The next morning, in a confidential conference room at the Immortal Academy's General Finance Bureau.
Black and blue robes marked a clear divide. Two cultivators handling the case from the Law Enforcement Hall sat on the left side of the long table, carrying the cold, stern presence of years spent investigating cases; on the right sat several directors from the General Finance Bureau. Thick files lay open on the table, their covers bearing the top-secret label "Treasure-Gathering Spirit Loans Special Investigation."
This was a routine progress meeting held twice a month, and this time, there was only one topic-drawing in the net.
"Treasure-Gathering Spirit Loans' lending volume rose another twenty percent this month, and complaints about debt collection doubled." Director Zhou of the General Finance Bureau pointed at the report, his tone grave. "The prefectures below have already reported three cases of cultivators suffering damage to their Dao hearts because of violent debt collection. If we keep letting this go on, sooner or later someone will die."
Heaven-Rank Envoy Li, who headed the Law Enforcement Hall's delegation, wore a stern expression. He tapped the file with his fingertips. "It's not time to draw in the net yet. We watched them for four months before we finally caught the tails of the two Lineages behind them. There are also people inside the Immortal Palace tipping them off and covering for them.
"If we act now, all we'll catch are the small fry collecting debts on the fringes and their fronts. The key figures will wash their hands of everything, then turn around and open another operation under a different shell."
He paused, then added, "The instructions from above are clear. If we strike, we pull them out by the roots. We don't just shut down the platform-we drag out the forces behind it and their internal protectors too. We're boiling a frog in warm water. We can't rush."
Director Zhou sighed, looking troubled. "I understand the reasoning, but the longer this pot of warm water boils, the more cultivators jump into it.
"There are already over ten thousand registered borrowers across the Immortal Palace's jurisdiction, most of them low-level cultivators below Foundation Establishment and ordinary students. Many are being crushed breathless by compounding interest. If we really wait until it all blows up, there'll be no filling that hole."
"That's why we're choking off the outflow of funds." Heaven-Rank Envoy Li's voice was steady. "Every channel for moving large sums across the border has been locked down. There's no way they can transfer their core assets outside the domain.
"Now it's a waiting game. We wait until they panic internally and start dividing the spoils and moving them. Only by catching them with the loot in hand can we settle this with a single hammer blow."
A brief silence fell over the conference room.
Everyone knew this case was far more complicated than it appeared.
Treasure-Gathering Spirit Loans looked like a loan-sharking platform set up by a few Rogue Cultivators, but in truth, tugging one hair would move the whole body. Behind it lay tangled sect interests and internal corruption, and it even had ties to underground banks and black-market money laundering.
Acting rashly would only beat the grass and startle the snake, letting the real big fish escape.
"Forty more days at most," Director Zhou said gravely. "After forty days, whether the chain of evidence is complete or not, we must draw in the net. Drag it out any longer, and we won't be able to contain public outrage."
Heaven-Rank Envoy Li was just about to nod when a soft knock sounded at the conference room door. A subordinate hurried in with an encrypted briefing, bent down beside Director Zhou, and whispered a few words in his ear.
Director Zhou took the briefing and glanced over it. His brows immediately knitted.
"What is it?" Heaven-Rank Envoy Li asked when he saw his reaction.
"An anomaly the monitoring team just reported." Director Zhou pushed the briefing over. "Yesterday, a student account repaid thirty thousand Spirit Coins to Treasure-Gathering Spirit Loans. That's a minor matter in itself, but this student's mentor is Jiang Qingyuan."
"Heaven-Rank Envoy Jiang's student?"
Heaven-Rank Envoy Li took the briefing, his gaze settling on the name "Chen Fan," his eyes narrowing slightly. "The freshman she took in this year? I've heard that name. Supposedly, his comprehension is exceptional, and Heaven-Rank Envoy Jiang is grooming him as one of her core disciples."
"That's him." Director Zhou nodded. "The monitoring team said his actions looked like a beginner's, but the timing was very clever, right at the settlement point. Could Professor Jiang have her eye on this platform too, and sent her student in to scout the way?"
Heaven-Rank Envoy Li's expression darkened. "If she wants to get involved, she only needs to give us a heads-up. Sending her student charging in without a word-if the platform notices something wrong, months of preparation on our part will be ruined."
"It probably won't come to that." Director Zhou smiled wryly. "A repayment of just thirty thousand Spirit Coins won't even make a splash amid daily transactions in the hundreds of thousands. It's just that the boy's identity stands out too much. The monitoring team didn't dare handle it on their own, so they specifically reported it."
As the two discussed it in low voices, a quiet chuckle suddenly came from the head of the table.
The conference room instantly fell silent, and every gaze turned toward Executive Wang, seated at the head.
This executive in charge of financial affairs at the Immortal Academy was the highest-ranking person responsible for the entire special investigation, and one of the few among the Immortal Palace's power holders who could deal directly with the very top.
He had listened to the reports throughout, barely speaking, but now he suddenly spoke up.
"Interesting." Executive Wang tapped the name "Chen Fan" on the briefing, a hint of amusement in his voice. "He knew to catch the settlement point, knew to test the waters with a small repayment, and quietly worked his way right up to the boundary. This boy has a bit of method to him."
Director Zhou asked tentatively, "Executive Wang, should we contact Heaven-Rank Envoy Jiang and clear things up? We wouldn't want a lack of communication between the two sides to interfere with the real work."
Executive Wang waved a hand. Rather than answer, he asked a question of his own. "I remember you saying before that you wanted to plant someone inside to watch the platform's internal movements, but both attempts failed?"
Captain Li froze for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. People from the Law Enforcement Hall have too much of an official air about them, and the platform has Solomon cultivators stationed there. One sweep of Divine Sense and they can spot something wrong. The Finance Bureau has too many familiar faces too, so they're easily recognized. We tried two candidates, and both were flagged by risk control as soon as they registered."
