The Transport Commissioner Takes Control of the Purse Strings (1)

The azure light at Ye Jinyu's fingertips quietly faded.

His gaze passed over Ye Jinming and his brother, who had submitted completely, then swept across the clansmen holding their breath outside the palace in the Qingyu Realm. At last, it returned to the smooth surface where the chessboard had been severed.

"Everyone, disperse."

His voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly through the spring breeze by the lake.

The Ye Clan disciples watching came to their senses as if waking from a dream. They bowed, then withdrew in an orderly fashion.

The look in every eye had changed. Before, there might have been scrutiny, curiosity, or even defiance; now, only awe and fervor remained.

Ye Jinming and his brother were still kneeling.

"Rise." Ye Jinyu reached out as if to help them up. "We are family. There will be no need for such formalities in the future."

Only then did the two rise. Ye Jinming respectfully set the wooden box beside the chessboard.

The lid remained closed, but everyone knew the thing inside no longer mattered.

Deep within his sea of consciousness, the system interface silently appeared.

[Fate reversed. The Lineage's internal conflict has initially been resolved, and its members have pledged their allegiance.]

[Congratulations, host. You have become the young master of the Ye Clan (unlocked).]

[Heavenly Mandate Points settlement: +30,000]

[Current Heavenly Mandate Points balance: 25,000]

[Items held: Heavenly Cauldron of Fate: Evades karma and eludes heaven's will. Can refine Fate Seeds and Dao Pills and improve innate talent. Upon taking a Fate Seed, one's fate is determined by oneself, not heaven; words may take effect in time. Upon death, the body perishes and fate ends.]

[Debt repaid. Warning: While Heavenly Mandate Points were negative, certain higher-dimensional permissions were restricted. They have now been restored. The host may use Heavenly Mandate Points for exchanges, deductions, and other functions normally.]

The negative balance had finally been cleared.

Ye Jinyu felt no stirrings in his heart. This system is really useless. Luckily, I paid it back before the deadline. Otherwise, who knows what stunt it might have pulled on me?

This cauldron, though, could be useful.

"Jinming," Ye Jinyu suddenly said.

"At your command, young master."

"You have always enjoyed prestige among the younger generation of the clan. You should know the backgrounds and abilities of the people on each peak." Ye Jinyu turned around, his gaze calm.

"I'll give you one month to select three hundred people from the thirty-two peaks, the various branch families, and even the subordinate Lineages in the major Ruin Realms."

Ye Jinming was taken aback. "May I ask what the selection criteria are, young master...?"

"Choose sharp talents by their cultivation, draw loyal servants from our kin, and select those with clean backgrounds through generous favors." Ye Jinyu spoke each word distinctly.

"Their cultivation can be high or low, but they must have a particular talent: concealment and intelligence gathering, calculations and strategy, or knowledge of the customs and conditions in various places. Most importantly, their backgrounds must be clean. The fewer ties they have to the outside world, the better."

"Afterward, I'll select capable secret agents from the clan's Cloud Guards, Azure Nether Palace personnel, and others to fill the ranks with experienced hands."

Ye Jinxuan could not help asking from the side, "Young master, are you forming a personal guard?"

"Personal guard?" Ye Jinyu smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"Ye Anlan and his people are enough for that. What I want are eyes, ears, and shadows that can infiltrate every corner of Cangxuan."

"A core group of trusted aides who can become my right and left arms."

He paused, then added, "This organization will be called the 'Cloud Palace.' You will take the title of Cloud Palace Envoy."

"Have azure-luminary cloud robes made from spirit materials and embroidered with flying fish and immortal cranes. With my special permission, nothing within the clan will be off-limits to you."

Above Yunlan, there was also the formless Heavenly Palace.

Ye Jinming understood the weight of it at once. He drew a deep breath. "I accept the order! But... selecting and promoting three hundred people, providing for their daily needs, and assigning them missions will require considerable resources."

"At present, the allocation of resources and expenditures from the clan treasury are still decided jointly by the elders of the various peaks."

"I'll take care of the resources," Ye Jinyu said mildly. "First, draft a charter. I want to see a detailed roster and organizational structure in one month."

"Oh, yes... I happened to obtain one or two rare treasures and spirit seeds. They may be of help to you."

With that, Ye Jinyu took two Fate Seeds from the system's Heavenly Cauldron of Fate.

It is not that I doubt your loyalty... this is simply human nature.

The Fate Seeds had an ancient, lustrous sheen and gave off a rich, peculiar fragrance.

"Remember to take them..." Ye Jinyu said with concern.

"Yes!"

The two exchanged a glance and swallowed the Fate Seeds without hesitation.

They felt only that their minds had cleared and their cultivation and Law Power had become pure and pristine, giving them a sensation almost like ascending to immortality.

They also began to revere the young master. In the Unseen, they regarded him as a god, with loyalty and other thoughts in their hearts, and felt a strong urge to die for the one who understood their worth.

