Watching the experts from all races depart, Liu Hong stood beside Su Yu and looked on for a short while before losing interest, resuming his endless chattering at Su Yu's side.
Su Yu was growing impatient dealing with him.
This guy was an utter nuisance, talked too much, and never did anything good all day long. Su Yu truly wanted to find an opportunity to blow him apart with a single punch.
Seeming to sense Su Yu's impatience, Liu Hong suddenly sent a voice transmission: "Brother Cui, if you aren't interested in anything else, what about the disassembly art?"
"Hmm?"
Su Yu turned his head to look at him. Liu Hong looked back with a beaming smile and transmitted, "The disassembly art! The rearrangement and combination of divine character battle techniques—are you interested?"
"You know it?"
"Naturally!"
"Are you trying to fool me, Brother Liu?"
"Definitely not!"
Liu Hong transmitted, "Brother Cui might not know this, but I still have some face and status in the Great Xia Civilization Academy. While outsiders find it difficult to learn about the disassembly art, I happen to know it. Brother Cui, are you interested in this?"
"That is a secret art of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. Where did you get it?"
Liu Hong chuckled. "There's no need for Brother Cui to inquire so deeply into that. Just tell me—do you want it or not?"
Su Yu glanced at him. Did he truly know it, or was he faking?
If he truly knew it, had Hong Tan and the others deliberately leaked it, or had this fellow swindled Bai Feng or Hong Tan with some trick?
They couldn't be that foolish.
Su Yu smiled. "I'm interested. What do you want? But I want the real thing. If you try to swindle me, don't assume I can't touch you just because you're in the Lingyun Realm. I have plenty of ways to make trouble for you!"
"Of course!"
Liu Hong said excitedly, "How could I ever do such a thing? It's guaranteed to be genuine!"
With that, he quickly added, "This isn't the place to talk. Brother Cui, let's find a spot for a detailed discussion."
Su Yu considered it briefly and soon nodded in agreement.
……
Minutes later, the two arrived at a quiet teahouse in Yingxin District.
Inside a private room, Su Yu and Liu Hong sat across from each other.
Looking at Liu Hong, Su Yu went straight to the point: "No need for nonsense. First, show me whether it's real or fake! Since you claim you know it, then naturally you should possess a divine character battle technique. If you don't… no matter how flowery your words are, nobody will believe you!"
Liu Hong chuckled. "Don't be in such a rush, Brother Cui. Let's talk terms first. The disassembly art hasn't spread yet. Even if the Multiple Divine Characters College opens, this secret art definitely won't be distributed casually. Brother Cui isn't from the Great Xia Prefecture, so even if the Great Xia Prefecture wants to win you over, they won't just hand it to you. Who knows how many years it will take before it's officially made public?"
"State your terms!"
"One hundred thousand merit points and ten peak Profound rank civilized armaments. That's not too much to ask, is it?"
Su Yu replied indifferently, "If it's confirmed to be real, it's not excessive. If it's fake, your appetite for swindling is astonishingly large."
"Of course it's real!"
Liu Hong smiled brightly. "Guaranteed to be genuine!"
"If Brother Cui doesn't believe me, I'll let you have a look…"
With that, a slender sword flashed into view and vanished in an instant.
Su Yu was slightly startled. The moment he caught sight of the slender sword, shock surfaced in his eyes.
It truly was a multiple divine character battle technique!
Impossible!
How could this guy possibly possess a multiple divine character battle technique?
Could it be… what he claimed back then was actually true? Was he genuinely a spy planted by the Multiple Divine Characters Faction?
No… impossible!
Hong Tan had stated that he knew nothing about it.
Liu Wenyan had also said he was unaware of such a thing.
Of course, Liu Wenyan had mentioned something else: there were still some members of the multiple divine character faction across the Human Realm who had remained concealed throughout the territory, lying low for years and never showing their faces.
Was Liu Hong one of them?
No, that couldn't be right!
If he were, Liu Wenyan wouldn't have hidden it from Su Yu. Having been directly asked, keeping it secret would have been pointless.
Also, what about Zhang Ruoxu from Eighteenth Middle School… Could he truly have been Liu Hong's teacher?
If that were the case, it would make sense.
As for where the technique template had come from, the Great Xia Civilization Academy wasn't the only place that had them. Or perhaps before Zhang Ruoxu died, he had passed down his own divine character battle technique template to Liu Hong?
