Chapter 407: Earning Money Standing Up

Chapter 407: Standing to Earn Money, Jin'gong City, Jin Yi Wei Hundred Household Office.

Li Jun opened the door to the medical room beneath the Hundred Household Office, and immediately saw Chen Qi Sheng lying on the bed. At that moment, Chen Qi Sheng's skin, scorched by the thunder seal, had fully recovered, and even the hair on his face had returned to its original state. Except for his unusually dim eyes, he was completely different from the six hours prior, when he had been on the brink of death from severe injuries. "You're here," Li Jun murmured, casually pulling up a chair and sitting beside the bed. "You're recovering pretty well." "The surface looks fine, but the real injuries are here," Chen Qi Sheng patted his abdomen, where the Daoist foundation was hidden, his voice trembling. "My third brother almost got burned to charcoal by that bastard Luo Shan." "Third brother?!" Li Jun's brows furrowed, then he suddenly understood, smiling. "You still have the energy to chat here? That means you're not going to die. Tell me, how did you get involved with the Hall Master's mountain?" "Didn't that Taoist priest, Zuo Si Jiu, tell you? When I sought help, he made sure to explain everything clearly to you." Chen Qi Sheng seemed to remember something, asking, "Right, why haven't I seen him? Did he hide again?" "No, I sent him back to the imperial capital to help with some matters." Li Jun didn't elaborate on Zuo Si Jiu's whereabouts, speaking lightly, "He mentioned the reason, but I'm still a bit puzzled. After all, he's just a clever and wild man, not a significant figure. The Hall Master's mountain would risk offending the Japanese Jin Yi Wei to retrieve him from you? Isn't that a bit too unprofitable?" "A clever and wild man isn't valuable, but the opportunity to succeed as a Daoist is." Chen Qi Sheng sighed, "Everyone knows that Mingzhi Changye was once a key figure in Mingzhi Xingxiu, holding a significant position in the Black Dragon Capital. Although the Black Dragon Capital has split, the entire Mingzhi family is in peril, each fleeing for their lives. Yet, he might still have Mingzhi Xingxiu's downfall in his mind. That alone is enough to make them take such risks." Chen Qi Sheng sighed, "I even considered hiding in the Edo Castle's thousand-house office; otherwise, even the Li Bu Feng's commandery office might have the guts to cause trouble." Li Jun's eyes widened, "This position is really that important?" Chen Qi Sheng spoke naturally, "There are millions of Daoist believers in the entire Ming Empire, ten thousand from the Daoist ranks. The number of Daoist immortals in Bai Yu Jing has never exceeded a hundred. Isn't that enough?" "People die for money, birds die for food. Even these clean-hearted cultivators can't escape worldly affairs." "Immortals are still humans. Cleanliness and detachment only mean abandoning trivial desires and focusing solely on the greatest wish: immortality." Li Jun sensed a deep self-mockery in Chen Qi Sheng's words, momentarily unsure how to respond. After a moment of silence, Chen Qi Sheng spoke first, "You're not curious what I found in Mingzhi Changye's mind?" "That's something you paid with your life for. You decide. If you want to tell me, I'll listen. If not, I won't ask." "This has little to do with the Daoist sect, but it's closely related to your Jin Yi Wei." Chen Qi Sheng shook his head, smiling bitterly, "Mingzhi Changye doesn't even know about Mingzhi Xingxiu's downfall. He's just a meat letter someone deliberately sent." Li Jun's brows furrowed, "A meat letter?" "Mingzhi Changye's mind holds only one valuable piece of information." Chen Qi Sheng whispered, "The attack on Edo Castle's Hongkaku Kamono was a puppet supported by the three families: Ren De, Black Dragon, and Rong Shi. These three take turns using this identity, every two years, to handle hidden troubles or show goodwill to your Jin Yi Wei. This time, it's Ren De Capital." Li Jun listened quietly, his expression unchanged. Days earlier, when leaving Matsumoto City on the way to Jin'gong, he had already known this. Fan Wu Guo had broken into Mizuki Goju, or the mouth of Rong Shi's dragon. According to the information, Rong Shi had let him infiltrate Hongkaku to eavesdrop on other families' secrets. Li Jun continued, "Why do you think Mingzhi Changye is a meat