Make the Act Convincing

Bai Feng had gone into seclusion. The news had not been formally publicized, but as a genius teaching assistant of the academy, every move he made drew attention. Soon enough, his seclusion to make a breakthrough was no longer a secret to certain circles. Having already reached the seventh stage of the Tengkong Realm, advancing to the eighth and ninth stages was not overly difficult; it was largely a matter of grinding through the time required. Even Liu Hong, who had broken through to the seventh stage after Bai Feng, was already at the eighth stage. Thus, in many people's eyes, it was an inevitability that Bai Feng would emerge from seclusion as an eighth-stage Tengkong expert. Some, however, were curious. Bai Feng had always stayed cooped up in the research center, even having made his previous breakthrough right inside it. Why head off to a secret realm this time? Was the research center's project interrupted? Had it yielded no results, or had it succeeded, thereby leaving Bai Feng free to cultivate in a secret realm? Though curious, no one gave it too much thought for the moment. As for the newly admitted Su Yu, while his recent performance had been fairly decent, he still did not attract all that much attention. Before one reached the Tengkong Realm, paying someone too much heed was pointless anyway. ... In the advanced class, the atmosphere had been off lately. The friction between Su Yu and Zheng Yunhui was growing increasingly severe. For several days in a row, Zheng Yunhui had been provoking Su Yu. Su Yu had maintained his silence the entire time, and Zheng Yunhui seemed to have run out of patience, apparently preparing to challenge Wu Jia instead. On the afternoon of September 12, as class drew to a close, Zheng Yunhui stood up. He shot Su Yu a glare, fire flashing in his eyes, but this time he did not pick a fight with him. Without a word, he strode right toward the door! Over the past few days, Zheng Yunhui had made trouble every time class ended. This time, he didn't! The others seemed to realize what was happening. Su Yu's face shifted through shades of blue and purple. Beside him, Wu Lan asked curiously, "He didn't come to pick a fight? He isn't going to cause trouble for your senior sister, is he?" The moment the words left her mouth, Su Yu bolted out the door! Interest sparked among the onlookers. Jia Mingzhen chuckled. "Is that fellow Zheng Yunhui really going to make trouble for Wu Jia? Say what you will, the Multiple Divine Characters Faction has fallen on truly pathetic times. They can't even handle a fellow like Zheng Yunhui." They truly couldn't! Bai Feng and Chen Yong were unable to intervene, Wu Jia was heavily injured, and as a result, what had once been the academy's greatest faction couldn't even deal with a junior who hadn't even made the Top 100 Rankings. Total humiliation! If this state of affairs dragged on, what genius would ever join the Multiple Divine Characters Faction? It was simply too miserable! There was no one left to shield them! The others felt a pang of sympathy upon hearing that, but they were even more curious about whether the two were about to clash. Xia Huyou waddled his chubby frame along, moving with surprising speed as he quietly trailed after them. *These two aren't going to fight today, are they?* ... Downstairs from the classroom building, Su Yu caught up to Zheng Yunhui, anger flaring in his eyes. "Zheng Yunhui, where do you think you're going?" "What, couldn't hold back anymore?" Zheng Yunhui snorted coldly. "Give me back my thing. Otherwise, I'm challenging Wu Jia tonight! If she refuses, I'll make sure the entire academy knows just what useless trash your Multiple Divine Characters Faction really is—too cowardly to even accept a challenge from a new student!" "Shameless!" Su Yu snapped in a low voice. "My senior sister is injured—" "Then that's her own incompetence! If you've got the guts, put me in the infirmary too!" Zheng Yunhui scoffed in pure disdain! As if unable to stomach any more, Su Yu fumed, "Fine! Don't you want the *Sky-Breaking Slash* back? I'll give you a chance! But if you think you're getting something for nothing, keep dreaming! That technique is worth over a thousand merit points. If you think you can take it back with a few empty words, do you take me for an idiot?" "What do you want, then?" "It's worth a fortune, and you're stronger than me. Don't you want to decide ownership through victory? The old rule: an equivalent wager! Two thousand merit points. If you win, the *Sky-Breaking