「 mì shǐ dà rén ！」
「秘使大人！」
"Grand Messenger!"
「 mì shǐ dà rén ！」
「秘使大人！」
"Grand Messenger!"
zhōu qīng áng shēng yīn bù dà ， luò zài hé zhèng hào èr rén ěr zhōng ， què wǎn ruò yī dào jīng léi 。
周青昂声音不大，落在何正浩二人耳中，却宛若一道惊雷。
Zhou Qingang's voice was not loud, but it sounded like a thunderclap to He Zhenghao and Gao Yuan.
hé zhèng hào xiān shì lèng le yī lèng ， suí hòu liǎn sè biàn dé shà bái ：「 mì shǐ dà rén chū guān le ？ wǒ zěn me bù zhī dào ？」
何正浩先是愣了一愣，随后脸色变得煞白：「秘使大人出关了？我怎么不知道？」
He Zhenghao first froze for a moment before his face turned ashen: "Has Grand Messenger come out of seclusion? I didn't know about this."
gāo yuǎn yě shì mǎn liǎn jīng hài ， yī fù nán yǐ zhì xìn de shén qíng 。
高远也是满脸惊骇，一副难以置信的神情。
Gao Yuan also looked shocked, his expression incredulous.
ér jiē xià lái ， zhōu qīng áng de huà ， què shì ràng tā men shāo wēi huǎn hé le yì diǎn 。
而接下来，周青昂的话，却是让他们稍微缓和了一点。
However, Zhou Qingang's next words slightly eased their tension.
「 mì shǐ dà rén mù qián hái méi yǒu chū guān ……」 zhōu qīng áng dàn dàn dì shuō dào 。
「秘使大人目前还没有出关……」周青昂淡淡地说道。
"Grand Messenger has not yet emerged from seclusion..." Zhou Qingang said calmly.
「 dàn rú guǒ ， mǒu xiē rén yǐ wéi ， tā men de xiǎo dòng zuò néng gòu mán guò bì guān zhōng de mì shǐ dà rén ， nà yě wèi miǎn yǒu diǎn kě xiào le ……」
「但如果，某些人以为，他们的小动作能够瞒过闭关中的秘使大人，那也未免有点可笑了……」
"But if certain individuals think that their little tricks can deceive Grand Messenger during his seclusion, they are fooling themselves..."
zhōu qīng áng huà zhōng ruò yǒu suǒ zhǐ ， mù guāng sǎo guò chǎng zhōng èr rén 。
周青昂话中若有所指，目光扫过场中二人。
Zhou Qingang's words carried a hint of meaning as he glanced at the two people in the room.
xīn xū de hé zhèng hào shàn shàn dì shuō dào ：「 wǒ děng jiē zhī ， mì shǐ dà rén shǒu duàn tōng tiān ， dìng rán shì méi yǒu dǎn zi qī mán tā lǎo rén jiā de ！」
心虚的何正浩讪讪地说道：「我等皆知，秘使大人手段通天，定然是没有胆子欺瞒他老人家的！」
He Zhenghao, feeling guilty, stammered: "We all know that Grand Messenger has unparalleled abilities. He surely wouldn't dare to deceive His Excellency!"
gāo yuǎn yě bù fù gāng gāng nà fù chéng zhú zài xiōng de mú yàng ， tā nǎo zi zhuǎn de kuài ， kàn jiàn zhōu qīng áng cǐ cì chū guān hòu de fǎn cháng mú yàng ， xiǎng dào le gèng duō 。
高远也不复刚刚那副成竹在胸的模样，他脑子转的快，看见周青昂此次出关后的反常模样，想到了更多。
Gao Yuan no longer had his confident demeanor from before; his quick thinking led him to realize more as he saw Zhou Qingang's unusual behavior after emerging from seclusion.
dùn shí lěng hàn zhí liú ， xīn jīng bù yǐ 。
顿时冷汗直流，心惊不已。
Cold sweat began to pour down his face, and he was deeply alarmed. His mind raced, formulating a strategy while his body mechanically agreed with He Zhenghao.
nǎo zi fēi sù yùn zhuàn ， sī suǒ zhe duì cè ， shēn tǐ què shì jī xiè de fù hè zhe hé zhèng hào 。
脑子飞速运转，思索着对策，身体却是机械的附和着何正浩。
Li Fan noticed that the two were still stubbornly denying it and sneered inwardly.
