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

The reason why the great demon Xia Yulan returned to Hundred Flowers Peak this time was entirely because her master Xi Feng caught her. Otherwise, she would never have come to Hundred Flowers Peak!
"I've almost finished my tea, so I'll head back now!"

Xia Yulan estimated that Cao Meng must have gained a lot of benefits this time, and she was busy going back to divide the spoils, so she didn't really want to waste time here.

Yuwen Jing was furious at Xia Yulan's rudeness.

Cao Meng threatening me is one thing, but Xia Yulan putting on airs is just too much! This pair of scoundrels is going too far!

"Yulan, go find Cao Meng and get back the evidence against your senior sister!"

"Jing'er will no longer cause trouble for Cao Meng, and the Hundred Flowers Peak lineage will fully support him!"

To get his little apprentice Xia Yulan's help, Xi Feng made a promise.

According to Xi Feng's knowledge, Cao Meng now has the support of the three factions of Su Qin, Wan Qi, and Qin Shu, and the neutral faction represented by Qiong Jiu Feng is also getting close to Cao Meng.

In this sense, half of the eight main branches of the Hehuan Sect have already sided with Cao Meng. If Baihua Peak were to side with Cao Meng as well, the implications would be self-evident.

"Yuwen Jing, what exactly is it about you and Nie Xuan that that little bastard has given him leverage over? Tell me about it."

Xia Yulan was also present in the council hall earlier, and she witnessed how Cao Meng manipulated Yuwen Jing and Nie Xuan.

At this moment, she was a little curious about what Cao Meng had that made these two women swallow their anger and obediently listen to him.

"You~"

Yuwen Jing was so angry that she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.

Is it possible for something like Cao Meng stripping her and Nie Xuan naked and using the Immortal-Seeking Machine to take a picture of the landscape painting to be released?

"Yuwen Jing, tell me how that little rascal bullied you."

"We were once fellow disciples, after all. If he goes too far, I'll beat him up when I get back!"

Xia Yulan spoke with righteous indignation, but in reality, she just wanted to watch the drama unfold.

As for beating up Cao Meng, if that little rascal really goes too far and dares to mess around behind my back again, I can still go and give him a good beating!

Cao Meng: You big devil, I, Cao Meng, am no longer the Cao Meng I used to be. You can forget about hitting me now!
I, Cao Meng, will restore the husbandly authority!
"Yulan, what do you think of what I've said?"

Xi Feng knew his little apprentice Xia Yulan all too well; she was just being evasive.

Xia Yulan glanced at Yuwen Jing, signaling him to get lost, as what she was about to say was not appropriate for him to hear.

After understanding the meaning in Xia Yulan's eyes, Yuwen Jing immediately flew into a rage.

This main hall of Hundred Flowers Peak is Yuwen Jing's own training ground, so why should Xia Yulan let me leave?

"Jing'er, you go out first. Your junior sister and I have something to say!"

Xi Feng waved his hand, signaling Yuwen Jing to leave first.

Since Xi Feng had already spoken, what could Yuwen Jing say? She could only leave the main hall.

Before leaving the main hall, Yuwen Jing gave Xia Yulan a fierce look.

Cao Meng, that scoundrel, bullied me, and now Xia Yulan, that vile woman, is bullying me too. They truly are a pair of despicable people!

“Cao Cao has made a mistake and may lose his chance to become the sect leader.”

If the Hundred Flowers Peak lineage were to defy public opinion and fully support Cao Meng, I would go to Cao Meng and obtain incriminating evidence against Yuwen Jing!

After Yuwen Jing left, Xia Yulan spoke up and made her request.

Although the affair between Cao Meng and Shen Aoxue has not yet been exposed, Xia Yulan's intuition tells her that it will be exposed soon.

Once the affair between Cao Meng and Shen Aoxue, a former traitor to the sect, is exposed, Xia Yulan knows that Cao Meng is very likely not to become the sect leader of the Hehuan Sect!
Although Cao Meng had come to terms with it and chose to prioritize the beauty over the throne, he did not vie for the position of sect leader.

But Xia Yulan was not willing to give up. She wanted to help Cao Meng become the sect leader of the Hehuan Sect, and then she would be the sect leader's wife!

"What exactly did that kid do wrong?"

"With his talent, as long as he doesn't commit a serious crime against the sect, he's practically guaranteed the position of sect leader!"

Many of the Void Refinement stage elders of the Hehuan Sect saw Cao Meng's potential and felt that Cao Meng was a candidate for the next sect leader of the Hehuan Sect.

There's no way around it; given Cao Meng's situation, it's no wonder that his peers are overwhelmed by his presence.

Even Han Sijing and her older generation were overwhelmed by Cao Meng's pressure!

Currently, the elders of the Hehuan Sect at the Void Refinement stage believe that Cao Meng's biggest shortcoming is that he is too young.

They felt that Cao Meng had too little experience and needed more training.