Slash* is yours. If you lose, the manual stays with me, and the two thousand merit points are mine!" Zheng Yunhui frowned. Su Yu sneered, "If you can't afford the bet, shut your mouth! Weren't you so sure of your victory? Unwilling to pay up now? You want me to hand over an item worth over a thousand merit points just because you flapped your lips? Are you dreaming?" Their voices were hushed as they traded rapid whispers in the shadowed corner beneath the classroom building. Not far away, Liu Hong happened to pass by. It was no accident; it was an inevitability. Every other day, Liu Hong conducted an inspection of the third class's lessons and would only leave after class had dismissed, which required him to pass through this area. Today was another inspection day. Su Yu and Zheng Yunhui kept their voices low, tucked away in the corner, but evading Liu Hong's senses was impossible. As an eighth-stage Tengkong expert, he naturally possessed that much perception. Liu Hong glanced toward them and arched an eyebrow. These two youngsters had been bickering for days without any conclusion. He was rather curious to see how things would unfold. His ears twitched slightly, and their voices promptly drifted in. "Two thousand merit points... Su Yu, do you think I'm Chen Qi? You think you can beat me? Goading me is useless. Strength is king! You think you can beat me relying on that so-called innate blood essence?" "Cut the crap. I'm asking you if you're betting or not. If you don't have the guts, keep your mouth shut from now on! That thing belongs to me. If you want to take it from Su Yu... let's see you try! Even if I hand it over to the academy, I won't give it to you!" Zheng Yunhui seemed to hesitate. He looked Su Yu up and down, then sneered. "Have you broken through to the fourth stage of Qianjun?" "None of your damn business!" "..." At those words, Liu Hong's interest was piqued. *Did Su Yu break through?* It was hard to tell just by looking. No matter, though. Probing with willpower was tricky since Su Yu might notice it, but these days, willpower wasn't the only tool at his disposal. A divine glow flickered in Liu Hong's eyes, and a character seemed to surface within them. A divine character! And an exceptionally rare detection-type divine character at that! The next instant, Su Yu's condition came into view. *Holy... crap!* Liu Hong's heart gave a violent lurch! Sixty-two apertures! What the hell? Hadn't Su Yu only broken through to the Qianjun Realm a few days ago? Reaching the third stage directly back then was one thing, but it had only been a few days—how on earth had he reached the fifth stage of Qianjun already? *This... makes no scientific sense!* Liu Hong was thoroughly shaken. *What did Bai Feng do?* *No, that fellow went into seclusion, and he's broke as well. What could he have done?* It was more accurate to ask what Su Yu himself had done! What was going on? Liu Hong stood there dazed, deeply stunned. *This kid... is playing the pig to eat the tiger!* Right now, nobody knew he was at the fifth stage of Qianjun. Or perhaps someone did, but had kept quiet about it, leaving everyone else assuming Su Yu was still at the third stage. *This kid... is already at the fifth stage. If that's the case, combined with blood essence, he might not actually lose!* Liu Hong marveled inwardly. *This brat is insidious as hell.* He actually wanted to turn the tables and fleece Zheng Yunhui. He had a genuine shot at winning, and if he did, wouldn't that net him another two thousand merit points? *Damn it! He makes money way faster than I do!* As he was musing, Zheng Yunhui whispered, "Two thousand merit points is too much. Do you think our merit points are limitless? Three hundred merit points. Su Yu, don't get greedy—" "Get lost!" Su Yu cursed under his breath. "Keep dreaming! If that's the case, go ahead and challenge my senior sister. Don't even think about the *Sky-Breaking Slash*. Even if I chuck it into a latrine, I won't give it to you! I'd love to see whether a secret manual is more important to you or the petty satisfaction of fighting a pointless duel!" With that, Su Yu added, "I'm only at the third stage of Qianjun. What are you afraid of?" Zheng Yunhui scoffed. "Third stage? Looks to me like you're already at the fourth stage! You've probably outlined another divine character too. You really think I don't know what kind of person you are, Su Yu? After Chen Qi lost, your little act won't work on me!" "Heh, the great Zheng family can't even produce two thousand merit points? What are you putting