Chapter 92

"Until the traitors are eliminated, I won't feel at ease!" Hu Hai frowned and said, "Damn it, if I find them, I'll kill them for sure!"

Chen Siyu said, "There are probably quite a few of them."

"Alas..." Hu Hai sighed and looked at Chu Li, "There's nothing we can do about it. People's hearts are hard to fathom. Who knows what they're thinking? They enjoy good food and drink, yet they still aren't satisfied. That's just how people are!"

"They came in with ulterior motives from the start," Zheng Gongming said. "No matter how well we treat them, it won't work... Hall Master Hu, how do we find the traitors?"

"Screen everyone who was on duty that day, and interrogate them one by one!" Hu Hai grunted.

Chen Siyu furrowed her long, fine eyebrows.

This approach would hurt people's feelings and damage morale, and it might not even work. If it did, there wouldn't be any traitors left.

Zheng Gongming stroked his beard disapprovingly. As the protector, these weren't his responsibilities, and he usually didn't speak about them.

Chu Li pondered and said, "I'll handle it... I'll go through it and try to find all the traitors."

"Master, that would be perfect!" Hu Hai said with a smile. "But..."

The Young Master's martial arts were formidable, but identifying traitors wasn't about fighting. No matter how strong one's martial arts were, it required a meticulous mind and a deep understanding of subordinates, noticing any changes in their expressions. These traitors were cunning and deceitful, and it wouldn't be easy to expose them!

Chu Li said, "Let's give it a try."

"How do we do it?" Chen Siyu asked softly.

Chu Li said, "Have them come in groups of ten. You give them some silver, which will help stabilize their morale."

"Is that all?" Chen Siyu asked.

Chu Li said, "Have them report their names, and you can say a few words casually."

"...Alright." Chen Siyu nodded slowly.

Hu Hai widened his eyes, opened his mouth, but then closed it again.

Chu Li turned to look at Hu Hai and the others.

Zheng Gongming stood up and smiled, "Master, since you have no more questions, we'll go back and make the arrangements. Ten taels per person, how about that?"

Chen Siyu thought for a moment, "There should be different amounts. Those who perform well get more, and those who perform average get less, to boost their morale."

"Alright, ten taels for average performance, and twenty taels for outstanding performance. How does that sound?"

"Very good." Chen Siyu nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Protector Zheng and Hall Master Hu."

"Master, it's our fault," Zheng Gongming shook his head and sighed, "We should be punished!"

"Skill is what matters, and there's nothing we can do about it." Chen Siyu smiled and waved her hand, "Protector Zheng, Hall Master Hu, please go and make the arrangements. Get some rest after you're done; you've been exhausted because of me!"

"...Then we'll take our leave, Young Master." Hu Hai said as he bowed.

Chu Li smiled and bowed in return.

There were only three people in the room, and Yue quietly stood guard outside.

Chen Siyu sighed, "I'm really out of ideas..."

Chu Li waved his hand, "You should have called me earlier! ...How has everything been recently?"

"Alright, we've finally stabilized our position," Chen Siyu smiled.

"Remarkable," Chu Li praised.

Chen Siyu achieving this was no easy feat. As a female leader, even if Hu Hai and the others respected her, the lower-ranking members might not. Opponents often used this to mock and belittle them, making them lose face.

Chen Siyu shook her head and sighed, looking tired, "I didn't expect it to be so difficult."

Chu Li said, "The beginning is always the hardest. Once you get through this, it will be smoother from here on out."

"This assassination attempt worries me; it might not be the last," Chen Siyu said. "My martial arts skills are a fatal weakness."

Chu Li nodded.

In this world, the strong are respected. If one's martial arts aren't strong, people won't truly recognize their authority, no matter how high their position. Otherwise, the government wouldn't be so weak and need the assistance of the Duke's Mansion to handle martial artists.

"I'm just not talented enough," Chen Siyu sighed.

Chu Li pondered in silence.

He now had two ways to help others improve their skills: assisting in their cultivation or using the Tendon-Opening Pill. Both were slow processes that required time, with no quick fix.

But there was another method: the Essence-Cultivating Pill. However, this method was too extravagant, and even with a lot of money, it wouldn't be enough.

The Essence-Cultivating Pill was a unique elixir of the Duke's Mansion, with a special formula unknown to outsiders. According to his knowledge, the required herbs were not rare, and the cost was not high, but the preparation was difficult.

It was different from ordinary pills. For ordinary pills, one just needed to mix the herbs in the right proportions, boil them, and then combine the liquid with honey to form the pill.

The Essence-Cultivating Pill, however, required a precise and delicate process. The herbs had to be added in a specific order, and the fire control had to be meticulous. The preparation was extremely difficult, relying half on experience and half on luck. It was almost impossible to achieve the same results, let alone in the preparation of medicine.

Now, to develop his own forces, he needed a large number of Essence-Cultivating Pills. He had to try. He would go back and plant some herbs, see if he could use his past experience to analyze the components of the Essence-Cultivating Pill and try to prepare it himself.

As long as he had the right tools, as a physics researcher, analyzing the components of the Essence-Cultivating Pill wouldn't be difficult. The challenge was the experimental equipment.

Chen Siyu said, "No one can help with martial arts. I will work hard to cultivate."

Chu Li said, "I'll think of a way. There aren't many such experts, so don't worry!"

Chen Siyu sighed softly, feeling a sense of helplessness, which stemmed from her weak martial arts skills.

Through the Great Mirror Wisdom, Chu Li saw people entering Xu's residence, gathering in front of the hall, increasing in number, and standing quietly.

The Jingyun Gang becoming the largest gang in Yunzhou City wasn't by chance. These people had a spirit far superior to ordinary people, standing silently in front of the hall, exuding a formidable aura.

Xu An came out to report that the people had gathered and asked if the silver should be brought over.

Chen Siyu said, "Let's go to the hall."

She stood up, and Yue hurriedly came to support her.

Chen Siyu waved her hand, indicating that it wasn't necessary. Her internal injuries were gone, and she had recovered some strength. She walked steadily to the hall and sat in the grand chair.

Next to the grand chair, several large boxes were open, filled with neatly arranged silver ingots, their shine dazzling.

Chu Li found a remote spot to sit, not wanting to reveal his presence to the gang members.

Chen Siyu glanced at him. Though curious, she knew Chu Li had his reasons and didn't ask. She waved her hand, "Have them come in groups of ten."

"Yes." Xu An turned and gave the order.

Ten people at a time, they entered the hall, standing tall and reporting their names.

Chen Siyu smiled and nodded, handing them the silver ingots, and then waved for them to leave.

She turned to look at Chu Li, who nodded.

Chen Siyu felt reassured and waved her hand again. The next group of ten people entered, reported their names, and Chen Siyu smiled and nodded, looking them over, gave them the silver, and said a few encouraging words, then waved for them to leave.

A total of 520 people received 8,000 taels of silver.

Chu Li used the Great Mirror Wisdom to observe their thoughts.

Whenever people faced silver, their emotions would fluctuate and the hidden feelings deep in their hearts would surface. Chu Li could easily tell who was loyal, who had second thoughts, and who harbored ill intentions.

After all 520 people had been seen, Chen Siyu was somewhat tired. She let Hu Hai and the others go back to rest, feeling very reassured with Chu Li there.

Hu Hai and the others were confident in Chu Li's martial arts skills and left with some curiosity. Could he really identify the traitors?

Chen Siyu returned to her bedroom, and Chu Li handed her a plain sheet of paper with ten names written on it.

Chen Siyu frowned as she looked at the list and raised her head, "All traitors?"

Chu Li nodded slowly.