After a brief silence, Xia Li did not strike out at soone wearing such an eager smile. He simply nodded, signaling Wei Hongyin to begin her report."First, the herb garden. I selected twelve spirit herbs whose prices have been rising recently as our main crops...""After deducting the costs of seeds and fertilizer, as well as the share kept for our own use and the rewards for the disciples tending the herbs, the sales brought in about eighty thousand low-grade spirit stones.""As for pills, the ingredients cost around eighty thousand spirit stones. The finished pills sold for about two hundred and thirty thousand. After deducting the Holy Land's earthfire maintenance costs and the rewards for the alchemy disciples, the net profit ca to roughly ninety thousand.""On the refining side...""For talismans and formations...""And finally, after deducting the monthly stipends paid out to the disciples..."Wei Hongyin gave a concise report on the operation of every facility in the Holy Son Palace and on the overall condition of its disciples. Altogether, Xia Li's Ninth Holy Son Palace was bringing him roughly one hundred thousand spirit stones in pure monthly profit.Steady profit.Reliable profit.The Holy Land did not distribute stipends to Holy Sons and Holy Maidens unless they chose not to recruit disciples. Once they did recruit, they had to manage things themselves. It was part of training them to control the operation of a power structure.The disciples they recruited would no longer receive stipends directly from the Holy Land either. From then on, the Holy Son Palace would be responsible for them.And after all costs were deducted, everything the palace produced belonged entirely to its Holy Son.In other words, Xia Li's current stipend was effectively one hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones a month."Not bad. You've worked hard. Feel free to raise your own stipend reasonably and keep it up."Soone was practically running over to help him earn spirit stones, and Xia Li's expression imdiately improved. Letting the Holy Land hand out a stipend without recruiting anyone might be less trouble, but running things himself would clearly earn far more.If the palace were managed well enough, it could produce several tis the value of a fixed stipend.Under a system like this, almost every Holy Son and Holy Maiden naturally chose to recruit disciples and build their own operation.And the disciples recruited into such palaces would naturally work harder in pursuit of better treatnt. On top of that, becoming a Holy Son's follower ca with another benefit that was difficult to refuse.Inside a Holy Son Palace, the Holy Son's will could override part of the sect rules. The atmosphere was far less oppressive than outside. Uniformity in dress, bearing, even the way one walked, was not emphasized in the sa way.Put simply, one was allowed to release one's true nature.That was one of the reasons countless disciples fought desperately to beco Holy Sons and Holy Maidens. And if they could not rise that high themselves, then they would settle for becoming followers instead, so long as they could put aside their pride for a while.Even human nature, even the desire to express oneself, had beco another ladder upward. And even if one could not climb, one still wanted to stand close to those above.The way Taiyi Holy Land raised disciples was truly...very Corporate Alliance."Of course I'll keep working hard. And I don't even need a stipend. My Wei Family is a major power in its own right. I could even feed resources back into the Holy Son Palace.""Then what do you want?"Xia Li was asking a question he already knew the answer to. At this point, with the conversation gone this far, how could he fail to guess what she wanted?"The first side-consort seat."She smiled and stepped even closer to Xia Li, so confidently that she was only a hair away from throwing her arms around him outright."And the Second Holy Maiden and the Holy Land would permit that?""Ordinarily, no. A Holy Son and Holy Maiden are expected to remain loyal to one another. But your case is different, and the Second Holy Maiden's case is different too. The Holy Land will allow it. More than that, it will make the Second Holy Maiden allow it."Wei Hongyin quite clearly knew certain things. Xia Li's fa, the way he had perford upon first entering the Holy Land, and the attitudes the elders had shown toward him all proved that his standing was far above that of an ordinary Ninth Holy Son."I'm sorry, but I can't agree to that. I'm actually rather loyal in matters of the heart."Xia Li refused her request, though the refusal was obviously sothing Wei Hongyin had already expected."I naturally have no doubt about Ninth Holy Son's noble character. I will continue working hard until you see my value.""Even if that effort is never returned?""That is my own choice. Ninth Holy Son need not feel sorry for . Though if you truly think that way, I would be very happy.""All right, then. As you please. If you're happy, that's fine."Xia Li was a practical person. If Wei Hongyin had the ability to help him run the Holy Son Palace well, then she could keep emotionally moving herself all she liked for all he cared. It was not as if he intended to deny her a stipend.After parting from her, Xia Li went straight into the main Holy Son Hall, a place where followers could not enter at will.This first direct encounter left a very good impression of Xia Li on Wei Hongyin. Like the forr Ninth Holy Son Kang Renquan, Xia Li was approachable and mild, not high above others the way many other Holy Sons were. Even her own kinsman, the Seventh Holy Son, had only grown colder and more distant with her after becoming a Holy Son.And Xia Li had enormous potential. He was easygoing without being indecisive.His earlier handling of Bu Ming, the First True Transmission, had already made that perfectly clear.No exchanging moves.No instructive sparring.No holding back.Just one finger pressing down.
