604: Chapter 604 Shen's Trading Company

[Rising Sun, inside a white jade grand hall, you summoned Manager Zhou and Commander Xu.]

["Your subordinate, Manager Zhou, greets the Star Lord."]

["Your subordinate, Commander Xu, greets the Star Lord."]

[The two of them cupped their fists and bowed simultaneously, their movements perfectly synchronized.]

[You swept your gaze over the two of them.]

[Manager Zhou, at the Late Stage of Soul Transformation, wore a brocade robe. His face was rounded, he sported a three-strand beard, and a perfectly measured smile hung at the corners of his mouth—neither humble nor arrogant, yet carrying a hint of respect.]

[Commander Xu, at the Late Stage of Void Refining, was clad in silver armor. His expression was cold and stern, and he stood as straight as a pine tree.]

[Your tone was casual: "Rise."]

[Manager Zhou was the first to speak: "As the Star Lord has just arrived, your subordinate will first introduce the general situation of Nanyang Star to you."]

[You didn't respond, merely looking at him.]

[He met your gaze, then quickly lowered his head and began to speak: "Nanyang Star has a total of 13,600 cities and 13,600 City Lords. Additionally, there are over 2,000 vassal families and over 3,000 vassal Sects..."]

[He spoke incessantly, rattling off data with ease, clearly having prepared long ago.]

[You listened without saying a word.]

[Commander Xu waited for him to finish a section before interjecting: "The defense of Nanyang Star is led by your subordinate. Besides the hundred-man guard in the manor, Nanyang Star also has ten major military camps and countless warships distributed across various strategic locations, each led by a Void Refining stage commander..."]

["These also fall under the Star Lord's direct jurisdiction. Do you wish to summon them?"]

["No need," you waved your hand casually, "Henceforth, all affairs on Nanyang Star will be handled according to the original regulations. I intend to go into seclusion to Cultivate; do not disturb me unless there is a major matter."]

[Pausing for a moment, you added: "Actually, don't bother me even for major matters."]

[Manager Zhou and Commander Xu exchanged a glance.]

[That glance was very brief, so fast that an ordinary person wouldn't have caught it.]

[But you saw it—in that glance, there was surprise, joy, and a sense of relief.]

["Yes." The two cupped their fists again, their voices half a pitch higher than before.]

[You suddenly spoke again: "By the way, what is the revenue situation of Nanyang Star? How much must be paid to the Heavenly Palace annually?"]

["Of Nanyang Star's revenue, twenty percent is kept annually, while the remaining eighty percent is paid to the Heavenly Palace," Manager Zhou said calmly.]

[You frowned slightly—only twenty percent? This amount of money wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps between Qin Han's teeth.]

[What you didn't know was that twenty percent of Nanyang Star's annual revenue was an unimaginably high amount—not to mention twenty percent, even one percent would be a ridiculous astronomical figure.]

[You waved your hand impatiently: "Go on then."]

["Then your subordinate shall not disturb the Star Lord's quiet cultivation," Manager Zhou said with a smile. "I will arrange all matters within the manor properly. If the Star Lord has any needs, feel free to command at any time."]

[Commander Xu also cupped his fists: "Your subordinate takes his leave."]

[You waved them away, and the two exited the hall with light steps.]

[Qin Han jumped down from your shoulder, squatted on the table, and tilted his head to look at you: "Daddy, they seem very happy."]

["Mm."]

["Why?"]

["Because I'm not managing things."]

[Qin Han blinked, not understanding, but he didn't ask further. He turned his head to study whether the plate of spirit fruits on the table was edible.]

[You indeed did not plan to manage things.]

[Since arriving at Nanyang Star, you had already used your Divine Sense to sweep through Nanyang City and had a general understanding of the situation on the planet.]

[Among the more than ten thousand cities on this star, every single one had its own story.]

[The relationships between those City Lords, families, and Sects were as dense as a spiderweb; pulling one thread would move the whole body.]

[Thousands of eyes and ears from various forces across the Immortal Realm were spread throughout Nanyang Star, banding together with their interests tied.]

[If you offended one, you might be offending hundreds.]

