Transmigration with Cheat Codes Chapter 32.2: [Manage Faction]

Liu Hongan had initially wanted to use the Prince of Blood to ensure that Ma Yangqi lost his chance at promotion. However, during a delivery, he was ambushed by bandits and lost his right leg, which completely dashed his chances of becoming a Red Sash Escort.

With such a fundamental change in his circumstances, he adjusted his plan in a timely manner. He changed his goal from "striving to become a Red Sash Escort" to the more practical "striving to build a good relationship with the future Red Sash Escort."

Considering Liu Hongan's usual relationship with Ma Yangqi, it was evident that he had built a quite successful rapport with him, showcasing impressive social skills.

Meng Jintang had a skill called "Test the Waters" in her martial arts repertoire. While it wasn't an exceptionally advanced skill in concealed weapons, it wouldn't have been difficult to pin the arrow she had deflected back at Liu Hongan's head.

Her reason for sparing him and not immediately dealing with Liu Hongan was primarily curiosity. She wanted to know why he had suddenly dredged up long-buried past events, used the name of Prince of Blood to steal from the escort agency, and killed a fellow escort in the process.

In real life, Meng Jintang wasn't actually a very curious person, but various experiential posts she had seen on gaming forums had taught her that to survive in such situations, it was best to remain vigilant of unusual circumstances.

In the midst of the silence, Liu Hongan suddenly let out two bitter laughs. His face displayed a complex blend of emotions—regret, resentment, confusion, and despair.

He abruptly raised his head and loudly addressed the others, "Big Brother Ma, Little Brother Yang, I've made one mistake after another. I'm truly sorry to both of you."

Meng Jintang heard him speak, and her fingertips moved ever so slightly on instinct, but she quickly halted her motion.

She initially considered blocking Liu Hongan's acupoints to prevent him from taking his own life with poison. However, the moment she saw the expression on his face, she realized that there was no need to be overly concerned.

The advanced level of her poison techniques and medical skills had already informed Meng Jintang that Liu Hongan had taken poison some time ago.

Dark energy had started to surface on his face, proving that he had already ingested the poison. Even if she were to treat him immediately, it would be futile; he was beyond saving.

A trail of black blood oozed out from the corner of Liu Hongan's mouth. When Yang Zhi and Ma Yangqi saw this, they went to hold Liu Hongan up immediately, wanting to save him.

Ma Yangqi felt Liu Hongan's neck and shook his head to the others. He looked at the lifeless body of his former comrade and whispered, "The poison... it must have been hidden in his teeth."

Otherwise, with the observation skills of the people present, they wouldn't have missed the signs of Liu Hongan ingesting poison.

The speed at which he died was so rapid that it could easily be categorized as a scripted kill.

Meng Jintang agreed with Ma Yangqi's assessment. Concealing poison in one's teeth was a classic trope in wuxia novels, but she had always found it somewhat implausible.

Aside from the convenience or discomfort of having something in one's mouth while eating, considering safety alone, it seemed risky.

It might be fine when one's focus was undivided, but if there was ever a momentary lapse, accidentally biting into the wax pill containing the poison would be a terrible misfortune.

Liu Hongan quickly died after being exposed as the mastermind behind the scenes. Ma Yangqi gazed at his lifeless body, a mix of joy and sorrow on his face.

Considering that Meng Jintang and the others were still present, he suppressed various thoughts, expressing both apologies and gratitude for their assistance.

In Ma Yangqi's words and demeanor, he was clearly indicating his desire to seek protection or recognition from a more influential power. As the head of the escort agency, he understood the importance of maintaining good relations with the local sects to establish a strong presence in the area.

Meng Jintang naturally had plans to expand the influence of the Hanshan Sect, and given that Helu Town was relatively close to Hanshan, it was crucial to establish a favorable relationship.

While Ma Yangqi had noticeable shortcomings in both character and ability, Meng Jintang's expectations of him were simply to manage the subordinate power effectively.

Before her time traveling, Meng Jintang had already entered the workplace and was well aware that in any professional setting, it was rare to find individuals who perfectly met one's expectations.

Various imperfections and challenges were common, and smooth sailing was not always guaranteed. Even in a gaming world filled with player accolades, the probability of finding a truly perfect talent might be even lower than obtaining an item of gold quality.

