Chapter 27: A Great Deed Benefiting the Nation and the People

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: A Great Deed Benefiting the Nation and the People

"It’s finally my turn."

Wei Mingze subconsciously sat up straight.

Earlier at the stadium, Li Ye’s presumptuous demand for the government to issue some "football lottery" made him feel this young man was rather ungrateful and reckless. Even if Li Ye truly possessed the cultivation of a Grandmaster, Wei Mingze intended to knock him down a peg.

So what if he was a Grandmaster? The imperial court had Grandmasters too. Didn’t the Grandmasters of the Red Flame Sect and the Celestial Dao Alliance still behave themselves and follow the rules? If one broke the rules, even a Grandmaster would be attacked from all sides.

Moreover, upon arriving at the reception hall, Li Ye had actually left him hanging, choosing to entertain Gongsun Jie first. This only fueled Wei Mingze’s simmering anger. After all, he was a Governor. Wasn’t his status higher than a mere Sect Leader?

At that moment, he had made up his mind to teach Li Ye a lesson.

However, the conversation between Li Ye and Gongsun Jie gradually derailed, suddenly veering into Spiritual Power, immortal cultivation, and higher civilizations. All that esoteric nonsense left Wei Mingze utterly bewildered, yet everyone in the hall acted as if it were entirely real.

If Wei Mingze hadn’t known that it was impossible for Gongsun Jie to collude with Li Ye and Shi Xiang, he would have thought they had set up this elaborate charade specifically to scheme against him. On the other hand, if Gongsun Jie truly threw away his pride to play along with Li Ye’s act, the implications were massive. A newly emerged suspected Grandmaster, an alliance between the Profound Light Sect and the Red Flame Sect, along with the Qingcheng Sect—which was also one of the Three Sects and Five Schools...

These typically discordant, or even outright hostile Sects suddenly mixing together... Just thinking about it made him realize this was far beyond what a mere Prefect like him could handle. One misstep, and the entire world could be thrown into turmoil.

Thus, Wei Mingze didn’t dare put on airs any longer. Seizing the opening in their conversation, he chuckled and said, "I’m completely baffled by what you all are discussing. Sect Leader Li, if you want me to do something for you, at least make me understand what exactly it is you’re doing!"

"Lord Wei, I am not of this world. I come from a higher civilization—the Galactic Federation. Due to an accident, I fell into your world. To explain it in terms you can understand, I was once an Immortal in heaven. I was banished, had my Magical Power sealed, and was cast down into the Mortal World," Li Ye said with a smile, looking at Wei Mingze. "Everything I am doing now is simply to establish my legacy in the Mortal World, restore my Magical Power along the way, and return to the Immortal Realm."

"Preposterous!"

Wei Mingze scoffed inwardly but asked with a smile, "Since Sect Leader Li comes from the Immortal Realm, could you perhaps demonstrate an Immortal Technique to broaden this official’s horizons?"

Li Ye shook his head. "Lord Wei, the claim of being an Immortal was merely an analogy. I am simply a man from a higher civilization. So-called Immortal Techniques do indeed exist, but they require highly advanced equipment to execute..."

"Lord Wei, I can personally attest that every word Lord Li speaks is the absolute truth." Gongsun Jie had already become Li Ye’s loyal fanatic. Seeing Wei Mingze question his guiding light, his face instantly darkened. "I am the Sect Leader of the Profound Light Sect. Are you doubting my character, Lord Wei?"

"We can testify to this as well," Zhong Wenhao and his junior sister chimed in unison.

Their physical transformations couldn’t be faked. They could find no other explanation for it other than an Immortal Technique. Zhu Zhirou gazed at Li Ye with sparkling eyes, even contemplating abandoning her current allegiance to join Li Ye’s sect.

Wei Mingze frowned at the people in the reception hall, weighing the authenticity of Li Ye’s words. Deep down, he refused to believe in any higher civilization. Yet, the events unfolding before his eyes were entirely incompatible with the mundane world, leaving him at a total loss for any logical explanation.

Seeing Wei Mingze’s internal struggle, Li Ye smiled. "If Lord Wei truly doesn’t believe me, why not report my situation to the capital and let His Majesty decide?"

"Son of a bitch!"

"He’s screwing me over."

Wei Mingze glared at Li Ye, an unprompted surge of fury rising in his chest. Without any concrete evidence, if he were to report such an absurd claim to the emperor, would he even be able to keep his official post? But keeping silent wasn’t an option either. If he let the situation escalate and it spiraled out of control, he would lose his position just the same...

For a moment, Wei Mingze was caught between a rock and a hard place.

"It seems Lord Wei still doubts my identity," Li Ye said, shaking his head with a smile. "Then let us simply cast aside this matter of identity and discuss pure profit! Who I am is completely irrelevant to this business."

"Profit?" Wei Mingze was taken aback.

"Do you remember what I said about the football lottery?" Li Ye asked.

"It’s nothing more than a gambling den," Wei Mingze scoffed.

"And do gambling dens make money?" Li Ye pressed.

