Chapter 1052: Risk Assessment

"Buy insurance?" Fang Jin held up the letter, tilting his head as he scrutinized it, trying to discern if there was anything else hidden within.

He found nothing.

"What does Senior Brother Dai mean? Is it some kind of code? That can't be right; this isn't a secret operation that would require codes."

Fang Jin suppressed the urge to soak the letter in water or roast it over fire. It was just an ordinary letter; Senior Brother Dai likely wasn't using any secret codes.

"So, he really wants me to buy insurance for the sect?"

Fang Jin remained utterly confused. He had only asked about Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou's situation, and Dai Bufan's reply was simply "buy insurance."

With such a large piece of paper, couldn't he have written a bit more? Were words that expensive for him to write?

Though he didn't understand the meaning, out of trust for Dai Bufan, Fang Jin dutifully sought out the Jingzhou branch of the Landfall Money Merchant Association.

The Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect was a sect affiliated with the imperial court. Fang Jin's position was equivalent to a third-rank official, representing the sect's interests externally. Coupled with his early-stage Integration Realm cultivation, his arrival at the Jingzhou branch prompted the branch head to personally receive him.

"Brother Fang, do you mean to purchase insurance for your esteemed sect?" The branch head was surprised after understanding Fang Jin's intent.

He had never heard of any accidents befalling the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect. Why would they suddenly need to buy insurance?

"Brother Fang, what level of compensation do you want for your sect's insurance? We have five grades: A, B, C, D, and E. Typically, buying C-grade is sufficient; it compensates 60%. If you're determined, B-grade offers 80% compensation. Very few people buy A-grade..."

"I'll buy A-grade, for one year initially. How many spirit stones will that cost?"

Fang Jin's decisiveness made the branch head even more hesitant. He chuckled apologetically, "Brother Fang, as you know, prices are tied to risk. We need to assess the risk level of your esteemed sect for the past year before we can determine the price."

"Don't worry, brother, the results will be ready in two days."

"Alright."

After Fang Jin left, the branch head dispatched seven of the most professional assessment cultivators to the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect. These seven were veterans of the Jingzhou branch, highly experienced; had they not felt a strong attachment to the branch, they would have long since moved to headquarters.

Dispatching these seven cultivators demonstrated the branch head's high regard for the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect.

Two days later, the risk assessment results were released.

The branch head held a report an inch thick, flipping directly to the conclusion on the last page:

"...The Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect was established twenty thousand years ago when a certain grandmaster of the Dao-Seeking Sect, serving as the Governor of Qingzhou, moved a prosperous neighboring city into Qingzhou territory under the pretense of a battle. It was then that the imperial court established regulations for topographical restoration and founded the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect..."

"...For twenty thousand years, the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect has faced no external invasions nor internal power struggles..."

"...The most significant recent change for the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect is that Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou from the Dao-Seeking Sect are temporarily residing there."

"Stories about Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou abound in the martial world, with hundreds of related folk tales. However, investigation results indicate that most of these stories were fabricated by the Dao-Seeking Sect's leader, Daoist Buyu, for promotional purposes. The real Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou did not experience these events."

"Although Lu Yang participated in the Sword Discourse Ceremony at the Shu Province Sword Pavilion, during which the pavilion was attacked by the Immortal Yingtian, causing its complete destruction — for which the Shu Province branch paid compensation, becoming a classic case of insurance failure for the association in recent centuries — Lu Yang's presence had no connection to the attack on the Sword Pavilion; it was purely coincidental."

"Therefore, the presence of Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou will not increase the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect's risk."

"The conclusion is... extremely low risk?"

The branch head frowned. This shouldn't be right; if there was no risk, why would Fang Jin buy insurance?

However, risk assessment reports couldn't be faked. Since the seven veterans unanimously agreed the risk was extremely low, then there was indeed no risk.

Fang Jin successfully purchased the A-grade sect insurance at the lowest possible price.

In the following days, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were constantly on the move. Each time they returned to the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect, they immediately received new assignments and set off in a hurry. They had no idea that risk assessment cultivators had visited the sect, nor that Senior Brother Fang Jin had taken the advice and bought insurance.

At first, the two brothers were having a great time, but gradually, the relentless work began to exhaust them both physically and mentally.

"This Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect is really busy."

"The imperial court is so stingy; they don't even send more people here."

Lu Yang shook his head, disappointed with Chancellor Xia Di's management methods in the Great Bean Dynasty. It was fortunate they had come to volunteer; otherwise, he couldn't imagine how overwhelmed the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect would be.

"Never mind, look on the bright side. Maybe Great Xia is also short-staffed, just like our Great Bean Dynasty," Lu Yang consoled himself. His words demonstrated unwavering loyalty to the Great Bean Dynasty, a loyalty that heaven and earth could witness, and the sun and moon illuminate.

However, Lu Yang's identity was unique; he held dual citizenship. When the Immortal Maiden was present, he belonged to the Great Bean Dynasty, but when his Eldest Senior Sister was around, he was of the Great Xia Dynasty.

At that moment, Lu Yang transformed into a giant, bending down to plant saplings as if tending to miniature potted landscapes.

He first used a single finger to poke a root hole in the ground, then carefully pinched a small sapling and planted it into the hole, filling it with soil and watering it. The entire process required meticulous control of his strength; a single misstep would undo all his efforts.

"Sect Master Kong was absolutely right; more practice is more effective than any technique."

Initially, Lu Yang struggled to control his strength and often snapped the young saplings. Now, as long as he concentrated, the saplings remained unharmed.

But this wasn't enough; he aimed to plant trees effortlessly, controlling his strength with complete freedom.

Meng Jingzhou's progress was similar to Lu Yang's: as long as he was careful, it was fine, but a lapse in concentration would lead to failure.

After planting the trees, the two also had to move mountains back to their original positions, which was another delicate task.

Given their strength, pushing mountains directly wouldn't be an issue, but doing so would cause irreparable damage to the mountains themselves. Thus, they also needed to control their force when moving them.

"Finally, it's done. Where's the next stop?" Lu Yang wiped away sweat. Like a deflating balloon, his spiritual power receded, and his body gradually shrank, eventually returning to its original size.

Meng Jingzhou first had his Dharma Idol remove its clothes and neatly fold them before dispelling the Dharma Idol and putting away the garments.

"Why is dressing and undressing the Dharma Idol such a hassle?" Meng Jingzhou found it quite inconvenient.

Lu Yang sighed, "What does this show? It shows that while cultivators who unleash the 'Heaven and Earth Dharma Manifestation' might appear majestic in battle, they secretly and dutifully fold their clothes once they return to their original form."

This highlighted the advantage of the 'Sleeve Universe' technique, where clothes could directly expand or shrink.

"The next stop is quite far, isn't it? Probably about twenty thousand li from here."

As they spoke, intense spiritual energy fluctuations erupted above their heads.

They looked up to see two Integration Realm cultivators engaged in battle. They had flown from an unknown direction, battling all the way to this spot, where they finally stopped.

Integration Realm cultivators fought with immense power; mortals witnessing them would think the apocalypse had arrived and tremble in fear.

These two Integration Realm cultivators possessed formidable combat strength. Each of their moves could tear through space, shatter mountains, and evaporate lakes!

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou immediately became enraged. They had just painstakingly restored the landscape; how dare they continue fighting here and ruin it all?!