They said loudly, "We kowtow in thanks for your kindness, young master. We will go through boiling water and walk through fire without hesitation."

Ye Jinyu sensed the change, nodded, and gestured for the two to withdraw.

Afterward, quiet returned to the lakeside.

The Zhao Clan sisters came forward quietly and poured Ye Jinyu a cup of clear tea.

Ye Jinyu took the cup but did not drink, merely gazing at the lake.

Xu Feng's figure coalesced beside him like mist.

"Young master, do you intend to start with the Ruin Realms' taxes and tributes?" Xu Feng asked in a low voice.

"Isn't that too hasty? Since ancient times, whenever an immortal clan's resources, financial authority, and power have been involved, which has not... Young master, you wish to use this to take control of the purse strings..."

"Profit stirs people's hearts, and even a True Lord would find it hard to fill the chasm of desire within. The clan's peaks are probably deeply entangled in this, and I fear they will find it hard to let go."

"They'll agree." Ye Jinyu set down the cup, his fingertips gently rubbing the severed surface of the chessboard.

"Kindness and authority must go hand in hand. As for kindness, I will follow through on every reward I promise. Increased tributes and rewards come first, but the rules must also change. The clan's allocations are murky, corruption is everywhere, and it is beset by chronic ills. Naturally, these must be put right."

"Of course, authority must still be established as well..."

"Xu Feng, find some young, hot-blooded cultivators in the clan, or those who are rigidly principled and poor, and promote them well. I intend to use their hot blood to shift the greater momentum and cut through the tangled mess with a sharp blade."

Three days later, in Yunlan's main hall.

The elders of the seven main peaks had gathered, and Ye Jinyu sat in the seat of honor.

The atmosphere in the hall was heavy.

Ye Jinyu pushed a Jade Slip to the middle of the long table. "Elders, please take a look."

Third Elder Ye Zhanshan was the first to pick up the Jade Slip. His Divine Sense swept through it, and his brows furrowed slightly.

On further thought, Jinming and Jinxuan were the ones establishing it. This showed how much the young master trusted them, so he had to support it.

But as the Jade Slip passed from hand to hand, every elder's expression grew complicated after reading it.

The Jade Slip contained two proposals.

The first was titled "A Memorial Requesting the Establishment of the Cloud Palace."

It set out in detail the Cloud Palace's organizational structure, selection criteria, powers, and responsibilities. It would answer directly to the young master, operate independently of the clan's existing offices, and have the authority to examine records across the peaks and conduct secret investigations.

The resources required were preliminarily estimated at eight million Spirit Stones per year, with pills, talismans, Law Artifacts, and the like counted separately.

The second was titled "A Proposal to Establish Ruin Realm Transport Commissioners."

In the main family's name, Transport Commissioners would be appointed under the governors in the subordinate Ruin Realms, while the main family would establish the post of Chief Transport Commissioner.

Henceforth, tributes would pass through neither the governors nor the various peaks. They would be divided eighty-twenty between the main family and the Ruin Realms: eighty percent to the clan and twenty percent retained locally.

At its core, the proposal was simply intended to strengthen and centralize the main family's control over the Ruin Realms.

The Transport Office would be specifically responsible for inspecting taxes and collecting tributes. Even the criteria for evaluating its commissioners would place emphasis on the increase in taxes and tributes and on verifying the true state of the Ruin Realms' mineral resources.

There were also the Cangxuan Chamber of Commerce's purchases and movements of resources in and out of the Ruin Realms. No matter who was involved or what connections they had, taxes would have to be paid.

Moreover, the Transport Commissioners would collect and allocate everything centrally. This meant that financial authority was being forcibly carved away from the clan treasury. In the future, the treasury would only be able to store and disburse resources, with no right to allocate them independently.

"Young master," Sixth Elder Ye Zhanqing, who oversaw Pill Peak, began. Though he had long stayed out of the clan's mundane affairs, he understood the overall situation. His voice was gentle, but carried a note of persuasion.

"I understand the establishment of the Cloud Palace as a dedicated office and have no objection. But wouldn't this Transport Office imply suspicion of the Ruin Realm governors? A master must not be overly suspicious, lest those above and below grow estranged."

Ye Jinyu was prepared. "Our clan rules over many realms, yet disputes frequently arise in each one. The intentions of Cangxuan's various clans are unfathomable, the divide between the Ruin Realms grows ever deeper, and the governors collude with one another to deceive the main family. In time, the slightest rustle of wind could set off endless turmoil."

He then tossed out a report and swept his gaze over the elders, a hint of coldness in his eyes.

"The East Forest Realm reported that its spirit mine was exhausted, yet three months later, three million jin of East Forest frigid black iron appeared for sale in the chamber of commerce, worth more Spirit Stones than could be counted in millions.

"How could any of you here not know about this?"

"I believe there are cultivators in the Ruin Realms who fear our might but feel no gratitude for our kindness. They have deceived my Ye Clan for ten years. Has our blade grown dull?