lǐ fán jiàn zhè liǎng rén réng zài zuǐ yìng ， xīn zhōng lěng xiào 。
李凡见这两人仍在嘴硬，心中冷笑。
Thus, his voice rose several octaves as he angrily rebuked them: "You two have been embezzling the funds raised for public welfare; you've acted recklessly in Grand Messenger's absence; you've disregarded the rules of the Immortal Alliance, selling official positions and reaping huge profits..."
yú shì shēng yīn měng dì bá gāo jǐ dù ， nù chì dào ：「 nǐ men liǎng rén ， bèi zhe mì shǐ dà rén tān wū mù zī běn jīn ； chèn dà rén bù zài ， sì yì wàng wéi ； shì xiān méng fǎ dù wèi wú wù ， mài guān yù jué 、 huò qǔ bào lì ……」
于是声音猛地拔高几度，怒斥道：「你们两人，背着秘使大人贪污募资本金；趁大人不在，肆意妄为；视仙盟法度为无物，卖官鬻爵、获取暴利……」
"Have all these things really escaped Grand Messenger's notice? Do you think that you can deceive someone with such extensive powers?"
「 děng děng zhè xiē shì ， nán bù chéng nǐ men liǎng gè yǐ wéi ， néng mán guò shén tōng guǎng dà de mì shǐ dà rén ？」
「等等这些事，难不成你们两个以为，能瞒过神通广大的秘使大人？」
"How foolish!"
「 nǐ men zěn me zhè me hú tú a ！」
「你们怎么这么糊涂啊！」
He Zhenghao was struck like by lightning, trembling uncontrollably.
hé zhèng hào rú zāo léi pī ， hún shēn shāi kāng shì de ， bú zhù chàn dǒu qǐ lái 。
何正浩如遭雷劈，浑身筛糠似的，不住颤抖起来。
Gao Yuan also looked pale, his mouth opening but no words coming out.
gāo yuǎn yě shì miàn sè cǎn bái ， zhāng le zhāng zuǐ ， què shuō bù chū bàn jù huà lái 。
高远也是面色惨白，张了张嘴，却说不出半句话来。
"Humph. Don't look at how seemingly ordinary Grand Messenger is in terms of cultivation; you should know the true extent of His Excellency's power."
「 hēng ， bié kàn mì shǐ dà rén biǎo miàn kàn qǐ lái zhǐ shì jīn dān xiū wèi ， dàn nǐ men yīng dāng dōu míng bái ， dà rén de shí jì kě bù chéng dù 。」
「哼，别看秘使大人表面看起来只是金丹修为，但你们应当都明白，大人的实际可怖程度。」
"Although he can't be everywhere to know everything, what dirty deeds have happened here in this small Cunyun Sea could not possibly escape his notice," Li Fan boasted.
「 suī rán tán bù shàng ， zú bù chū hù kě jǐn zhī tiān xià shì 。 dàn zhè yī piàn xiǎo xiǎo cóng yún hǎi nèi de wò chuò shì ， qǐ néng mán guò tā lǎo rén jiā de fǎ yǎn ？」 lǐ fán zì chuī zì léi dào 。
「虽然谈不上，足不出户可尽知天下事。但这一片小小丛云海内的龌龊事，岂能瞒过他老人家的法眼？」李凡自吹自擂道。
"Ever since Fellow Daoist He took those unclaimed funds for himself, Grand Messenger has been keeping an eye on you."
「 zì cóng hé dào yǒu nǐ nà cì jiāng wú rén rèn lǐng de mù jí běn jīn sī tūn ， mì shǐ dà rén jiù yǐ jīng dīng shàng nǐ le 。」
「自从何道友你那次将无人认领的募集本金私吞，秘使大人就已经盯上你了。」
He Zhenghao's legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
hé zhèng hào wén yán ， shuāng tuǐ yī ruǎn ， dùn shí tān zuò zài dì 。
何正浩闻言，双腿一软，顿时瘫坐在地。
"I..." He Zhenghao tried to defend himself but found it difficult to speak.