Su Yu's thoughts were in utter disarray!
He had originally just wanted to see how this fellow planned to swindle people—or if he truly had the disassembly art, whether his martial grandmaster and the others were deliberately using it as bait. But looking at it now, that didn't seem to be the case.
That slender sword genuinely seemed to be an authentic divine character battle technique.
This meant Liu Hong truly knew one.
Previously, this fellow had only ever displayed a single 'Force' divine character to everyone, acting as a die-hard member of the Single Divine Character Faction. Why did he possess a multiple divine character battle technique?
Su Yu's heart shook as thought after thought raced through his mind.
Seeing Su Yu's stunned expression, Liu Hong smiled and said, "Brother Cui, do you believe me now? Naturally, this is a secret. If word gets out, it will bring tremendous trouble. If Brother Cui is interested, we can discuss the details."
Su Yu furrowed his brows. "Even if you know the disassembly art, by all logic you shouldn't have that many divine characters. Are you using a fake to deceive me?"
"How could that be!"
Liu Hong cried out grievances. "Everyone outlines a few divine characters over time. They used to be loose and unlinked, but now they've simply been assembled using the divine character disassembly art. Brother Cui, you are a Civilization Master yourself, so you should understand this. Sometimes when reading books, divine characters are naturally outlined. You can't just let them go to waste, right?"
"As a weaponsmith, Brother Cui probably has more than just one divine character as well, right? Five would be an understatement, wouldn't it?"
Su Yu fell silent. After a brief pause, he said, "That's true. Still… Brother Liu has truly exceeded my expectations. Give me the disassembly art, and I will give you the payment. I don't have that many civilized armaments, and having that many wouldn't do you any good anyway. I can give you one hundred and fifty thousand merit points, plus one peak Profound rank civilized armament custom-made for you!"
Liu Hong secretly drew in a sharp breath. So wealthy!
Were weaponsmiths really this rich?
He had opened his mouth wide and demanded a massive sum of one hundred thousand merit points, yet the other party readily countered with one hundred and fifty thousand!
One had to realize that even the entire Single Divine Character Faction would find it difficult to produce one hundred and fifty thousand merit points right now.
Cui Lang had only recently entered the Profound rank. Did he truly have that many merit points?
No one had heard of Cui Lang selling civilized armaments all over the place either.
Seeing Cui Lang agree so readily actually made Liu Hong uneasy. He offered a fake smile and said, "Brother Cui, one hundred and fifty thousand merit points is no small sum…"
Su Yu replied calmly, "It's fine. Once you give me the disassembly art, I can apply for funds from someone."
Liu Hong paused slightly, then took a long moment before saying, "Brother Cui, are you saying… you plan to share it with others?"
"Of course!"
Su Yu took it as a given. "Don't worry, it will be limited to only a few people, and purely for reference—such as my teacher, Principal Niu. Otherwise, where would I get so many merit points? Unless yours is fake, having one more person know about it shouldn't be an issue, right? My teacher won't leak the secret, so rest assured!"
"Well… with one more person knowing, there is an extra degree of risk. Brother Cui, I only sought someone out to trade because I had no other choice. If Principal Niu finds out, then the Great Ming Prefecture might very well learn of it too. Once it spreads from the Great Ming Prefecture first, I'll be in immense trouble!"
"……"
Su Yu was speechless. This guy was afraid of letting others know—was he really using a fake to cheat him?
In that case, he didn't know the disassembly art after all.
If he didn't know it, then where had his multiple divine character battle technique come from in the first place?
Furthermore, why had this guy casually revealed his possession of a multiple divine character battle technique? Was he insanely desperate for money, or was something else going on?
The two of them weren't even close. Revealing a multiple divine character battle technique before an outsider was either the act of someone starved for money who desperately needed to establish credibility, or someone who simply no longer cared about exposing the fact.
Su Yu's impression of Liu Hong had always been that of a crafty, cunning fox, extremely self-centered, acting solely for his own benefit…
Of course, strictly speaking, most cultivators were similar.
Many people were like that, including Su Yu himself. But compared to Liu Hong, this fellow even scammed his own people… Or perhaps, in his eyes, they weren't his people at all. No one truly knew what went through Liu Hong's mind.
At the very least, Liu Hong didn't seem to have betrayed his own master, Elder Zhao, who was still in secluded cultivation.
