Even though I signed a non-disclosure agreement, Yuan Ting isn't in this group, so there's no need to worry about leaks...
Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a few seconds and decided to tell his teammates the identity of Dark Night Rose's leader. These individuals were not only bound to him by strong mutual interests, but they had also gone through life-and-death trials together and belonged to the same guild. They were partners he could trust.
Besides, they had probably all harbored thoughts of binding Yuanshi Tianzun to their own sides to some extent.
Zhang Yuanqing typed out a message:
[Yuanshi Tianzun: The leader of Dark Night Rose is the Taiyi Sect Master's seventeenth son, Ling Tuo. Shanhe Yongcun was his follower. This Ling Tuo was the Sect Master's most outstanding scion, reaching peak Dominator before the age of thirty. He returned to the spirit realm in 1999—at least, that was the public claim made by the Taiyi Sect.]
*Boom!*
It felt as if a bomb had detonated in their minds, setting off a world-shattering tsunami.
Whether it was the deep-scheming Shame of Fire Masters or the chronically eccentric Xiahou Aotian, the moment they saw this message, they froze completely.
After a brief stupor, Sun Miaomiao and Zhao Chenghuang began to spasm and tremble violently. Even though everything around them was completely peaceful, adrenaline surged wildly through their veins.
At this moment, their sense of trust and security in their organization was shattered.
It caused such a severe stress reaction that their bodies physically convulsed.
The leader of the covert organization that had infiltrated the officials and spirit realm clans—the very syndicate guilty of countless atrocities—was actually the Sect Master's own flesh and blood.
This was no longer just a matter of corrupt elements rotting inside the organization; this was practically "Why is Your Majesty revolting against the throne?"
For members of the Taiyi Sect, this was a cataclysmic shock that shattered their worldview and demolished their trust and loyalty to the faction.
#Yuanshi Tianzun recalled a message#
[Yuanshi Tianzun: Just keep it to yourselves and don't spread it. It's for your own good.]
[Sun Miaomiao: Heavens, why did I even ask? Why did I need to know this? Will I be silenced to keep the secret?!]
[Yuanshi Tianzun: Quite possibly. Better hurry up and have a baby to pass down your bloodline. If you like, I'd be happy to offer my humble assistance.]
[Sun Miaomiao: Get lost, you shameless scoundrel!]
Sun Miaomiao sent a barrage of scolding stickers. Thanks to his banter, her nerves settled down a little.
[Tianxia Guihuo: @Yuanshi Tianzun, do you know the detailed inside story? What was his purpose in founding Dark Night Rose, and who authorized it? Will Taiyi Sect and the five official divisions clash because of this?]
While the others were still engulfed in shock, the Shame of Fire Masters had already begun contemplating deeper implications.
Tianxia Guihuo worried that Ling Tuo had established Dark Night Rose under the Taiyi Sect Master's orders. If the truth came to light, a violent conflict might erupt between the two official superpowers. It sounded somewhat like a conspiracy theory, but when evaluating grand figures at that level, paranoia was far safer than naive innocence.
Zhang Yuanqing typed a reply:
[I cannot give you an answer to that. However, that seventeenth son is an alliance master-level powerhouse who specializes in Taiyin. He is no weaker than the Taiyi Sect Master.]
[Tianxia Guihuo: Understood.]
Tianxia Guihuo immediately recalled his previous question.
[Zhao Chenghuang: The more situations like this arise, the more urgent it is to raise our levels. Raw strength is always our greatest reliance.]
Now even Xiahou Aotian grew impatient, wishing the guild dungeon would open immediately so he could hit Level 6 first.
[Yuanshi Tianzun: Indeed, indeed. That was why I had the Grand Marshal scour the ghost city for a bunch of Saint-stage vengeful spirits and yin corpses for me back then, substantially bolstering my strength.]
That sentence served as the ultimate conversation killer. Absolute silence descended upon the chat.
*I should show off less in the future. Discouraging them all the time isn't good either; they're all proud young prodigies, after all...*
Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to close the chat app, he noticed a private message from Xiahou Aotian.
[Xiahou Aotian: Do you have a piece of the Heaven-Worship Set?]
[Yuanshi Tianzun: Yes.]
Due to the Cai Longshen incident, the existence of the Heaven-Worship Set was no longer a secret among high-ranking officials. It was only because his wings were fully grown now; if the set had been exposed back when he was in the Transcendent stage, the outcome might well have been: *Yuanshi Tianzun found with thirty-six stab wounds to his back; ruled a suicide by authorities.*
[Xiahou Aotian: I found out that the First Emperor was the first person in history to unravel the secrets of the five elements. He personally crafted the Heaven-Worship Set and conducted the Fengshan sacrifices at Mount Tai to communicate with the legendary Haotian. It's said that after completing the sacrificial rites at Mount Tai, the First Emperor received a divine revelation and set out to search for the elixir of immortality.]
Zhang Yuanqing had assumed that no ivory could come out of the protagonist's dog mouth, never expecting such a bombshell of intelligence.
