Bullying an Honest Man

"You expect Yuan Ting to keep a secret? Truly an honest man..." Aside from Yuan Ting himself, the other five people in the hall muttered inwardly. The man in question, Yuan Ting, thumped his chest and vowed earnestly, "I will definitely keep it secret. After all, I'm not the gossiping type." Sun Miaomiao cradled Little Doubi, rolling her eyes as she rubbed the cute little critter's head. *If you're not a gossip, who is? If not for the fact that a gentleman's word is worth a thousand pieces of gold and promises cannot be broken, I wouldn't tell you any juicy secrets at all...* Honest Man Zhang Yuanqing asked, "How many secrets did I promise you back then?" Without even thinking, Yuan Ting blurted out, "First secret: the women who used to be the Demon Lord's lovers and now hold high positions." He spoke so fast that it required no thought at all, pure instinct. Over the past week and more, he had pondered these questions countless times in the dead of night. Honest Man Zhang Yuanqing answered, "Yin Ji of the Taiyi Sect, Zhu Rong of the Zhu family, Betty of the Association of the God of Beauty, and... a mother-daughter pair of Wood Demons from the Five Elements Alliance. The mother is Deacon-level. Supposedly, after learning her daughter was fooling around with the Demon Lord, she even hunted him down. I forgot their Spirit Realm IDs. Well, those are the only ones I know." Driven by feminine instinct, Guan Ya and Sun Miaomiao were keenly interested in this sort of gossip. Upon hearing that a mother and daughter had both been the Demon Lord's lovers, their eyes lit up, and they instinctively began searching their memories for matching candidates. World Returns to Fire, Zhao Chenghuang, and the Maoshan Daoist looked thoroughly uninterested. For one, they had no interest whatsoever in how many women the Demon Lord had slept with. Secondly, the women Yuanshi Tianzun mentioned who had past ties with the Demon Lord were either overseas and thus too distant, or people they already knew about. *A Wood Demon mother and daughter, and the mother hunted the Demon Lord down...* Yuan Ting's brain worked like a supercomputer, processing rapidly as he sifted through his memories. Suddenly, Yuan Ting shuddered all over, his expression freezing as he blurted out, "Holy shit, so it was them! It was actually them..." On guard at the temple entrance, the Undead Knight and Looking at Abalone Through a Pipe heard the commotion. Thinking something was amiss, they turned around with vigilant looks. Seeing Yuan Ting's reaction, World Returns to Fire and Zhao Chenghuang, who had been indifferent, glanced his way. Guan Ya and Sun Miaomiao quickly asked, "Who? You know them?" Yuan Ting nodded vigorously, then hesitated, looking troubled. "This matter is extremely secret, and the people involved are anything but ordinary. I promised I wouldn't disclose it... I'll only tell you guys, but you must never breathe a word of it to anyone else." Everyone tacitly waited for Yuan Ting to finish his standard preamble, then nodded solemnly. Only then did Yuan Ting feel reassured. He said, "If I'm not mistaken, that mother and daughter must be the youngest daughter and granddaughter of Baihui's Grand Elder. The year before last, a friend in Baihui told me that for some unknown reason, the Grand Elder suddenly stripped his youngest daughter of her Deacon status and locked both her and her daughter away. "Very few people knew about this, and even fewer knew the reason. I spent a great deal of effort to dig up a few fragments of the truth. Apparently, both mother and daughter fell for the same man. To stop them from continuing that scandalous affair and running off to find that wild man, the Grand Elder imprisoned them. "Because this matter was a taboo subject for Baihui's Grand Elder, no one dared mention it or pry into it. I don't know whether it's completely true, but based on my intuition, it has to be them." *The daughter and granddaughter of Baihui's Grand Elder? If I remember correctly, just like Zhu Rong, that little Wood Demon initially wanted to kill the Demon Lord, only to end up captured by him...* Zhang Yuanqing couldn't shake a strange sense of familiarity regarding the mother and daughter. It felt like he had heard of them somewhere, yet not from the Elvis speaker. Right then, Guan Ya kicked his shin with a shocked expression and lowered her voice: "That's Lingjun's maternal aunt and cousin..." !!! Zhang Yuanqing finally understood where that familiarity came from! The eldest daughter of Baihui's Grand Elder had married the sect master of the Taiyi Sect and given birth to Lingjun, the Sea King! Right, Baihui's Grand Elder was Lingjun's maternal grandfather. *What a masterpiece. The Demon Lord was truly an utter stallion. Just how many high-status official women were his lovers, and how many more haven't been exposed yet?