Chapter 80: The Sinister Look Up At The Starry Sky
Translator: Subudai11 Editor: Chrissy
“Stop this instance!”
Like the wind, a red and white youth entered the room. A hint of sneer hung on his windblown face.
“Interesting, a fraudster cult actually came to my place. This Blue River Region is certainly being controlled.”
The Publicity Envoy was startled. “Sire, may I know who you are?”
“Thank you for asking, I am your father.” Wang Lu held back his impulse to directly kill that person and replied with a fake smile. Before the villagers, he hoped that he could solve the problem peacefully, but it was hard for him not to vent the burning anger in his belly. Therefore, he channeled it through his eyes as he stared that Publicity Envoy.
However, this Mr. Zhou, who was sent here by the Seven Stars Sect, wasn’t going to make it easy for him. Although his legs had turned somewhat soft and felt his bladder numb under Wang Lu’s stare, his face was still calm. He ignored the opposite party’s rudeness, turned around and began to address the crowd.
“Ladies and gentleman, does anyone know who’s kid is this?”
In the beginning, the villagers didn’t immediately react. However, after a moment, some people had vaguely recognized him.
“Isn’t this kid… Little Lu?”
Hearing this, Master Wang was shocked; he immediately stood up. “Little Lu? It’s you!?”
Being called out by his dad, Wang Lu had no choice but to respond; he held out his hand. “Dad, sit down and be quiet. I want to expose this swindler first, and then we can have a nice chat.”
At this time, Mr. Zhou had realized who the person in front of him was. “Wang Lu? You’re that Wang Lu who went out to look for Immortality two years ago?”
Wang Lu sneered. “That’s right, do you have any advice?”
“I wouldn’t dare to give you advice…” Mr. Zhou said and then lightly laughed. “It’s just that, it seems like you have some prejudice against our Seven Stars Sect, no?”
“Prejudice? What a joke, would you have a prejudice if you see a dog sh*t?”
Mr. Zhou’s countenance suddenly changed. “How could a child like you have such a dirty mouth!? If you insult our Seven Stars Sect, beware when our Daoist Immortals come to strike you with calamity…” While speaking, his eyes glanced around. “It would implicate other people!”
This was another of his trick to mobilize the mass. Upon hearing his words, the Wang Family villagers immediately began to clamor.
“Little Lu, what are you doing?”
“Quickly apologize to Mr. Zhou!”
“You’re giving the whole village trouble!”
Hearing these protests, Wang Lu’s face turned dark; he snapped. “Shut up!”
His shout was like a thunder, it shook the roof that the dust on it fell down. All the villagers were immediately stunned into silence.
Even though he has just reached the seventh level Qi Cultivating Stage, in the mortal world, Wang Lu was already a divine character. In the military, he was a peerless brave general that commanded hundreds of thousands of troops. In the martial arts world, he was a supreme grandmaster. Thus, it was easy for him to frighten a group of mortals.
Actually, ninety percent of the killing intent from this shout was aimed at Mr. Zhou. However, this Publicity Envoy was not a common character. After his face turned red and then white, it came back to normal; with a sinking voice, he said, “I heard that more than two years ago, you and your errand boy went out to look for immortality. Looks like you have found it… Which sect did you do your obeisance into?”
Wang Lu thought that if he gave his sect’s name to this lowly swindler, it would harm his sect’s reputation, but if it could make this Seven Stars Sect withdraw, it actually saved a lot of troubles.
“Spirit Sword Sect.”
Mr. Zhou wrinkled his brows, thinking, “Spirit Sword Sect?” After a moment, he nodded his head. “It turns out you’re Spirit Sword Sect’s outstanding disciple, no wonder you have such a skill. But even Spirit Sword Sect has to listen to reason. You have insulted my Seven Stars Sect and overbearingly terrorized the innocent villagers. Aren’t these a bit… unreasonable?”
Wang Lu was shocked, thinking, “What the hell! Have you gone insane? After hearing the name Spirit Sword Sect, not only you didn’t obediently kneel, you even want to argue with me? What a foolhardy you are! When this old man braved the Small Clear Sky Peak with that dead fatty, I wasn’t even this daring!”
