Chapter 217: Elder Shen, Did You Add an Extra Zero to That Number?
At this moment, in the open space at the center of the residence:
Mei Haihe, Huang Bayi, and Huang Caiying sat facing each other, their faces filled with joy and excitement.
Hearing approaching footsteps, the three of them immediately stood up.
But it wasn't just Shen Mo they saw; behind him were several others.
Especially the cold and detached face of Ye Yan, which scared Huang Caiying so much that she immediately hid behind Shen Mo.
"Elder… who… who are they?" Huang Caiying asked timidly.
Shen Mo smiled faintly. "They're representatives from the sect here to collect this year's output."
Mei Haihe and Huang Bayi exchanged glances, their hearts uneasy.
Usually, those tasked with collecting the annual output were cultivators at the Core Formation stage.
Why, then, were there two elders at the Nascent Soul stage here today?
Moreover, from the small cauldron emblem on their chests, their ranks were quite high!
Before Shen Mo could speak, Ye Yan coldly interjected, "Bring out this year's output from Dragon Snake Mountain immediately."
"According to sect rules, failure to meet the minimum requirements results in forfeiture of next year's stipend and a deduction of double the contribution points."
"Furthermore, the sect has strict rules against buying materials from outside to pad the numbers! Violators will see elders demoted, and all affiliated stewards and disciples forfeiting one year's stipend!"
Each sentence from Ye Yan carried an icy menace.
Mei Haihe and Huang Bayi trembled involuntarily, as if a ravenous beast had locked its gaze on them.
Whoosh.
At that moment, another streak of light arrived.
It was none other than He Tianchou, the Hall Master of Jade Sea Hall.
Seeing the chilling atmosphere, he merely stood outside, not daring to reclaim his Jade Cauldron Pearl.
After all, Lü Dongxuan and Ye Yan were people he couldn't afford to offend.
Shen Mo spoke calmly, "Mei Haihe, Huang Bayi, where is this year's output?"
Mei Haihe respectfully handed over three low-grade storage rings.
Then, standing tall under everyone's scrutiny, he spoke loudly and clearly:
"Reporting to the elders, these three low-grade storage rings contain the outputs from the caves, grasslands, and lakes."
"Included are 1,500 pounds of Flying Cloud Silkworm Silk, 800 pounds of Long-maned Ox bezoar, and 1,100 pounds of Green-eyed Python molts…"
He went on for nearly a dozen breaths, detailing all of Dragon Snake Mountain's outputs.
By the end of his speech, everyone except Shen Mo, Huang Bayi, and Huang Caiying was utterly stunned.
Xu Ziqiang blurted out, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"Dragon Snake Mountain has always been a place of loss, loss, and more loss!"
"It can't even meet the bare minimum requirements—how could it produce such massive quantities this year?!"
Pointing a finger at Shen Mo, Xu Ziqiang shouted angrily, "Elder Shen, do you know the consequences of falsifying output numbers?!"
"Fabrication is one thing, but you even instructed your subordinates to report such outrageous figures. Do you take us all for brainless fools?!"
From the side, He Tianchou coughed awkwardly. "Elder Shen, these numbers… could there be a mistake? Did you accidentally add an extra zero?"
Lü Dongxuan couldn't help but interject, "Junior Brother… this… I…"
He was at a loss, torn between laughing and crying.
Even if you're going to falsify numbers, you could've made them more believable.
Report something smaller, and worst-case scenario, we could ask the sect master to smooth things over.
Now, with such exaggerated numbers, you're bound to alarm the entire Jade Cauldron Sect!
Every elder, steward, and disciple will come to watch the spectacle!
Ye Yan, sensing an opportunity, sneered coldly, "Shen Mo, I will report this matter truthfully to the Second Elder."
"The Hall of Discipline will certainly investigate!"
The mention of the Hall of Discipline sent a chill through everyone present.
The Hall of Discipline was personally overseen by the Grand Elder.
It managed all internal judgments and punishments within the Jade Cauldron Sect.
When facing a member of the Hall of Discipline, one's rank was effectively lowered by a full level.
Disciples from the Hall of Discipline held authority over regular stewards.
