hé zhèng hào wēi wēi piē le gāo yuǎn yī yǎn ， yě shì lián máng duì lǐ fán biǎo qǐ le zhōng xīn 。
何正浩微微撇了高远一眼，也是连忙对李凡表起了忠心。
Zhenghao He gave a slight glance to Gao Yuan and quickly pledged his loyalty to Li Fan.
lǐ fán bù zhì kě fǒu ， zhǐ shì cóng chǔ wù jiè zhōng qǔ chū liǎng gè gēn tā zhǎng de yǒu xiē lèi sì de jīn shǔ xiǎo rén diāo xiàng ， fēn bié jiāo gěi èr rén 。
李凡不置可否，只是从储物戒中取出两个跟他长的有些类似的金属小人凋像，分别交给二人。
Li Fan remained noncommittal, but he took out two small metal figurines from his storage ring that resembled him. He handed them to the two men.
“ cǐ nǎi fēn shén yù jiǎn ， lǐ miàn bāo hán yǒu wǒ de yī sī shén niàn ， lèi sì yú bàn gè fēn shēn de cún zài 。”
“此乃分神玉简，里面包含有我的一丝神念，类似于半个分身的存在。”
"These are spirit fragment jade slips. They contain a portion of my divine essence, much like having a partial clone."
“ wǒ bì guān zhōng ， jiāng huì duàn jué yī qiè yǔ wài jiè lián xì 。 rú guǒ zhēn de yù dào shén me jǐn jí qíng kuàng ， nǐ men kě yǐ tōng guò zhè ge fāng fǎ ， lián xì shàng wǒ 。”
“我闭关中，将会断绝一切与外界联系。如果真的遇到什么紧急情况，你们可以通过这个方法，联系上我。”
"During my seclusion, I will cut off all contact with the outside world. If there's an emergency, you can use this method to contact me."
lǐ fán dàn dàn dì shuō dào 。
李凡澹澹地说道。
Li Fan said calmly.
gāo yuǎn yǔ hé zhèng hào xiǎo xīn yì yì dì jiāng jīn shǔ xiǎo rén shōu qǐ ， dùn shí yǒu diǎn shòu chǒng ruò jīng de gǎn jué 。
高远与何正浩小心翼翼地将金属小人收起，顿时有点受宠若惊的感觉。
Gao Yuan and Zhenghao He carefully tucked away the metal figurines, feeling somewhat honored by it.
zhè fēn shén yù jiǎn ， liǎng rén yě bù mò shēng 。 tōng cháng xiū shì zhǐ huì jiāo yǔ jí wéi qīn jìn 、 xìn rèn de wǎn bèi ， yòng lái dàng zuò tiē shēn xī xīn jiào dǎo de gōng jù 。
这分神玉简，两人也不陌生。通常修士只会交予极为亲近、信任的晚辈，用来当做贴身悉心教导的工具。
These spirit fragment jade slips weren't unfamiliar to them. Typically, only very close and trusted disciples would be given such items as a means of intimate guidance.
mì shǐ dà rén néng bǎ zhè me zhòng yào de dōng xī jiāo gěi wǒ men ， zhèng shì shuō míng le tā duì wǒ men de jué duì xìn rèn ！
秘使大人能把这么重要的东西交给我们，正是说明了他对我们的绝对信任！
The Great Messenger could entrust us with something so important; this shows his absolute trust in us!
gāo yuǎn yǔ hé zhèng hào liǎng rén xīn zhōng jī dàng ， zài dù bài xiè dào 。
高远与何正浩两人心中激荡，再度拜谢道。
Gao Yuan and Zhenghao He's hearts surged with gratitude and they bowed again in thanks.
“ nǐ men qiě qù ba 。” lǐ fán miàn wú biǎo qíng de wēi wēi diǎn tóu ， suí hòu xià le zhú kè lìng 。
“你们且去吧。”李凡面无表情的微微点头，随后下了逐客令。
"Go now," Li Fan nodded slightly, then gave them an order to leave.