For such an utterly self-absorbed and selfish individual, everything was about profit. Revealing his multiple divine character battle technique for the sake of profit seemed consistent with his nature, but… Su Yu still felt it was far too casual.
Are we that close?
Did you just leak it so carelessly?
Did you assume I wouldn't tell outsiders, or was there some other reason?
Su Yu sank into contemplation, while Liu Hong grew impatient. "Brother Cui, how about this: I'll make a concession, but you cannot tell a third party. Only you and I may know. If this leaks and word spreads, it will still bring me quite a bit of trouble!"
Su Yu suddenly said, "If I remember correctly, Elder Hong stated that the disassembly art only works for the Tengkong Realm. You're in the Lingyun Realm, aren't you?"
"That's completely normal."
Liu Hong smiled. "Look at it this way: what researcher doesn't hold back a card or two? When they research multiple versions, they naturally release the weakest one first. After some time passes, they release a second, improved version. That way, they maximize their profits without having to worry about someone stealing their research results to manufacture superior techniques, allowing them to upgrade their version in a timely manner."
"Researchers always keep something in reserve in preparation for technical upgrades. Brother Cui should be aware of this as well."
Su Yu nodded. "You're saying that Elder Hong has actually already developed a version of the disassembly art that can be used by the Lingyun Realm?"
"Exactly!"
Su Yu took a deep breath. *Like hell I believe you!*
You definitely possessed a divine character battle technique long before this, and now you're acting like a hotshot right in front of me.
Just what was going on with Liu Hong?
What was his real angle?
Su Yu couldn't read this fellow at all now!
Across the table, Liu Hong maintained his smile and said, "Eighty thousand merit points, Brother Cui. For eighty thousand merit points, the technique is yours! Of course, it must not be leaked. What do you say?"
Su Yu frowned. "If I don't show it to others, I might not be able to verify whether it's genuine. While I have broad experience…"
Just as he was about to speak further, Liu Hong gritted his teeth and said after a long moment, "Fine, I won't play dumb with Brother Cui anymore. To be honest, someone has already bought it, and it's guaranteed to be genuine. Otherwise, I would have been beaten to death long ago."
"Who?"
"Someone from the Great Shang Prefecture. You might know her—Shang Tianjiao of the Great Shang Prefecture. Does Brother Cui know of her?"
"Yeah. She's in the Great Xia Prefecture?"
"A few days ago, she passed through the Great Xia Prefecture on her way to the Great Zhou Prefecture. I happened to cross paths with her and needed money at the time, so I chatted with her a bit. Shang Tianjiao paid one hundred and twenty thousand merit points. This is my second time selling it, so for you, Brother Cui, I'm giving a discount—eighty thousand will do!"
Su Yu frowned. "Are you telling the truth?"
"Naturally!"
Liu Hong chuckled. "How could there be any falsehood in this? If Brother Cui doesn't believe me, you can ask her if you can contact Shang Tianjiao. I definitely don't deceive people! Shang Tianjiao isn't stupid either, and she's an Eternal scion. Would I dare swindle an Eternal scion? Do I have a death wish?"
"……"
Su Yu stared at him, genuinely astonished this time. Was it true or false?
He had actually sold it to Shang Tianjiao?
Just as Liu Hong said, would he sell a fake secret art to an Eternal scion unless he had a death wish?
Furthermore, why would Shang Tianjiao buy this… Was it for Shan Xiong, or for the Great Shang Prefecture?
At this moment, Su Yu was thoroughly bewildered. Had his teacher and grandmaster's disassembly art truly leaked out?
"A transaction involving tens of thousands of merit points requires some consideration on my part…"
Liu Hong shook his head and sighed. "Forget it. I'm going into seclusion in a few days, which is why I need to prepare a vast amount of heavenly materials and earthly treasures. My physical body is on the verge of advancing to the Lingyun Realm, so I need to gather many things, including a large amount of god and demon blood essence. That's the only reason I'm selling this secret art. I'll be in seclusion soon. Even if Brother Cui doesn't buy it, I hope you'll keep it confidential."
"Seclusion?"
His physical body was advancing to the Lingyun Realm?
That was a good excuse. Perhaps his physical body truly was about to advance. His speed was quite remarkable, considering his willpower had only broken through not long ago.