Admittedly, in theory, even a big shot has to listen to reason. However, from many big shots in the entire Nine Regions, who was the most reasonable? The fist is the reason; the harder the fist, the more reasonable the argument is! No matter how deteriorated the Spirit Sword Sect was, in then end, it was still one of the top five sects. Not to mention the ten Elders of the Heavenly Sword Hall, even a senior disciple could trample one hundred Seven Stars Sects at will! And this Publicity Envoy wanted to reason with the Spirit Sword Sect? Did he even fit to do that!?
However, before this Mr. Zhou, who wouldn’t stop until someone truly killed him, Wang Lu suddenly became interested. “Oh? You want to reason with me?”
Mr. Zhou became uncomfortable under the stare of that youngster, but he steeled himself. “That’s right, I want to reason with you. Just now, you insulted my Seven Stars Sect, there must be a reason for that.”
Wang Lu smiled. “Reason? Does Spirit Sword Sect need a reason to stomp on people? Very well, I’m going to be honest with you. It’s because you’re deceiving common people; isn’t this reasonable enough?”
“Oh, when did I deceive people?” Mr. Zhou laughed and began to mobilize the mass, “Ladies and gentlemen, do you think you have been deceived by me?”
The ignorant villagers echoed one another, “Definitely not, Mr. Zhou!”
“That’s right, we heard your words about the difference between the path of Immortality and the path of mortal so that we, ordinary villagers, become enlightened!”
“Mr. Zhou, you said our family’s Gou also has Immortal Cultivation’s spirit root; I absolutely believe you!”
“Little Lu, stop making a scene here!”
Wang Lu knitted his brows and then lashed out with his shout, “All of you, shut up! You, surnamed Zhou, don’t shield behind these ignorant folks so that you can ‘fish in troubled water’, otherwise, I’ll kill you!”
This was not a mere intimidation; the naked killing intent forced Mr. Zhou’s heart to beat faster.
“Very well, then can sire please tell where exactly the lie that I told to deceive the people!”
“Just by your sentence. You said everyone could become an Immortal, but if everyone can truly become an Immortal, why has there no new Daoist Immortals emerging in recent years?”
Who knew that Mr. Zhou actually laughed and his composure apparently has returned. “Good question. This issue actually perplexes the Immortal Cultivation World for thousands of years. In the past, people believed that affinity to immortality is foreordained by the heaven. Only a few lucky one that was bestowed with spirit root by the heaven can walk on the Immortal Path. But actually, that’s absurd. Heaven is impartial; it gives everyone equal opportunity; it’s just us who hasn’t discover it yet. Well, not until our Seven Stars Sect’s Patriarch, Daoist Master Shen He, made a breakthrough and invented the Seven Stars Pill, which can open the gate to the Immortal Path for everyone!”
Wang Lu suddenly laughed. “You’re spitting on your own face! In the beginning, your Seven Stars Sect sold the expensive Six Harmonies Pills; why is it that you don’t have your Seven Stars Pills in your cache of Spirit Root Development Pill? What has the Patriarch Liu He of the Shengjing Sect, who invented the Six Harmonies Pills that can turn ordinary people into Immortal Cultivator, got to do with your Patriarch, the Damn Wretch [1] Shen He? You even dare to pull the Shengjing Sect’s tail?”
However, Mr. Zhou’s answer to that was simply jaw-dropping: “Hehe, that’s the common people’s view. Actually, Patriarch Liu He is our Daoist Master Shen He’s Younger Martial Brother. Most of his skill he learned from Daoist Master Shen He. That Six Harmonies Pill is just the simplified version of our Seven Stars Pill. Although the cost to manufacture is somewhat cheaper, but the effect is not as good. If you take the Six Harmonies Pill, although it can also help you step foot on the Immortal Path and extend your lifespan, it is far from equal from our Seven Stars Pill that can turn people into Immortals. It’s just that, Seven Stars Pill is our sect’s treasure, so how could we sell them at will to outsiders? Were it not for your Wang Family Village’s great opportunity, they wouldn’t even have the qualification to know the existence of this Seven Stars Pill. That’s why, in front of the others, we only sell the Six Harmonies Pill or Six Harmonies Powder.”
Wang Lu really could not hold his laughter; this Mr. Zhou was really capable, truly worthy to be the Publicity Envoy of a sham sect. He could come up with all kinds of reason to strengthen his position. More importantly, in the face of this too-ridiculous-but-couldn’t-be-immediately-proved-wrong-for-the-outsiders explanation, even Wang Lu felt like an embarrassed rabbit after losing a match against a turtle.
