Chapter 1648: Kill Ye Guan!

Ye Guan stood in silence as he watched the crowds kneeling in prayer.

He knew this place's background. The Divine Continent had once sent relief here, so the locals did indeed have faith in the Divinity. But now, that faith had gone beyond belief, it had become dependency.

After a moment of silence, Ye Guan turned and left with Little Ran.

They arrived on another street and, to their surprise, it was clean and bustling. Tall buildings lined the road, a stark contrast to the poverty and filth they had just seen.

Ye Guan and Little Ran were a bit stunned.

They wandered for a while and eventually stepped into a tavern. They chose a window seat, and a server quickly came over, smiling brightly. "Welcome! What would you like to eat?"

Ye Guan handed the server a spiritual crystal. The man's eyes lit up. Ye Guan smiled. "This is for you. We just arrived and don't know much about this place. Mind if I ask you a few questions?"

Delighted, the server quickly accepted the spiritual crystal and nodded eagerly. "Of course! Ask whatever you like, sir, I'll tell you everything I know."

Ye Guan pointed in the direction of the slums. "Why is it so filthy up north, while this area is so prosperous?"

The server glanced toward the northern part and replied with a smile, "

Ah,

you wouldn't know, but that area is where the locals live. Over here, though, this is all owned by the three great clans."

Ye Guan raised an eyebrow. "Three great clans?"

"Yup!" The server nodded. "They're a big deal around here. Every spiritual vein in this world is under their control. They say they're even richer than the Divinity Herself!"

Ye Guan's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

After asking a few more questions, Ye Guan ordered some simple dishes and sent the server away.

Just then, a man suddenly sat down across from him and Little Ran. Ye Guan looked up. The man wore a long robe and looked fairly young, with an irreverent air about him.

The man grinned. "Mind if I share this table, friend?"

Ye Guan smiled. "Not at all."

The man chuckled and said, "Name's Qin Feng. What should I call you?"

"Yang Guan," Ye Guan replied.

Qin Feng asked, "Is this your first time here, Brother Yang?"

Ye Guan nodded. "It is."

Qin Feng laughed. "Here for business, perhaps?"

Then, catching himself, he quickly added, "

Ah,

don't misunderstand, I overheard you asking the server some questions earlier, and I happen to know quite a bit about this place. Definitely more than that server, at least. Thought I might have a chat with you."

Ye Guan smiled. "I'm thinking of doing some business here."

Qin Feng shook his head. "Then, Brother Yang, I'm afraid you're a bit too late."

"

Oh?

" Ye Guan raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

Qin Feng sneered. "The Yuan World is already locked up tight by the three great clans. They control every spiritual vein and resource in this universe. If you try to enter the market, you won't even get the scraps."

Ye Guan said, "I heard that someone from the higher-ups was sent here to reform the place..."

Qin Feng looked surprised. "Brother Yang isn't simple. You even know that?"

Ye Guan chuckled. "Businessmen have to stay informed, don't you?"

Qin Feng leaned in. "Then let me ask you, how would you change this place?"

Ye Guan shook his head. "That's not my specialty. What about you, Brother Qin?"

Qin Feng smiled. "Changing this place... It's hard, but possible."

"I'd like to hear more," Ye Guan said.

Qin Feng explained, "The locals in the north are poor for one reason—their path upward is completely blocked. There's no way for them to improve their lives. And who's blocking that path? The outsiders. They've monopolized all the resources and dominate everything. They don't want the locals to rise."

"Brother Yang, have you visited the Temple of Divinity in the south?"

Ye Guan nodded. "We just came from there."

Qin Feng said, "Every day, countless people kneel there begging the Divinity for help... Don't you think they're just lazy, unwilling to work for a better life?"

Ye Guan replied, "It depends."

"Please explain, Brother Yang."

"From one point of view, yes, it's their fault for not working hard enough, but from another angle, there's a much deeper issue. Like you said, the path up has been blocked. All the resources are hoarded by those above. No matter how hard those below work, all they get is barely enough to survive. The elites don't want anyone challenging their power."

Qin Feng's eyes lit up at those words.

Ye Guan looked at him. "What do you think should be done, then?"

Qin Feng smiled. "It's simple. Two steps. First, take out those elites. Second, share the wealth with the people."

Ye Guan raised an eyebrow. "I doubt it's that easy."

Qin Feng nodded. "You're right. These groups are tied together. Sometimes, you don't even know how deep the rope goes or how many big names are tied to it."

Ye Guan picked up his wine cup and took a sip. "That's the world we live in. Even if you want to do the right thing, you need backing. Otherwise, you're just digging your own grave."

"Well said!" Qin Feng laughed. "Brother Yang, you're not ordinary, that's for sure!"

Ye Guan smiled faintly. "Neither are you. Talking about these things in broad daylight takes guts."

"

Hahaha!

