Chapter 49

After half past seven, the Upper Immortal Palace was bustling with people. Pilgrims from all over were desperately trying to squeeze up the mountain.

In stark contrast to the noise in the front hall, the larger backyard of the Upper Immortal Palace was a scene of tranquility and peace.

More than a dozen disciples of the Upper Immortal Palace were busily setting up tables and chairs for the noon banquet. The old master, Xiang Daoxian, relaxed in his wheelchair, basking in the sun. Next to him was a small radio, tuned to the morning news.

In the kitchen, five or six mediocre chefs hired from the foot of the mountain were busy preparing various ingredients for the noon banquet.

Around eight o'clock, a middle-aged man dressed in a suit, looking like a successful businessman, entered the backyard with a black briefcase. He brought a small stool and sat down next to Xiang Daoxian.

"Master, this is last month's comprehensive report. Please review it," the middle-aged man said humbly, taking out a document from his briefcase and handing it to Xiang Daoxian.

He was Xiang Daoxian's fifth disciple and the weakest among his disciples. After more than twenty years of practice, he was still at the first stage, barely able to sense the presence of spiritual energy, and could be easily overpowered by an ordinary strong man.

However, his main responsibility was not to cultivate and improve his strength in the temple, but to manage the various properties under the Upper Immortal Palace, including two companies, two high-quality cinnabar mines, and three mountains leased for the cultivation of spiritual plants.

The two companies under the Upper Immortal Palace had always had mediocre profitability, at best serving as financial management tools.

What truly sustained the Upper Immortal Palace's operational expenses, besides the regular incense offerings, mostly came from the two cinnabar mines that could produce nearly nine kilograms of high-quality cinnabar each month, and the small-scale production of 'Shuye Flower,' 'Mengqiu Grass,' and 'Qingling Fruit' from the spiritual plant bases.

The high-quality cinnabar referred to in the metaphysical world was of a completely different caliber from what ordinary people called high-quality cinnabar.

The cinnabar used in the metaphysical world for drawing talismans and engraving spirit arrays was divided into four grades: low, medium, high, and supreme. Even low-grade cinnabar was considered a rare supreme quality in the eyes of ordinary people.

The two mines controlled by the Upper Immortal Palace were located in a valley about seventy miles northeast of Wufeng Mountain. Each month, they extracted over ten tons of raw cinnabar from the sandstone, but after selection, only about nine kilograms of high-quality cinnabar could be extracted. Apart from the 0.5 kilograms consumed by the temple each month, the remaining 8.5 kilograms of high-quality cinnabar were sold to other metaphysical sects in the country at prices ranging from 480 to 530 yuan per gram.

This alone brought in nearly 50 million yuan in annual revenue for the Upper Immortal Palace.

The production of the spiritual plant bases, which was affected by seasonal changes, could generate over 100 million yuan in wealth for the Upper Immortal Palace in the short periods of February to March, August to September, and mid-November.

In addition, Wu Chuan and others occasionally went down the mountain to handle various tasks, and the income from these tasks was also recorded in the Upper Immortal Palace's accounts. When all these were added up, the Upper Immortal Palace's annual income exceeded 300 million yuan, making it quite wealthy.

Zheng Bailong, the youngest disciple, spent no more than two days a month on the mountain. He usually came at the beginning of the month to report the financial status of the Upper Immortal Palace's properties to Xiang Daoxian with the previous month's financial statements.

Xiang Daoxian merely glanced at the report and then closed his eyes indifferently, saying, "I know. You can go back to your work."

"Yes..." Zheng Bailong replied respectfully, but he sighed inwardly. No matter how hard he tried, he was still just a money manager for the Upper Immortal Palace, and in Xiang Daoxian's eyes, his status was even lower than that of the young disciples taught by his senior brothers!

Although he drove luxury cars and lived in a villa, his life at the foot of the mountain seemed glamorous, but the hardships he endured were known only to himself. These were not his own possessions but merely a borrowed facade!

If one day Xiang Daoxian suddenly found him displeasing and decided to replace him, it would be as easy as a word from his mouth!

Zheng Bailong left the backyard of the Upper Immortal Palace, looking back every few steps. He saw his senior brother Wu Chuan walking towards him.

Subconsciously, he put on a smile that was somewhat ingratiating, intending to greet Wu Chuan, but Wu Chuan merely glanced at him and passed by without a word...

Zheng Bailong's heart, which had been hot with anticipation, suddenly turned cold. From Wu Chuan's contemptuous look, he seemed to have read his own future!

Xiang Daoxian's health was deteriorating day by day, and he no longer had the vigor of a fifth-stage true cultivator.

At this rate, it wouldn't be long before Xiang Daoxian ascended to immortality. The reason Zheng Bailong could manage the Upper Immortal Palace's properties at the foot of the mountain was simply because Xiang Daoxian had seen his cleverness years ago!

