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

Cao Meng noticed the disappointment in Hong Qi's eyes and said:
"Pink fox, with your current cultivation level as a late-stage fifth-order transformed demon beast, you're probably no match for me, nor can you rebel against me. Do you want to buy a few more pills to improve your cultivation?"

Of course, Cao Meng was just teasing Hong Qi for a bit and didn't intend to help her improve her cultivation level any further.

The current Soul-Devouring Gu can still control Hong Qi, but if the opponent is too powerful, it will lose control.

Even if we want to increase Hong Qi's cultivation level in the future, we have to increase the cultivation level of the Heart-Devouring and Soul-Eating Mother Gu first.

"No more!"

Hong Qi wasn't stupid; her intuition told her that Cao Meng was setting a trap for her.

If she dares to agree, she'll definitely be taken down by Cao Cao.

"Pink-furred fox, behave yourself and don't think about things you shouldn't be thinking about!"

Cao Meng pinched Hong Qi's cheek and gave her a warning.

"Stop hiding, come out now!"

Cao Meng shouted and berated them, having already noticed that two little mice were secretly watching.

To be precise, everyone present noticed the two little mice.

An Yingji and Qin Lin'er: Cao traitor, your whole family are the little mice! We were watching openly and honestly!

However, now that Cao Meng has exposed their secrets, An Yingji and Qin Lin'er have no choice but to emerge from the shadows.

Previously, when Hong Qi and Jin Ning'er fought so fiercely at Suqin Peak, An Yingji and Qin Lin'er even considered trying to mediate.

However, they were not strong enough to mediate the fight, so they had to ask Nangong Yan to suppress the two.

After An Yingji and Qin Lin'er appeared, Cao Meng immediately began making arrangements and assigning them jobs.

The Four Symbols City is still in dire need of reconstruction. To put it bluntly, Cao Meng is still investing spirit stones into the city and hasn't even started to recoup his investment yet.

Cao Meng directly handed Hong Qi over to An Yingji and Qin Lin'er, instructing the three women to work on the alchemy workshop and relocate the Wanbaoge to Sixiang City.

As for Jin Ning'er, Cao Meng took her under his wing and began to teach her how to refine weapons and craft the Supreme Yang Pearl!
Cao Meng wanted to verify his conjecture and see if the other party could refine the Supreme Yang Pearl.

After all, the Supreme Yang Pearl was Cao Meng's first pot of gold through legitimate channels, and even now, it is still in short supply in the Hehuan Sect.

Cao Meng really needs a weapon-refining maiden now, a weapon-refining maiden who specializes in refining the Supreme Yang Pearl.

Just as Cao Meng had guessed, under his guidance, Jin Ning'er indeed successfully refined the Supreme Yang Pearl!

However, compared to the Supreme Yang Pearl refined by Cao Meng, Jin Ning'er's pearl was somewhat inferior.

Although Jin Ning'er is a three-legged golden crow, she is born with extreme yang energy and possesses the power of the sun.

However, Jin Ning'er is two yangs less than Cao Meng. One yang is because Jin Ning'er is not a man, but a woman. However, a woman's body belongs to yin!

There is another yang, which is the yang of Geng metal. Cao Meng has the innate body of Geng metal, and Geng metal is yang metal!

Although the Supreme Yang Pearl refined by Jin Ning'er was slightly weaker, Cao Meng felt it was not a big deal; he could simply lower the price a bit.

If we just lower the price, I don't believe no one will buy it!
"Jin Ning'er, focus on refining the Supreme Yang Pearl at Suqin Peak. If you perform well, I will help you improve your cultivation!"

Cao Meng knew that Jin Ning'er, this golden-haired loli, was proud, so he first offered her a promise.

There are plenty of arrogant people in Cao Meng's hometown, but those arrogant people are still completely trapped by the promises they make!

Do you think they're just making a pie in the sky?

No, they drew a circle!

A circle that will trap you!
A circle that will wear down your time and arrogance!
"Cao Meng, really? You're not lying to me?"

Jin Ning'er didn't quite trust Cao Meng; after all, this guy didn't seem like a good person!
"You are my pet, would I lie to you?"

"And your improved combat strength is also beneficial to me!"

Cao Meng rubbed Jin Ning'er's head and started to coax her.
No, it's more like earnestly and patiently admonishing them!
"hehe!"

"Cao Meng, since you know that my increased strength will benefit you, why don't you give me the pill now?"

Jin Ning'er sneered at Cao Meng. Although she had only been born a few days ago, she was not a naive and easily fooled person!

"Jin Ning'er, because your performance is not good enough, I can't see your value!"

"If you can demonstrate sufficient value to me, I will naturally dedicate myself to nurturing you!"

Cao Meng truly deserves his reputation as a seasoned painter; the pie he painted was both large and round.

After hearing what Cao Meng said, Jin Ning'er felt that it made some sense.

"Jin Ning'er, hurry up and show me your worth!"

