Having been given a second chance at life, I choose to join the Demonic Sect!

Seeing that Wanqing had pushed the pot back, Cao Meng said:
"Uncle-Master Wanqing, since we're going to have a drink together, let's go to your restaurant!"

Cao Meng felt it was better to go to his uncle, the drunkard, on his own turf. After all, if things didn't go well and a fight broke out, he wouldn't be ruining his own turf, but rather the other party's.

"it is good!"

Wanqing didn't object; going to her own restaurant for drinks would save her some spirit stones.

This will make it clear to the other party who has the final say in the entire Hehuan Sect's territory and the spirit wine industry!
Wanqing then turned her gaze to the seven Nascent Soul stage hall masters of her faction and said:

"Junior sisters, please join us too!"

As the head of the neutral faction, Wanqing naturally had more than just these seven Nascent Soul stage hall masters under her command; she also had quite a few other hall masters.

However, these seven Nascent Soul stage hall masters simply have businesses in Four Symbols City!

"How could we dare refuse Senior Sister Wanqing's invitation?"

The seven Nascent Soul stage hall masters responded in unison. Wanqing was their leader, and they had to follow her, so naturally they would not disobey her orders.

With everything settled, Cao Meng and Wan Qing's group went to a restaurant for drinks.

……

Many people witnessed Cao Meng and Wan Qing going out for drinks, and the news has already reached Han Sijing.

Han Sijing and her group of five held another meeting at Huanhua Peak.

"What's going on with these drunkards? Are they planning to side with Cao Cao?"

Yuwen Jing was furious at Wanqing's behavior. His group had even planned to win her over, but she had actually gotten so close to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao's gang was already difficult to deal with, and if the neutral faction represented by Wanqing also sided with Cao Cao, it would be very difficult for them to win!
If she can't defeat Cao Cao, how can she settle accounts with him?
"That drunkard, she doesn't want to join Cao Meng's side, but rather she's eyeing the mid-grade spirit stones in Cao's possession, as well as the future of Four Symbols City!"

Han Sijing voiced her suspicions: based on her understanding of Wanqing, the other party wouldn't easily take sides!
To get Wanqing to take sides, you'd have to offer her enough benefits.

The mid-grade spirit stones that Cao Meng currently possesses, along with the future prospects of the Four Symbols City, are indeed a tempting prospect!
Han Sijing felt that if she hadn't fallen out with Consort Duanmu over power and been tricked by Cao Cao, she would most likely have followed Wanqing's example and tried to curry favor with Cao Cao!
"Isn't that just surrendering to the traitor Cao Cao?"

Yuwen Jing said irritably, feeling that Wanqing's actions were no different from surrendering to the traitor Cao Cao!
Now there's another enemy, and they're not easy to deal with.

"If you can help that drunkard earn more, she'll naturally side with us?"

Han Sijing said something to Yuwen Jing, who was complaining, in an annoyed tone.

"I don't believe Cao Cao can hold out for long with this kind of behavior."

Nie Xuan said indignantly that she disapproved of Cao Meng's wasteful behavior.

She believed that the other party's wealth would be squandered in no time!

Once the other party has squandered all their wealth, that's your chance to retaliate.

"If he really empties the Wanfo Temple's possessions, he could outlive us until our lifespans are exhausted!"

Han Sijing glared fiercely at Nie Xuan, that good-for-nothing.

Judging from the current situation, Cao Meng has a considerable number of mid-grade spirit stones.

Even if Cao Meng only obtained a portion of the resources from that Golden Buddha Temple, it would still be enough to keep the other side busy for a while.

Moreover, no one knows exactly how many resources Cao Meng has obtained, so stalling for time and waiting to die is definitely not a good strategy.

"Our most pressing need is to get our shop in Sixiang City back!"

Han Sijing had already guessed Cao Meng's scheme. The transformation of spirit stones into lower-grade ones was truly terrifying!
Han Sijing felt that this was the most urgent and important thing to do at the moment, and that they must not let Cao Cao's scheme succeed.

