Welcome, Sect Master Lu

[The members of the Greenwood Sect entered the Forbidden Ground. They saw Han Changqing's corpse and the Elder Token that had been refined.]

Finally, they saw you.

[Foundation Establishment Middle Stage]

[The person standing is Lu Ping, Deacon of the Alchemy Hall, his sleeves stained with blood.]

[The person lying there Han Changqing, the Greenwood Sect Master, with a short sword still stuck in his Dantian.]

[The disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall instinctively drew his sword, but before he could finish, the scene before him forced him back down.]

[Bully at Home, effective.]

[The Mining Hall's Steward Wang opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.]

[The warehouse manager stared at the remnants of the Mind-Erasing Powder and Spirit-Eroding Powder on the ground, and took a half step back.]

[That's how they pieced together everything that had happened over the past few years.]

[You are not at the Qi Refining Perfection, nor are you a acting elder.]

[You hid right under everyone's noses, becoming someone capable of killing the Sect Master.]

[Liu Cheng from the External Affairs Hall reacted the fastest.]

He glanced at Han Changqing's corpse, then at the Elder Token shattered on the ground.

[The next moment, he knelt down and shouted loudly.]

"Han Changqing colluded with the Demon Race and harmed his fellow disciples; the evidence against him is irrefutable."

"Liu Cheng of the External Affairs Hall respectfully welcomes Sect Master Lu."

[Everyone in the hall was jolted awake by those words.]

[Steward Wang bows.]

"The Mining Hall warmly welcomes Sect Master Lu."

[The disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall all knelt down.]

"Welcome, Sect Master Lu."

The remaining elders exchanged glances, then simultaneously lowered their heads.

"Welcome, Sect Master Lu."

[You stand before the shattered Blood Furnace, Han Changqing's corpse at your feet, and the Greenwood Sect cultivators kneeling before you in the Forbidden Ground.]

[Fire Crow flew out from Qi Cangshu's Dantian and landed beside the Elder Token that had been cracked.]

It lowered its head and pecked at the edge of the token, which made a soft click.

[The following morning, the disciples of the Greenwood Sect received a notice.]

[Sect Master Han Changqing failed in his seclusion and left a will that Lu Ping would temporarily assume the duties of the Sect Master.]

[All matters concerning the various halls remain unchanged; the old system will be strictly followed.]

[Qian Dafu and Xu Qingshi received your message and rushed back to the Main Hall.]

Upon reaching the doorway, the two paused briefly at the threshold.

They saw you sitting in Han Changqing's original seat.

Qian Dafu immediately straightened his back, and Xu Qingshi adjusted his waist badge.

[The two bowed in unison.]

"Senior Brother Lu."

[You look up at Qian Dafu.]

"Dafu, I'm entrusting the Alchemy Hall to you; you will be the acting elder."

Qian Dafu froze, and after a long while, he finally reacted and bowed.

"Senior brother, I'm only at the Qi Refining Stage."

[You said calmly,]

"When I was acting as an elder of the Alchemy Hall, I was only at the Qi Refining Stage. I was there for everything."

"Da Fu, after years of being fellow disciples, don't let me down."

[Qian Dafu's eyes reddened, he lowered his head, and after a long while, managed to squeeze out a sentence.]

"I will not fail in my mission!"

"Yes, I've always trusted you to get things done. The old system of the Alchemy Hall can remain unchanged."

[Xu Qingshi has been transferred to the Main Hall; you present him with a Main Hall Steward Token.]

Xu Qingshi accepted his new position even faster than Qian Dafu.

[He had no doubts about what Senior Brother Lu was going to do; he just wanted to get it done.]

The phrase "to devote oneself to the cause until death" perfectly describes someone like Xu Qingshi.

The transfer of power within the Greenwood Sect was completed silently.

That night, you stayed at the Greenwood Sect Master’s Cave Abode.

[The Sect Master's cave abode has a denser Spiritual Qi, more Restrictions, and more hidden chambers.]

[You buried the Spirit-Eroding Powder in the array's eye at the entrance, and sealed the Mind-Erasing Powder in a hidden slot on the bookshelf.]

[Grind the seven Poison Pills into powder and mix them into the incense burner ash.]

[The main hall, side rooms, bedrooms, and the entrance to the secret passage—you've poisoned them all.]

[You not only turned your own cave abode into a den of poison, but you also turned the Main Hall of the Greenwood Sect into a den of poison.]

Even a Golden Core cultivator wouldn't be able to escape easily once inside the Main Hall.

Seven days later, the Azure Cloud Sect Envoy arrived.

[The other person was seated in the honored seat in the Main Hall, wearing Azure Cloud Sect blue robe with a cloud-shaped coin embroidered on the cuff.]