「 wǒ ……」 hé zhèng hào zhāng zuǐ yù wèi zì jǐ biàn jiě ， què mǎn zuǐ kǔ sè 、 yǒu kǒu nán yán 。
「我……」何正浩张嘴欲为自己辩解，却满嘴苦涩、有口难言。
"Zhou Qingang," Zhou Qingang sighed, "but His Excellency doesn't care about such minor contributions. You were the first follower of Grand Messenger after his awakening, so he has turned a blind eye."
「 zhōu qīng áng 」 wēi tàn yī shēng ，「 bù guò tā lǎo rén jiā bìng bù zài hū zhè diǎn gòng xiàn dù 。 nǐ yòu shì zì tā sū xǐng yǐ lái ， dì yí gè jiù gēn suí zài tā shēn hòu de xiū shì 。 suǒ yǐ mì shǐ dà rén yě jiù zhēng yī zhī yǎn 、 bì yī zhī le 。」
「周青昂」微叹一声，「不过他老人家并不在乎这点贡献度。你又是自他苏醒以来，第一个就跟随在他身后的修士。所以秘使大人也就睁一只眼、闭一只了。」
"It's as if you're being rewarded for your hard work."
「 quán dāng nǐ hé zhèng hào xīn kǔ cāo láo de bào chóu 。」
「权当你何正浩辛苦操劳的报酬。」
"But in these past two years, you've disappointed Grand Messenger greatly," Zhou Qingang said coldly.
「 kě nǐ jiē xià lái zhè liǎng nián nèi bàn de shì ， shí zài tài ràng mì shǐ dà rén tā shī wàng le 。」
「可你接下来这两年内办的事，实在太让秘使大人他失望了。」
"Is there anything wrong with selling official positions? Many people in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance do it. Grand Messenger isn't ignorant of human affairs; why would he stop you?"
「 zhōu qīng áng 」 yǔ qì lěng jùn ， dào ：「 mài guān yù jué ， yǒu cuò ma ？ wàn xiān méng zhè me gàn de rén duō le qù le ， mì shǐ dà rén yě bìng fēi bù dǒng rén qíng shì gù ， rú hé yòu huì zǔ lán nǐ men ？」
「周青昂」语气冷峻，道：「卖官鬻爵，有错吗？万仙盟这么干的人多了去了，秘使大人也并非不懂人情世故，如何又会阻拦你们？」
"If you had openly applied to Grand Messenger for permission and used this as a means to enrich yourself, perhaps he would have helped you," Li Fan said.
「 nǐ ruò shì gōng chéng bù kāi 、 xiàng mì shǐ dà rén shēn qǐng ， jiè zhù cǐ shì liǎn cái 。 shuō bù dìng tā lǎo rén jiā tā hái huì zhù nǐ yī bì zhī lì ne ！」
「你若是公诚布开、向秘使大人申请，借助此事敛财。说不定他老人家他还会助你一臂之力呢！」
"But you acted on your own every time. Your earnings from selling various positions must be in the hundreds of thousands of contributions!" Zhou Qingang continued.
「 kě nǐ qiān bù gāi 、 wàn bù gāi ， shì shì dōu zì zuò zhǔ zhāng 。 nǐ fàn mài gè zhǒng zhí wèi suǒ de ， kǒng pà bù xià bǎi wàn gòng xiàn dù le ba 。」
「可你千不该、万不该，事事都自作主张。你贩卖各种职位所得，恐怕不下百万贡献度了吧。」
"Did you ever report any of it to Grand Messenger? These are violations of the Immortal Alliance's rules; if this comes to light, His Excellency, who is the highest-ranking official here, will surely bear the blame."
「 kě zēng yǒu yī cì xiàng mì shǐ dà rén huì bào ？ zhè xiē bì jìng shì wéi fǎn xiān méng fǎ dù zhī shì ， ruò shì yǒu zhāo yī rì dōng chuāng shì fā ， shàng miàn guài zuì xià lái ， dìng rán shì yào ná cóng yún chéng zhí wù zuì gāo de mì shǐ dà rén shì zuì de 。」
「可曾有一次向秘使大人汇报？这些毕竟是违反仙盟法度之事，若是有朝一日东窗事发，上面怪罪下来，定然是要拿丛云城职务最高的秘使大人是罪的。」
"You have already been guilty of embezzlement. Now you want to make Grand Messenger your scapegoat—what a despicable act!" Zhou Qingang said sternly.