-----------------
-----------------
---
bù zhèng táng yì shì tīng zhōng ， hé zhèng hào zhèng zài zhěng lǐ zhe xiāng guān xiū shì de míng dān 。
布政堂议事厅中，何正浩正在整理着相关修士的名单。
In the Council Hall of the Governor’s Office, Zhenghao He was organizing a list of relevant cultivators.
zì cǐ shàng yī cì ， lǐ fán tū rán xuān bù zàn shí zhōng zhǐ gòng xiàn dù de mù jí jì huà hòu ， bù shǎo yīn wèi yóu yù ér shǐ zhōng xuǎn zé guān wàng de xiū shì men ， xīn zhōng shì zhuī huǐ mò jí 。
自此上一次，李凡突然宣布暂时中止贡献度的募集计划后，不少因为犹豫而始终选择观望的修士们，心中是追悔莫及。
Since Li Fan suddenly announced he would temporarily halt the contribution plan, many cultivators who had been hesitant and choosing to wait now felt deeply regretful.
bì jìng lǐ fán mù zī jì huà ， yǐ jīng shí xíng guò jǐ qī le 。 měi yī cì de gòng xiàn dù dōu rú qī lián běn dài lì de guī huán ， shèn zhì yǒu shí hòu hái huì tí qián jiāo fù 。 zhòng rén suǒ dān xīn de lǐ fán xié kuǎn pǎo lù de shì qíng ， yě yì zhí méi yǒu fā shēng 。
毕竟李凡募资计划，已经实行过几期了。每一次的贡献度都如期连本带利的归还，甚至有时候还会提前交付。众人所担心的李凡携款跑路的事情，也一直没有发生。
After all, Li Fan's fundraising plans had already run for several cycles. Each time, the contributions were returned with interest, sometimes even ahead of schedule. The fear that Li Fan might abscond with funds had never materialized.
yú shì zhè xiē yuán běn xuǎn zé děng dài ， kàn kàn qíng kuàng de xiū shì ， duì lǐ fán yě kāi shǐ zhú jiàn biàn dé xìn rèn 。
于是这些原本选择等待，看看情况的修士，对李凡也开始逐渐变得信任。
These cultivators who had chosen to wait began to trust Li Fan as they hoped he would include them in future rounds.
tā men hái yǎn bā bā de zhǐ wàng zhe ， xià yī qī de mù zī ， néng dài shàng tā men ne 。
他们还眼巴巴的指望着，下一期的募资，能带上他们呢。
"Ah, I was worried there'd be too many people to handle. Now, a billion contributions, everyone gets their share," Hezhao He smiled contentedly as he listed names and started sending group messages.
shuí zhī dào lǐ fán shuō bù gàn jiù bù gàn le 。
谁知道李凡说不干就不干了。
"A friend of mine has some good news about the matter you asked me! I got confirmation..."
“ kàn lái shì wǒ men yǐ xiǎo rén zhī xīn 、 dù jūn zǐ zhī fù le ， lǐ dà shī bì jìng shì lǐ dà shī 。”
“看来是我们以小人之心、度君子之腹了，李大师毕竟是李大师。”
Unlike Hezhao He's excited expression, Gao Yuan looked puzzled. He tapped his fingers on the table, eyes narrowed in thought.
dāng shí tā men fēn fēn rú cǐ gǎn tàn dào 。
当时他们纷纷如此感叹道。
After a long while, Hezhao He stretched lazily and noticed Gao Yuan’s unusual behavior.
