Seeing Yun Mengmeng running toward him with the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign in hand, Lu Yang instinctively tried to dissociate himself. “Hey, hey, hey, Sister Mengmeng, don’t say that. I didn’t tell you to do this.”

“Ah? Did I catch the wrong one? Which one do you not want, Second-in-Command?”

Lu Yang pointed at the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign. Yun Mengmeng prepared to toss him aside, and Lu Yang frantically stopped her.

“Don’t throw him, don’t throw him. I want him.”

“So I didn’t catch the wrong one,” Yun Mengmeng said with a satisfied smile, feeling a great sense of accomplishment. I’m finally able to help the Second-in-Command.

“Junior Brother Lu, who is this?” Fang Jin cautiously inquired about Yun Mengmeng’s identity. I saw it just now. This senior knocked both the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign and the Thunder Arbiter Divine Lord unconscious. That’s terrifying.

Although it could be attributed to the two half-immortals having exhausted themselves, this still wasn’t something a Transcendent Tribulation cultivator was capable of.

“My big boss,” Yun Mengmeng declared proudly, then paused, feeling that something was wrong.

Oh, that’s wrong. The First-in-Command is my big boss.

“The Second-in-Command is my—”

“Fellow disciple. We’re fellow disciples.” Lu Yang quickly cut in. Sister Mengmeng, you really dare to say anything that comes to mind.

“Fellow disciples?” Fang Jin looked at Lu Yang and Yun Mengmeng with doubt. Why would a fellow disciple call you “Second-in-Command?”

Are you sure you’re not from some bandit lair?

Fang Jin didn’t dwell on it. Catching the culprit, the Thunder Arbiter Divine Lord, is what matters most. We no longer have to worry about his retaliation.

Although our Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect is merely a victim and technically has nothing to do with the Thunder Arbiter Divine Lord, judging by his behavior, he might take out his anger on our sect after recalling how he couldn’t defeat the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign.

“Third Elder said you two can return to the sect. You don’t have to do compulsory labor in the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect anymore.” Yun Mengmeng remembered the purpose of her trip. Catching two half-immortals was incidental. The main objective is to call them back.

“Speaking of which, where is the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect? Third Elder said it has beautiful scenery and is a picturesque sight all year round.”

Yun Mengmeng raised her head to shade her eyes, standing on tiptoe as she looked around, but found no trace of any “beautiful scenery.”

Lu Yang silently turned his head to look at the ruins of the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect, now submerged in Weak Water, with mountains collapsed and the earth cracked. Even if Old Meng and I want to do our compulsory labor here, there is no chance now.

Besides, we found Founding Ancestor Primordial and captured the Thunder Arbiter Divine Lord—two major events happened at once. No matter what, we have to make a trip back to the sect.

“Sister Mengmeng, let’s go back.”

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou reluctantly bid farewell to the Grand Elder, Sect Leader Kong, and Fang Jin.

“Senior Jin, Senior Kong, Senior Brother Fang, we shall take our leave.”

Sect Leader Kong watched as Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou departed, overwhelmed with guilt. They nearly came to harm at our sect. If something really had happened, how would I face Old Three Zhang?

“Shifu, what should we do now?”

Sect Leader Kong contemplated for a while. “The two of us will first placate everyone in the sect. Leave the ruins untouched for now. I’ll send someone to the Jingzhou branch to inform them and have their people come and assess our losses.

“The sect hasn’t been maintained in a long time. This is a perfect chance to refurbish it.”

Knowing he wouldn’t have to pay out of his own pocket and that insurance could cover it, Sect Leader Kong was in a great mood. I’ll just treat it as a few days of suspended operations for renovations.

“The only issue is the books in the scripture library. I don’t know how many will still be readable after being soaked in Weak Water.”

