Chapter 489: Li Fansi Breaks the Deadlock

Li Fan's eyes involuntarily narrowed.

Upon seeing the glaring discrepancies in the itemized list provided by the plump Zhou Kebao, Li Fan abandoned his intention to feign anger and instead, calmly composed himself.

A mere minor adjustment revealed a fifty percent discrepancy in the quantities.

This could only mean that the true quantities on the list were significantly higher than what he held in his hands.

While it was true that the Myriad Immortals Alliance currently faced issues like corruption, embezzlement, and secret deductions, members typically at least bothered to maintain appearances and conceal their actions.

They would never act with such blatant disregard, to the point of being utterly deranged!

Rebuilding an immortal city for an entire state was a monumental task. For Zhou Kebao to brazenly take kickbacks and siphon off such a vast amount of materials right in front of Li Fan, the acting island lord...

There could only be one explanation: the group operating in the shadows was specifically targeting Li Fan.

Indeed, the process by which he became the acting island lord might truly have been legal and compliant.

However, this didn't prevent opportunistic individuals from seizing upon the news to initiate a conspiracy.

Perhaps it was aimed at Li Fan himself, or perhaps at the enormous contribution points he possessed.

Up to this point, Li Fan had made no deliberate attempts to conceal his actions in this world, such as speculating on the Puxian True Leaf or accumulating other cultivators' contribution points for reinvestment.

Aside from his dealings with the empire, every other transaction was fully traceable.

Without needing precise figures, a rough estimate alone would reveal the astonishing quantity of contribution points Li Fan currently held.

Greed swayed hearts, so it was only natural that he would become a target.

Beyond profit, there was also animosity.

Dantai Can, who had previously suffered a hidden loss during the Puxian True Leaf speculation, might well be fanning the flames in this current situation.

Li Fan, accustomed to planning before acting, rapidly processed these thoughts. His gaze once again swept back and forth across the list.

Soon after, he nodded slightly and carefully put away the list.

At the same time, he asked, feigning nonchalance, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, besides this itemized list, is there anything else you need to give me?"

"No, nothing at all," Zhou Kebao replied, smiling broadly and shaking his head repeatedly.

Seeing this, Li Fan inwardly scoffed.

However, he chose not to press the matter for now. He merely cupped his hands and said, "Rebuilding the immortal city is a matter of immense importance. It encompasses countless complexities and considerations. I'll need to carefully organize my thoughts on how best to proceed."

Li Fan mused for a moment, feigning contemplation.

Then he stated, "In that case, I'll go make some preparations first. I will contact you again, Fellow Daoist Zhou, on the day construction officially begins!"

Zhou Kebao patted his chest, readily agreeing. "Consider it done! Island Lord Li, feel free to voice any requests you have. I will cooperate fully and ensure the proper completion of the task assigned by Young Master Jinglun."

Li Fan offered no affirmation, merely fixing Zhou Kebao with a cold, piercing gaze for a moment.

Then, he flicked his sleeves and flew away, departing from the Dust-Crossing Boat in the sky.

As Li Fan's figure gradually faded from view, the smile on Zhou Kebao's face slowly vanished, replaced by an expression of disdain and mockery in his eyes.

"Let's see how you manage this in six months..." He scoffed, then retrieved a communication talisman and contacted an unknown party, relaying every detail of what had transpired.

Zhou Kebao, confident that he had Li Fan firmly under his thumb and victory assured, could never have imagined that his every move was being tracked by the World-View of the Formless Killing Intent, falling entirely under Li Fan's surveillance.

"So, there really is something suspicious going on..."

"It seems I cannot rely on assistance from the First Jinglun's side. To rebuild the immortal city, I must primarily utilize personnel under my direct control..."

Upon returning to Shenhua Island, Li Fan felt a sense of calm watching Tianyang stand idly, gazing at the children from the Departure Realm.

"With Tianyang, a Soul Transformation stage cultivator, presiding, it should be no problem to at least deter petty criminals."

"Still, it's not enough..."

Li Fan retrieved a gleaming jade token, intricately carved with the character 'Wan' (万), and began to carefully sense its aura.

This was the very Island Lord Token that had been given to him along with his appointment letter as acting island lord.

Beyond serving as a symbol of the island lord's authority, its primary function was to allow him to view and contact all official cultivators under his jurisdiction.

A vast network of interconnected relationships instantly materialized in Li Fan's mind.

At the very top, naturally, was Li Fan himself.

Below, the hierarchy branched out according to departments: the Formation Planning Hall, the Martial Arts Hall, the Heavenly Secrets Hall, as well as the various island guardians, external departmental staff, and so forth.

Each node represented a cultivator.

By focusing his consciousness on a single node, he could view the corresponding cultivator's brief information and directly establish contact.

"So, there are truly this many official cultivators within the Congyun Sea administration..."

Li Fan couldn't help but marvel softly.

Besides common positions, there were also some unusual and previously unheard-of roles.

For instance, there were positions like Myriad Immortals Alliance Congyun Sea Cultivator Feedback Collection Specialist, Shilinzhou Liaison Officer to Congyun Sea, and Earth Vein Supervisor, among others.

One by one, faces began to appear.

Li Fan had encountered many of these individuals before. He had initially assumed they were mere rogue cultivators, but unexpectedly, they also held official positions within the system.

The nodes for the vast majority of cultivators had dimmed, signifying that they had either perished or were currently out of contact.

However, the number of cultivators who remained active was still quite substantial.

"It appears that to rebuild the immortal city, the primary workforce will need to be chosen from this group."

"However, the personnel are a mixed bag, and I only have a superficial acquaintance with most of them. How can I select the right individuals?"

Li Fan's brow furrowed as he began to filter out cultivators who had already been captured by the Five Elders' Association.

He then carefully perused the remaining cultivators.

Suddenly, his gaze halted on one particular cultivator.

"Oh, that's..."

An idea immediately sparked in Li Fan's mind.

In a hidden, unknown cave dwelling within Congyun Sea.

Gao Yuan, deep in secluded cultivation, suddenly awoke from a nightmare.

On that fateful day, the Five Elders' Association had launched a surprise attack on Congyun Sea, forcibly abducting Myriad Immortals Island and leading to the demise of hundreds, if not thousands, of cultivators.

Gao Yuan, however, had fortunately been away on official business, thereby narrowly escaping the calamity.

Yet, the terrifying sight of the cultivators from afar had haunted his mind ever since, transforming into his inner demon.

"I never imagined the Myriad Immortals Alliance would be so utterly useless, showing no response even after an immortal city was abducted from an entire state."

"Instead, they first blockaded Congyun Sea, venting their frustration on their own people."

"And I, foolishly, diligently guarded the gates of the Ministry of Administration for decades..."

"Perhaps I should just defect to the Five Elders' Association..."

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Gao Yuan couldn't help but entertain such thoughts.

It was at this moment that his official communication talisman, which he had believed would never light up again, suddenly pulsed with light.

Gao Yuan's heart immediately pounded. He thought his treacherous thoughts of defection had been discovered so quickly by his superiors.

When he cautiously picked up the talisman and examined it closely, an inexplicable expression appeared on his face.

"Acting Island Lord, Li Fan?"