"Then let me see the opening first. I have to see at least something before I can make a transaction."
Liu Hong hesitated briefly before quickly saying, "You can only see a small portion. Once the secret art is fully read, it becomes worthless."
"Naturally!"
Without further words, Liu Hong quickly inscribed a jade talisman and handed it to Su Yu. "It can only be viewed once before self-destructing. I don't want to leave any loose ends behind. This technique is still a secret transmission and cannot be leaked."
"Don't worry!"
Su Yu said nothing more, picking up the jade talisman to examine it. At first glance, he truly thought he was looking at Bai Feng's disassembly art.
However, after reading a few more lines, Su Yu inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
It was different!
The crux of the disassembly art lay in breaking down the solidified foundational points of the divine character battle technique, as well as dismantling and refilling the divine characters…
The text Liu Hong had provided began by explaining this concept as well.
Of course, many people were vaguely aware of the conceptual theory behind the disassembly art by now. Yet the moment it touched upon specific methods, it diverged entirely.
Doubts arose in Su Yu's mind. Strangely enough, though it was completely different, after reading a few sentences, Su Yu felt it actually made quite a bit of sense.
Of course, since he hadn't seen the full text, he couldn't know the entire picture.
Yet judging purely from the opening, it was remarkably coherent. Its description and analysis of multiple divine character battle techniques were spot on—so much so that even a civilization master of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction like Su Yu found the breakdown thoroughly convincing.
No novice could have written this. Whoever had penned it possessed a deep understanding of multiple divine character battle techniques.
Perhaps even deeper than Su Yu's own!
Su Yu looked at Liu Hong once more. Had he fabricated it himself?
If so, this guy's understanding of multiple divine characters was truly terrifying!
"It does sound quite reasonable…"
Su Yu smiled faintly and said, "How about this: I'll give you an answer within three days. After all, I don't carry that many merit points on me right now. Even if I truly want to buy it, I'll need to pool and borrow some."
Hearing this, Liu Hong hurriedly said, "That's fine. If Brother Cui is truly willing to buy it, you can pay a deposit of ten thousand merit points first. Otherwise… I won't feel completely assured."
"Well…"
Su Yu smiled genially. "My hands are a bit tight at the moment."
"……"
Liu Hong stared at him in silence. *Fuck!*
So that one hundred and fifty thousand you talked about earlier was just playing me?
You swindler!
Are you trying to trick me out of my cultivation art?
You opened your mouth and offered one hundred and fifty thousand, making me think you were rolling in wealth, and it turns out you can't even produce ten thousand!
Speechless, Liu Hong stood up and said, "Then Brother Cui can find me once you have the money!"
"Wait, Brother Liu, let's discuss this further…"
"No need!"
Liu Hong walked toward the door, saying as he went, "Brother Cui, if you're interested within three days, you can directly make the full payment for the trade. Otherwise, in five days at most, I'll likely be in formal seclusion!"
With that, he walked out of the teahouse.
Sitting in the private room, Su Yu watched him leave and frowned once more. This guy had tremendous nerve, daring to deceive people with a fabricated art. Had Shang Tianjiao truly bought it, or was that a lie too?
And why had he revealed his multiple divine character battle technique?
What a headache!
At this moment, Su Yu felt that he truly couldn't see through this fellow.
"Just what are you up to?"
Su Yu felt his head throbbing. What was Liu Hong's true identity?
Was he doing all of this purely to make money?
Leaning back in his chair, he pondered for a while before an idea struck him. He retrieved a voice transmission talisman and sent a message: "Brother Lin, what has your teacher been up to lately?"
"……"
Receiving the transmission, Lin Yao was somewhat surprised. He hadn't communicated with Su Yu in quite some time.
Wasn't Su Yu in seclusion nursing his injuries?
And why ask about his teacher right off the bat? What had happened?
Wasn't his teacher also a member of the Mutual Aid Society?
Though confused, he quickly replied: "Nothing much, just normal cultivation… Oh, right, a few days ago, Teacher applied to become a resident instructor at the Myriad Races Academy. Lately, he's been responsible for explaining basic knowledge to the students there. Aside from that… nothing else, I think?"
"Hmm?"
Su Yu froze slightly. What did that mean?
A resident instructor at the Myriad Races Academy?
Could this guy… be planning to use this to swindle the students of the myriad races?