“That’s not a problem.” The Grand Elder chuckled. “Of the three of us, you’re the one who’s read the fewest books. Little Jin and I have memorized all of them. It doesn’t matter even if some books can’t be read.”

~~~ 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

The branch chief of the Luodi Merchant Guild's Jingzhou Branch listened to his deputy’s report. His mind went blank, and he sat motionless like a statue. It was a long while before he regained his senses.

“You’re saying that a half-immortal battle happened at the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect?!” he cried out in disbelief, unable to imagine the chain reaction this would cause.

The Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect has countless buildings and unique landforms. Although their exact value is unknown, they are certainly worth more than the Sword Tower. The Sword Tower is only one building! Another classic case of failed insurance underwriting is about to be added.

“How is this possible? How could something happen to the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect? Didn’t the seven veterans’ risk assessment conclude that the risk profile was extremely low?

“Where are those seven old bastards? Where are they?!”

The branch chief immediately pulled out a gleaming, large cleaver, ready to fight the seven veterans to the death. Seeing this, his deputy quickly restrained him.

“Chief, have you forgotten? The headquarters said that several of their senior assessors have retired, so they forcibly transferred all seven veterans away.”

Only then did the branch chief recall that the seven veterans had all gone to the headquarters. He was the branch chief, after all. He soon calmed down and began analyzing the situation.

This is too strange. The insurance was bought only half a month ago, and something has already happened to the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect? Insurance fraud?

“Tell me in detail. What exactly happened at the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect?!”

His deputy recounted the sequence of events truthfully. After listening to the full story, the branch chief couldn’t find anything suspicious. It all sounded like it was a pure coincidence.

One is the Great Qian’s Thunder Arbiter Divine Lord, and the other is the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign, who was missing for eighty thousand years. The Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect isn’t capable of finding either of these legendary figures.

If they had such an ability, they wouldn’t need to commit insurance fraud.

“So it was just an accident?”

“Never mind. Send someone to assess the losses at the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect first.”

~~~

A day later, the branch chief held a recording orb displaying the devastation of the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect. Viewing it nearly gave him a heart attack.

Everything has been utterly obliterated.

Cleansed by Heavenly Lightning and washed by Weak Water, there’s not a single intact thing left at the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect!

“Chief, do we pay?” his deputy asked quietly.

The branch chief trembled as he squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth. “Pay...

“Ah, wait. We have an accountability system. The Shu Province branch paid for the Sword Tower without holding anyone accountable because they couldn’t find the combatants.

“This time is different. The responsibility lies with the Thunder Arbiter Divine Lord. A Great Qian half-immortal’s savings should be enough to cover the compensation, right?”

His deputy had to remind him, “Chief, it’s true that Great Qian half-immortals have spirit stones. But don’t forget that the Moon Laurel Immortal Palace captured Great Qian’s Demon-Subduing Divine Lord and Devil-Vanquishing Divine Lord. According to their intelligence, the divine lords’ savings are all stored in the immortal palace.

“As for the location of that immortal palace, restrictions have been placed on them, so they can’t speak of it, and soul searches are useless. No one knows where it is.

”It is likely the same for the Thunder Arbiter Divine Lord.”

The branch chief’s stomach bulged with anger several times before finally deflating. Although it wasn’t good news, everything his deputy said was correct.

My deputy is calm and always makes sound judgments. It seems my position will eventually belong to him.

“Chief, I have a thought regarding this incident.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“The last time something happened to the Sword Tower, Lu Yang was present. This time, Lu Yang was also present during the incident at the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect. Do you think there could be a connection to him?”

The branch chief looked at his deputy, his eyes flickering with surprise, as if saying, “How could you think that?”

“Little Tang, I have to say a few words to you.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“In our work, we need evidence. The reports show that in both incidents, Lu Yang was merely a bystander. Whether it was the immortal battle or the half-immortal battle, neither had anything to do with him.

“Especially this time—you’ve seen the report. Finding the immortal metal box was purely coincidental.”

“But Chief, in our work, we also need to consider probability.”

The branch chief hissed. “Now that you mention it...that does make some sense.”