Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

The Alliance Council Hall is located in a newly built side hall to the east of the Flowing Cloud Hall.

The palace was not particularly grand, but it was solemn and dignified, with bluestone paving the floor and the newly established alliance emblem engraved on the beams and pillars, surrounded by the Blue Sky with a White Sun flag amidst flowing clouds.

At this moment, the atmosphere inside the hall was somewhat lively, or rather, noisy.

"Elder Han! Please be the judge!" Mu Chen, the head of the Green Wood Sect, an elderly man with a sorrowful face and wearing a faded gray-blue Daoist robe, was excitedly waving a scroll of animal hide drawings. His voice was filled with grievance and indignation, "The spirit mine in Blackwater Marsh was first discovered by my disciple, Wang Qiaofu!"

"According to the alliance rules, 'the discoverer of unclaimed resources has priority in mining!' That's written in black and white; there's no way they can be lying about it, right?"

Opposite him stood Zhao Laosan, the leader of the Golden Knife Sect, a burly man with a face full of scars and a loud voice, dressed in an earth-yellow outfit and carrying a thick-backed cleaver at his waist.

Upon hearing this, he glared and slammed his large, fan-like hand on the coffee table beside him, making the teacups jump around.

"Bullshit... cough! Old man Mu! Stop nitpicking! Where's the mine? On the south bank of Blackwater Marsh!"

"Three miles west of the south bank lies the ancestral hunting grounds of my Golden Knife Sect! It's clearly marked on the map! You've crossed the line! According to the old rules, this mine should belong to us!"

"Zhao Laosan! Are you even being reasonable! The boundaries of that hunting area are vague, and there's still no conclusion after decades! Besides, where were your Golden Knife Sect members when the mineral vein was discovered? If it weren't for my disciples' quick thinking, this mine would have been swallowed up by the poisonous miasma in the swamp long ago!" Mu Chen was so angry that his beard stood on end.

"Hey! My men were chasing a wild boar with tusks! If we hadn't been delayed, would you have gotten a free ride?"

"That's just sophistry!"

"You're being unreasonable!"

The two sect leaders argued heatedly, their faces red, while the disciples behind them glared at each other, looking ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

The Qingyun Sect disciples responsible for recording and maintaining order in the council hall looked at each other, somewhat helpless.

This is the first serious dispute submitted to the council since the alliance was established, and how well it is handled will affect the alliance's authority.

Han Lin, seated in the main seat, wore a purple robe symbolizing an arbitration elder, his brows furrowed in worry. He stroked his snow-white beard, looking at the map spread out on the table.

The boundary between the so-called "traditional hunting grounds" of the Green Wood Sect and the Golden Knife Sect was indeed a blurry, shadowy area, with each side having its own version of events.

The alliance rules only outlined the principles; the specific details were still incomplete, making this case particularly difficult to adjudicate. To make matters worse, the sect leader had just gone into seclusion, dumping this hot potato directly on him.

"Sect Leaders, please calm down, please calm down." Han Lin cleared his throat, trying to soothe the situation. "The alliance is newly established, and the rules are still being refined. This matter concerns resource allocation and must be handled with care. In my opinion, perhaps we should each take a step back..."

"We can't back down!" Zhao Laosan retorted, "Elder Han, this isn't about backing down! It's a matter of principle! If we back down today, will anyone be able to mine on my Golden Knife Sect's territory tomorrow?"

Mu Chen also said anxiously, "Elder Han, the alliance rules clearly state that we have priority in mining rights! If we back down, who will be willing to explore resources for the alliance in the future?"

Han Lin was in a real bind, cursing inwardly: This junior brother of the alliance leader knows how to avoid trouble, leaving this old man to suffer in the middle!

Just then, a calm voice came from outside the hall: "What is the matter that you are arguing about?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it possessed a strange penetrating power, instantly suppressing all the noise. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Shen Mo, dressed in a blue robe, slowly walking into the hall.

His expression remained normal, and his aura was restrained, as if he were just passing by.

"Sect Leader!"

"Alliance Leader!"

Everyone in the hall quickly rose and bowed. Even Mu Chen and Zhao Laosan, who had been arguing, instinctively shut their mouths and respectfully bowed. Han Lin felt as if he had been granted a pardon.

