Lying Low in the Martial World to Become a Saint-Chapter 147 - 107: Five Elements

"...I know my own standing is weak. If I hand these ledgers directly to the Sect, I fear I’ll be silenced. Yet the year-end audit is imminent. I won’t be able to defend myself—it will be a dead end! I am a disciple of the Cyan Wood Institute, under you, Master Li. I implore you to save me!"

Chen Qing cupped his fists, his words utterly sincere.

Li Baichuan listened in silence, the fingers holding a game piece perfectly still. His face betrayed no emotion.

Only when Chen Qing had finished did he slowly set down the game piece. He raised his eyes to meet Chen Qing’s. "Wang Hai... Zhao Kang... Did you kill them?"

"I did what I had to do to protect myself."

Chen Qing admitted it without hesitation.

Li Baichuan stared at Chen Qing for several moments. He then lifted his teacup, took a gentle sip, and set the ledgers on the low table. He said nonchalantly,

"I understand. You may go. I will handle this."

No further promises, no questions about the details. Just a single, simple sentence that was almost dismissive.

But for Chen Qing, it was as if a great weight had been lifted from his heart.

He knew that for a man like Li Baichuan, to say he would handle it meant he had taken on the matter. It also meant he was confident he could resolve it.

"Thank you, Master Li!"

Chen Qing kowtowed once more. He then rose, bowed respectfully, and slipped out of the courtyard, gently closing the door behind him.

Inside the courtyard, Li Baichuan watched Chen Qing depart, then glanced at the two ledgers on the low table and the scattered five thousand taels in silver notes beside them. A flicker of an inscrutable smile crossed his face.

He leisurely gathered the silver notes, then picked up the ledgers. Rising to his feet, he dusted his pristine Daoist robes and slowly walked out of the courtyard gate, a threshold he hadn’t willingly crossed in years.

...

Sometime later, within an elegant Quiet Chamber near the Sect’s Elder council area.

Elder Zhao, head of personnel for the Affairs Department, was enjoying tea alone when he suddenly heard that Li Baichuan had come to visit. His brow furrowed sharply.

’The Dean of the Cyan Wood Institute is a recluse who almost never gets involved in external affairs. Why would he personally pay a visit today?’

A sense of foreboding instantly washed over him.

Elder Zhao took a deep breath and rose to greet him, adopting a posture of utmost deference. "Junior Martial Uncle Li, your visit honors me. I am at your service. What are your instructions?"

Li Baichuan dispensed with the pleasantries. He sat down directly and placed the two ledgers on the tea table in front of Elder Zhao. "Take a look," he said, getting straight to the point.

The moment Elder Zhao saw the ledgers, the color drained from his face. A cold sweat instantly soaked his back, but he forced himself to appear calm.

"Junior Martial Uncle, it was my failure of oversight! I can’t believe I let those two heartless bastards, Wang Hai and Zhao Kang, commit such an outrageous act! I..."

Li Baichuan raised a hand, cutting Elder Zhao off. "Chen Qing is a disciple of my Cyan Wood Institute. Just the other day, Dean Peng came to see me personally. He said the boy has an exceptional aptitude for Spear Technique and is a promising talent. He wanted to have him transferred, but I politely declined."

At the mention of "Dean Peng," Elder Zhao’s heart sank.

’Peng Zhen, the Dean of the Kun Earth Institute!’

’He’s a man of immense power within the Sect, respected by all and with unfathomable strength!’

’I originally thought Chen Qing was just some unimportant disciple. I never imagined he’d caught the eye of Dean Peng.’

Li Baichuan had mentioned it casually, but he was actually making it clear that Chen Qing was not without backing. At the very least, he had caught the eye of Master Peng Zhen.

Watching the color drain and return to Elder Zhao’s face, Li Baichuan continued at a leisurely pace, "Young people can be a bit hot-headed. When someone pushes them too far, they might go a little overboard trying to protect themselves. But purging traitors from our own ranks... that’s a meritorious act, wouldn’t you agree?"

A chill ran down Elder Zhao’s spine. He hurriedly said, "Your insight is brilliant, Junior Martial Uncle! The fault lies with my poor supervision, but the crime lies with those two scoundrels, Wang Hai and Zhao Kang! They must have had a falling out over their spoils and killed each other. Nephew Chen discovered it, reported it promptly, and purged the Sect of traitors. It’s a great service! As for the deficit at the Fishery..."

Here, his expression faltered.

The hole was massive. If a true investigation were launched, he wouldn’t be the only one implicated.

"The Fishery’s business has nothing to do with me, nor do I care."

Li Baichuan lifted the fresh cup of tea Elder Zhao had served him, not even bothering to raise his eyes. "One hundred thousand taels. For that price, the ledgers are yours."

What was a disaster for Chen Qing was, for Li Baichuan, the perfect leverage to hold over Elder Zhao.

Elder Zhao stiffened, his heart twisting as if pierced by a knife.

One hundred thousand taels of silver was no small sum for him, but it was still an amount he could bear.

Elder Zhao took a deep breath and said in a grave voice, "Junior Martial Uncle, I don’t have that many silver notes on hand right now. I do have a thirteen-year-old Three-leaf Snow Lotus..."

Li Baichuan nodded slightly. "That will suffice."

Elder Zhao retrieved a Jade Box from a hidden compartment and handed it to Li Baichuan.

Li Baichuan accepted the Jade Box and slipped it into his sleeve with a practiced, fluid motion.

"Mm."

Li Baichuan set his teacup down with a soft click. "This matter ends here. As for Chen Qing..."

Elder Zhao breathed a silent sigh of relief and quickly cut in, "Rest assured, Junior Martial Uncle! I will draft a report to the Sect immediately: Wang Hai and Zhao Kang abused their positions to embezzle a vast sum from the Fishery. They had a violent falling out over the spoils and ended up killing each other. Chen Qing, the Steward of Nanzhe No. 7 Fishery, discovered the anomaly during his patrol and reported it, a meritorious act! The Sect shall reward his loyalty and courage!"

Li Baichuan nodded at his words. Without saying more, he rose, flicked his sleeves, and glided away.

As he watched Li Baichuan’s back disappear through the door, the lingering fear in Elder Zhao’s eyes far outweighed the sting of his material loss.

’He already had a plan.’

’Since Chen Qing could no longer be the scapegoat, the two dead men, Wang Hai and Zhao Kang, would have to take the fall. The ledgers were ironclad proof.’

...

Chen Qing returned to Nanzhe No. 7 Fishery to wait for news.

For the next few days, Chen Qing remained unusually calm.