Chapter 73: Private Discussions

Hearing Long San’s question, Zixuan simply smiled indifferently and said, “Honestly, I’ve never cared much about whatever little schemes the three great families have. They want to use us, and we want to rely on them to find Yaya—nothing more.”

“The three families have deep roots and formidable power. Each family is full of sly old foxes. If a few of them get together and plot against you, you’re bound to suffer. Are you so confident that you won’t get caught up in their games?” Long San folded his arms, affecting an air of inscrutable wisdom.

Zixuan laughed and shrugged twice. “So what? To be honest, I don’t fully trust them, nor do I trust you without reservation. You and those families are essentially cut from the same cloth. The three families have plenty of dirty tricks up their sleeves, and I doubt you’re any better. In the end, it’s all about self-interest—no one’s holier than thou. As long as my price is high enough, there’ll naturally be someone willing to help me find her.”

“Fine, since you put it that way, I won’t deny it. But let me assure you, everything we do is for the benefit of the ordinary people, to protect them from getting entangled in the disputes of cultivators. Our department exists solely for the interests of the common folk. You may never know how much harm the three families have secretly inflicted on the populace. It’s a shame our Security Bureau was only established recently and is often powerless to intervene. Unless we catch them in the act, most of their crimes are concealed,” Long San said bitterly, indignation coloring his words as he denounced the underhandedness of the three families.

“You’re only saying this because you’re weaker than they are for now,” Zixuan retorted with a mocking smile. “Once you surpass them, I suspect your methods will be no different from theirs.”

“We’re strictly regulated by the state, governed by national laws and codes of conduct. How could we commit acts that harm the country and the people?” Long San shot back, bristling with righteous anger.

“If our paths differ, we’ll never see eye to eye. There’s no point in arguing with you. You can say whatever you like, but it changes nothing. Since you’re the first to lay your cards on the table, let’s get down to business—let’s talk about the reward,” Zixuan replied lazily, stretching as he made it clear where their cooperation stood. He all but spelled out, “Don’t bother with the rhetoric. This is just a transaction.”

Long San, trained from childhood to be loyal to the state and the nation, could hardly stand for Zixuan’s blasphemy. Furious, he was about to argue when Zixuan, seeing the anger on his face, decided to defuse the situation. “Alright, just pretend I didn’t say anything. Let’s talk about the reward for finding Yaya.”

Tang Wei, who had been silent by Zixuan’s side, noticed Long San’s lingering resentment and quickly sought to comfort him. “Sir, Xiao Xuan grew up in the mountains with my master. His upbringing is different from yours. You can’t expect him to be loyal to the country, the people, or the party as you are. Wanting him to think like you is as unrealistic as asking the three families to set aside their grievances and wholeheartedly serve the people. Is that even possible? You’d do better to negotiate for terms most beneficial to your department.”

Long San considered her words and realized she was right. He’d expected too much—how could everyone be like him? After some thought, he said, “You two are straightforward people, so I’ll be direct as well. Our department isn’t strong enough, so I hope you can provide us with some Spirit Origin Pills to help our members improve their abilities.”

“Alright, how about a hundred pills?” Tang Wei immediately agreed, acting the part of a spendthrift.

Zixuan was displeased and tugged at Tang Wei’s sleeve. “Senior sister, we don’t have that many pills, and we definitely don’t need to give away a hundred.”

“Oh, what does it matter?” Tang Wei replied carelessly. “If he’s so convinced they serve the people, let’s give them the chance to prove it. I’m curious to see if they can stick to their principles. A hundred pills is nothing—I can always refine more if needed.”

Long San was stunned by her offer. The pills that could raise one’s cultivation by two levels were being handed out as if they were nothing but mud balls? He’d expected ten at most, but she offered a hundred without batting an eye—a truly generous gesture. This meant nearly everyone in their department could have one, which would be a huge boost in their power. He couldn’t help but feel elated.

Noticing his silence, Tang Wei called out, “Hey! Are you in a daze?”

Long San snapped back to himself. “You can just call me Long San. A hundred pills will be enough to elevate our department’s strength. Thank you for your generosity.” Even a fool could see this was a gift, and Long San could only express his gratitude.

“My junior brother and I don’t like being called ‘senior’—why not just use our names? It sounds better to me,” Tang Wei requested with a smile.

“I… That doesn’t seem proper,” Long San hesitated, still bound by tradition—addressing those with higher cultivation as ‘senior’ was customary, and calling them by name felt too disrespectful.

“That’s enough, just do as she says. Can we discuss the clues you’ve uncovered now?” Zixuan supported Tang Wei, reasoning that since Wei disliked being called ‘senior,’ he couldn’t allow himself to be put a generation above her.

“Very well. But if we’re to discuss, let me call Long Jiu up to join us. More perspectives can help us avoid going down the wrong path.” Seeing their resolute faces, Long San could only agree and went to summon Long Jiu, who was standing guard below.

Once Long Jiu arrived, Long San instructed, “Long Jiu, share the clues you’ve found.”

“Yes, chief! I found several subtle traces on the Tianshan Twins that all point towards both the Ouyang and Chen families. If not for our professional expertise, these signs would be impossible to detect. That’s why I believe this must be the work of the Xuan Yuan family. I also dug deeper and discovered that the Tianshan Twins have a faint connection to the Xuan Yuan clan, though it’s so old that hardly anyone would know of it.”

“The Xuan Yuan family? That can’t be! Yunqian and Xuan Yuan Zhe are both straightforward and don’t seem the type for underhanded tricks,” Tang Wei immediately objected.

“That’s where you’re mistaken. The Xuan Yuan patriarch knows that Yunqian and Xuan Yuan Zhe are simple-minded, so he deliberately placed them by your side to lower your guard while he manipulates things from the shadows. Using you to eliminate the other two families would guarantee his success,” Long Jiu theorized, his argument well-constructed. To him, it was almost certain the Xuan Yuan family was behind this—who wouldn’t want to dominate if given the chance?

Tang Wei still found it hard to believe. The Xuan Yuan patriarch was known for his strict and upright character—he hardly seemed capable of such things. Frowning, she pondered the matter, unable to make sense of it.

Seeing her skepticism, Long Jiu pressed on, “Didn’t the Xuan Yuan patriarch have Yunqian and Xuan Yuan Zhe approach you from the very beginning, whether intentionally or not?”

“Not really,” Tang Wei replied after thinking back. “From the first time we met, Xiao Zhe got along naturally with us, and that’s why he started coming by more often. As for Yunqian, she never stopped causing trouble—the patriarch always tried to keep her confined. She only managed to sneak out this time.”

“Exactly! The patriarch is a cunning old fox. Seeing you and Xuan Yuan Zhe hit it off, he let him build a relationship with you all. And even though he tried to keep Yunqian in, she got out in the end,” Long Jiu insisted, trying hard to convince them.

Tang Wei fell silent and looked toward Zixuan, hoping for his opinion.

Zixuan appeared thoughtful, then raised his head to ask Long San, “What about you? What other clues have you found? Do you agree with his theory?”

All three turned their eyes to Long San, waiting to hear his insights.