The poorest member of the Imperial Guard, the Empress begged me to embezzle.

"Brother Ye really knows how to set me up..."

Chu Xiu shook his head and smiled bitterly.

The reason he accepted the white jade from Ye Wujiang was simply because he valued its ability to grant unimpeded passage.

Unexpectedly, this white jade served a purpose beyond that, becoming a symbol of the next generation's successor to the Demon Flame Sect.

“I’m going to talk to your sect leader and make things clear. I’m used to being free and I can’t take on this position of Young Sect Master.”

After saying this, Chu Xiu got up to leave.

As if she had known all along that Chu Xiu would deny it, Cui Ming, the manager of the Jade Pavilion, stretched out her hand and set up a barrier that isolated sound and image, which perfectly enveloped her and Chu Xiu. Then she knelt down on one knee, took out a sound transmission jade slip from her bosom, and crushed it on the spot.

The next second, Ye Wujiang's voice rang out out of nowhere.

"Brother Chu~"

"If you hear this message from me, it means you already know what the white jade I gave you symbolizes."

"And you have politely declined the position of young sect leader of my Demon Flame Sect..."

"Ah, Brother Chu, there's no need for that."

"Becoming the young sect master of my Demon Flame Sect doesn't mean you'll have to shoulder any great responsibility. After all, your brother Ye is still alive and well, isn't he?"

"Just admit it. My status as the young sect master of the Demon Flame Sect will never tarnish Brother Chu's character."

Ye Wujiang's words faded away, leaving Chu Xiu only to sigh helplessly and smile.

"Fine, since it's already become common knowledge, there's no point in denying it no matter what."

Chu Xiu looked at Cui Ming, the manager of Jade Pavilion, who was still kneeling on one knee in front of him, and helped her up: "Manager, there's no need for such formalities."

"I will follow Brother Ye's advice and temporarily assume the position of Young Sect Master of the Demon Flame Sect."

Cui Ming's face lit up with joy, and she gave a graceful bow: "This subordinate greets the Young Sect Master!"

Seeing Cui Ming bow down again, Chu Xiu had no choice but to let her do as she pleased. He sat back down, poured himself a cup of wine in frustration, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Young Sect Master, the Sect Master has another matter to instruct me to convey to you."

"what's up?"

"The sect leader would like to invite the young sect leader to preside over tomorrow's trade fair."

"what?"

Chu Xiu was taken aback. This... how could he know how?

Who hosted the previous Heavenly-level Trading Conferences?

Cui Ming lowered her eyes and said, "All of this is overseen by the Ten Elders."

The "Ten Elders" that Cui Ming mentioned were the ten Supreme Elders of the Great Perfection of the Reincarnation Realm, who were ranked below the Sect Master of the Demon Flame Sect.

Mo Lie was one of the Ten Elders.

Chu Xiu frowned and said, "In previous years, the ten Grand Elders presided over the ceremony. Why am I being asked to preside over it this year?"

Cui Ming smiled slightly: "The sect leader's intention is to use this unprecedentedly grand trading event, made possible by the Qiankun Dao Fruit, to widely publicize the young sect leader's identity..."

Chu Xiu suddenly realized that Ye Wujiang wanted to bind him closely to the Demon Flame Sect...

"You... have no objections to me, a member of a different race, becoming the young sect leader of the Demon Flame Sect?"

"I wouldn't dare, and I wouldn't object," Cui Ming said respectfully. "The Demon Flame Sect is the sect leader's Demon Flame Sect. All the elders and disciples are merely subordinate to the sect leader, which is why they are able to survive and cultivate in peace in this cannibalistic demon realm."

Chu Xiu understood what Cui Ming meant.

Behind the Demon Flame Gate is actually the Yaksha Clan, one of the eight tribes of the Heavenly Demons, which was destroyed ten thousand years ago.

The core members, including the Ten Elders and the Jade Pavilion manager in front of us, should all be members of the Yaksha clan, and thus have access to the secrets of the Demon Flame Sect.

Ye Wujiang is the patriarch of the Yaksha clan.

The Yaksha clan survived entirely thanks to his efforts.

"I am currently only at the late stage of the Reincarnation Realm, far inferior to the cultivation of the ten Supreme Elders,"

"If I were to preside over the event, would it disrupt the order during the trade fair?" Chu Xiu asked.

Cui Ming shook her head: "This trade fair is no small matter. All the Supreme Elders will come out of seclusion to secretly assist the Young Sect Master and maintain order during the fair. The Young Sect Master can rest assured about this."

