Two Golden Elixir cultivators were weaving through the streets of Luofeng County, clearly familiar with the routes. The county arranged for cultivators to patrol at night, but these two skillfully avoided the patrol routes.

At this moment, Li Haoran was awakened by Su Yiren. After listening to his fiancée briefly explain the situation, his expression became somewhat strange.

“So, Elder Brother Meng’s flaunting of wealth has finally attracted attention?”

“What do you mean by flaunting wealth? Can’t I tell others that I have money?” Meng Jingzhou glared, recalling his days as the young master of the Meng family in the imperial city, who would dare to covet his possessions?

Su Yiren led the three of them to secretly follow the two Golden Elixir cultivators. As they moved from rooftop to rooftop, Lu Yang caught a glimpse of figures in the distance doing the same.

“Is the night in Luofeng County always this lively?”

Lu Yang wanted to go over and check the situation, but he saw the two Golden Elixir cultivators climb over a high wall into a courtyard, so he had to deal with the matter at hand first.

“I remember this place is… the county magistrate’s mansion?” Li Haoran was somewhat hesitant, wondering if he had remembered incorrectly.

The Phoenix Blood Stone worth five hundred thousand spirit stones was indeed precious, but not enough to tempt a county magistrate.

Unless there was more to the Phoenix Blood Stone that Elder Brother Meng bought.

The high-walled courtyard was enveloped by a formation. If they proceeded without knowing the method, they would be detected by the people inside.

Su Yiren ignored the formation and successfully led the three of them into the courtyard.

“Master, we have returned.” The two Golden Elixir cultivators respectfully addressed a middle-aged man standing with his hands behind his back.

Li Haoran had never seen the county magistrate, so he didn’t know if this middle-aged man was the magistrate or someone like a steward.

The middle-aged man responded indifferently, “Did you get that thing?”

The two looked somewhat ashamed, “We encountered an unexpected situation. We were worried that the commotion would be too big, so we didn’t continue to steal that thing.”

“Unexpected situation?”

“Yes, we encountered others who were also trying to steal that thing at Li Haoran’s house. Although they didn’t reveal their identities, I suspect they were sent by the Mo family.”

“What happened? Tell me in detail.”

The two recounted the scene in detail, only to anger the master, “Humph, you were fooled! The people you encountered were not from the Mo family, but disciples of the Seek Tao Sect!”

“If I’m not mistaken, they are eavesdropping on the roof right now!”

“I’ve said so much, why don’t you come out? Let’s have an open and honest discussion.”

Li Haoran was startled and was about to reveal himself, but was held back by Lu Yang.

Lu Yang shook his head, not saying anything.

The master waited for a while but no one appeared, “It seems that you did encounter people from the Mo family. So, the Mo family also knows about the existence of that thing.”

He had just bluffed casually.

Yesterday, he heard from his subordinates that three Foundation Establishment disciples from the Seek Tao Sect had arrived in Luofeng County, one of whom was a local. However, he didn’t take it to heart.

Who would have thought that this afternoon, his subordinates reported that one of the Seek Tao Sect disciples had bought an extremely rare Phoenix Blood Stone and was looking for similar stones in other shops.

When he heard his subordinates describe the Phoenix Blood Stone, he was startled, suspecting it was the problematic Phoenix Blood Stone.

This couldn’t fall into the hands of the Seek Tao Sect. If they discovered something, it would be disastrous.

He sent two of his men to steal the Phoenix Blood Stone, but they ran into the Mo family.

The Mo family was the largest family in Luofeng County and had always been at odds with him, the county magistrate, always trying to find his faults.

“Tsk, I don’t know how that thing got out. Have you asked the shop owner who sold that thing?”

“The person is no longer there. According to the shop assistant, the shop owner made a lot of money and took his wife and children on a vacation. He won’t be back for a while, and only a few shop assistants are left to look after the shop.”

“How enviable.”

“Ah, Master, what did you just say?”

“Nothing.”

The county magistrate thought to himself that once this job was done, he would also take his wife and children to other places for a visit.

“What about the mine? When will the work be completed? We can’t always use the excuse of a mine collapse to prevent miners from digging.”

The excuse of a mine collapse could only delay for a while. After all, in the world of cultivation, a few high-level cultivators could easily dig a new mine.

For example, if the county magistrate himself took action, he could dig a new mine in half a day. Now, he was claiming that he had made a mistake in his cultivation and couldn’t take action for half a month.

“They said it will take another three days.”

“Tell them to speed up, but be careful to keep it secret. We absolutely can’t let outsiders know about this. This matter not only concerns us, but also the interests of the Phoenix Clan!”

“Yes!”

Lu Yang and the others were stunned after hearing this. According to the county magistrate, was he colluding with the Phoenix Clan?

With the arrival of the Great Era, the conflicts between the Central Continent and various forces were intensifying, including the conflict between the Central Continent and the Demon Clan.

Some in the Demon Clan wanted to go to war with the Daxia Dynasty, while others wanted to ease relations with the Daxia Dynasty to face the crisis of the Great Era together. Therefore, the Demon Clan was divided into the war faction and the peace faction.

“I wonder which faction the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan belong to.”

Lu Yang had heard that the Demon Clan had sent many spies into the Central Continent, planning to cause trouble in secret.

“Also, you know how to deal with them after they finish this task, right?”

At this point, the county magistrate showed a look of reluctance, as if he had no choice but to do so.

The two Golden Elixir cultivators were taken aback, and then a murderous intent flashed in their eyes.

“You mean… these few days count as overtime for them, and we should pay them three times their wages?”

“Yes.”

The county magistrate turned around and saw the look in the eyes of the two Golden Elixir cultivators, and was taken aback.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

The two Golden Elixir cultivators sounded somewhat resentful, “Master, you’ve never mentioned paying us overtime when we work night shifts, like tonight.”Even if Golden Elixir cultivators don’t need to sleep, they can’t just use up the day and continue into the night, can they?

My wife is still waiting in bed.

Why is it that others get paid overtime, but they have to work for free?

“…You’ll also get paid overtime.”

“Master, what about the Phoenix Blood Stone?”

“Hmph, if we can’t do it covertly, then we’ll do it openly. You guys pretend to be merchants tomorrow, say that the Phoenix Blood Stone is very rare, and buy it with a hefty sum!”

“How much?”

“One million spirit stones!” The county governor didn’t believe that a Seek Tao Sect disciple at the Foundation Establishment stage wouldn’t be tempted by a deal that would net him a profit of five hundred thousand spirit stones.

The two Golden Elixir cultivators showed hesitant expressions.

“What’s wrong, speak your mind.”

“Master, that Seek Tao Sect disciple might not be short of spirit stones.”

“Then one and a half million spirit stones!” The county governor was determined, he didn’t believe that two million spirit stones wouldn’t be enough to make the other party let go.

“It might still not be enough.”

“Two million!”

“Still not enough.”

The county governor was furious: “Then you tell me, how many spirit stones will it take for the other party to let go! I don’t believe it, the other party is only at the Foundation Establishment stage, how many spirit stones can he have, that he wouldn’t be tempted by two million spirit stones!”

“We heard that he is the eldest son of the Meng family.”

The Meng family, the eldest son, these two terms combined meant overwhelming power and wealth, no one dared to provoke.

As the number one noble family in the Central Continent, the Meng family’s reputation was far-reaching.

Hearing this, the county governor’s anger intensified, not fearing Meng Jingzhou’s identity at all: “So what if he’s the eldest son of the Meng family, worst comes to worst, I’ll steal it myself tomorrow night!”

(End of Chapter)