Chapter 4

Chapter Four

In the Demon Realm, there are two vital resources: spiritual energy and demon crystal ore. These are the foundation for survival within the realm, coveted by all organizations inside the Demon Realm as well as prestigious sects from the outside world.

At this moment—

The seven hall masters fell silent instantly.

Qin Jun leapt down from the palace roof and stood before the seven hall masters, a faint smile flickering in his dark eyes.

“Now, would the hall masters be willing to come in for the meeting?”

...

Lanqing Hall of the Demon Palace had been deserted for a long time. As the grand doors were pushed open, dust swirled, causing sneezes. The elderly palace master, Granny Longxin, always met visitors in her study and issued orders there, never mustering such a grand assembly in the main hall.

Thus, this once magnificent hall was now merely a showpiece, a testament to the Demon Palace’s former grandeur.

Qin Jun raised his hand, signaling Long Langbai to enter first. Just as Long Langbai stepped forward, Pei Yan and the others called him back.

In Qin Jun’s unreadable gaze, Long Langbai forced a smile. “Go in and prepare first, I’ll be there shortly.”

Without hesitation, Qin Jun turned and left, not staying a second longer.

Long Langbai muttered, “Could you at least show some courtesy?”

In the next instant, seven figures surrounded Long Langbai.

Pei Yan questioned, “What’s going on? Who is this female cultivator? You just let her boss you around like that? Even if you care for your wife, there’s no need to make a fool of us. Long Langbai, you’re really not playing fair.”

Young and inexperienced, Long Langbai couldn’t assert himself before the hall masters. “Don’t talk nonsense!” Pei Yan’s words made his hairs stand on end.

She was his goddess! He was already honored to speak with He Shan, the True Immortal of Lingxiao Sect. How could he dare—

“She is He Shan, True Immortal of Lingxiao Sect! Long Wenlong and Long Wu went to great lengths to invite her. Show some respect!”

“Right now, she is a specially appointed expert designated by the young master,” Long Langbai added. Though he didn’t quite understand what a specially appointed expert was, it sounded impressive.

Few had seen He Shan’s face, but countless had heard her name. Known for her unwavering righteousness and merciless pursuit of demonic cultivators, she had mysteriously disappeared three months ago after an ambush by roaming demonic cultivators. No one expected her to have joined the Demon Palace.

Before Pei Yan could respond, a woman twisted Long Langbai’s arm. “You dare employ someone from Lingxiao Sect? Aren’t you afraid of trouble?”

Long Langbai was unfazed; he trusted his goddess’s character and abilities. But more pressing than future troubles was how to resolve current issues before Granny Longxin emerged from seclusion.

Not only were the seven hall masters stunned by Qin Jun’s words, but Long Langbai himself was caught off guard, his own troubles far from settled.

He said nothing, feigning seriousness as he nodded. “Enter the hall and confess your sins honestly.” With that, he darted into Lanqing Hall.

The seven hall masters exchanged glances outside the hall. Numerous disciples and guests watched from outside; who dared enter first?

Well, if it’s a trap, they’d have to endure it.

Pei Yan clicked his tongue, scratched his head, and strode in. No one knew exactly what the newcomer intended, but Long Langbai, oblivious as ever, actually obeyed her. Regardless of her purpose, it was best for them to communicate among themselves first.

“Yan Yue,” Pei Yan whispered, stopping the woman in green walking last, “how will you respond if they ask about the demon crystal ore production? Don’t you remember the theft from the old mine a month ago?”

Yan Yue halted, her fox-like eyes shimmering. “What do you mean, how to respond?”

Pei Yan pressed on, “At least six thousand jin of premium demon crystal ore went missing, thirty-six disciples were injured, and many tools lost. The incident was covered up. If asked, what will you say?”

Yan Yue asked back, “And you?”

Pei Yan chuckled, “I’ll say I injured myself during training and have been in seclusion healing. The old mine isn’t under my responsibility, so it’s not my issue.”

Yan Yue raised an eyebrow. “How serious was the injury?”

“Qi disorder, bleeding from the seven orifices, power reduced by thirty percent.”

Yan Yue’s eyes narrowed. “Who did it?”