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Bu Ming had challenged Kang Renquan so many tis, and anyone watching from the outside could see that Kang Renquan had always been leaving room out of a desire for mutual progress. Only Bu Ming himself, trapped in the middle of it, had failed to realize it. That had given him the false impression that the gap between them was not all that great.But outsiders could see it clearly.Without a truly heaven-defying opportunity, Bu Ming would never defeat Kang Renquan in this lifeti."All the bustle under heaven runs after profit. I will make you grow used to . So used to you won't be able to do without ."Wei Hongyin watched Xia Li disappear deeper into the main hall. She would work harder still. Fight harder. Ask harder.Then she turned and left. Her ssaging jade slip stirred just then.She checked it at once."Senior Sister Wei, Li Yue secretly bought Spirit Yang Grass. An outer disciple smuggled it in for her.""No matter. That petty little sche of hers may not end up benefiting the person she expects. Prepare a Miracle Conception Pill for .""Senior Sister Wei, are you planning to...""Don't ask questions you shouldn't."After saying that, Wei Hongyin put away the jade slip and imdiately contacted soone else."How is that matter coming along?""We've already confird the ingredients in Lin Ge's daily incense blend.""Good."Before long, an answer would erge as to who truly held authority inside this Holy Son Palace. The Holy Land badly wanted Xia Li to return his heart to it.Even if Xia Li himself did not, if his child were born and raised inside the Holy Land from the very beginning...So Wei Hongyin believed the Holy Land would support her, so long as she could successfully climb into Xia Li's bed.anwhile...Xia Li turned from the rear of the main hall into the covered corridor leading toward his sleeping chambers. Just as he was preparing to rest, he spotted Qiu Fu in the central courtyard pavilion, playing chess by herself.One hand held black stones, the other white. She was playing against herself and looked entirely absorbed in the fun of it."Qiu Fu, play around if you want, ss around if you want, but keep an eye on those people for . I don't have ti to be guarding against them myself."Xia Li called out from across the courtyard. The mont Qiu Fu heard his voice, she stopped her self-play and ran over to him."Don't worry. However they fight and sche, the one who'll benefit in the end will only be you."She was smiling in a distinctly sly way. Xia Li genuinely had not realized Qiu Fu had this side to her."It's said that even a well-fed tiger still hunts, except that it prefers to toy with its prey. aningless killing, killing rely for amusent. That's contrary to the natural order. What do you think?"Xia Li wanted to steer her thoughts elsewhere. There was no need for her to turn so calculating. She was supposed to be a White Tiger, a sacred beast. Why beco this underhanded?"You're wrong there, Xia Li. Those who toy with others are toyed with in turn. I never begged anyone to co here. They ca on their own.""And the prey this tiger toys with are all vicious beasts that were busy toying with other prey first. I don't ss with disciples who are honest and keep to themselves."Qiu Fu was learning to be "clever." She looked foolish at first glance, and even her smile carried a pure sort of stupidity. That would create a false impression in her enemies and make them overlook how dangerous she could be.That too was a kind of lying low."Just be careful your cleverness doesn't turn on you. Don't underestimate other people's intelligence. What if the other side is setting a countertrap?""What do I have to fear? I have you backing up. I can flip the board. Can they?""And when that flipped board smacks in the face and leaves bruised, what then?"Xia Li could cover for Qiu Fu, yes, but it would definitely cost him sothing."So will you take the hit or not?""What choice do I have? If the spirit pet I raised bites soone, can I not pay compensation? Just bite a little more lightly, all right?""Of course, of course."Qiu Fu waved him off impatiently. She was getting a little tired of his lecturing, and for so reason that imdiately irritated Xia Li.Was this rebellious phase or sothing?"At this rate, sooner or later you're going to earn a proper beating from .""Then how about the kind of beating that happens at night? As the saying goes, if you don't enter the tiger's den, how are you supposed to get tiger cubs? Certain people have been secretly making that sort of dicine lately. The sll has practically soaked into my nose by now. So when the ti cos, do you want to stay in human form or turn back into my true shape?"Qiu Fu's aning was obvious. She was hinting that soone intended to drug Xia Li. The first half of what she said was one thing, but the second half was pure malicious teasing."I strongly suspect that if I actually dared do it, you'd change back halfway through.""Heehee."Qiu Fu giggled twice and did not deny it. The answer sent a chill straight through Xia Li and shattered the little effort he had been making to talk himself into accepting her.Qiu Fu might be stunning in human form, but he absolutely could not touch her.That was too heavy a flavor for him to handle.Granted, his tastes had broadened as his experience grew. He could even accept Yagyu Chihaya now. That was already heavy enough, wasn't it?But take ten thousand steps back and Yagyu Chihaya was still at least human.It was not as if she was going to split apart and turn into sothing else halfway through.Demons, however, absolutely could change back to their true bodies in the middle of things. 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