Chapter Fourteen: The Gathering at One Valley

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Three days later, after completing the funeral of the former Valley Lord, all the disciples of Hundred Flowers Valley gathered in the main hall to attend the Fifth Plenary Assembly of the Valley, convened and presided over by the new Sect Master, Chu Linfeng.

At the assembly, Sect Master Chu spoke highly of the contributions made to Hundred Flowers Valley by the former Valley Lord and its members. He commended Comrades Tang Cai and Tang Xie for their courage in facing hardship, their fearlessness in the face of sacrifice, and their spirit of devotion. Sect Master Chu emphasized that cultivation and development were to be his foremost priorities as Valley Lord. He would faithfully fulfill his responsibilities, put the valley’s members first, solicit advice, build consensus, plan thoroughly, and act decisively—serving as a vanguard and leading by example. He would lead the members in rebuilding the valley through hard work and cultivating diligently, striving to restore Hundred Flowers Valley to its former glory as soon as possible.

At the assembly, Sect Master Chu nominated Tang Cai and Tang Xie, and the nomination was unanimously approved. The two were appointed Deputy Valley Lords and Standing Committee Members of Hundred Flowers Valley. Thunderous applause filled the hall.

Sect Master Chu then pointed out that the current situation facing Hundred Flowers Valley was grave, and that the most urgent task was: “Auditing the books!”

Seated at the head of the hall, Chu Linfeng was already bursting with impatience. He lowered his head, grinning broadly as he rubbed his hands together.

“Haha! For this heaven-sent fortune, I stayed up three nights in a row, burning paper offerings for my mother-in-law while writing my speech. Now that the formalities are finally complete, I can openly examine the ledgers and count my little treasury!”

Seeing this, Tang Cai, seated opposite Tang Xie, hurriedly leaned over and whispered a reminder.

“Husband, once you see the accounts, don’t get too excited. Stay calm. After all, you’re a sect master now.”

“Hehe, I know, I know! I’ll try to keep myself under control. Haha!”

Chu Linfeng’s eyes had already narrowed into slits from smiling. He had secretly checked property prices in Peach Garden County, chosen the design of a villa, and even researched several car models. He was simply waiting for the year-end dividends.

Just then, Chief Steward Mo approached with a tablet computer.

Chu Linfeng’s eyes lit up. He snatched the computer away, while Steward Mo did not retreat, as though he already knew what Chu Linfeng was about to ask and was waiting to answer him.

“Are all those red negative figures under the annual total amounts receivable that haven’t been collected? It’s almost the end of the year. We need to hurry up and recover them. Cash flow is crucial!” Chu Linfeng said, displeased.

“Valley Lord, those aren’t receivables. They’re payables—in other words, debts. They are the debts accumulated by Hundred Flowers Valley over the past several years,” Steward Mo replied in a low voice.

“Oh, debts… What? Debts? What the hell!”

Chu Linfeng sprang from his chair.

“One, ten, one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand… Thirteen million, two hundred and six thousand, three hundred and twenty-five yuan and sixty-eight cents! Steward Mo, don’t joke with me. This is a formal plenary assembly!”

“What are you getting so worked up about?” Tang Xie said with a curl of her lip. “Didn’t Mother say before she died that she was going to seek forgiveness from the ancestors and Father? And didn’t Sister just remind you to stay calm?”

“Fine, fine, fine! So everyone in Hundred Flowers Valley has joined forces to put one over on me!”

Chu Linfeng was truly on the verge of tears. Where was the heaven-sent fortune he had been promised? He had taken off his trousers, only to be shown this? Where was the story about a useless nobody rising to become a tycoon? Instead, he had taken over a company on the brink of bankruptcy. He had started out penniless, and now—wonder of wonders—he had transformed into a colossal debtor!

“Master, do not be afraid!” the one-armed boy declared indignantly. “With Li Gan here, if the creditors come knocking, at worst I can let Master cut off another arm, repaying Hundred Flowers Valley for saving my life!”

Hearing this, Chu Linfeng’s eyelids twitched violently.

