novelraw Chapter 187: Caught in the Act
Chapter 187: Caught in the Act
"Where did these come from?"
Not bothering to indulge in watching the Sect Master’s eager expression, Bingtang picked up the black-gold cards, inspected them, and confirmed they weren’t some toy.
These were the black-gold cards the Huazhou Bank issues only to VIPs. Any VIP who holds one of these cards has assets among the top in the world.
Ten black-gold cards casually handed out like this—whoever owned that kind of wealth was not something even the Ice Color Group dared to underestimate.
By the Sect Master’s description, within the circle she knew, such people were as rare as phoenix feathers or qilin scales.
It had to be a colossal figure.
How could this be? Impossible.
Bingtang mulled it over.
There shouldn’t be someone that wealthy near the Sect Master.
Jiang Ming’s Saint Hall company was basically under the control of the Ice Color Group, Hua Hu had fallen into the hands of the Disaster Control Bureau, and now the money flows were clear and known to them.During their stay in Beihai, Bingtang had been watching Jiang Si’s movements closely. She had also taken the college entrance exam, so she hadn’t gone snooping into the Sect Master’s affairs.
After all, Jiang Si had explicitly told her not to peek during the exam to keep things fair.
But during this time Yumo had been trailing Jiang Si secretly, and they hadn’t discovered any suspiciously wealthy person.
People who held black-gold cards—across East China, let alone the whole region—weren’t all strangers;
at the very least, Bingtang knew most of them.
She couldn’t think who would suddenly give Jiang Si so many black-gold cards.
It was unlikely they were stolen or robbed.
Sect Masters didn’t bother with petty theft or brazen robbery.
The Azure Cloud Sect was a leader of the righteous path, and naturally had to maintain basic social order...
Thoughts swirling, Bingtang asked again, "Where did they come from?"
"Picked up off the ground."
Shion looked away, answering curtly.
Prince Little Friend had been sincere;
openly betraying that would make her look ungrateful.
He who treated me as a national man, I must repay as a national man.
Although the Mirror Kingdom belonged to the old world that needed to be destroyed, out of gratitude to Prince Little Friend—
At least she could stall a little, not failing the favor of ten black-gold cards.
Bingtang didn’t press further.
Most likely it wasn’t a lie;
they really had been found for free.
But from whom they were found, the Sect Master didn’t want to say.
Bingtang smiled, not too bothered.
After all, it was only a few black-gold cards.
And they were all damaged now, processing them wouldn’t be too difficult.
Still, the Sect Master should get more exposure to money.
She’d had little of it before;
the Sect Master didn’t mind, but her threshold was low. Suddenly receiving a windfall might make her lose control.
She might even be tricked by some scheming woman.
As the Azure Cloud Sect grew larger, those who wanted to use the Sect Master would certainly increase;
Bingtang needed to watch out...
After thinking it over, she didn’t confiscate them.
Better to let the Sect Master deal with it herself.
If a reissue was needed, Bingtang had some channels, but there was no need to promise right now.
If there were risks and she couldn’t fulfill the promise, it would only disappoint the Sect Master.
But ten black-gold cards—honestly, it was hard to feel comfortable. There could be traps...
"Those black-gold cards must be handled by the cardholder to reissue." Bingtang returned the cards to the Sect Master. "Others can’t do it;
they won’t accept it. You can contact whoever gave you the cards and have them help reissue."
Shion nodded, putting on an indifferent air, wiped at the cracks on the cards again as if trying to erase them, then carefully tucked them away. "I see, got it."
Yet in the faint glow that kept drifting toward the cards, her regret was hard to hide.
After all, who knew when she would see Prince Little Friend again.
Seeing the Sect Master’s disappointment, Bingtang thought for a moment and took a black card from her own pocket.
"It’s not on the level of those black-gold cards, but it’s worth three million. If you need it urgently, take it for now."
"No."
She wouldn’t accept a loan.
The Sect Master of the Azure Cloud Sect couldn’t borrow and not repay.
Even Ye the Great Emperor went back and paid parking fees properly;
she hadn’t become an emperor yet—borrowing and not repaying would be a disgrace to her ancestors.
"It’s not a loan." Bingtang seemed to read her thoughts and added, "It’s leftover funds from the Azure Cloud Sect. It was yours anyway."
Shion glared at her. "Really?"
"I wouldn’t dare lie to the Sect Master."
"Isn’t the Sect’s funding tight?"
"Recently cooperation with the Disaster Control Bureau loosened things up considerably, so of course we should show filial piety to you."
At Bingtang’s words, Shion took the black card, "As it should be."
But honestly, after getting one black-gold card with fifty million, her threshold had risen far too much.
What used to feel like a lot—three hundred thousand—now felt petty when held.
Only multi-million-level black-gold cards could satisfy her now...
"Sect Master, don’t casually accept money from outsiders."
Bingtang warned earnestly, "Women outside can be very scheming. Taking money from them could come with costs you wouldn’t expect."
"Good or bad, I will judge for myself."
