Chapter 1038: A Bunch of Bastards

Ding Wei was genuinely surprised. For a moment he wondered whether he had read incorrectly. Leaning forward in his seat, he scanned the destinations written on the lots twice more.

No mistake.

All twenty-eight lots were marked "Money House."

Not one exception.

He stared at the lots on the desk, then at the people seated below, going back and forth several times. His expression turned peculiar.

The various sect representatives noticed that something about Ding Wei's reaction was wrong.

Ding Wei straightened in his seat and finally spoke. "This is the result of your drawing of lots? Am I seeing things? Huang Ban, come take a look."

Huang Ban, who had been standing respectfully to one side, turned at once and approached the desk. He lowered his head to inspect the destinations written on the lots.

He froze at the first glance.

Then his eyes moved back and forth over the rows, checking repeatedly. After confirming what he saw, he too looked back at the crowd and could not help asking, "This is the outcome of your drawing?"

Hong Gaitian answered, "That's right!"

Huang Ban turned fully toward the crowd and pointed at the row of lots. "You people really have too much time on your hands. If this is the result, what was the point of drawing lots at all? What are you trying to pull?"

Ding Wei raised a hand toward one side, signaling for him to step back.

Huang Ban bowed slightly and returned to his place.

Ding Wei continued staring at the lots on the desk. The people below, meanwhile, carefully watched his reaction.

Only after a long while did he slowly say, "The Money House. It seems everyone is quite interested in the Money House. Understandable, I suppose. Nearly all the wealth beneath Heaven passes through the All-Under-Heaven Money House. Tell me, gentlemen, are you planning to rob it or line your own pockets? Do you imagine its money is so easy to get your hands on? Touch the Money House's funds recklessly and you'll lose your lives."

The hall fell completely silent.

The disciples from the various sects looked at one another, seemingly unable to understand what Ding Wei meant.

Most of the Elders, however, looked somewhat guilty. They quietly observed the reactions of the people around them.

Hong Gaitian finally could not resist asking, "Mr. Ding, what exactly do you mean by that? Wasn't the Money House included among the departments we're permitted to enter?"

Ding Wei said, "It was. That doesn't mean every last one of you can crowd into it. The Sacred Venerables ordered you to enter Misty Pavilion's various departments and conduct inspections. What exactly do you mean by all piling into the All-Under-Heaven Money House? Audit the books? Just how enormous a hole do you think the Money House's accounts contain that you need this many people to examine them?"

"All piling in?" Hong Gaitian stared in astonishment, then immediately objected. "There were twenty-eight lots. Only two were for the All-Under-Heaven Money House. How could that count as everyone piling in?"

"Two?" Ding Wei's brows rose.

His gaze swept across the Elders seated toward the front, many of whom were visibly uneasy. He roughly understood what had happened.

He gave a cold snort. "Only two were for the Money House? Then why do I see twenty-eight lots, every one of them marked for the Money House? Have I lived all these years without learning to read? Forgive my poor eyesight—does this look like two to you? And don't accuse me afterward of handling matters unfairly or tampering with your lots. Come look for yourselves."

Hong Gaitian was the first who could no longer sit still. He hurried out of the ranks and ran to the desk.

One look left him dumbfounded.

He examined them more closely.

Every single lot read "Money House."

All twenty-eight of them.

Not one exception.

Every disciple in the hall turned almost in unison to stare at his own sect's Elder. They were finally getting a proper look at just how dishonest their Elders could be.

The Elders themselves were equally surprised. Regardless of what each had secretly done to his own lot, they all rose and came forward to inspect the rows.

Afterward, each man broke into a faint sweat.

Their intentions had turned out to be rather too unanimous.

One by one, they slunk back to their places and sat cross-legged again.

The law did not punish the multitude. With everyone having done the same thing, they somehow felt safer instead, and far less ashamed.

Niu Youdao returned to his own place speechless. He discovered there was not a single decent bastard among the Elders present.

He had altered his lot not because he wanted some comfortable assignment, but because he wanted to remain inside Sacred Realm and accomplish something. He had expected that a few people might break the agreement.

He had never imagined every single person would.

Not one of the Elders sent here to lead his faction was honest. None of them was easy prey.

Niu Youdao could only feel fortunate that, for the sake of caution, he had made one additional preparation beforehand. Otherwise, with this entire pack playing the same game, they might have ruined his plans completely.

Judging from the Elders' reactions, the disciples could now confirm that Ding Wei had been telling the truth. Their eyes had truly been opened.

Thinking back to the lively drawing of lots the day before, the entire scene now seemed so fake it practically dripped. The moment an opportunity appeared, every Elder had immediately tampered with his lot, not one showing the slightest hesitation.

All of them had intended to use the drawing as a smokescreen, blind everyone else, and then quietly cheat in secret.

Of course, no disciple blamed his own Elder.

The Elder had not acted merely for himself, but for the disciples under him and for the good of the sect.

And with such "righteousness" standing in front of them, none of the Elders felt guilty when bad ideas began bubbling up in their stomachs. If the scheme succeeded, it would count as merit.

What an interesting bunch.

A mocking curve appeared at the corner of Ding Wei's mouth. Half smiling, half not, he examined the crowd, then slowly leaned back in his chair.

His gaze drifted toward the two men who still stood before the desk and had shown no intention of returning to their seats.

Both wore extremely ugly expressions.

Hong Gaitian of the South Sea.

Qi Bisang of Tiannü Sect.

Hadn't there been two genuine Money House lots?

Ding Wei guessed that these two must have been the rightful holders and had now become the actual victims, each full of bitterness with nowhere to pour it.

His guess was correct.

