Chapter 200 - - 200 Create brilliance together_1

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The next morning at dawn.

Duge, accompanied by his junior brothers and sisters and the captives from the previous night, stood at the door of Li Zheng’s house in the village below the mountain, with a smile on his face, introduced himself, “I am Wang Chong, the new Sect Leader of Seven Star Gate, pleased to meet Li Zheng.”

Behind him, a large crowd of curious villagers pointed and gossiped about the shiny bald heads.

For no other reason!

The cultivators from Sky Mist Valley were only wearing white undergarments, and on their backs, Duge had painted the two black characters for “Sky Mist” with a brush.

Beneath the characters, a small serial number was also inscribed.

Their feet were tied together with rope, each one of them looking downcast and despondent, much like prisoners.

Li Zheng, blurry-eyed with sleep, opened the door and was startled into full alertness by the sight, hastily clasping his hands in a salute, “I have the honor to meet True Man Wang.”

The handymen that Duge had expelled from the mountain were from nearby villages.

What had happened at Seven Star Gate the day before had spread far and wide through their mouths in just a few villages.

Two cultivation sects were fighting over territory; Sky Mist Valley was powerful, whereas Seven Star Gate was disastrously slaughtered, with the dead being dead and the escaped having fled, leaving only three or four disciples to maintain appearances…

Being constantly updated on the village’s happenings, Li Zheng was well-informed about the affairs of Seven Star Gate.

As an official of sorts, Li Zheng naturally knew that this was not the time to offend anyone from Seven Star Gate.

They were desperate, and angering them now could result in being cut down with a single sword. Who would he plead his case to then?

“May I know what brings True Man Wang down from the mountain?” Li Zheng asked, his eyes involuntarily sweeping over the bald heads behind Duge with surprise. Weren’t the people from Sky Mist Valley supposed to be powerful, having even vanquished True Man Guan?

What’s the deal with these fellows?

Sky Mist?

Are they from Sky Mist Valley?

Alas!

Duge sighed, “Li Zheng, you must have heard about what happened to my master.”

Li Zheng offered another salute, “My condolences to True Man Wang. When it’s time for True Man Guan’s burial, I will bring people to offer my respects, and should you need any assistance with the funeral arrangements, please feel free to ask.”

“Li Zheng, we cultivators don’t concern ourselves with so much ceremony, so there’s no need for you to worry about the funeral,” said Duge. “Today, I have come to see Li Zheng on another important matter…

Seeing more and more people gathering behind Duge, Li Zheng stepped aside to allow them in, “True Man Wang, this is not the place for such discussions, please come inside.”

“There’s no need, it’s quite alright to speak here. What I have to say concerns everyone.” Duge clasped his fists to acknowledge the crowd behind him and then turned his attention back to the puzzled Li Zheng. “Since Li Zheng is aware of my master’s passing, you must also know about the conflict between Seven Star Gate and Sky Mist Valley.”

“I’ve heard some details,” Li Zheng replied, with a frown.

“After my master’s passing, I am acting temporarily as the Sect Leader of Seven Star Gate,” Duge sighed again. “The recent dramatic changes at Seven Star Gate have led me to reflect deeply, and I conclude that our lack of contention with the world is the cause of this disaster. Last night, as I lay awake, I pondered and decided to change the current state of Seven Star Gate from its roots, inviting more people to build Seven Star Gate together…”

Li Zheng was perplexed, “What do you mean by building together?”

“That means allowing more people to invest in Seven Star Gate by contributing money, helping the sect to grow stronger, and create a splendid future together,” explained Duge.

Li Zheng muttered, “I don’t quite understand.”

“Li Zheng, the plight of Seven Star Gate stems from the lack of capable people within the sect. Thus, my plan for the next step is to expand the sect, recruit more disciples, and make Seven Star Gate one of the leading sects in the Cultivation World,” Duge said with a smile. “But to expand the sect, we need a large amount of money. As Li Zheng knows, there are only four of us left, and we surely cannot afford such a sum. Hence, I have thought of fundraising through shareholding.”