Pei Yan laughed, “Who else but the people from the Slaughter Saint Sect, my greatest adversaries.”

“No one reported it? The whole Demon Palace knows it’s your people guarding the old mine.”

Pei Yan replied, “With my temper, who dares disturb me during seclusion? Even if investigated, reporting a loss of ten thousand jin would suffice.”

Yan Yue raised another eyebrow. “But you said six thousand jin went missing?”

Pei Yan patted Yan Yue’s shoulder mysteriously. “Six thousand is reported, what’s a thousand or two more? The extra can cover the injured brothers’ supplies.”

Yan Yue fell silent, shot him a glance, and entered the hall first.

The others exchanged looks and followed inside.

Pei Yan, new to the Demon Palace and the biggest troublemaker so far, felt uneasy. After questioning Yan Yue, he couldn’t help but ask the hall master Qi Tianyu walking behind.

“Hall Master Qi, what do you think will happen?”

Qi Tianyu walked forward with closed eyes. “I don’t know.”

...

Inside Lanqing Hall, a tranquil calm reigned. The raging winds and demonic aura outside could not penetrate, leaving only a refreshing stillness.

Qin Jun brushed his fingers over the thick dust on the table, casting a slight look of disdain before picking up the Demon Palace’s accounts for the year and handing them to Long Langbai.

Aware of his own negligence, Long Langbai lowered his head, whispering, “I’ll fix it...”

But whether he would, and how, was uncertain.

Qin Jun gave no encouragement, withdrawing his hand silently. The hall’s large doors were flung open, and sparse figures slowly entered.

Before coming to Lanqing Hall, Qin Jun had carefully reviewed the roster of the seven hall masters. All had records of crimes and appeared on wanted lists from the outside. For example, Pei Yan, who joined the Demon Palace only ten years ago, was the mastermind behind the extinction of the Royal Family of Rongguo, hunted by both the Heavenly Court and the Immortal Alliance. Yet he thrived in the Demon Realm under a new identity.

Others included Hui Dikong, the Buddhist sect’s exiled saint’s son who vanished into obscurity, and Shen Tu Suxin, a traitor who slaughtered an entire mountain peak of Sword Pavilion...

And then there was Yan Yue, whose origins were unknown but had been with the Demon Palace the longest, remaining ageless for four or five centuries.

This was a place full of troublemakers, even more so than the batch of specially recruited graduates she managed when the great faction was first established.

Excellent. The workplace is precisely where sharp edges are smoothed away.

System: “Isn’t the workplace where people grow?”

Qin Jun: “The price of growth is losing your edges.”

“Oh,” the system mused, realizing her host’s good intentions.

Long Langbai sat beside Qin Jun, glancing up quickly. For some unknown reason, the arrival of the seven hall masters stirred in him an inexplicable sympathy and a strange sense of security.

Qin Jun turned a page, waiting for everyone to settle.

“Young master, here’s the data. Take a good look.”

Long Langbai nodded obediently, lowering his head to study the documents Qin Jun handed him, barely noticing the seven hall masters entering.

The hall masters came in prepared for a show of force. Yet nothing extraordinary happened. Qin Jun, mobilizing such effort, had even prepared chairs, tea, and a pitifully small plate of snacks.

The hall was empty around them. Tables had been pushed together in the center, with chairs arranged around. At the far end sat Long Langbai and Qin Jun.

She lit a lamp, seated herself at the desk, flipping through papers with such focus she barely noticed their arrival.

In the dimness, she alone seemed to glow.

Yan Yue, the most frequent visitor here, couldn’t understand the situation. Was this to have everyone sit together? Sitting face to face across a table, even a trap wouldn’t be convenient to strike.

She sent a trace of true qi to probe Qin Jun’s cultivation but was disappointed to find it vanished without a trace.

Before Yan Yue could ponder further, Pei Yan stepped forward, breaking the silence. “Hey! What exactly are you trying to do?”

Good, Yan Yue thought; at least someone was taking the lead.

Smack!

Everyone shuddered involuntarily.

Qin Jun closed the book in his hands, stirring a cloud of dust that danced in the candlelight.

“On behalf of the young master, I have been tasked with auditing the accounts. I find some inconsistencies. Hall masters, could you clarify?”

