Unstoppable Martial Arts: Starting with brother's wife and young sister Chapter 946 495, 496: Stone Cave, Impassable Chasm

Liu Sheng regarded him with ever-growing approval, genuinely acknowledging him as the Chief of the Ritual Department in matters of cultivation.

"Anything more?"

Chen Xuan furrowed his brow faintly. Wasn't the brothel simply meant for the garrison army to seek relief for body and mind?

What other purpose could it serve?

"Money!"

"Idiot!"

Liu Sheng berated him.

The monthly pay for those tens of thousands of garrison soldiers amounts to a hefty sum, and they get food, drink, shelter, and travel covered without dipping into their silver.

Thus, leaving silver with them serves no purpose.

This is precisely why Great Yu set up such establishments, with the brothel acting as a veritable pit for squandering gold.

Thanks to this, the financial strain on Great Yu eased considerably.

Without it, the monthly costs for all Great Yu's dangerous zones would skyrocket to unimaginable heights.

Hearing this, Chen Xuan couldn't suppress a laugh.

What kind of scheme was this?

Money shifting from one pocket to another?

Great Yu's tactic was nothing short of mooching off its own troops.

Utterly shameless!

"No helping it—Great Yu spans such vast territories; these measures are essential!"

Liu Sheng let out a sigh.

Truth be told, the garrison troops were all too willing, making it a win-win arrangement.

Both parties gained from it.

As they conversed, the caravan reached a sprawling open area where a massive stone gate, ten meters across, loomed suddenly in the middle.

Flanking the stone gate were two lines of black-armored guards.

Each was a Late-Stage Profound Realm Martial Artist, their presence alone evoking the unyielding might of a mountain.

In the midst between the guard rows stood a middle-aged man dressed in a plain robe, tattered in spots, yet he was shockingly a seventh-level Dao Realm powerhouse.

"Beyond that gate lies the real battlefield."

Liu Sheng's voice transmitted into Chen Xuan's ears at that instant.

"This marks the final and most rigorous checkpoint."

Chen Xuan gave a nod.

Little wonder it ranked among Great Yu's top three deadliest sites—inspections here came in triplicate.

Up ahead, Lang Fei bowed respectfully and presented the spirit stone roster to the seventh-level Dao Realm expert.

"Pry open every box!"

"You lot, check them thoroughly!"

The man commanded the left row of guards.

"Understood, sir!"

The guards responded as one.

The black-armored guards promptly dove into a meticulous examination of all the crates.

Meanwhile, the man eyed Lang Fei. "This shipment of spirit stones will hold for three months at best—hurry the next one along!"

"Things that dire inside?"

Lang Fei's expression grew grave.

This load of spirit stones was enormous, yet barely enough for three months, hinting at a grim scenario within.

"Indeed!"

The man affirmed with a nod; he'd known Lang Fei for years, who personally delivered these spirit stones.

"The Stone Race has grown far stronger lately—it looks like we'll require His Majesty to dispatch additional forces!"

Lang Fei's heart jolted at the words. Was it truly that bad?

"Fear not, sir. I'll relay this to Duke Qin the moment I return! The spirit mines are mostly reclaimed now, so initial troop shortages will improve soon enough."

"Excellent!"

The man inclined his head faintly.

The inspection was wrapping up by then, and he addressed Lang Fei once more. "We may know each other well, but protocols demand we proceed with checks!"

"Naturally!"

Lang Fei agreed with a nod, fully aware of the critical nature of the area beyond—such rigor was justified.

With that, the man drew forth a square mirror.

A white beam lanced from it, hitting Lang Fei's forehead; soon, his consciousness sea appeared on the mirror's surface, and spotting the faint golden sheen, the man nodded approvingly.

"All clear!"

"Much appreciated, sir."

Lang Fei grinned, then called back to the group. "Everyone, step forward and queue up for the sir's inspection!"

At his command, the white-robed Three Judicial Departments members complied obediently.

Chen Xuan alone stayed put, his face draining of color.

That mirror probed the consciousness sea, and that golden gleam... wasn't it exactly what had shown when Qin Ke assumed the role of Minister of the Three Judicial Departments?

"What's the matter?"

Liu Sheng caught his odd look and sent a voice transmission.

"That mirror...?"

"It merely scans the consciousness sea harmlessly—no delving into your memories."

Liu Sheng clarified.

"The golden glimmer?"

"Golden glimmer?!"

Liu Sheng's face tightened instantly, grasping the implication right away. "You haven't refined a regional king's seal, have you?!"

As he caught the faint nod, Liu Sheng finally grasped the truth.

That explained why some of his earlier behaviors seemed off, and the youth's words bore no resemblance to those of someone under national fate's influence.

"How did you discover it?"

In response to Liu Sheng's query, Chen Xuan immediately knew the subject.

"My cultivation speed surged abruptly despite mediocre talent, sparking doubts, so I examined it and found extra gold glimmers in the consciousness sea."

"Later, a sharp personality shift occurred, allowing me to infer a problem with the gold glimmers."

After this account, Liu Sheng simply nodded faintly, "Let's go, it's alright, he's my man!"

Aware that consciousness sea scrutiny was unavoidable, yet direct inspection impossible due to his status, preparations had been set in place long before.

True to Liu Sheng's words, the square mirror's beam detected no irregularities on either, while Chen Xuan's consciousness sea revealed gold glimmers too.

Puzzled though he was, with Liu Sheng showing no sign of explaining, Chen Xuan held his tongue.

They awaited the completion of all inspections.

The man unleashed a barrage of spiritual power strikes at the stone gate's core, whereupon colorless mist poured out instantly, slowly shrouding everyone beyond the entrance.