“You mean that we make donations to help build Seven Star Gate?” Li Zheng asked.

“Donations are akin to seizing, and I, a man of integrity, disdain such vile deeds,” Duge waved his hand, “By investing, I mean managing Seven Star Gate like a business. I have made preliminary estimations: the land of Seven Star Gate, the sect’s gate, even the spiritual energy and the resources of my sect, are roughly worth 50 million Silver Taels in total. I plan to offer forty percent as shares to raise funds from the public. With this money, we can develop the sect and attract disciples.

In the future, as the sect grows and becomes established, those who invested will receive a share of the profits from Seven Star Mountain according to the shares they hold.

For example, if there is an investment of 2 million Silver Taels, and Li Zheng contributes ten thousand Taels, that would equal one-fiftieth of the shares in Seven Star Gate.

Later, if Seven Star Gate earns a profit of one million Taels a year, subtract the cost necessary to run the sect, Li Zheng would receive at least twenty thousand Taels in dividends. Without worrying or working hard, sitting at home and waiting for the money to arrive—what’s there not to be happy about?”

“You must be joking, True Man Wang, I can’t afford ten thousand Taels,” Li Zheng said with a smile.

“It’s just a hypothetical situation,” laughed Duge, “If you can’t afford ten thousand Taels, investing ten Patterned Silver Taels would yield a dividend of two Taels. For families like yours, Li Zheng, that is almost enough to cover one or two months’ expenses. Money left at home won’t multiply, but investing in Seven Star Gate could be planting a seed…”

“True Man, while your words are correct, I’ve never heard of a Cultivation Sect engaging in worldly commerce, nor do I know how you cultivators make your money,” Li Zheng looked at Duge with a troubled expression, “why don’t we discuss this matter again later?”

“If Li Zheng does not understand the ways of the Sect, how can you be certain that the Sect has no means of making money?”

Duge laughed, “The Seven Star Gate controls a vast treasure mountain, brimming with Spiritual Energy. If we simply grow some precious medicinal herbs and sell them, they would be worth a hundred times more than ordinary ones. The Seven Star Gate recruits disciples from outside and teaches them the Cultivation Techniques, and just by collecting some wealth in return, that already makes a sizable income. And all that’s still considered small change.

“In the future, once the Seven Star Gate grows stronger and subdues other Sects, the spoils that come with such victory could be counted as income for our Sect. If we’re lucky and discover a Spirit Stone vein or two, upon mining it, we’d ascend to the heavens in one step. The ten Silver Taels Li Zheng invested might turn a hundredfold, even a thousandfold…”

Behind Duge, the commoners whispered among themselves, seemingly swayed by the vast prospects he described.

His junior sister and the seventh junior brother, standing behind Duge, were utterly bewildered and had no idea what their third senior brother was doing?

What did all these things he spoke of have to do with strengthening the Sect?

Engaging in these mundane businesses couldn’t compare to dedicated cultivation. Otherwise, no matter how large the business grew, should Sky Mist Valley come knocking, wouldn’t it all end up in others’ hands!

…

When did I agree to invest ten Silver Taels!

Li Zheng grumbled to himself and offered a dry laugh, “True Man, you are right in your calculation. But everyone knows about the situation of the Seven Star Gate, Sky Mist Valley…”

“It seems that Master Li is worried about the risk. Sky Mist Valley is nothing to worry about,” Duge waved his hand to interrupt Li Zheng, pointing to a few bald men from Sky Mist Valley behind him, “Do you see them, Master Li? They are the culprits who raided our Seven Star Gate and were subdued by myself last night. Had I not been under the protection and received a surge in power from the ancestors of the Seven Star Gate, how would I dare to have the nerve to seek financing? That would simply be outright fraud, wouldn’t it?”

“Are they truly from the Sky Mist Valley?” Li Zheng asked doubtingly.

“Seventh junior brother, release the restriction on Zero One,” Duge turned and commanded his seventh junior brother.

