Chapter 42: A Grand Scheme Unveiled

The sheer depth of their depravity caused Quan Haoqing to shake his head in dismay.

Despite the bandit leader clinging to the dream of cultivating to immortality, he had, in essence, already given up on himself.

For Rogue Cultivators, achieving immortality was an arduous path; to ascend even a single step further demanded extraordinary fortune and an unyielding spirit.

Not even those who had embraced the demonic path would permit themselves to wallow in such decadence, lost to wine and women, drifting through their days in a perpetual stupor.

Scattered across the ground, other subordinates lay sprawled, each having indulged in their fill of wine and food, now slumbering with a scantily clad beauty clasped in their embrace.

Despite Quan Haoqing having expressly instructed You An to convey that today’s agenda involved strategizing against the Blood s*ave Sect cultivator and Ye Qingfeng’s spirit stones, every single one of them remained in this disgraceful state.

Still, when facing adversaries as witless as pigs, the more there were, the better.

Stepping over the ‘corpses’ strewn across the floor, Quan Haoqing reached Rong Guangliang’s side and gently tapped his shoulder.

Rong Guangliang stirred awake with a muzzy groan, his eyes fluttering open to Quan Haoqing standing over him.

“Ah, it’s Eighth Brother,” he slurred, “What’s the matter? Come join the revelry!”

Observing Rong Guangliang’s persistent drowsiness, Quan Haoqing leaned in, a conspiratorial glint in his eyes, and whispered into his ear: “We can ‘revel’ later.

I’ve received crucial intelligence!

The Wealth-Scattering Child is about to act! We’re on the cusp of making an enormous fortune, Boss, with at least a thousand high-grade spirit stones as a starting point!

If everything proceeds smoothly, we could even acquire top-tier cultivation techniques and high-grade magical treasures!”

A thousand spirit stones!

Top-tier cultivation techniques?!

High-grade magical treasures?!!!

A sudden jolt, like a thunderbolt plummeting from the sky and striking him directly on the head, instantly cleared Rong Guangliang’s mind.

He was instantly wide awake, abruptly sitting upright and even startling the beauty beside him from her slumber.

Never in his entire life had Rong Guangliang stood to gain such a monumental profit.

“Damn, is there really that much?!”

Quan Haoqing affirmed with unwavering conviction, “If I’m wrong, you can twist my head off!

That Blood s*ave Sect cultivator is a truly fat fish! Boss, it’s imperative that we brothers immediately strategize on how to reel him in.”

Rong Guangliang nodded vigorously, then quickly inquired, “Yes, yes, where are the others?”

Quan Haoqing silently shifted his position, granting Rong Guangliang an unobstructed view of his subordinates sprawled on the ground, each clutching a woman, their sleeping postures utterly disgraceful.

“They’re all right here.”

While this was their customary behavior, the presence of Quan Haoqing, impeccably dressed and an anomaly among them, inexplicably filled Rong Guangliang with profound embarrassment.

“Damn it, all of you, get up!”

Without even pausing to don his clothes, he sprang to his feet and bellowed, his voice infused with a trace of spiritual energy.

“Wh-what’s happening? Is someone attacking?”

The subordinates, roused abruptly from their deep sleep, scrambled to their feet in a panic, casting anxious glances in every direction, their faces etched with profound unease.

Quan Haoqing observed these ‘monkeys’ with a mirthful, almost mocking smile.

Ordinarily, these men would cling together, ambushing and tormenting lone Rogue Cultivators with an arrogance that made them seem like veritable fiends of chaos.

Yet, in the jarring aftermath of their rude awakening, their true natures were laid bare.

What precisely did they fear? Was it the specter of retribution?

“Enough! All of you, put your clothes on! Eighth Brother has brought us a huge deal!”

As he finished speaking, a flicker of realization crossed Rong Guangliang’s face.

His gaze darted to the beauty who had shared his ‘storm’ of pleasure, and a chilling glint of murderous intent sparked in his eyes.

Given the illicit nature of their dealings, it was only natural that the fewer individuals privy to their secrets, the safer they would be.

These women were nothing more than abducted mortals, mere playthings in his eyes.

Now that they had overheard what they shouldn’t, there was, naturally, no longer any reason to preserve their lives.

At that moment, Quan Haoqing quickly interjected, “Boss, they are merely mortals.

Once the main entrance is sealed, how could they possibly escape?

Besides, your cave dwelling requires tidying, and our discussion takes precedence.

Once we’ve secured our immense profits, we’ll still need them to add some excitement to our celebrations.”

Only then did Rong Guangliang’s attention return, realizing the truth in the statement: they were, after all, just a group of mortals.

Moreover, he observed that his meticulously designed cave dwelling had been reduced to an absolute shambles, a consequence of the overly exuberant revelry with his subordinates the previous day.

How could they, exalted cultivators, possibly stoop to such menial tasks, typically reserved for servants?

“Hmph, come, let us relocate.

You mortal women, consider yourselves privileged to have been favored by us cultivators.

Afterwards, ensure my cave dwelling is immaculate.

If I return to find even a speck of disorder, I swear I’ll flay you alive!”

The mortal women inside the cave dwelling immediately began to tremble uncontrollably, falling to their knees and assenting in frightened whispers.

Meanwhile, the very bedmates who had revelled with them just yesterday were now hastily dressing themselves, exhibiting not the slightest inclination to intercede on the women’s behalf.