* *If even a tenth of these women hate the Demon Lord as much as Zhu Rong does, I, as the Demon Lord's successor, am utterly doomed. Not even Jesus could save me...* Zhang Yuanqing felt an overwhelming swirl of complex emotions. "Splendid, simply splendid! That resolves a puzzle that has bothered me for years!" Yuan Ting's face was flushed with excitement as he said, "Second secret: why does Elder Dog always possess a dog?" Zhang Yuanqing replied honestly, "I don't know. I made that up to fool you." Yuan Ting looked deeply disappointed. Zhang Yuanqing then said, "However, I can tell you how to freeload off the Desire profession." Yuan Ting waved his hand. "I'm not interested in that." *Huh?* Zhang Yuanqing said, "Since I promised, I must tell. I'll tell Zhao Chenghuang and World Returns to Fire." "I'm not interested!" World Returns to Fire scoffed. Zhao Chenghuang aloofly ignored Yuanshi Tianzun's words. Zhang Yuanqing questioned, "Are you two even men?" "What does that have to do with you!" the two shouted in unison. Yuan Ting could barely wait and said, "Third secret: you said you pried many secrets about the Soldier Master sect out of Heavenly King Demonic Eye." Outside the killing trial. The group of big shots who had been intently watching the Saints' battle tacitly turned their heads, directing their gaze toward the lush primeval forest. The developments inside both trials were within their perception. *Secrets of the Soldier Master sect...* The Central Vice President of the Spirit Society, the Southern Sect Leader of the Nihility Cult, and the several Dominators behind them all cast a glance at Fear Heavenly King. Fear Heavenly King stroked his chin and chuckled. "Although Demonic Eye has the right to free speech, I don't think he would run his mouth recklessly, even as a prisoner." Behind him, Wrath Divine General sneered, "What big secrets could a brat still wet behind the ears know? Most likely just trivial, petty nonsense." Zhao Chenghuang and World Returns to Fire had no interest in women, but they paid keen attention to secrets regarding the Soldier Master sect. As the head of the three great evil organizations, backed by the world's number one expert, its internal secrets were something any ambitious young man aspiring to make a name for himself would care about. Zhang Yuanqing mused, "This involves an old, unresolved case..." Just when the six in the hall thought he would repeat Yuan Ting's lines, Yuanshi Tianzun stated straightforwardly: "Twenty-one years ago, the Soldier Master sect joined forces with Dark Night Rose to wipe out the Chu family, a prominent Musician clan. Their goal was to seize a rule-based item called Mother Goddess's Womb. "And the purpose of seizing this rule-based item was to revive the leader of Dark Night Rose. The reason for reviving Dark Night Rose's leader was that Asura had invested in that mysterious leader. "As for why he invested, and whether 'invested' meant literal sponsorship or involved hidden motives, that I don't know." With that, silence fell over the stone temple. Guan Ya, Zhao Chenghuang, Sun Miaomiao, Yuan Ting, and the others stared at him dumbfoundedly. After a dozen seconds, Yuan Ting scratched his head in agony. "Th-there was no need to tell us such critical, classified secrets... I-I won't be able to stop myself from blabbing... Will Dark Night Rose or the Soldier Master sect send someone to silence me?" *He's way too honest! Is this really something you should be telling us?!* Zhao Chenghuang and the others felt much like Yuan Ting: on one hand, excited and thrilled to learn high-level secrets; on the other, realizing that this intel was of such immense value that hearing it at their level did more harm than good. Still, yearning for high-level secrets was human nature. Zhao Chenghuang took the initiative to speak: "I heard my great-grandfather say that the Soldier Master sect's style is domineering and ruthless, believing in slaughter and war. They never engage in espionage or conspiracy, let alone elaborate schemes. Sponsoring the leader of Dark Night Rose doesn't fit the Soldier Master sect's style." Thinking as he spoke, World Returns to Fire said, "If so, there must be a deeper reason behind this... Yuanshi, do the higher-ups know about this?" Zhang Yuanqing gave an "Mm." "Elder Dog knows. He even placed a gag order on me." *Ah, well, our condolences, but you blabbed it yourself. Once we return to reality, just wait to get reprimanded...