Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 730: Departing For White Cloud City With Qing Luan

Han Yu gently closed the book containing the Sooty Sky Mystic Art and placed it back into the box with the other manuals. His fingers lingered for a moment on the cover, as if committing its texture to memory.

"These are not small things," he said thoughtfully, looking up at Qing Luan. "Any one of these could sell for a fortune. Are you sure you do not want to put them on the market?"

Qing Luan shook her head without hesitation.

"I already made copies," she replied calmly. "The originals are safer with you. If you can use them, or pass them to someone trustworthy in the future, that will bring more value than selling them outright."

Han Yu chuckled softly. "You are thinking long term."

"I have to," she said. "That is what you taught me."

That answer made Han Yu pause for a moment. He felt a faint ripple of satisfaction, followed by a trace of responsibility. Qing Luan was no longer just a sheltered young miss trying to survive. She was becoming a leader in her own right.

"Where did you even find things like this?" Han Yu asked. "These are not books that casually appear in market stalls."

Qing Luan leaned back slightly and explained, "When we began dismantling the Birch Leaf Merchant Group, we uncovered more than just surface accounts. There were hidden warehouses, sealed vaults, and private stashes. One of the branch managers in another town had been embezzling funds for years."

Han Yu nodded slowly.

"He hid these techniques along with a portion of the stolen wealth," Qing Luan continued. "We do not know where he obtained them from. But given his position, he likely intended to sell them later when the timing was right, or use them as leverage if he was discovered."

"That makes sense," Han Yu said.

He understood this kind of thinking very well. Cultivators who walked on the edge always liked to keep something valuable hidden away. A technique, a pill recipe, or a rare material could easily become a lifeline.

Han Yu briefly recalculated their worth in his mind.

Even conservatively, these books were worth tens of thousands of high grade spirit stones. Possibly more, depending on who was buying. In pure value, they exceeded even the massive pile of spirit stones Qing Luan had just handed him.

He looked at her again, a bit more seriously now.

"You did well," he said. "Both in finding these and in deciding what to do with them."

Qing Luan lowered her gaze slightly, but the corners of her lips lifted in a restrained smile.

After a moment, Han Yu shifted topics.

"When are you departing?" he asked. "If I am to accompany you, it would be best to leave as early as possible."

"We planned to leave by evening," Qing Luan replied. "But if you wish, I can accelerate things."

"That would be ideal," Han Yu said. "I would rather not linger too long."

Qing Luan nodded and immediately stood up. She stepped outside the hall and began issuing orders with calm authority. Han Yu followed her out briefly and watched as the estate burst into controlled activity.

Servants began moving faster. Guards adjusted their formations. Crates were sealed, talismans affixed, and beasts harnessed. What would normally take several hours was compressed into a frantic but efficient process.

Han Yu could not help but feel impressed.

In just an hour, everything was ready.

Twenty carriages stood in a neat line outside the Fen Clan estate, each reinforced with iron frames and protective formations. Escort guards mounted their beasts, while formation masters double checked the defensive arrays.

Han Yu and Qing Luan entered one of the central carriages. The interior was spacious and well insulated against the cold, with spirit lamps embedded in the walls.

A few minutes later, the caravan began to move.

As White Peacock Town slowly receded into the distance, Han Yu leaned back and let out a quiet breath. Only now did he realize how tense he had been until this moment.

Qing Luan poured him a cup of warm spirit tea and handed it over.

Han Yu accepted it gratefully and took a sip.

"Much better than melted snow and river water," he muttered.

Qing Luan smiled.

After a short silence, Han Yu spoke again.

"So," he said casually, "what else has been happening while I was gone? Particularly with the Qing Clan."

He had fully expected trouble. Given how thoroughly their business had collapsed and how decisively it had been taken over, retaliation should have been inevitable.

Instead, Qing Luan shook her head.

"They have been… busy," she said.

Han Yu raised an eyebrow. "Busy?"

"Very busy," she confirmed. "And not just them. The Wen Clan and the Zhao Clan as well. All your enemies."

That caught his attention.

"All three?" Han Yu asked. "What could possibly keep all of them occupied at the same time?"

Qing Luan glanced toward the carriage window, then back at him.

"They discovered a Violet Spirit Quartz mine."

Han Yu straightened slightly.

"Violet Spirit Quartz," he repeated.

He knew exactly what that meant.

It was a highly valuable material, sought after by formation masters and puppet refiners alike. Its unique property of stabilizing both positive and negative energies made it indispensable in complex formations. High grade puppets often used it as a core stabilizer.

The Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect bought every piece they could get their hands on.

The problem, however, was that Violet Spirit Quartz was extremely rare. Deposits were usually small, scattered, and notoriously difficult to mine. Worse still, the crystals were incredibly fragile. If extracted improperly, they shattered and lost their function entirely.

In terms of physical durability, they were even weaker than glass.

"Who found it first?" Han Yu asked.

"The Qing Clan," Qing Luan replied. "They were the first to discover the deposit and began prospecting it quietly."

Han Yu nodded. That fit.

"But during their assessment," she continued, "word somehow leaked. The Wen Clan and Zhao Clan learned about it and immediately intervened."