Chapter 28: Chapter 28: The Dao of Capitalism vs. The Righteous Path
The halls of the Dark Abyss Sect were filled with righteous fury.
At the head of the grand assembly, the Abyss Sect Leader, an old man with a long white beard, slammed his hand on the table.
"This so-called 'Heavenly Mystical Sect' has gone too far!" he roared. "They are corrupting young cultivators with their… their…"
He struggled to say the word.
One elder coughed. "Capitalism?"
"YES! CAPITALISM!"
The room fell into silence.
One of the disciples hesitated. "But… Sect Master, the Coca-Cola does taste really good..."
The sect leader's eyes narrowed.
"You dare betray the righteous path for a bottle of sugary evil?!"
The disciple gulped.
"N-No, of course not, Master! I-I was just saying it's… refreshing..."
The sect leader snorted.
"We must destroy Chan Li and his shameless money-making ways!"
The elders nodded.
"For the purity of cultivation!"
Meanwhile, at the Heavenly Mystical Sect…
Chan Li was counting his spirit stones, stacking them neatly into a golden vault.
"Ahhh… the Dao of Wealth is truly profound."
Yan Rui barged into the room.
"Master, we have a problem!"
Chan Li sighed. "Is it the tax collectors again?"
Yan Rui shook her head. "No, it's worse! The Dark Abyss Sect is declaring war on us. They say we're corrupting cultivation with capitalism!"
Chan Li blinked.
Then he burst out laughing.
"HAHAHAHA! Corrupting cultivation? These fools!"
Yan Rui was confused. "Master, why are you laughing? This is serious!"
Chan Li wiped a tear from his eye. "Oh, it's serious, alright. They're seriously stupid."
He leaned back in his chair. "So what if I make money? Who pays for all the pills, weapons, and spiritual resources? Who funds the sect?"
Yan Rui hesitated. "Well… you do."
Chan Li grinned.
"Exactly. You see, these so-called 'righteous' sects rely on blind faith and old traditions. But me? I believe in progress. In innovation. In profit!"
Yan Rui sighed. "Master, I get it. You're a financial genius. But how do we deal with them?"
Chan Li tapped his chin.
"Simple. We make so much money that they can't afford to fight us."
The Battle… of Wealth
The next morning, the Dark Abyss Sect marched to the Heavenly Mystical Sect's gate, swords drawn.
"Chan Li! Come out and face us!" the Abyss Sect Leader bellowed.
A moment later, the gates opened…
But instead of battle formations, they saw something unbelievable.
Thousands of Coca-Cola stalls had been set up outside the sect.
Disciples from other sects were lining up, holding spirit stones, eagerly buying bottles.
A young master from the Azure Sky Sect walked past, drinking a Coca-Cola. "Mmm~ refreshing. Oh, hey, Abyss Sect! You guys here for the new limited-edition flavor?"
The Abyss Sect Leader's face twitched. "No, we are here to end this madness!"
Chan Li strolled out, sipping from a golden Coca-Cola bottle.
"Oh? You want to end my business? Sure. But first… let's see if you can afford it."
With a snap of his fingers, giant spirit stone vaults appeared behind him, overflowing with wealth.
The elders of the Dark Abyss Sect gasped.
"T-This… this is more money than our sect has made in the past 300 years!"
Chan Li smirked.
"Exactly. Now tell me… how will you fund your war? Your disciples need pills, weapons, food. Can you afford to fight me?"
The Abyss Sect Leader trembled.
"W-We… we shall fight with righteousness!"
Chan Li grinned wider.
"Righteousness doesn't pay for your disciple's cultivation resources."
The Abyss Sect Leader fell silent.
Meanwhile, one of his own disciples whispered:
"Uh, Sect Master… we're actually running low on funding. Maybe we should… you know… invest?"
The old man shook with rage.
"TRAITOR!"
But suddenly
"Ahem."
A Heavenly Immortal Banker appeared.
"Sect Master of the Dark Abyss Sect, your sect's debt has reached critical levels. If you do not pay, we will be forced to seize your land."
The sect leader froze.
"W-What?! But we are a righteous sect!"
The banker adjusted his golden glasses.
"Righteousness does not pay interest."
Chan Li patted the old man's shoulder.
"See? This is why you should have invested in Coca-Cola early."
The sect leader collapsed to his knees.
"Curse you… Capitalist Demon!"
Chan Li just chuckled.
"Ah, what a beautiful title. I might put that on a business card."
And so…
The Dark Abyss Sect had no choice but to surrender.
Chan Li, being merciful, allowed them to invest in his business.
Within a month, even the righteous sects had Coca-Cola vending machines.
The Heavenly Mystical Sect became the richest sect in the world.
And Chan Li?
He sat atop a golden throne, sipping from a Coca-Cola bottle, watching his empire grow.
"Ah… the Dao of Wealth is truly boundless."