https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-179-Zhang-Yu-s-Thunderous-Strike/13686651/
Chapter 178: Ten Million Temptation
To Huo Shan, Song Xu was a believer who tried far too hard.
Studying diligently, cultivating assiduously, working tirelessly to earn money—these were all admirable traits.
But striving to expand the believer base, meticulously managing believers, and relentlessly boosting Huo Shan’s own power? That was where things started to rub him the wrong way.
His mind once again echoed with Song Xu’s endless stream of suggestions.
It had been just a few days after Huo Shan had transformed Song Xu into an Evil God Cultist. That afternoon, the man had looked at him with earnest eyes and said:
"Master, we can't keep going like this! The times are changing. Zheng Shen is advancing. Kunxu’s oversight and competition will only grow fiercer.
To avoid being left behind, internal reform is unavoidable.
First and foremost, we must accelerate talent acquisition. We can no longer rely on luck—we must actively gather profiles, enter campuses, and aggressively scout for promising recruits, conducting face-to-face evaluations to speed up the entire hiring process.
I also recommend you personally participate in every stage of recruitment, attend key believers’ initial screenings…"
To grow the believer ranks meant investing immense time and energy—collecting data, conducting covert surveillance, then personally approaching and recruiting candidates.
This process was infinitely more exhausting than sitting in an office, casually sifting through hundreds of resumes, then calling a candidate over with a single phone call.
After all, Evil God Cultists demanded absolute secrecy. No careless hiring.
The eight believers currently under Huo Shan’s command had each required hundreds of hours of meticulous assessment and cultivation.
Just considering that, Huo Shan found himself quietly wishing he’d stayed a corporate boss instead.
Back then, a single job posting could draw hundreds of applications. Employees would show up, work diligently, and never once worried about leaks.
But expanding the believer base was already troublesome enough.
Now, managing them? That, in Huo Shan’s eyes, was even worse.
Again, Song Xu’s voice filled his mind.
“After three months of observation, here’s my analysis of our current team.”
“The main problem? Information silos.”
“Take the delivery cultists—they don’t submit work logs or bank statements. The wear on their running shoes doesn’t match their platform mileage. No financial oversight. They decide their own earnings.”
“Even worse, the construction-site believers are completely unmonitored. We have no idea how long they work, how much they earn, or how they spend it.”
“I propose starting next week: every believer must submit a 300-character structured daily report by 9 PM—focused on today’s achievements, tomorrow’s plans, and bank statements.”
“Additionally, every Sunday at 1 AM, we’ll hold a 30-minute meeting. No slides. Only discussion of bottlenecks and resource allocation.”
“And we need a direct escalation channel—any issue unresolved in 12 hours goes straight to me…”
Just hearing it made Huo Shan’s head ache.
But Song Xu’s efforts had undeniably paid off.
Thanks to him, Huo Shan had earned more money, moved from the basement to this dilapidated apartment, started online shopping, and even had extra funds to spend on gacha pulls in his favorite game.
So, with Song Xu pushing and Huo Shan responding, step by step, they’d reached where they were today.
But when it came to hunting the Evil God?
Huo Shan still wasn’t interested.
"Why must we always be fighting? Can’t we just eat, drink, and play games instead?"
Right now, he’d rather abandon the hunt and go back to playing his unfinished game.
But then, Li Quan shouted from across the room:
"Master! Ten Million!"
The moment those three words hit his ears, Huo Shan snapped awake.
He leapt to the screen, eyes fixed on the intelligence sent by Shadow Pest.
He scanned the report in seconds, absorbing the essentials.
"A rogue Evil God fleeing from Tiantai City."
"Tomorrow, his followers in Tiantai will bring over more than ten million in cash, hidden outside the city."
"Let me check the location…"
The sight of that sum made Huo Shan’s eyes light up.
He didn’t want to be involved in the grind—no, he wasn’t interested in earning money the hard way.
But as a Kunxu Evil God, pretending to be indifferent to money was utterly impossible.
And if there was a chance to grab over ten million in one go?
Then he wouldn’t just be interested—he’d be motivated.
He’d push his believers harder than ever.
"Pass the intel to Song Xu."
"Have him lead a team to the exchange site tomorrow. If the opportunity arises… take that Ten Million."
…
In the apartment, Zhang Yu emerged from two hours of cultivation in Ling Realm, returning to the real world.
But as he removed his Spiritual Interface Mask, his expression was slightly odd.
He remembered his training in the Illusory Realm.
There, he had become a security guard at an upscale club—exploited by his boss, fighting off thugs, relentlessly searching for evidence of the club’s crimes, battling through endless despair and combat!