What a ruthless fellow. Was he a centipede in a former life? He had truly mastered the art of sacrificing a limb to survive. But they owed more than thirteen million! How many arms did Chu Linfeng have to spare for him to keep chopping?

When Chu Linfeng merely sat there with a dark expression, Steward Mo suddenly dropped to his knees.

“Valley Lord Chu, did you not swear before the former lord’s bed that you would shoulder the entire burden of Hundred Flowers Valley? You cannot abandon us now over such a trifling matter!”

Morally blackmailed, Chu Linfeng mentally kicked Steward Mo dozens of times. Thirteen million yuan! Real gold and silver, not play money! Even the combined fortunes of his ancestors over eight generations might not amount to that much, yet Steward Mo had the nerve to call it a trifling matter.

“Audit the books. We must audit them!” Chu Linfeng declared firmly, surveying the crowd. “These accounts are obviously wrong. Even an idiot could see that. In this age of cultivation, sects are places ordinary people would bankrupt themselves trying to enter. There’s no way they don’t make money! Someone must be embezzling funds and abusing their authority!”

Everyone looked at one another in bewilderment. Tang Cai sighed softly.

“Steward Mo, get up first. The Valley Lord has only been here three days and does not yet understand the situation. His suspicion is understandable. Just tell him everything plainly.”

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“Thank you, Miss… I mean, Deputy Valley Lord.”

Steward Mo clasped his fists and rose, then bowed to Chu Linfeng.

“Valley Lord, you may not know this, but the income of the various sects in Huaxia mainly comes from five sources. First, offerings and donations from disciples. Second, rent and levies collected from farmland, estates, and properties within the sect’s jurisdiction. Third, the sale and auction of cultivation manuals and medicinal pills, commercial partnerships, and joint ventures. Fourth, donations from merchants, government officials, celebrities, and people from all walks of society. Fifth, military and administrative subsidies allocated jointly by Huaxia’s government and armed forces.”

“Oh? So the income should be substantial,” Chu Linfeng said doubtfully.

“Alas…”

Steward Mo sighed before continuing.

“When Sect Master Tang was still alive, Hundred Flowers Valley did indeed enjoy considerable prestige. The valley flourished, its income exceeded its expenditures, and it accumulated a respectable fortune. After Sect Master Tang passed away, fewer and fewer disciples applied to join the valley, since there were no longer any powerful cultivators to guard it. More and more disciples dropped out halfway through. Eventually, Valley Lord Yang closed the mountain gates. As for the old, weak, sick, and disabled people who remained, Valley Lord Yang could not bear to charge them anything, so he waived all offerings. Thus, the first source—offerings and donations from disciples—practically disappeared.

“As for the second source, our valley has never owned farmland or estates to lease out. Even these sect grounds are rented from Ethereal Peak. Every year, we must pay Ethereal Peak a substantial sum in rent. Last year’s arrears were not fully paid until this summer…”

“What? Hundred Flowers Valley has been established for decades, and even the grounds are rented?” Chu Linfeng cried out. “Old man, I may not be well-read, but don’t try to fool me!”

“Don’t make such a fuss,” Tang Xie said, rolling her eyes. “Even the office buildings of publicly listed companies are rented. What’s wrong with a sect renting its grounds? Plenty of large and small sects rent their land. We’re hardly the only ones.”

Tang Cai hurriedly shot Tang Xie a warning glance, signaling her to leave Chu Linfeng a little dignity.

“Go on,” Chu Linfeng said. He did not bother arguing with Tang Xie. At that moment, he was desperate to understand the cause of the losses and determine whether there was any hope of turning things around.

“Yes. The third and fourth sources are much the same. Whether it is trading cultivation manuals and medicinal pills, entering into commercial partnerships, or receiving donations from members of society, none of it can be separated from a sect’s influence and reputation. Ever since Sect Master Tang passed away…”

Steward Mo merely sighed.

“That is why, after adding rent and maintenance costs to the expenses of feeding and supporting everyone in the valley, Hundred Flowers Valley has suffered losses year after year. Valley Lord Yang was forced to sell off his private property to keep us going. It is all because we have been useless!”