ér děng dào tā men tīng shuō lǐ fán shòu mìng dān rèn wàn xiān dǎo dài lǐ dǎo zhǔ yī zhí hòu ， xīn zhōng nà diǎn dān yōu gèng shì wán quán xiāo mǐ wú zōng 。
而等到他们听说李凡受命担任万仙岛代理岛主一职后，心中那点担忧更是完全消弭无踪。
"Brother Gao, what's wrong with you?" he asked curiously.
tā men zhī dào ， lǐ fán de mù zī jì huà ， dōu shì hé zhèng hào zài fù zé de 。
他们知道，李凡的募资计划，都是何正浩在负责的。
"I'm thinking about the deeper meaning behind these two tasks our Great Messenger has entrusted us," Gao Yuan said gravely.
yú shì zhè xiē xiū shì ， gè xiǎn shǒu duàn ， zhǎo shàng le hé zhèng hào 。
于是这些修士，各显手段，找上了何正浩。
"Deeper meaning? It was clearly stated. This..." Hezhao He smiled and dismissed it as overthinking.
tóng shí yě sòng shàng le diǎn diǎn xīn yì ， dīng zhǔ hé zhèng hào ， ruò shì yí dàn lǐ fán de mù zī jì huà chóng qǐ ， qǐng wù bì yōu xiān kǎo lǜ tā men 。
同时也送上了点点心意，叮嘱何正浩，若是一旦李凡的募资计划重启，请务必优先考虑他们。
But then his expression changed slightly. He glanced around, leaned in, and whispered, "Brother Dao, what do you think?"
páng guān zhě yǐ rán rú cǐ ， gèng hé kuàng nà xiē zài qián jǐ qī mù jí zhōng cháng dào tián tóu de nà xiē rén 。
旁观者已然如此，更何况那些在前几期募集中尝到甜头的那些人。
Gao Yuan's voice was deep and serious. "Our Great Messenger always acts after careful planning; he never does meaningless things."
tā men gèng shì yī zǎo jiù gēn hé zhèng hào dǎ guò zhāo hū le 。
他们更是一早就跟何正浩打过招呼了。
"But these two tasks seem a bit suspicious," Hezhao He said, puzzled.
“ hē hē ， yuán lái wǒ hái dān xīn ， zhè me duō rén ， yǒu diǎn fēn bù guò lái ne 。 zhè xià hǎo le ， yí gè yì de gòng xiàn dù ， rén rén yǒu fēn 。” hé zhèn hào měi zī zī de jiāng yí gè yòu yí gè de míng zì liè chū ， kāi shǐ qún fā qǐ xùn xī lái 。
“呵呵，原来我还担心，这么多人，有点分不过来呢。这下好了，一个亿的贡献度，人人有分。”何振浩美滋滋的将一个又一个的名字列出，开始群发起讯息来。
"Suspicious? How so?" Hezhao He asked.
“ dào yǒu nǐ xiān qián dīng zhǔ wǒ de shì qíng yǒu méi mù le ！ dé dí què qiè xiāo xī ……”
“道友你先前叮嘱我的事情有眉目了！得的确切消息……”
"How many contributions are we talking about?" Gao Yuan didn't answer directly but asked instead.
gēn hé zhèng hào mǎn liǎn de xīng fèn bù tóng ， gāo yuǎn zé shì liǎn shàng yǒu xiē yí huò 。
跟何正浩满脸的兴奋不同，高远则是脸上有些疑惑。
"A lot of course." Hezhao He felt bewildered and replied naturally.
tā shǒu zhǐ bù duàn qīng qiāo zhe zhuō miàn ， yǎn jīng wēi mī ， sì hū zài sī suǒ zhe shén me 。
他手指不断轻敲着桌面，眼睛微眯，似乎在思索着什么。
Gao Yuan chuckled. "A billion in contributions is a number I can hardly fathom."
guò le xǔ jiǔ ， máng huó le yī qì de hé zhèn hào ， shēn le gè lǎn yāo 、 shū huǎn shēn tǐ de pí bèi 。 zhè cái zhōng yú chá jué dào le gāo yuǎn de yì yàng 。
过了许久，忙活了一气的何振浩，伸了个懒腰、舒缓身体的疲惫。这才终于察觉到了高远的异样。
"But..."
tā bù jīn yǒu xiē chà yì de wèn dào ：“ gāo xiōng ， nǐ zhè shì zěn me le ？”
他不禁有些诧异的问道：“高兄，你这是怎么了？”
"Brother Dao, do you remember when our Great Messenger mentioned the 'one billion' figure? Did he show any signs of fluctuation in his tone or expression?"