This time, many experts and powerful students from the myriad races had arrived, including members of the god and demon races. Could it be… surely not!
He looked out the window in astonishment toward the direction in which Liu Hong had departed. Was this fellow crazily aiming to haul in a massive fortune?
Eternal scions, foreign students, wealthy tycoons…
Had Liu Hong been making contact with these people everywhere lately?
Frankly speaking, as long as you didn't sell the disassembly art for an absurd price—say, around ten thousand merit points—wealthy major families would consider it affordable. Moreover, they would assume Liu Hong wouldn't dare swindle them. After all, Liu Hong was right here; could he possibly run away?
Did he have a death wish?
In that case, if he swindled a little from each faction, it would turn into a massive business!
And whoever bought it would definitely never share it with anyone else.
"Is he copying what I did back then?"
Back then, Su Yu had used some fake materials to swindle the Single Divine Character Faction, netting a sizable sum of merit points.
Could Liu Hong have taken that concept and expanded upon it, preparing to pull off an enormous heist?
If things went smoothly, raking in a million merit points wouldn't even be difficult!
Of course, the consequences would be severe!
Trading the disassembly art couldn't be done openly, so the major families wouldn't cause trouble for him out in the open either. But having offended so many powerful factions, in the shadows, he would never have an easy day for the rest of his life!
"Has this guy gone mad?"
Su Yu was baffled. What on earth was going on!
He had even exposed his multiple divine character battle technique and was now preparing to amass an immense fortune. What was Liu Hong thinking?
Even if he scooped up enough wealth now, he would be a dead man later.
……
While Su Yu was pondering this, Liu Hong, who had departed not long ago, arrived at another hotel.
Stepping inside a private room, a young man was already waiting for him.
With his face covered, Liu Hong said in a low voice, "Brother Zhang, have you made up your mind? Fifty thousand merit points is definitely not too much. I'm taking a huge risk trading with you. Calling me here means you've reached a decision, right?"
The young man stared at him for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "Fifty thousand it is. But… if it has no effect, Brother Liu, think carefully about the consequences. The Zhang family will not let this rest!"
"Of course. Would I dare deceive an Eternal family?"
Liu Hong said helplessly, "I had no choice but to find a way out for myself. Now that I've assembled a multiple divine character battle technique, if the Single Divine Character Faction finds out, I'll be in massive trouble. Shouldn't I prepare a foundation for myself? Otherwise, I might soon be expelled from the faction…"
The young man said no more, tossing over a merit card and saying coldly, "Hand it over! These merit points are all from legitimate channels, an unregistered card that can be used freely. Of course, it's best not to spend them on a large scale to avoid drawing attention!"
"Naturally!"
Liu Hong smiled and tossed a jade talisman to him. "The payment is settled and the goods delivered. Brother Zhang, whether your family announces this publicly or not, I will never admit that I sold it to you."
"Of course!"
The youth nodded without further words.
Having obtained the technique, he quickly left, intending to have the elders in his family inspect and verify whether it was genuine.
Liu Hong watched him depart, then quietly left as well. Inwardly, he calculated: *Not bad, I've already sold three hundred thousand merit points' worth. There are still a few suckers left. If those deals go through, reaching five hundred thousand won't be a problem.*
*As for the Myriad Races Academy, I don't need to get everyone—just swindling a tenth of the major races will easily bring me to a million merit points, won't it?*
*What I'm selling is naturally the disassembly art… I never said it was Hong Tan's version. Can't it be Liu Hong's version?*
Liu Hong muttered to himself inwardly. A million merit points—a massive fortune! He wouldn't have to worry about resources all the way to the Sun Moon Realm. In fact, if things went smoothly, it might even last him all the way to the Eternal Realm—assuming he could reach it, of course.
A million merit points!
Liu Hong grinned broadly. Indeed, swindling was the most lucrative trade these days. Back then, Su Yu had managed to fool people and rake in a fortune with just some random materials. Selling the disassembly art now to swindle a million wasn't asking for too much, was it?
*Once I get the goods, I'll exchange them for treasures and find an opportunity to leave this place!*
He looked up toward the Great Xia Prefecture. He had to leave.
This damned place was growing more dangerous by the day!
Even Zhou Mingren had found a way to flee. If he didn't leave now, what point was there in staying?
