Lingering Silk
Lu Ping looked at A and B and remained silent for a moment.
Little B's actions weren't too outrageous this time.
The problem is, the more you talk, the more you expose.
The best he can do now is offer a word of advice using his status as a "virtuous and eminent monk."
It would be impolite to say anything more.
Lu Ping chose A.
[You chose A.]
"It's alright."
[You put down your teacup.]
"I was just offering a reminder; I've done my part."
[What needed to be said has been said, and what needed to be done has been done.]
Whether the Si Clan listens or not is Si Clan business.
You have gotten what you wanted.
Directly revealing the name "Golden Crow Demon Emperor" is too risky.
The Si Clan might not believe it.
[They might also investigate how you found out.]
[In the second simulation, Han Changqing could kill you without hesitation just because of a single Demonic Spirit Stone.]
Therefore, when it comes to things beyond one's current capabilities, it's best to only mention about 30%.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Si Wangshu rose to take his leave.
"Senior, I must return to the Si Clan today. Farewell."
You nodded slightly.
["Bon Voyage."]
[When Si Wangshu reached the entrance of the cave abode, she suddenly stopped.]
She turned around and took out a white jade token from her sleeve.
[The token is only three inches long, made of warm jade, with an ancient seal character "Si" engraved on the front, and a faint blue dragon cloud pattern on the back.]
"If you ever visit the Azure Dragon Upper Domain, senior..."
"You may bring this token and visit the Si Clan."
She placed the token on the stone table, her voice still cool, but more solemn than usual.
"Wang Shu will surely sweep her bed to welcome her."
You glanced at the white jade token, and without refusing, simply raised your hand to accept it.
"If I have the chance, I will go."
Si Wangshu nodded gently.
[Outside the cave abode's Stone Gate, the mountain breeze stirred her blue and white dress.]
[She glanced at you one last time, as if trying to memorize the image of this "virtuous and learned monk."]
[Then she turned and left.]
The Restrictions have been re-engaged.
[Inside the cave abode, only the lingering fragrance of Spirit Tea remained.]
You twirled the white jade token halfway between your fingers, then casually put it into your Storage Ring.
Si Wangshu has left.
It's time to leave Greenwood Sect, this beginner's village.
You are now Golden Core.
[The Spiritual Qi of the Greenwood Sect is enough to support Qi Refining disciples, but they have to be extremely stingy when it comes to supporting Foundation Establishment.]
[Nurturing your Golden Core is like trying to fill the ocean with well water.]
[You begin using your Sect Master privileges to inventory all usable resources within the sect.]
[Flying Boat, Pill Furnace, medicinal herbs, Law Artifacts, Cultivation Method on Jade Slips, and several hidden vaults left behind by Han Changqing.]
The result was heartbreaking.
[For a Golden Core True Person cultivator, the so-called foundation of the Greenwood Sect is so meager that it's even less than your monthly Performance Assessment bonus in the Third Medicine Camp of the Demon-Severing Cliff during the last simulation.]
This result was exactly what you expected.
[After all, you've been the Greenwood Sect Master for over thirty years.]
[Options pop up.]
[A: Select some available resources to take with you.]
[B: Take all of the Greenwood Sect's resources. After all, it's just a worker's job, how can it be called stealing?]
[C: Prepare a PowerPoint presentation for Qi Cangshu outlining a three-year development plan and a five-year IPO strategy. Ask him to present a plan that allows him to buy you a luxurious large Cloud Boat next year.]
Lu Ping announced that Little B would be temporarily sidelined.
Lu Ping chose A.
[You chose A.]
[You really have no interest in squeezing the Greenwood Sect out of Aoki-men.]
[You only took a small Flying Boat, and most of the materials for the Qi-Gathering Pill.]
[You intend to reserve the remaining resources for the sect's operation.]
[After all, this place will be a kind of anchor point for you in the future, so you can't just exploit it all at once.]
[Although the Greenwood Sect is poor, they still have some medicine in their pharmacy.]
[At least, there are quite a few materials for Spirit-Eroding Powder and Mind-Erasing Powder.]
[There are also a few herbs that you haven't paid much attention to before.]
[White-Patterned Sophora Root, Red-Heart Sleep Leaves, Half-Withered Hehuan Branches.]
Your fingertips paused briefly on the Half-Withered Hehuan Branch.
[This medicine has a very peculiar effect; it's half spiritual and half sexual.]
