Chapter 292: The Second and Third Leaders

Translator: yikaii Editor: yikaii

“Isn’t it that you just don’t want to pay the management fee?” Lu Yang squinted his eyes. He remembered that Eldest Senior Sister had asked them to pay the management fee, with all the remaining barbecue shop profits to be handed over.

This left a lot of room for maneuver. For example, the barbecue shop could collaborate with other shops, with part of the profits from other shops going to the barbecue shop, and Eldest Senior Sister wouldn’t be aware of this.

They could also use the barbecue shop’s profits to buy assets, which wouldn’t need to be handed over to Eldest Senior Sister, and sell the assets when they needed spirit stones.

Lu Yang could come up with seven or eight ways to circumvent this with just a bit of thinking. He didn’t believe the Sect Leader couldn’t think of any.

The Sect Leader broke out in a slight cold sweat, not expecting his slip of the tongue to reveal such a flaw.

“You two get thirty percent of the barbecue shop’s profits.”

Lu Yang was unmoved. “All of it goes to Eldest Senior Sister, not a penny less. You are already specters and cannot cultivate, so what use do you have for spirit stones?”

He had the backing of Eldest Senior Sister and Everlasting Fairy. Whatever he lacked, Eldest Senior Sister would provide. Everlasting Fairy also had a lot of contribution points. If Lu Yang needed them, Everlasting Fairy would give them.

He didn’t need to profit from the barbecue shop.

Moreover, by handing over all the barbecue shop’s profits to Eldest Senior Sister, who wouldn’t manage the accounts, the profits would ultimately end up in his hands.

Meng Jingzhou didn’t need to say anything either. As the eldest young master of the Meng family, his only worry was having too much money.

“If you don’t agree to these terms, I’ll tell Eldest Senior Sister about you hiding spirit stones right now. You can guess how Eldest Senior Sister will react when she finds out.”

The Sect Leader broke out in a cold sweat. As specters, they indeed had no use for spirit stones; saving them was just to have a goal.

But that Dao Seeking Sect Eldest Senior Sister wouldn’t necessarily accept this reasoning.

Lu Yang said slowly, “On the other hand, if you agree to these terms and fix the loopholes, this matter can be brushed aside. Eldest Senior Sister won’t know, and I’ll persuade her to let you open branches outside.”

“How about it? Why don’t you consider it?”

The Sect Leader was silent, contemplating the feasibility of Lu Yang’s proposal. Specters were also considered ghosts, and if a ghost had no goal or spiritual sustenance, it would eventually fade away and return to the heavens and earth.

As high-ranking members of the Undying Sect, their spiritual sustenance was the Everlasting Celestial. Since the Everlasting Celestial required them to open barbecue shops outside and spread them across the Central Continent, they had to fulfill the immortal’s instructions.

The Sect Leader glanced at the Everlasting Celestial from the corner of his eye. Seeing the Everlasting Celestial nod almost imperceptibly, he wrestled with his decision before gritting his teeth and making up his mind.

“Alright, I agree to your terms!”

“That’s more like it.”

“By the way, do you know the Sect Leader of the Nine Nether Sect, Qin Haoran?” Lu Yang remembered that the person in front of him was not only the butcher of the slaughterhouse but also the Sect Leader of the Undying Sect.

“Qin Haoran?” The Sect Leader was stunned. “The previous Sect Leader of Nine Nether Sect had the surname Qin, but I don’t know his full name.”

Meng Jingzhou was puzzled. “As the Sect Leader of a demonic sect, how could you not know his name?”

The Sect Leader explained helplessly, “Really, the relationship between the four major demonic sects is not as close as you think. We usually meet and communicate during joint actions or mutual exchanges, and the fundamental differences in our teachings make it difficult for us to stand on the same side.”

“For example, Nine Nether Sect believes in reincarnation, that after death one goes to the Nine Netherworld, while we, the Undying Sect, believe in the Everlasting Celestial, who can bring the dead back to life. Our teachings are vastly different.”

“Moreover, even within the same sect, we may not know each other well. Suppose Sect Leader Qin had a wife and children. Would he tell his subordinates? Of course not.”

Lu Yang nodded, understanding the logic. If the Nine Nether Sect knew about Su Yiren’s existence, how could they have remained silent for over ten years?

Su Yiren’s existence was a threat to the Nine Nether Sect. Su Yiren didn’t know Qin Haoran’s identity or the location of Nine Nether Sect, but would Nine Nether Sect believe that?

Qin Haoran must have intentionally concealed Su Yiren’s existence.

“However, I do know a few things about Sect Leader Qin. Without using immortal treasures, the Nine Nether Sect’s overall strength is slightly stronger than our Undying Sect. Actually, Sect Leader Qin has privately complained to me about the immense pressure he’s under. So, I suspect that Qin Haoran’s position as Sect Leader is not as stable as mine, and many people are vying for power.”

“Nine Nether Sect doesn’t worship any immortal; they probably don’t have any immortal treasures.” The Sect Leader spoke with pride. Among the four major demonic sects, only they worshiped an immortal and possessed immortal treasures. It was a pity they couldn’t obtain the immortal treasures from the Everlasting ruins, otherwise, the Undying Sect’s strength could rank first among the four major demonic sects!

“Nine Nether Sect believes in the existence of the Nine Netherworld, that they will go there after death, so they fear nothing. They’ve proposed many radical plans, such as building a city as an entrance to the Nine Netherworld and declaring war on the Great Xia Dynasty. All these were suppressed by Sect Leader Qin.”

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou gasped. Proposing to declare war on the Great Xia Dynasty was audacious.

Could it be, the ones who proposed this were undercover operatives infiltrating the Nine Nether Sect and trying to destroy it from within.

Applying this to Lu Yang would be like the Sect Leader of the Undying Sect, declaring war on Eldest Senior Sister.

It would only happen if he were possessed by Everlasting Fairy and became dumber.

The Sect Leader continued to share more intelligence about the Nine Nether Sect, which greatly benefited Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.

After listening to the intelligence, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou felt there was no need to stay any longer, so they got up to leave.

“I’ll see you off,” the Sect Leader said politely, sending off Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.

“Lu Yang, I have something to discuss with Everlasting Celestial. I’ll be right back,” Everlasting Fairy said.

“Alright.”

A Daoist figure slowly floated out from behind Lu Yang. It was a beautiful woman in a light yellow dress. She appeared silently in front of Everlasting Celestial, who felt immense pressure as if he were facing the end of his path.

Everlasting Fairy was a higher-level existence compared to Everlasting Celestial’s embryonic form, which had no capacity for resistance.

“Immortal,” Everlasting Celestial crossed his hands over his head, bowing to Everlasting Fairy.

Everlasting Fairy responded indifferently, “Today, we have the opportunity to meet. I have something to inform you.”

“Please go ahead, Immortal.”

“I have observed Lu Yang’s temperament and talent, and both meet my requirements. I have decided that Lu Yang will be the second leader of the Everlasting line, and you will be the third leader. From now on, you must treat Lu Yang with the same respect as you treat me. Do you understand?”

Everlasting Celestial was initially shocked. Even if Lu Yang’s temperament and talent were sufficient, his level wasn’t high enough to qualify as the second leader. Then, as if understanding something, he respectfully said, “Yes.”

Everlasting Fairy soon returned to Lu Yang’s spiritual space.

“What did you go off to do?”

“Not telling you.”

Everlasting Fairy secretly chuckled. Lu Yang, you don’t want to be the second leader, so I’ll make everyone think you are. Even if you deny it, it won’t help.

I’m so clever.

(End of the chapter)