Once Xiang Daoxian ascended, the Upper Immortal Palace would be under Wu Chuan's control, and Wu Chuan had never given Zheng Bailong a second glance!

A new emperor brings new ministers.

In other words, once Wu Chuan became the master of the Upper Immortal Palace, Zheng Bailong, the fifth disciple who was merely a figurehead, would likely be dismissed.

A strong sense of crisis suddenly overwhelmed him.

Zheng Bailong's eyes flashed with a faint light, but he concealed his dissatisfaction, maintaining a harmless smile on his face as he hurried down the mountain with his briefcase.

Wu Chuan walked up to Xiang Daoxian and, without mentioning the encounter with Zheng Bailong, said, "Master, the people from the Ten Thousand Immortals Hall will be at the foot of the mountain soon. Should I have the disciples prepare to welcome them at the gate?"

"This is the busiest time for pilgrims. Don't make a big fuss," Xiang Daoxian shook his head. "You can go to meet them. Once they enter the backyard, you can welcome them as you see fit."

Xiang Daoxian understood Wu Chuan's thoughts. He was nearing the end of his life, while the True Man Xuancheng of the Ten Thousand Immortals Hall looked like he could live for another twenty to thirty years. Wu Chuan's intention to curry favor was for the future.

Although he was somewhat displeased, he understood that as the future master of the Upper Immortal Palace, Wu Chuan's actions were appropriate.

In fact, regardless of Xiang Daoxian's approval, Wu Chuan had already made the arrangements... His purpose in coming here was merely to show respect.

"Yes, I'll go arrange it," Wu Chuan nodded lightly and turned to leave.

At that moment, a young Taoist priest in his thirties ran over in a panic, shouting, "Master, it's bad... it's bad!!"

"What is it? What's the matter with you, acting so flustered!" Xiang Daoxian scolded.

Wu Chuan, who had not walked far, stopped and turned around, frowning. "What happened?"

The young Taoist priest adjusted his hat and said breathlessly, "It's Wufeng Temple... the people from Wufeng Temple..."

"What did the people from Wufeng Temple do?"

"Master, Senior Master... the people from Wufeng Temple have all run away!" The young Taoist priest smiled bitterly. "Even the cats and dogs they kept in the temple were all taken away... the gates are locked, and there's no one inside!"

"What did you say?!" Wu Chuan's voice rose involuntarily. "Run away?!"

"Yes, they ran away... all of them!" The young Taoist priest wiped the sweat from his forehead. "The villagers who were cutting bamboo on the mountain have all gone home..."

"How could this happen?" Wu Chuan was stunned. He had imagined countless scenarios for the arrival of the Ten Thousand Immortals Hall, but he had never considered this!

Xiang Daoxian asked, "When did this happen? Why didn't you report it earlier!?"

"Master... the people from Wufeng Temple ran away secretly, not through the front gate but through the back gate. We didn't expect them to run away!" The young Taoist priest said with a look of grievance. "They've been gone for at least half an hour. I only noticed something was strange and climbed a tree to check..."

To prevent any unexpected changes, Xiang Daoxian had ordered several disciples to keep an eye on the mountain. However, their purpose was merely to prevent Wufeng Temple from doing anything extreme. Who would have thought that Wufeng Temple, which had been so arrogant and provocative the day before, would suddenly run away without any warning?

Punishing the disciples who were supposed to keep watch was now meaningless.

Wu Chuan looked up at the mountain, where Wufeng Temple was now barely visible, and asked Xiang Daoxian, "Master, what should we do now?"

The people from the Ten Thousand Immortals Hall were almost at the foot of Wufeng Mountain.

If they found out that the people from Wufeng Temple had run away after they climbed the mountain... would the Upper Immortal Palace have to keep them overnight if the people from Wufeng Temple didn't return?

Xiang Daoxian also had a bitter smile on his face. He asked, "Is it possible they all went down the mountain to perform a ritual? After all, no one could have leaked the news of the Ten Thousand Immortals Hall's arrival to Wufeng Temple..."

"Impossible!" Wu Chuan shook his head firmly. "Not only is Wufeng Temple almost unknown within a few dozen miles, but even if someone knew, they wouldn't invite Wufeng Temple to perform a ritual... Perhaps they guessed something and ran away... After all, everyone knows the Ten Thousand Immortals Hall is not to be trifled with..."

"That's a possibility," Xiang Daoxian nodded. "It's too late to say anything now. The people from the Ten Thousand Immortals Hall are about to climb the mountain... We'll have to wait for True Man Xuancheng to arrive and discuss the matter. After all, the temple can't run away, and Wufeng Temple can't abandon it!"

It seemed there was no other choice.

Wu Chuan nodded helplessly. He couldn't fathom why the people from Wufeng Temple were so shameless!