Those Void Refinement stage elders agreed to let Cao Meng become the city lord of Four Symbols City, actually wanting to use this opportunity to train him.

Xi Feng couldn't understand how big a mistake Cao Meng could have made under these circumstances, that it might cost him the position of sect leader!

"That little rascal is getting too close to a traitor from a certain sect, which makes him seem like he's betrayed the sect!"

Xia Yulan was still furious when the matter was brought up.

Of all the women in the Hehuan Sect, Cao Meng insisted on having an affair with Shen Aoxue, causing himself a lot of trouble!

"Shen Aoxue!"

Xi Feng immediately guessed the person's identity. There was only one traitor still alive in the Hehuan Sect, and that was Shen Aoxue, who had changed her name!
"I'm afraid Cao Meng and Shen Aoxue's relationship isn't just a little close, but they've actually slept together and developed a relationship that goes beyond that of uncle and nephew."

Xi Feng wasn't stupid; after Xia Yulan's explanation, he could easily guess the relationship between Cao Meng and Shen Aoxue.

But she hoped that she was wrong, and that it was not as she had guessed!
"Ok!"

Xia Yulan nodded helplessly in admission. She knew that Xi Feng wouldn't tell anyone about this, which was why she dared to admit it!
"Xia Yulan, Cao Meng is ignorant. You've lived for hundreds of years, don't you know how important this matter is?"

"You call yourself Cao Meng's Daoist partner, yet you can't even control your own man!"

Xi Feng sternly rebuked Xia Yulan, reminding her that if Cao Meng became the sect leader of the Hehuan Sect...

Based on the relationship between Baihuafeng and Xia Yulan, Baihuafeng can also reap considerable benefits.

But now that Cao Meng is associating with Shen Aoxue, a traitor to the sect, Cao Meng is suspected of treason, which gives him a fatal weakness.

Given this situation, it will be difficult to make Cao Meng the sect leader!

"That little rascal has more tricks up his sleeve than anyone else. Even if I keep him by my side, it's no use!"

Xia Yulan felt that this matter was not really her fault.

After all, even Consort Duanmu couldn't control Cao Meng, and this little rascal always liked to run off to other peaks!
"And do you think I didn't handle this matter?"

"After this incident, Duanmu Fei and I immediately told Cao Meng to distance himself from Shen Aoxue, but she wouldn't listen and preferred to give up competing for the position of sect leader!"

Xia Yulan gets furious when this is mentioned.

This little brat caused me to get scolded by Xifeng. When I get back, I have to beat him up to vent my anger!

"This matter is somewhat complicated; it can be a big deal, but it can also be a small one!"

Xi Feng felt this matter was truly difficult to handle. If Cao Meng wanted to become the sect leader of the Hehuan Sect in the future, someone would inevitably seize upon this incident and relentlessly pursue him. "You go back first. I'll go talk to Nangong Yan later and see if there's any way to break this deadlock!"

Xi Feng waved his hand, signaling Xia Yulan, that rebellious disciple, to get lost.

Fantasy Peak...

The atmosphere inside the main hall of the peak master was very strange.

Han Sijing originally hoped that the three warehouse managers, Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi, would trip up Cao Meng.

The raw materials for Cao Meng's Supreme Yang Pearl, bubble tea, and the Immortal Inquiry were cut off!

But she didn't expect that Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi would be so uncooperative.

Cutting off Cao Meng's source of income also cuts off the source of income for Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi. Cao Meng and they share common interests, so how can they cooperate?

They already had to pay back taxes for this tax evasion, and if they were to cut off Cao Meng's livelihood now, it would be like cutting off their own arm!

And most importantly, the Hehuan Sect's treasury has six hall masters, not just the three of them.

All six of them were using Cao Meng to line their own pockets.

Even if Gongsun Meng and the other two were willing to take Cao Meng's materials, Mei Wen and the other two would not be willing to take Cao Meng's materials!

"My three junior sisters, didn't we agree to fight Cao the traitor together? What you're doing is aiding and abetting evil, helping Cao Meng to deal with us!"

Han Sijing was very dissatisfied with the behavior of Gongsun Meng and the other two.

The reason I invited these three guys over was that I wanted them to use their power to block Cao Meng from obtaining materials like the Supreme Yang Pearl.

"Alas, I still have a few precious pills refining in my alchemy furnace, they'll be ready soon!"

"Senior Sister Han, I have some matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now!"

Gongsun Meng suddenly exclaimed, then bowed to Han Sijing before quickly slipping away.

"Gongsun Meng, I provided half of the materials you needed for refining the pill, so don't even think about keeping the precious pill for yourself!"

Baili Qin bowed to Han Sijing and then immediately chased after Gongsun Mengdun in the direction he had gone.

"Senior Sister Han, Senior Sister Gongsun and Senior Sister Baili might get into a fight. I need to keep an eye on them; it wouldn't be good if they damaged their camaraderie as fellow disciples!"

