Strongest Businessman of the Cultivation World

“We have just gone through a war. Even though it was not our war, we were involved directly as an ally.”

In the training grounds, Ikasa addressed his gathered forces. Knowing the seriousness of the situation, Chu Kuang had brought most of his Private Force as well.

“Although none of our men died, the loyalty of a few people fell in this war.”

Looking at the informants, Ikasa scathingly commented. He quickly turned to look at Yin Ying who was bound by ropes beside him.

“Today, we will not only punish the traitors, we will also reward the meritorious. Let’s start with the traitors.”

Every person here knew who this trial was for. Some barely suppressed their glee, while many others looked at the bound woman with worry.

“Yin Ying joined the Monstrous Flame Sect and then served the Path Finder Zhi Yang, a person hostile to our ally and thus, me. Reports say she has killed more than 10 City Guards, people from our allied forces.”

Turning to the bound Yin Ying, Ikasa asked, “Do you accept the allegations?”

Yin Ying impassively nodded. Increasing his volume, Ikasa asked loudly,

“Did you also kill the informants who reported against you?”

Yin Ying shook her head. Many people who supported her sighed with relief while those against her sneered.

“We have evidence that it was in fact you who killed them. Your dagger was retrieved from the victim’s wound. Your robes were caked with the victim’s blood.”

“We also have a witness, Zheng Fan, who saw you commit the murder. Do you still deny the allegations?”

Yin Ying nodded her head vigorously. Her eyes showed a hint of panic.

He registered her denial and asked the people who acted as information gatherers.

“Since she is denying the claims, I will ask you. Raise your hand, if you think she is guilty.”

Every person surrounding Zheng Fan raised their hands. A few who had lost their close friends also raised their hands.

Xin Ruo noted their faces and Feng Yan jumped into action. People under his command immediately surrounded the people who had raised their hands and subdued them.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Zheng Fan shouted at Ikasa, his eyes glaring at him. His voice was muffled because his face was pressed into the ground.

Feng Yan walked over and kicked his face, breaking his nose.

“Shut Up, you sonofabitch!”

Every person conducting this trial knew this was a farce. A facade arranged to catch the disloyal bastards who had framed Yin Ying.

Those who would condemn her guilty would be the prime suspects. And Ikasa’s plan had succeeded. Some may have escaped through the net, but they wouldn’t dare to cause trouble after seeing the example he makes out of these traitors.

Other informants were panicked as many of their friends were suddenly overpowered and subdued. To calm them, Xin Ruo shouted.

“Quiet! Anyone who resists will also be treated the same as them!”

She then respectfully untied the ropes binding Yin Ying and helped her up from the ground.

“I am sorry. Because of my incompetence, you have been wronged.”

“It is not entirely your fault. I trusted these bastards too much and let a novice like you take charge of a troublesome bunch.”

Yin Ying said, gritting her teeth. Her eyes burned with fury as she looked at Zheng Fan and others who were tasting mud.

Feng Yan and his men dragged them to the forefront. Ikasa took out another paper from his robes and began to read the crimes.

“Zheng Fan and his cronies are responsible for misreporting information, sabotaging battles and committing murders of fellow agents. Most importantly, they tried to incite a rebellion!”

Ikasa took a brief pause and looked at every other person under him. With a chilling tone, he decided the fate of those who framed Yin Ying.

“In my eyes, these people deserve nothing short of death!”

His proclamation caused informants to grow uncomfortable. They found their friends and family members in the people who were arrested. They wondered if they would suffer the same fate some day.

A few of them were innocents, who had genuinely believed Yin Ying to be guilty on the basis of facts presented. They did not expect to be executed for giving their verdict.

They tried to proclaim their innocence by pleading to Ikasa. When he was not moved, they changed their target to Yin Ying and Xin Ruo. Yin Ying was apathetic to their pleas but not Xin Ruo.

She acted just as Ikasa expected her to. She offered them a way out.

“Many of them are guilty but some of them may not be. Can’t you spare them?”

Yin Ying shook her head at the girl’s naivety. No wonder she did not catch the discrepancies in reports.

But she did not know that Ikasa and Xin Ruo had made a plan to create a rift among the informants.