Hong Gaitian and Qi Bisang were precisely the two people who had genuinely drawn the Money House assignments.

Faced now with a table full of counterfeits, both were furious.

The previous day, they had been delighted when they drew their lots. Everyone had seen it with their own eyes. The entire crowd could testify. Neither had imagined anyone could possibly imitate them afterward.

More importantly, once they had gotten what they wanted, neither had entertained crooked thoughts. Why covet what others lacked when they already possessed it themselves?

Only now did they discover how naïve they had been.

Dark.

This was beyond ordinary underhandedness.

Everything around them was black as pitch—black enough to make one's hair stand on end.

After another stretch of silence, Ding Wei said, "This is the result of the three days you were given to think? Three full days, and this is what you came up with? You even held a drawing of lots. You people could actually reach an agreement and draw lots like this?"

The mockery in his voice could not have been clearer.

The Elders seated below said nothing. Every one of them was perfectly willing to let spit dry on his face. Their skins were thick enough.

Hong Gaitian's face was black with anger. His fists clenched tightly.

Then he suddenly whirled around, pointed at the assembled Elders, and roared, "A bunch of bastards! What the hell do you people mean by this?"

Qi Bisang slowly turned to look at everyone as well, her expression equally ugly.

By now, how could the two of them not understand what this pack of shameless dogs had intended?

There had originally been only two lots for the Money House. Everyone had agreed to the arrangement in public. Hong Gaitian and Qi Bisang had drawn those two lots fair and square, leaving no one any grounds to complain.

The reason the others had altered their lots was simple.

If there were suddenly many more Money House assignments, Misty Pavilion would have to redistribute some of them. Even after Misty Pavilion adjusted the placements, there was no guarantee the adjustment would fall on any particular person.

If you escaped reassignment, you profited.

If you were unlucky enough to be reassigned anyway, there was still no real loss because your original lot had been undesirable to begin with.

A deal with profit on one side and no loss on the other.

Only a fool would refuse.

Every schemer had assumed only a small number of people would think this way.

No one had expected everyone else to have the exact same idea.

If only a handful cheated, the matter would never be exposed. Once Misty Pavilion issued the final revised assignments, Misty Pavilion itself would take the blame for the changes. Who would dare complain? No one would investigate further.

Hong Gaitian and Qi Bisang naturally understood now that they had been trapped.

Once the number of Money House lots swelled, some assignments would inevitably be adjusted. With so many people in the pool, the two legitimate winners might themselves be shifted elsewhere.

Huang Ban had figured it out as well.

Looking at the crowd before him, he too discovered there was not a single good person among them. Every one of these bastards had actually planned to make Misty Pavilion take the blame for their cheating.

If they had all been honest men, Huang Ban might have felt reassured.

It was precisely because none of them were easy opponents that a trace of worry rose in him. Once people like these entered Misty Pavilion, what wouldn't they dare do in order to protect themselves? They were far harder to deal with than inexperienced cultivators.

Every one of them was a seasoned old hand from his sect. At the very least, each possessed a certain ability to protect himself.

"Have you all gone mute? Feel your consciences. Have the dogs eaten them? You animals..."

Hong Gaitian cursed furiously, aggrieved beyond measure.

No one he berated answered him. They simply let him curse.

Seeing Hong Gaitian go on without end, Huang Ban was about to order him to stop when Ding Wei seemed to anticipate it and raised a hand.

Huang Ban looked at him and roughly understood.

Let Hong Gaitian curse these shameless things for a while. There was no harm in that.

So he allowed the tirade to continue.

It achieved almost nothing.

Some of those being cursed looked up at the ceiling.

Some lowered their heads and played with their fingers.

Some slowly smoothed their sleeves.

Others simply closed their eyes and sat there with the serene expression of old monks in meditation.

"We agreed to draw lots!" Qi Bisang joined in, supporting Hong Gaitian. "You gave your word, then secretly tampered with everything afterward. Are any of you still men?"

Ding Wei waited a little longer.

Today he had truly broadened his understanding of how shameless this crowd could be. As long as their lives and interests were not actually threatened, no amount of abuse had any effect on them.

He could hardly punish every last person over something like this, and there was no reason to keep wasting time.

"Sit down," he said.

Qi Bisang turned and cupped her hands. "Mr. Ding, please uphold justice!"

Ding Wei replied, "Did you not hear me tell you to sit down?"

Hong Gaitian and Qi Bisang were unwilling, but they had no choice. They turned, swept resentful looks across everyone, and reluctantly returned to their places.

Once the hall quieted, Ding Wei asked, "Who made these wooden lots? And who presided over the drawing?"

Hong Gaitian instantly pointed toward one man. "Taishu Shanhai!"

Taishu Shanhai grew somewhat nervous. He rose and cupped his hands toward Ding Wei, effectively admitting it.

Ding Wei gave a derisive laugh. "You're really something. You made the lots, you presided over the drawing, and in the end even the man running the whole affair took the lead in breaking his own rules."

Taishu Shanhai had nothing to say.

He regretted it now.

Had he known this would happen, he would never have fought to take charge.

It was an old problem of Qiyun Sect's. Whenever its people gathered with the other factions, they always wanted to show themselves a head above everyone else, too competitive for their own good.

Ding Wei rested one hand on the desk, lightly tapping the tabletop with his fingertips as his cold gaze moved across the crowd. "Three days was more than enough time for all of you to consider the matter. You've seen the result yourselves. You were given the right to choose, yet apparently none of you are capable of making an honest choice. Since that's the case, Misty Pavilion will have to make the decision for you."

With that, he stood and left directly.

He did not punish anyone for tampering with the drawing.

[End of Chapter 1038]