As for swindling so much wealth and offending so many clans… he didn't care in the slightest. Would they really dispatch an Eternal to hunt him down over a few tens of thousands of merit points?
Not even Sun Moon experts would show themselves!
Even Shanhai experts wouldn't openly cause trouble for him. Trading cultivation arts privately was against the rules to begin with. Besides, he had only promised a disassembly art, never Hong Tan's disassembly art. Out in the open, the various clans couldn't do a thing to him.
In the shadows, of course, life wouldn't be pleasant.
*No matter—I'm leaving anyway. Who cares about them!*
*If all else fails, I'll head to the All-Heavens Battlefield. With so many merit points, trading them for treasures through the military will be even better. After spending a few years on the All-Heavens Battlefield, who knows if those people will ever get a chance to trouble me again…*
With these thoughts in mind, he glanced toward the Xiuxin Pavilion.
*I must leave!*
*I can't get involved in the affairs of the Great Xia Prefecture.*
Even if someone cultivated the disassembly art, verifying whether it worked would take at least a month or two. By the time they realized it was useless, he would have long since vanished from the Great Xia Prefecture!
*Even though I exposed my multiple divine character battle technique, it's no big deal. The world isn't lacking another person who knows one; there are plenty out there. It's not like I hold the Fifth Generation's legacy…*
Liu Hong smiled. Having scooped up enough this time, he would slip away as early as possible.
As for Liu He and his two disciples… they might be implicated somewhat, but by and large, nothing serious would happen to them. It had nothing to do with them anyway, and wasn't that person in the Xiuxin Pavilion still overseeing things?
Inside the academy, nothing catastrophic would occur.
Once chaos erupted and those people ran off, hardly anyone would pay attention to minor pawns like them!
Then there was his teacher, who had been in secluded cultivation the entire time.
There was nothing he could do about that!
Seclusion was fine too—at least those people wouldn't be able to pin it on him.
Having calculated everything clearly, he quickly walked toward the Myriad Races Academy. As a resident instructor, he would spend the next few days cozying up to them to see if he could pull off a big score. The gods, demons, immortals, and fiends were all wealthy. Even if they lacked currency, coming to the Human Realm meant they must have brought plenty of heavenly materials and earthly treasures, right?
*Fortunately, that guy Su Yu ran off. If he hadn't, he might have beaten me to the punch and sheared the sheep first. People find his sales pitch far more credible than mine…*
*Within a month, I'm clearing out and heading to the All-Heavens Battlefield!*
After scheming for a while, he thought back to Cui Lang and cursed inwardly at the pauper. *Talking so big and getting me all excited—one hundred and fifty thousand merit points, making it sound so real!*
*I need to invite Bai Feng for a meal. It's best if people happen to see us together so they know I have ties with that fellow…*
With that thought, he pulled out his communication talisman and dialed Bai Feng. As soon as the call connected, he said, "Bai Feng, your master has really screwed us over this time. Director Zhou has left, and my days are getting harder and harder…"
"What does that have to do with me!"
Bai Feng was about to hang up when Liu Hong hastily shouted, "Wait, I have business with you… Don't hang up, it's serious! Let's meet—one thousand merit points as an errand fee, how about it?"
"So generous?"
Bai Feng was stunned. Was this guy actually being this generous now?
Giving one thousand merit points just for a meeting?
Bai Feng quickly said, "Two thousand… no, five thousand merit points and I'll meet you. My status is exalted now…"
"Get lost! Two thousand points—take it or leave it!"
"No problem! Where? I'll be right there!"
"Fine, the usual spot. I'll wait for you. Be careful, a lot of eyes are on you right now, and I don't want to get dragged into the mud!"
"On my way!"
Bai Feng was overjoyed. *Damn, what a rich bastard.*
Two thousand merit points just for a meeting!
Had Liu Hong gone mad, spending merit points like toilet paper?
……
Su Yu was completely unaware that Bai Feng was rushing off to meet Liu Hong for two thousand points, unwittingly acting as his shill.
To Su Yu, Liu Hong had gained an extra layer of mystery.
Even now, he couldn't quite figure out what kind of person this crafty fox truly was.
If he knew this fellow had the audacity to swindle a million merit points in one go before fleeing, Su Yu wouldn't have found anything wrong with it. He would only remark that this guy's instincts were astonishingly sharp!
Liu Hong wasn't even willing to keep working as a researcher, which clearly meant he sensed an impending crisis.