[Two Foundation Establishment cultivators followed behind him.]

The messenger opened the record of Han Changqing's cause of death, glanced at it only once, and then tossed it back onto the table.

"I have no interest in how Han Changqing died. Nor do I have any interest in who you, the new Sect Master, are."

Who will pay for this year's Mountain Gate rental, Spirit Vein rent, and Spirit Blank payment?

[You pushed a sealed Jade Slip over, speaking solemnly,]

"Your Excellency, Han Changqing is colluding with the Demon Race. His intentions in the Myriad Demon Domain are likely quite ambitious."

The Azure Cloud Sect's envoy didn't even take the Jade Slip; he glanced at you indifferently, a barely suppressed sneer on his face.

"Demon Race?"

"The Demon Race is a treasure trove; their arrival would be even better."

"I was asking about Spirit Stones. Don't you understand me?"

[Options pop up.]

[A: Hand over the Spirit Stones and have the Azure Cloud Sect register the change of Sect Master.]

[B: The demon Demon Race's infiltration was exposed on the spot, making the Azure Cloud Sect take the Border Region crisis seriously.]

[C: Slap the messenger, then make him hand over the congratulatory gift for the new Sect Master first.]

Lu Ping was speechless.

Han Changqing, the Sect Master of the Greenwood Sect, is dead, and five Foundation Establishment elders have been refined.

The demon race's influence has already extended into the forbidden area of the Green Wood Gate.

As a result, the Azure Cloud Sect Envoy only cared about who paid the money.

This is no longer a question of whether it's stupid or not; it's so bad it's stable.

As long as the cash flow continues, who sits in the chair at the grassroots level is just a note in the ledger.

Lu Ping chose A.

[You chose A.]

[You take out the Spirit Stone bag and push it to the table.]

The envoy, holding the bag of Spirit Stones, scanned it with his Divine Sense and nodded in satisfaction.

[He picked up the document announcing the change of Sect Master and stamped it with the Azure Cloud Sect External Affairs Seal.]

"The Greenwood Sect Master has changed, and the registration is complete."

"Lu Ping is appointed as the Greenwood Sect Master."

"Next year's rent must not be delayed."

After saying this, the Azure Cloud Sect Envoy ignored you and got up to leave.

[The upper sect values money, and you paid your money, so the Greenwood Sect now belongs to the Lu family.]

[You've finally seen through the underlying logic of this world.]

Loyalty, good versus evil, Demon Race infiltration—none of these matter.

Only cash flow matters.

[What you consider the most difficult hurdle, the Azure Cloud Sect doesn't care about at all.]

[You begin to examine all the Cultivation Method, Pill Formulas, and storerooms of the Greenwood Sect.]

[After gaining access Sect Master, you quickly discover something.]

[The Greenwood Sect is just the Greenwood Sect.]

[The highest level of Cultivation Method is Foundation Establishment Perfection, and the highest level of Pill Formula is only High-Grade Incomplete Formula.]

Resources for those at the Golden Core Stage or above are almost nonexistent.

The truly valuable items are actually in Han Changqing's Storage Ring.

[You suddenly remember what Han Changqing said before, "What the Azure Cloud Sect can't give, the Demon Race can."]

[You open that storage ring; inside are spirit stones, pills, a demon blood jade bottle, and the recipe for the Blood Condensation Five Elements Pill.]

[There is also a Fire Element Cultivation Method, the "Southern Bright Li Fire Scripture," which can be used to refine Southern Bright Separation Fire.]

[The Azure Dragon Domain is in the east, Myriad Demon Domain is in the south; formerly known as the Vermilion Bird Domain.]

It's reasonable for the Demon Race to possess the Southern Bright Li Fire Scripture.

[This Cultivation Method will also be useful to you. The Southern Bright Separation Fire you refine can not only be used for alchemy, but also to feed Fire Crows.]

[You suddenly remember the Fire Crow Technique on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion, and the Southern Bright Li Fire Scripture happens to be able to raise Fire Crows.]

So, was the Fire Crow Technique just randomly placed on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion?

Without advanced Fire Element Cultivation Method, spiritual fire, or demonic fire materials, the Fire Crow is a money-burning black hole.

Was Han Changqing placing the Fire Crow Technique on the first level unintentional, or was it a deliberate choice?

Those who can master the Fire Crow Technique will naturally be lured in by the Demon Race's subsequent Cultivation Methods.

[Options pop up.]

[A: Practicing the Southern Bright Li Fire Scripture, refining elixirs and raising birds can be done at the same time.]

[B: The Southern Bright Li Fire Scripture is sealed away; it's Demon Race Cultivation Method, even a dog wouldn't learn it.]

[C: Call Fire Crow out for a meeting to discuss who the boss and who the employees are.]