Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 749: Qing Luan’s Message And Connecting The Dots

Han Yu's eyes sharpened as he poured a thread of spirit Qi into the slip.

Her voice emerged in his mind, calm but carrying a trace of restrained satisfaction.

"Senior the matters at White Cloud City are settled."

Han Yu leaned back slightly, one hand resting against the cool stone wall.

Qing Luan continued.

"The negotiations were… troublesome. Several factions attempted to interfere once they realized we were setting up a permanent branch. But nothing we couldn't handle. The Fen Clan now has a fully established trade branch in White Cloud City."

Han Yu exhaled slowly, a subtle tension easing from his shoulders.

White Cloud City.

That name alone carried weight. It was one of the largest trade hubs anywhere near the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect. Establishing a branch there was not just profitable, it was strategic.

Qing Luan's voice resumed, steady and precise.

"I delayed contacting you because I did not want to send incomplete information. Everything is now finalized. The branch is operational, staffed, and protected."

She paused briefly, then added, "I have assigned trusted people only. All were personally vetted by me."

A series of names followed, transmitted directly into Han Yu's mind along with their spiritual imprints.

Han Yu committed them to memory instantly.

"These people carry a copy of my jade slip imprint," Qing Luan said. "You can contact them directly if needed. You do not need to come to White Cloud City unless you wish to."

That alone made the entire effort worthwhile.

Han Yu's thoughts moved quickly. With a branch in White Cloud City, he now had eyes and hands close to the sect's external supply routes. Information, materials, and even people could be moved far more easily.

Qing Luan was not done.

"There is more," she said. "About the Zhao, Qing, and Wen clans."

Han Yu's fingers tightened slightly around the jade slip.

"As expected, the mining rights for the Violet Spirit Quartz have been resolved."

He had anticipated this, but hearing it confirmed still made his blood stir.

"They are splitting it evenly," Qing Luan continued. "An equal share between the three clans."

Han Yu let out a quiet, humorless chuckle.

Equal shares did not happen naturally.

"Forcing that outcome required leverage," Qing Luan said. "I cannot confirm everything, but based on the rumors and the movements of certain documents, I am almost certain they used land agreements made several years ago."

Han Yu's eyes darkened.

Ju Clan lands.

The pieces clicked together cleanly.

Those lands had never truly belonged to the Zhao, Qing, or Wen clans. They had only controlled them through manipulation, intimidation, and carefully buried contracts. Now, that same leverage was being used to blackmail equal mining rights.

They were bleeding the Ju Clan one last time.

Han Yu felt irritation coil tightly in his chest, sharp and focused. That wealth should have been his. Or at least Ju Fan's. But anger now would achieve nothing.

He forced himself to continue listening.

"The sect has asserted priority purchase rights," Qing Luan said. "As expected, all Violet Spirit Quartz extracted will first go to the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect."

Han Yu nodded faintly.

There had never been any doubt about that.

"The clans are allowed to keep a small portion," she added. "Nine percent total. Three percent each."

Han Yu actually smiled this time.

A thin, cold smile.

That percentage was an insult disguised as a concession.

But then Qing Luan's tone shifted slightly.

"Thought there is a complication they did not anticipate."

Han Yu straightened.

"They lack labor."

That caught his full attention.

Qing Luan explained carefully.

"When they opened the first vein, they realized the deposits were far more fragmented than expected. Small clusters of Violet Spirit Quartz embedded in Blood Vein Sandstone."

Han Yu's mind immediately supplied the problem.

Impact propagation.

Blood Vein Sandstone was notoriously inconsistent.

"Some sections are brittle," Qing Luan continued. "Others are unexpectedly dense. Improper force transmits shock waves through the stone and fractures the Violet Spirit Quartz. Too little force, and mining speed becomes unacceptably slow."

Han Yu closed his eyes briefly.

"So they need precision."

"Yes," Qing Luan confirmed. "Spirit sense-guided excavation. Cultivators who can feel the mineral structure rather than rely on brute force."

The kind of work ordinary miners could not do.

"Their cultivators are insufficient," Qing Luan said. "Even combined, the three clans can only cover about a third of the required labor. Their people are already tied up in other operations and businesses."

Han Yu's heart sank slowly as the conclusion formed.

"So they went to the sect," Qing Luan said quietly. "For assistance."

Han Yu opened his eyes.

He did not need her to finish.

He already knew.

"Slaves," he muttered aloud.

Qing Luan did not contradict him.

"Yes," she said. "That is the only labor force large enough, expendable enough, and controllable enough for this kind of operation."

The jade slip fell silent.

Han Yu stood there, the weight of the realization settling heavily over him.

The missing slaves.

The sudden reduction in catalog numbers.

The supervisors being sent away.

It all aligned.

The sect was diverting enslaved cultivators to the Violet Spirit Quartz mines.

And not just any slaves.

They needed people with spirit sense.

Cultivators.

Orthodox or not, crippled or intact, it did not matter. As long as they could sense Qi and follow commands, they were useful.

Han Yu's jaw tightened.

Mining Violet Spirit Quartz was not safe.

Even with care, accidents happened. Shock fractures. Cave-ins. Energy feedback. Slaves would be pushed until they broke, then replaced.

He slowly exhaled, forcing his emotions back into order.

This was not something he could act on immediately.

Not without exposing himself.

But now he understood.

The sect's sudden hunger for slaves was not random.

It was calculated.

And somewhere deep in those mines, people he cared about might already be working themselves toward exhaustion or death.

Han Yu clenched his fist.

The game had just revealed another layer.

And this time, the stakes were far higher than merit points or market control.

This time, lives were being spent.