Longevity by Grinding Skills

Chapter 453: Chapter 453: Taking Charge of Cold Crow Pass

The moment Xu Yunfan stepped into the Council Hall, the dozen or so Cultivators on duty inside bowed in unison.

He glanced around the hall. These were the Cultivators stationed at Cold Crow Pass, and every one of them was staring at the new Guardian Envoy with a hint of nervousness.

The pale moonlight reflected off the bluestone floor, casting the crowd’s elongated, distorted shadows onto the mottled walls.

The Qi Refining Stage disciple at the very front didn’t even dare to look directly at the Foundation Establishment Daoist Master. His neck was bent so low it looked as if it might snap, and the back of his blue Daoist robe was already soaked through with cold sweat.

"All of you, rise."

Xu Yunfan made a slight gesture with his hand to lift them, his gaze sweeping over a young Cultivator trembling in the corner.

It was their first time facing a Foundation Establishment Daoist Master directly, especially one from the Primordial Sect, and especially during a transfer of power like this. It was rare for one or two people not to die as a display of the Daoist Master’s authority.

The hall was filled with the smell of cheap Calming Incense, mixed with the stale scent of old blood. The combination made one’s temples throb.

Xu Yunfan’s brow furrowed slightly. He said nothing, allowing a heavy, oppressive feeling to spread through the hall as if it were tangible.

Although the Foundation Establishment Daoist Master had not intentionally released his Spiritual Pressure, it was already enough to make the Qi Refining Cultivators present feel as if they had needles on their backs, forcing them to even breathe with caution.

In the corner, fine beads of sweat formed on a young Cultivator’s forehead. His Adam’s apple bobbed, but he didn’t even dare to make a sound as he swallowed.

He stared intently at the floor, as if the patterns on the bluestone tiles could save his life.

The sect brother beside him was even paler, his fingertips digging into his palm unconsciously, oblivious to the pain.

At the front, Zhou Lu’s forehead was pressed against the cold floor tiles, his graying beard trembling slightly.

The Foundation Establishment Daoist Master’s silence was more terrifying than any reprimand. He felt a tightness in his chest, as if a great stone was pressing down on his heart, causing even his heartbeat to become sluggish.

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Only the smoke from the cheap Calming Incense drifted upward, twisting into bizarre shapes where it met the sunlight from outside.

Everyone’s eyes were downcast, not daring to meet Xu Yunfan’s gaze, afraid that one wrong move would make them a sacrifice to establish the new official’s authority.

The air seemed to freeze, and even the sound of the wind from the Nether River felt as if it were shut out.

Not until the sound of Xu Yunfan’s fingertips tapping lightly on a Jade Scroll broke the silence did everyone let out a small sigh of relief, as if granted amnesty. But they immediately tensed up again, waiting for the new Guardian Envoy’s next words.

Of course, Xu Yunfan paid no mind to the apprehension of the Cultivators in the hall.

For Demon Sect disciples, especially those of lower status facing a superior, caution was the key to survival.

’It’s not surprising they’re acting like this. If one of them were actually to stand tall and meet my gaze, I’d definitely give them a second look.’

’If there was something off about them, I’d naturally want to see where their confidence came from. Might even be a pleasant surprise.’

A Jade Scroll lay quietly on the table, glowing with a faint green light. Its edges were still slightly warm, a clear sign that it had just been inscribed.

Just as Xu Yunfan finished reading the Jade Scroll, his expression unreadable, the gray-robed old man kneeling at the front suddenly shuffled forward two steps on his knees. "R-Reporting to the Daoist Master! Guardian Envoy Li said he was going to inspect the array cores three days ago, but... but..."

His Adam’s apple bobbed, his cloudy eyes darting repeatedly toward the Nether River outside the hall. "On his return, all he sent back was this Memory Jade Scroll..."

"What is your name?"

Xu Yunfan cut in, noticing three dark patterns embroidered on the old man’s cuff—the mark of a shift supervisor at Cold Crow Pass.

As the Primordial Sect’s most critical border fortress, Cold Crow Pass not only guarded the vital passage to the Three States but was also the largest Black Market hub in the Demon Sect’s territory.

Elixirs from the Righteous Dao, Magical Artifacts from the Buddhist Sect, and Secret Medicines from the Demon Sect were all openly priced and traded here day and night.