* World Returns to Fire could hardly suppress the smirk on his face. The corner of Zhao Chenghuang's mouth curled up discreetly. Zhang Yuanqing continued, "There is another secret. I heard that the wife of the Soldier Master sect's Wrath Divine General used to be the sex slave of Lust Divine General." This piece of information hadn't come from Demonic Eye; it came from the Demon Lord, whose role as the source could not be exposed. Thus, Honest Man Zhang Yuanqing used the phrasing "I heard." *Wrath Divine General is truly pitiful...* Everyone observed a moment of silent mourning in their hearts. Outside the killing trial, silence briefly descended upon the atmosphere. The Southern Sect Leader of the Nihility Cult, who had been constantly shifting forms, froze in the image of an emaciated youth, seemingly forgetting to change. The President of the Spirit Society raised his face for the first time, revealing amber, slit pupils beneath his cloak, and said, "No wonder the leader of Dark Night Rose has delayed meeting with us, keeping only a detached working relationship. Turns out they have long been Asura's person. Heh, to think this venerable one would learn such vital intelligence from the mouth of a little brat." Fear Heavenly King was expressionless, appearing rather displeased. Even if what Demonic Eye chose to say was his own freedom, being unhappy was also Fear Heavenly King's freedom. Behind Fear Heavenly King, the furious scowl on Wrath Divine General's face slowly froze. A few seconds later, this body formed from projected willpower began to tremble violently. "I'll butcher Lust! I'll skin him alive, pull out his tendons, snap his bones joint by joint, and chop his manhood into mincemeat...!" The titanic, tsunami-like fury caused even the gathering of big shots to be slightly moved. Fear Heavenly King raised a hand, signaling Wrath to calm down. Staring at Elder Dog, he said, "It is impossible for Demonic Eye to leak something so crucial to you. This Yuanshi Tianzun in your organization has a problem." Elder Dog shook his head. "No, Demonic Eye indeed told him in person." Since Yuanshi Tianzun had already spilled the beans, there was no point in keeping up appearances. Fear Heavenly King was taken aback. Elder Dog said, "Demonic Eye admires Yuanshi Tianzun greatly and regards him as a kindred spirit. That is why he shared some secrets with him." Hearing this, the expressions of the big shots shifted slightly. *A kindred spirit to Demonic Eye? What kind of unhinged lunatic is this Yuanshi Tianzun? The Five Elements Alliance dared to recruit someone like that?* The female Grand Marshal glanced at the curly-haired toy poodle. Elder Dog hastily explained, "That was purely Demonic Eye's wishful thinking." The female Grand Marshal nodded slightly. At that moment, they caught the conversation drifting from the forest: "Third secret: what did Fu Qingyang say in front of you that could ruin his reputation, earn him universal scorn, or even get him expelled from the White Tiger Guards?" "He said Guan Ya is trash, Lingjun is trash, Jingwei is trash, every genius under the sun is trash—and that the Grand Marshal is the biggest trash of all! In this world, only he and I are not trash." The air suddenly turned dead quiet. The elders of the Five Elements Alliance cautiously observed the female Grand Marshal's expression. Although her visage was hazy, obscured as if veiled by clouds and mist, the abyssal, crushing aura of majesty radiating from her tall frame made the elders acutely aware: the Grand Marshal was angry. And not just slightly angry. The Dominators of the evil organizations looked over with mocking, gloating eyes. Yet, cowed by the might of a demigod, none dared voice any mockery aloud. In the Spirit Realm world, a demigod was not to be trifled with. No villain, no matter how arrogant, would dare show verbal disrespect to a demigod. Therefore, Fu Qingyang truly was an extraordinary man! "I-it really is a secret that could ruin his reputation!" Yuan Ting trembled all over, his face flushed bright red with excitement. "This truly is an incredible, earth-shattering secret! Magnificent, simply magnificent..." The corner of Sun Miaomiao's mouth twitched. "Yuan Ting, I advise you not to spread this around. Otherwise, Fu Qingyang will murder you to silence you." Guan Ya ground her teeth. "That brat! He's the trash! His whole family is trash... Ptooey, out of the whole family, he's the only trash!" *This Money Prince is truly audacious to speak of the Grand Marshal like that...