Otherwise, if Cao Meng's plan succeeds, not only will Spring Breeze City be destroyed, but the three cities of Flower, Snow, and Moon will also be in no better shape!

"Junior Sister Yuwen, you and Junior Sister Nie Xuan go and contact those hall masters to organize a trip to Four Symbols City to find that traitor Cao!"

After giving tasks to Yuwen Jing and Nie Xuan, Han Sijing then instructed Song Yafei and Pei Xu:

"Just in case, Junior Sister Song, Junior Sister Peixu, the three of us will go to the forbidden area!"

Although Yuwen Jing had a Void Refinement stage expert as a backer, Han Sijing felt it was useless because the other party's backer was also Xia Yulan's backer.

Xia Yulan and Cao Meng are in cahoots, so they are useless.

They could only instruct the other party to organize manpower with Nie Xuan, while the three of them went to the forbidden area to impeach Cao Meng.

"Can!"

The other four readily accepted Han Sijing's arrangements, which were undoubtedly the best arrangement!

However, when no one was paying attention, Qingcha Peak Master Pei Xu sighed.

Because she personally had no grudges against Cao Meng, and she didn't really want to antagonize him.

Now that she has fallen out with Cao Meng, it's entirely because her junior sister Nie Xuan dragged her into this mess, forcing her to become Cao Meng's enemy.

……

While Han Sijing and her group of five were working in two separate groups, Cao Meng was still drinking spirit wine with Wan Qing and the others!

Wangfan Restaurant is the largest tavern among the four protective cities of the Hehuan Sect. Even Cao Meng Xuantian Pavilion is inferior to Wangfan Restaurant.

This is because Qiongjiu Peak has put a lot of effort into building this restaurant, and it even has a considerable amount of fifth-grade spirit wine.

Inside the private room of Wangfan Tower, Cao Meng, Wan Qing, and the seven Nascent Soul Hall Masters were enjoying wine and discussing the Dao.

Wang Lu, the restaurant manager, arranged for people to serve her.

Knowing that Cao Meng enjoyed listening to music in brothels, Wang Lu specially arranged for song and dance performances.

With Wang Lu's meticulous planning, it's no wonder she's the one who helps Wanqing amass wealth!
Wanqing gave the seven Nascent Soul stage hall masters a wink, and the seven immediately understood.

"Junior Nephew Cao Meng, you truly deserve to be the number one prodigy of the Hehuan Sect. In just three years of cultivation, you have already surpassed us, your senior uncles, in cultivation level!"

"What 'Number One Prodigy of the Joyful Union Sect'? He's clearly the Number One Prodigy of the Eastern Region Dao Continent!"

"That's right, he's the number one prodigy in the Eastern Dao Continent!"

"..."

At Wanqing's prompting, the seven Nascent Soul stage hall masters lowered their status and kept praising Cao Meng, offering him toasts.

After several rounds of drinks, Wanqing saw that Cao Meng was having a great time and felt that the time was right.

She then took the wine pot and came to Cao Meng, personally pouring him wine, saying:
“Nephew Cao Meng, now that you and Junior Sister Nie Xuan have separated, Four Symbols City is in dire need of rebuilding!”

"We, as his senior brothers, naturally couldn't just sit idly by. So, we sold some of the shops that my junior brother Cao Meng had 'acquired' to us."

At that time, we will directly transfer industries from other places to Sixiang City to help my nephew solve some problems!

Wanqing appeared righteous and a respectable senior uncle, but she forgot that the dire state of Sixiang City was caused by Cao Meng's planning over a period of time.

Seeing that Cao Meng did not speak, Wanqing gave the seven Nascent Soul stage hall masters a meaningful look.

"Junior Nephew Cao Meng, Senior Sister Wanqing is right!"

“As your senior brothers, we can’t just stand by and watch you get bullied by Nie Xuan and the others.”

"..." After understanding Wanqing's meaning, the seven Nascent Soul Hall Masters all chimed in to support her.