Prince Little Friend had given ten black-gold cards—how could she be a bad woman?
Bad women seek money;
she paid out of her own pocket—what would she gain by double-crossing me?
Besides, with so much money, selling her a kidney isn’t impossible—after all, it would grow back...
In any case, Prince Little Friend was a good woman.
Bingtang whispered again, "Maybe they don’t want money, but an alliance with the Azure Cloud Sect is worth more than money. They could scam or cause trouble in your name, which would affect the Sect’s reputation and world peace... Sect Master, you must think carefully."
Bingtang didn’t mention that the cards themselves might be problematic—using them and becoming an economic criminal, for example.
Shion had been ready to say it had nothing to do with the Sect.
But thinking further, the disaster dragon form was tied to her;
some people at the Disaster Control Bureau already knew.
Although she could disguise herself as the Golden Calamity Dragon, she couldn’t expect everyone at the Disaster Control Bureau to be fools.
After hesitating a moment, she nodded, "There’s some reason in what you say."
She then took out the ten black-gold cards and looked them over.
Although it pained her, ten was too many;
suspicion that Prince Little Friend had ulterior motives was inevitable.
Feeling guilty about doubting such a sincere friend, and since Bingtang had voiced concerns, she had to consider whether Prince Little Friend had guessed her identity and was trying to bribe her with the black-gold cards, perhaps to force her hand against the Disaster Control Bureau with heavy strikes.
For the sake of the ten black-gold cards, she couldn’t easily refuse.
One must be merciful when receiving help;
one could not do nothing in return.
Gritting her teeth, Shion clenched the cards. Although it hurt, she made a decision.
When she met Prince Little Friend again, she would return nine cards and keep one.
The other wouldn’t mind—keeping a single card meant she could refuse anything suspicious later without awkwardness, and it would keep her conscience clear.
On the path of cultivation, clarity of thought is paramount;
nine black-gold cards for peace of mind was not a loss.
Not a loss...
Thinking that, Shion stroked the ten cards like parting with an old friend.
Not to mention, the texture felt amazing.
Especially imagining the money inside—the weight and fullness warming her hand—made it even harder to put them down...
After tucking the cards away, Shion immediately started conceptualizing her pill refining process.
Since the last Grain Abstention Pill had failed, she’d been analyzing her mistakes.
It wasn’t necessarily entirely her fault;
the world’s Great Dao had problems, but as a Dao Master, failing to alter the heavens was her responsibility.
Now that she controlled the Curse Realm’s curse power, she finally understood the root cause of the previous failure.
Frankly, the Grain Abstention Pill had been merely a magic-power block. It could instantly replenish mana, but for someone like her who was never short of mana, it was essentially superfluous.
Because it was a mana block, it didn’t produce a feeling of satiety. She had assumed keeping the mana-full feeling in the stomach would prevent hunger, but mana couldn’t fool the body.
Curses were different. They came in many varieties and weren’t simple mana blocks. Some curses produce an extraordinarily strong sense of fullness in the body.
She had discovered this when devouring living planets.
Even the disaster dragon’s huge stomach had a feeling of being filled.
So, by exploiting this property of curses, it would be easy to create a Grain Abstention Pill that provided satiety.
More crucially, curses are continuously generative.
Curse energy comes from negative emotions, and cursed beings continuously generate negative emotions.
That means a curse is a natural perpetual-motion machine!
If she combined curses with mana to refine a pill, once ingested it would produce a constant stream of negative emotions and polluted magic. Those negative emotions and polluted magic would then inflate the curse further, providing satiety and combat power!
If she succeeded, even ordinary people who took it might instantly reach Foundation Building and step onto the immortal path.
She might become the first in cultivation history to combine a Foundation Pill with a Grain Abstention Pill! She could name it the "Mini Foundation Grain-Abstention Pill"!
I, Shion, might truly be a pill-refining prodigy.
It was a pity she started late;
if Flame Emperor’s Old Master had personally instructed her, she might already have achieved pill-refining enlightenment...
Seeing the Sect Master suddenly elevate in spirit, Bingtang knew she was making progress on the Dao path.
"Sure enough, you can’t cultivate in isolation. You have to mutually verify to reach results. I’ve a new idea in pill refinement."
Seeing Shion in a good mood and relieved she wouldn’t keep counting the black-gold cards, Bingtang breathed easier.
"Congratulations, Sect Master."
If the Sect Master really cared, Bingtang could risk helping reissue the cards.
Her own risk was negligible;
if the Azure Cloud Sect were affected and it hindered the Sect Master’s pursuit of the Dao, that would be a problem.
Unknown funding sources could cause trouble, and most of her funds were invested in the Sect’s expansion. Risking a high-authority black-gold card could lock her accounts and disrupt the Sect’s operating funds.
But if Shion insisted, she couldn’t refuse.
Bingtang couldn’t force anything—she was only the Vice-Sect Master.
Shion didn’t like being restrained or commanded. Much of the current obedience came from Bingtang’s persistent actions and efforts that built trust.