“ wǒ zài xiǎng ， mì shǐ dà rén zhè cì jiāo gěi wǒ men de zhè liǎng gè rèn wù ， yǒu shén me shēn yì 。” gāo yuǎn yī liǎn níng zhòng de shuō dào 。
“我在想，秘使大人这次交给我们的这两个任务，有什么深意。”高远一脸凝重的说道。
Hezhao He was taken aback and frowned, shaking his head.
“ shēn yì ？ bú shì shuō de hěn qīng chǔ ma ， zhè ……” hé zhèng hào xiān shì xiào le xiào ， bù yǐ wéi yì ， zhǐ rèn wéi gāo yuǎn duō lǜ le 。
“深意？不是说的很清楚嘛，这……”何正浩先是笑了笑，不以为意，只认为高远多虑了。
"This is it. It seemed like a simple matter, just as mundane as eating or drinking. Our Great Messenger casually mentioned it without giving much detail."
kě jǐn jiē zhe ， tā wēi wēi yí zhèng 。
可紧接着，他微微一怔。
"Instead, he repeatedly instructed us to go into deep seclusion and cut off all contact with the outside world."
zuǒ yòu sǎo shì yī quān ， còu le shàng qù ， yā dī shēng yīn wèn dào ：“ dào xiōng yǒu hé gāo jiàn ？”
左右扫视一圈，凑了上去，压低声音问道：“道兄有何高见？”
"A billion in contributions—was it worth such serious attention from our Great Messenger?" Hezhao He was about to argue but then recalled Li Fan's casual attitude towards money during their interactions.
gāo yuǎn yǔ qì shēn chén dào ：“ mì shǐ dà rén ， cóng lái móu dìng hòu dòng ， bù zuò wú yì yì zhī shì 。”
高远语气深沉道：“秘使大人，从来谋定后动，不做无意义之事。”
He became uncertain again. After some reflection, Hezhao He nodded slowly. "There is something off. Our Great Messenger demonstrated his formidable financial acumen when we first met."
“ dàn zhè cì jiāo dài wǒ men de zhè liǎng jiàn shì ， què shì yǒu diǎn qī qiāo 。”
“但这次交代我们的这两件事，却是有点蹊跷。”
"In just seven days, contributions doubled. With such abilities, a billion in contributions might seem like a small number to our Great Messenger."
hé zhèng hào yǒu xiē bù jiě ：“ qī qiāo ？ zhè yòu cóng hé tán qǐ a ？”
何正浩有些不解：“蹊跷？这又从何谈起啊？”
Gao Yuan nodded firmly. "Exactly. When he was an independent cultivator, he may not have valued a billion in contributions as much."
“ dào yǒu rèn wéi ， yí gè yì de gòng xiàn dù ， duō me ？” gāo yuǎn méi yǒu huí dá ， ér shì fǎn wèn dào 。
“道友认为，一个亿的贡献度，多么？”高远没有回答，而是反问道。
"Especially now that he's the de facto ruler of Cunyun Sea."
“ duō ， dāng rán duō a 。” hé zhèng hào dùn jué mò míng qí miào ， lǐ suǒ dāng rán de huí dào 。
“多，当然多啊。”何正浩顿觉莫名其妙，理所当然的回道。
"I've never heard of any state leader closing themselves off for such a trivial matter."
gāo yuǎn qīng xiào dào ：“ yī yì gòng xiàn dù ， wǒ yě jué de zhè shì bǐ yī bèi zi dōu nán yǐ qǐ jí de shù zì le 。”
高远轻笑道：“一亿贡献度，我也觉得这是笔一辈子都难以企及的数字了。”
"Our Great Messenger’s claim about 'something significant requiring careful preparation' is just an excuse!"