"hehe!"

Cao Meng sneered. These guys thought he was an innocent victim. Did they really think he was so easy to fool?
Cao Meng drank the cup of spirit wine that Wan Qing had poured in one gulp, then laughed and said:
“Uncle-Master Wanqing, we are all intelligent people, so I will speak frankly: I will only rent, not sell, the shops and storefronts in Four Symbols City!”

I had to use a lot of tricks to drive those guys away and get those shops back.

Wanqing, however, dreamed of taking the peaches from her own hands and buying back those shops and storefronts—what a pipe dream!
These shopfronts can only maximize profits if they are rented out.

Rent only, not for sale!

Upon hearing this word, Wanqing's face immediately turned ugly. Sure enough, her worst fears had come true.

The reason I was in such a hurry to buy some shops was because I was afraid that Cao Meng would only rent out the shops and not sell them.

Cao Meng ignored Wanqing's expression and continued speaking:
“My fellow martial uncles, the fact that I was unable to take back the shops and stores you owned has always been a thorn in my side!”

Now that the game is open, Cao Meng stopped pretending and simply revealed the truth.

This serves as a reminder to these eight people, telling them that it's impossible to buy the shop in one go!
"Forehead!"

Upon hearing this, Wanqing and the other eight frowned.

Cao Cao, we're all right here. Is it appropriate for you to say such a thing?

"Nephew Cao Meng, paying rent repeatedly is such a hassle. It would be much better to just sell it all at once!"

Wanqing was still somewhat unwilling, because she knew the drawbacks of renting without selling.

If it's a rental, it means the shop itself still belongs to Cao Meng; they're just renting the space.

If Cao Meng is unhappy at that time, he has the right to take back the shop and kick them out.

"Uncle-Master Wanqing, although collecting rent is troublesome, I earn more!"

Since it was an open game, Cao Meng didn't bother to hide it anymore.

How much can you make in a one-off deal?

But renting it out provides a steady, continuous flow of income.

If someone offers a higher rent, they can kick them out at any time.

"Uncle-Master Wanqing, if you find paying rent troublesome, you can simply pay for a longer period of time in one lump sum!"

Cao Meng also felt that collecting rent was troublesome, and he thought it would be better to collect it in one lump sum!

Cao Meng originally planned to pay monthly, but now he thinks he should at least pay annually!
Seeing that Cao Meng was being so disrespectful, Wanqing immediately launched a threat:
"Nephew Cao Meng, I'm afraid Han Sijing and the others have already started causing you trouble!"

"If you sell their original shop premises to us, I can help you solve this problem!"

Having remained neutral for so many years and witnessed the long-standing rivalry between Han Sijing and Duanmu Fei, Wanqing naturally had a better understanding of Han Sijing's methods.

She estimated that Han Sijing should have split her forces into two groups to deal with Cao Meng at this moment.

If Cao Meng were sensible enough, I could help him out of this predicament.

"Uncle-Master Wanqing, I won't trouble you with this matter, because I'm not afraid!"

Faced with Wanqing's reminder and warning, Cao Meng smiled calmly and did not take it to heart at all.

If I were afraid of them, would I dare to do this?

"What if it's a Void Refinement stage ancestor?"

Seeing Cao Meng's arrogance, Wanqing gave him a gentle reminder.

According to what she knew, Han Sijing's group was involved in four major areas: painting, poetry, tea, and flowers.

Even if we exclude Hundred Flowers Peak because of Xia Yulan, Han Sijing's group still has three peaks. With three main peaks, there are quite a few Void Refinement stage ancestors behind them!

"My master possesses the Azure Rain Divine Sword, the most powerful weapon in the Sword Inquiry Sect!"

Cao Meng directly mentioned Shi Shi and the Azure Rain Divine Sword. Since the Azure Rain Divine Sword is the most powerful weapon of the Sword Inquiry Sect, its power should not be weak, right?