And the club’s owner? That was Yu Xinghan.
The same man who exploited Zhang Yu—while also exploiting the club’s attractive staff.
In the Illusory Realm, the fighting never stopped.
After stepping out, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but ask in the Way of Inquiry Hall:
"Does this training actually work?"
Yu Xinghan smiled gently.
"Zhang Yu… you’re sterilized. You can’t possibly understand my current state."
Zhang Yu had introduced Yu Xinghan to Xiong Haohan—but hadn’t told him about his own condition.
And after two days of growth, Yu Xinghan felt his spirit and willpower had soared.
To him, Zhang Yu might be powerful—but spiritually, he was still just a child who’d never truly experienced life.
Unlike him, who had endured trials through puppets and the Illusory Realm—tested by fire, tempered by storm.
“Traversing a thousand flowers without a single petal clinging.”
“Only when passions become work can desire be severed, and the true self be reclaimed.”
“This is the truth I’ve realized—how to overcome lust.”
“Remember this, Zhang Yu. It will serve you well in the future.”
Just then, in the apartment, Bai Zhenzhen paused her workout and looked at the awakened Zhang Yu.
“How was it, Yu-zi? Did it work?”
Zhang Yu nodded.
“Let’s go talk outside.”
He led Bai Zhenzhen to their familiar spot—under the bridge, beside the small river.
Bai Zhenzhen immediately asked:
“So what’s the situation now?”
Fujie replied:
"The intel has been sent. I routed it through three Puppet Machines. We’ve traced my colleague’s location."
Bai Zhenzhen said eagerly:
"Then let’s move in now—catch them off guard!"
Fujie shook his head.
"Though we’ve located them, I didn’t risk probing. I didn’t want to alert them."
"So we still don’t know how many believers they have, or what strength they truly possess."
"But don’t worry. I’ve already fed them false intel. Tomorrow, their main force should be drawn away."
"Then we’ll follow the plan, gather real data…"
Zhang Yu hesitated.
"Could they detect us?"
Fujie chuckled.
"Your sister was right—on this world, information is power."
"Sometimes, information gaps matter more than raw strength."
"Like now—using Shadow Pest to reverse-track them. We’re in the dark, they’re in the light. With this advantage, we’re unbeatable."
…
The next evening.
A massive container truck rumbled toward the outskirts.
Inside, besides Song Xu, six other Peak Qi Refinement Evil God Cultists sat—each radiating the fierce aura of delivery drivers, construction workers, and couriers.
A lean, ghostly figure spoke:
"When we meet them, just ram the truck into them. See if we can kill one right away."
A broad-shouldered, sunburnt brute grunted:
"Even if it’s the countryside with no cameras, don’t forget the Shielding Ritual. We can’t let Zheng Shen’s dogs catch us."
Another added:
"Even if they’re Evil God Cultists, they won’t call the police—but we should still move fast. Don’t let them panic and fight back."
Meanwhile, Song Xu sat in the passenger seat, eyes closed, listening to the others chatter, silent.
His mind still replayed the intelligence from the day before.
"Ten Million?"
When he first heard the number, his heart had pounded. A wave of greed surged through him.
In Kunxu, money meant potential. Money meant future. Money was wings on the path to immortality—fuel for progress, a ladder to climb.
For a moment, Song Xu even considered: Should I ask Mo Tianyi to help?
But he resisted.
The Poor People’s Alliance wasn’t an Evil God Cult. It was his own network—his own people. The money they earned was his personal stash. He didn’t want to expose them to the Evil God.
And that Ten Million…
Even if they stole it, Huo Shan would take the lion’s share.
With that kind of wealth, the lazy bastard would only sink deeper into comfort.
Song Xu could already picture him stashing the money away, living off interest, then never lifting a finger again—just playing games and relaxing.
He knew Huo Shan well enough to know he’d do exactly that.
Then, the man would stop helping with the hunt altogether.
And besides… they still didn’t know where the Evil God was.
Touching this money would raise red flags.
It would make the target cautious.
The hunt would become impossible.
Yes, the moment he heard “Ten Million,” greed had flared.
But after thinking it through, Song Xu quickly reined it in.
Because stealing it wouldn’t mean he got it.
And it would ruin his long-term plan—his path to unlocking potential.
Just like how he once endured pain, waited for the right moment, and finally sold his grandfather’s grave.
Now wasn’t the time.
Compared to that Ten Million, he wanted the hunt more—wanted to unlock the true potential hidden within the Evil God.
He tapped his finger lightly against the palm-sized Civilian-Grade Flying Sword in his hand.
Just use the sword to scout the area first. If there’s no chance, then let it go.
(End of Chapter)
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