「 nǐ men tān wū yě jiù bà le ， jìng rán xiǎng ràng mì shǐ dà rén dāng nǐ men de tì zuì yáng ， zhēn shì qí xīn kě zhū ！」 zhōu qīng áng lì shēng dào 。
「你们贪污也就罢了，竟然想让秘使大人当你们的替罪羊，真是其心可诛！」周青昂厉声道。
He Zhenghao was utterly disheartened as he slumped on the ground.
tān zuò zài dì de hé zhèng hào cǐ shí xīn lǐ wěi qū jí le 。
瘫坐在地的何正浩此时心里委屈极了。
Didn't Grand Messenger repeatedly warn him not to disturb him unless it was important?
tā běn xiǎng fǎn bó shuō ， bú shì mì shǐ dà rén lín zǒu qián qiān dīng níng wàn zhǔ fù 、 ràng zì jǐ méi yǒu zhòng yào zhī shì ， qiān wàn bú yào dǎ rǎo de me ？
他本想反驳说，不是秘使大人临走前千叮咛万嘱咐、让自己没有重要之事，千万不要打扰的么？
And how could there be any reason to report such matters? Wasn't it better to just die faster?
zài zhě shuō ， tān zāng wǎng fǎ zhè zhǒng shì ， yòu nǎ yǒu xiàng shàng jí huì bào de dào lǐ ？ shēng pà sǐ de bù gòu kuài ma ？
再者说，贪赃枉法这种事，又哪有向上级汇报的道理？生怕死的不够快吗？
But with all his desperation, even if he said anything now, it would be useless.
kě zòng yǒu wàn bān wú nài ， cǐ kè jí biàn shuō chū kǒu yě wú yòng le 。
可纵有万般无奈，此刻即便说出口也无用了。
Reflecting on his actions over the past two years, He Zhenghao felt as if he were in a dream.
huí shǒu zhè liǎng
回首这两
The contributions that he had worked so hard for and cherished became mere numbers in his eyes.
nián zì jǐ de suǒ zuò suǒ wèi ， hé zhèng hào yī shí yě rú zài mèng zhōng 。
年自己的所做所为，何正浩一时也如在梦中。
Their value was lost to him.
yǐ wǎng xīn xīn kǔ kǔ zhēng lái 、 zhēn xī wú bǐ de gòng xiàn dù ， zài tā de yǎn zhōng ， biàn chéng le yī chuàn chuàn de shù zì 。
以往辛辛苦苦挣来、珍惜无比的贡献度，在他的眼中，变成了一串串的数字。
Even spending tens of thousands of contributions at once caused no pain.
shī qù le héng liáng shí jì de jià zhí 。
失去了衡量实际的价值。
With such an enormous amount of contributions under his control, his mindset changed unconsciously.
nǎ pà qǐng kè jiān huā fèi diào shí duō wàn de gòng xiàn dù ， tā yě shì sī háo bú huì gǎn dào xīn téng 。
哪怕顷刻间花费掉十多万的贡献度，他也是丝毫不会感到心疼。
Originally, he vowed to follow the Grand Messenger who might have fallen from the realm of immortality and create a career for himself.
zhǎng wò jù é gòng xiàn dù de tā ， xīn tài yě zài bù zhī bù jué jiān fā shēng zhuǎn biàn 。
掌握巨额贡献度的他，心态也在不知不觉间发生转变。
He would return to Tianyu State with great fanfare and reconcile with Heng Ruoqi...
yuán běn fā shì yào gēn suí zài kě néng shì cháng shēng tiān zūn diē luò jìng jiè de mì shǐ dà rén shēn hòu ， chuǎng chū yī fān shì yè 。
原本发誓要跟随在可能是长生天尊跌落境界的秘使大人身后，闯出一番事业。
But over time, he became lost in the praise and seemingly endless contributions, forgetting his lofty goals. He only thought about using more underhanded means to embezzle as many contributions as possible for his own pleasure.
fēng fēng guāng guāng huí dào tiān yǔ zhōu ， gēn héng ruò shuǐ zhòng guī yú hǎo ……
风风光光回到天禹州，跟衡若水重归于好……
Why did so many female immortals exist when there was only him, Heng Ruoqi?