Helian Qi bowed to Han Sijing, gave her some instructions, and then chased after Gongsun Meng and Baili Qin.

And so, Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi, the three heads of the warehouses, left the table one after another.

The other hall masters were speechless, because the excuses given by Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi were so fake that they couldn't believe them!

Han Sijing looked in the direction where Gongsun Meng and the other two had fled, and said through gritted teeth:

"Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi, you three are truly outstanding!"

The tricks of Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi couldn't even fool those Nascent Soul stage hall masters, so how could they possibly fool Han Sijing?

However, Han Sijing knew that Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi were all powerful and not to be trifled with. If she offended them now, they would definitely cause trouble for her in the future.

It was precisely because of this that Han Sijing did not expose the three of them.

"Senior Sister Han, Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi are not easy to deal with. Cao Meng made them suffer such a huge loss this time."

"Although these three are unwilling to cooperate with us, they won't let Cao Meng off easily. They will definitely find a way to make up for this loss by taking it out on Cao Meng!"

Song Yafei could tell that Han Sijing was furious, so she tried to calm her down.

After Song Yafei's reminder, Han Sijing instantly understood and sneered:
"I wonder if it's the six hall masters of their warehouse who are more powerful, or Cao Cao!"

Based on the information provided by Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi, Han Sijing and Song Yafei deduced that the cost price of Zhiyang Pearl, Pearl Milk Tea, and Wenxianji was only 10%.

Even after deducting other miscellaneous expenses, Han Sijing and Song Yafei estimated that the net profit would be at least 70%.

The two of them could calculate that the net profit of Cao Meng's businesses could reach 70%.

Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, Helian Qi... how could these six warehouse managers not know?
Cao Meng's report on tax evasion has caused Gongsun Meng and his six associates to suffer heavy losses. The best way for them to recover their losses is to bleed Cao Meng dry.

Raising the prices of raw materials like the Zhiyang Pearl and the Wenxianji for Cao Meng is the best way to leech off his wealth.

If Gongsun Meng and her six companions aren't stupid, they'll definitely raise the price of the raw materials Cao Meng needs this time!

Han Sijing had already planned that when Cao Meng confronted the six hall masters of the warehouse, she would arrange for someone to report the cost price of the Supreme Yang Pearl and other related items.

That way, Cao Meng and Gongsun Meng, along with the other six, will fight like dogs, thus exacerbating the conflict between the two sides.

Han Sijing's strategist, Song Yafei, gestured for everyone to be quiet before speaking:

"Fellow junior sisters, now that Cao Cao is bullying us and cutting off our source of income."

We certainly cannot surrender without a fight. I have a plan that will make Cao Cao reap what he sows and submit to us!

Song Yafei was also severely offended by Cao Meng this time, so like Han Sijing, she was determined to fight Cao the traitor to the end.

She wanted to beat Cao Meng to the ground, make him kneel before her, admit his mistakes, and surrender.

"What brilliant plan does Senior Sister Song have? Tell us quickly!"

"Senior Sister Song, please speak!"

……

The Nascent Soul stage hall masters were immediately excited when they heard that there was a way to deal with Cao Meng.

After all, Cao Meng's report on tax evasion had really hurt them, and unlike Gongsun Meng, Baili Qin, and Helian Qi, they didn't have a way to completely outmaneuver Cao Meng.

Now that Song Yafei has a way to deal with Cao Meng and help them vent their anger, they are naturally eager to do so.

"Fellow junior sisters, you are probably already aware of the current situation in Four Symbols City!"

"Cao Meng used poison to scheme against us and seized our industrial land. Now, less than 30% of the industries in Sixiang City are still in operation!"

"Cao Meng pays all the city garrison members high monthly wages, and the meager taxes he collects are far from enough, so he is currently operating at a loss!"

"The best way for Cao Meng to solve the problem of losses is to attract customers, bring in a large number of shops and a large number of cultivators to consume, thereby boosting tax revenue!"

By the time Song Yafei got to this point, those present probably already understood.

Song Yafei wanted to appeal to them not to move their businesses into Sixiang City, but to let Cao Meng play by himself and make Cao Meng lose money every month!
Just as they were pondering these things, Han Sijing, the host, spoke up and made her own request:

“Fellow junior sisters, among the businesses still operating in Four Symbols City, there are quite a few that trade with your businesses.”

I hope all my fellow disciples will sever trade ties with the businesses of Yanbo Tower in Sixiang City, so that Cao Meng will know our stance!

Han Sijing was even more ruthless than Song Yafei. Not only did Han Sijing demand that their businesses not be allowed to set up shop in Sixiang City, but she also demanded that they blockade the businesses in Sixiang City.

The plan is to cause even the few remaining industries in Four Symbols City to collapse, thus preventing Cao Meng from collecting a single spirit stone in taxes! (End of Chapter)