We Are All Loyal!

The beggar touched the pustules on his face, his hand trembling ceaselessly, his words stammering and incoherent: "I... I definitely won't let him get away again! I swear there won't be a next time. Don't kill me... please don't kill me..." "Don't be afraid, just a few sores," Lüshui Beggar said with a chuckle. "You're a beggar. What beggar hasn't had sores? As long as you do your work well for me and don't botch things again, these sores will be gone in the blink of an eye. You don't doubt my word, do you?" The beggar wished only that the sores on his face could vanish right this second, but Lüshui Beggar had no desire to hear him speak any further. In his ear, a voice kept echoing repeatedly: "Great Founder of our pathway, I sincerely pray to you. An unwelcome guest has appeared upon your domain. I report this news to you at once, and stand prepared to do battle for you." Pray? What sort of word was that? Lü Huazi knit his brows, recalling the few disciples of his pathway. "Keep a close watch here." Lü Huazi cast a glance at the beggar, turned, and vanished. The beggar sat by the road, his body still shuddering uncontrollably. Li the Seventh. When he saw Li the Seventh again, he absolutely could not let him escape. *** At Wujie Hospital, Wan Jinxian sat in an office, looking at Critick. "What in the world is so urgent that you had to call me over in such a rush?" Critick brought over a cup of black tea. "I invited you over to sit a while, Senior Brother, to strengthen the fellowship between us disciples." Wan Jinxian pushed the teacup aside. "Have you lost your damn mind? What if someone sees me running to a hospital in broad daylight? How am I supposed to explain that?" Critick smiled. "Senior Brother, that makes no sense. Humans eat the five grains; who doesn't fall ill?" Wan Jinxian snapped in anger, "I am a Disease Cultivator! How could I possibly fall ill?" Critick pursed his lips. "That is quite true. Next time, I will try to choose a more suitable meeting place." "There won't be a next time!" Wan Jinxian said, furious. "Make it clear right now: what did you call me here for?" "Yesterday, you came looking for me and told me a special person had arrived in Lüshui City—that young man who always wears white clothes. You passed that vital piece of news along to He Jiaqing as well. I believe what you said is true, but I still cannot understand why this person in white came here." Wan Jinxian said impatiently, "I already told you! He's from the Peak of the Sages. He caused trouble for us before, so this time he's most likely gunning for us too." Critick held the teacup and took a sip. "What trouble was that again?" "You're quite forgetful, aren't you? I told you every detail. He nearly killed Shen Rongqing at the Lotus Pond Teahouse. I don't need to remind you who Shen Rongqing is, do I?" Critick took another sip of tea, pondered for a long time, and shook his head. "I know who Shen Rongqing is. She is a very talented woman. But I do not think the man in white came for Shen Rongqing this time, nor do I think he came for you." Wan Jinxian let out a cold laugh. "You don't even know who that man in white is, and yet you can guess who he came for?" "It is indeed difficult to guess. I saw Xiaoyaowu recruiting hands on the street to reclaim land in the newland. I thought it seemed interesting and wanted to go watch the commotion. Amidst the crowd, I seemed to catch sight of that white-robed youth you described. I couldn't be certain it was him, but his clothes, looks, and age matched your description completely. Beside him was an important figure. I did not recognize him, but his cultivation is very high. If not for relying on the Grandmaster's power, I might not have even been able to see them. I kept feeling that this important figure looked somewhat familiar. I suspected I might have been mistaken, so I wanted to confirm it with you." Wan Jinxian didn't want to hear Critick ramble on; he only wanted to leave the hospital as quickly as possible. "I didn't see either of the two people you're talking about, and you don't even recognize him yourself. Where am I supposed to confirm that for you?" Critick pressed his hand downward. "Senior Brother, sit down first. Don't be so hot-tempered. It is indeed difficult for you alone to confirm, so I invited someone else over to verify it together with us." Wan Jinxian's pupils contracted. "What