“ dàn ……”
“但……”
A glint flashed in Gao Yuan's eyes as he said this decisively.
“ hé dào yǒu nǐ zài huí yì huí yì ， mì shǐ dà rén tā shuō qǐ 【 yī yì 】 zhè ge shù zì de shí hòu ， yǔ qì 、 shén qíng ， yǒu guò rèn hé de bō dòng ma ？”
“何道友你再回忆回忆，秘使大人他说起【一亿】这个数字的时候，语气、神情，有过任何的波动吗？”
Hezhao He pondered and eventually nodded in agreement. "But what does our Great Messenger mean? Just when Cunyun City has been rebuilt, why would he choose to seclude himself now?"
hé zhèng hào bù jīn yǒu xiē lèng zhù 。
何正浩不禁有些愣住。
Gao Yuan was confident. "In my view, it’s a test from our Great Messenger."
tā zhòu qǐ méi ， piàn kè zhī hòu ， yáo le yáo tóu 。
他皱起眉，片刻之后，摇了摇头。
"Test?" Hezhao He was bewildered.
gāo yuǎn yǔ qì yōu rán dào ：“ zhè jiù shì le 。 fǎng fú zhǐ shì gēn chī fàn 、 hē shuǐ bān yī yàng xún cháng de xiǎo shì ， mì shǐ dà rén zhǐ shì nà me suí kǒu yī tí ， bìng méi yǒu guò duō de jiāo dài 。”
高远语气悠然道：“这就是了。仿佛只是跟吃饭、喝水般一样寻常的小事，秘使大人只是那么随口一提，并没有过多的交代。”
"Correct," Gao Yuan said with certainty.
“ fǎn dào shì zài sān dīng zhǔ wǒ men ， tā yào shēn dù bì guān 、 duàn jué yī qiè hé wài jiè lián xì 。”
“反倒是再三叮嘱我们，他要深度闭关、断绝一切和外界联系。”
"I know people well. After spending some time with someone, I can gauge their character and temperament."
“ qū qū yī yì gòng xiàn dù ， zhí de mì shǐ dà rén tā ， rú cǐ zhèng zhòng duì dài ma ？”
“区区一亿贡献度，值得秘使大人他，如此郑重对待吗？”
"Our Great Messenger..."
hé zhèng hào wén yán ， gāng yào fǎn bó 。 kě zǐ xì nà me yī sī liáng ， zài huí xiǎng qǐ xiān qián gēn lǐ fán xiāng chǔ de shí hòu ， tā yán yǔ liú lù chū de duì qián cái de bù xiè 。
何正浩闻言，刚要反驳。可仔细那么一思量，再回想起先前跟李凡相处的时候，他言语流露出的对钱财的不屑。
"While I may not fully understand him, one thing is certain."
yòu biàn dé yǒu xiē chí yí bù dìng le 。
又变得有些迟疑不定了。
Gao Yuan lowered his voice. "He’s naturally free-spirited and would never willingly be bound by mundane administrative matters."
Zhenghao He gave a slight glance to Gao Yuan and quickly pledged his loyalty to Li Fan.
Li Fan remained noncommittal, but he took out two small metal figurines from his storage ring that resembled him. He handed them to the two men.
"These are spirit fragment jade slips. They contain a portion of my divine essence, much like having a partial clone."
"During my seclusion, I will cut off all contact with the outside world. If there's an emergency, you can use this method to contact me."
Li Fan said calmly.
Gao Yuan and Zhenghao He carefully tucked away the metal figurines, feeling somewhat honored by it.
These spirit fragment jade slips weren't unfamiliar to them. Typically, only very close and trusted disciples would be given such items as a means of intimate guidance.
The Great Messenger could entrust us with something so important; this shows his absolute trust in us!