[The Foundation of Nanyang Star had long since rotted.]

[But what did that rot have to do with you?]

[You weren't here to be a savior.]

[You were here to be an undercover agent.]

[What Nanyang Star became, or what the Heavenly Palace became, what did it have to do with you?]

[You were here to cause destruction.]

[What you needed to do was figure out the Heavenly Palace's secrets and weaknesses.]

[And of course, resolve the hidden threat of Old Ancestor Yin Hanshan—naturally not a threat to you, but a threat to Tianlan Immortal City.]

[As for the mess that was Nanyang Star, whoever wanted to manage it could do so.]

[For the next few months, you lived quite leisurely.]

[Cultivating, drinking tea, watching the sea of clouds from the white jade pavilion, and occasionally listening to Qin Han's chatter.]

[Manager Zhou arranged the manor's affairs in perfect order, and Commander Xu handled the defense flawlessly.]

[You didn't go out, didn't see guests, and didn't attend any banquets.]

[The invitation letters sent by the City Lords of Nanyang Star piled up, and you didn't reply to a single one.]

[The families and Sects in the city sent people to deliver gifts; you accepted them all, but saw no one and granted no requests.]

[You didn't want to be involved with anyone.]

[But Nanyang Star wouldn't stop moving just because you didn't want to move.]

[One evening, you finally agreed to Qin Han's pleas and brought him into Nanyang City.]

[The streets of Nanyang City were bustling at all times.]

[You changed into casual clothes, brought no attendants, and didn't reveal your identity. Like an ordinary Loose Cultivator, you walked slowly along the Spirit River in the city.]

[Along both banks of the Spirit River, pavilions stood in rows.]

[Wine shops, tea houses, trading houses, auction houses, Medicinal Pill shops, and Magic Treasure pavilions were lined up one after another. The spiritual light from their signs made the entire river shimmer.]

[Qin Han lay on your shoulder, his two round eyes darting around, as he kept blurting out:]

["Daddy, what is that person eating?"]

["Azure Bear Paw!"]

["Daddy, is that delicious?"]

["Not delicious!"]

[You chose a tea house by the river—Yaochi Pavilion, second floor, by the window.]

[The location was good, offering a view of both the river and the street.]

[The shop assistant diligently served a pot of spirit tea and laid out several plates of snacks.]

[Qin Han immediately jumped down from your shoulder, squatted on the table, and reached out a paw for a plate of creation divine nectar cakes.]

[You picked up your teacup and took a sip.]

[The spirit tea was average, but the scenery was nice.]

[On the Spirit River, several painted pleasure boats drifted slowly by. The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments drifted over, and one could vaguely see female cultivators on the boats playing the zither.]

[On the opposite bank, a long queue stood before an auction house. The crowd was noisy, and the spiritual light was blindingly bright.]

[You were watching when suddenly—]

["BANG—!"]

[A loud crash echoed from the street.]

[It wasn't thunder, nor was it a Spell; it was the sound of a door being kicked in.]

[Wood splinters flew, and a piece of broken wood hit the street, bouncing twice.]

[Following that was the sound of porcelain shattering, tables and chairs overturning, and then a miserable scream.]

[The scream was short, as if someone had been grabbed by the throat, cutting off halfway.]

[You turned your head to look.]

[It was a trading house next door, with the words "Shen Family Trading House" written on the sign.]

[The storefront wasn't large, selling low-grade Medicinal Pills and spiritual materials. It clearly had no background—the kind of small business that large Sects wouldn't look twice at, and only Loose Cultivators and small families would run.]

[Seven or eight burly men stood at the entrance of the trading house, each wearing a mask-type Magical Artifact and holding a gleaming long saber.]

[The shop assistant was sent flying out from behind the counter by a punch, crashing into a shelf and scattering spiritual materials everywhere.]

[As he struggled to crawl up, a masked man stepped on his chest, and a blade flashed—]

[Blood splattered onto the ground.]

[The assistant didn't even have time to scream. A long gash appeared on his chest, and blood gushed out, staining the ground red.]

[His eyes were still open, his mouth slightly agape as if trying to shout something, but there was no longer any sound.]