*The First Emperor was the first person to grasp the secrets of the five elements? Then could the person slumbering in Brother Bing's self-sealed 'Secrets of the Five Elements' dungeon actually be the First Emperor? But that was clearly a Tang Dynasty dungeon...*
*Deducing from Murong Fu's deeds, the power of the five elements is ceaseless and endlessly renewable, allowing infinite rebirth through soul possession. Fuck, did the First Emperor live all the way to the Tang Dynasty?!*
*I obtained the Heaven-Worship Set, and then I got the Bu Liang Ren waist token... Such mysterious karma at work...*
*Did the First Emperor learn about Takamagahara from Haotian? So that's how it is... But what on earth is Haotian? Feels like a massive pit...*
Amid his swirling thoughts, Zhang Yuanqing replied:
[Did that ancient vengeful spirit in your ring tell you that?]
[Xiahou Aotian: !!! How did you know that?!]
#Xiahou Aotian recalled a message#
[Xiahou Aotian: I don't know what you're talking about.]
[Yuanshi Tianzun: Alright, drop the act. Did you forget my class? It's not a big deal anyway. I even know that ancient spirit was brought out from the underground palace.]
Back when Fu Qingyang reviewed the underground palace mission, he believed that failing to locate the "neural center" controlling the terracotta warriors posed a hidden hazard. As a result, the palace squad specifically went to their elders and superiors to have their bodies examined.
Only Xiahou Aotian had kept completely quiet and never responded to the issue.
When Zhang Yuanqing sensed an ancient spirit dwelling inside his ring back in Du, he had grown suspicious. Hearing Xiahou Aotian's intelligence now basically confirmed it.
[Xiahou Aotian: Fine, it really isn't a big deal. After all, for a protagonist, such serendipity is only natural. I was mainly worried you'd be jealous.]
*You flatter yourself. I have the Demon Lord's massive inheritance, the Myriad Worlds Merchant Token, pieces of the Heaven-Worship Set, an upgradable rule-based item, and the favor of your cousin Guan Ya. Why would I envy an old grandpa in a ring?*
[Yuanshi Tianzun: Right, right, right. Protagonist privileges aren't meant for side characters like us. Only Brother Aotian is worthy of such fortune. I know my place.]
[Xiahou Aotian: Yuanshi, this clarity of yours is precisely what I like about you.]
[Yuanshi Tianzun: Let me give you a piece of intel in return. The defining characteristic of the five elements is ceaseless generation. Upon death, it condenses into a core; whoever consumes this core will be possessed, over and over in an endless cycle.]
With that, he closed the messaging app.
***
Jiangnan Leather City.
Inside the Xiahou family's villa complex, Xiahou Aotian held his phone and muttered under his breath, "Old fellow, Yuanshi Tianzun discovered your existence. He even knows you're an old relic from the Qin Dynasty."
An aged voice resonated from within the ring: "He noticed me last time."
Xiahou Aotian paused, then reproached him, "Why didn't you tell me?"
The Qin Dynasty fangshi chuckled. "I assumed you could sense it yourself."
Xiahou Aotian's face stiffened. He scrambled to save face: "Those destined for greatness do not get bogged down by petty details. I don't waste my time watching the petty squabbles between minor side characters."
"Had this been in my prime, your second sentence would have signed your death warrant." The Qin Dynasty fangshi had grown accustomed to his manner of speaking and didn't hold it against him. Instead, he asked, "Did you tell him the information about the Heaven-Worship Set?"
Xiahou Aotian nodded. "Didn't you want to know what 'Haotian' really is? He's already collected three pieces of the set, leaving just the final piece. Once he gathers the Heaven-Worship Attire and communicates with Haotian, he'll definitely share the information with me, and your lifelong wish will be fulfilled."
He paused, then let out an "Ah!": "Right, Yuanshi Tianzun told me something else related to the First Emperor."
The Qin Dynasty fangshi immediately grew interested. "What is it?"
Xiahou Aotian glanced at his phone and recited the message verbatim:
"He said the power of the five elements is ceaseless and endlessly renewable. When someone who cultivates it dies, an inner core condenses. Whoever consumes this core will suffer soul possession, repeating in an endless cycle."
The moment he finished speaking, he clearly felt a violent, turbulent spike of mental agitation from the Qin Dynasty fangshi for the very first time.
***
The following morning, the morning sun rose, hanging round and crimson in the eastern sky.
The dawn light was gentle and warm, bathing people in a lazy glow.
The doors of Wuhen Hotel were shut tight, with a sign reading "Temporarily Closed" hanging from the iron door handle.
Inside the large suite on the east side of the second floor, the sofa and coffee table had been cleared away, replaced by a wide brown conference table.
The people gathered around the table conversed in hushed tones.
"Last year, twenty-two people came to the hotel to hear the Master preach the sutras. This year, only sixteen remain."
"Yeah. Ashamed to Be a Father returned to the spirit realm in April, and Uncle Zhang passed in July... Sigh. Perhaps among those sitting here, someone else will return to the spirit realm next year."