"Naturally," Wei Mingze replied. Holding a prominent position, he was privy to many secrets. The covert businesses of many nobles and aristocrats were nothing more than gambling dens and brothels. These were the most lucrative industries, yielding massive profits with zero overhead.

"In a gambling den, the house always wins. So, why shouldn’t the Great Chu Country act as the house?" Li Ye smiled.

"Nonsense! Gambling dens are unseemly and vulgar. How could the imperial court possibly—" Wei Mingze’s face darkened as he immediately issued a reprimand.

"Private gambling dens are indeed unseemly, but one run by the imperial court would be entirely different," Li Ye interrupted. "The wealth hoarded by private gambling dens merely lines private pockets. If it were operated in the name of the imperial court, the amassed funds could be utilized for disaster relief, poverty alleviation, and aiding those in need.

"It could fill the national treasury—taking from the people to serve the people—and solve many of the nation’s most pressing crises. Lord Wei, your vision is too narrow."

Wei Mingze frowned in silence.

"I’ve even thought of a name for it. Let’s call it the Charity Football Lottery," Li Ye smiled. "The imperial court sets the odds and acts as the guarantor, ensuring that anyone who places a bet will never have to worry about the house defaulting on their winnings. And even if they lose, they can treat it as a contribution to the public welfare of the nation—an act of philanthropy.

"Lord Wei, you must have seen the enthusiasm of the commoners today. There is massive potential here!"

"But..." Wei Mingze started to argue.

Before he could finish, Li Ye cut him off again. "Lord Wei, the financial situation of the Chu Country isn’t looking too good, is it? Tell me, do you truly not wish to advance any further in your career?"

Wei Mingze was stunned.

Li Ye shot Shi Xiang a look, and Shi Xiang respectfully presented a booklet. Li Ye gestured for him to hand it to Wei Mingze.

Wei Mingze accepted it and glanced down. A few words were written across the cover: *Regulations for the Issuance of the Football Lottery*. He absentmindedly flipped it open. After reading just a few lines, he became completely engrossed. He turned page after page, his expression growing increasingly excited with every word.

The concept of the football lottery involved economics, which couldn’t be thoroughly explained in a short time. Li Ye had simply compiled all of it into a booklet, detailing its operational framework and profit model. He barely even had to use his brain for this; he just copied the model verbatim from his own world.

Although Gongsun Jie was curious about the booklet’s contents, his mind was far more focused on Spiritual Power cultivation. If he hadn’t wanted to glean more insider information from Li Ye, he would have flown back to the Profound Light Sect right that instant to completely restructure his club.

About fifteen minutes later.

Wei Mingze finally finished reading the entire regulatory booklet. He closed it, his face filled with a lingering fascination. When he looked at Li Ye again, his expression was highly complex. After a long pause, he let out a heavy sigh. "Mr. Li, your brilliance is astounding. This is a policy that will immensely benefit both the nation and its people!"

"Is it feasible?" Li Ye asked.

"It is," Wei Mingze replied. "However, bringing this to fruition requires heavily relying on the league. And the league involves numerous sects from the Martial World. Are you truly confident that you can force those Martial World sects to play by the rules, Sect Leader Li?"

"Lord Wei, aren’t things obvious just by looking at Sect Leader Gongsun?" Li Ye laughed, pointing at Gongsun Jie.

"Does Mr. Li truly come from a higher civilization?" Wei Mingze circled back to the previous topic.

"Does it matter?" Li Ye countered, pointing at the booklet in Wei Mingze’s hand.

Wei Mingze furrowed his brow.

"The Martial World and the imperial court have always operated as parallel powers, rivaling one another. The Holy Emperor has likely had a headache over these Martial World sects for a very long time!" Li Ye smiled. "Now, a major disruptor has emerged within the Martial World. If utilized well, wouldn’t this be the perfect opportunity?"

Wei Mingze jolted, suddenly snapping his head up to stare at Li Ye, and then at Gongsun Jie and the others.

Gongsun Jie merely huffed in response.

"There’s no need to look at him. His mind is entirely set on Spiritual Power cultivation now; he no longer cares about the affairs of the Martial World," Li Ye said, casting an amused glance at Gongsun Jie. "As long as his club remains intact, he wouldn’t even mind if the Profound Light Sect disbanded."

"Lord Li’s words ring completely true," Gongsun Jie quickly agreed, slapping a fawning smile onto his face.

"Does Spiritual Power truly exist?" Wei Mingze asked.

"Naturally, it does. Taking a step back, Lord Wei... In the future, once everyone in the Martial World takes up this cultivation, and the day my Skill Level is fully restored arrives, I will take away everyone who has achieved success in cultivation. You could say that I would be resolving a massive underlying threat for the imperial court, wouldn’t you agree?"

Li Ye beamed. "Lord Wei, the implications of all this are deeply intertwined and incredibly complex; they are far beyond your authority to decide. I suggest your best course of action is to report everything that has happened in Weining City directly to the capital, along with this football lottery manual. If the current Saint is truly wise, he will naturally dispatch someone to officially negotiate with me."