kě suí zhe shí jiān de tuī yí ， zì jǐ què shì zài zhòng rén de chuī pěng hé sì hū yòng zhī bù jìn de gòng xiàn dù zhōng ， mí shī le 。
可随着时间的推移，自己却是在众人的吹捧和似乎用之不尽的贡献度中，迷失了。
With enough contributions, what kind of female immortal couldn't he obtain?
wàng jì le zì jǐ de yuǎn dà mù biāo ， zhǐ xiǎng zhe yòng gèng duō jiàn bù dé rén de shǒu duàn ， tān wū jǐn kě néng duō de gòng xiàn dù 。
忘记了自己的远大目标，只想着用更多见不得人的手段，贪污尽可能多的贡献度。
At that time, such thoughts occasionally flashed through his mind.
yǐ gōng zì jǐ xiǎng lè 。
以供自己享乐。
Now, it seemed laughable. But at the time, he was indeed entangled and could not extricate himself.
tiān xià nǚ xiū shì hé qí duō ， wèi hé fēi yào tā héng ruò shuǐ yī rén ne ？
天下女修士何其多，为何非要他衡若水一人呢？
Scene after scene played in his mind as if he had just been pulled out of water, drenched to the bone.
yǒu zú gòu duō de gòng xiàn dù ， shén me yàng de nǚ xiū shì wǒ nòng bú dào ？
有足够多的贡献度，什么样的女修士我弄不到？
"Why did I end up like this?"
nà shí hòu ， shèn zhì tā de xīn zhōng huì ǒu rán shǎn guò zhè ge niàn tou 。
那时候，甚至他的心中会偶然闪过这个念头。
He Zhenghao felt full of confusion and regret.
xiàn zài xiǎng lái ， què shí shì shí fēn kě xiào 。
现在想来，确实是十分可笑。
"Will Grand Messenger surely punish me?"
kě dāng chū ， zì jǐ dí què shēn xiàn qí zhōng ， nán yǐ zì bá 。
可当初，自己的确深陷其中，难以自拔。
A shiver ran through him as he imagined Li Fan punishing him, leading to his death and loss of immortality.
yí mù mù chǎng jǐng huá guò nǎo hǎi ， hé zhèng hào fǎng fú gāng bèi cóng shuǐ lǐ lāo chū ， hún shēn shī tòu 。
一幕幕场景划过脑海，何正浩仿佛刚被从水里捞出，浑身湿透。
However, a flicker of hope remained in He Zhenghao's heart.
「 wǒ zěn me jiù biàn chéng zhè ge yàng zi le ？」
「我怎么就变成这个样子了？」
The reason was simple. Since the matter had come to light, and Grand Messenger decided to punish him,
hé zhèng hào de xīn zhōng mǎn shì bù jiě hé huǐ hèn 。
何正浩的心中满是不解和悔恨。
According to his usual style, Zhou Qingang should not have come to give such detailed instructions.
「 mì shǐ dà rén ， dìng rán yào ráo bù liǎo wǒ le ba ？」
「秘使大人，定然要饶不了我了吧？」
But Fellow Daoist Zhou's persistent words just now included a doubled contribution of sixteen thousand...
tā dǎ le gè jī líng ， sì hū kàn dào le zì jǐ bèi lǐ fán chéng fá 、 shēn sǐ dào xiāo de mú yàng 。
他打了个激灵，似乎看到了自己被李凡惩罚、身死道消的模样。
Thinking this, He Zhenghao couldn't help but lift his head and look at Zhou Qingang.
bù guò ， hé zhèng hào xīn zhōng réng rán cán cún zhe yī sī xī wàng 。
不过，何正浩心中仍然残存着一丝希望。
Li Fan watched the silent He Zhenghao, whose eyes were filled with despair. Suddenly, he raised his head and smiled inwardly before speaking again: "Although you have committed grave offenses, as the first followers of Grand Messenger, you deserve a chance to make amends."
yuán yīn hěn jiǎn dān ， jì rán yǐ jīng dōng chuāng shì fā ， mì shǐ dà rén jué dìng yào chéng zhì zì jǐ 。
原因很简单，既然已经东窗事发，秘使大人决定要惩治自己。
"Therefore, His Excellency has decided to give you another opportunity for redemption."
yào zhào tā guò wǎng de xíng shì fēng gé ， yīng gāi bú huì zài pài zhōu qīng áng gēn zì jǐ shuō zhè me xǔ duō 。
要照他过往的行事风格，应该不会再派周青昂跟自己说这么许多。
Upon hearing this, both He Zhenghao and Gao Yuan's eyes lit up with surprise.
