Yefutidaolu

Chapter 459 Cleanup
Ye Qingmu's plea carried the helplessness and self-righteousness unique to those struggling at the bottom of society, as if questioning the world: We just want to survive, what's wrong with that?

why?
The same question crossed Gao Jian's mind.

Everyone is just trying to survive.

City dwellers usually use deception, while rural people, being more honest and simple, generally rely on brute force.

The Liuyun Sect, relying on its power, tends to act tyrannically; the Huang Shu Group, being weak, is adept at deception.

Which one is right?

On the surface, it seems like no one has it easy. Everyone is just trying to survive and find a way out in this dog-eat-dog world.

This reminded him of the scene he had witnessed many years ago when he first arrived in this world, in that remote place called Low Mountain Village.

Those farmers, toiling in the fields from dawn till dusk, in order to pray for rain to nourish their parched land, to ensure the crops could grow, and to allow themselves and their families to survive, chose to rob and kill passing travelers, offering their flesh and souls to the so-called "mountain god."

Are they wrong?

According to Gao Jian at the time, no, they were not wrong.

That was a real struggle on the edge of survival. Without this method, the village might not have survived the dry season and would have starved to death.

The choice made under such circumstances was an instinct born of despair, the most primal cry of life. No one has the right to stand on moral high ground and condemn those whose hands are stained with blood simply to "survive."

but……

Gao Jian's gaze returned to Ye Qingmu.

In his view, both the Flowing Cloud Sect and Uncle Huang's Group were wrong!

why?

Because of... greed!
The “difficulties” and “unavoidable circumstances” they keep talking about, upon closer analysis, are not simply rooted in “survival”, but rather in their inflated desires and insatiable greed!
The Flowing Cloud Sect has long since passed the stage of needing to worry about basic survival resources. Their suppression of smaller families, monopolization of shipping routes, and theft of secrets are all aimed at acquiring more resources, expanding their power, advancing their ranking among the immortal sects, and satisfying the upper-level cultivators' thirst for higher-level cultivation techniques and rarer materials! Their "difficulty" lies in maintaining and expanding their vested interest group; it is the infighting and power struggles driven by greed!

The same applies to Uncle Huang's group! They weren't without other means of livelihood. With Ye Qingmu's fifth-level cultivation, even becoming a guest retainer in a powerful family or taking on bounty missions from the government, though arduous, would have been enough to support his cultivation and basic living. But they chose deception because it was faster, easier, and allowed them to live a life of extravagance far exceeding their actual abilities and efforts! Their "difficulty" lay in maintaining the enormous expenses of their fraud ring and the unearned high consumption of its members; it was the laziness nurtured by greed and the dependence on ill-gotten gains!

“Struggling for survival is understandable.” Gao Jian finally spoke again, his voice not loud, but chilling: “But using the name of survival to indulge in greed is not good.”

He stared at Ye Qingmu and said, word by word:

"Your predicament stems from greed that has inflated your appetite, yet you blame the world for not providing a way to survive. The Flowing Cloud Sect, on the other hand, has become ruthless because its ambition has swelled its methods, yet it is disguised as a dog-eat-dog world."

"I'm giving you two choices."

"First, stop immediately. Consider your previous investments a lesson learned. Then, work for me, and I will pay you accordingly, enough to survive, but don't expect to get rich overnight."

"Second, you can try and see if you can take that 200,000 gold coins from me."

Gao Jian gave his ultimatum.

This isn't about right or wrong, but about declaring his rules.

Ye Qingmu froze on the spot, her expression shifting unpredictably.

Ye Qingmu knew that simply complaining and making excuses would be ineffective.

She remained silent for a long time, her mind racing as she weighed the options. Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she slowly raised her head, her gaze no longer flickering, but filled with an almost desperate honesty.

She lowered her head slightly and softened her voice: "My lord... you and I once... exchanged cultivation techniques for a period of time."

She carefully chose her words to refer to that unequal but highly beneficial transaction: "During that time, I was fortunate enough to learn a sliver of your skills, and you... must have also gained something from my meager tricks."

She paused, observing Gao Jian's reaction. Seeing that he did not interrupt, she mustered her courage to continue, "However, after that... by chance, I also gained some new insights into the Desire Realm." She deliberately emphasized the words "Desire Realm," knowing full well what this meant to Gao Jian. "Some of these insights about the mind, thoughts, and the transformation between reality and illusion might... might have a small effect on your current disordered breathing."