"Hasn't one just delivered himself to our door?" Executive Wang smiled.
The conference room was quiet for a few seconds before everyone caught on.
Director Zhou sounded surprised. "Executive Wang, you mean... have this student help us? Is that appropriate? He's only in the Yellow-Rank Law Enforcement Envoy Reserve. He's never handled a case and has too little experience. If he gives himself away..."
"It's precisely his lack of experience that makes him least likely to give himself away." Deputy Executive Wang spoke unhurriedly, but with certainty. "An ordinary Handong University student borrowed money for an emergency, then repaid it early. His background is clean, and his motives make sense. Standing among the borrowers, who would suspect him of working for the authorities? He'd be far more useful than the agents we've trained."
He paused, then continued, "We wouldn't have him touch the core. He'd simply help us keep an eye on developments on the fringes as an ordinary borrower.
"Things like whether the platform suddenly tightens lending, whether debt collection becomes even more aggressive, or whether rumors of the platform preparing to run are spreading in the groups. That's enough. There's no risk, and we can get firsthand information we can't obtain ourselves."
Heaven-Rank Envoy Li's eyes lit up.
That was true. Treasure-Gathering Spirit Loans was extremely wary of anyone with an official identity, but it wouldn't guard against ordinary borrowers at all. An insider who was a student had a natural disguise.
"But Professor Jiang probably won't agree," Director Zhou said, still concerned. "She only has this one prized student. How could she bear to let him get caught up in a case like this? If anything happens, we won't be able to answer to her."
"Nothing will happen." Executive Wang waved a hand. "He'll be under our monitoring coverage the entire time. The moment the platform makes any unusual move, we can step in. We're not sending him deep into the tiger's den, just placing an eye on the outskirts. That hardly counts as a risk."
He picked up the Spirit Messaging jade talisman on the table, his tone carrying a hint of familiarity. "Besides, I'll speak to that Jiang girl myself."
No one said anything more. With Deputy Executive Wang speaking personally, Jiang Qingyuan would most likely give him face.
The Spirit Messaging connection was soon established, and Jiang Qingyuan's cool, calm voice came from the other end. "Executive Wang? What brings you to contact me today?"
"Busy, Jiang girl?" Executive Wang laughed heartily, his easygoing tone still carrying the weight of authority. "There's some official business I want to discuss. You've heard of that loan-sharking platform, Treasure-Gathering Spirit Loans, haven't you?"
"I've heard a little about it." A trace of puzzlement entered Jiang Qingyuan's voice. "A gray-market platform making illegal loans. What about it?"
"We detected your student Chen Fan repaying thirty thousand Spirit Coins to that platform yesterday." Deputy Executive Wang went straight to the point.
The other end of the connection fell silent for a second.
Then Jiang Qingyuan's slightly surprised voice came through. "Chen Fan? He got involved with Treasure-Gathering Spirit Loans?"
From her tone, she genuinely knew nothing about it.
Executive Wang felt more certain now and said with a smile, "Looks like the boy slipped in on his own. But that works out nicely. I have an idea. I'd like him to formally take part in this case and help us observe things on the fringes."
After he finished, an even longer silence fell on the other end.
A moment later, Jiang Qingyuan's voice grew heavier, her disapproval plain. "Executive Wang, that hardly seems appropriate. Little Chen is still young and inexperienced. A case at this level is too complicated. He can't handle it."
At that, Executive Wang burst into hearty laughter, a teasing note in his voice. "Jiang girl, now that's where you're wrong. If you want benefits, just say so. Don't hide it, hahaha."
Jiang Qingyuan sounded distinctly helpless. "Executive Wang, that's not what I mean. He really is still a student and has never handled a case. If he makes a mistake, not only will he fail to help, he might beat the grass and startle the snake."
"Don't worry. We're not asking him to gnaw on any hard bones." Executive Wang stopped smiling, his tone turning more serious. "He'll just help us watch the platform's day-to-day movements as an ordinary borrower. He won't need to take risks or go deep. Our monitoring will follow him throughout. Nothing will happen."
He paused, then put his bargaining chips on the table. "And if he does a good job, I won't treat him poorly. I can reserve one of the Immortal Academy slots under my control at the end of the year for him, and I'll approve another two million Spirit Coins in dedicated funding for him."
Jiang Qingyuan fell silent.
The Immortal Academy held a position of immense importance within the Immortal Palace, and she knew better than anyone how much say Executive Wang had there.
Winning the appreciation of someone like him would greatly benefit Chen Fan's future. Besides, she understood that, given Executive Wang's status, since he had made the offer, he must already have brought the risks under control.
Having Chen Fan assist on the fringes was less an assignment than a gift of practical experience.
But Chen Fan had always had his own ideas. Ultimately, he had to be willing himself.
After pondering for a few seconds, Jiang Qingyuan slowly said, "I can't agree on his behalf. I need to ask his opinion first."
"Of course." Executive Wang smiled. "Young people should make their own choices. Have a proper talk with him. If there's anything else he needs, he can bring that up too."
"Mm."
The Spirit Messaging connection ended.
Jiang Qingyuan sat in the armchair in her office, tapping the desktop lightly with her fingertips, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly.
Whether getting caught up in a special investigation at this level would bring fortune or disaster was ultimately hard to say.
But the path of cultivation had always meant seeking fortuitous opportunities amid danger. It was only a bout of practical experience, and that was better than burying himself in books in an ivory tower.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Qingyuan picked up her Spirit Messaging jade talisman and sent Chen Fan a message.
"If you have no classes this morning, come to my office."
After sending the message, she looked out at the surging sea of clouds beyond the window and sighed softly.