* World Returns to Fire's mind raced. He realized he could sell this news to Fire Prince Jiang Ju to elevate his own status within the Scarlet Fire Gang. Zhao Chenghuang nodded with immense satisfaction. Not only had he listened to a plethora of gossip and confidential secrets, but Yuanshi Tianzun had also been thoroughly stitched up. Once they returned to reality, Yuan the Loudspeaker would surely broadcast it to the world. Yuanshi Tianzun would face disciplinary action, perhaps even a beating. Just thinking about it made Zhao Chenghuang joyful. At this moment, the Maoshan Daoist, who had remained silent all along, suddenly asked, "Yuanshi Tianzun, are you the Demon Lord's successor?" *Bang!* The deep, resounding boom of a rifle shot took the place of Yuanshi Tianzun's answer. Beside the feet of the Maoshan Daoist, a crater venting wisps of black smoke appeared. Splintered rock fragments sliced into his ankle and shin, drawing streams of blood. Looking at Abalone Through a Pipe and the Undead Knight snapped their heads around, only to realize it was another false alarm. Only then did they grumblingly resume guarding the temple entrance. Guan Ya said with a smile, "Jokes aside, I don't care how you mess with Yuanshi, but as for kicking him while he's down, my gun won't stand for it." Though she was smiling, neither her eyes nor her tone carried the slightest warmth. The young, hotheaded Maoshan Daoist snarled in fury, "You dare shoot at me? A lowly, ordinary clerk dares to fire at me?" What answered him was a dark, hollow muzzle leveled straight between his eyebrows. Guan Ya's smile vanished as she said chillingly, "Harboring a grudge all this time just because you lost one arena match—with narrow breadth of mind like that, how do you expect to become a Deacon of the Taiyi Sect? I might as well clean house on the Taiyi Sect's behalf. "Care to guess whether the Taiyi Sect would dare demand my life if I killed you?" Although her personality was vastly different from Fu Qingyang's, the domineering arrogance inherent to the direct line of the Fu clan was engraved into her very bones. "Enough!" Zhao Chenghuang's expression turned cold. "I apologize on behalf of the Maoshan Daoist. Guan Ya, now is not the time for infighting." He immediately turned to the gaunt youth with an icy gaze. "Get out!" The Maoshan Daoist gritted his teeth, but apparently did not dare disobey Zhao Chenghuang. With a cold huff, he strode out. Guan Ya's gunshot seemed to jolt Zhang Yuanqing awake. He shuddered all over as if awakening from a dream. "Fuck!" Zhang Yuanqing sprang to his feet and roared, "What did I just say?! What the fuck did I say?!" The price of the Honest Man had passed. Only now did he "realize" just how utterly fucked up that feeling of having to keep one's promises and honor one's word at all costs had been. Fu Qingyang would dock every cent of his pay. Yuan Ting said solemnly, "You were merely honoring your promises." "Honor your mother's promises!" Zhang Yuanqing cursed. "Aren't you bastards just bullying an honest man?! A bunch of lowlifes taking advantage of someone in distress!" Cradling Little Doubi, Sun Miaomiao turned her head away as if none of it concerned her and whistled. World Returns to Fire pretended to admire the surrounding scenery. Zhao Chenghuang kept a straight face, using a cold, aloof expression to accentuate his noble detachment and wash his hands of the whole affair. For the remaining time, no one spoke in the temple; only Yuanshi Tianzun's periodic sneers could be heard. An hour passed quickly. A quest notification chime sounded in everyone's ears: [Ding! The Mountain God Temple will close in ten seconds. Please leave the temple as soon as possible.] The six immediately got up and rushed out of the stone temple. Ten seconds later, the stone temple's doors slammed shut, and the quest notification chimed once more: [Ding! Congratulations on completing Side Quest 3: The Tragic Mountain God. Reward: 60 points.] Zhang Yuanqing's notification had one extra entry compared to the others: [Reward: One Beast Soul—Monkey King.] [Ding! At dawn's arrival, the path leading to the Lost City will appear. Please enter the Lost City and inspect whether the seal is intact.]