letter?" "Supporting Hongkaku secretly, even producing a king-level leader, isn't a small matter. If exposed, the four major companies would definitely not be able to bear it." Chen Qi Sheng analyzed, "With Mingzhi Changye's status, he shouldn't know such secrets. Yet now, his mind clearly records these things, even the details of the Edo Castle's actions. It's definitely someone's doing." Li Jun's eyes closed slightly, his thoughts tangled. If the Kamono was truly a puppet of the three families, then in the Edo Castle's turmoil, Tokugawa Yoshinori not only helped the Mingzhi family escape but also eliminated the remaining threats. For the three families, this was a good thing. After all, with the current situation in the Japanese region, the 'Kamono' title had no real value. But now, someone had exposed this information, clearly aiming to drag Tokugawa Yoshinori down, using the Jin Yi Wei to uproot him and his backer, Ren De Capital. "Do you think the Hongkaku's internal people already knew this?" Li Jun's first thought was that the Hongkaku's own people were plotting against Tokugawa Yoshinori. "Who knows?" Chen Qi Sheng shrugged, "But I think even if they knew, they wouldn't care. Hongkaku thrives on chaos; the more turmoil, the happier they are. They don't care who stirs the mud." Li Jun shook his head, pushing aside the tangled thoughts. Professional matters should be handled by professionals; analyzing intelligence was a meticulous task, not suitable for him. Anyway, he had already reported the information to the thousand-house office; the rest would be handled by others. If action was needed, Su Ce would instruct him. "Since Mingzhi Changye's mind has nothing the Daoist sect is interested in, why not just tell the Daoist sect?" "I know these people's nature too well. Unless they see my brain with their own eyes, they won't believe me." Chen Qi Sheng coldly laughed, "Moreover, I've never liked waiting for others to give me a chance to live." "But if you keep it to yourself, the blame will fall on you." Li Jun smiled, "Moreover, from your earlier words, more trouble is likely to come." "With Li Tian dead, there should be a temporary calm. He's somewhat famous among the younger generation of the Daoist sect, able to deter many." Chen Qi Sheng licked his lips, a trace of ferocity in his lifeless eyes. "But the Hall Master's mountain probably won't give up so easily." After a moment of silence, Chen Qi Sheng pulled a silver peace lock from his sleeve, its surface cracked as if broken and re-glued. He casually tossed it to Li Jun, calmly saying, "This is your reward for saving my life. Of course, this is just a partial payment. I've lost everything else. But don't worry, I've contacted Long Yu Mountain; they'll send things soon, and we'll settle it all at once." Li Jun looked down, examining the lock, which bore the inscription 'Apprentice Qi Sheng's Initiation.' Though its function was unclear, its origin was evident. Li Jun's expression turned strange, realizing Chen Qi Sheng had come to a desperate point. Chen Qi Sheng's time in Long Yu Mountain must have been tough. From the beginning, Li Jun had sensed this. In Chongqing, Chen Qi Sheng, representing Long Yu Mountain as the 'Doushi' of the Dou Department, had investigated the collapse of the Qixingtu Group alone, never receiving support from his sect. After their cooperation, Li Jun had never seen other Long Yu Mountain members. Though part of the reason was Qin Wang Zhu You Hong's interference, limiting Daoist entries into Chongqing, Long Yu Mountain shouldn't have ignored him. Moreover, the results showed Chen Qi Sheng hadn't gained much, facing great danger. After arriving in the Japanese region, their first meeting was in a alley outside the Dog Mountain's office, Chen Qi Sheng appearing on the verge of death. As one of the 'Four Mountains and One Temple,' the Hall Master's mountain, Li Tian, showed a bold stance, while Chen Qi Sheng, always talking about seeking immortality, remained trapped between life and death. "What, you don't like it?" Chen Qi Sheng noticed Li Jun's expression, as if stepped on his tail, his upper body suddenly rising. "Old Li, don't look down on this. It's real! It can block a fourth-rank Daoist's fatal injury, saving your life in critical moments!" Chen Qi Sheng's voice was calm, but his eyes held a hint of cunning.

Walk.