Because there was one important issue; this debate with Mr. Zhou was not to refute each other but to win over the audience. The Seven Stars Sect had developed their influence in the Wang Family Village for several years until it tarnished the entire village’s spiritual energy and they won the heart of the people. The best way to rectify this effect was to tear the mask of the swindler and expose its true color.
Of course, there was also a simpler method, Wang Lu just needed to have the Foundation Establishment… ah, wrong; he just needed to reach the high-level Qi Cultivating Stage to learn one or two exquisite spells from his sect, and it would be enough to fool these ignorant folks. Unfortunately, he has taken the path of the sword. What’s more, his swordsmanship was specialized on defense. Although the effect on an actual fight was simply astonishing, and according to his Master, his degree of toughness was enough to make a group of low-level Foundation Establishment cultivators feel embarrassed… However, all of them were useless on this occasion!
If he tried to rely on the debate to debunk the scam, it would be much more difficult; the audience subjectively favored the opponent. Moreover, they were gullible and stupid, and Mr. Zhou was undoubtedly an expert in brainwashing idiots like them.
For example, Mr. Zhou’s explanation just now was completely without any truth. Any real cultivators could immediately denounce that it was false. However, even if Wang Lu knew that the explanation was just bullsh*t, it was still meaningless.—the onlookers didn’t know the truth.
They thoughtlessly believed what Mr. Zhou said—that Daoist Master Shen He was the Senior Brother of Patriarch Liu He. But if Wang Lu said Daoist Master Shen He was just a damn wretch, the villagers would definitely be furious. Thus, in this debate, he was in a such a disadvantage position.
However, it was precisely because of such a reason that this thing was interesting. Because although it seemed that the situation was unfavorable to him, the other side has a real fatal flaw.
As long as he looked for this fatal flaw, the true color of the swindler would inevitably be exposed.
And the flaw was really obvious.
“Why are you charging them then?”
Mr. Zhou was startled. “What?”
“Since your Seven Stars Sect purpose is to bring salvation to all living beings and bring people to Immortality, why would you covet the mortal world’s money? One million tael of silver is a backbreaking number to my father, just for a mere place for immortals?”
Mr. Zhou chuckled. “We don’t covet money. We just need you to show your sincerity.”
The next moment, however, Mr. Zhou discovered that the youth already had a perfect counter to that.
“Sincerity? What is that? Didn’t you say that because the Wang Family Village has a big opportunity, they received the favor from your sect’s Daoist Immortals? Since the village folks already have the opportunity, what’s the use in requiring them to show their sincerity?”
Mr. Zhou was suddenly at a loss for words; a moment later, he said, “Opportunity and sincerity are both indispensable. Otherwise, do you want us Seven Stars Sect to beg your people to become Immortal?”
Wang Lu said with a smile, “Naturally. Isn’t that as it should be? Talented individuals with close affinity to immortality are all rare treasures. Every year, the Elders from various sects would go out and spend a lot of effort to find such people. Even if the other party is unwilling, they would still be pulled back into the sect. Or do you want to say only your Seven Stars Sect that is special?”
Before Mr. Zhao had the chance to refute, Wang Lu further said, “Sincerity needs to be mutual; if the Wang Family Village has to show their sincerity to obtain Immortality, where is your Seven Stars Sect’s sincerity? Does giving them a few packages of Six Harmonies powder sincere enough? To anyone in the village, one million tael of silver is an astronomical figure, but several packages of Six Harmonies powder are just a drop in the bucket for you; do you think this is fair?”
“This…”
Mr. Zhou was stupefied; not because Wang Lu’s words were completely impregnable, but because he had never come across such a problem!
And Wang Lu would not give him an opportunity to refute. “Secondly, if the Seven Stars Sect is truly interested in changing the people, is there a need to emphasize on sincerity? There are rules in predestined fate; if someone doesn’t have it, then that someone doesn’t have it. If everyone has predestined fate with Immortality, then all the people are saved. Sincerity? How much is it worth? People are fickle; today they are sincere, but tomorrow perhaps they would feel remorse; they would hate themselves for giving one million taels of silver to others. Can this still be called sincere? If your dream of turning everyone into immortals is true, then you should unconditionally distribute your Seven Stars powder. For people who have predestined fate with immortality, there’s no need for such a thing as sincerity.”
After he said his piece, Wang Lu assumed a winner’s posture, waiting for the other side to struggle to come up with an answer.