“This… this isn’t a sect!” Chu Linfeng exclaimed, horrified. “It’s practically a social welfare home—a shelter for vagrants!”

“Husband! Don’t say that!” Tang Cai hurriedly tugged at the hem of his clothing.

“Miss, the Valley Lord is right,” Steward Mo said, wiping away tears. “We are the ones who have dragged Hundred Flowers Valley down!”

Behind him, the one-eyed and one-armed members of the valley, along with the women and children, all began wiping away tears.

“Everyone, that’s not what I meant!” Chu Linfeng said quickly. “I was only speaking metaphorically. I didn’t mean to blame any of you! You are all loyal to Hundred Flowers Valley. You are the true wealth of its future. I misspoke. Please don’t take it to heart!”

“We have thought about helping shoulder the valley’s burden,” the one-armed Li Gan said with a shake of his head and a sigh. “But the valley is nearly fifty kilometers from the nearest market town. Given our limited cultivation, we can only travel by carriage. The daily fare is extremely high, while the wages available to people with missing limbs are low. This method is simply too difficult to put into practice.”

The others nodded in agreement. It was indeed inconvenient to work in town. Otherwise, they could support themselves and even make offerings to the valley.

Chu Linfeng pondered for a long while, then suddenly remembered something Steward Mo had not mentioned.

“Steward Mo, what about the government subsidies from Huaxia? Are they simply too small?”

“On the contrary, the military and administrative subsidies jointly allocated by Huaxia are the largest source of income. If we could obtain them, the first four sources would scarcely matter.”

Steward Mo shook his head as he spoke.

“But the subsidies are not available to just any sect that happens to establish itself. Apart from the Northern Capital Kunlun Academy directly administered by the military, the Southern Radiant Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas unified under Buddhism, the two Daoist sects of Dragon Tiger and Wudang, and the East Sea Penglai Island and South Sea Putuo Island, which are jointly governed by the military and sects to resist the sea demons, the remaining Four Peaks and Eight Sects of the Valleys must hold a grand sect competition every three years. Only those who place among the top five receive recognition from Huaxia’s military and administration and become eligible for subsidies.”

“A grand sect competition every three years?”

This was the first time Chu Linfeng had heard that sects had to fight for government subsidies through martial contests and magical duels.

“So if a minor sect is too weak to contribute much to the country, it is simply left to fend for itself?”

“That is more or less the idea. The grand sect competition has already been held fifteen times. Without exception, the top four places have always gone to the Four Peaks: Heavenly Secrets Peak, Golden City Peak, Blazing Fire Peak, and Ethereal Peak. In every respect—their territories, influence, the cultivation levels of their leaders, and their talent reserves—they completely overwhelm the Eight Sects of the Valleys under their jurisdiction.

“So, in reality, only the Eight Sects of the Valleys are competing for the one remaining place. You can imagine how fierce the competition is. Every match is a matter of life and death. After all, to a minor sect, a subsidy of one billion yuan is an astronomical sum!”

“How much? One billion?”

Chu Linfeng’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. Even the accumulated wealth of his ancestors over eighty generations could not have amounted to that much. With money like that, why cultivate at all? Everyone could simply split it up, return home, find their families, and live out the rest of their days in carefree comfort.

“Quick, tell me when the next competition is, and what conditions and rules apply!” Chu Linfeng was already eager to give it a try.

“Yes. As for the conditions, we already meet the basic requirement: official recognition as a sect registered with Huaxia. Each sect sends its master and three others, for a total of four combatants. The two sect masters face one another, with the winner earning two points. The other three participants fight separately, with each victory earning one point. A team advances by winning three of the five points.

“As for the order of the sect battles, the four semifinalists from the previous competition—the Four Peaks—advance directly to the second round. In the first round, the Eight Sects of the Valleys draw lots to form four pairs, with the winners advancing. Those four winners then draw lots to face the Four Peaks and determine the four semifinalists. That leaves only one place. The four losers then fight in two further matches, and the final two sects compete for the last berth.”

Steward Mo recounted the general rules of the previous competition to Chu Linfeng.

