He felt the two Patriarchs attention shift to him, their expression one of interest as they awaited his decision. They would not yet recognize the significance of his subsequent words, but Yao Shen intended for that moment, that decision, to be a pivotal one— a defining mandate that would set the tone for the rest of his time as Grand Patriarch.

“A day ago, the Flame Division was presented with a choice,” Yao Shen’s voice was soft and tranquil, his hands clasped behind his back as he simply took in the grandeur of the Solaris Keep. “A choice between honor and deceit. A decision that could very well decide the fate of the Flame Division for the coming decades, if not centuries.”

Patriarch Lei Weiyuan remained calm, seemingly unmoved by Yao Shen’s words; however Yao Shen noticed a brief disturbance in the Earth Patriarch’s usually unreadable emotions.

“Our honor was once what united us as members of the Righteous Path. Not as a sword that hangs above our heads and neither as a constant need, rather, a constant desire to maintain and uphold the reputation of ourselves and the families we represent. We are far weaker than our ancestors in martial strength… and it is easy to blame lost inheritances and forgotten knowledge for our ineptitude,” Yao Shen had an almost melancholic smile on his face as memories of his past…. his missteps, flashed through his his mind.

“But we often choose to forget, that it was not all that separated us from our ancestors. When the radiance of the sun was obscured by dark clouds, the greenery of the grass concealed in an eerie, thick blanket of fog and it felt like all was lost…. It was honor that gave strength to their blade, cutting down the demons concealed in the mists. For the knowledge that the path they walked down was the correct one, the righteous one, was enough to blow back the clouds of despair, to allow the warmth of the sun to once again bless Ionea’s land….”

“....The Flame Division has honored me, Yao Shen, by it’s display of sincerity. It has honored the spirit of the Modern Sect, by choosing to believe that the Azlak Plains are capable of progress,” Yao Shen did not actually believe that Lei Weiyuan was even close to fully convinced, if he was at all, but that did not change fact. The Flame Patriarch had ample opportunity to skim, or outright conceal a significant portion of the treasury’s wealth and Meili Zhu would have been none the wiser. His display of strength, undoubtedly, was the greatest factor in Lei Weiyuan’s compliance, but a small part of him wanted to believe that deep down, somewhere, the Flame Patriarch wished to see his perhaps naive, definitely over-ambitious vision for the Modern Sect blossom into reality.

“I refuse to meet honor with avarice. Confronted with such wealth…” Yao Shen gestured at the sprawling keep before him, “....even the most virtuous of souls would be swayed by temptation. Thus, I have devised a solution.”

Meili Zhu’s expression turned somewhat pensive upon hearing Yao Shen’s words, but the other two Patriarchs listened closely, wondering if his grandiose speech had any substance behind it.

“The wealth of the three divisions belongs to the Modern Sect. However, the Modern Sect itself exists to serve the interests of its divisions, which includes, as some of us often forget, even the weakest among the outer disciples. Therefore, it is only natural that each sect’s treasury should be managed and supervised by representatives from all three major divisions,” Yao Shen concluded his explanation, a small smile forming on his face.

Meili Zhu’s eyes glinted with clear surprise, which shifted to confusion for a few seconds before settling on clarity.

“Each division?” Lei Weiyuan asked, putting clear emphasis on the word ‘each’ as if he could not believe it.

“Namely, the Sky, Earth and Flame Division of the Modern Sect, our three major divisions,” Yao Shen retorted, the smile not leaving his face. “From henceforth, a clear record will be kept pertaining to each treasuries’ assets and Elders will not simply be allowed to withdraw wealth or resources without notifying a representative from each sect first. If any Elder is found to be siphoning resources for their personal gain, then they will be required to compensate the Modern Sect with two times the value of the stolen resources. After the treasury’s losses are recompensed, the remaining wealth shall be awarded to the Division that reported the transgression,” Yao Shen’s words were spoken with an air of finality and for a moment the two Patriarchs fell into silence, slowly digesting the information.

His ploy was an open one, borrowing from Earth’s jurisprudence. Instead of creating different institutions of governance, he would simply use human nature to create internal checks and balances. The three divisions did not consider themselves to be a cohesive whole, and it was in their best interests to ensure that no one division progressed too far ahead of the other two.

The three divisions would now be inclined to monitor each other’s treasuries with the vigilance of a bird of prey, waiting, watching, until their rival made a mistake. Not only would this cause a grievous loss of face to the Elder that was outed as a disgraceful pilferer, but it would also place them in Yao Shen’s good graces. The additional resources was just a bonus, for the loss of face alone was far graver a consequence— a gap that could not be bridged by wealth or martial strength.

Yao Shen, powerful as he maybe, was just one man. He could fight off demonic cultivators and spiritual beasts, but corruption, ironically, could not be stymied through his efforts alone.

The only real question was if the Elders love for wealth and resources trumped their desire to see the other division suffer a significant loss.

“Will a division’s treasury only be utilized for the benefit of that specific treasury?” Patriarch Kang Long finally spoke, his words measured and cautious. Yao Shen had been known for many things, but a seasoned politician had not been one of them— thus, it was quite surprising to see him fashion such a ruthless trap, one that they could not help but willingly walk into.

“For the most part, yes,” Yao Shen replied calmly. “There will be certain joint projects that will require contribution from all three divisions, but be assured that the benefits will also be shared equitably. And of course, the Divisions will be allowed, and even encouraged, to freely exchange resources between them. We must not forget that we are now one family, and the needs of our fellow family members must be considered in good faith.”

“I see,” Patriarch Kang Long replied, the tension in his voice fading. That was as fair an answer as he could have hoped for, and atleast it did not seem that it was Yao Shen’s intention to plunder their resources. “Thank you, Grand Patriarch,” he added, in a far lower tone, so much so that if Yao Shen were not a cultivator he wouldn’t have been able to hear it.

Meili Zhu’s expression had paled slightly, but she did not interfere in a conversation between the three Patriarchs. She could, but it would only expose her uneasiness at the decision. For if one did not covet what did not belong to them, they had nothing to fear from Yao Shen’s decision.

Not long after, Meili Zhu and Patriarch Kang Long excused themselves— likely to inform their respective sects of Yao Shen’s decision, and perhaps, for their Elder’s to stop engaging in any such activities.

The Guardians continued their task relentlessly, though Yao Shen suspected that it would yet take them a few weeks before they were done compiling and verifying all the relevant information.

Yao Shen finally took the opportunity to ask the question that had been simmering in the back of his mind for quite some time now.

He knew that Lei Weiyuan would not be naive enough to expose all his Gatekeepers in a place where Yao Shen could kill them nigh instantaneously. There had to be atleast one hiding somewhere, ready to send the command to incinerate the Solaris Keep at a moment’s notice.

His divine sense could not detect any hidden rooms or passageways, barring a passageway that led deeper into Eliria’s depths. The conclusion was obvious; there were most definitely more layers to the Solaris Keep, though he doubted any would be as expansive or as affluent as this one.

Naturally, his curiosity led him to push his divine sense deeper down the passageway, only to be met with genuine surprise. Had Yao Shen been even a second late in recalling his divine sense, the portion he extended would have been shattered in half.

The Divine Sense of a Soul Emperor, shattered.

“You may choose not to answer, if you wish, but what lies beneath this layer?” he asked, already having a vague idea of the answer. For anything else would not make much sense.

Patriarch Lei Weiyuan seemed to have expected that question, transmitting his reply directly with his own divine sense.

“Interesting. Would you be willing to lead the way?”

Patriarch Lei Weiyuan took a few seconds to think about it, and then simply shrugged.

"Why not."