A cold glint flickered in Quan Haoqing’s eyes.

‘Hah, such noble cultivators, indeed.’

Once properly dressed, Rong Guangliang seemed to reclaim his true demeanor, once more embodying the imposing leader who commanded authority without a single furious word, as he led his subordinates out of the cave dwelling.

Individuals engaged in such illicit dealings naturally maintained more than a single sanctuary; the wisdom of a cunning rabbit having three burrows was not lost on them.

Their second refuge, however, possessed none of the grandeur of the cave dwelling.

It was merely a decaying temple, where a large, wooden Buddha, its paint flaking away, sat high upon its dais, its cold wooden eyes silently bearing witness to a conspiracy of greed and murder.

“Eighth Brother, we’re here.

Stop with the suspense and tell us.”

As was customary, Song Mo broke the silence, while Rong Guangliang merely maintained his dignified composure, his gaze fixed intently on Quan Haoqing.

Indeed, they had perfected the art of the ‘fox borrowing the tiger’s might.’

The sole distinction here was that the ‘tiger’ was fully aware of the ‘fox’ leveraging his authority, yet he willingly indulged it.

This arrangement ensured that any misstep would fall squarely on the ‘fox’s’ shoulders, leaving the ‘tiger’s’ prestige untarnished.

Quan Haoqing completely ignored Song Mo, instead directing a fawning gaze at Rong Guangliang as he spoke: “Boss, I’ve gathered information: Ye Qingfeng is scheduled to depart in 20 days to confront that Blood s*ave Sect cultivator.

This presents the perfect opportunity for us to ensnare them all in a single net!

We merely need to bide our time, allowing these two factions to battle each other to annihilation, and then we can effortlessly claim the spoils of their conflict!”

Witnessing Quan Haoqing’s utter disregard, Song Mo asked with a hint of pique, “Is this intelligence truly accurate?

Boss is perpetually occupied with myriad affairs; if this venture turns out to be a fruitless endeavor, it would be a grievous transgression indeed.”

Quan Haoqing stated with unwavering conviction, “Without ascending the beam ladder, who would dare to lift the roof tiles (TL Note: A Chinese idiom implying one would not act without proper preparation or certainty)?

I can stake my life on the veracity of this matter.

Should I truly cause Boss to undertake a fruitless journey, then I shall leave my fate—whether to be slain or dismembered—entirely to the discretion of my esteemed brothers!”

“It seems you’re quite passionate about this matter.”

Rong Guangliang finally broke his silence, while Quan Haoqing’s lips curled into a subtle, knowing smile, as if a pearl of wisdom rested firmly in his grasp—all he lacked was a feather fan to complete the image.

Quan Haoqing, with an air of complete certainty, replied, “That is only natural.

This venture, after all, marks a pivotal turning point for our gang’s development over the next century.

How could I, your humble subordinate, possibly afford to be negligent?”

Song Mo sneered, “It’s merely an act of robbing the rich to aid the poor.

You certainly articulate it grandly, but in essence, it’s nothing more than making a mountain out of a molehill.”

Nevertheless, Quan Haoqing’s reaction successfully captured Rong Guangliang’s attention.

“Intriguing,” Rong Guangliang mused, “Tell me, how will this influence the gang’s development?

While a thousand spirit stones, along with magical treasures and secret manuals, can undoubtedly provide a significant boost to our gang, a century-long turning point must surely involve more than just these, mustn’t it?”

Despite Rong Guangliang having blocked some of his prepared excuses, Quan Haoqing’s expression remained supremely confident and assertive, as he declared with firm conviction: “Of course!

The gang’s advancement serves as a crucial springboard.

With Boss’s innate talent, breaking through to the Origin Reversion Realm with a thousand high-grade spirit stones would be effortless, would it not?

Coupled with the magical treasures and cultivation manuals, your strength will undergo a qualitative leap, providing a robust guarantee for the next phase of our plan!

And that next phase is the true crux of this turning point!”

Quan Haoqing scoffed, “If it’s not easy, then we simply won’t pursue it?

Are the days of our brothers living by the sword and licking blood any easier?

Have we not lost brothers, or what?”

In that instant, Quan Haoqing seemed to embody the spirits of those brothers who had fallen on the path of robbery, as he passionately declared: “It is time to end this absurd hunting!

We became cultivators to pursue the immortal dao of longevity, not to engage in banditry and plunder!

In the past, we lacked power, influence, and strength; we had no right to choose, only a destiny to be chosen.

But now! We are finally on the verge of possessing the right to choose!

This path will also involve bloodshed and sacrifice!

However, this bloodshed and sacrifice will have a discernible end!

We may still be unable to match the status and wealth of those prominent righteous sects, but at the very least, we will no longer be despised Rogue Cultivators!

We will no longer need to exhaust ourselves meticulously, risking our lives for a mere spirit stone.

Our descendants, and even we ourselves, will gain the right and the means to enter those great sects!

Is this not worth us risking everything for just once?

We are, after all, about to have a thousand spirit stones as our foundation!”

For a moment, Song Mo was also stunned.

These were thoughts he had never entertained, or perhaps, had always been too afraid to consider.

‘So this is the path we should have been taking all along!’

Rong Guangliang’s eyes gleamed with brilliance.

Rising from his cross-legged position, he approached Quan Haoqing and clapped him on the shoulder, saying, “Excellent, excellent!

Do this well, and I assure you, I will not treat you unfairly!”