Right back at you!" Qin Feng laughed heartily.

At that moment, an elderly man entered the tavern and approached Qin Feng with a respectful bow. "Lord Qin, our clan leader has prepared a welcome feast at the Immortal Pavilion. He invites you to join him."

Qin Feng glanced at him, amused. "Impressive. I came here without any attendants and kept a low profile, yet you still managed to find me."

The old man remained courteous and calm. "Lord Qin, this way please."

Qin Feng stood up and placed a spiritual crystal on the table. He turned to Ye Guan with a smile. "Brother Yang, this meal's on me."

Just as he was about to leave, he paused and looked back. "Brother Yang, I can tell you're not an ordinary merchant. I'll be frank, the Divine Continent's committee is determined to reform this place.

"It's poor right now, but it's full of opportunity.On behalf of the Yuan World, I welcome all kind and just merchants. But if anyone comes here with ill intent, I will not show mercy."

With that, he walked out.

After they were gone, Little Ran said softly, "He's the one we sent."

Ye Guan nodded. The moment Qin Feng sat down, Ye Guan had already recognized him; he bore the city governor's seal, and such seals had to be personally approved by Ye Guan.

Qin Feng didn't recognize Ye Guan, as there were no statues of the Divinity anywhere in the Divine Civilization.

Ye Guan said, "Let's follow him."

Little Ran nodded. "Okay."

The two rose and left.

***

Qin Feng followed the elder to an opulent restaurant. They entered the top floor, where a private dining room awaited. As soon as they stepped in, an old man greeted them warmly.

"City Governor Qin, you truly live up to your title as the Divine Continent's Rising Star. You're extraordinary!"

A Rising Star!

When Ye Guan opened recruitment, the selected candidates were divided into two tiers—Rising Stars and Super Talents. Super Talents could become a part of the Inner Committee and were incredibly rare.

Rising Stars were geniuses too, some assigned to the Outer Committee, while others were dispatched to distant posts.

Qin Feng was one of those Rising Stars, and he was appointed as an official.

Qin Feng smiled. "Clan leader Mo, you flatter me."

He looked over and saw two more elders. "Clan Leader Gu, Clan Leader Li, you're here as well."

The two smiled and greeted him.

Mo, Gu, and Li... these were the surnames of the three dominant clans in the Yuan World. They were powerful, influential, and deeply entrenched.

Qin Feng looked at the three and grinned. "Let's not waste time with pleasantries. Let's get straight to the point."

The three were slightly surprised. Clan Leader Mo chuckled. "Straightforward! Very well, we'll drop the act too. We know you were sent to reform the Yuan World, and we're willing to support you."

Qin Feng smirked. "Support me?"

Clan Leader Mo nodded. "Yes. We know conditions in the north are terrible. We're willing to contribute funds to improve the residents' living conditions. Of course..."

He smiled and glanced at Qin Feng, who pretended not to understand.

Clan leader Mo laid his cards on the table. "We've heard that the Divine Continent has allocated tens of billions of spiritual crystals to you for the reform efforts.

"We, the three great clans, would like to take charge of all the construction projects."

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow. "That's... quite the appetite you've got there."

"Don't worry, City Governor Qin, we know the rules." Clan Leader Mo chuckled.

He then handed over a golden card. "Just a token of appreciation. Once the job's done, we'll split the profits fifty-fifty. We won't cut too many corners.

"When inspectors come, everything will look bright and prosperous. Ten years from now, you'll have glowing achievements and be promoted to the Outer Committee..."

Qin Feng said seriously, "There are too many native residents up north... Even if you don't cut corners, it'll cost a fortune."

Clan Leader Mo laughed. "Not that much."

Qin Feng said, "There are over a hundred million people..."

Clan Leader Mo smiled. "Kill two-thirds of them, then there won't be a lot."

Qin Feng froze, and his smile vanished. "Kill two-thirds of them."

Clan Leader Mo nodded. "They're suffering, anyway. Better to die early and reincarnate. It's not a bad thing for them."

Seeing Qin Feng's dark face, he quickly added, "Of course, if you're worried about causing trouble, we can do it in a different way. When the Divine Continent sends inspectors here, we'll relocate two-thirds of the locals to another world.

"Once the inspection's done, we bring them back. Problem solved. We've used this trick many times, and it works every time."

Qin Feng coldly said, "That's too slow. I want to make real money."

The three looked startled. Clan Leader Mo quickly asked, "Do you have a better plan, Lord Qin?"

Qin Feng looked at the three and said solemnly, "Let's just rebel. We kill Ye Guan and take over everything. We can have all the money we want by then."

What the—Rebel?!

The three were stunned, mouths agape.

Who the hell sent this lunatic to be the city governor?!

They just wanted to embezzle some money, not commit treason! The three looked at each other.

Damn. Should we report this guy?

If they were to stick with someone this nuts, they would definitely go down with him to hell.