The Great Xia Prefecture was indeed fraught with peril at this moment.
Going to the All-Heavens Battlefield might be far safer than staying here.
Of course, ordinary people who ran away simply fled. Liu Hong was bold enough to realize that fleeing with no money would leave him facing deadly perils on the All-Heavens Battlefield, forcing him to slaughter everywhere just to obtain cultivation resources.
If he ran off carrying a million merit points, hid somewhere, or simply secluded himself at the base camp to cultivate, it would actually be far safer than remaining in the Great Xia Prefecture.
As for Bai Feng trotting over happily to act as a shill—an unwitting shill—for a mere two thousand points… it was a pity Su Yu didn't know. Otherwise, he would have thoroughly despised his short-sighted teacher.
Rushing over for just two thousand merit points—where was his dignity?
Of course, back in the day, let alone two thousand points, if Liu Hong had offered twenty points for a meeting, Su Yu probably would have gladly scurried over as well.
……
Over the Great Xia Prefecture, storm clouds were gathering.
Those with sharp instincts had already sensed the crisis. Some chose to leave, some chose to rake in a fortune before departing, while others were unwilling to go.
As for Su Yu, having seen the students of the gods and demons, he was also preparing to depart.
The general from the Great Jin Prefecture was already searching Nanyuan, and he might soon come to the Great Xia Prefecture to seek out those present that day. Su Yu had to leave before he arrived to avoid complications.
His physical body was nearing its eleventh cast, and his willpower was also on the verge of a breakthrough.
During the remaining time, Su Yu did not visit Wu Jia to persuade her to leave. Instead, he left behind a letter to be delivered by Xia Huyou after his departure.
In addition, Xia Huyou purchased one million merit points' worth of Heaven Yuan Qi from Su Yu at the rate of two thousand points per portion—a total of five hundred portions—all paid for with blood essence.
That fellow had likely tapped into the Xia family's private vault.
All of Su Yu's stock wasn't even enough, so over the past few days, he extracted more to cobble together the full five hundred portions for him. On top of that, he gifted several cultivation arts for free. Su Yu knew far too many arts, many of which he had no use for; those involving self-harm or severe side effects he wouldn't use anyway, so he dumped them all onto Xia Huyou.
As for Liu Hong, Su Yu inquired with Lin Yao several times. That fellow had been staying at the Myriad Races Academy these past few days, and rumor had it that he was on quite good terms with the newly arrived students.
Liu Hong never asked Su Yu about buying the cultivation art again either. It seemed he had found new buyers to attend to.
……
Time passed until June 8th.
Su Yu prepared to leave. Next, he would first make a trip to the Great Jin Prefecture, then proceed directly to the All-Heavens Prefecture to enter the All-Heavens Battlefield.
Regarding Liu Hong's multiple divine character battle technique, he mentioned it to Xia Huyou so he could pay closer attention, but otherwise left it alone. The Xia family would naturally keep an eye on Liu Hong's situation.
Su Yu also left behind many supplies for Bai Feng and the others, including Heaven Yuan Qi and several hundred thousand merit points.
Su Yu had accumulated a vast amount of merit points in the Great Ming Prefecture. After his previous purchases, one million four hundred thousand points remained; this time, he left half of it for Hong Tan and the rest. Whether it would prove useful or not, he didn't know, but he had done his utmost.
……
On the night of June 8th, Su Yu quietly left the Great Xia Prefecture.
He didn't travel with anyone, setting out alone.
As he departed, he turned back to look at the Great Xia Civilization Academy several times. Sooner or later, he would return here. Next time, perhaps there would no longer be any need to hide his name!
……
Shortly after Su Yu's departure.
Inside the Wen Tan Research Center.
Bai Feng looked at the items he had received, examined them for a long while, and finally looked at Xia Huyou with a faint smile. After a lengthy silence, he sighed softly. "I regret it!"
He didn't say what he regretted, but regret truly weighed on him.
Perhaps… he regretted having ever gone to Nanyuan.
Without him, that kid would surely have had a brighter future. The title of master and disciple had bound him tightly.
Bai Feng leaned back against the sofa and remained silent for a long time.
He truly felt some regret. Had he known what the Multiple Divine Characters Faction was going to face, he wouldn't have offered to take him as an apprentice that day.
*I'm sorry!*
Chapter 349