do you mean by that?" Critick answered candidly, "I told this person the news you gave me. Once he arrives in a moment, we can analyze the white-robed youth's intentions together." Wan Jinxian flared with rage. "You passed the news I gave you to someone else?! And you had that person come here to look for me?! Are you trying to get me killed?!" "Senior Brother, calm down," Critick urged. "This person is no outsider." Wan Jinxian shoved Critick back and bellowed, "I don't give a damn who he is! If he dares show his face in front of me, I'll butcher him!" Before the echo of his words faded, Lüshui Beggar appeared right before Wan Jinxian. Wan Jinxian stared at the beggar in front of him. The man was covered in pustules, green pus bubbling from each one. Wan Jinxian had never seen Lüshui Beggar before, but at this moment, he could guess who he was. Lüshui Beggar looked at Wan Jinxian and asked, "You're going to butcher me?" Wan Jinxian drew in a breath and replied calmly, "No." With that, he dropped prostrate to the floor. He tried to hold a kneeling posture of obeisance, but his knees shook so violently he couldn't push himself up, so he simply remained flat on the ground. Critick was far more at ease; after all, this was not their first meeting. Just as he prepared to pay his respects to Lüshui Beggar, Lüshui Beggar waved a hand. "No need. Speak. What did you call me for?" "Senior Brother saw a person in Lüshui City dressed in white, who came from the Peak of the Sages. I saw this person as well..." Critick recounted everything that had happened. After hearing him out, Lü Huazi frowned and asked, "You're speaking of Zhong Huai'en from the Peak of the Sages, aren't you? Why did you feel compelled to report this to me?" Critick replied, "To demonstrate my loyalty to the Grandmaster." Hearing this, Lü Huazi chuckled. "Where is this loyalty of yours? Can I see it?" "You can!" Critick unbuttoned his collar, revealing the tattoo on his chest: *I LOVE GRANDMASTER*. If Lüshui Beggar hadn't been standing right before him, Wan Jinxian would have laughed out loud. This lunatic—what was the point of showing off something like that? "Very good." Lüshui Beggar nodded with satisfaction, then shifted his gaze to Wan Jinxian. "And you? Are you loyal to me?" What was he supposed to do? Wan Jinxian was completely flabbergasted. He didn't have a tattoo. "My... my loyalty to the Grandmaster is... is in my heart!" Though his words were halting, this was the best answer Wan Jinxian could come up with. "Is that so? Let me see what your heart looks like." Lüshui Beggar waved his hand, and a glob of green pus splattered onto Wan Jinxian's chest. It sank through his skin and vanished, seeping directly into Wan Jinxian's thoracic cavity. Wan Jinxian clutched his chest, feeling countless living spirits roaming and darting around inside his ribcage. "Grandmaster, have mercy! I am utterly loyal to you!" Wan Jinxian begged with great effort. "Heheheh~" Lü Huazi squatted in front of Wan Jinxian, studying his face intently. "Your face is pale, but as I see it, your heart is black. You don't seem quite so loyal." "I am loyal!" Wan Jinxian could think of nothing else to say. "I believe you." Lüshui Beggar patted Wan Jinxian's head. "I'll assign you an errand: find out Zhong Huai'en's purpose in coming here. That shouldn't be too hard, should it?" "This disciple will... do his utmost!" "Do your utmost?" Lüshui Beggar was displeased with that answer. "If this isn't accomplished, you lose your life." Wan Jinxian didn't know how to respond. Lüshui Beggar stood up, looked at Critick, and said, "The same goes for you. Although you're very loyal, I detest loyal deadweights. First, tell me: aside from showing your loyalty, what other goal did you have in contacting me?" Critick answered truthfully, "I crave power." Lüshui Beggar frowned. "Listening to you talk is an ordeal. You want cultivation, don't you?" Critick nodded. "I yearn for the Grandmaster to bestow upon me higher cultivation." "What do you want cultivation for? A longer lifespan?" Critick shook his head. "I do not seek to lengthen my own life; I seek to shorten the lives of others." Lü Huazi stared at Critick for a moment. "You and I really are somewhat alike. I have an errand for you as well: go to Lanyang Village, find a beggar on the road leading to the newland, and keep watch on him. Observe everything he does. If he is killed, or