Yefutidaolu

Chapter 457 Liar
The moonlight, like water, flowed through the crisscrossing streets and floating islands of the capital, veiling the daytime hustle and bustle and the undercurrents of darkness with a seemingly peaceful veil. Although countless eyes were focused on a certain spot in the Imperial Academy, for the vast majority of people in the capital, it was just another ordinary night.

now--

Inside the elegant "Qingyin Pavilion" in the south of the city, a place exclusively for cultivators to exchange ideas and enjoy tea, two women were sitting by the window.

One of them, dressed in pristine white robes, was untouched by worldly dust. Her figure was slender and graceful, like a peony in the wind, pure and ethereal. Her face was delicate and refined, her eyes especially clear, like a mountain spring, crystal clear. Her aura was restrained and pure, indicating she had already reached the fifth realm of cultivation, with a subtle radiance emanating from her. Anyone who saw her would perceive her as a fairy of accomplished cultivation and noble character, inspiring both goodwill and respect.

She is Ye Qingmu.

That swindler under Uncle Huang.

Since her defeat at Gao Jian's hands in Cangzhou, only to be unexpectedly spared and even receive a cultivation technique that greatly benefited her, she has broken through to the fifth realm. Far from becoming more restrained, she has leveraged this "fortune" and her increasingly refined "acting skills" to become even more adept at deception. The seemingly simple robe she wears is actually woven from "ice silkworm snow silk," containing a hidden calming and tranquilizing array, making it quite valuable and an indispensable part of her "fairy" persona.

At this moment, she leaned slightly forward, listening to the girl opposite her, her eyes focused and gentle, occasionally nodding, revealing just the right amount of understanding and sympathy.

Sitting opposite her was a girl who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old. She was wearing a pale yellow dress, had a pretty face, and her eyes showed a hint of timidity as someone new to the big city, as well as complete trust in the "fairy sister" in front of her.

A jade pendant engraved with the words "Liuyun" hung from her waist, signifying her identity as Baili Qingbo, a true disciple of the medium-sized immortal sect "Liuyun Sect".

Ye Qingmu has been patiently preparing for this scheme for two months.

She first met Baili Qingbo by "chance" at a small exchange meeting. With her perfect image and her "unintentional" insightful views on certain obscure elixirs, she won the initial favor and admiration of this simple-minded new disciple.

Subsequently, through several "chance encounters" and "speaking up for justice," she gradually deepened their friendship, transforming into Baili Qingbo's only trustworthy "confidante" in the "treacherous" city of Shendu. She listened to Baili Qingbo's longing for her sect, her confusion about cultivation, and even some of the secret thoughts of a young girl.

At the same time, she used the power of Uncle Huang's group to quietly find out all of Baili Qingbo's background: her lineage, the characteristics of her skills, her personality weaknesses, the wealth she carried, and even her interpersonal relationships within the sect and her possible backers in the capital.

Two months of painstaking effort, patiently planning and gradually closing the net. Ye Qingmu was like the best hunter, waiting for the moment when his prey would completely step into the trap.

At this moment, the air in Qingyin Pavilion is filled with the aroma of tea and the melodious sound of a zither.

Baili Qingbo was unguardedly telling her trusted "Sister Ye" about the difficulties she encountered in a procurement task assigned by her sect, as well as the unease brought about by the huge amount of spiritual funds she carried with her, which were given to her by her sect for the purpose of the procurement.

Ye Qingmu listened quietly, her eyes clear, a gentle smile on her lips.

She knew how heavy the burden on Baili Qingbo's shoulders was. This seemingly entrusted true disciple was, in reality, a small boat pushed to the edge of the enormous whirlpool that was the capital. It was true that the sect had sent an elder to lead the team, but that elder had clearly placed a large number of tedious and even thorny tasks on the shoulders of this "young and promising" true disciple. He was nominally her deputy, but in reality, he was the "laborer" bearing the vast majority of the specific work.

The 11-hour-a-day "work" almost completely drained Baili Qingbo's time and energy. The elders, citing the reason that "true disciples should bear more responsibility," kept adding more tasks, with various temporary assignments, paperwork, and resource coordination falling like snowflakes.

The sect does stipulate that there are rest days every ten days, but that is just a pie in the sky. Accompanying it are exaggerated tasks and goals that are impossible to complete during normal working hours.

Forced to sacrifice even his precious days off, Baili Qingbo worked frantically to meet deadlines, but the results were often futile. Failing to complete the tasks meant the promised generous rewards became nothing but a mirage, and he couldn't even earn the basic sect contribution points.

What could she do? Run away? She couldn't bear the consequences of betraying her sect. Besides, she carried the hopes of her distant master on her shoulders.

To cope with the high cost of living in the capital, and especially to be closer to her workplace to save that pitiful amount of travel time, she had to grit her teeth and borrow a considerable sum of money to barely rent a small place to live.

Surrounded by the subtle exclusion from her fellow disciples and the harsh criticism from the elders, she was far away from her master, who had raised her alone and whom she now dared not even confide in. She was afraid of worrying her master, and even more afraid of hearing his helpless sighs.

The continuous late-night shifts and excessively long working hours not only ravaged her body, but more terrifyingly, they were eroding her spiritual path. She couldn't even find the time or energy to perform her daily cultivation, causing her progress to stagnate and even show signs of regression. What cruel torment this was for a once-proud and talented woman!

Many had advised her against venturing into the murky waters of the Divine Capital. But driven by a yearning for a wider world and a sense of responsibility for her sect, she stubbornly went ahead. Now, she's trapped in this invisible cage; how easy is it to break free?
"Let's wait a little longer," Ye Qingmu could almost imagine how this girl, who was forcing a smile, murmured to herself in the dead of night, exhausted, "Everything will be alright, everything will be fine."

But—can it really get better?

Who knows.

In any case, Ye Qingmu knew that the source of all this, the seemingly harsh and unapproachable elder, was naturally backed by the Huang Shu Group. They had already figured out that this elder was obsessed with the way of mountains and rivers, so they catered to his interests and carefully designed a series of seemingly accidental fragments of maps, ancient books, or dubious "expert guidance" about the hidden mountain and river fortunes of the capital and even the surrounding areas, gradually luring this elder into a state of deep immersion in enlightenment, from which he could not extricate himself.

As a result, the heavy responsibility of expanding the sect into the capital naturally and almost entirely fell on the still-inexperienced shoulders of the true disciple, Baili Qingbo. The disciples and servants who followed him were unfamiliar with the place and the people. Seeing that the elder in charge was not doing anything and that the only leader, Baili Qingbo, was overwhelmed with work and lacked authority, they became a disorganized mess, like headless flies.

As a medium-sized immortal sect, the Flowing Cloud Sect had a shallow foundation in the capital city, a place teeming with hidden talents. All relationships, channels, and venues needed to be built from scratch. The difficulties and complexities involved were enough to deter any newcomer.

Just then, Ye Qingmu, the "fairy" Ye, who was "kind," "enthusiastic," and "well-connected," appeared like a timely rain.

She empathized with Baili Qingbo's hardships and offered her help. Need a suitable shop or residence? She introduced him to a reliable brokerage firm. Need an advisor familiar with the laws of the capital? She introduced him to an experienced clerk. Need to smooth things over and cultivate relationships with local powerful figures? She acted as a go-between, introducing him to a powerful intermediary.

Baili Qingbo was moved to tears, feeling that this Sister Ye was a savior sent by heaven to save him. Little did he know that these so-called brokers, advisors, middlemen... were all actors under Uncle Huang's group!
A massive scam targeting the Liuyun Sect, and even more so the 200,000 yuan development fund, has already been quietly woven and is more than half complete.

The entire process of establishing the Liuyun Sect in the capital, from site selection and personnel recruitment to legal consultation and relationship management, was almost entirely infiltrated and controlled by Uncle Huang's men. The entire process appeared smooth and efficient, but in reality, it was a trap. Next, all that remained was for the Liuyun Sect's massive expansion fund of 200,000 gold coins to officially arrive, and then be "naturally" entrusted to these "hardworking" and "trustworthy" "partners" to carry out the operations.

Once this huge sum of money falls into the hands of Uncle Huang's group, they will vanish without a trace, taking all the money with them. All contact methods will become invalid, and all addresses will be deserted.

As for the Liuyun Sect's grand plan to develop the capital? As for whether Baili Qingbo can complete the mission? As for how the elder who is obsessed with the mountain and water veins will explain to the sect?

Haha, what's it to them?

The people from Uncle Huang's group would only scoff, secretly dividing up their hefty spoils in some hidden corner, perhaps even making a slightly "good-natured" sarcastic remark:
"Next time you save up enough money to come to the capital, remember to be more careful."

