Lingyunzi had little patience for ordinary people, and he was never lenient with cultivators, especially one who claimed he wanted to kill him.

He drew his sword.

The flying sword hovered at Jiang Zhiqiu's forehead, ready to take his life at any sign of movement.

In an instant, the furious Jiang Zhiqiu calmed down.

Anyone with a sword pointed at their forehead would have to calm down.

The Azurecloud Sect was nearby, and Jiang Zhiqiu was well aware of it. However, hadn't the sect's members been absent from the world for years?

If not for the Sect Inauguration Ceremony held every ten years, people might have thought the sect had sealed itself off.

Especially since Jiang Zhiqiu had been at the Azurecloud Market for over twenty years, he thought he had a clear understanding of the sect's situation.

So, when Zhang Yang and Lingyunzi appeared, his first thought was that rogue cultivators were impersonating members of the Azurecloud Sect.

But when the flying sword appeared, threatening his life with unstoppable force, he realized they might indeed be from the sect.

He was puzzled. Why had the Azurecloud Sect, which had ignored worldly affairs for over a century, suddenly changed its approach?

"According to my investigation, you've been managing the Azurecloud Market for about twenty-two years," Zhang Yang said, watching Jiang Zhiqiu closely. "The market has inns, pharmacies, weapon shops, and even a small trade association, all trading with spirit stones. I've learned that you take a twenty percent tax, and there are additional benefits just for you.

Calculating at ten thousand spirit stones a year, you've amassed over two hundred thousand spirit stones over the years.

A fifty-fifty split means you owe me at least a hundred thousand spirit stones now."

Jiang Zhiqiu stared at the flying sword in front of him, not daring to move.

Hearing Zhang Yang demand a hundred thousand spirit stones, he was filled with resentment but had no choice. He obediently handed over the spirit stones. With a thought, a pile of spirit stones appeared in the room, and rich spiritual qi spread outwards.

Zhang Yang collected the spirit stones, smiling at Jiang Zhiqiu. "You're not being honest!

Besides spirit stones, I don't believe you haven't acquired any herbs or materials over the years. Shouldn't you share half with the Azurecloud Sect?

You should know, I haven't killed you outright or taken your spatial ring. That's already quite courteous.

If you don't know what's good for you, I might have to take your spatial ring and inspect it thoroughly."

Jiang Zhiqiu took a deep breath and said, "Senior, please put away the flying sword! I admit defeat!"

Lingyunzi thought for a moment and retracted the sword.

In front of him, Jiang Zhiqiu had no chance of escape; his Daoist arts and cultivation were far inferior.

Without the threat of the sword, Jiang Zhiqiu felt more at ease.

Ignoring Zhang Yang and Lingyunzi, he sat down and, with a wave of his hand, placed a dozen ornate boxes and several dozen spirit herbs on the table. He then added various materials to the table.

"All my gains are here," Jiang Zhiqiu said sensibly. "Besides this, I can offer another fifty thousand spirit stones. This is everything I've accumulated over the years."

As Zhang Yang had said, the Azurecloud Sect hadn't killed him or taken his spatial ring, indicating they were reasonable.

Jiang Zhiqiu had taken advantage of the Azurecloud Market for over twenty years, and now it was time to give some of it back.

Zhang Yang unceremoniously collected the fifty thousand spirit stones, took eight of the ornate boxes, half of the spirit herbs, and then selected half of the materials.

Then Zhang Yang said, "Consider the matter of your twenty years managing the Azurecloud Market settled."

Jiang Zhiqiu silently gathered the remaining herbs and materials, pondered for a moment, and said, "I've put a lot of effort into managing the Azurecloud Market over the past twenty years, and I'm quite familiar with it. If you trust me, I can continue to manage it. I can reduce my management fee to thirty percent, with seventy percent going to the Azurecloud Sect. How about that?"

Managing the Azurecloud Market was lucrative, and he didn't want to give it up easily.

However, seeing the Azurecloud Sect's stance, it seemed they wanted to manage it themselves.

He wanted to make one last attempt, hoping Zhang Yang's reasonableness would allow him to keep this lucrative position.

Lingyunzi frowned and asked Zhang Yang, "The Azurecloud Market is essentially unclaimed land. Is it reasonable to charge them money for living here?"

He felt the taxation was unreasonable since the Azurecloud Sect had never done such a thing before.

Of course, what was collected before was settled, and he wasn't foolish enough to return it, but future collections seemed inappropriate.

Zhang Yang and Jiang Zhiqiu exchanged a speechless glance at Lingyunzi's words.

"Uncle-Master, the Azurecloud Market has become a system. If left unmanaged, it will fall into chaos," Zhang Yang explained. "Without management, the market will face severe issues, and people might even die due to a lack of order.

Therefore, the Azurecloud Market cannot be left unmanaged. The way of heaven takes from the excess to replenish the deficient; the way of man takes from the deficient to serve the excess. Since the Azurecloud Market's existence involves people, it must follow the way of man."

He knew his uncle-masters were a bit out of touch, or the Azurecloud Sect wouldn't be in its current state.

To persuade Lingyunzi, he deliberately quoted a Daoist scripture.

Sure enough, Lingyunzi fell into the scripture's contemplation.

Hearing the scripture, Jiang Zhiqiu's eyes flashed, looking at Zhang Yang like a monster, his mind racing.

After persuading Lingyunzi, Zhang Yang turned to Jiang Zhiqiu and said, "I have a suggestion. What do you think?"

"Please, go ahead!" Jiang Zhiqiu unconsciously used a respectful tone.

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "I want to recommend you to my master as a registered disciple. Normally, my master would do this himself, but he's in seclusion and won't emerge for another six months. Once he does, you can formally become his disciple. What do you think?"

In his view, the Azurecloud Market should be managed by the Azurecloud Sect, so why should Jiang Zhiqiu get thirty percent of the benefits?

Moreover, having an outsider manage the market wasn't trustworthy.

But the older members of the Azurecloud Sect were ineffective, and the younger ones were too inexperienced.

If the market needed managing, Zhang Yang would have to do it himself.

However, Zhang Yang had no interest in managing it; his focus remained on cultivation, and all these efforts were for that purpose.

Jiang Zhiqiu, having managed the market for over twenty years, was already familiar with it.

More importantly, despite being suppressed by Lingyunzi earlier, Jiang Zhiqiu's displayed aura was not weaker than Zhang Yang's. If Jiang Zhiqiu joined the Azurecloud Sect, all problems would be solved, and the sect would gain a capable cultivator. Especially since Jiang Zhiqiu was a rogue cultivator, having achieved his cultivation without sect resources.

He was a talent!

So, Zhang Yang decided to bring Jiang Zhiqiu into the sect.

But without Qingyunzi's approval, he could only offer the status of a registered disciple.

Jiang Zhiqiu was speechless; they had just robbed and threatened him, and now they wanted him to join the Azurecloud Sect...

After a moment of contemplation, he decisively said, "Thank you, Senior Brother, for the recommendation. I am willing to join the Azurecloud Sect!"

Rogue cultivators might have freedom, but they lacked backing.

Though the Azurecloud Sect seemed in decline, it was an ancient sect with a long heritage.

The sect's cultivation methods were surely superior to his own, which was why Jiang Zhiqiu ultimately decided to join.

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "Then prepare yourself, and later join us to register at Azurecloud. My uncle-master and I have some other matters to attend to, and we'll come back for you once we're done."

With that, he called Lingyunzi and left.

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Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan