Blessings

Jiang Yan's expression tightened slightly as he began to realize something was wrong. Seventy percent of the Yanlu Merchant Association's manpower consisted of "outsiders." That was almost impossible to imagine.

What had my place become? A gathering ground for traitors?

The subordinate beside him instinctively tensed, trembling faintly. He couldn't help it; the aura unconsciously radiating from a Wén Realm martial artist was simply too oppressive.

He was only a Golden Core martial artist. He couldn't bear it.

Jiang Yan came back to himself and stopped asking questions. He opened the document in his hands and began to read it carefully.

But the further he got, the more serious his expression became.

Xu Shaonian, Qingqiu Dao, the Juling Society.

Ning Xiang, twenty percent of the manpower, an unknown faction.

The Yanlu Merchant Association's founder, its elders, and its first member were all implicated.

Still, what comforted Jiang Yan somewhat was that none of them seemed especially suspicious in person, and they could still be trusted.

Jiang Yan snapped the document shut and asked:

"Is this investigation accurate?"

The man bowed again.

"It is."

Since the matter involved Hall Master Jiang's personal enterprise, his immediate superior's own business, he wouldn't have dared report it if it weren't accurate.

At this, Jiang Yan sighed, abandoning any hope that it might be a false alarm. He rubbed his brow, his gaze turning cool.

"Do something for me."

The man nodded.

"Please give your orders, Hall Master."

Jiang Yan's expression remained unchanged.

"Find something for Xu Shaonian and the others to do. Figure out a way to transfer those few out of the Yanlu Merchant Association. Can you manage that?"

The man thought it over, then took a deep breath.

"No problem!"

Jiang Yan continued:

"Next, find an excuse. Say there's a big business