Sorry, I was being immature.

Sun Kongkong was a monkey, a crafty little devil. His beady eyes rolled around as he stealthily glanced at his boss, and a plan quickly formed in his mind.

"That River God, the light's too dazzling—I can't see clearly. Come closer so I can get a better look."

Bai Yujing didn’t suspect a thing. With a wave of his hand, he tossed the three glowing orbs toward the monkey. After all, these items were meant to be handed over anyway—just a formality. If the monkey wanted to look, so be it.

But this monkey had no intention of playing fair. The moment the three orbs landed in his hands, he didn’t even glance at them. Instead, he immediately flung them into the river while feigning panic and reciting a well-rehearsed line.

"Ahhh, how careless of me! I didn’t hold them tight enough—they all fell into the river! River God, what should we do now?"

"And just now, I confirmed that all three of those things were mine!"

Sun Kongkong rubbed his little paws together, his furry face plastered with an exaggerated look of embarrassment.

Bai Yujing: "..."

Chen Dalei: "..."

The rest of the gang: "Monkey bro’s got style!"

"Playing dirty like this isn’t fun anymore!" Bai Yujing’s lips twitched slightly as he retrieved the three treasures from the water with a flick of his hand. Then, he turned to Chen Dalei with a questioning look. "Old bro, what’s your take?"

Chen Dalei shook his head with a chuckle. "Ah Kong was wild in his youth, spending five hundred years under the Five Elements Mountain, battered by wind and scorched by sun. Those three treasures were his only comfort. And then you just snatched them and tossed them into the river without a second thought. Do you have any idea how much that hurts a little monkey’s feelings?"

Bai Yujing: "..."

Was this guy seriously lying with his eyes wide open?

The two extra treasures weren’t enough—now they wanted more?

Good heavens, Old Bro Dalei, if you want something, just ask that guy in the Illusory Star Grotto! The Venerable One has everything—why come after a retired River God’s meager savings?

I’m broke! After stepping down, I’ve been living off my pension. If I have to bleed out any more, I won’t survive...

Plop plop plop—

Suddenly, a series of splashes rang out.

Just as Bai Yujing was steeling himself to reluctantly part with more of his treasures, the other members of the Destiny Calamity Squad belatedly caught on and, without hesitation, started hurling their own magical artifacts into the river.

Three-Pointed Twin-Edged Blade, Azure Cloud Cape, Siegebreaker Halberd, Wind-Fire Wheels, Universe Ring, Chaos Ribbon, Fire-Tipped Spear, Water-Avoiding Pearl, True Dragon’s Remnant Horn, Ten-Thousand Dragon Scales Armor...

The one who threw in the most was none other than the fourth brother, Ao Bing—being a third-generation immortal and a wealthy dragon, the guy was practically swimming in riches!

Bai Yujing was completely numb.

"Old Bro Dalei, have mercy. I really don’t have that much to give..."

Chen Dalei smirked. "Then should I toss in a few things too?"

It had to be remembered—Bai Yujing wasn’t just any celestial official. He was a Heaven-Mandated Immortal!

Though he’d been stripped of his position, he still held the rank of a direct celestial appointee. After so many years of accumulation, how could his reserves be so easily drained?

So, this guy came asking for help, yet wasn’t even willing to show proper respect? If he wasn’t going to be generous, how could he expect others to return the favor?

The mess with the Daughter Kingdom ahead was the biggest stain on his record. Chen Dalei was willing to clean it up without making him owe a favor—yet this guy had the audacity to try and flip the script, making him the one indebted?

Since when was that how things worked?

"My apologies, I was being inconsiderate!"

Bai Yujing had no choice but to comply.

He’d thought the old man would be easy to fool, but who knew he’d be this tough to handle...

Fine. He’d just have to dig into his savings.

Soon enough, after another round of the River God’s official procedures, Bai Yujing paid a painful price, barely managing to satisfy the greed of the Destiny Calamity Squad.

"Not bad at all!" Chen Dalei stroked the spatial ring on his finger with satisfaction, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

Truth be told, the gadgets Ah Yi had given him were high-grade—too high-grade. Pure overwhelming power, with none of the thrill of battle!

But Bai Yujing’s hidden treasures were different. Back in the day, this guy had been a troublemaker, and his flashy arsenal of artifacts played no small part in that!

Take, for example, the simple-looking Soul Hypnosis Compass—its effects were nearly impossible to guard against!

This artifact’s abilities were terrifyingly potent. From second-rank celestial officials down to the tiniest mayfly, any creature with a shred of consciousness could fall under its influence!

Like that Demon Lord who was about to emerge in the mortal realm—originally, he had no interest in men. But under the compass’s effect, he found himself staring at a certain "fine specimen," growing more and more captivated, until... well, let’s just say things took a very unexpected turn.

Tsk tsk tsk. Such a dangerous artifact was better off in Chen Dalei’s hands!

"Alright, now let’s talk about how to resolve the Daughter Kingdom’s Loveflower Curse and the Abyss of Resentment’s influence."

Finally, they were getting to the main topic. Do you know how hard I’ve worked for this? Bai Yujing’s tense heart finally settled as he nodded slightly.

"First, you’ll need to find the Daughter Kingdom’s queen and obtain the Essence of Living Soil from her. This item can fill the Abyss of Resentment, but remember—she must willingly offer this innate spiritual treasure. Otherwise, the abyss’s grudges won’t dissipate. The Primordial Living Soil I just gave Sun Kongkong can help verify the real thing. And be warned—the prettier the woman, the better she lies..."

"Second, the root of the Loveflower Curse is hidden deep within the royal palace’s forbidden grounds. But simply uprooting it won’t erase the curse entirely. The true root is buried in the hearts of every daughter of the kingdom. To completely eradicate it, the Yin-Yang Rebirth Pearl will be essential!"

Hearing this, Chen Dalei gave him a strange look. "So, the two treasures you gave Ah Kong were both key to solving the crisis? You never actually planned to ‘show respect,’ did you?"

"Heh, in the end, I did show respect, didn’t I?"

"You old schemer..."

"..."

While Bai Yujing and the Destiny Calamity Squad finalized their deal...

Far away, atop a mountain peak, a solitary figure stood with his hands behind his back. Perched on his broad shoulder was a pure white kitten adorned with violet markings.

"Brother Yi, what did you want me to see?"

"Dalei and Bai Yujing’s exchange is just normal social maneuvering, isn’t it? It doesn’t involve any disruptions to fate—if anything, it’ll improve efficiency..."

Chen Yi shook his head slightly. "No, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with social maneuvering. And I’m not turning a blind eye just because it’s the old man involved."

"After all, sometimes, without a little give-and-take, nothing gets done."

"Then what are you trying to show me?" The kitten—Purple Star Heavenly Dao—tilted its head in confusion.

"See? Always in a rush." Chen Yi tapped its pink nose lightly. "Tell me—when prosperity is built on false achievements, beneath that surging fortune lies a foundation of exploited lives..."

"Remember, a towering edifice stands on its foundation, not its height. If we attempt to elevate the world’s rank now, what do you think the consequences would be?"

At this, the Purple Star Heavenly Dao fell into deep thought.