Gao Yuan and Zhenghao He's hearts surged with gratitude and they bowed again in thanks.
"Go now," Li Fan nodded slightly, then gave them an order to leave.
---
In the Council Hall of the Governor’s Office, Zhenghao He was organizing a list of relevant cultivators.
Since Li Fan suddenly announced he would temporarily halt the contribution plan, many cultivators who had been hesitant and choosing to wait now felt deeply regretful.
After all, Li Fan's fundraising plans had already run for several cycles. Each time, the contributions were returned with interest, sometimes even ahead of schedule. The fear that Li Fan might abscond with funds had never materialized.
These cultivators who had chosen to wait began to trust Li Fan as they hoped he would include them in future rounds.
"Ah, I was worried there'd be too many people to handle. Now, a billion contributions, everyone gets their share," Hezhao He smiled contentedly as he listed names and started sending group messages.
"A friend of mine has some good news about the matter you asked me! I got confirmation..."
Unlike Hezhao He's excited expression, Gao Yuan looked puzzled. He tapped his fingers on the table, eyes narrowed in thought.
After a long while, Hezhao He stretched lazily and noticed Gao Yuan’s unusual behavior.
"Brother Gao, what's wrong with you?" he asked curiously.
"I'm thinking about the deeper meaning behind these two tasks our Great Messenger has entrusted us," Gao Yuan said gravely.
"Deeper meaning? It was clearly stated. This..." Hezhao He smiled and dismissed it as overthinking.
But then his expression changed slightly. He glanced around, leaned in, and whispered, "Brother Dao, what do you think?"
Gao Yuan's voice was deep and serious. "Our Great Messenger always acts after careful planning; he never does meaningless things."
"But these two tasks seem a bit suspicious," Hezhao He said, puzzled.
"Suspicious? How so?" Hezhao He asked.
"How many contributions are we talking about?" Gao Yuan didn't answer directly but asked instead.
"A lot of course." Hezhao He felt bewildered and replied naturally.
Gao Yuan chuckled. "A billion in contributions is a number I can hardly fathom."
"But..."
"Brother Dao, do you remember when our Great Messenger mentioned the 'one billion' figure? Did he show any signs of fluctuation in his tone or expression?"
Hezhao He was taken aback and frowned, shaking his head.
"This is it. It seemed like a simple matter, just as mundane as eating or drinking. Our Great Messenger casually mentioned it without giving much detail."
"Instead, he repeatedly instructed us to go into deep seclusion and cut off all contact with the outside world."
"A billion in contributions—was it worth such serious attention from our Great Messenger?" Hezhao He was about to argue but then recalled Li Fan's casual attitude towards money during their interactions.
He became uncertain again. After some reflection, Hezhao He nodded slowly. "There is something off. Our Great Messenger demonstrated his formidable financial acumen when we first met."
"In just seven days, contributions doubled. With such abilities, a billion in contributions might seem like a small number to our Great Messenger."
Gao Yuan nodded firmly. "Exactly. When he was an independent cultivator, he may not have valued a billion in contributions as much."
"Especially now that he's the de facto ruler of Cunyun Sea."
"I've never heard of any state leader closing themselves off for such a trivial matter."
"Our Great Messenger’s claim about 'something significant requiring careful preparation' is just an excuse!"
A glint flashed in Gao Yuan's eyes as he said this decisively.
Hezhao He pondered and eventually nodded in agreement. "But what does our Great Messenger mean? Just when Cunyun City has been rebuilt, why would he choose to seclude himself now?"
Gao Yuan was confident. "In my view, it’s a test from our Great Messenger."
"Test?" Hezhao He was bewildered.
"Correct," Gao Yuan said with certainty.
"I know people well. After spending some time with someone, I can gauge their character and temperament."
"Our Great Messenger..."
"While I may not fully understand him, one thing is certain."
Gao Yuan lowered his voice. "He’s naturally free-spirited and would never willingly be bound by mundane administrative matters."