Yang Zhi went to handle the affairs regarding Liu Hongan's body, while Ma Yangqi stayed to chat with Meng Jintang and Chen Shen.

Meng Jintang smiled and said, "Since the Blood Demon's mark was deliberately created, any talk of seeking revenge for the Prince of Blood is simply baseless."

Previously, Ma Yangqi had mistakenly believed that the enemy was seeking revenge, which led him to dismiss the possibility of the real objective being the warehouse goods. However, now that the revenge angle was debunked, the possibility of a plot to steal the goods became more credible.

Chen Shen replied, "I have lived in Helu Town for quite some time, and I have always heard that Head Escort Liu is an amiable person."

His words were tactful but the implication was clear: Liu Hongan had never shown any unusual behavior in the past, so why would he suddenly turn hostile?

Ma Yangqi sighed and said, "I won't hide it from you two. The stolen items were all preparations for this year's congratulatory gift for the birthday of the dead Nanjia Fort's leader. While these items are precious, the specific gift list is no different from previous years. It includes things like ginseng, deer antlers, various furs, precious metal trinkets, antiques, calligraphy, and paintings. There isn't even a single high-quality weapon among them. Why would they be of interest to Brother Liu... I mean, Liu Hongan?"

Meng Jintang recalled the prices of the mentioned items in the game and, combined with Ma Yangqi's casual tone, it seemed that the escort business in the game was quite profitable.

To show transparency, Ma Yangqi led the two of them to the warehouse for a look. Perhaps due to the long gap in time, Meng Jintang didn't identify any useful information.

Meng Jintang suddenly inquired, "I wonder on which day the dead Nanjia Fort’s leader’s birthday celebration is?"

The Nanjia Fort’s leader’s birthday celebration was next month. Ma Yangqi sensed the subtle interest in Meng Jintang's words and immediately extended an invitation for her and Chen Shen to accompany him and witness the festivities in the martial world.

Meng Jintang neither accepted nor declined the invitation, only mentioning that she would consider it at the time. She then took leave with Chen Shen, bidding farewell to Ma Yangqi.

Ma Yangqi accompanied them respectfully and, just before parting, he added, "Um, if, in the future, I ever wish to seek guidance from the lady..."

Meng Jintang smiled and said, "Head Escort Ma knows where Chen Shen lives."

[System: Friendliness in Meitai Town increased by 20 points.]

[System: First completion of the [Chivalry and Justice] mission, receiving 1x [Basic Chivalry Gift Pack].]

[System: First completion of the [Rise to Prominence in the Martial World] mission, receiving 1x [Basic Reputation Gift Pack].]

[System: First completion of the [Visiting Fellow Martial Artists] mission, receiving 1x [Basic Public Esteem Gift Pack].]

[System: Successfully resolved the current crisis of the White Horse Escort Agency, expanded the sect's influence, and unlocked the [Manage Faction] interface.]

In the [Manage Faction] interface, there was only one option: [White Horse Escort Agency (Ye Zhou)].

There was a note in small letters stating that because the White Horse Escort Agency (Ye Zhou) was simultaneously under the jurisdiction of the Escort Agency's central authority, it was considered only a semi-manageable faction.

[System: Different factions provided different benefits to the sect. For example, after the White Horse Escort Agency was included in the influence of the Hanshan Sect, they automatically contributed 2% of their income each month.

At the same time, this helped expand the business channels of the Hanshan Sect. The pharmaceutical sales plan that Meng Jintang had previously planned could be carried out with their cooperation.

Of course, as part of the exchange of interests, the Hanshan Sect needed to ensure that their operations were not disturbed.]

In the past, it was actually possible for players to handle events like the White Horse Escort Agency in two ways: by eliminating them or by subduing them. However, since they were not purely evil forces, simply eliminating them would have seriously affected the sect's reputation.

Unless the player intended to take a dark path in the "Unlawful Deeds" questline, they could not embezzle the goods from the escort agency's storage. Instead, they needed to return the goods with a style that aligned with the sect's noble and righteous image.

As for items that could not be returned, a portion of them had to be distributed to the local residents to improve their friendliness level.