Although Shishi's strength may not be very high, she still has Wen Bing inside her body.

Cao Meng didn't know Wen Bing's strength, but judging from the way she easily captured a Void Refinement stage cultivator, her strength was at least no weaker than a Body Integration stage cultivator!

Wanqing was speechless. What was so great about Cao Meng, a disciple of the Hehuan Sect, abducting the patriarchs of the Demon Sword Sect and the Sword Inquiry Sect?
And what about the Azure Rain Divine Sword, the most prized possession of the Sword Inquiry Sect? Is that yours, Cao Meng? Why are you showing it off here!

Cao Meng seemed to know what Wanqing was thinking, and took out the Buddhist beads given to him by the old Living Buddha, saying:
"Uncle-Master Wanqing, do you remember this string of Buddhist prayer beads?"

Cao Meng took out the string of Buddhist beads, and Wanqing and the others immediately recalled what had happened at the Jade Pool Terrace that day.

When Wen Bing was resurrected, he intended to kill Cao Meng, but the prayer beads automatically protected him and suppressed him!

At that time, many Void Refinement stage elders speculated that this string of Buddhist beads was at least a seventh-order spiritual artifact, or even an eighth-order spiritual artifact.

Wen Bing could easily capture and kill a Void Refinement stage cultivator from the Sword Inquiry Sect, while the Buddhist beads could easily suppress Wen Bing.

Those patriarchs at the Refinement stage from various sects who witnessed this scene were all terrified and dared not even think of taking the Buddhist beads.

When Wanqing thought about how many trump cards Cao Meng had, she felt that Han Sijing's group really couldn't do anything about Cao Meng.

Cao Meng can now be said to be qualified to act arrogantly in the Hehuan Sect. Even the old ancestor in the Void Refinement stage has to give him some face!

This Cao Cao is so powerful, I can't handle him, I can't defeat him!
Female Demon, Great Fairy, Widow: Although this Cao traitor is powerful, it's not difficult to subdue him and make him obey!
Once we eat him, we can control him!
They all ate Cao Cao first, so now they can finally take him down!
Seeing that he had Wanqing and her group figured out, Cao Meng kindly reminded them:

"Uncle brothers, many prime locations in Four Symbols City are still available. The sooner you rent, the sooner you can secure them. Otherwise, you'll only be able to pick up what others have left!"

"Of course, since everyone is having such a pleasant conversation, I can give everyone a perk."

Within the last three days, the monthly exchange limit for mid-grade spirit stones in the newly rented shops of several senior uncles has doubled!

Cao Meng didn't care how many mid-grade spirit stones he exchanged for. Although Wanqing and her group might make a small profit, he would never lose out!
"This……"

Wanqing and her group of eight hesitated, after all, they wanted to buy the storefront from Cao Meng directly, rather than rent it!

"Eight senior uncles, don't be fooled by the fact that I have quite a few vacant shops now. In a while, you'll find it hard to rent them!"

Cao Meng wasn't just saying these things to scare Wanqing and the others; he meant it.

"Junior Nephew Cao Meng, your uncle is a little scared. This is a scheme you, Senior Sister Duanmu, and Xia Yulan set up. It's a trap to trick us!"

Wanqing was a little worried about this, but she was completely overthinking it.

“Uncle-Master Wanqing, if I wanted to trick you, shouldn’t I have sold the shop to you instead of renting it to you?”

Upon careful consideration of Cao Meng's explanation, Wanqing realized that love did indeed make sense, so she inquired about the rent:
"Nephew Cao Meng, how should the shop rent be calculated?"

"That depends on how much land it occupies!"

Cao Meng hadn't really decided on the rent yet, because he genuinely hadn't expected the fish to take the bait so quickly.

He originally thought it would take at least a few days before any fish would bite!
"However, given our relationship, I'll definitely give you a discount, Aunt Wanqing!"

Cao Meng agreed to give Wanqing a discount; after all, she was the first fish to take the bait willingly, so he could take a smaller cut! (End of Chapter)