on airs for? If you don't have the points, piss off!" "You're goading me?" Zheng Yunhui smirked. "Well, I'll bite! I'm at the seventh stage of Qianjun, and my Yangxing fullness is over eighty-five percent. I'm stronger than you in every single aspect. You think you can turn things around with blood essence? I don't buy it for a second! I accept the wager!" "Do you have the merit points?" "Of course!" "I need to verify it. Show them to me..." "Su Yu, don't push it too far. There's no such rule! Who shows their balance before a challenge?" "I don't trust you!" "..." As they argued, the two shifted a few steps further into the corner, completely concealing themselves from view. Liu Hong chuckled quietly, finding it amusing. Zheng Yunhui probably didn't have that many merit points on him. At most, he might have five hundred points left; the Zheng family wouldn't give him an unlimited supply. Two thousand points... was truly no small sum! *These two brats are both full of confidence...* Liu Hong prepared to leave. When the match came around, he would just go watch. Just as he was about to turn away, he caught a faint murmur. Intrigued, he continued to listen. "Su Yu, I'll admit I don't have that many merit points. How about this: since it's just a wager and not necessarily going to end up in your hands anyway, I'll put up a cultural weapon as collateral..." "Pah! Do you take me for an idiot? Cultural weapons are keyed to specific divine characters! If I win it, I won't even be able to sell it. Do I look like a fool to you?" "Su Yu, don't go too far..." "Who's going too far? You're the one aggressively pressing me! If you don't have the money, stop putting on airs! Expecting people to just hand you free cash—are you even awake yet?" In private, Su Yu had dropped his meek facade, his words sharp and aggressive. Liu Hong wasn't surprised in the least; the kid was never an honest fellow to begin with. Just then, Su Yu continued, "Isn't your family wealthy and influential? It's just a duel anyway, and you might not lose. How about this: steal your grandfather's martial weapon. That can actually be sold..." "You're courting death!" Zheng Yunhui erupted in fury! A martial weapon! His grandfather was at the peak of the Shanhai Realm! While martial weapons weren't as valuable as cultural weapons, they were far more versatile—anyone using the same type of weapon could wield them. And his grandfather wielded a peak Earth-rank martial weapon! Su Yu was utterly vicious! Liu Hong's interest surged even higher. *Su Yu's appetite is massive.* To dare demand Principal Zheng's martial weapon, and even incite Zheng Yunhui to steal it... the kid was definitely not a good person. "Fine, if not a martial weapon, does your Zheng family not have blood essence or something? Mountain-Breaking Ox blood essence, for instance—give me two hundred drops of that, and that'll work too..." "Hmph!" Zheng Yunhui snorted coldly. "You think prominent clans are like your small-time households? The clan's storehouses are inspected daily! If anything goes missing, people find out immediately! Stealing... heh, keep dreaming!" With that, Zheng Yunhui snapped impatiently, "Here's my offer: five hundred merit points, plus a low-rank Profound martial weapon, and a low-rank Profound martial technique to match!" "Heh!" Su Yu turned to walk away. Zheng Yunhui's expression shifted erratically as he caught up, hissing, "I really don't have that many merit points. How about I owe you the rest? It's not like you're guaranteed to win anyway, Su Yu! If I lose, I'll make up the difference later!" "Delusional! This duel can only be conducted in private without the academy's official notarization. If you welch on the debt, what can I do about it? It has to be an immediate exchange of goods on the spot!" Su Yu said indifferently, "Everything in your clan's storehouse gets inspected, but isn't there some treasure that isn't checked frequently? Something where, even if it went missing for a year or two, no one would notice?" Liu Hong nearly burst out laughing! This kid... really knew how to incite people to do bad things. "Something that wouldn't be noticed missing for a year or two..." Zheng Yunhui frowned, his expression flickering as if something had occurred to him. Seeing Su Yu about to walk off again, he hurriedly called out, "Wait... there is something!" "Hmm?" Zheng Yunhui seemed nervous now. He glanced all around, and seeing no sign of Liu Hong, he quickly lowered his voice. "Su Yu, I have a treasure I can put up as collateral, but... your single copy of *Sky-Breaking Slash* isn't enough! That item can't be split up, and if I win, a single *Sky-Breaking Slash* isn't nearly worth its value." "What is it?" "God and demon blood essence!" "..." At that moment, even Liu Hong was stunned. God and demon blood essence! The Zheng family... god and demon blood essence... *Is this brat insane?