She raised her eyes, her gaze filled with a pleading yet shrewd bargaining intent: "I am willing to share all that I have gained with you, sir... I only ask that you, sir, we can discuss the future later, shall we?"

The meaning behind those words couldn't be clearer.

She was begging for mercy, pleading for their forgiveness this time.

In exchange, she offered a harvest from the Desire Realm that might be beneficial to the High Insight's current stability. She promised peace "this time" and implied that they would restrain themselves in the future, and might even disappear from the High Insight's sight, no longer being an eyesore.

This is undoubtedly a very tempting offer.

The mysteries of the Desire Realm are of immeasurable value to Gao Jian, who is currently in a state of mental turmoil and seeking a breakthrough. For many, exchanging a moment of "turning a blind eye" for a clue that may solve their predicament is a worthwhile trade.

However, as Gao Jian looked at her, he sighed inwardly.

how to say……

He actually really needs Ye Qingmu and Uncle Huang's group.

The Huang Group has been entrenched in the lower and middle classes of the capital for many years, reaching into every stratum of society and industry, with informants or bribing connections in almost every area. They have access to information unavailable through official channels and connections to people inaccessible through formal channels. Whether it's internal strife within powerful families, the hidden quirks of certain officials, or even seemingly insignificant gossip, all can become crucial information in court politics. They can even manage to infiltrate certain residences and business associations as long-term spies.

Ye Qingmu is the best example. They are adept at fabricating identities and playing roles, capable of creating convincing falsehoods. Gao Jian could easily exploit this, having them disguise themselves as merchants from different regions, wandering cultivators, or even representatives of a small force, to proactively contact certain targets, spread rumors that are difficult to verify, sow discord, or set traps to lure opponents into making mistakes. Some words, spoken by "Gao Jian," would be provocative, but when they come from a seemingly unrelated third party who appears "by chance," the effect is entirely different.

There are some things that are inconvenient for the emperor to do, inconvenient for Li Zoufang to do, and even more inconvenient for Gao Jian himself to do personally. For example, secretly intercepting certain key supplies, disrupting certain illegal secret industries of rivals, or temporarily eliminating certain particularly troublesome individuals who are difficult to trace through "accidents." Uncle Huang's group is proficient in all sorts of underhanded methods, acts cleanly and efficiently, and is difficult to trace back to the source, making them the ideal tool for handling such "dirty work."

Moreover, if Gao Jian needs to conduct secret transactions with certain forces, or needs to mobilize a large amount of resources that are not noticed by the authorities, the seemingly inconspicuous shops, banks, and underground trading points controlled by Uncle Huang's group can become perfect transit points and cover. If operated properly, even hundreds of thousands or millions of gold coins can be wiped out cleanly without leaving a trace.

In essence, by controlling the Huang family group, Gao Jian possessed a flexible and covert network in the capital. This network might not determine the final outcome, but it could significantly restrain, weaken, and confuse his opponents, providing Gao Jian with crucial information and tactical options—a trump card in the impending bloodshed. He needed their pervasive intelligence gathering abilities, their skill in fabricating lies, planting agents, and creating confusion, and their ability to operate in the gray area, unnoticed by the mainstream. These capabilities were irreplaceable by legitimate power and court rules in the upcoming struggle against powerful families and even deeper forces.

Gao Jian sighed inwardly. He really needed Uncle Huang and his group, their network of informants that spread like a spider web throughout the lower levels of the capital, and their ability to weave lies flawlessly, in order to deal with the increasingly treacherous political landscape that was about to unfold in the court, as well as the open and covert attacks from powerful families and other unknown enemies.

He personally sought them out with the intention of recruiting them for his own use and putting them to great use.

The future capital, especially the imperial court, will inevitably be turbulent and unpredictable.

Although the emperor's powerful return initially intimidated the powerful clans, this was only the beginning. These clans, with their centuries-old, deeply entrenched networks, would not easily submit. They would outwardly comply within the rules while secretly defying them, and resort to any means necessary outside of them. It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark.

Gao Jian himself was at the center of the vortex, both the emperor's sharpest blade and a thorn in the side of powerful families. He needed eyes, ears, and even more so, hands that could operate in the shadows and do things that those "upright" people could not.