Sincerity seemed like the main buzzword for this Seven Stars swindler sect, but actually, it was their fatal flaw. A swindler perhaps could embellish their words to cover the insincerity; by holding onto this, they could smoothly go anywhere. Even more wonderful was that the mentality of the village folks has changed from the previous simple and honest. Gradually, they started to become selfish, greedy, and acquired other negative characters. By taking advantage of this, he could change the public opinion and push the opponent into a disadvantageous position.
However, the simple truth was that: if he could help the villagers acquire the so-called affinity to immortality with less cost, they would immediately change side.
After a moment, Mr. Zhou has started to sweat profusely. He had joined the sect for several years; by relying on his silver tongue, he made numerous contribution to the sect. Not only did it led him to a very high status within the sect, he was even able to deceive the sect elder to bestow him with that Immortal affinity… Over the past few years, he was even able to expand his sect influence into the a prefectural capital. Thus, in terms of experience, he could be described as battle-hardened. However, he had never encountered this kind of situation!
What exactly was so special about this teenager? Wasn’t he just a lowly disciple of a Spirit Sword Sect? If so, how could this teenager give him such heavy pressure? How could a mere Spirit Sword Sect have such a talent?
However, at this time, he could not afford to think too many of them; according to the guidance from his Master, if he encountered a similar situation, he must immediately send out his unique skill without any hesitation. People’s opinion was the most fragile thing, especially since the Seven Stars Sect position was still unstable in this Wang Family Village; they have yet to have enough prestige to make the villagers willing to die to defend the sect. Once the villagers formed the habit of bargaining back and forth with the sect because of this instigation, then his sect’s development plan would be greatly hindered.
Therefore… while he showed a frightened expression on one hand, at the same time, Mr. Zhou had already made a firm decision to use his always-successful unexpected tricky move.
Mr. Zhou lifted up his hand, which was holding a piece of towel, seemingly wanting to wipe the sweat on his forehead. However, under cover of that sweat towel, a tiny, imperceptible needle darted to Wang Lu’s throat like a purple-black ray of light.
“Kid, blame it on your own misfortune, who told you to oppose my Seven Stars Sect! Seeing that your cultivation is quite good even in your young age, it seems like you really have an affinity with the immortality. A pity… you can’t block my Seven Stars Sect’s Seven Stars Penetrating Bone Nail! “
Mr. Zhou’s unexpected tricky move was precisely a low-level magical tool bestowed to him by the sect. Although the magical tool was only low level, and of a one-time use, but the power of this piece of penetrating bone nail was far stronger than anyone could imagine. This piece of thin, small nail could pierce a meter thick rock, and the tip of it was coated with powerful poison. Not only would it coagulate the blood and seal the throat, it would even turn the corpse into the mud—a sight that was too horrible to endure!
As long as this needle was launched in secret, even a middle-level Qi Cultivating Stage cultivator would find it difficult to detect, much less to resist. Not to mention the teenager in front of him was still of a young age—how could the kid be a middle level Qi Cultivating Stage?
As long as the kid died, he could put the blame on the heaven’s scourge. Of course, the villagers, especially Master Wang, would feel discontent, but under the threat of the heaven, who would dare to defy?
Mr. Zhou, with a hint of sneer, looked at Wang Lu in the eye as if he was looking at a corpse. But at this time, he suddenly discovered...
The youth’s bright and clear eyes were staring back at him, and the corner of his mouth had a glimmer of contemptuous smile, and then… A slender hand, as if already knowing it beforehand, had stopped right in front of the throat; the two fingers gently twisted that Seven Stars Penetrating Bone Nail.
The Penetrating Bone Nail that was strong enough to pierce a rock, had been blocked!
Mr. Zhou was terror-stricken. This Penetrating Bone Nail was a concealed weapon, but once released, even high-level Qi Cultivating Stage would find it difficult to resist, let alone directly touching it with their flesh! What’s so special about this kid!?
But then, a more gruesome thing appeared before him.
Wang Lu twisted that Penetrating Bone Nail, and then… directly put it into his mouth, and chewed it up!
His heart thumped loudly as if something struck his chest, causing Mr. Zhou difficult to breathe. When Wang Lu finally swallowed it into his belly, in Mr. Zhou’s eyes, the young cultivator had turned into a demon.
“Ridiculous, this still falls short of Aya’s Look Up At The Starry Sky.”
[1] Daoist Master = Zhen Ren; Damn Wretch = Diao Ren