ér zhōu dào yǒu cǐ fān kǔ kǒu pó xīn ， gāng gāng gèng shì yī kǒu shuō chū fān bèi de shí liù wàn gòng xiàn dù ……
而周道友此番苦口婆心，刚刚更是一口说出翻倍的十六万贡献度……
"Please enlighten us?"
xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， hé zhèng hào bù jīn tái qǐ tóu ， kàn xiàng zhōu qīng áng 。
想到这里，何正浩不禁抬起头，看向周青昂。
Gao Yuan hurriedly bowed and asked.
lǐ fán kàn zhe xǔ jiǔ chén mò bù yǔ ， yǎn zhōng jìn shì huī bài 、 jué wàng zhī sè de hé zhèng hào ， cǐ kè tū rán tái tóu 。
李凡看着许久沉默不语，眼中尽是灰败、绝望之色的何正浩，此刻突然抬头。
"As I said earlier, the battle in Tianlin State is nearing its end," Li Fan paused: "So Grand Messenger's intention is..."
xīn zhōng wēi wēi yī xiào ， zhōng yú zài dù chū shēng dào ：「 suī rán nǐ men zuì dà è jí 。 dàn zài zěn me jiǎng ， nǐ men yě shì dì yī pī gēn zài mì shǐ dà rén shēn hòu de lǎo rén 。」
心中微微一笑，终于再度出声道：「虽然你们罪大恶极。但再怎么讲，你们也是第一批跟在秘使大人身后的老人。」
Li Fan's voice was firm as it echoed through the Hall of Administration: "Seize this last chance to make a big profit!"
「 suǒ yǐ ， dà rén jué dìng ， zài gěi nǐ men yí gè jiāng gōng bǔ guò de jī huì 。」
「所以，大人决定，再给你们一个将功补过的机会。」
The resounding words lingered for a long time.
cǐ yán yī chū ， hé zhèng hào gēn gāo yuǎn ， yǎn zhōng jiē shì bào fā chū yī sī jīng rén de liàng guāng 。
此言一出，何正浩跟高远，眼中皆是爆发出一丝惊人的亮光。
Both men exchanged looks, their faces showing suspicion when they looked at Zhou Qingang.
"Grand Messenger!"
"Grand Messenger!"
...
Zhou Qingang's voice was not loud, but it sounded like a thunderclap to He Zhenghao and Gao Yuan.
He Zhenghao first froze for a moment before his face turned ashen: "Has Grand Messenger come out of seclusion? I didn't know about this."
Gao Yuan also looked shocked, his expression incredulous.
However, Zhou Qingang's next words slightly eased their tension.
"Grand Messenger has not yet emerged from seclusion..." Zhou Qingang said calmly.
"But if certain individuals think that their little tricks can deceive Grand Messenger during his seclusion, they are fooling themselves..."
Zhou Qingang's words carried a hint of meaning as he glanced at the two people in the room.
He Zhenghao, feeling guilty, stammered: "We all know that Grand Messenger has unparalleled abilities. He surely wouldn't dare to deceive His Excellency!"
Gao Yuan no longer had his confident demeanor from before; his quick thinking led him to realize more as he saw Zhou Qingang's unusual behavior after emerging from seclusion.
Cold sweat began to pour down his face, and he was deeply alarmed. His mind raced, formulating a strategy while his body mechanically agreed with He Zhenghao.
Li Fan noticed that the two were still stubbornly denying it and sneered inwardly.
Thus, his voice rose several octaves as he angrily rebuked them: "You two have been embezzling the funds raised for public welfare; you've acted recklessly in Grand Messenger's absence; you've disregarded the rules of the Immortal Alliance, selling official positions and reaping huge profits..."
"Have all these things really escaped Grand Messenger's notice? Do you think that you can deceive someone with such extensive powers?"
"How foolish!"
He Zhenghao was struck like by lightning, trembling uncontrollably.
Gao Yuan also looked pale, his mouth opening but no words coming out.