The seventh junior brother released Zero One’s restriction and also untied the ropes around his feet.

“Zero One, tell everyone, are you or are you not from the Sky Mist Valley?” Duge asked sternly.

Gazing into Duge’s piercing eyes and noting his shaking fingers, Zero One trembled and honestly replied, “Yes, I am a third-generation disciple of Sky Mist Valley, my name is Kong Gui, captured last night by Sect Master Wang. Now, as a prisoner bearing my crimes, I am held captive here at the Seven Star Gate, bearing the number Zero One.”

“Show everyone a display of your strength,” Duge commanded again.

Before they left, Duge had given them a terrifying demonstration using the corpses of their fellow disciples to reveal what could be done with the skill to seize internal organs from afar, an ability so mystical it nearly scared them to death. To save their own lives, they dared not act rashly.

Moreover.

In their eyes, as long as they were alive, even if tormented, they believed that someone from Sky Mist Valley would surely come and rescue them…

Zero One surveyed the surroundings. He approached a stone mill at the roadside, walked over silently, lifted it effortlessly above his head with both arms, then carried it in circles around the onlookers before gently putting it back down, without breaking a sweat or changing his expression.

This drew cheers from the onlooking villagers.

“Master Li, do you believe now?” Duge sealed his meridians casually and turned back to look at Li Zheng with a smirk, “Sky Mist Valley is very far from the Seven Star Gate. The Valley Master of Sky Mist Valley has not yet reached the Golden Core Cultivation Level and is no match for the ancestors of my Sect. If they don’t come, so be it, but if they dare, we will make sure they regret it. By then, we will seize the properties of Sky Mist Valley and add it to the revenue of the Seven Star Gate.”

Wrap oneself in the tiger’s skin, wielding the big flag.

Duge’s face was aglow with confidence and brazenness.

“True Man Wang, since when did the Seven Star Gate have ancestral masters?” Li Zheng asked strangely.

“With a legacy spanning five hundred years, is it strange for the Seven Star Gate to have ancestral masters?” Duge glared at him, saying, “Otherwise, with my own skills, how could I have possibly beaten them? You must know, even my master was no match for them. The reason Seven Star Gate wasn’t doing well before was due to the incomplete Cultivation Technique. Now that the ancestors have restored it, I’ve managed to take down the traitors in one night, and the rise of the Seven Star Gate is on the horizon.”

“…” Li Zheng looked at the people from the Seven Star Gate but still felt uneasy, asking, “True Man Wang, might I have the honor of meeting one of the Seven Star Gate’s ancestors?”

“I’m afraid Master Li won’t have the chance,” Duge chuckled, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. After being bullied by Sky Mist Valley like this, how could the ancestor just swallow this grudge? After passing on the Cultivation Technique, he immediately set out under the cover of night to deal with the trouble from Sky Mist Valley.”

Li Zheng lapsed again into silence.

Duge smiled, “It seems Master Li does not trust me. Well then, the Seven Star Gate is looking to raise 2 million Patterned Silver, and it’s understandable that a small village like this doesn’t have the funds. Master Li is responsible for the welfare of his villagers, which is only right.”

He shook his head, “The amount required for the Seven Star Gate’s construction is vast, and my original intention was to seek out those affluent families. But as I thought about it, we have been neighbors for so many years, after all.

A chance to get rich should not be withheld from the neighbors to be given to outsiders.

Therefore, I approached Master Li first. After our talk, I am going to visit other villages and then towns to look for wealthy households for fundraising. Since Master Li is cautious, let’s call off this deal then!”

Li Zheng remained silent. If it were a regular business, he could have made a decision, but getting involved with a Cultivation Sect, one misstep could leave one with nowhere to plead one’s case.

Duge never liked to leave empty-handed. Seeing that Li Zheng was a tough nut to crack, he turned to the gathered villagers and said, “If Master Li is unwilling to invest, are any of you willing? I cannot deny an entire village because of one person.”

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