She would never destroy that trust.
She wouldn’t bind or order the Sect Master;
her suggestions were only suggestions for the Sect Master’s discretion.
If there were risks or economic crises, she could always use the Ice Color Group to help resolve things.
After all, money was never the real issue.
And it wasn’t bad for the Sect Master to have money...
As they followed the Sect Master and were about to leave the private space, Shion suddenly thought of something and turned to ask:
"Bingtang."
"I’m here."
"Do you know what festival the Xuanwu Gate Incident corresponds to?"
Bingtang blinked, "Don’t know."
"It’s Halloween."
Bingtang laughed, "Trick or treat?"
Shion was surprised, "How do you know that?"
"Yumo told me that joke."
"Is it funny?"
"Sort of."
"Where’s the humor?"
Bingtang thought, "A pun on pronunciation?"
She saw Shion nod and seemed relieved, then her tone lightened, "So that’s it."
Shion’s reaction was a bit odd compared to before.
She didn’t used to be interested in such trivial jokes.
"Why? " When they exited the private space, Bingtang looked down at Beihai and flicked her temple hair, "Why suddenly take an interest in that joke?"
"Nothing, a friend mentioned it." Shion had already begun plotting the tempering process for the mini-foundation Grain-Abstention Pill, so she answered offhand, "Just curious why she laughed."
"Mm..." Bingtang and the Sect Master landed in a secluded spot.
When Shion deactivated her transformation, Bingtang hooked her little finger with his. "Just a friend?"
"Just a friend."
Surely another female friend...
Bingtang’s common-sense conclusion.
She blinked, hooked her little finger, wagging it, "What about me?"
"Comrade."
"Heh, is comrade better or friend better?"
"Comrade," Jiang Si thought, "for now we’re comrades."
"When will we be friends?"
"When the Great Dao is lost."
"Heh." Hearing that answer, Bingtang’s brows curved into a crescent moon smile, "Pass."
"Pass what."
"Never mind."
Then she hopped onto Jiang Si’s back. "Jiang Si, carry me."
"Get off."
"I won’t get off."
Jiang Si looped his arm around her legs, feeling a bit put out, "One meal."
Bingtang hugged his neck and candidly said, "Two meals."
"What are you plotting?"
"The other meal is a victory banquet for the Sect Master defeating the Curse Realm."
"Fine."
In fact, Jiang Si had carried her before.
When they first met, he carried her home.
Later, when the Azure Cloud Sect was established, he handled a lot of things;
when she was tired from running errands, she’d have Jiang Si carry her back.
But as her strength grew, the Sect Master carried her less.
Watching Keke and Yumo before, she’d often wanted Jiang Si to carry her again.
Now that she had the chance, she wouldn’t let go.
Walking onto the street, Jiang Si suddenly said, "Your pants are slippery."
"They’re pantyhose, real silk. Feels good, right?"
"Not really. Defense is too low, not durable. It tore before I even used force."
"Hey, be gentle, they’re expensive."
Bingtang hugged Jiang Si and tilted her head to glance at her pantyhose.
Luckily, only where Jiang Si’s thumb pressed on her thigh did it tear.
By the way, his thumb on her thigh felt like being pinched by pliers—rough and painful.
...
Bingtang had already started worrying if her thigh would be bruised later.
"Speaking of which, Jiang Si, now that you’re known as Shion’s boyfriend everywhere, Qingying asked me why the Sect Master is courting herself—is she narcissistic?"
"Narcissistic? A water immortal? Dragon King or Mazu?"
"Not that. " Bingtang thought, "It means self-obsessed."
"Oh." Once she realized it had nothing to do with immortals, Jiang Si lost interest immediately.
"In short, the rumor that Jiang Si is Shion’s boyfriend is spreading. The Disaster Control Bureau is already aware of your identity. The Witch Association keeps things fairly secret, but if this continues it will eventually invite suspicion..."
Bingtang weighed her words. "Also, lately Keke and Shion’s relationship has been a bit strained."
"Is that so?"
Jiang Si hadn’t noticed;
their interactions didn’t seem different to him.
But thinking of Keke’s behavior when she transformed into a witch, maybe there had been awkwardness.
Not surprising—Keke and Shion weren’t close to begin with;
sudden corruption would naturally cause distance.
"Either way, the Disaster Control Bureau can’t keep investigating Magical Girl Shion’s identity."
Bingtang whispered in his ear, "So, should you and Shion break up?"
Seeing Jiang Si fall into thought, Bingtang didn’t rush.
This matter did require thought.
And how to break up was a problem—you needed a believable reason.
You couldn’t let Shion keep the title of Jiang Si’s girlfriend forever...
"Brother?"
Near the intersection by the cross streets, a puzzled voice made both of them look up.
Carrying a bag of vegetables, Keke stood staring at her older brother carrying a strange girl on his back.
The girl was intimately clinging to him, looking every bit like a lover...
"Who is this vixen, Brother? You—you’re cheating!"