"Humph. Don't look at how seemingly ordinary Grand Messenger is in terms of cultivation; you should know the true extent of His Excellency's power."
"Although he can't be everywhere to know everything, what dirty deeds have happened here in this small Cunyun Sea could not possibly escape his notice," Li Fan boasted.
"Ever since Fellow Daoist He took those unclaimed funds for himself, Grand Messenger has been keeping an eye on you."
He Zhenghao's legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
"I..." He Zhenghao tried to defend himself but found it difficult to speak.
"Zhou Qingang," Zhou Qingang sighed, "but His Excellency doesn't care about such minor contributions. You were the first follower of Grand Messenger after his awakening, so he has turned a blind eye."
"It's as if you're being rewarded for your hard work."
"But in these past two years, you've disappointed Grand Messenger greatly," Zhou Qingang said coldly.
"Is there anything wrong with selling official positions? Many people in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance do it. Grand Messenger isn't ignorant of human affairs; why would he stop you?"
"If you had openly applied to Grand Messenger for permission and used this as a means to enrich yourself, perhaps he would have helped you," Li Fan said.
"But you acted on your own every time. Your earnings from selling various positions must be in the hundreds of thousands of contributions!" Zhou Qingang continued.
"Did you ever report any of it to Grand Messenger? These are violations of the Immortal Alliance's rules; if this comes to light, His Excellency, who is the highest-ranking official here, will surely bear the blame."
"You have already been guilty of embezzlement. Now you want to make Grand Messenger your scapegoat—what a despicable act!" Zhou Qingang said sternly.
He Zhenghao was utterly disheartened as he slumped on the ground.
Didn't Grand Messenger repeatedly warn him not to disturb him unless it was important?
And how could there be any reason to report such matters? Wasn't it better to just die faster?
But with all his desperation, even if he said anything now, it would be useless.
Reflecting on his actions over the past two years, He Zhenghao felt as if he were in a dream.
The contributions that he had worked so hard for and cherished became mere numbers in his eyes.
Their value was lost to him.
Even spending tens of thousands of contributions at once caused no pain.
With such an enormous amount of contributions under his control, his mindset changed unconsciously.
Originally, he vowed to follow the Grand Messenger who might have fallen from the realm of immortality and create a career for himself.
He would return to Tianyu State with great fanfare and reconcile with Heng Ruoqi...
But over time, he became lost in the praise and seemingly endless contributions, forgetting his lofty goals. He only thought about using more underhanded means to embezzle as many contributions as possible for his own pleasure.
Why did so many female immortals exist when there was only him, Heng Ruoqi?
With enough contributions, what kind of female immortal couldn't he obtain?
At that time, such thoughts occasionally flashed through his mind.
Now, it seemed laughable. But at the time, he was indeed entangled and could not extricate himself.
Scene after scene played in his mind as if he had just been pulled out of water, drenched to the bone.
"Why did I end up like this?"
He Zhenghao felt full of confusion and regret.
"Will Grand Messenger surely punish me?"
A shiver ran through him as he imagined Li Fan punishing him, leading to his death and loss of immortality.
However, a flicker of hope remained in He Zhenghao's heart.
The reason was simple. Since the matter had come to light, and Grand Messenger decided to punish him,
According to his usual style, Zhou Qingang should not have come to give such detailed instructions.
But Fellow Daoist Zhou's persistent words just now included a doubled contribution of sixteen thousand...
Thinking this, He Zhenghao couldn't help but lift his head and look at Zhou Qingang.
Li Fan watched the silent He Zhenghao, whose eyes were filled with despair. Suddenly, he raised his head and smiled inwardly before speaking again: "Although you have committed grave offenses, as the first followers of Grand Messenger, you deserve a chance to make amends."
"Therefore, His Excellency has decided to give you another opportunity for redemption."
Upon hearing this, both He Zhenghao and Gao Yuan's eyes lit up with surprise.
"Please enlighten us?"
Gao Yuan hurriedly bowed and asked.
"As I said earlier, the battle in Tianlin State is nearing its end," Li Fan paused: "So Grand Messenger's intention is..."
Li Fan's voice was firm as it echoed through the Hall of Administration: "Seize this last chance to make a big profit!"
The resounding words lingered for a long time.
Both men exchanged looks, their faces showing suspicion when they looked at Zhou Qingang.