* He seemed to realize what it was. The Zheng family did possess some Lingyun Realm god and demon blood essence. That kind of item truly wouldn't be checked constantly; god and demon blood essence was kept sealed away, and unless it was needed, the seals were never opened to prevent the essence from dissipating. *This fellow... has some massive guts. He actually wants to go back and steal god and demon blood essence!* "God and demon blood essence?" Su Yu grew excited at once. "Really?" "Really! But my god and demon blood essence is at the Lingyun Realm, far more valuable than Tengkong Realm essence. Even a single drop is worth far more than the *Sky-Breaking Slash* in your hands! Unless you can put up more... otherwise, Su Yu, we do it my way! If not, don't expect an easy time either. At worst, I'll report you to the academy. I don't believe you're completely unbothered!" "..." The two traded sharp words, back and forth. Su Yu was clearly tempted! God and demon blood essence! Yet the stakes were unequal, and Su Yu didn't have any merit points left either. He wanted to use a cultural weapon as collateral, but Zheng Yunhui naturally refused to agree. *Looks like this match won't happen,* Liu Hong thought, shaking his head. Su Yu simply couldn't produce anything of equivalent value. Unless he accepted Zheng Yunhui's previous offer—using a martial weapon and technique to make up the difference—but those were worth less than the *Sky-Breaking Slash* and of little use to Su Yu anyway. *God and demon blood essence...* Liu Hong sighed inwardly. Good stuff, truly, but sadly he had none himself. After arguing for a while, Zheng Yunhui said impatiently, "You told me to steal from home, but can't you steal too? Hasn't your teacher gone into seclusion? You're the only one in the Wen Tan Research Center! Does such a massive research center not have a single treasure? Weren't you so sure you'd win? In that case, give it a shot and see if you can win!" "The research center..." Su Yu's face fell, as if struck by a thought, his expression turning conflicted. Liu Hong was genuinely astounded this time. These two brats were utterly fearless! One was planning to steal his family's god and demon blood essence, while the other... judging by his reaction, was genuinely tempted to steal from the research center! Especially Su Yu. If he got caught, he wasn't a direct blood descendant like Zheng Yunhui. If discovered, even Bai Feng would settle the score with him. Expulsion would be the least of it; he might very well have his cultivation crippled! *Are they out of their minds?* Liu Hong was deeply shaken. *He's not really going to steal something, is he?* *Should I tell Bai Feng...* *Wait, why the hell would I tell Bai Feng!* Liu Hong's mind stirred. *Why say anything? If it really gets stolen, and if it's useful to me, then... then I... might have a chance to get my hands on it!* Su Yu seemed to be wrestling with himself. After a long pause, he said cryptically, "The research center's data cannot be leaked, or it'll cause massive trouble! I'll be finished!" Zheng Yunhui dismissed it casually. "I didn't say data. I don't care about that stuff anyway. I'm talking about blood essence, willpower texts, that sort of thing! Your Multiple Divine Characters Faction can't be so broke that you don't even have those, right?" They really didn't! Liu Hong knew full well: they truly had none of that! Su Yu gritted his teeth and said, "We don't have those items, but we have data. However... I'm saying, if I really put it up as a wager, you cannot leak it or tell anyone else! I can secretly provide you with an important piece of research data, but... it must never be leaked! If you leak it... I'll say you stole it, and you'll have to face Grandmaster Hong Tan's wrath. Do you believe me?" Liu Hong was truly shocked now. These two boys were completely insane. For the sake of a single duel, they were blowing things up beyond all proportion. "What data?" Zheng Yunhui frowned. "Ordinary research isn't worth a dime!" "The development of innate blood essence! Involving the utilization of Tengkong Realm blood essence—allowing a Wanshi cultivator who consumes it to unleash Tengkong combat power... Of