if he kills someone else, report to me at once." Critick asked, "What does this beggar look like?" "Nothing special, just like an ordinary beggar. But you will certainly recognize him, because I left a mark on his face." "How high is his cultivation?" "Not on the ground-crust. Cloud First Tier." "Grandmaster, I would not dare bargain with you, but if his cultivation is on the clouds, I fear I won't be able to carry out the task of keeping watch on him." "I'll help you. Didn't you want power? I'll give it to you! Hold out your hand." Lü Huazi touched Critick's palm, and several tiny creatures burrowed into Critick's flesh. "Thank you for the bestowal, Grandmaster!" Critick bowed once more. Lü Huazi looked at the two of them and nodded. "My disciples, perhaps I shouldn't kill you all after all. Keeping you around might be of some use." With that, Lüshui Beggar vanished. Wan Jinxian scrambled up, grabbed Critick, and hissed, "You damn foreign devil, you summoned the Grandmaster?!" Critick said, "Senior Brother, do not be so worked up. I merely made use of the power the Grandmaster left us to offer a prayer to him. You also possess his power inside you—the herpes I left you. That power is immensely strong. As long as you focus your mind upon the herpes, you can contact the Grandmaster as well." "That's not what I asked!" Wan Jinxian roared. "Why did you call the Grandmaster here?!" "I did it to help you, Senior Brother. I know you wish to become powerful as well. When you follow He Jiaqing, isn't it also for the sake of greater power?" "I follow him for the sake of a new Puluo Province!" Critick shook his head. "You can lie to me, but you cannot lie to yourself. You obey a young man's orders only so you can become stronger. The power He Jiaqing can give you is limited after all, whereas the Grandmaster can grant you boundless strength. Join me, and cast yourself into the Grandmaster's embrace!" With that, Critick produced a needle. Wan Jinxian started in alarm. "What are you doing?!" Critick said in a soothing voice, "Relax. I simply want to give you a tattoo that also reads *I LOVE GRANDMASTER*. That way, the next time you see the Grandmaster, you will be able to prove your loyalty to him." "Bullshit!" Wan Jinxian shoved Critick away. Critick wasn't angry. "Senior Brother, a word of advice: if you wish to find the white-robed youth and his friend, go to Xiaoyaowu. They appear to be waiting for someone outside Xiaoyaowu." *** Wan Jinxian stumbled his way to the front of Xiaoyaowu. Critick had not lied: he saw the person he was looking for, the white-robed youth, Zhong Huai'en. What had he come to Xiaoyaowu for? Was he looking for Li the Seventh and Ma the Fifth? Beside him stood another man wearing an off-white overcoat and an off-white fedora. Looking at him from behind, Wan Jinxian felt he looked somewhat familiar as well. The man chatted with the white-robed youth from time to time. Wan Jinxian stared at his side profile for a long while, but still couldn't make out who he was. People bustled back and forth around them, yet none of them could see the pair. Reasonably speaking, Wan Jinxian shouldn't have been able to see them either; the man's cultivation was extraordinarily high, concealing both the white-robed youth's figure and his own. However, the lingering power of Lüshui Beggar inside Wan Jinxian allowed him to see the two men, and also allowed him to successfully conceal himself. The two spoke in hushed voices, and Wan Jinxian could barely catch bits of their conversation. "Mr. Chu, you don't need to be here. I'll just have people from the Pure Observance Society come keep watch." "People from the Pure Observance Society might not manage. Wait a bit longer; I feel it's almost time." As they spoke, the white-robed youth, Zhong Huai'en, suddenly glanced toward Wan Jinxian. Thinking he had been spotted, Wan Jinxian quickly darted into hiding farther away. In truth, Zhong Huai'en had not seen Wan Jinxian; he had seen Chu Huaiyuan. Leading a dozen or so people, Chu Huaiyuan walked from the end of the street toward Xiaoyaowu. Zhong Huai'en asked the man, "Mr. Chu, should we go take a look?" The man was silent for a moment before saying, "I'll go over and see. You wait here." PS: Aside from the Sage, the white-robed youth was arrogant toward everyone, yet he addressed this man as Mr. Chu—it was truly rare for him to treat someone with such respect.