Following the flurry of gifts, news arrived that the Demon Cult Leader would soon visit Gu Ming’s territory.
Upon receiving the news, Mu Qianqian immediately drafted a reception plan and handed it to Gu Ming for review.
Gu Ming scanned it briefly, his eyes darting straight to the projected costs. He massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
“Over 2 million High-grade Spirit Stones… I remember the funds on the territory’s books are less than 1 million High-grade Spirit Stones. How are these excess costs being calculated?”
Mu Qianqian looked embarrassed as she spoke. “Maybe Brother Gu needs to borrow some.”
Gu Ming couldn’t help but laugh.
During the last Heavenly King Meeting, as soon as he had mentioned money, the entire room had fallen silent. No one dared to make a sound, not even the Second Heavenly King, who usually enjoyed opposing him.
Therefore, it was impossible for any of them to lend him anything. After all, he already owed them 300 million.
He immediately rejected Mu Qianqian’s reception plan.
“Rejected. No money.”
“Ah… then, then how are we supposed to receive the Sect Leader?” Mu Qianqian grew nervous. “This is already the smallest possible budget. If we cut it any further, the specifications for the reception won’t match the Sect Leader’s status.”
Gu Ming thought for a moment before saying, “Qianqian, we don’t need all that flashy nonsense. We should show the Sect Leader the most authentic side of our territory. Let him see us as we truly are.”
“The most authentic side?”
Mu Qianqian tilted her head, not quite understanding.
Gu Ming beckoned with his finger. “Come here. I’ll tell you how to arrange it.”
***
The day of the Sect Leader’s arrival.
Gu Ming led a group of soldiers to wait at the territory’s entrance, where they stood in two neat, orderly rows.
However, their clothing was ragged and covered in patches. Even their weapons were either rusted or were actually farming tools; they looked less like soldiers and more like a group of peasants who had never seen a battle.
The only ones whose clothes weren’t patched were Gu Ming and Mu Qianqian.
And yet, their clothes were so faded they looked like they had been worn for more than ten years.
Mu Qianqian felt extremely uneasy.
Although she had been hesitant when she first heard Gu Ming’s instructions, she had followed them anyway, purchasing a batch of old clothes and broken weapons.
Now, she felt a pang of regret. She was annoyed with herself for not persuading Gu Ming against this plan. If they offended the Sect Leader, everything they currently owned would vanish into thin air in an instant.
She stole a glance at Gu Ming and saw his confident expression, which caused much of her anxiety to recede.
Sensing Mu Qianqian’s uneasy gaze, Gu Ming returned a reassuring smile.
He knew exactly what she was worried about.
But in his view, such things would never happen.
He understood the Sect Leader’s purpose for this trip perfectly. The Sect Leader wouldn’t personally visit his territory without a reason; there must be something important for him to handle.
Anything that required a Heavenly King to handle personally was bound to be difficult.
Therefore, he had to take this opportunity to ask for some benefits.
However, he couldn’t ask for them directly.
When the Sect Leader gave you an assignment, it was your duty. If you tried to negotiate terms, you were practically asking for death.
Thus, he had to give the Sect Leader a subtle hint.
He had to tell the Sect Leader, ‘I’m poor. Truly poor. If you don’t believe me, look at the soldiers’ clothes and weapons, look at my own attire…’
Only then would the Sect Leader take the initiative to offer some benefits. It wouldn’t give off the wrong impression that he was grumbling and demanding rewards just for doing his job.
He couldn’t explain this clearly to Mu Qianqian, though. She was a good girl with a strong moral compass; he couldn’t corrupt her.
Fortunately, this girl never asked why. She simply listened to his words and followed his instructions.
‘She really is a good girl.’
Just as Gu Ming was praising Mu Qianqian in his mind, a small black dot appeared in the distant sky.
As time passed, the black dot gradually grew larger, eventually revealing its true form.
It was a carriage galloping through the sky.
It was a Fire-wheeled Carriage.
However, it wasn’t pulled by horses. It relied on its flaming wheels to tread through the air, looking incredibly cool.
This kind of carriage could sell for 200 million High-grade Spirit Stones on the Black Market. It was a prohibitively expensive luxury item.
Of course, its functions weren’t as simple as they appeared. Besides flying through the air, it was rumored to be able to traverse space, though the cost of doing so once was astronomical.
Not long after, the fire-wheeled vehicle stopped in front of Gu Ming and the others. Then, an old man wearing a white Daoist robe pulled back the curtain and leaned out his upper body, only to freeze.
“Welcome, Sect Leader.”
Seeing the Sect Leader lean out, the soldiers lowered their heads in greeting, their voices loud and excited.
As lowly soldiers of the Demon Cult, they were thrilled beyond measure to have the honor of seeing the supreme leader of their order.
Gu Ming and Mu Qianqian also bowed slightly to show their welcome.
The Sect Leader’s expression turned strange as he scanned the surroundings. His gaze eventually landed on Gu Ming.
Surprisingly, the Sect Leader didn’t comment on the situation. Instead, he smiled and said to Gu Ming, “Gu Ming, it has been a long time. You truly have the air of a Heavenly King now.”
Gu Ming knew exactly what he meant. It was nothing more than a sarcastic jab telling him not to play these little tricks. But Gu Ming wasn’t about to give up so easily.
The more the Sect Leader acted this way, the more it proved the difficulty of the task he was about to assign. If Gu Ming didn’t get some benefits now, he would regret it later.
Thus, Gu Ming replied calmly, “By the Sect Leader’s grace, I have fortunately not failed in my mission.”
The Sect Leader stepped down from the carriage and laughed. “Yes, very good. The soldiers are full of spirit. It seems you’ve trained them well.”
Just as he finished speaking, a commotion suddenly broke out among the ranks not far away. Several soldiers huddled together as if something had happened.
Gu Ming feigned anger and shouted, “What’s going on?”
In reality, he was praising Mu Qianqian in his heart. This was the first “performance” he had arranged for the Sect Leader, and she had coordinated it perfectly. These soldiers had been carefully selected; their backgrounds were clean, and every one of them was loyal only to Gu Ming.
A moment later, a soldier stepped forward to report. “Lord Heavenly King, a soldier has fainted.”
“Fainted?”
Gu Ming frowned and yelled, “What happened? Did he not eat breakfast?”
“He did, but…”
The soldier hesitated before slowly saying, “But we’ve been eating nothing but cabbage boiled in plain water lately. We can’t hold on much longer.”
“What—”
“Enough.”
Gu Ming was about to continue his act when the Sect Leader forcefully interrupted him. The Sect Leader rubbed his temples and said, “I didn’t come here to watch a bad play.”
“Sect Leader, this isn’t a play. We are truly broke. I currently owe the other Heavenly Kings 300 million, and I’ve only been in office for barely a month. I’ve already had to start taxing the commoners all the way down to their great-great-grandchildren’s generation.”
As he spoke, Gu Ming pitiably wiped away a couple of tears.
The corner of the Sect Leader’s mouth twitched slightly. He let out a sigh.
“I’ll pay back that 300 million for you, and then I’ll give you another 200 million. Is that enough?”
!!!
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