I run a casino in the immortal realm.

Zheng Yifei emptied the spirit stones from his storage bag and counted them.

Four thousand yuan and eight hundred yuan.

He took out paper and pen and made a list on the spirit paper.

To break through to the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, based on the consumption rate of the five spiritual roots, it would conservatively require at least 30,000 yuan.

To progress from the ninth level to the Foundation Establishment stage, you need Foundation Establishment Pills.

A top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill costs 50,000 yuan. If someone with five spiritual roots wants to establish their foundation, they need to consume at least two pills, and if they're unlucky, they might need three or four.

In total, it amounts to 100,000 spirit stones.

Monthly salary is two hundred.

Save for forty years without eating or drinking.

Zheng Yifei crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it into the trash can.

We need to make money. We absolutely must make money.

But how do we do it?

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the crowds on Fengming Street.

My only skill, in both my past and present lives, is gambling.

But now he is the Chief Inspector of Taxation, and all the merchants of the sect are under his supervision.

Go to the gambling den? The moment you step through the door, tomorrow news will be flying everywhere—"The Chief Inspector of Taxation has accepted bribes under the guise of gambling at the gambling den."

He could imagine Zhou Demao's expression.

Makeup? Useless.

The disguise techniques of the Qi Refining stage cannot fool the divine sense scan of the Foundation Establishment stage cultivators. Larger gambling dens require Foundation Establishment stage cultivators to be present, so going in is no different from being naked.

You can't gamble.

Then open it.

The moment the thought crossed Zheng Yifei's mind, his fingers stopped.

He walked around Fengming Street, going through the accounts of 280 merchants three times. He could name the most profitable businesses with his eyes closed.

Herbal medicine shop, 40% gross profit. Magic weapon shop, 35% gross profit. Clothing shop, 20%.

Gambling dens – with a net profit margin of over 60%.

Moreover, the operating costs of gambling dens are ridiculously low; there's no need for purchasing goods, inventory, or after-sales service. All you need is a building, a few tables, a few dealers, and spirit stones flow in on their own.

In his past life, he had seen too many casino financial reports in Macau; every single number was etched into his mind. The casino's core secret was only one—the house always wins.

It wasn't about cheating or behind-the-scenes manipulation, but about mathematics.

Every gambling game has something called "the house advantage," which means that as long as the gamblers play long enough, the house will win.

Gambling dens in the cultivation world are still in the primitive stage of guessing big or small and rolling spirit dice. The gambling games are monotonous, the gamblers have a poor experience, and the dealers make money entirely by cheating in secret.

If he were to bring over the standardized casino operating system from his previous life, he would definitely be able to compete with local gambling dens.

He needs a local.

He should have higher cultivation level than him, have connections in the Eastern District, know the rules, and ideally owe him a favor.

Yang Jie.

The next evening, at Zuixianlou.

Still a private room on the second floor.

When Zheng Yifei ordered, he deliberately downgraded the menu from last time, opting for ordinary spiritual tea instead of the spirit wine. Yang Jie came in, glanced at the dishes on the table, and smiled.

"What, you've been promoted, and now you're stingy?"

"Saving money."

Zheng Yifei poured him tea and got straight to the point: "Chief, I want to open a gambling den."

Yang Jie paused in his tea-serving hand and looked up at him.

"A gambling den?"

"Um."

Yang Jie put down his teacup, not in a hurry to express his opinion, but leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You, the Inspector General of Revenue, running your own gambling den—don't you feel awkward about it?"

"Does the sect allow inner disciples to run businesses?"

"Permission is granted. A large number of inner disciples from the Six Peaks have opened spirit medicine shops and spirit weapon workshops, and some elders are themselves large merchants."

Yang Jie drew a circle on the table with his finger: "But gambling dens are different; they have high barriers to entry."

How tall?

"Just registering a business at the General Affairs Hall requires a deposit of 20,000 spirit stones. This doesn't include expenses such as venue rental, decoration, staff hiring, and security formations. The whole setup starts at 50,000 spirit stones."

In addition, we need to prepare funds for lending money at interest rates, which will total at least 100,000 spirit stones.

Zheng Yifei remained silent.

He had 100,000, but only 4,000 in his possession.

Yang Jie glanced at him and continued, "Moreover, gambling dens are different from other businesses. They are prone to problems. It is common for gamblers to smash up the place when they lose money. Without a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator to oversee it, it is impossible to control. The weakest of the three gambling dens in the East District is a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator."

His meaning was clear—you're only at the eighth level of Qi Refining, you can't hold your own.

Zheng Yifei picked up the teacup and took a sip.

"That's why I've come to see the director."

Yang Jie narrowed his eyes.

"I'll provide the technology and management, and the director will provide the connections and manpower. We'll split the profits 50/50."

"Do you think I can keep you in check?"

Yang Jie laughed: "I'm in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, stronger than you, but not by much."

"Then please show me the way, Director. I have five spiritual roots and need a huge amount of resources to cultivate. This is no secret."

The director and the head of the department both know that a monthly salary of two hundred yuan is barely enough to fill my stomach, but I can't do anything shady, and I certainly can't accept bribes. It's better to let me start a legitimate business and make money honestly.

Yang Jie stared at him for three breaths, then suddenly smiled.

"That makes sense."

He picked up his teacup and clinked it against Zheng Yifei's: "However, I can only help you find a venue and recruit people. If you want to open a gambling den, you still have to find the director. You can only open it if he agrees."

"Alright, I'll go see the director tomorrow, but you have to join the team."

"Go see the director first, and we'll talk after he approves it."

The two clinked bowls together and drank the spiritual tea.

The next morning, inside the tax office.

Zhou Demao was reviewing documents when he saw Zheng Yifei enter, but he didn't even look up.

"What is it?"

"Chief, I have a favor to ask."

"explain."

"This disciple wishes to open a gambling den in the East District."

Zhou Demao stopped writing.

He raised his head and looked at Zheng Yifei for three breaths.

"You're the Inspector General of Revenue, and you own your own gambling den?"

"This disciple has five spiritual roots, and the cultivation consumption is five times that of others of the same level. The monthly salary of two hundred coins is not even enough to cover the daily pill consumption, let alone break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining."

Zheng Yifei said calmly, "This disciple doesn't want to resort to crooked methods; I want to earn money on my own."

Zhou Demao put down his pen and leaned back in his chair.

"Registering a casino requires a deposit of 20,000 yuan. Do you have it?"

"No, but I have a way."

Zhou Demao tapped his fingers twice on the table.

He neither said yes nor no.

"I can't make that decision myself. You write an application, and I'll submit it to the head of the hall."

With Yang Jie's reminder, Zheng Yifei was already prepared and directly handed over the application form.

"If the sect leader agrees, I will fully cooperate. I can even help you waive some of the deposit. If the sect leader doesn't agree—"

Zhou Demao shifted his gaze from the documents, "Just focus on being the chief inspector and stop thinking about all that nonsense."

"Disciple understands."

Zheng Yifei bowed and withdrew.

Zhou Demao unfolded the spirit paper, wrote a message, and then attached Zheng Yifei's application, arranging for a disciple to deliver it to the General Affairs Hall.

He thought it would take three to five days to get a reply, but to his surprise, the disciple brought back the hall master's reply on the spot.

"It is agreed that Zheng Yifei may open a gambling den in Qingyun Market, but he must not accept bribes through the gambling den. If this is found, his cultivation will be abolished, he will be expelled from the sect, and his family members will never be employed. Kim Jong-won."

Zhou Demao immediately summoned Zheng Yifei.