Cao Meng urged Jin Ning'er to refine the Supreme Yang Pearl. As for the materials, he told her not to worry about them at all, as he would ask the Great Demon to take care of everything.

Shishi reached out and nudged Cao Meng, whispering:

"Cao Meng, I should actually be able to forge weapons too!"

Seeing that Cao Meng valued Jin Ning'er, who was skilled in weapon crafting, Shi Shi also wanted to show off and get Cao Meng to pay more attention to her!
She has some of Wen Bing's memories, some of which are about weapon crafting.

Shishi thought that since Wen Bing could refine weapons, she, Shishi, should be able to as well.

"Shishi, you know how to forge weapons?"

Cao Meng was quite surprised and found it hard to believe what the other person was saying!

After all, Shishi is Wen Bing's physical body, a new intelligence born from it, not that old monster Wen Bing!
"Hmph, how could Master, a peerless sword prodigy who appears only once every million years in the Longevity Sword Sect, not know how to forge weapons!"

Before Shishi could reply to Cao Meng, the Azure Rain Divine Sword in her hand spoke first.

"Oh, you shameless hussy, what rank is Shishi a weapon refiner?"

Cao Meng saw that Qingyu Divine Sword knew the situation, so he tried to trick the other party into revealing information.

"Back then, my master was the youngest seventh-grade weapon refiner in the history of the Longevity Sword Sect. The number of seventh-grade top-quality spiritual swords he forged far exceeded the number in both hands!"

When Qingyu Divine Sword said these words, she was very proud, as if she were talking about herself, not someone else!
Rank 7 Weapon Refiner!
The number of seventh-grade supreme spirit swords forged far exceeds ten!
Cao Meng shuddered at the thought!
You should know that these days, even decent fifth-tier spiritual weapons are hard to find outside!

Sixth-tier spiritual artifacts are basically unavailable for purchase, while seventh-tier spiritual artifacts are treasures that protect the entire sect!

If Shishi could forge a seventh-order spirit sword, would she lack spirit stones?

"Ugh!"

Cao Meng sighed. It was a pity that it was Wen Bing who forged the seventh-grade top-quality spirit sword, not his master!

"Cao Meng, I have some of Wen Bing's memories about weapon crafting, so I should be able to craft weapons too!"

Shishi knew what Cao Meng was thinking just by listening to his sigh.

Since Wen Bing can be a weapon refiner, so can I, Shi Shi!

"Cao Meng, these are the materials I need to forge this weapon!" Based on her memories, Shi Shi wrote down a list of materials for forging a spirit sword and handed it to Cao Meng.

Cao Meng looked at the list of materials and immediately felt a headache coming on, because he had never even heard of the materials required, let alone produced them!
In order to gather all the materials, Cao Meng took Shi Shi to Wanqi Peak to find Shen Aoxue, the widow of Xiantian.

After all, the other party is the number one fifth-level weapon refiner in the Hehuan Sect. No, I am the number one now, and the other party is the number two.

Cao Meng thought that Shen Aoxue had cultivated for hundreds of years and was a fifth-level weapon refiner, so she should have a lot of weapon refining materials stored up.

There's a good chance they have the materials listed, and even if they don't, they should know where they are!
……

Of the original five-person anti-Cao Cao group, only Han Sijing and Song Yafei remain.

Because of Han Sijing's scheming, three of the five members severed ties with her and Song Yafei, thus losing the support of Qingcha Peak and Baihua Peak!

The only thing that made her feel fortunate was that Qingcha Peak and Baihua Peak probably wouldn't support Cao Cao.

Having suffered such a great loss, Han Sijing naturally couldn't swallow her anger.

Therefore, she invited many hall masters to come together to discuss important plans and jointly attack the traitor Cao.

Even without the support of Qingcha and Baihua Peaks, Han Sijing is determined to fight Cao Cao to the very end!

Many of the people Han Sijing invited this time have considerable power in the sect, and they are also major taxpayers!

It's important to understand that by exposing the tax evasion, Cao Meng has offended nearly 70% of the Nascent Soul stage hall masters of the Hehuan Sect.

Han Sijing naturally seized this opportunity to trip up Cao Meng.

"Fellow junior sisters, Cao Meng is truly ungrateful, daring to use such a despicable trick on us, the elders of our sect!"

"That scoundrel Cao, he previously created the Supreme Yang Pearl, bubble tea, and the 'Asking the Immortal's Secret' and food delivery groups, which stole a lot of our business."

Now she has established the Four Symbols City, using treacherous schemes to seize our land, and even maliciously raising our wages, all to target me.

They've cut off our supply lines!

"..."

As Han Sijing recounted Cao Meng's misdeeds one by one, everyone present began to discuss them.

"Fellow junior sisters, are we, as elders, just going to let a junior bully us like this?"

Han Sijing turned her gaze to the crowd; she needed these high-ranking Nascent Soul stage cultivators to express their stance.