Disciplinary stewards held authority over regular elders.
This was standard practice.
Once targeted by a disciplinary steward, it meant a severe infraction had been committed.
For minor issues, the Hall of Discipline usually sent its disciples to handle the matter.
Faced with everyone's words, Shen Mo merely smiled slightly. "Oh? Do you all think it's fake?"
Ye Yan snorted coldly. "Whether it's true or not will be revealed shortly."
Shen Mo smiled faintly. "Perfect timing—there are three Nascent Soul cultivators here, and I have three storage rings with me."
"Then, the three storage rings will be handed over to Senior Brother Lü, Hall Master He, and you, Ye Yan," Shen Mo said casually.
With a flick of his hand, the storage rings landed in front of the three.
This effectively eliminated any possibility of Ye Yan tampering with the evidence.
As He Tianchou inspected the storage ring, he sighed, "Elder Shen, falsifying numbers really isn't a good…"
Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes widened in shock, and the rest of his words caught in his throat.
Seeing He Tianchou's expression, Lü Dongxuan froze for a moment and began his own inspection.
Moments later, his eyes bulged as well, and he blurted out, "Holy crap!"
Ye Yan, noticing their reactions, felt an unsettling sense of unease and quickly checked the contents of the storage ring.
What he saw left even his cold, stoic face filled with astonishment.
The storage ring was brimming with various materials from magical beasts:
Silk, bat wings, spider fangs, snake eyes…
It was densely packed, an overwhelming sight!
More importantly, the quantities matched exactly with the numbers Mei Haihe had reported earlier!
Even more astonishing, upon careful examination, Ye Yan confirmed that the spiritual energy imbued in these beast materials was identical to the spiritual energy of Dragon Snake Mountain.
This proved that these materials were indeed from the beasts of Dragon Snake Mountain and not something Shen Mo had purchased from elsewhere.
For a moment, the three were left in a stunned daze.
Behind them, Xu Ziqiang assumed they were shocked by the emptiness of the storage rings and burst out laughing.
"Ye Elder, are the storage rings empty?"
"I told you, didn't I? In the past, Dragon Snake Mountain's output couldn't even fill a single storage ring. And now they're claiming to need three? It's absurd!"
"Elder Ye, let's return to the Hall of Discipline immediately and ensure Shen Mo is punished for—"
Slap!
Before Xu Ziqiang could finish, Ye Yan delivered a fierce slap to his face, sending him flying several meters away.
"Shut up!" Ye Yan roared, his face alternating between pale and flushed with fury.
Lü Dongxuan's expression, meanwhile, was a mix of incredulity and excitement.
"Junior Brother, you… you actually managed to overcome the harsh environment of that wretched place and purify the bloodlines of the magical beasts?!"
"You're a damn genius!"
In his excitement, Lü Dongxuan pulled Shen Mo into a bear hug, lifting him off the ground and shouting in amazement.
Shen Mo chuckled helplessly.
He Tianchou, on the other hand, gazed at Shen Mo with a complicated expression.
His master, the Third Elder, had specifically warned him to remain neutral and handle all matters involving Shen Mo impartially.
But after a year of interaction, He Tianchou had come to see Shen Mo as a friend worth cultivating.
Moreover, Shen Mo's expertise in the field of beast taming was extraordinarily profound.
Far surpassing the vast majority of elders in the sect!
"I must report today's events to my master immediately. This will likely have significant implications for the sect's plans for decades to come," He Tianchou mused, deep in thought.
"Ye Yan, according to sect rules, what reward should be granted for exceeding the mission requirements?" Shen Mo asked calmly, his tone light.
Ye Yan took a deep breath, his voice cold and sharp. "For exceeding the mission requirements, the rewards are distributed based on the degree of surplus."
"If the output exceeds the requirement by double, the contributor receives double contribution points."
"If it's triple, they receive triple contribution points."
"If it's…"
Ye Yan faltered.
This was because very few people ever managed to exceed the requirements by threefold or more.
Yet Dragon Snake Mountain had produced such an unprecedented bounty of beast materials that it not only exceeded expectations but broke the sect's reward system entirely.
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