The monthly stall taxes alone were equivalent to half a year’s worth of offerings for an ordinary Sect.

The profits to be skimmed, naturally, were not to be underestimated.

Aside from the annual tribute sent to the Primordial Sect, there was a considerable surplus—enough for him to line his own pockets quite comfortably.

’That’s right. Since I’ve been sent to this godforsaken Cold Crow Pass to be some damn Guardian Envoy, I’ll naturally have to embezzle funds and rake in a fortune to make it worth my while.’

That Li Wei was certainly a decisive man. Before leaving, he had clearly recorded the accounts in the Jade Scroll: he had made off with over seventy percent of the Spirit Stones, Elixirs, and Magical Artifacts in the Cold Crow Pass treasury.

Now, the glaring deficit on the books was as shocking to behold as the severed arms bobbing in the Nether River.

’If I can’t make up for it, I won’t die, but I’ll definitely suffer for it.’

At this thought, a shadow fell over Xu Yunfan’s heart.

’These Demon Sect Daoist Masters... every last one of them is a twisted bastard, the type to harm others for no personal gain.’

"This... this humble one is Zhou Lu, at the seventh layer of Qi Refining..."

The old man suddenly kowtowed heavily, his forehead thudding against the bluestone. "Cold Crow Pass currently has seventeen Cultivators on duty! Three are in the Late-Stage of Qi Refining, and nine are in the Middle Stage..."

His speech grew faster and faster, as if he had recited it a thousand times. "The Array Patterns on the eastern watchtower are damaged in three places, the western side..."

"Supervisor Zhou."

Xu Yunfan tapped the Jade Scroll lightly on the table, and the crisp sound made the old man fall silent at once. "First, tell me about the Marketplace."

He couldn’t care less about the watchtowers or Array Patterns at Cold Crow Pass. They were only for show against those at the Qi Refining Stage; in a battle between Foundation Establishment experts, those defenses were practically useless. The only things that could truly decide the fate of Cold Crow Pass were the Mountain Protection Array inherited from the Primordial Sect and the relative strength of the Foundation Establishment Daoist Masters involved.

’If forces from both the Puchen Pure Land and the Wansheng Sword Sect were truly to attack, I’d fight if I could win. If I couldn’t, I’d abandon Cold Crow Pass and flee without a moment’s hesitation.’

What Xu Yunfan cared about most was, naturally, the Marketplace with the most lucrative commissions.

He stroked the edge of the Jade Scroll, his Divine Sense sweeping over the shocking deficit in the accounts.

The commissions from the Marketplace on the nights of the new and full moons—the taxes on transactions of Righteous Dao Elixirs and Demon Sect Secret Medicines—were the key to covering that seventy percent deficit.

If he wanted to make up for the shortfall, the Marketplace was of the utmost importance.

A series of sharp gasps immediately echoed through the hall.

In the back, a young Cultivator with his hair in a Daoist topknot felt his legs give way, and he slumped directly to the floor.

’I see,’ Xu Yunfan thought with a glance. ’Every last one of them is prime material for embezzlement.’

’But I don’t care. If the people working under me don’t get their fill, how can I expect them to work hard for me?’

’As long as they don’t go too far, I don’t mind them picking up some scraps.’

Zhou Lu’s Adam’s apple bobbed violently a couple of times, his graying beard trembling with his rapid breaths. Facing Xu Yunfan’s cold eyes, he didn’t dare hide a single thing.

"Reporting to the Daoist Master, the Marketplace’s daily transaction volume is about thirty thousand Spirit Stones, of which twenty percent is taken as a commission..."

He abruptly fell silent at the crucial point, his cloudy eyes glancing at the young Cultivator who had collapsed on the floor.

"Continue."

Xu Yunfan tapped the Jade Scroll on the table, the crisp sound making the young Cultivator flinch.

He glanced at him, and the young Cultivator immediately broke out in a cold sweat, falling silent as a cicada in winter.

’Looks like he’s got connections,’ Xu Yunfan thought idly.

"Yes... yes..."

Cold sweat beaded on Zhou Lu’s forehead. "On the nights of the new and full moons, the transaction volume can more than triple. On the fifteenth of last month alone, the commission from the trade of Esoteric Buddhist Sect Magical Artifacts was eight hundred Spirit Stones..."

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