"That traitor Cao wants us to submit? Dream on!"

The people Han Sijing invited were major taxpayers.

Now, because of Cao Meng's report, the Fifth Ancestor Wanling suddenly demanded that they pay back taxes, which can be described as putting them in a terrible predicament.

They already harbored resentment towards Cao Meng, and Han Sijing's actions fueled their anger, prompting them to immediately express their opinions.

We must fight against the traitor Cao Cao and never yield to evil forces.
Cao Meng: You are all evading taxes, aren't you the evil forces?
My act of reporting you is a truly righteous one!
Han Sijing knew that although these people had expressed their stance under her instigation, she still needed to reassure them before they would take any action!

“Fellow junior sisters, this Cao traitor’s cultivation level is probably higher than that of many of us present.”

But you don't need to worry too much, after all, we are his elders in terms of seniority.

Moreover, we are all high-ranking members of the Hehuan Sect, controlling many important affairs within the sect, so he has to be wary of us!

Han Sijing directly brainwashed these people, wanting them to use their sect positions and privileges to trip up Cao Meng.

However, there is one thing that Han Sijing did not say carelessly.

Many of those present held important positions within the sect, and their privileges were second only to the peak master.

If these people join forces to cause trouble and create obstacles, even some peak masters wouldn't be able to defeat them. Even the sect leader, Duanmu Fei, would have to be somewhat wary of them.

Han Sijing first turned her gaze to Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi. Although these three were hall masters, they were not ordinary hall masters.

The Hehuan Sect's treasury is ostensibly managed by the six hall masters, and Gongsun Meng and the other two are among the six hall masters of the treasury.

It can be said that Gongsun Meng and the other two controlled half of the power of speech in the warehouse.

Below the peak master, it can be said that no hall master dares to offend them.

Even the city lords of the cities protecting the sects dare not offend them, for fear that they will cause trouble and refuse to approve the materials!

Therefore, Gongsun Meng and his group had basically never paid a single penny of tax on their properties in the city of Huzong, making them true tax evaders!

Of course, Gongsun Meng and his group, being major tax evaders, knew how to handle things after they evaded taxes.

For example, we can give some consideration to the city lords and not investigate the tax issues of the four major guardian cities too much, turning a blind eye to some problems!

Everyone had been getting along well before, but now Cao Meng's report has completely disrupted the original rules, making Gongsun Meng and his group very angry.

The tax payments alone are enough to give them a headache right now.

“As one of the six hall masters of the warehouse, you three junior sisters should be very clear about the cost price of things like the Supreme Yang Pearl, bubble tea, and the Immortal Inquiry Machine, right?”

Han Sijing was able to investigate the cost price and material formula of the Zhiyang Pearl because of Gongsun Meng and the other two.

In fact, Han Sijing already knew the cost price of the Zhiyang Pearl and other items, so her question was naturally meaningful.

"Senior Sister Han, do you mean we should disclose the cost price of the Supreme Yang Pearl, bubble tea, the Questioning Immortal's Secret, and the Spirit Wine Dream of Life?"

Gongsun Meng immediately understood Han Sijing's meaning. She estimated that if her group were to disclose the cost price of Cao Meng's Supreme Yang Pearl and other items, Cao Meng's business empire would inevitably suffer.

"My three junior sisters, perhaps we should also try to steal Cao Meng's materials and teach that traitor Cao a lesson!"

According to Han Sijing's knowledge, Cao Meng's materials for refining the Supreme Yang Pearl mostly came from the warehouse.

If Cao Meng's materials are seized in the warehouse, his Zhiyang Pearl industry will not only suffer a minor setback, but its very foundation will be shaken.

Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi did not immediately answer Han Sijing. Instead, they privately discussed the matter telepathically before speaking in unison:
"Senior Sister Han, this could affect the sect. We need to think this through carefully!"

Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi politely declined Han Sijing's offer, not because they cared so much about their sect.

Instead, Cao Meng was a major customer of their warehouse, and the six hall masters all lined their own pockets, also making a lot of money off Cao Meng.

If it's about the materials from Ka Cao Meng, then the cost prices of items like Zhi Yang Pearl, Pearl Milk Tea, Wen Xian Ji, and Ling Jiu Yi Meng Fu Sheng should be disclosed.

This not only affected Cao Meng's business, but also had a huge impact on their financial path.

Therefore, Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi politely declined Han Sijing's offer. Even though they were angry about Cao Meng's actions, they were determined to protect his source of income.

……

Meanwhile, back at Qingcha Peak, Pei Xu and Nie Xuan, the two sisters, were still there, being thoroughly scolded by Nie Mingci.

Yuwen Jing's situation is no better than Pei Xu's and Nie Xuan's.

The great fairy Xia Yulan was also in the main hall of Hundred Flowers Peak. Although she was also a member of Hundred Flowers Peak, she rarely visited the peak since what happened back then. (End of Chapter)