture. You’ll need to raise about six million taels of silver." After a moment, Zi Luan added reassuringly, "There’s no rush. You have twenty years to collect it."

"The Land of the Three Mansions you’re responsible for has been assigned the minimum standard. I personally have contributed five hundred thousand taels. Once we’ve gathered our own funds, it’ll be time for the wealthy households to contribute. Consider your contribution a loan to the Daoist Scripture Hall. In thirty years at most, I will return the principal plus standard bank interest to you all."

"..." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

At first, Wang Ping thought he was being extorted. But then the tone shifted completely, and it turned into a joint venture to issue bonds—risk-free bonds, at that.

"Whatever the amount is, it is. We shouldn’t give people reason to gossip." Wang Ping was also keen on being an angel investor. A bond issued in the name of the Daoist Scripture Hall was basically guaranteed not to lose money. After showing his stance, he feigned concern and asked, "My only worry is that the wealthy households will just turn around and exploit the common people."

"They wouldn’t dare, not even if you gave them a hundred times the courage."

Zi Luan declared with confidence, "In these peaceful years, trade has grown dozens of times over. Merchant caravans traveling to and fro have been hauling back cartloads of silver from the Eastern Continent, the Western Continent, the Northern Continent, and the Far East Continent. They have money, a lot of it. It’s just sitting in their cellars gathering dust."

"Exactly! It’d be a waste not to take their money!"

A voice came from the doorway. A moment later, Wang Ping saw a man dressed in a Scholar’s Robe walk into the room. He first cupped his fist in salute to Zi Luan, who sat at the head, then turned to Wang Ping. "You must be Fellow Daoist Changqing. This humble Daoist is Dan Chen. I specialize in the Alchemy Dao."

"Greetings, Senior..."

Wang Ping immediately stood and bowed. He knew of Dan Chen, a High-level Patrol Envoy of the Nanlin Road Daoist Scripture Hall. When Wang Ping had just started cultivating, Dan Chen’s name was already known throughout Nanlin Road.

"We can interact as peers; there’s no need for ’senior’ and ’junior’ between us." Dan Chen then sat opposite Wang Ping and turned to Zi Luan. "The world is a powder keg right now, ready to explode at any moment. We should get this money in hand sooner rather than later, to avoid any unexpected complications."

But Zi Luan just chuckled. "A good meal should be savored slowly. If you eat too fast, you’ll burn your mouth, and you might not even know what it tasted like in the end."

"Are you just satisfying your wicked hobby of toying with the world?"

"Isn’t it interesting, though?" Zi Luan retorted.

"It’s just a waste of time..."

After his rebuttal, Dan Chen said, "I came about the matter in Hai Zhou Road. I plan to go over and communicate with the Fellow Daoists there to avoid any misunderstandings."

"Go ahead!"

After getting Zi Luan’s approval, Dan Chen stood, cupped his fist, and took his leave. Once he had left the small courtyard, Zi Luan explained, "The Taiyin have been stirring up trouble again recently, causing some misunderstandings between us and Hai Zhou Road. They’ve even dragged the True Yang Sect into it."

"Is there anything you need me to do?" Wang Ping asked directly.

"Actually, there is a case that would suit you. It would require a trip to Ningzhou Road, though. There’s a case there that was originally going to be reported to the Lord..." Zi Luan looked at Wang Ping. "If you have the time, you could go take a look."

Of the four roads under Xiao Shan Lord’s jurisdiction, Ningzhou Road was the only inland region, and it was vast—three times the size of Nanlin Road.

"I have no problem with that."

"Good... The matter isn’t actually that complicated. The Mountain God of Crescent Mountain in Right Huai Prefecture, Ningzhou Road, was killed. The preliminary investigation suggests that a Taiyin Evil Cultivator was causing trouble in the Crescent Mountain forests. I want you to organize a mountain search. You’d best bring a full team before you go. Things are a little different over there compared to here. You can check the relevant files for specifics."

After saying this, Zi Luan took out a blank case file and said, "This is a dedicated case file."

Wang Ping took the file and asked doubtfully, "We’re using our own case file?"

"If we take the case, it becomes our case, of course. Also, don’t forget about the fundraising. That’s the real priority."

"Understood." After agreeing, Wang Ping hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Does the Daoist Scripture Hall have any way to repair damaged Spirit Veins within the body?"

"Are you asking for Yu Cheng Taoist?"

"Yes..."

"According to the knowledge I possess, there is no such method. But... perhaps a True Monarch could do it."

A True Monarch was a Fifth Realm expert, or one of certain powerful Star Gods or members of the Demon Race. Their abilities had become conceptual. But how could someone like him possibly fathom the power of a True Monarch?

Even a Third Realm Cultivator wouldn’t be qualified. Even someone like Xiao Shan Lord could only move forward slowly, filled with trepidation.

"Yu Cheng Taoist has a Heart Demon," Zi Luan explained. "If he cannot resolve it, all his efforts will be in vain. If he can overcome his Heart Demon, his Spirit Veins might just recover on their own."

After explaining, Zi Luan asked, "Do you want to know what his Heart Demon is?"

Hearing this, Wang Ping’s expression turned serious. He cupped his fist and said, "When my master wants to tell me, he will. Since he hasn’t said anything, he must have his reasons."

His refusal was crisp and final.