He quickly stood up and gave up the main seat: "Sect Leader, you've emerged from seclusion? Perfect, this matter still needs your decision."

Shen Mo nodded slightly, walked to the head seat and sat down, his gaze sweeping over the map on the table and the two sides arguing: "The division of profits from the Blackwater Marsh spirit mine?"

"Exactly." Han Lin quickly gave a brief report on the situation, and added at the end, "Although the alliance rules have principles, the specific details are not yet determined. This matter involves borders and historical evolution, and is quite complicated."

Mu Chen and Zhao Laosan stared anxiously at Shen Mo. This young alliance leader now held immense power, and his attitude would determine the vital interests of their two factions.

Shen Mo did not immediately express his opinion. Instead, he picked up the rolled-up map, looked at it carefully, and asked about several details, such as the location of the mineral veins, the preliminary assessment of reserves, the manpower invested by both parties, and the subsequent mining plan.

He asked very detailed questions in a calm tone, making it difficult to discern his thoughts.

After asking the questions, Shen Mo put down the map, looked at the two of them, and slowly said, "Sect Leader Mu claims the right of discovery, while Sect Leader Zhao claims the right of territory. Both have their basis, and both are inappropriate."

Both of them felt a sudden tightness in their chests.

Shen Mo continued, "The foundation of the alliance lies in the words 'fairness' and 'development.' If we get bogged down in old grievances and blur the boundaries, we will argue for a hundred years without any results, wasting our energy and doing nothing to benefit the development of the alliance."

He lightly tapped the blurry boundary area on the map with his finger: "This place, previously unclaimed, was considered unclaimed territory. The discovery of the spirit mine is a blessing for the alliance and an opportunity for both of your factions. To dwell on who comes first and who benefits is a narrow-minded approach."

Mu Chen and Zhao Laosan looked at each other, somewhat unconvinced, yet dared not refute.

Shen Mo changed the subject: "However, rules cannot be disregarded. Discoveries should be rewarded, and regional contributions must also be considered. Therefore, I hereby rule as follows—"

The hall fell silent instantly; you could hear a pin drop.

"This mine is jointly operated by the Green Wood Sect and the Golden Knife Sect, and the 'Blackwater Marsh Mining Bureau' has been established, which is directly under the supervision of the Alliance Resource Hall."

"Qingmu Gate holds the discovery rights and accounts for 40% of the mining revenue."

"The Golden Knife Faction provides geographical advantages and initial security, accounting for 30% of the revenue."

"The remaining 30% will be handed over to the alliance and included in the public resource pool for alliance development and to reward subsequent resource discoverers."

When this plan was announced, both Mu Chen and Zhao Laosan were stunned. It wasn't a 50/50 split, nor was it completely biased towards one side.

Shen Mo looked at them and explained, "The Green Wood Sect receives an extra share as a reward for their discovery and to encourage others to follow. The Golden Knife Sect receives less, but because it is adjacent to the mine, it can prioritize hiring disciples to participate in mining and transportation, thus obtaining stable income and being responsible for mine safety, which also brings long-term benefits."

"The alliance will take 30% for road construction, defense, maintaining order, and..."

He paused, then added, "The exploration and development of other resource sites that may be discovered in the Blackwater Marsh in the future will be subject to a 'floating revenue sharing' arrangement, not a fixed one."

"If the Golden Knife Sect makes greater contributions to security and the Green Wood Gate in mining technology in the future, the proportions can be adjusted."

He glanced at the two men: "What do you two sect leaders think? Are you willing to get bogged down in short-term gains and waste your time, or are you willing to join hands to expand this mine and share the long-term benefits?"

"Perhaps, we could even take this opportunity to truly develop this unclaimed land of Blackwater Marsh, benefiting the disciples of both factions?"

Mu Chen and Zhao Laosan fell into deep thought.

Shen Mo's plan, while seemingly leaving neither side with the biggest share, effectively blocked the path to further arguments and provided both sides with tangible benefits and hope for the future.

More importantly, bringing development rights under the alliance's supervision avoids cutthroat competition. Upon closer examination, this is indeed the fairest and most beneficial approach for development at present.