Ikasa looked at Xin Ruo and pretended to think about her suggestion for a few breaths. His act raised the hopes of many arrested people.

“It is possible to spare the innocent.” He slowly said. Looking at the rest of the members of his information network, he presented his offer.

“If you believe any one of the accused people to be innocent, you can vouch for them. But remember, they will be your responsibility. Any crime they commit, both of you will be punished. Any takers?”

The people who were sympathizing with the arrested ones stood rooted on their spots. No one came forward to save their friends or family members.

With the recent prior experience, they thought this was another hoax to catch sympathizers. Hence, no one dared to vouch for any person who was arrested.

When no one came forward to rescue them, the one’s being accused felt betrayed. They began to provoke their brothers and lovers to save them from death.

“You bastard! What did I not do for you! I treated you like a brother and you still can’t vouch for me?”

“I did this for our better future because you said you loved me. Is this how you show love?”

The people, toward whom the words were directed, stood out. Other informants distanced themselves from these people, afraid of getting caught up in their mess.

When he put forth his offer, Ikasa planned to sow seeds of distrust and discord amongst the informants to prevent them from colluding with each other behind his back. Seeing the scene in front of him, he had succeeded.

He let the accused run their mouths for a few more minutes. Then he came forward and released the people who were standing further away from Zheng Fan when they were arrested.

“Remember, no matter how clever you think you are, you cannot hide your tracks from me.”

Pointing to the people he released, he said, “These people may not be involved with Zheng Fan. But they showed disloyalty to their savior. So their fate will be decided by Yin Ying.”

Turning to Zheng Fan and others, Ikasa sealed their fate.

“As for these pests, they will be thrown off the cliff to their deaths!”

The guards brought them to the edge of a steep cliff. There were no trees growing out of the cliff to save them from their deaths.

Screams of terrified men echoed through the valley as they were pushed off the edge, one after another.

Startled by their screams, flocks of birds took to the air and abandoned their nests. Ikasa watched the orange sky filled with the flying black dots before slowly approaching Zheng Fan.

“Ikasa, don’t think you will get away with this! The Earth Fire Sect will come after you to avenge Path Finder Zhi, to avenge us!”

Zheng Fan spoke bold words but his trembling legs showed how afraid he was of his pending death.

“Don’t worry. I will outlive the Earth Fire Sect’s Sect Master. Now, die!”

Ikasa personally kicked the butt of the leader of this rebellion  and sent him into the maws of death.

Arrrrrrgh! Thump.

When the last scream stopped echoing, an uncomfortable silence spread amongst his people.

“I have said this earlier but I will repeat it again!”

Ikasa spoke, breaking the ice.

“Loyalty will be rewarded but punishment for betrayal is death!”

His steely voice rang louder  in contrast to the silence. Once he felt  his words had sunk into the people’s heads, he smiled a little.

“Now that the traitors have been punished, it is time to honor the meritorious!”

Both, information gatherers and members of Feng Yan’s regiment, looked at him with anticipation. They wondered what he would offer as rewards.

“First and foremost, Yin Ying!”

He turned to the wronged woman and offered her his sincerest apology.

“For her bravery and loyalty, I bestow upon her the best grade Cultivation Manual and a thousand gold coins!”

Ikasa purposely twisted the words Top to best so that even if there were any remnants of the rebellious group in the left over informants, they would be misled and think he was rewarding her a High Grade manual.

Still, the reward of a thousand gold was no joke! It immediately propelled Yin Ying from the status of a commoner to a nouveau riche person. If she could grow her wealth, she would one day become a true member of the upper echelon!

Most of the men dreamed of such a pie falling in their laps. Now that they had witnessed it fall in someone else’s lap, they were green with jealousy.

Nonetheless, it gave them motivation to work harder for Ikasa. Who knows, Ikasa might notice their work one day and reward them similarly?

After the hubbub settled down, Ikasa made his second announcement.

“Every member who fought in the war will receive 1000 Contribution points. You can exchange these points for houses for family members, Cultivation and Battle Techniques, and other resources.”

“Remember one contribution point is worth 1 Silver. So spend them wisely!”

His second announcement was greeted with stunned silence and then the crowd exploded!