[In the past, you would have just glanced at them.]
[But in the last simulation, you refined the Severed-Fate Hehuan Powder.]
[He even consumed three doses in one go.]
[You have an idea in your mind.]
[The Moon Palace Fire-Devouring Furnace landed, and four Azure Toads opened their mouths, swallowing the Southern Bright Separation Fire.]
[The Artisan Spirit takes effect.]
[Cost Reduction and Efficiency Improvement effective.]
[Overtime work effective.]
[Remove the Yin-Yang Love-Tribulation Flower from its original location and replace it with Half-Withered Hehuan Branch, Red-Heart Sleep Leaf, and Corrupting-Soul Flower.]
[The first batch exploded.]
[The stove lid popped up half an inch, and the black smoke made the purification array light up for a moment.]
[The second batch, the medicinal properties dissipated.]
The refined ash powder is colorless, but its toxicity is weak.
[For the third batch, you put the Half-Withered Hehuan Branches into the furnace last.]
[The Red-Heart Sleep Leaf first transforms, the Corrupting-Soul Flower suppresses Divine Sense, the Spirit-Eroding Grass breaks the circulation of Spiritual Power, and grains of Soul-Shattering Sand sink one by one to the bottom of the furnace.]
[Half an hour later, the furnace lid was opened.]
[You wave your hand.]
[Four thin, almost invisible wisps of jade-white frost appeared on the jade plate.]
[It's done.]
[This poison is somewhat similar to the Severed-Fate Hehuan Powder, but you don't want to use that name.]
[You look at the four portions of jade-white frost.]
[This poison retains the unique medicinal properties of the Severed-Fate Hehuan Powder .]
[After a female cultivator is poisoned, she can use the power of Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation to transfer the poison to a male cultivator's body, greatly increasing its toxicity.]
[Silent and still, entangling the spirit, entangling the god, entangling desire.]
Let's call it "Lingering Silk" then.
[As you assess it, this Lingering Silk is more than enough to deal with Golden Core, and it can also have some effect on Nascent Soul.]
[Then, you can calmly begin refining the Qi-Gathering Pill, Spirit-Eroding Powder, and Mind-Erasing Powder.]
A few days later, you had completed all the preparations.
[You raise your hand and send out a Communication Talisman.]
[Half an hour later, Qi Cangshu hurriedly arrived at the Sect Master's cave abode.]
[When he entered, the hem of his Alchemy Hall, indicating he had just come from the storeroom.]
"Did the Sect Master summon me here to deal with Han Changqing's former subordinates?"
Qi Cangshu bowed respectfully upon entering.
"I have prepared three sets of procedures for the Law Enforcement Hall."
"One approach is lenient treatment, another is auditing and holding people accountable, and the third is direct stripping of power."
"They all follow the sect's rules."
You glanced at him.
[That old man is truly a competent middle manager.]
Before the boss even spoke, he had already prepared the process of taking the blame, shifting the blame, and assigning responsibility.
[You raise your hand and wave.]
[The Greenwood Sect's account books, the Jade Slips granting authority to the storeroom, and official documents for external affairs were all lying on the table.]
"Keep these."
Qi Cangshu's outstretched hand froze in mid-air.
"Sect Master, what is this...?"
"I'm leaving the sect."
"The return date is uncertain."
"I'm entrusting you with the management of this department's affairs."
The cave abode fell silent. Qi Cangshu stood there, mouth agape, unable to utter a word for a long time.
He was originally just falsely accused of patricide.
[Now things are really messed up.]
[The pot hasn't been unloaded, but power has already arrived.]
[This feeling is probably like a middle manager who's just been given a rosy promise by their boss, only to find out the promise is real, but the pot on the stove is real too—it's scalding hot whether you eat it or not.]
Qi Cangshu finally raised his head.
"Sect Master, I am merely an elder of the Alchemy Hall."
"Everything within the sect is interconnected; affecting even one thing can have far-reaching consequences."
"Those people in the Law Enforcement Hall and the Mining Hall may not submit to my authority."
[Options pop up.]
[A: Provide Qi Cangshu with the necessary support.]
[B: Kill all the disobedient members of the Greenwood Sect.]
[C: Appoint Qi Cangshu as "Rotating CEO of the Greenwood Sect," and appoint himself as "Honorary Chairman of the Board," requiring him to submit a weekly PPT report.]