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“If that’s the case, aren’t the Four Peaks guaranteed to win? They only have to fight one match from beginning to end, and they don’t even meet one another. They just beat up the little kids from below?” Chu Linfeng felt the rules were deeply unfair to the Eight Sects of the Valleys.

“There is nothing to be done. The Eight Sects of the Valleys are subordinate to the Four Peaks to begin with. In the cultivation world, strength is supreme. Overcoming one’s superiors is extraordinarily difficult.”

Steward Mo could only shake his head helplessly.

“Does the sect master have to participate too? Could I get hurt?” Chu Linfeng asked anxiously.

“In martial contests and magical duels, injuries and deaths are unavoidable. Most sect masters merely fight to determine victory or defeat and do not battle to the death. But some sects have longstanding grudges, and others lose themselves in bloodlust once they reach the finals. As far as I know, in those fifteen competitions, five sect masters suffered grievous injuries and died. Fortunately, Hundred Flowers Valley has always been eliminated in the first or second round, so we have never suffered any casualties.”

Steward Mo wore an expression of great relief.

“Eliminated in the first or second round? What was the highest cultivation level attained by your previous sect masters?”

“My father should have reached the highest level— the second stage of the Sky-Crossing Realm,” Tang Cai replied. She knew this better than anyone. “He participated in the twelfth grand competition and was eliminated in the second round.”

“What? The second stage of the Sky-Crossing Realm?”

Chu Linfeng was stunned. People really would risk death for money. Whenever the competition came around, Sky-Crossing cultivators seemed to be everywhere, as common as stray dogs.

“Then the sect masters of the Four Peaks must all be in the Diamond Realm—each one as terrifying as Li Chenqian?”

“More or less,” Tang Cai said. “At least one Diamond Realm cultivator will be sent by each of the Four Peaks as a safeguard. Very few of the Eight Sects of the Valleys can reach the Diamond Realm. Anyone who does is listed on Huaxia’s True Martial Ranking. With a Diamond Realm cultivator anchoring the team, as long as the other three aren’t completely useless, they can secure a place.”

“Then, apart from me, who has the highest cultivation in the valley?”

Chu Linfeng deliberately emphasized the words apart from me. He really did not want himself dragged into this at such an early stage.

“Before Mother passed away, she had only reached the Mountain-Shaking Realm, which was already the highest level in the valley. Sister and I are both at the third stage of the Celestial Circulation Realm—you already know that. Among the rest, the highest is Li Gan, who is at the first stage of the Celestial Circulation Realm. Everyone else, including Steward Mo, has yet to awaken their bodies.”

“It’s all over! Everyone else goes to compete, while we go there to compete over who’s the most useless!”

Chu Linfeng’s heart collapsed. He had assumed that the highly trusted Steward Mo was one of the valley’s experts, only to discover that he did not even possess a cultivation level. In the end, that one-billion-yuan subsidy was nothing more than a gigantic lottery. To actually obtain it would require the ancestors’ graves to explode straight into the Cloud Palace!

“Valley Lord, perhaps we should focus on something practical and figure out how to resolve the crisis at hand,” Steward Mo said with a sigh. “In another month, when the eleventh month of winter arrives, Ethereal Peak will come to collect next year’s rent.”

“How much is next year’s rent?”

“Three and a half million yuan,” Steward Mo replied.

The moment the number was spoken, Chu Linfeng felt his heart bleed.

It truly was impossible to understand the cost of cultivation without taking charge of a sect. Below, he had to support all the disciples and residents of the valley; above, he had to endure the landlord’s exploitation. Indeed, small households had their own troubles, and large households had theirs.

Hundred Flowers Valley was already on the verge of bankruptcy, battered by every storm and seemingly beyond hope of rescue. If this continued, Chu Linfeng, its legal representative, would not even have time to warm his seat before being hauled off to prison.

Looking at the expectant faces around him, Chu Linfeng made up his mind.

No. Reform was necessary. They had to reform. If things continued this way, there was only one road left—and it led to ruin.

After thinking for a moment, Chu Linfeng came up with a plan. He faced the crowd and declared:

“Reform and open up! Rely on our own efforts! Liquidate the bankruptcy and start from scratch!”