Only Baili Qingbo and Liuyun Sect were left, facing a huge financial hole, a pile of unfinished projects, and the sect's thunderous wrath.

Baili Qingbo's fate is predictable. With such a huge amount of funds lost, it's hard to say what will happen to the Liuyun Sect in the face of rival sects.

The night in the capital city, beneath its prosperity, lies a trap that devours hope and the future, and it has never taken more than one form.

Inside Qingyin Pavilion, the aroma of tea gradually cooled.

Ye Qingmu and Baili Qingbo sat facing each other, the jade slip in front of them already imprinted with spiritual light with all the details of the cooperation they had just discussed. From the final lease agreement for the venue to the purchase list of the first batch of materials, and the budget for bribing several "key figures," everything was complete and clearly organized.

"Qingbo, how about this?" Ye Qingmu's voice was gentle as she lightly touched the key entries on the jade slip with her fingertips. "I've already spoken to Manager Wang. They can start work immediately once the deposit is received. Lord Li, the official from the Ministry of Works in the capital, will oversee the entire process to ensure that all procedures comply with the regulations of the capital and that there will be no mishaps. As for the suppliers recommended by Steward Liu, although their prices are slightly higher than the market price, their supply is stable and the quality is guaranteed, which will save us a lot of trouble and time in inspecting the goods."

Looking at the detailed arrangements on the jade slip, Baili Qingbo's tense nerves finally relaxed a little, and a relieved smile appeared on her face. She nodded repeatedly, "Good, that's great! Sister Ye, it's all thanks to you! Without you, I really don't know what I would have done... These arrangements couldn't be more thoughtful!" Her eyes were filled with gratitude and trust, and she felt that the fairy sister in front of her was thoughtful and considerate in every way.

Ye Qingmu smiled faintly, like a white lotus just beginning to bloom, with a touch of nonchalant ease: "It was nothing, I'm happy to help you, sister. The funds allocated by the sect should arrive in two or three days, right?"

"Yes!" Baili Qingbo nodded vigorously. "The elder has already sent a message back, and the sect replied that the 200,000 gold coins will be transferred to my account through the Four Seas Bank by noon the day after tomorrow at the latest." Her voice trembled slightly when she mentioned this number, both excited that the sect was finally going to invest heavily and under the pressure of bearing this huge sum of money.

"That's good then." Ye Qingmu stood up gracefully and straightened her plain white clothes. "It's getting late. My sister must be tired after a long day. Go back and rest early. We'll contact you again later regarding the specific handover of funds and follow-up matters."

Baili Qingbo quickly stood up and bowed deeply again: "Sister Ye, please take care. I will never forget your kindness today!"

Ye Qingmu chuckled and waved her hand, indicating that she didn't need to be so polite. Then she turned around and walked out of Qingyin Pavilion with a composed gait.

Outside the pavilion, the night breeze was slightly cool.

Just as she turned and stepped into the intricate streets of the capital, her figure about to be swallowed up by the bustling crowds and the floating lights, the gentle, pure smile on Ye Qingmu's face, as if wiped away by an invisible hand, vanished without a trace.

Instead, there was a cold, calm silence. Those eyes, which were once as clear as a spring, were now unfathomable.

Without stopping, she quickly turned into a secluded alley, her figure flashing several times before disappearing completely into the labyrinth of streets and floating islands in the capital city, like a drop of water flowing into the sea, using the shadows and buildings as cover.

Feeling the jade slip in his arms that recorded the details of the "cooperation," Ye Qingmu's lips finally curled into a smile.

According to the results of today's discussion, she can disappear in two or three days.

Two hundred thousand gold coins!

This enormous wealth was enough for their gang to live a carefree life for many years, and even enough for her to exchange for resources to strive for a higher level!
As for that silly girl named Baili Qingbo and her doomed Liuyun Sect...

Who cares?

That's how it is in God's Capital; people eat people.

Ye Qingmu, too, had her own hardships.

Thinking about all this, Ye Qingmu suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Not far ahead at the alley entrance, in the hazy glow of the moonlight and the distant floating island's radiance, a figure in a green robe stood.

His figure wasn't particularly tall, but he possessed an undeniable presence. He didn't deliberately release his aura, but the sharp divine intent that subtly permeated his body, which he couldn't completely conceal, made the surrounding air seem thick and oppressive.

That's absolutely right—a brilliant insight.

(End of this chapter)