course, it hasn't been fully perfected yet!" Su Yu said in a low, tense voice. "It's only a portion of the data. I know where it's kept, but there isn't more. And... one drop of blood essence isn't enough. Ten drops!" "Go to hell!" "Eight drops, or forget it! Go find whoever else you want!" Su Yu turned to leave. Zheng Yunhui frowned and didn't chase after him, muttering, "Is that thing even worth that much?" "Eight drops of blood essence... What's he thinking!" Cursing softly, Zheng Yunhui ignored Su Yu, seemingly still pondering whether the research was truly that valuable. At that moment, Liu Hong's heart raced with excitement. He desperately wanted to step forward and urge the boy: *Accept it! What does eight drops of god and demon blood essence even matter! Idiot! You fool! Although Su Yu already values it highly by demanding ten drops of god and demon blood essence right off the bat, what are ten drops worth?* *Hong Tan's faction has probably poured over a million merit points into that project!* *How much are ten drops of god and demon blood essence worth? At most, ten or twenty thousand merit points! Not to mention, it wasn't just funds invested, but decades of effort from a Shanhai Realm expert!* *You reckless brats, you two maniacs! Damn it, if Bai Feng were willing to bet this with me, I'd run myself ragged just to crush him!* After a surge of excitement, Liu Hong quickly felt dejected. *It has nothing to do with me.* *Black-eat-black? Swoop in and take the lot?* *No, if both the blood essence and the data vanish, those two will probably claim they were robbed or had their things stolen, and that'll bring trouble down on me.* *Only if it flows between the two of them will they keep quiet...* Thoughts raced through Liu Hong's mind. Earlier, he had considered taking it by force. With such massive stakes involving illicit goods, the two of them would never hold a public duel; an under-the-table spar was far more likely. If he kept watch in secret, he really had a shot at snatching everything. Yet unless he took the loot and fled the academy altogether, an investigation would easily trace it back to him. *If I rob them, would they dare tell anyone?* Liu Hong weighed the possibility. As for the duel, he was certain it would happen. Once Zheng Yunhui realized the true value of that data, he would definitely agree! *No, Su Yu might not dare speak up, but if Zheng Yunhui loses that blood essence, even if he gets scolded, he'll definitely confess. Then the matter of acquiring the data will be exposed.* *Unless... the item reaches Zheng Yunhui's hands first, and I take it from him? Would that kid make a fuss? No, snatching it still won't work...* *What if I just buy it directly from Su Yu?* His mind stirred. Su Yu was audacious enough to wager it, after all. *Buy it... No, he won't sell!* Suddenly, he understood! Su Yu wouldn't sell it. He only dared to put it up as a wager because he was confident he would win and the data wouldn't be leaked. If someone tried to buy it, Su Yu wasn't stupid; he would realize immediately that word had gotten out, and he would never ruin his own future. *He believes he can win, so he views this as nothing more than a verbal agreement. Once he wins, not only will he get the blood essence, he won't have to part with anything else...* *Can he win?* Liu Hong looked at Su Yu's retreating figure. Fifth stage of Qianjun—already quite impressive. Opening ten more apertures would push him to the sixth stage. The kid cultivated at an absurd speed. By the time of the duel, he might genuinely be at the sixth stage, giving him a massive chance of winning. *This fellow... wants to play the pig to eat the tiger and fleece Zheng Yunhui! If he wins, the blood essence is his. If he loses... Zheng Yunhui thinks he's only at the fourth stage, while he'll actually be at the sixth stage. Zheng Yunhui has already lost the upper hand from the start.* Liu Hong pondered continuously. *Could Su Yu be bluffing with fake data?* Hard to say! Zheng Yunhui wasn't an idiot either; he would inspect it to some degree, though research data was inherently difficult to verify. *Tricky!* *Still, the chances of Su Yu bringing out fake data are low, right? After all, he believes he can win. If it's exposed as fake and the duel falls through, he'll lose his chance at that god and demon blood essence...* Liu Hong felt a headache coming on, but his heart was pounding. Two kids who hadn't even reached the Wanshi Realm were wagering over ten thousand merit points—no, things that money couldn't even buy! How could he not be tempted? *I'll wait and see...