His gentle yet cold voice, polite but carrying an unspoken tension, tightened everyone’s nerves.

Could someone really make sense of the Demon Palace’s chaotic finances?

The woman stood, the gold thread embroidery on her black robe shimmering in the candlelight, lifting everyone’s spirits.

“Please sit. I’m merely here on the young master’s behalf to ask a few questions.”

In an instant, all eyes focused on Long Langbai, who felt chilled to the bone, his smile stiffening as he nodded weakly.

Within an hour of the palace master’s order summoning all disciples, Qin Jun unleashed a fierce verbal onslaught on him. Now, whatever Qin Jun said was law; he dared not resist.

The system felt this was somewhat unfair since these questions were all memorized by Long Langbai at Qin Jun’s behest, not his own.

Though skeptical, the other hall masters followed the young master’s lead.

Pei Yan spoke first, “What questions?”

Qin Jun’s face immediately donned a formal smile. He glanced quickly at the papers before him, then raised his eyes to fix on a particular person, his movements smooth and deliberate as if following a set procedure.

“First, who approved the funding for all mining projects?”

“Second, who compiled the production statistics for all the mines?”

“Third, who manages recruitment for all Demon Palace personnel?”

“Fourth...”

Funding, output, personnel—each question struck at the heart of the Demon Palace’s mismanagement, each pinning responsibility on a specific individual.

The vast silent hall grew tense, clothes clinging with cold sweat.

What was going on? How could mere questions cause such dread?

Amid the confusion, Qin Jun smiled again, his black eyes gleaming eerily.

“Of course—”

“The final question.”

Everyone exhaled in relief. The endless torment was nearing its end. If it continued, once Granny Longxin emerged, they’d be expelled outright.

With expectant yet anxious eyes, Qin Jun slowly spoke: “Do you know whose Demon Palace this really is?”

Silence spread.

Qin Jun nonchalantly flipped through a few pages, and in the dim light, several key words stood out: “mine,” “conflict,” “deficit”...

Each word crushed the fragile nerves of the seven hall masters.

Qin Jun said, “While Granny Longxin is in seclusion, the young master is entrusted to oversee all Demon Palace affairs. If you have objections to her decision, you may voice them. But do not feign obedience while secretly undermining the palace.”

He dropped a massive accusation, and cold sweat poured from the seven hall masters.

Granny Longxin’s methods—

“This is slander!” Pei Yan slammed the table, his mind racing through others’ misdeeds, trying to clear his own name.

Qin Jun’s gaze swept across the room, an invisible pressure filling the air. “Confess truthfully for leniency; resist and face severity. Clear explanations will be forgiven; unclear ones—”

Invisible lightning crackled as Qin Jun’s aura pressed down, suffocating.

“Xie Wangfei embezzled all demon crystals from the new mine to forge artifacts; Shen Tu Suxin secretly stashed transaction funds outside to support her lover; Qi Tianyu maintained close ties with the Lord of the Burning Heaven Tower and leaked palace secrets; and Yan Yue—”

Pei Yan shuddered and confessed everything.

Qin Jun raised an eyebrow, surprised at Pei Yan’s swift admission. She only asked a few questions, never specifying consequences, yet he confessed fully?

Lanqing Hall erupted instantly—those who wanted to fight did, those who wanted to accuse did. The seven hall masters descended into chaos.

A mere confrontation, but with all-out intensity.

Not only was the content unsavory, the scene was unpleasant to witness.

“And you?” Qin Jun stared at the bruise on Pei Yan’s eye.

Accused Yan Yue shouted back, “The old mine lost sixteen thousand jin of premium demon crystal ore—who knows what he did with it!”

Pei Yan was dumbfounded. Didn’t he plan to report only ten thousand jin? How did it suddenly become sixteen thousand?

“Young master! You must intervene!” Pei Yan nearly cried. “The old mine only lost six thousand jin! That’s the total monthly output! How could it be sixteen thousand? I was going to report just ten thousand! The missing six thousand must be Yan Yue’s doing!”

Yan Yue lifted her eyes and smiled faintly. “Hall Master Pei, six thousand is already lost. What difference do a thousand or two make?”

Pei Yan: “...”

Collapse was imminent.

“She’s using all my lines!”

...