Not to mention, what Ye Qingmu gave was also very tempting.

That insight into mind and will from the Desire Realm was exactly what he craved most at that moment! If he could glimpse a sliver of an opportunity to reconcile the conflict between the "Song of the Great Dao of Profound Transformation" and the "Scripture of the Heart Lamp Illuminating Shadows," and eliminate the weakness of his own divine will being unable to achieve perfect harmony, that would be an even greater gain. Even if it was just a possibility, he did not want to give it up.

So, how to do it?

Gao Jian looked at Ye Qingmu.

The first time, she tried to justify it with the idea that "even thieves have their code of honor".

The second time, she pleaded for the gang's "survival".

The third time, she tried to use "gains from the realm of desire" as a bargaining chip to get away.

This was the third time she had made excuses. Adding to that her past history of deceiving Dansha, being let off the hook by Gao Jian once, only to return to her old ways…

Takashi's last bit of patience was finally worn away.

He said no more, only sighed deeply.

Before the sigh had even faded, Gao Jian was moved.

There was no overwhelming momentum, no dazzling light, just the simplest and most direct punch, aimed straight at Ye Qingmu's chest! The speed of the punch seemed slow, but it seemed to lock down all the space around her, leaving her with no way to dodge!
Ye Qingmu was terrified. At the critical moment of life and death, her most treasured instincts suddenly erupted!

With a swift wave of her hand, her refined illusion techniques and some insights gained from the Desire Realm instantly merged and burst forth!
hum-

The surrounding scenery suddenly distorted and changed!
The narrow alleyway seemed to stretch infinitely, the walls on both sides transforming into writhing barriers of flesh and blood. Countless pale arms reached out from the ground, grabbing at Gao Jian's ankles. The moonlight overhead was swallowed by churning, inky clouds, and the mournful howls of ghosts pierced the soul! Moreover, seven or eight figures identical to Ye Qingmu, even sharing the same aura, appeared simultaneously in different locations, some retreating hastily, some counterattacking with hand seals, and some merging into the shadows... It was impossible to distinguish between reality and illusion!

This illusion technique, incorporating her insight into human fear, her ability to manipulate desires, and her rudimentary application of the rules of reality and illusion, is arguably the pinnacle of her life's work! It is enough to instantly bewilder cultivators of the same level, and even to momentarily daze opponents of a higher realm!
She has indeed gained something in the realm of desire; she truly possesses value to those with profound insights! She has already demonstrated her potential to perfect the cultivation methods of those with profound insights! If she simply stops, she can gain so much—

however--

A master's fist strikes without the slightest hesitation; all hesitation occurs before the punch is thrown.

Once the punch is thrown, there is no room for retreat.

Those incredibly realistic illusions, those mesmerizing sounds, those ghostly hands that seemed to impede one's progress—they vanished silently, like snow under the sun, the instant they touched the fist. All illusions, all pretense, were utterly fragile before that absolute power and that even more refined, more transcendent will.

The fist pierced through the last distorted light and shadow, landing precisely on a spot that appeared to be empty but was actually where Ye Qingmu's true form was located.

puff!

A muffled thud, like a ripe watermelon bursting open.

Ye Qingmu's expression of shock and disbelief remained frozen in time. Her head shattered instantly under Gao Jian's seemingly ordinary punch, like porcelain being struck by a giant hammer!
Red and white substances splashed everywhere, but were restrained by an invisible force, preventing them from polluting too much of the area.

The headless corpse swayed and then collapsed softly, its expensive white robes instantly becoming a mess.

Inside the alley, the illusion dissipated, and silence returned.

The next moment, Gao Jian disappeared from the spot.

Ye Qingmu is just one person.

Uncle Huang's Group... and there are still many people there.

Let's not keep any of them.

—The backyard of a seemingly thriving gambling den.

A noisy restaurant basement.

A warehouse rented on the edge of a floating island.

Gao Jian's figure appeared in these places.

Just like he did to Ye Qingmu in the alley, he simply threw a punch.

The Huang Uncle Group, a malignant tumor that had entrenched itself in the lower echelons of the capital for many years and woven countless scams, was uprooted by him, leaving no core members alive.

After all this was done, it was still dark, and less than an hour had passed.

Then, he knocked on Baili Qingbo's door.

The door opened, and Baili Qingbo frowned as she looked at the man in front of her.

(End of this chapter)