"For us, returning to the spirit realm might well be a kind of release."
"I tried to find evil classes whose consciences hadn't completely died this year, but in the end, they all succumbed to depravity. The sea of bitterness is boundless, and few are willing to turn back."
"At least we have some fresh blood. Your name is 'Good Minister Chooses His Master to Slay,' right? I've heard of you. I welcome you to our big family, but how could you take Beiyue as your boss? Are you trying to get him killed?"
"Don't worry. Though Beiyue has the temper of a Fire Master, his destiny is much sturdier. Look, isn't he still alive and kicking?"
There was still an hour before Master Wuhen's sermon. Everyone sat around the table sipping tea, catching up, and chatting about their experiences over the past year.
As the newcomer, Little Fatty sat at the far end of the long table, cautiously observing his "family members."
It was nothing like he had imagined. He had thought this was a massive syndicate, but there were merely sixteen people present—excluding himself, just fifteen.
Among them was a middle-aged man wearing an inexpensive collared shirt and glasses who looked like an honest, down-to-earth civilian.
There was a frail, white-haired elder with one foot in the grave; a burly, ferocious middle-aged man with thick muscles; and an innocent-looking middle school girl in a faded school uniform.
There was an auntie whose demeanor closely resembled "Auntie Pot"; an alluring, provocatively dressed woman; and... a man.
Among them, only two were in the Transcendent stage; the rest were all Saints.
Most of the members lost over the past year had been in the Transcendent stage.
Every single Saint present was no weaker than him. In fact, he and Kou Beiyue were sitting at the very bottom of the Saint ranks.
Even someone as unruly as his boss sat obediently next to Xiao Yuan like a model student.
Before the meeting, Kou Beiyue had warned him that while these folks were wholly devoted to goodness, they were by no means gentle-tempered. Offending them wouldn't put his life in danger, but it would certainly earn him a brutal beating.
For example, that muscular, fierce-looking man whose spirit realm handle was "General Instructor Lin Chong" was a Level 6 Mist Lord—a violent brute who threw punches at the slightest disagreement. Kou Beiyue mentioned that he had frequently been pummeled by him in the past, though that was largely due to Kou Beiyue's own aggressive, pugnacious streak.
A figure like this should have been a renowned overlord, yet Little Fatty had never once heard his name before.
According to the General Instructor's self-introduction, he worked as a fitness coach at a gym, earning tens of thousands of yuan a month. When discussing his income, he proudly looked down his nose at his fellow "family members."
What baffled Little Fatty even more was that the "family members" genuinely showed envious expressions.
Then there was that white-haired elder, who was a schoolteacher. Kou Beiyue had warned him that whenever that old man told you not to do something, you had better listen.
"Huh? Xiao Yuan, did your level drop?" The honest-looking middle-aged man pushed his glasses up his nose.
He was a Level 6 Spirit Medium.
Kou Beiyue quickly chimed in, "Xiao Yuan ran into Yuanshi Tianzun in a dungeon and had to use a teleportation item to force her way out. The level drop was the penalty from the spirit realm."
*Yuanshi Tianzun...*
The people around the table frowned in unison.
As an Illusionist, Little Fatty immediately picked up on the wave of displeasure rippling through the room.
Just as Kou Beiyue had said, this group was fiercely protective of their own.
The white-haired elder spoke up: "Is it because of Uncle Zhang's matter? Did she feel indebted to him?"
They had heard about Yuanshi Tianzun—a prodigy hailed as possessing alliance-master potential who was appreciated by Master Wuhen for agreeing with the Master's philosophy.
When Xiao Yuan notified everyone of Uncle Zhang's murder, she had mentioned this young man.
With a gloomy scowl, "Auntie Pot" asked coldly, "Why wasn't it him who left the dungeon?"
"It was voluntary." Xiao Yuan shot a blank sideways glance at Kou Beiyue.
General Instructor Lin Chong grinned. "You mentioned earlier that he's coming to hear the Master's sermon, right? I heard this kid jumped two levels recently. If there's a chance, I'd like to spar with him."
Kou Beiyue piped up eagerly, "Brother Chong, I'll join you in beating him up!"
Little Fatty thought to himself, *The boss is still too green. At a time like this, he should say: In my assessment, you're no match for him. That's how you really escalate the conflict.*
Ever since Yuanshi Tianzun delivered that ten-million-yuan "betrothal gift," his boss had been stewing in jealousy.
"After the Master finishes his sermon, are the stipends being handed out? I've been eyeing a lot of cosmetics and bags, but my salary is too low to afford them," the glamorous woman, whose day job was a bank teller, murmured as she admired her manicured nails.
"I'm starting high school next year, so tuition and meal fees will both go up," the modestly dressed middle school girl, clearly from an impoverished family, added softly. "Auntie Xiao Yuan, how much is the stipend this year?"
The white-haired elder and the other members also cast hopeful glances over.
The stipend amounts were never fixed; in good years it could be a hundred thousand yuan, while in lean years it might only be ten thousand. It all depended on the hotel's business condition.
Chapter 523