Demon Sword Sect's Undercover-Chapter 780 - 779: Unexpected Payment

The following morning, Hou Niao, following his habitual routine, entered the Wu Sect’s headquarters in Jiangning City at a fixed time along a set path.

The timing he chose was excellent because the Wu Sect had moved all of its attention to the new mountain gate on Langya Mountain, including most of the high-level cultivators, the Book Collection Pavilion, the Cultivation Technique Inheritance Hall, the Elixir Furnace Room, and many other adjunct facilities... The most important thing was that the people’s hearts were also there, leaving only a shell of the former sect headquarters behind. It was foreseeable that, in the future, these magnificent buildings would be occupied by the mortal dynasty as a recompense for incorporating Langya Mountain into the Qingxu Sect’s domain.

There really was no point in keeping it.

The inspection upon entry was still strict, but it was a mere formality, carried out in a half-hearted and perfunctory manner.

Hou Niao knew he had successfully completed more than half of his task by entering the Wu Sect’s former cultivation center without incident. As long as he didn’t slip up, no one would see through him, as everyone’s minds had already drifted to Langya Mountain and the new cultivation environment.

The once bustling center of the Wu Sect felt desolate and empty without the majority of the cultivators, lacking the vibrancy it once had.

Standing before the doors of the Inner Warehouse, the protective formation was still in place. The Validation Token, fluctuations of mana, and Divine Soul Characteristics—all passed the scrutiny under the magic of the shoddy cloth, a truly precious treasure. It was uncertain, though, would it stand up to the scrutiny of Nascent Transformation Masters?

He wouldn’t take that risk, and the Masters wouldn’t concern themselves with such insignificant items, those only useful to minor cultivators.

The formation’s final check on cultivators was to scan their bodies for any spatial equipment, just like the mortal dynasty’s grand vault where all bailiffs were required to enter and exit bare, to prevent any smuggling.

Whether mortal or cultivator, greed knows no bounds and spans all races.

The scrutiny of spatial items by the warehouse formation seemed stricter than that on the cultivators themselves. It didn’t matter who you were; if you couldn’t take anything out, then there was no significant issue.

Upon entering the Inner Warehouse, he saw a few cultivators busily moving about, each engrossed in their tasks and operating in an orderly fashion.

He had no idea where he was supposed to be stationed since this was his first time inside, and even as Liu Yishou’s friend, he wouldn’t have been brought here for a tour.

But he was not concerned. While searching the layout of the surrounding buildings with his Divine Sense, he roamed around pretending to inspect the various preparations, which seemed justifiable.

In the Inner Warehouse, he wasn’t the lead manager and ranked at the bottom among the heads. Above him were several Golden Core Upper Cultivators, some had stayed, and others had gone to Langya Mountain to prepare for receiving the new Inner Warehouse and operate the Formation, all of which required an ample number of hands. freēwēbnovel.com

Yet, he was the busiest, for he was responsible for managing the artifacts from the Tongtian Realm, tens of thousands of them, which was quite overwhelming to think about.

Under his command were several cultivators, the majority of whom were from the Tongxuan Realm, with a few from the God Sensing Realm, who carried out all the actual operations.

The shelves in the entire Inner Warehouse were nearly emptied, with every hundred artifacts packed into a special transparent box, each box one zhang square with the items neatly arranged in layers, clearly visible from the outside—missing even one was impossible.

The Daoist Sects would not use Spatial Bags or Treasure Gourds for transporting goods unless in an emergency because it was highly susceptible to tampering and convenient for theft. Inside the Inner Warehouse, the protective formation would keep things safe, but during transit, it was a different story.

Thus, it was clear transportation, where everything was visible to all, leaving no room for thoughts of misappropriation. Special personnel guarded the transportation process, and the large Flying Boats facilitated the moves. The exact number of boxes was undeniable, and so was the number of artifacts within them, prompting Hou Niao to silently commend the methodology—truly befitting one of the most famous Daoist Sects on the Continent, handling a relocation with such orderly precision, indicative of their profound heritage.

Each large box was sealed with a sticker that listed the types, names, functions, quality, and integrity of the contained hundred artifacts, providing clarity at a glance.

Since he was here, he ought to fulfill his duty diligently, and he also needed to familiarize himself with the general situation of these artifact treasures to know where and how to start safely. Thus, he examined them with exceptional care.

His subordinates knew of Elder Liu’s temperament, how he liked to put on airs, act with importance, and lead by example, so no one bothered to disturb him unnecessarily.

As he continued his examination, even with his strong spiritual power, he felt dizzy with the sheer volume—having viewed less than ten thousand of them, which is to say, less than a hundred boxes, while two to three hundred boxes were yet to be scrutinized. There remained thousands more artifacts waiting to be packed, a process they had been conducting for a month.

As an hour passed, a Tongxuan Daoist approached, "Elder Liu, there’s a considerable gathering at the Fen Guang Hall. Should you look into it? It doesn’t look good to have so many people waiting."

Hou Niao released his Divine Sense beyond the Inner Warehouse and saw nearly a hundred people queuing in front of a tall building. These were the people who knew the Sect might temporarily stop lending artifacts in the upcoming year, so they were seizing their last chance to try their luck—it would be best to obtain some, but they wouldn’t lose anything if they couldn’t.

The Sect’s rules are rules, but they are not as strict as imagined. For example, does the prohibition on lending start from the issuance of the order, or after the relocation? There lies a timeframe discrepancy, and the one who could grasp this nuance was Liu Yishou, the Warehouse Manager himself.

Therefore, there were many benefits to be taken advantage of, and how to distribute them was his responsibility. The original Liu Yishou took his power very seriously and would not easily let others meddle—this was also why his junior brothers and sisters resented him behind his back.

It was not a big deal. All cultivators in such positions did the same—those in charge of distributing artifacts were like this, and even worse for those distributing elixirs—common human nature. If you don’t use the power when you have it, it will expire.

He did not leave immediately but remained composed, taking on the stance of an elder brother, "Has there been any notification from above about when we move? I estimate we’ll be ready here in about ten days..."

The junior cultivator replied cautiously, "There’s no precise information, but I heard Uncle Wang mention something this morning. He said there was a minor issue with the Elixir Hall, so the move won’t happen too quickly—at least not for another half-month, maybe even longer."

Hou Niao snorted, "A bunch of useless trash in the Elixir Hall! They keep everyone on edge, annoyed and uncertain."

The junior cultivator flattered, "Thanks to Elder Liu’s ingenious method, using the transparent box system has earned rave reviews from every elder who has inspected it. If the Elixir Hall adopted this method, how could they have any discrepancies?"

Hou Niao, with hands clasped behind his back, walked away with a dispassionate air, perfectly mimicking Liu Yishou’s self-satisfied demeanor.