"And within our own clan, there is corruption for private gain, the work of great rats."

"I have no intention of bringing up the past again. But from now on, I am the young master, and all clan affairs are mine to oversee. What I intend to do, who dares defy?"

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Ye Zhanshan suddenly asked, "Jinyu, our clan has established the Yunlan Chamber of Commerce in the provinces of Jiangnan. It specifically handles the various resources from the Ruin Realms, auctions rare treasures, and purchases some of the supplies needed for cultivation..."

"Our Ye Clan has many branch families and many cultivators, but the supplies distributed within the clan are only so much. Cultivation is not easy for them."

"Collecting some tributes and gifts of respect from the Ruin Realms... the elders also have difficulties they cannot easily speak of. That is why our Ye Clan is so keen on campaigns against the Ruin Realms."

"If matters are handled as you propose, Jinyu, I'm afraid the clansmen will find it hard to accept all at once..."

"Besides, although the Ye Clan rules many Ruin Realms, certain spirit materials and precious medicines are found only in Cangxuan. When the elders have special needs, they must spend money as well."

"Third Uncle, I have naturally considered what you said."

Ye Jinyu rose and walked to the map of Cangxuan hanging in the hall.

"In the past, the governors of the various Ruin Realms handed over only a fixed quota of tribute and taxes to the main family."

"As for how many resources each realm produced, how much was concealed, and how much was traded privately, the main family's accounts were an even greater muddle."

"The governors' authority has grown heavier and heavier, until each is like a feudal lord over his own territory. The Ruin Realms are conquered lands, too; they fear our might but feel no gratitude for our kindness. How many people have turned away from the Ye Clan in heart and purpose remains unknown. Thus, a single spark could become a prairie fire."

He turned around and swept his gaze over the elders, his eyes burning with a trace of resolve.

"From the moment this order is issued, all deposits of minerals, spirit medicines, Demon Beast materials, and shares of trade peculiar to the Ruin Realms-"

"They must pass through the Transport Commissioners, with the governing cultivators signing and countersigning. This system will be the standing rule."

"Apart from that, the supplies received by the governors and the elders may henceforth be increased by thirty percent."

"If the clan's elders need precious medicines or resources from Cangxuan, the clan also has the Merit Hall, where they can exchange merit for them. This is a benefit that many Rogue Cultivators can only dream of."

"This investigation into private dealings is intended to cleanse the clan of its improper practices. It is a matter of great importance. If anyone violates the rules, do not blame me for being young and ruthless..." As Ye Jinyu spoke, a trace of killing intent inevitably showed. Bolstered by the fortune of Yunlan, he appeared even more extraordinary.

"In this way, the main family can control actual output and prevent people from lining their own pockets. Beyond that, it will deepen our control over the cultivators of the Ruin Realms."

When the water is too clear, there are no fish; when a man is too exacting, he has no followers.

Ye Jinyu naturally knew that the extra income of the elders, governors, and even the stewards came from private dealings in the native Ruin Realms.

Receiving tributes and gifts of respect had always been commonplace. But now, he had to bend the crooked past straight to correct it. Perhaps he could make it up to them elsewhere in the future, but this was his first appearance as young master. He had to establish his authority; he could only win, not lose.

Seeing this, they were all old foxes and would naturally support him. Besides, even if the heavens fell, the True Lord would hold them up.

Ye Zhanshan gave Ye Jinyu a long look, then suddenly smiled. "Young master, your considerations are thorough. In my opinion, this plan is feasible."

With the Third Elder the first to declare his position, the other elders exchanged glances and nodded one after another.

"However," Sixth Elder Ye Zhanqing, who oversaw the Pill Pavilion, added.

"The Cloud Palace's candidates must be strictly vetted, young master. I suggest selecting not only from the clan's peaks, but also from the various Ruin Realms, choosing those who are loyal, reliable, and exceptionally talented. First, this will add to your manpower; second... it will also give the young people of the Ruin Realms a path to advancement."

"Whatever you need to accomplish, young master, if you require pills or the like, I, Zhanqing, will not shrink from my duty."

Ye Jinyu could hear the Sixth Elder's unspoken meaning: broadly speaking, the elders had suffered a great loss today.

When it came time to divide the cake, he should remember to give them a share and show more favor to the clan's young people.

Since the Cloud Palace would be the young master's trusted core and the foundation on which he governed the clan,

he should worry not about scarcity but about uneven distribution. They all carried Ye Clan blood, so choosing a few more of them would also help unite the clan.

Then he should also select a few from the Ruin Realms, so they would not grow estranged.

Ye Jinyu smiled as well. "Sixth Uncle, I thank you for your counsel."

"I have already entrusted this matter to Jinming and Jinxuan to coordinate. With the cooperation of the peaks, it will surely be fair and rigorous."

"We respectfully obey your order, young master." Though their thoughts differed, everyone spoke as one at that moment.