She smiled and said, "Since our Demon Flame Sect was established in the Demon Realm, apart from the first Heavenly-level Trade Fair where someone dared to cause trouble and was killed on the spot by the sect leader, no one has dared to act recklessly, not even the experts of the Qiankun Realm!"

Chu Xiu raised an eyebrow. Even a Qiankun Realm expert wouldn't dare to cause trouble?

It seems that the Demon Flame Sect's true strength is far greater than what I've seen so far.

“In that case, I, Chu Xiu, will accept this task.”

Cui Ming was delighted and bowed again: "Then Cui Ming once again wishes the Young Sect Master a complete success in presiding over the conference!"

Inside the Jade Pavilion, a group of customers watched with curiosity as a magical barrier rose from the corner by the window.

"Hey, who is that young man? How come he can make the manager of the prestigious Jade Pavilion kneel before him!"

"She is a late-stage Reincarnation Realm expert, and her position in the Demon Flame Sect is extremely important!"

"Tsk...this young man's appearance looks somewhat familiar..."

"Oh, right! I saw him a month ago in front of the gate of a city of the Demon Flame Sect! At that time, he injured three guards, and even when the law enforcement elder of the Demon Flame Sect blocked his way, his maid dislocated one of his arms!"

"Wow... that's intense?"

Just then, the barrier dissipated.

Cui Ming beckoned a maid to bring over a large jar of Jadeite Tears, a famous wine from Jadeite Pavilion, and placed it beside Chu Xiu's seat, then personally poured the wine for him.

"Isn't this Jade Tears limited to one pot per person for life? Even the master of the top sect in the neighboring state, the Azure Blood Pavilion, came to buy it, and no exception was made... The shopkeeper actually gave that kid a whole jar!"

"One jar! A single pot of Jade Tears can enhance one's spiritual cultivation by a thousand years, this entire jar... it might even increase it by ten thousand years!"

Chu Xiu heard the gossip around him and couldn't help but smile helplessly.

This wine is delicious and has such powerful effects that it naturally attracts many people.

But once you've drunk the first pot of this wine, it loses all its effects and becomes nothing more than a pot of fine wine.

However, this delicious food alone is enough to make people linger.

As Cui Ming poured the wine, she laughed and said, "The owner of the Azure Blood Pavilion is a top expert in the late stage of the Qiankun Realm. If he wants to force a sale, how can Cui Ming, who is only in the late stage of the Reincarnation Realm, refuse?"

"It was the deputy master of the Jade Blood Pavilion. His wife left a special instruction because the master suffers from a hidden illness, and there is a substance in the Jade Tears recipe that is highly poisonous to him. She told me that I could only sell him a pot of Jade Tears to satisfy his craving no matter what."

"That poster is quite a character. He's fearless except for his wife. Upon hearing his wife's message, he didn't say a word and just turned around and left."

Chu Xiu smiled knowingly upon hearing this.

What is a delicacy to ordinary people is a deadly poison to the Lord of the Jade Blood Pavilion, who should not drink too much of it. Life is unpredictable.

"Don't drink anymore."

Chu Xiu declined Cui Ming's offer of wine and stood up, saying, "I'd like to go to the trade fair venue and distribute the remaining wine equally among the customers present."

"Yes." Cui Ming gave a graceful bow, and in return, she was greeted by the maid who had previously informed her that the young sect leader had appeared at the restaurant. She was then instructed to take Chu Xiu to the venue of the trade fair.

"By the way, what kind of credentials are needed to enter the venue?" Chu Xiu asked.

Cui Ming covered her mouth and smiled: "Your face is proof."

Chu Xiu raised an eyebrow and smiled, then followed the maid out of the restaurant with his hands behind his back.

After seeing Chu Xiu to the door, Cui Ming turned around and instructed the maids to divide the jar of Jade Tears that Chu Xiu had not finished into dozens of wine pots and serve them to each table of customers.

"Esteemed customers, today our young sect leader of the Demon Flame Sect is treating everyone to a pot of Jade Tears, which will not be counted towards the purchase limit for each customer!"

"Please, everyone, enjoy yourselves!"

Before Cui Ming could finish speaking, cheers erupted throughout the entire Jade Pavilion.

"That young man is actually the young sect master of the Demon Flame Sect!"

"Haha, my luck is even better than the owner of the Jade Blood Pavilion! I get to drink an extra pot of Jade Tears!"

"Thank you very much, Young Master of your sect!"