* ... Liu Hong decided to bide his time, keeping closer tabs on them over the next few days. The following day, he realized the two had likely reached an agreement. Zheng Yunhui didn't pick on Su Yu, and Su Yu ignored him, as if nothing had ever happened. Zheng Yunhui stopped mentioning any challenge against Wu Jia as well. Others speculated that Su Yu might have returned the item, but Liu Hong knew for certain that he hadn't. Their ceasefire was definitely not because of that. ... On the third day, everything remained calm as usual. Yet on this day, Liu Hong's younger brother suddenly came looking for him. "Brother!" Liu He had a booming voice. Liu Hong hadn't slept well for days and snapped impatiently, "What is it?" "Brother, someone over at the black market asked me to pass a message to you..." "What?" "He said he has a piece of research data you'll definitely be interested in, and asked if you want to buy it..." Liu Hong was exasperated. "Tell him to get lost! What data? I don't want it!" "Oh!" Liu He didn't care either, grumbling, "Nine out of ten pieces of data in the black market are fake anyway. I told that fellow to cut the nonsense, but he had the nerve to ask for fifty thousand merit points right off the bat! He must be out of his mind..." "How much?" "Fifty thousand points!" Liu He said, equally exasperated. "That fellow claimed you'd definitely be interested, that it's priceless, and while he can't use it, you definitely need it." "Who was it?" Liu Hong's heart jolted, and he pressed urgently. "Zheng Yunhui!" Liu He said crossly. "That bastard is arrogant as hell. He said I wasn't qualified to negotiate with him and told me to have you speak with him in person..." "Zheng Yunhui?" Liu Hong gasped. "Why didn't he come find me himself?" "He said he wanted to see if you were interested first. If not, just take it as a joke..." Countless thoughts flashed through Liu Hong's mind! The next moment, Liu He added, "He also said you might not be able to afford it. Over the last few days, I saw him in contact with that disciple of Zhou Pingsheng..." Liu Hong's eyes flickered. *Looking for buyers?* Truth be told, their faction was indeed the right match. The Zheng family... was a clan of muscleheads; having this research data was utterly useless to them. Only by converting it into merit points could it be transformed into tangible strength. *Approaching me...* Liu Hong sank into deep thought. *Why approach me? I don't have enough strength or merit points. Zheng Yunhui came to me... and I took his thing last time. Isn't he afraid I'll pull the same trick again?* He tapped lightly on the table. As he pondered, Liu He chimed in again, "Right, he said you probably can't afford it, so he wants the things Elder Zhao left behind..." At this, Liu He grew curious as well and whispered, "Brother, just how many willpower texts did Elder Zhao leave behind anyway?" "Get out!" Liu Hong's gaze turned sharp as a blade. "You bastard! Is that something you should be asking?" Before his teacher entered life-or-death seclusion, fearing he might never emerge, he had left behind a great deal of items. Willpower texts, original texts of myriad races, cultivation manuals, blood essence, cultural weapons... Elder Zhao had treated Liu Hong exceedingly well, leaving all those possessions in his custody. Yet Liu Hong had never touched a single one. Unless his teacher truly never came out, those things did not belong to him, and he would never dare use them presumptuously. Liu Hong's expression was grim as he snorted coldly! "Liu He, I'm warning you: those things aren't for you to covet! Get lost! And tell Zheng Yunhui to get lost too—daring to set his sights on me!" With a wave of his hand, amidst Liu He's trembling fear, Liu Hong signaled him to clear out immediately. Liu He didn't dare linger; his elder brother was terrifying when enraged! *Zheng Yunhui... that brat... sure knows how to scheme!* At this moment, Liu Hong finally understood why the kid had approached him: he had set his sights on the hoard left by his teacher. *Still... are you so certain you'll win?* Liu Hong scoffed. The fellow was actually looking for buyers in advance! If he truly lost, he wouldn't even have tears left to cry. *However... this is my opportunity. Zheng Yunhui has to win. If he loses, everything is gone!* Liu Hong considered it carefully. Perhaps this piece of intelligence could fetch a handsome price. Su Yu was certainly not at the fourth stage of Qianjun as Zheng Yunhui imagined.